By Walter Broeckx
When reading arsenal.com today I found this article to be very interesting. http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wilshere-team-spirit-is-massive-now
I will quote parts of it in the article for those who don’t want to click on the link (and if you do make sure you return) and give my thoughts on what Jack has said.
Wilshere said: ““It [our team spirit] is massive. “We’ve been out a few times. We didn’t do it for a couple of years but over the last six months we go out for team dinners and we meet up outside of football, which is good for the team.”
I has me set thinking about a few things that happened at Arsenal in the last seasons. We have heard rumours about some players being to big for their shoes. Some players having a massive ego and thinking that they were more important than others. And even some players who wanted to dictate the direction of the club and how it should operate. Yes, you know who I am talking about. Or one of the persons.
So for a couple of years the players came to the club and trained and then went home. Came to the game and then went home. Maybe one or two players having some contact outside the club but that was it.
In a way it got translated with the post-match feeling. Where I come from it is a normal thing to celebrate each win and share it with the fans. I have been missing that at Arsenal also in the previous years when I could come to games. I have seen it changing. Slowly changing. And I think one of the persons who has changed it was Per Mertesacker. He usually is one of the players how stayed on the field longer than some others. He also tries to interact with the fans after the game.
You could see him enjoying a win and he will show the fans how much it means to him. As he did against Dortmund by the way when all the players turned away from the away fans in the direction of the dressing room and then Per gave his own impression of the hulk. Without turning green. Oh, he did turn green later as he was sick. But he pumped his fists once again in our direction, you could see him shout towards us in pleasure and pride and our reaction was to sing the BFG song of course.
I still remember the first time at the Emirates and I was astonished that the players just went in to the dressing room after the final whistle without really showing their appreciation to the supporters. Maybe the players had to catch the underground like some supporters do by leaving before the final whistle (something I really cannot understand one can do). So they had no time to lose and quickly go under the shower and then home?
So that part has improved a lot. And I think it is important. Certainly for the supporters in the stadium.
Maybe it has also something to do with the fact that as far as we know there are no players in the squad for the moment who are telling some young players that they are not good enough? Forgetting that when he was injured and out he clearly also wasn’t good enough to set the world on fire. And just like him once this young man got a complete pre-season under his belt he suddenly was shining like never before and was clearly good enough.
But Wilshere speaking about seeing each other outside the pitch and have team dinners is something that can only have a positive impact on the togetherness of the team. Unless you have Terry in your team. In that case it can be a dangerous thing to do. You never know who ends up with whom.
Maybe we now have less ‘superstars’ or players who thought they were ‘superstars’. But maybe the players we have now are more thinking of the team and not about how to force a big bucks transfer to another team? Most players are tied up with long term contracts with Arsenal and the older players all have showed that they really want to play for Arsenal. And not just for themselves.
And a remark that I didn’t see important at the time but in the light of what Wilshere is saying now was made by Wenger a couple of weeks ago. It was about what could be called our two ‘superstars’: Cazorla and Özil. Speaking of Cazorla Wenger said something like: He just comes in, enjoys training or the match, makes no big fuss about anything just be a happy person. Not literally he said this but that was in short the message.
And about Özil he said : ‘His ego doesn’t stand in the way of him’. In other words, he might be a big money signing and be a superstar but in his daily life at the club and with the other players he doesn’t behave like a prima donna. He doesn’t give the impression of being better than the rest.
We can only hope that this renewed team spirit will stay at the club. It will help the team in difficult periods and difficult periods always happen in a season. Each team has a dip in form somewhere in the season. But in such moments the team spirit comes in. And reading that there is a new team spirit makes me very happy.
And in fact it is what our club motto is all about: Victoria Concordia Crescit. Victory Through Harmony. Let us keep this harmony in the team. And let us supporters make sure that we do the same thing and support the team. And support them even when things don’t go as planned. Then it will be our turn to show the team that if they want to fight together for our club, that we also want to be there when things are difficult.
Not that things are so difficult when you are top of the league of course…
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Earlier posts
- Depressing international games and injuries…
- Knock, knock who is there?
- Comparing the league table
- A tactical analysis: Arsenal – Tottenham
- He’s got no hair, but we don’t care: Steve Bould
- Lost a battle, but the war goes on
- Away to United: the preview
- Is there a level playing ground and who cares?
- The officials for the match at Old Trafford
- What makes a team title contenders
Good one Walter! Arsene Wenger has repeatedly emphasised the great team spirit recently.
Now I’ll go back to the link and listen to Jack.
Thanks for this Walter. Arsene Wenger has repeatedly emphasized recently the good team spirit, solidarity is the word he used, and these remarks from Jack bear this out.
I’m sure this is another reason why Arsene Wenger has tried not to have ‘stars’ on much higher salaries than other players – something some bloggers have criticized him for.
If my comments sound a bit odd, as if I’m repeating myself, it’s because I thought I’d deleted the first two paragraphs and started again. Sorry!
Could it be the Germans, infusing something they picked up in the country and that works wonders for them in their national teams?
We sure have a large contingent of them now: Podolski, BFG, Ozil, Gnabry, Eisfrld, Zelelem and we can add Rosicky, Scez, Kos and TV5.
I sure enjoy reading Ozil and/or Pods or BFG connecting with fans on their Instagrams, twitters and Facebooks. The one for today is the BFG posing with a BFG T-shirt.
Certainly, off the pitch, they, they continue to think of their teammates and fans…great team spirit and great connection with the fans can only produce better footballing atmosphere all round.
