Tweet
Sol Campbell rallies Arsenal youngsters for assault on honours• Attractive football must reap rewards says Sol Campbell
• 'The belief has started to come, everyone can feel it'
(2)- Press Association
- guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 March 2010 16.22 GMT
- Article history
Sol Campbell believes Arsenal have the talent and belief to win a first trophy in five years. Photograph: Alex Morton/Action ImagesSol Campbell has called on his young Arsenal team-mates to make sure they are not just remembered for their attractive football, and to deliver a first Premier League title since the "Invincibles" of 2003-04.
Arsenal have put themselves into contention in the title race, and are only two points behind the leaders Manchester United heading into the final seven matches of the campaign.
With a glamorous Champions League quarter-final tie against Barcelona also on the horizon, there is reason for Arsenal fans to believes Arsène Wenger's team can return a first trophy in five years.
Campbell, who was part of that FA Cup-winning squad at Cardiff in 2005, believes the current side, led by the captain Cesc Fábregas, have the talent needed to do just that.
"The lads are playing really well and I am sure with their talent, they can play even better," said the 35-year-old former Arsenal captain, who rejoined the club on a short-term deal during January. "However, playing fantastic football all the time is great, but ultimately it is about what you can get out of your career.
"Young players have to realise pretty quickly that it is not about one game, but how you perform over the whole season."
Campbell added in the April edition of the official Arsenal magazine: "It is a youthful team and has to learn quickly at this time of the season, because the games come thick and fast – once a game has gone, it is gone.
"If you win, you have to get your feet straight back on the ground and grind out another win. You can enjoy the moment, but remain level-headed and always think ahead to the next challenge."
Campbell feels the current squad are starting to acquire the same aura as the one that swept all before them with players such as Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.
"Every team has it own kind of frequency, and obviously there were different players [when I left] in 2006," the centre-half said. "Now the lads are young, enthusiastic and blessed with a lot of skill and talent.
"They have a lot of spirit and belief too, like the team before. The belief has definitely started to come, and everyone can feel it. The manager often talks about belief, but it takes time for it to sink in and for people to really believe."
Comment