Mathieu Flamini says squad stability and the ability to acquire big name players are the key differences between the current Arsenal set-up and the one he left in favour of AC Milan in 2008.
Pinpointing two consecutive FA Cup victories as proof the Gunners are developing a ‘winning mentality’ after a long stretch without silverware the Frenchman believes he and his teammates are now well placed to mount a serious title bid.
“There is a lot of confidence because we are starting to win,” Flamini told press ahead of Sunday’s Community Shield match with Chelsea.
“For 10 years Arsenal didn’t win anything and we have won the FA Cup twice and it’s starting to become in the mentality. Winning is very important. That’s the first point.
“Then also, we have attracted a lot of quality to the team with some very big signings. We have kept the same group. Nobody left, and that’s very important because when you keep your key players, keep the same group, year after year, players get used to playing together.
“If you remember before, there were always a few players leaving and now he [Arsene Wenger] is keeping the players together and that’s very important.
“I can feel Arsenal now is different to the club I left in 2008. I don’t think any of the key players left in the last two years. It’s a great example. And each year we have added quality players like Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Petr Cech. These are players who can make the difference at any moment. So I think we have a very good chance.”
Flamini also revealed he’s surprised that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho didn’t do more to block Petr Cech’s move to Arsenal. The Czech international put pen-to-paper on a deal at the Emirates earlier in the month after coming to an arrangement with Russian owener Roman Abramovich.
Insisting it’s up to the Gunners to take advantage of their transfer window good fortune, the veteran midfielder explained: “I was surprised by Mourinho because he really doesn’t do that.
“He’s a competitor and usually doesn’t like to sell any players to his rivals. But it’s a good favour for us and now we have to take advantage. It’s a top signing. That’s why we have been lucky on this one.
“It’s very important. Not only for his quality but also for his character. When you play at the top level, the leaders on the pitch make the difference. Not only when things go well but especially when things go bad. So, for us, Petr Cech is a top signing. He is someone with character, someone with a winning mentality.”
I think instead of giving interviews and talking about me he should go and take care of Özil’s house works and gardening
Giving interviews to say nobody left….
#aha?
..and he’s got a fat wife!
Automatisms, Confidence and Cohesion – all major acquisitions recently.
Well we’ll find out May 2016, won’t we?
Chelsea on sunday will be a good test.
You forgot something, it’s actually like that: Automatisms, Confidence, Cohesion and Le Coq… All major acquisitions recently.
Thank you back. 😉
And I forgot (Internal) Competition and Spirit.
You can say that again Flimster, we were lucky to have Cech here at Arsenal
That 2007/08 team is so bloody underrated. They played some unbelievable football and took almost everyone by surprise. Looking back, that team was ALMOST complete and if that punk ass cunt van persie was fit enough, Eduardo’s injury wouldn’t have affected us that much.
Still haven’t gotten over how flamini screwed us over and left on a free. He did a “coquelin” before coq himself (was meant to be sold for 3m I think) only that he got pig headed and left.
Agree on the 2007/8 team. A fit Eduardo would have won us the league, he was really coming into his own.
Flamini got more money by having run his contract down. It was a shame that he and Cesc’s partnership split, it was looking great, Wenger at the time even said it was the best he had had (though you could argue with that).
Worse that season for our chances was the injury to Rosicky when he was playing some of the best football of his career.
Agreed. Rosicky’s injuries also played a part. That was his best season us for us.
I think Wenger should’ve kept Gilberto. He should’ve been made captain instead of gallas and mostly played well when he had the chance.
Despite our meltdown, we only finished 4 points behind manure.
“Could argue”? Vieira and Petit – every time.
I think Arsene still regrets his inactivity in the January transfer season that year. We would have won the league on a counter if we had signed a striker.
Maybe we probably didn’t have the funds for a transfer.
I think they could have signed Anelka that January (when he was still a good player), but instead he went to Chelsea and then Eduardo got injured. He could have gained them the 4 points they needed.
I’m sure there is a host of players we would like to have tried harder to sign, in hindsight. We could have had Ibrahimovic in ’00 or ’01. We could have had Ronaldo instead of Man Ure getting him, if we’d tried harder. But you have to make your judgements at the time, not five or ten years later.
I agree that the 07/08 squad was pretty fantastic. If Eduardo hadn’t been destroyed by those Birmingham cunts I think we’d have walked the title.
Exactly, but Flamini knew back then he could get a better offer, now he knows no good team would be interested in him. Why he keeps making these comments trying to suck up about how great the club is etc Wenger should be ruthless and show him the door to Galatasaray.
Flamini kicked a Spuds player up into the air and into touch when he was playing for AC Milan during the Spuds foray into Champions League football all those years ago, plus he’s kicked a few more spuds since whilst playing for the Arsenal
For that he deserves our undying respect.
““If you remember before, there were always a few players leaving”
Said without a hint of irony. Oh Mattieu.
Hope you Arsenal players will prove that on thw field by winning the EPL but start by beating chelsea on sunday
Their calling us deluded. Calling our excitement about the league deluded. But we have Mouninho the Cunt watching his back too. “Who’s the voyeur now, bitch?”
Well, I’m all the way deluded then. I have my eye on the Champs League as well.
Flamini, for when we want to close games this coming season.
Giles Grimandi Mk 2
Keep snapping, shouting, pointing and telling moronio what a twat he is. Lets feckin do the chav cunts!
We are looking better than ever, or ateast better than in 11 years, But our pre season friendlies have been vs much smaller teams, and only Wolfsburg are anywhere even remotely close to our ballpark. We beat Lyon 6-0 making alot of fans think we would dominate the league this year and win by default. But people forget the difference between us and them financially is like the Grand Canyon. While we have the muscle to buy from the top shelf, They have a team entirely built on their own talent. And really I dont know why we went the… Read more »
I wouldn’t consider Villareal lightweights in any way, and Everton have given us trouble in the past. I rate them higher than the spuds. Hell, I rate the shit i took 15 minutes ago higher than the spuds……
I’m an idiot. We didn’t play Villareal.
It was a really good shit, to be fair.
Normally i write my comments whilst shitting
we beat Everton too…convincingly
.
And Everton played pretty much their first XI against us. In fact, I think we did a pretty good job of lining of strong pre-season opponents.
Everton – top half PL team
Lyon – second in Lique Un
Wolfsburg – second in Bundesliga
I still think we have had very good teams in the recent past. That 07/08 team played the best football I have ever seen and I’m of the opinion that had that team stayed together and those injuries never occurred, I believe that team would have defined an era and playing style that would have been taken aboard. But that was done by Barcelona a year later. I still also feel that that the club should have done more to keep that team together, but in the end logic prevailed and those who were not loyal or had no belief… Read more »
The boys have to prove they are better by winning the league this year. I feel we are genuine contenders, more signings or not. The boys just have to believe they can.
It’s going to be a 3-horse race – Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal. It will boil down to belief I guess.
So sp*rs sold Bale to Madrid, meaning we brought Ozil.
Liverpool sold Suarez to Barca, meaning we brought Alexis.
This year, Chelski sold us Cech.
I’m starting to think our “rivals” (use that word lightly when it comes to spuds and ‘pool) WANT us to win the league.
Yeah but here’s the scary part: Madrid sell us Ozil, and win the Champions League that season. Barca sell us Alexis, and win the Champions League that season.
Very superstitious, writings on the wal
But neither won the FA Cup those seasons…
Sell ’em both! We’ll win two European trophies. Yay