How far can strong team spirit take Arsenal?

The Arsenal dressing room does seem to be a happy place to be right now. Even the disappointment of an early Champions League exit did not dampen the mood or affect our desire and determination too much this week. The damage was done in the first leg against Monaco, of course, but the way the players, especially Olivier Giroud, shrugged that off and got back on with the job of winning matches was truly remarkable.

It has obviously delighted Arsene Wenger, that is certain, as the Frenchman told Arsenal Player. After watching his tired Gunners battle with all they had to hang on to the lead given us by the rejuvenated and clinical Giroud, Wenger was full of praise for the team spirit and he believes that there has been a huge improvement in those qualities of fight and resilience over the course of the season.

We now have the likes of Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla ready to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in and they are not the qualities that anyone would have assigned to Arsenal´s creative players before. So it appears that there is now a real team ethic at Arsenal FC, with everyone pulling in the same direction.

The manager said, “[I am pleased with] the spirit of the team and the mental quality of the players.

“They are outstanding guys and it’s a pleasure to see how they behave and a credit to the club as well to see that quality on the behavioural front and the desire to do well.

“I was very pleased with the resilience because it shows qualities that are important such as solidarity, the fact that we refuse to give in and on that front I think we did very well.

“We’re a stronger team today than we were in September and that’s down to the focus of the whole club, of the whole staff and the quality of work the whole staff puts in. Let’s hope we can go from strength to strength now until the end of the season.”

Of course it is still vital for Arsenal to show the quality that we possess as well as just battling through games, but put the two together and how far do you think that could take us?

Tags Giroud Newcastle Wenger

34 Comments

  1. The team only performs once the pressure is off of them. Out of title race and we start playing better, Lose to Monaco, then we start playing better. Wenger’s teams still cannot handle pressure which is why I see the same thing happening next season. Thumb me down but you all know its true. Even next season we wont be title contenders not matter what players we buy. If Arsenal want changes then something needs to be done higher up.

    1. I agree to some extent, but this team is capable of handling pressure and competing – it’s often the tactics that pull the rug from beneath us. That being said it’s hard to suggest whether they can/cannot handle the extreme pressure as we’ve not been competitive in the league for a decade, we can certainly handle one-ft matches or dozen game spells.

      1. Im surprised that top comment got so many thumbs up. He does have a point of bygone seasons, our squad being so young was a factor but the beginning of the season it wasnt pressure we felt it was injuries and woeful defending from our available players. Thats when we lost the race, one win in first six, it wasnt pressure. We had pressure against city and at trafford, huge pressure because of last seasons calamities especially and other season failures of course. If you Gooners cant see the growth with those steps we took not only in those matches but for a good run now… well im not sure what to say.

    2. Our form improved as we got players back from injury. A full strength side can beat any team in the EPL.

      1. Fair points, il add

        1. Our system of 4-1-41 brings our the best in our players and therefore the belief
        2. The players we have and there ability increases the team spirit
        3. Our improving defence is increasing team spirit
        4. The belief the managers gives in his players is increasing team spirit

        Let’s be honest, players like Giroud wenger is getting the best out of as in another team he wouldn’t be so prolific. Wenger won’t disturb that with a major striker signing but possibly bring in a future young talent. However I feel the next DCM needs to be an establish talent to compliment our young future talent in Coquelin

      2. in the beginning of the season the season we didn’t have overwhelming injuries, we never had to dip into our youth squad once besides for Bellerin and that was a blessing. Lets face it, the main reason we were horrible in the beginning of the season is because we are lost without Koscielny. AW did nothing in the summer defensively and it ruined the beginning of our season. But truthfully I still dont think we wuld be title contenders if we had bought someone. I just dont think this team is capable of fending off Chelsea, City, etc for a whole season to claim a title. I haven’t seen the evidence yet.

        1. Evidence was given last season with us topping the league for a gud number of weeks, our undoing last season was not having cover for Ramsey and this season is for not having cover for koscienly. Blame we get all u want but fact is he is doing a really gud job and that job is building a team from scratch, albeit slowly. All we need to do next season is to recall jenkinson (then groom chambers as a cb), sign a cover for coquelin and lastly do everything possible to ensure giroud carries on his form from now and we will challenge for things

    3. Last season I would have agreed with u. This season I totally disagree. Yes we won monaco when pressure was off but Pressure was definitely on at Quarter finals FA cup vs MAN U at OLD TRAFFORD….and we won. Happened at eithad stadium too. So sorry, ur theory is 12 months late.

  2. If we can remain consistent and keep on fighting and grinding out wins we can get 2nd place! A positive mentality is crucial also! Coyg!

  3. Love the way we’re playing at the moment, winning convincingly in most matches and grinding out results, Giroud is scoring and we have a great run going on but why is it we never do this under pressure. We’ve yet to get a series of results or really important wins this season.

    Had we even just drawn a few of the matches we lost earlier this season we’d have been in a much stronger position and while I love the fact that we are in great form I can’t help but see the forest beyond the trees. Results like both matches vs Spurs or the away loss to Stoke, home match vs Anderlecht, the home match vs United, draw vs Hull and Leicester. Most of those matches we should have taken away better results from and we’d have been in a stronger position. This isn’t even counting the big matches vs the top 6 where we have 2 wins from 9 matches.

