Arsenal not at 'crisis point', says Rob Holding
Wednesday 20 November 2019 16:20, UK
Rob Holding insists Arsenal are not at "crisis point" and is confident they can turn their fortunes around as they head into the festive period.
The Gunners have gone five games in all competitions without a win and were beaten 2-0 by top-four rivals Leicester before the international break.
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That defeat followed back-to-back home draws to Wolves and Crystal Palace and a 1-0 loss to promoted side Sheffield United, but Holding insists it is not time to panic.
"We just need to string a couple of wins together and I think that will lift the confidence again and hopefully set us off on a run," the Arsenal defender told Sky Sports News.
"We just need to stay calm and stay positive. We're sixth, we're not a million miles off it.
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"We're going into a busy Christmas period now where there's going to be three Premier League games a week.
"We're eight points off the top four but if we have three wins in a week we're back up within touching distance so it's not crisis point by any stretch of the imagination. We need to keep calm, keep positive and keep working on what we need to improve on."
'Aubameyang leads by example'
As well as results on the pitch, Arsenal head coach Unai Emery has also had to deal with issues surrounding the club captaincy.
After a confrontation with fans last month, the Spaniard stripped midfielder Granit Xhaka of the armband and handed it to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang instead.
On the captaincy, Holding said: "Pierre's great in the dressing room. He's such a happy character so everyone is positive around him.
"He knows how to lift people and he leads by example on the pitch. Having someone like that up front, scoring goals for you always make things easier.
"I've never had any problems with Granit and none of the players have ever had any problems with him.
"He's a great lad to have around the changing rooms and I just think what happened with him was between him and the fans and that is nothing to do with me. I just know I can support the team and support Granit."
'Pochettino sacking shocked me'
While it may have been quiet at the Emirates during the international break, the same cannot be said elsewhere in north London.
On Tuesday, Arsenal's rivals Tottenham announced they had sacked Mauricio Pochettino and replaced him with former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.
"When I heard they'd sacked Pochettino I was shocked, but I'm not involved in that," Holding said. "It doesn't affect me and it doesn't affect Arsenal and what we need to do. We just need to concentrate on ourselves.
"I've never spoken to [Pochettino] personally but obviously Tottenham are big rivals for us, he had them playing well and he got them to the Champions League final last year. They had a good spell under him, but football moves on quickly and things change.
Asked if Mourinho's appointment concerns him, Holding added: "Not one bit. My focus is on Arsenal and that's all we need to worry about."