That is why the fans should back their team, win, lose or draw? If we are united then we can get stronger.
Just as an aside, our ex-Spanish captain Cesc recently posted a picture of him, Rosicky, Flamini & Hleb in their Arsenal days. That togetherness seems similar to some of whats been seen this season with the curent crop.
As for our current team, some mention should go towards those who’ve seen less playing time. Someone whose often praised by team mates in interviews is Podolski for his sense of humour, kind of like how Eboue was regarded in previous years. The squad do come across as a more together group than recent squads.
From what we’re able to tell, good players like Vermaelen & Monreal haven’t used their lack of playing time as an excuse to exhibit a bad attitude. Just proves you can show admirable qualities when not playing too. By the same token, success on the pitch doesn’t excuse wrongheadedness, and so far the squad has shown that class on all fronts.
One cannot argue with the view expressed by Wilshere about team spirit, especially when you consider that our present first choice XI would probably only contain two Englishmen.
Nine men from continental Europe, in a strange country, a new language and customs to learn…for all the family as well.
It’s a miracle really that any sort of bonding ever emerges.
Well done to them.
Makes you wonder doesn’t it…..why has the spirit improved so much…is it down to the players we have now, or those who have left or both?
Good to hear this coming from a player. And it’s good that we don’t have any big egos in the team. I would not want to have someone like Ronaldo in our dressing room as he is right now, no matter how good he may be.
It does indeed Mandy. My opinion would be that it is for a variety of reasons. I think much of it is getting rid of players that wanted out over the last two seasons like the Dutch Skunk, as well as those who were not comfortable at the club(like Arshavin, Gervinho, Squid, Chamakh. Also a lot of players came over the two years that needed to settle together like Per, Mikel, Pod, the HFB, as well as the younger players growing up together like Jack, AR, Gibbs, Ox, Jenks. But I also think Walter is on to something, that Per is a big (pardon the pun!) part of it. His affection for the fans is plain to see and we love him for it. You can also see the players look up to him (sorry another!). As much as I love TV5 I think Per is our main leader on the pitch. I wonder, and maybe you can answer this Walter, are the players more grounded in Germany than they are in England? I mean more in tune with the fans and reality?
TJ,
I do think so. If you look at the way Podolski is still loved in Koln. And he once left them for Bayern Munich. The team the rest of Germany (the people who support another team) hate.
But he came back to them and helped them out when they were in trouble. I was in Cologne when he was just transferred to us in the Summer. I spoke the Cologne fans and saw thousand of them parading with the Poldi t-shirt saying he was part of Cologne for ever.
I follow Poldi and Per on social media and their websites. And they sure are wanting to be close to the fans. And it is amazing to see how much they do for their first team where they played in the youth and how they still are very much involved with their home town.
Now it could be that Wenger also looks at the character of the players he buys and that he wants to buy good persons?
Great post Walter….I have an article on the way about this spirit!
Walter
Poldi has kept in touch with his old club, I head he bought a box in the stadium.
He spends a lot (too much) time over there.
He even gave money to his very first local team too.
They certainly still love him, and would have him back in a heartbeat if he ever felt he had to move on from Arsenal.
Now, who does that NOT remind anyone of?
V.C.C. all the way.
Per is clearly a great team guy . This club have had problems with team spiirit, of course none of us were in that dressing room, but there are rumours of splits I even with the Invincibles….some say along French and Spanish based lines. Some who followed seemed more in their shell, then came the bunch that got big , put themselves in the shop window and made their exit plans. As has been pointed out in previous threads, our beloved Cesc was perhaps as guilty as any but there just seems something different compared to RVP, granted , maybe just perception. Rvp as has been pointed out was critical of younger players and newcomers in an interview. He went against doctors orders, played for his country, got treated by charlatans and we lost him for months on end. He virtually commadeered a guy supposed to be a more defensive MF, incidentally a guy I loved watching for his own purposes. Rvp is talented, but in the end not a team man. We have not replaced him, bust can anyone argue we are weaker for at as things stand? I am sure he has feelings still for this club, but as wenger compared him, a woman desperately running out of time to have a child. The current bunch have a superstar finding his feet, stellar talents who will put in a shift, and team spirited players who love the club. We are top of the league.
@Mandy
Well said.
Now now now, Last 2 seasons. And in one of those seasons was there a dutch skunk.
I remember people saying/reporting Mrs Skunk hosting dinners for the team almost every week. And that was the reason for ARSENALs recovery from a bad start that season.
Now that Wilsheres saying this can only mean one thing. Skunk invited a select few people……….contradictory to the reports.
Nice , Walter . Long may this comraderie last and may this togetherness bear fruit in the coming seasons .
Up the Gunners !
great article again
victoria concordia crescit should b a mainstay in our badges,emblems or kits,to kill da ltl boy in any player
Well observed Walter, its been great to see how the team spirit has grown. I loved the way Jack stood behind the manager against the AAA earlier this year, Per as Mandy said is a great guy,(can we have an article on him please?) look how hes taken the Ozzler under his arm, Poldi too (aha!) seems to fire everyone up. Both Per and Poldi do so much for kids in Germany through their Stiftungs.-good blokes!!
But in the end this group of lads seem to have clicked, and from a fans point of view makes the team even more lovable!
Long may it be so!
Van who?
COYG!
Amen.
Good post, you can see it in the videos, at the final whistle, on twitter.
I think having that group of English/British players helps, and the Germans seem like jokers.
I agree Walter, Arsene seems to be a good judge of character, although he does get it wrong from time to time, but none of us are perfect, eh?!