Young Guns must learn – Campbell

(GSM) – Arsenal’s experienced defender Sol Campbell says his young team-mates must learn from their UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona.

The Gunners were downed 4-1 on the night by a Lionel Messi super-hat-trick. Nicklas Bendtner opened the scoring for Arsenal at 19 minutes, but Barca eventually outclassed Arsene Wenger’s team.

And with the Premier Leagu now, which sees the Gunners sit third but only three points adrift from Chelsea, the only competition that Arsenal are playing for, Campbell says his younger colleagues must learn quickly.

“Everyone here has to learn and be honest about it,” the 35-year-old said in the News of the World. “To ask where they want their careers going.

“Say that this is the level I want to get to and surpass. But you have to be honest with yourself and say ‘I’ve got to work harder, I’ve got to understand the game a bit better and realise it is a big world out there and there are a lot of good players out there at big clubs’.

“This is where you learn. You learn a lot about yourself and where you are going to be. You can’t think you’re okay and you’re not. You’ve got to be a very quick learner.

“This is the level you have got to be at. You’ve got to look at yourself. This is a different level but you have got to appreciate what they are doing and raise your level.”

Campbell realizes that the unbeaten squad he was a part of was “special” but stressed that the current squad has great talent.

“They are two different periods – there were some special guys back then.

“That’s not to say this new set of players is not that. They are fantastic – they have got great talent. But it’s getting the balance right. It’s all about winning something – going for it every year with all guns blazing.

“You’ve got to respect football in every way. You’ve got to go for the League Cup, you’ve got to go for the FA Cup, you’ve got to go for all competitions because you never know which one is going to come your way.”