The Arsenal teams of the last three or four years have all had the reputation of being a bit soft. With a Tony Adams or Patrick Viera in the line-up, teams have been able to take advantage of Arsenal’s smaller players and kick them into submission.
So I was really interested to read the comments of Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny about being more physical this season.
Djourou was quoted on the Arsenal web site as saying:
“It is true that 41 goals is too much when you are playing for the top places. I think sometimes we are missing a bit of aggression. It is not that we are not good enough, because the team is good enough. We have top players at the back, top players all over the pitch. It is just that we have to be stronger as a unit.”
Koscielny seemed to echo those comments saying:
“I like physical challenges and I’m a player that can anticipate situations. I feel that I read the game well and one of my strengths is challenging for the ball in the air.”
I love this sort of talk coming from Djourou Koscielny. sounds like this was a theme in the training camp in Austria. Wenger talks a lot about being mentally strong, but sometimes you need to be physically strong so that your skilled players can get enough room to play in.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree with you,we need to be physically strong to avoid the ugly incidents that happened to Eduardo and Ramsey.
i hope mr. wenger has had time to watch the barcelona games to see why they don’t concede many goals. not only do they play beautiful football, but once they loose the ball they instantly go very tight to the next player with the ball and win it back. that is the arsenal i want to see this season.
like i’ve said on other articles & posts we look so much more confident & composed on the ball…i know we’ve only played two friendlies but we’ve looked so good…
next season i can defo see us being much more aggresive…here’s to a brilliant season for us gunners!
roll on 2010/11 season arsenal as champions
(“,)
I would like to see arsenal briing that physical side to the game! We do gave some strong players not as much as chelsea becuase I can list you around 6 chelsea players who balance is incrediable. But I can also name a few for arsenal like JET, Whilshere has gone a few inches taller and his balance is superb, chamakah reminds me so much of adebayor, its like a better looking one and less dancing around! Diaby is supernatural strong, song is a strong 15 yellow cards a season player who we need! Frimpong looks strong mr TV was one of the best defenders and he flys into anything! And new guys johan and lorrent look like they have a physical pressence even nordveilt looks decent! But if you see the arsenal pictures they mostly show the speed tech and physical training. So I’m hooping to see a more stronger team!
{ 1 trackback }