Henry: Wenger must do ‘mental work’ in training

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has criticised Arsene Wenger for not doing enough mental work during training sessions at Arsenal.

The Gunners have, time and time again, succumbed to dips in form following important matches or surprising defeats and have once again failed to challenge for the title, with Chelsea ahead of the Gunners with 12 points and 14 games to go.

“Does this team have enough to win the league?” Henry told RMC. “It can be debated. On paper, yes. If Chelsea is ahead, Arsenal also can be. But it is necessary to be in tune with all the players, to work in training.

“This team is not aware of what they can achieve. There must be self-management and self-discipline.”

Arsenal have faced criticism for lack of mental strength to bounce back from disappointments before as they have failed to win the league since the departure of one of their key figures from the past, Patrick Vieira. The repetitive failures have been indirectly blamed on Wenger, but Henry thinks there is an alternative to Wenger leaving the club.

“I don’t think Wenger has to leave. Should he change his tactics and his way of doing things? I don’t know. But what he must do there is mental work.

“The tactics help, but what I saw against Chelsea is a mental problem. That is not easy to manage. The problem is more mental than quality. Because if Leicester can win the championship…for now, it is true that they are missing something. Statistics are there to prove that.”

Arsenal play Hull City in the Premier League before travelling to Germany to meet Bayern Munich in the Champions League in what would most definitely be a real test of mettle for the Gunners.