Competitive tension is no bad thing

Morning all, happy Friday to you.

There’s an early Mikel Arteta press conference ahead of our game against Nottingham Forest tomorrow evening. At this point the games come with such frequency, so close together, it’s hard to think what he might be asked this morning that he didn’t more less cover after the win against Chelsea.

I guess there’s always something to chat about, always some nuggets to try and uncover. Perhaps that insufferable guy from Sky Sports will be there, trying to glean any injury updates from Mikel Arteta by arriving with a collection of balloon animals shaped like players who are doubts, ostentatiously popping each one that the manager confirms absent with a three foot long pin.

Sky bloke: *Holds up a Calafiori giraffe* – “Eh? Eh?”

Arteta: ‘He won’t be available.’

*POP*

Arteta: *Does that smile where you know there’s a part of his brain that is thinking very dark thoughts but the smile is sufficiently smiley to give plausible deniability*

Anyway, let’s see what news emerges. I did notice some chat on social media and beyond about an incident caught on camera where, as the team were coming out for the second half, Declan Rice and Albert Stuivenberg seemed to be having some tense words. There’s such a lust for drama these days that moments like this can be completely over-indexed. As you can see from today’s header image, the pair shared a good hug when Rice came off towards the end of the game, and ultimately things like this happen all the time – it’s just that this one was caught by Sky’s cameras.

I’ve seen it said about this Arsenal team that we are ‘too emotional’, a strange criticism for me, but one I think you’d more easily apply to us a couple of seasons ago. When we had that surprise title challenge, followed by the season where we were pipped to the title by a point, there was probably an element of truth to that. The team was younger, we were learning how to deal with the pressure – internal and external – of competing at the top of the Premier League after so many years not being a part of that.

I don’t think that’s applicable anymore, and you can see a fierce determination to go the distance this time around. For example, William Saliba talking after the Chelsea game and responding to a question about whether or not winning the Carabao Cup would be fuel for the Premier League race:

“I’m tired to finish the season without nothing in my pocket. So now we have four competitions to win. My pocket was empty last year and now we want to win everything. Carabao, FA Cup, Champions League, Premier League. Of course it’s not easy to say it but we want to prove it on the pitch and we will give everything to win every title.”

And on whether he and Gabriel were the best central-defensive partnership in the world:

“I think we have the best partnership in the world but of course we have to prove it with the titles, because if we say we are the best and we win nothing, it means nothing.”

No messing around. So if Declan Rice’s determination to win that game, or Albert Stuivenberg’s desire to get more from one of our players, results in a little bit of an argument in the tunnel, that’s fine by me. Maybe you call it competitive tension, but the best teams have it, deal with it, use it, and succeed because of it (or in spite of it). It’s important that there’s a focus on the collective, and I think you can see that this is a good group who are all pulling in the same direction in pursuit of a common goal/goals, but a little row in the tunnel is no big deal, and certainly nothing for anyone to clutch their pearls about.

Think of Lauren having an almighty row with Patrick Vieira on the team bus back in 2004. A Guardian report at the time said, “Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira and Lauren had to be separated by team-mates when they squared up to each other on the team coach after the 1-1 Champions League draw with Rosenborg on Wednesday, according to reports last night.”

Squared up is a nice way of putting it. Reportedly they ‘came to blows’, or Lauren whacked him. 2004 was a pretty successful year, if I recall. Think also of Aaron Ramsey allegedly decking Robin van Persie after a game (against Man City, I think). Not necessarily because it sparked success, but because the idea Aaron Ramsey giving Robin van Persie a good dig is a really nice way to start your Friday.

We live in a time where every tiny thing is amplified, but this is classic storm in a teacup stuff. And as I said, if that desire to succeed and win things means players and staff alike feel as if they can push each other, then I think we’ve got a much better chance of ending this season with silverware.

Right, I’ll leave it there for now. For some extra reading, Tim’s column looks at how we might get more out of the attack in the second half of the season, and we’ll have a preview podcast for you on Patreon a bit later today.

Have a great Friday folks.