Former Arsenal left-back Nigel Winterburn believes the current Arsenal crop have not been briefed on the legacy of the club and how winning trophies is intertwined with the club’s history. Winterburn became a cult hero at Higbury between 1987 and 2000 establishing himself as the first-choice left-back at Arsenal for 13 years helping the club lift three League trophies, 2 FA Cups, a Cup Winner’s Cup and a League Cup. The current Arsenal side have fallen short on all fronts except the Premier League, including losing the Carling Cup Final to Birmigham City. Despite losing out in all three knock-out competitions Arsene Wenger’s side still have an opportunity to catch Manchester United at the top of the table. Speaking at the Tesco Cup Winterburn told Sport.co.uk how the older players educated the likes of Thierry Henry in the Arsenal legacy. He said: “I think it has to do with the mentality within a football club, the mentality within a group of players. We sort of had it with not only the old back four but with the old team under George Graham in the late 1980’s and in the 1990’s. And then we still had it when Arsene Wenger came up until 1998. But then he introduced Patrick (Vieira) and Thierry Henry came in, it’s not just having the killer instinct its having those players that turn out as world class players I suppose and true winners. “I think it’s the history of the club as well, when Thierry Henry first came in the older players made him realise what it’s like to be at Arsenal. And what it meant to play for Arsenal. For me the main problem with this Arsenal team is that they play wonderful football but the team doesn’t have any history within the players of winning anything within the football club, I think that’s been lost a little bit. “That’s why I said winning the League and the Carling Cup would have been massive for them because when you win something you don’t look at what you’ve won you look at what the next thing to win is, and I think that would give them the great belief and desire to go on and win other trophies, and it may well still. They still have an outside chance in the league but it looks like it’s passing them by again. “Something that they have to learn is that good football alone is not always going to work. You have to find that little bit extra when things are not going well. I remember Arsene Wenger saying you could always find out a lot about players when you are playing badly. When you are playing well everybody wants to play, and wants the ball; but when you’re not you find out a lot more about individuals and how good they are.“

Nigel Winterburn is an ambassador for grassroots youth football competition the Tesco Cup, for more information go to www.tesco.com/football

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