It is getting better for Arsenal and us fans after a battling 10 man comeback away to the spuds and a cracking 4-0 win over Hull City in the FA cup. We can only hope that the Gunners can keep it up and that we have not left it too late for a decent tilt at the Premier League title and that we can get that record of three cup wins on the spin.
I have a feeling that the previous run of games, just three wins from 11 games culminating in three consecutive defeats to Barcelona, Man United and Swansea, may have done irreparable damage to our season and it has certainly seen the knives coming out for Arsene Wenger.
Both Arsenal fans and the football press have been raising questions about the prof and his future at the club and even though he has publicly dismissed the criticism it must be having an effect and I think it is starting to get to him. So the turnaround in performances and results over the last two games should have taken the pressure off the manager.
Not if he had nothing to do with it though, and that is how I take the words of Theo Walcott reported by The Mirror. The England international revealed that there had been a crisis meeting arranged by four senior Arsenal stars in which the squad vented their feelings and that seems to have triggered a positive response.
Theo said, “We are not going to lie – we know as a unit it has been tough and we all had a good chat amongst us behind closed doors, without even any of coaches or the manager knowing about anything.
“I think it is important that as a team [to know] we have got it in us. We just have to produce it more often.
“You had a sense of the Tottenham game especially, when you go down to ten men in a big game like that, the belief and the character was there.
“The never-give-up spirit was there as well. In the derby matches, they could be the matches that turn your season and we may have turned the corner maybe.
“We have quite a lot of experienced players in the dressing room. It came from Cech, Mikel, Per and Tomas. We have four good old heads there.
“I’d like to keep what was said among ourselves but it was very important. We have had a reaction from it anyway.
“The manager probably knows about it anyway – he’s got ears everywhere at the club! The manager respects the players’ privacy and what’s happening personally amongst us all. It was a meeting to express how everyone was feeling basically and it worked.”
It is good that this happened but |I have to wonder why it did not come from the manager. Should Wenger not have instigated something like this before the players felt they had to take it on themselves to sort out the slump?
It “worked”?
Arsenal drew at WHL
while Leicester beat Watford
away and extended their lead.
Slipping two points further behind is
the result of the players meeting.
Let’s hope they don’t have more
players meetings any time soon.:)
david
whats wrong?? where has the positivity gone?
The club has been crying out for a captain on the pitch for years.Terry or Gerrard type not a silent stan type.
we have been talking and talking and talking for ages
dammit!…..we need Results!!!!
If walcot had not scored he wudnt hav talked about it hehe
the reason arsenal have struggled in this season is simple-arsenal hav players playing who are a liability….you wont see a cazorla or a xavi losing possession,not only that but they drive the team forward.but unfortunately u hav players like ramsey,who dont drive the attack like the above two,also he loses possessions sometimes by attempting fancy moves.its sad ramsey gives more importance to style over substance.unfortunately,i feel players like ramsey hav contributed to arsenal’s inability…imagine a team like barcelona playing with him,constantly losing posession leading to conceding goals and so on.difference is barca’s manager wud take them out,while under wenger u r rewarded with the nxt game !!!! i dont deny he was top notch a season or two back,but now hes a liability imo and need to change his mentality.even that opportunity he got against tottenham where thought longer before taking a shot thus giving defender time to get to him and take off the ball.i bet if it was cazorla,arsenal wud hav scored …
tbh,of course fa cup is realistic,but title is probably gone.all depends on spurs,city,leicester losing some 5points in the nxt 4games which i feel wont happen….
Wenger would hold a meeting if the precious fourth place was in dire danger.
I’m happy they had that meeting, goes to show that maybe the players can show more ambition than what their manager does. Cech for the captain.
The Boss may have to ban any further coupists meeting organised by a group of dissident Arsenal players to hold at Arsenal in future without 1st getting permission from the Boss to hold such a purported interactive meeting without authorization.
I think all the Gunners should concentrate on their training regimes at London Colney more than ever which are scheduled by the Boss, Steve Bould and the Arsenal back room staff. And the Gunners old or young should be diligent to Arsenal tactics. Once they do that, they will further stop to have the kind of problem they had before the Spurs game with Arsenal results on the field of play, I should believe.
what’s wrong with a come together meeting between players in lieu of boosting their morale in games……… If wenger can’t motivate these average players he brought into the team, shouldn’t they motivate emselves?
I’m sick and tired of our boys reported to be all smiles in training while absolutely doing nothing……or are they having picnic?
Each training at London colney is supposed to be one borne of seriousness and concentration….cuz this us where the boys are supposed to be picked for matchday selections
if things don’t really change for good at Arsenal in the near future, i sense a revolt (players or fans) heading our way
admin
can we please ban google translate or just from this guy…too long and pointless and have to scroll down too much to look at the next comment. And as an atheist please ban all comments referring to some unknown being
what’s wrong with a come together meeting between players in lieu of boosting their morale in games……… If wenger can’t motivate these average players he brought into the team, shouldn’t they motivate emselves?
I’m sick and tired of our boys reported to be all smiles in training while absolutely doing nothing……or are they having picnic?
Each training at London colney is supposed to be one borne of seriousness and concentration….cuz this us where the boys are supposed to be picked for matchday selections
if things don’t really change for good at Arsenal in the near future, i sense a revolt (players or fans) heading our way
*duplicate comment detected* ……… The jury’s out to question why
It is good to know there are still leaders among the players, those who will take charge motivate and fairly criticise their fellow team mates. Wenger not been involved is a big statement to me, its either they are not following his tactics or they can not be motivated by his words (I think its the latter). We have 9 games in to be honest in my heart of hearts I have prepared for disappointment in terms of the PL. I hope that the talk has worked and we see the Arsenal of the start of the season..We have some key players coming back (Santi) and other players need to step up their form. I also beg BEG Wenger play Campbell, Ozil and Sanchez together I see them being a threat to many teams at this stage of the season.
I remember John Terry done the very same thing over the years, he’d talk about how the players all got together to try and focus on objectives and I just thought this was an ordinary thing to do, quite reasonable one would think. The only problem I have is why the players don’t do it before crucial periods. Also I would like to hear them speak about staying after hours to work on things from shooting free kicks penno’s and such. Players are supposed to take more responsibility for things, more than they show at least. I’m sure running a football club can be exhausting and long hours, there is so much that we are not even privy to. Players need to put more time in, need to point some fingers and demand more, leaving home at twelve and then finishing about two or three o clock just doesn’t cut it. I was glad that Theo said they needed to know they had that in them, I hope he’s talking about the meeting and asking questions of themselves rather than just clawing back the draw.
You had a team meeting to point out to one another what you need to do and tell each other how good you can be? Wow, probably no different to what teams do 3 times a week.