Ted Grant
I’m a big fan of Arsene Wenger, an AKB if you really want to pin that on me, but I’m not blinkered enough to think the guy is perfect. After the calamitous conclusion to the Carling Cup final Arsene once again asked the players to draw upon their ‘mental strength’ to bounce back. We can all understand why he is keen to reinforce the belief that mental, as well as physical, strength are important in the game of football. But is Arsene’s mantra undermining the very thing he is striving for? Is he putting so much emphasis on the players to show ‘mental strength’ that this becomes etched on their collective consciousness to such a degree that - rather than witnessing the unflappable psyche of a chess grandmaster - they wither and break like a pre-pubescent X-Factor contestant? Add the media hype and pressure in to the mix and what you’re left with is a bunch of players whose brains have been turned to mush before a ball is kicked; master craftsmen beset by mental chains and manacles.
What I witnessed in the first half against Birmingham was not a team whose desire and commitment was lacking, but one that was apprehensive and nervous; an Arsenal team, not for the first time, looking like the proverbial rabbit caught in the headlights. If anything, the players wanted success too much and this anxiety was reflected in the performance; Arsenal need to learn how to play with mental freedom again and Arsene is clearly instrumental in bringing this about. I thought perhaps the home win against Chelsea may have represented a turning point in this regard, only for this to be gazumped in the next game at Wigan.
It has been remarked upon more than once on this site how the repeated calls to show ‘mental strength’ has become something of a cliché, or more strongly, a joke, as Arsenal appear to unequivocally lack ‘mental strength’ if you measure such a thing by the conceding of late goals, appearing to freeze in the big games, killing off opponents when in the ascendency, and fateful defensive blunders. The issue of ‘mental strength’, also, by proxy, becomes a paradox on Arsene’s terms; Arsene applauds the team for showing ‘mental strength’ when it bounces back from a setback but when the team loses or draws, like it did at Newcastle for example, then they presumably have not shown the required ‘mental strength’ to see the game out. It seems to me we have to call upon on our ‘mental strength’ way, way too often. I understand why he says what he says but it is exasperating for the fans. I never hear Alex Ferguson wittering on about ‘mental strength’. Indeed, having patched up their differences Ferguson, it would seem, is not about to re-engage in any mind games with Arsene in an attempt to gain a psychological edge as the critical stage of the season begins in earnest. He has no call to, Arsene is doing a fine job all by himself.
