Time to knuckle down boys

Wenger.... needs to knuckle the players down

As Alex Ferguson would, and has, said in the past, this is ‘Squeaky Bum Time’: notoriously, the business end of the season, when boys become men and idols become legends.

In the past our footballing talent and prowess would be enough to ensure the limelight fell on Arsenal for all the right reasons, as in 1998 when Arsenal marched over the finishing line by winning their remaining 10 matches to take the league title.

However, in recent years, the correlation between dwindling success and talent, and the dawning of economic super clubs, has made it all too necessary for this crop to fight until the bitter end. This fragility was epitomised by the 2-0 defeat at the hands of a very hard working Sunderland team.

The key to this season ending up as yet another fruitless, but ultimately acceptable one, through securing our top four place, will be underlining our work ethic.

As previously mentioned, Martin O’Neil has whipped Sunderland into shape by ensuring they run harder, fight harder and give more than their oppositions. We could learn a lot from their never say die attitude.

Recently we have been ‘leaving something on the pitch’. Our players should return to the dressing room with nothing else possible to give (as McClean of Sunderland clearly did on Saturday, to a super-human extent).

To sum up, our results will be determined by how hard we work without the ball, how much effort, drive and passion we deliver on the football pitch for 90 minutes.

Now for a personal bug bear, that if noted could result in a harder working team: I am sick and tired of us playing in a tight, cagey affair, where physicality is as much needed as ball control, and looking over and seeing Arsene crumpled up in his coat and sitting down!

Don’t get me wrong, I love and respect our noble leader and very much live by the motto ‘Arsene Knows’; but what sort of message does this send out to the players?

Whilst I’m pleased we don’t have a short wearing, dim witted character in charge, and instead a composed, suited gentleman - I feel our inexperienced players would benefit from Wenger guiding the team from the touch line, standing up and giving them hell!

Finally, I’m sure you will agree that when it comes to footballing ability our first 11 can rival any in the league; it is only their seeming arrogance and lack of desire that is holding them back.

Written by Lewis Radstone-Stubbs

Follow him on Twitter @lewiscrs

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