Bard
There has been a bit of press recently about the fact that Wenger has brought in Dr Ceri Evans, a psychiatrist and sport psychologist, to work with the team. He had previously been working with the All Blacks rugby team, a team who have been widely lauded as the most successful sports team of all time. On the evidence of the Everton and City games you suspect he has his work cut out.
James Kerr has written in detail about the culture underpinning the All Blacks success, a culture that was developed while Dr Evans worked for the All Blacks. This book is called ‘Legacy’.
It’s worth highlighting some of the key elements in the All Blacks culture then comparing them with Arsenal.
1. Allegedly there is a notice in the training room that says, ‘No dickheads allowed’. This effectively translates as follows; no one is allowed to be part of the group who doesn’t contribute fully to the team ethic. It doesn’t matter how talented you are if you don’t conform to all the requirements of the team you are out. Some seriously talented players have been jettisoned as a result of their failure to embrace the requirements.
2. 100% commitment is demanded at all times whether training or during games. Anyone showing less than that is discarded.
3. Humility is demanded from everyone. Senior players are regular seen cleaning out the changing rooms after practice.
4. Competition is fierce. They work on the theory of having three players for each position. If your performance level drops you get axed. Beauden Barratt (2016 world player of the year) was hooked before half time in a recent international when his game didn’t quite come up to the required standard
5. Winning is everything. Despite having won a world record 18 games on the trot plus a World Cup the loss to Ireland in one of the autumn internationals was greeting in New Zealand with calls for players to be dropped and the management sacked. So much for pressure.
In addition the All Blacks are not paid as much as many other international players and their Union is not the richest.
With these key elements in the back of your mind it is easy to see why Arsenal have had so little success in recent years. Of course rugby is a different game but team dynamics remain constant across all sports. It is patently obvious that not all players are putting in a 100% and there is an implicit acceptance of a culture of mediocrity. These two elements alone crucially undermine the team spirit and mental strength of the side. I would love to eavesdrop on the conversations between Dr Evans and Wenger.
