We have all heard the old football adage about a manager pinning up in the dressing room some criticism of his players in order to sting them into extra effort to prove the doubters wrong, but I am not sure if Arsene Wenger has ever tried this little psychological trick on the Gunners.
Maybe he should, with the Frenchman under extreme pressure that will only increase unless our team can find some good performances and results between now and the end of the season. If he was looking for something to use then I do not think he could do much better than the Daily Mail report in which the former manager and Liverpool midfield star Graeme Souness gives his thoughts on the current situation at the Emirates stadium.
Souness did not hold back and as well as predicting that this season would see the end of Arsenal’s annual involvement in the Champions League and our team finishing way down in sixth place, he really tore into the Arsenal players, accusing them of being weak personalities who do not have what it takes to help Arsenal to achieve the glory we are hoping for.
He said, ‘Arsenal usually falter in February or March, then reach the top four with a late run in April and May, but I don’t see it happening after the defeat to West Brom.
‘As long as there are doubts over Arsene Wenger’s future, it gives the weak personalities in their squad another excuse.’
It is hard to argue with him in some ways, because we have been awful of late. On the other hand you could say that we have been further away from the top four in the past and have managed to turn it around, but will these words from Souness rally the Arsenal players and encourage them to prove him wrong? Or is he right this time?
Bob.