Arsenal Squad Assessment Part 5

Having undergone a look at the squad, just how does it all merge together to ensure Arsenal have the best chance of success in 2009-2010?

1) Collective Responsibility.

Last season, Arsenal took a long time to gel collectively, and by the time they did, they were out of two competitions, the Carling Cup and the Premier League. Defensively, the defensive unit played on their own, especially the spacing between and towards the central defenders, unless the central defenders can set the agenda as a duo first, the defence will be easily opened up.

In midfield, it was startling, it was four players playing an individual game with no cohesion and identity. Nasri did his own thing, Walcott and Eboue their own thing, Fabregas failed to knit the team together and it left Denilson to try cover up for everyone else. Another showing of this in midfield, the highest concentration of talent at the club, and the season will not be well again.

The strikers were left on little service, and thus we never saw the best of them as they constantly had to drop deeper to retrieve the ball. An enduring sight was Arsenal having strikers outside the box and a cross arriving with only opposition defenders present.

2) Individual Responsibility.

As with a young team, it takes them time to get into the habit of taking responsibility. Marcel Desailly on French TV constantly criticises the French team and their young players like Benzema-Nasri-Diarra-Ben Arfa as not taking enough responsibility for themselves and their team. The play badly and then hide and hope no one remembers. This syndrome exists at arsenal, players can under perform and then they hide behind the excuse they are young. They all need to take responsibility for their own performances, only then can they take responsibility for the team's performance.

3) Champion Mentality

Arsenal need to find the mentality of a champion, and this manifests itself in never giving up, always giving their best, and doing anything to win a match. Tactically they must also apply themselves to winning matches and giving themselves the greatest chance for winning matches, instead of containing the opposition. Arsenal have good players capable of beating elite opposition if they set themselves up to win those matches, in the crunch matches however they set up to contain the opposition and no champion wins games in such a manner.


Verdict: I am sure Arsenal can improve on two of the three aspects outlined, however i don't think they believe they are champions, there is still an inferiority complex that gives the advantage to the opposition. The squad may be decent, but may also lack the mental strength for a marathon campaign, a 38 game journey takes mental strength, and with many of the team already used to low finishes, the step to becoming top of the pile may be a step beyond Arsenal. Another year of further development.