Given the hullabaloo going on around Arsenal’s collapse at Goodison Park and more recently at Etihad one wonders whether anything would really change for Arsenal if Ronaldo surprised everybody and turned up at the Emirates.
Gerry Neville laid it on Arsenal soon after their latest defeat by citing mental weakness, lack of mental fortitude and inability to stay on course when the going gets tough.
So if Ronaldo was to join Arsenal, would that change the Gunners fortunes? Everyone knows Ronaldo is a winner and as cool as a cucumber in front of goal.
I would not wager my hard earned dollar on that. As long as Wenger is on the Gunners touchline I do not see how the widely reported weak mentality can suddenly be transformed.
For all the brilliance Wenger has brought over to Emirates he does not seem to be a winner- at-all-cost type of manager. As Arsene has grown older, he seems to have mellowed further in this respect.
The tentative nature encapsulated in the gaffer is clearly evident in how the North London club approach transfers and contract negotiations – tentatively!
Arsenal have been in the most recent past been linked with top strikers in the game such as Pierre – Emerick Aubameyang and Gonzalo Higuain with nothing coming to pass. A Jose Mourinho for all his faults or an Alex Ferguson would go out and get his man.
This attribute is evident in how Arsenal is going about contract negotiations with Alex Sanchez and the much maligned Mezut Ozil. Instead of boldly formulating a position and tying up loose ends, the club is busy cat footing around the matter.
There is nothing particularly amiss about players at Arsenal. If these players were to go to Chelsea or Bayern Munich they will suddenly become tigers.
A manager builds mental toughness in his players by making tough and sometimes unpopular decisions. When a player is out of form like Ozil was at Etihad, do you footsy woodsy or do you take him out immediately? If you keep him on the pitch what message are you sending to the other players?
From keen observation, winning managers do not hesitate to bench their best players. They do what is necessary to make the team winners. This includes changing formations and changing combinations as the situation may dictate.
So if Ronaldo were to come to Arsenal in January, the Gunners would not suddenly start winning the league. The DNA of Arsenal, as reflected in the gaffer, is built upon tentativeness.
Tentativeness and mental weakness make the same side of the coin.
