Underestimating Arsenal's Youngsters Can Only Help Them Succeed

Arsenal have not managed to win anything for three years now. People can not help but start wondering if this year will be the same as before. But are they underestimating the young Arsenal players?

We see media evaluations and opinions starting to become a bit cliché. Arsenal are labeled as strong but not strong enough, attractive but not effective enough, capable but before their time.

The young players of the Arsenal squad have all the talent that is needed to win trophies. What is usually questioned is their mental ability to win.

No one will be stupid enough to underestimate Arsenal during a match, but they are being underestimated when it comes to the big picture - playing with consistency and winning trophies.

Can Arsenal actually use that to their advantage? It could be an enormous advantage if they know how to use it.

What should not be forgotten is that there is no limit to mental development and that is a policy which Wenger vigorously supports.

We saw Arsenal almost win the league last season. Eventually, their chances suffered a blow as they were tormented by injuries that led to a series of draws which cost them the title. But at the beginning of last season they were again considered as outsiders to challenge for the title.

They were expected to finish fourth or third at best. The underestimation had already taken place in the minds of their rivals and they would surely have been quite worried just after Christmas.

Arsenal were leading Manchester United by one point. Unfortunately for them, the injuries that occurred around January and February crippled the squad and eventually the Gunners failed to maintain their form, finishing the season in third with 83 points!

This pre-season we have seen the same opinions in the press. Once more, the young Gunners are not expected to win a trophy. Important players have left the squad, seemingly leaving Arsene Wenger in a very difficult situation.

Yet the “Professor” has found a way to replace those who left, even though his decisions and solutions were thought insufficient by many. Their chances to fight for the title have been dismissed, by most, as not good enough.

But does that sound familiar to you?

This season we see an almost identical situation to last season. Arsenal are gaining form and it’s up to them to maintain it. Once again, they are surprising the pessimists by being top of the League after five games.

It would be madness to dismiss any team this early, especially the likes of Chelsea or Liverpool, but isn’t that a repetition of last season’s beginning?

In my opinion, it is good for the young players in Arsenal to be underestimated.

They will feel much more comfortable to be granted the opportunity of a title shot from the second row. The pressure they would feel will be a lot less than if they were expected to win the title every season. Being underdogs is a big plus for the developing players in the Arsenal squad.

It is up to them to deal with the pressure when they begin to lead the pack. They have gained invaluable experience from previous seasons, they have matured with one more year and they have bonded as a team because the players have a similar way of thinking due to their age.

They will surely be granted no favors from the other teams in the Premier League, but the young Guns will not need many. They have to count on themselves, and even the least note of underestimation could prove to be a title decider.

I think they have what is needed. Last season proves that, and they have learned a lot from it, even if they failed to win the title.

The Arsenal players need not worry that they are being underestimated. After all, it can only do them good. It may be exactly what these young minds need to explode and prove their critics wrong.