    Now interestingly Chelsea are 3 from 9 but they’re 7 points ahead of us with a game in hand, so as you can see it wasn’t big matches that necessarily cost us this year, it was the small ones that we should win. E.g Hull and Leicester or the home match vs Spurs, Stoke. Add those dropped points in and that’s 9 points. That would have put us at 69 points. Totally winnable matches. See what I’m getting at?

    This Arsenal squad doesn’t need much to compete for the title, some results are totally acceptable to me. A draw away at Anfield or Goodison park is ok. But draws at home to Hull or Spurs hurt us.

  4. With spirit alone, nowhere.

    With good/intelligent/active management and tactics and well drilled players with good technique and expertise in there natural positions – everywhere!

  5. We’re a stronger team today than we were in September is because huge thanks to Coquelin protecting the back! Atleast something positive has come out of all the injuries suffered this season.

  6. What has to happen is our defenders have to be rock solid in every game. If we ever get that then we can talk championships because our attack will always be effective.
    When Kos went out this year we were very susceptible to behing hit on the counter.

  7. OT:

    watching El Classico & Suarez has just scored a peach of a counter goal from a sublime through ball after being under some RM pressure. So 2-1 Barca.

    Do you think Barca will be up for a straight swap for DW? If not then maybe pack in Jack to sweeten the deal..

  8. We have beaten the two Manchester clubs recently. If we beat Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea who knows what could happen. GOYG

  9. Three things help our good run now, 1. players back from injury (kosheny, Ozil n Giroud etc), 2. introduction of Ospina, and 3. bring back of Couqulin.

  10. It is difficult to know if the
    team is improving or not.
    RSH is right because over the
    last few seasons when the pressure
    really came on we folded.
    And yes when there was no pressure
    to win the ECL or EPL we play better.
    Last season was the same a good late
    season burst playing the also rans.
    Winning 4th place and last 16 we can handle
    but anything more seems to be beyond us.
    Having a lot of injuries probably helps us
    because we end up with an 18 man squad
    which provides consistency.
    Interestingly if Arsenal fail to win the Premier League this season
    this will be the longest tenure by any Arsenal Manager in history to have failed to win the title.

    1. “Interestingly if Arsenal fail to win the Premier League this season
      this will be the longest tenure by any Arsenal Manager in history to have failed to win the title”. Really? 11 years is the longest? Sure you are on a wind up as per usual. 1914-30, 1953-71, 1971-1989? 16, 18 and 18 years.

      Quite funny really because it is the one record Arsenal have on all the other teams and you choose to mock – “the shortest longest barren spells between top tier league titles. MU have 26 and 41 years in their record books, Liverpool three spells of 24 years (and presently in a 24 year run that is set to continue), Chelsea have two 50 year streaks (lol) and City have 31, 43 and 44 year streaks.

      1. “will be the longest tenure by any Arsenal Manager in history to have failed to win the title”. Really?

        Jonestown you are missing a crucial point. The longest time a MANAGER has failed to win he title, not the CLUB… How many other managers have even been at Arsenal for 11 years?

  11. My main concern is that our players come back from International matches uninjured. If they don’t team spirit won’t be very high.

    I know it’s selfish but I hope our players don’t get a lot of playing time. Less likelihood of injury.

    We need them for the final push, beginning with Liverfool

  12. they will screw it up soon….past stats proven…and BFG and co will make their usual statements again..

  13. RSH is right. We perform well only after the pressure is off. We panic in big games even if its against weaker teams. Coquelin performing well is the reason why have been able to get good results. We need to add 3 to 4 world class players to be title contenders. Look at Man Utd and Liverpool even though have been terrible this season they are just few points behind us.

    1. 3 to 4 is not enough considering the injury factor and 4 competitions to play for…

      we need at least 5 world class players and thats the minimum

  14. Is Dybala to Arsenal rumours true? I have heard Palermo president is meeting with Arsenal representatives.

  15. Having praised the Gunners strong mentality, focus, team spirit and team solidarity and those of the staff and the club. Alas! The boss has forgotten about us, not even a good word put in by him for the Arsenal Gooners. Alas! Are we such a nonentities? I focus, I worry, I comment, I blog, I think, I morally support, I give my advice, I watch Arsenal regularly on TV and I opined on and for Arsenal 24/24 hours, 7/7 days 52/52 weeks. Save I sleep, travelling, eating or not well. Bob, you asked a question. The strong spirit mentality, team solitary and focus at Arsenal team will successfully see Arsenal through this season as the Treble Champions as long as the strong spirit mentality, focus and team solidarity remained at Arsenal team.

  16. If it’s spirit that delivered the second half performance against Newcastle the answer is not very far …. Same bs from the Frenchman every year …. Having a better first team than opponents and as deep a squad is what wins you stuff not that complicated unless you are a delusional existential corporate hippy aka Arsene wenger

  17. Team spirit and hunger will win us a few games. Having a better team then the opposition will win the rest. At the moment we’re relying on the former too much and the latter seems to be hit or miss.

    We cannot afford to play 1 brilliant half of football and then totally lose our formation, technique and cohesiveness and rely on sheer grit. That’s NOT a champion mentality – that’s suicide. Complacency was there against Newcastle and it took a lot of grit to get through the game after the complacency hit.

    Oh and tactics REALLY need to be better. Ramsey as our CAM? WHY!?!?!?

  18. Am I the only one who can see British player are not as good as their countrymen believe? Explains why only bale in still in-the UCL

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