Why Arsenal won’t fade this year DN
Many pundits (and quite a lot of so-called Arsenal fans as well) are fully expecting Arsenal’s title challenge to fade in the next month or two, and the club will end up in a fight to remain third or fourth in the table. In their defence they will point to the many times in the last ten years when we have been leading the table in Jan/Feb only to slip away at the death.
But Arsene Wenger is convinced that this season is different, because in previous years the squad was unsettled by the al the upcoming transfer rumours as they were being poached by other clubs, or ‘tapping up’ as he prefers to call it. “What is different is that at that time we were losing momentum.” he said in the Independent. “This time it’s the opposite. We are chasing and gaining momentum. We had two difficult games recently, but overall the psychological situation is quite different.
“Also we were very young at that time, with the famous incident with Gallas at Birmingham. And the mood of some players was more to get the next contract somewhere else than to win the championship, because at the time we had to sell our players. When we went into April some of the players were tapped up to go somewhere else, and it was difficult to maintain the focus.
“Now we have not that problem at all. All the players are focused and want to win and have great solidarity. The psychological situation is completely different today than it was in 2010.
“This is a team that is very hungry, yes. This team wants to do well and is very conscientious. We have a job to relax them a little bit. I think it’s certainly top, top spirit-wise. In 2010 I would say we lost it because the spirit was not exactly what it should be because of individual tap-ups.”
“I read many things which are not completely verified by the statistics. For example, there is a perception that Arsenal fades in March and April. But if you look over 20 years we have always finished stronger in the second part of the season. It is true we have lost once or twice the championship, but you could say that about Man United as well, and any team.”
So in 2010 it would appear that he is blaming Barcelona (and Fabregas) for losing us the title, but surely and even better chance was two years ago, and I don’t remember selling any of our big stars in that one, do you? Van Persie was our last big loss, and that was the season before….
Darren
Arsene wenger is a deluded man,period.
Wow you certainly know how to knock us all dead with your logic and reasoning! What a top class comment. We don’t even want to know your reasons as they are so logical we can just imagine!
G rude,it is only ….
ADMIN COMMENT – BE CAREFUL.. YOU KNOW PERSONAL INSULTS ARE NOT ALLOWED. DO IT AGAIN AND YOU WILL BE MODERATED
See I told you your comment was so good we didn’t need an explanation! So I’m a fool and have my head in arsene’s backside. How you brilliantly worked that out from my comment really is amazing!
12 years a slave …there’s the explanation …in any event whatever it is it can be as stupid as the deluded ones it was the tappin up that did it to us me lud … Pathetic indictment of his own hapless management if ever I’ve heard one!!!
Sanogooooooooooooooo.
Contract extended till 2023 🙂
Well that’s are marquee
striker sorted for the summer.
Count down to the battle of old trafford!
The Least i wanna hear is wenger’s or players talk before the meeting….. Until the Job is done, don’t wanna hear a sound!
So to be fair we the fans
should not comment
till after the game 🙂
they are the performers. we are the observers. we can blab all we want.
After all has been said and done people can only look at a club’s antecedent to draw their conclusions….in the last 3 seasons we have had a “settled squad” so to say and still managed to bottle it….i don’t think there are ANY AFC fans who will wish the club to fade away like we always do but the fact we had a seriously good chance to be top of the table by some margin and we were found wanting is why people are nit exactly counting their chickens now….there is a reason LFC and Spud are ahead of us and its because they have been the most consistent and mentally stable…..the club has to give fans a reason to believe and have faith, loyalty does nor win you the title, its won on the field, by the manager and the players…..if fans loyalty is the reason for winning Liverpool will not be without a EPL title….we have the hardest games of the title contenders and the pressure is firmly on us to deliver and if going by our history of choking at the most vital periods is anything to go by the in forgive me for just HOPING we do it than BELIEVING we can actually do it….and id there is any fan who is completely assured its our year then go down to the nearest bookies and wager a £50 bet and post the slip on here for all to see, talk is cheap!!!!