Arsenal: Scathing Rio Ferdinand Attack Has Merit

Rio Ferdinand heavy criticism of Arsenal lacking a winning mentality certainly has merit given the recent issues that Arsene Wenger’s side have had.

Arsenal have long had a talented squad.. Arsene Wenger is a masterful coach, developing young players and improving established ones. He has acquired talent and honed it to a level that many would expect more success to have followed. It hasn’t.

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On a seemingly annual basis, Wenger’s squad fails to deliver on their promise. There is a time in the season, every year, in which the Gunners lose consecutive key games – a home loss to Swansea in the league; a gritty, determined Blackburn overcomes then in the FA Cup; a demolition at the hands of a European superpower- and knock themselves out of every winnable tournament.

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Rio Ferdinand has, in a scathing critique, reasoned the North London side’s slump to their mental softness, a lack of a winning attitude. In the aftermath of the loss to Chelsea, with Bayern Munich on the horizon in the Champions League, Ferdinand stated:

"“I think the mentality has not been there for a long time, and this team is no different to the team of six years ago. The best teams, like Chelsea, they get beaten and they come back straightaway. Everyone was saying they might have a wobble after losing at Tottenham, but they haven’t lost since. I’m not a fan of Arsenal but the reason I always get the hump with them is that they frustrate the life out of me. They have so much talent, but it’s never channeled the right way. It’s never consistently put out there, and that’s their problem.”"

It is a very fair assessment from Ferdinand. He later states that when Manchester United traveled to the Emirates they were far more confident than when facing Chelsea or Manchester City because of the weakness of Wenger’s squad’s mentality. They do not have the mental strength to excel under pressure.

The character of the players has been rightly called into question. There is no leadership, poor communication, especially on the pitch where Wenger cannot go, and rarely do you see players criticising one another.

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It is an issue that must be ironed out moving forward and is an argument that is often used to suggest that Wenger should be sacked. Whether Wenger stays or goes, if titles and trophies are to come to North London, then change must be enacted.