not bad man, keep it up!
Arsenal "Running man" inspired my players to keep on going in hot, humid Hanoi says Wenger
17 Jul 2013 22:59
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Gunn runner: Arsenal's Lukas Podolski with Vu Xuan Tien at Wednesday's match
Vietnamese Gooner who chased team bus for miles "refused to give up. We learned to suffer physically, which is what we needed"
Arsenal’s Far Eastern tourists are taking inspiration from Vietnam’s incredible “running man”, writes John Cross in Hanoi.
Local fan Vu Xuan Tien became an internet sensation after he ran alongside the the Gunners' coach for SEVERAL MILES and was then invited on board to meet the players.
His feat has already attracted more than a million hits on YouTube, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says Tien’s tenacity is inspiring his players as they suffer tough training sessions in high humidity out here.
Wenger, whose side put seven past the *Vietnamese national team on Wednesday to make it two wins out of two on this tour, said: “He kept running when all the others stopped and he refused to give up.
“The players were calling out to him, ‘Hello, how are you?’ Because he refused to stop, we invited him onto our coach. And today he is a star all over Vietnam.
“We learned to play at a high pace and we learned to suffer physically, which is what we needed to do.
“We had hard sessions on Tuesday, and the climate is very difficult for us. So we suffered physically, but we kept our concentration high.”
Arsenal made Vietnam suffer as well as Olivier Giroud hit a hat-trick.
Youngster Chuba Akpom scored twice and Ignasi Miquel and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were also on target.
Giroud has now scored five in two games and he is clearly trying to prove a point with Arsenal in the market for a big-name striker and having made a move for Liverpool's Luis Suarez.
The reception Arsenal received in Hanoi blew Wenger away.
“When Vietnam scored, it was one of the few times in my life that I enjoyed it when our opponents scored,” he said.
“It was such a great moment in the stadium and they deserved to be happy.
“We’ll try to come back here because it has been such a positive experience. But the decision is not only down to me. Vietnam must want us to come back too.”
Arsenal have flown on to Japan for two games - and a stricter training regime with fewer commercial activities.
Vietnam vs. Arsenal FC at My Dinh National Stadium
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Arsenal's 'running man' Vietnamese fan inspires the players says Arsene Wenger after Hanoi win - Mirror Online
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