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Arsenal: Nacho Monreal armageddon scenario motivation
Nacho Monreal has stated that if Arsenal lose to Bournemouth on Saturday it would be a disaster. Such an Armageddon scenario must be used as motivation.
As the international break finally ends and club football, thankfully, returns, Arsenal face somewhat of a junction: overcome Bournemouth on Saturday and they set themselves up to beat Chelsea the week after and restore some normality to the start of the season; lose and they could end the weekend in the relegation zone and the pressure only mounts up on Arsene Wenger.
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It is that latter scenario that is especially scary and season-ending. The Gunners are not a mentally resolute and resilient side. They do not bounce back from losses particularly well, their confidence can seep from them at an alarming rate, and they lack the consistency to haul their way back into a title race after losing significant ground early on.
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That is the disaster that Nacho Monreal details in comments with Sky Sports before Saturday’s game. When asked about the title doubts that many have regarding the current squad thanks to a slow start to the season, Monreal stated that the hosting of Bournemouth is a vital game that must be won:
"“It is too soon to speak if we can, or can’t win the Premier League. We have only played three games, we only have three points, we have six points less than Man United, but now we are only thinking about Bournemouth. Win this game, get the three points and keep looking forward. Obviously, if we do not win, it will be a disaster for us. But I am completely confident that we are going to win this game because the players in the team are completely focussed and obviously I hope we get the three points.”"
Such comments are accurate. Arsenal cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, afford to lose. In fact, they can’t even afford to draw. Nevermind the points deficit that they would entertain to Manchester United, but the pressure and the vitriol that it would invite would be difficult to deal with for the remainder of the season.
That expectation is natural for a team of the Gunners’ stature, up against a pointless Bournemouth. They must now learn to turn it into a form of motivation and not a crippling, freezing fear that so often infects the dressing room.
Being able to step up when crunch time comes is an attribute that winning teams and sportsmen and women possess. I’m not sure that Arsenal have it. I’m not sure they’ve had it for many many years.
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Against Bournemouth, they must show at least a little bit of it. They must show that they can win when it matters most, because if they don’t, armageddon is coming.