Good points DV - but how do you explain that we had the requisite 'gamecraft' to arrive in March with our seaon very much intact, but then lost it thereafter?

When the mentality was right, but then wasn't, this to me would suggest that it is a question of fighting spirit or mentality. I accept that relevant experience may serve to help cope with pressure - but when you look at the fact that we had the ability to beat Manure in the middle of our disastrous run in (and I struggle to believe that that was solely down to the 'pressure' being off), to me you are looking at players who are treating the 'big games' differently from the so-called bankers. We saw this in the CC final - the beginning of the rot, and I feel that too many of our pampered players felt sorry for themselves/did not show up subsequently.

I am convinced that at least part of this problem is having mercenaries or pure 'professionals' of the type AW prefers, rather than players who realise what it means to play for the club; how much it means to the fans; a feeling of a common, rather than a purely selfish cause; an identity.

And while I agree with Letters that 'loyalty' is a thing of the past. Manure have shown season after season, that you can build the above attributes into your foreign contingent.

So we are back to my OP, and whether AW, with his background, really understands this (or has understood it up to this point). Because you can adopt a scientific; stats-based; professorial approach to the game and your signings - but the beauty of football is that passion; motivation; identity will make up the marging between winning and being an also ran.


PS Then again - if the rumours of Viera coming back in a coaching role turn out to be correct, maybe this penny has finally dropped for wenger.