After Troy Deeney's comments last weekend, where he claimed that the Arsenal defenders didn't have "the cojones" to deal with his physical and "ugly" play, and football fans and media alike have been questioning whether or not the Watford striker was right or wrong to say what he said ever since.
While most are in agreement that Deeney's message was a valid one, and something that has been said about Arsenal for the guts of the last decade, the suggestion is something that Arsene Wenger has been making an effort to dispell for some time.
Wenger will regularly praise the mental toughness of his players, on occasion where it is not justified, and this is something that former Ireland defender Gary Breen has noticed his players doing too.
Breen was speaking on Eir Sport ahead of Arsenal's Europa League clash with Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night, when he suggested that the manner in which Wenger and his players talk about mental strength, something he believes they do not have, makes it seem like a cult.
Was Troy Deeney saying what everyone was thinking at the weekend or was he wrong? Gary Breen says he was totally right! #RedStarArsenal #UEL pic.twitter.com/iHeXAQ5iPD
— eirSport (@eirSport) October 19, 2017
Well, in terms of the words [Troy Deeney] used he was probably wrong, but he summed it up perfectly, I think most Arsenal supporters would agree with what he said.
It's no surprise in terms of that they can't deal with the physical side, that they lack mental strength, no matter how many times Arsene Wenger comes out and says it, and gets his players to keep saying it - that this team has great mental strength, great character - they don't.
It's like a cult, they've got to believe what the manager is saying and somehow if they keep saying it, it will materialise, they don't have it. They don't because they don't recruit those type of players.
He's quite right, Deeney, in terms of what he said although maybe not in very good terms.
The comments were honest, and if anything the reaction to them will prevent more players actually speaking their mind in post-match interviews, which is something that is far too rare these days.
Perhaps he could have used a better term than 'cojones', but Breen was correct to point out that what Deeney said was what a lot of Arsenal fans would have been saying after the match.
The cult of Arsene, one person who will not be brainwashed is Gary Breen.
