I can imagine Barcelona's dressing room before their players left for the World Cup. Pep Guardiola must have entered and said to his players, "Well done boys and thank you for all your hard work this season. But like every year, the president has homework for all you guys this summer! Now I know you will be busy with the World Cup this summer, but it will not take too much of your time, and will save the club an incredible amount of money. This year, your task is to destabilize your Spanish team-mate Cesc Fabregas! Most of you already know how to do it, but for those who are new, Carlos Puyol will explain how to do it! It's simple!"
And the Barca players have done their jobs beautifully, haven't they? But it's not about the Barcelona players alone. Barcelona Football Club, as a whole, is running probably the biggest disinformation campaign in the whole world right now. "Cesc belongs to Barcelona F.C." is the biggest load of garbage I have heard for a long time. The interview Puyol gave after Wenger basically told Barcelona to go to hell shows how despicable Barcelona are. Here's the interview, and my thoughts.
"I wonder how intelligent it is keeping a player who doesn't want to be there."
It is very intelligent, Carlos Puyol, believe me. He is a great player, is under contract for 5 more years and is very important to us. If your club is as desperate as it seems, it will pay the market price - your already huge debts may swell further, but who cares? And losing Fabregas to that laughable, derisory offer of 29 million would be less intelligent than keeping him unhappy at Arsenal.
"After seven years of great service, I thought Arsenal could have granted him his dream move."
The most annoying and unintelligent of all comments. So let's get this straight once and for all. Cesc hasn't 'served' Arsenal for 7 years. Arsenal has served him for 7 years. Arsenal got him when he was 16, and was not sure about his own ability to break into the Barcelona team. Fabregas came to Arsenal because he was sure that Wenger would make him the player he is today - as good a player as anybody at Barcelona could make him. He would not have come if he did not trust Wenger. And Arsenal, with one of the best (if not THE best) academies in the world, nurtured him and helped him be an exceptional player.
'Barcelona DNA' is absolute hogwash. Does anybody really believe he got more from Barcelona from the age of 10-16 than he got from Arsenal after that? Yes, he came with a good technique, but majority of kids from the continent do. Do they all become great players? They don't, unless a very very good academy is there to nurture them. And how does age even matter? Was he even one-tenth as good as he is now when he came to Arsenal? No. Arsenal has made Fabregas. Just like Arsenal made Vieira, Henry and many more.
"Cesc has given everything to Arsenal to try to win a trophy but they haven't matched his expectations"
Cesc has only started to repay Arsenal. He is quite a few years away from completely doing so. A player in Fabregas' position can hardly have higher 'expectations' from a club like Arsenal. The club has given him everything, so let's not even talk of 'expectations'. Also, does Fabregas not share responsibility for the team's performance? He appeared in only 27 out of 38 league games last season (many of the appearances were as a substitute). And Arsenal was fighting for the title till the last 4 games. Had he been available to start more games than he did, we could have won the league. We can consider his 'expectations' when he fulfils ours, at least partly.
"I won't say he is in a prison, as we know how privileged we are as football players.
"But after how clear Cesc made it that he wanted to be in Barcelona, I thought they would have granted him that."
At least the first line makes some sense, but Puyol is back to his half-witted talk in the next line. If Fabregas was so keen on moving, he should not have signed a long term contract. Arsenal showed great commitment to him by making him the club's highest earner and offering him such a long term contract. The contract means that even if Fabregas suffers an injury that leaves him useless for the rest of the contract period, Arsenal still pay him those 80,000 pounds every single week. That is a big commitment, when made for as many as 5-6 years.
Fabregas knew what he was doing when he signed the contract, so there is no use weeping like a baby to Spanish fans and creating a soap opera. He should stop acting like a little girl with statements such as 'I wish to see you (Barca fans) more often *sob**sob*sob*'. And if he does not realise how much Arsenal has done for him so far, and still wishes to go, we can grant him that, provided Barcelona pay the right price. Barcelona cannot expect to get Fabregas cheap with their dirty, abject, absolutely loathsome tap-up campaign.
"We all thought a deal would be done this summer. But Arsenal have refused to talk and we are going to have to wait another year to get Cesc home."
I hope Barcelona has to wait more, even if it means Cesc not playing his best football at Arsenal. Arsenal is under no financial pressure to sell.
How I wish Ramsey wasn't injured. Ramsey was as classy as Fabregas and was very close to being a great player, till that hatchet man broke his leg. Maybe it would have taken him another year to actually be as influential, but he was almost there. Now we can only hope for Ramsey's recovery. But thanks to Wenger and his network of scouts and coaches, we have an assembly line of amazingly creative players. So there is a good chance we can make very good use of that one year if we get it.
"He is far too classy a guy to say it but the truth is he doesn't want to be at Arsenal this season. His heart is already in Barcelona, even though we must wait another year for his body to be here"
I thought he was classy too, but apparently not. He has had to come back to Arsenal after Wenger refused to even consider the sale, but we all know he wanted to go. And he has gone around declaring his wish to play for Barcelona to his Spanish teammates, who obviously are doing the talking on his behalf. He has been influenced, as expected with more than half the Barca team playing for Spain. And jokers like Pepe Reina have been only too happy to be a part of this nonsense. But how much can you influence a person who himself doesn't wish to go? Fabregas was already at the edge, in my opinion, and Barcelona pushed him off it. One cannot absolve Fabregas from this affair at all.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Fabregas and I know he loves Arsenal. But I am really aggrieved because of two reasons. First, because he is turning his back on the club that made him into what he is, at a time when he is close to fulfilling what the club worked hard for. Despite all the speculation for the last few years, I never thought he would do that, because I always believed he knew how indebted he was to Arsenal.
And second, because he has acted in the manner that he has. If Arsenal really really mattered that much to him, he would have stayed. If not that, he at least would have kept his mouth shut all this time. He would not have gone around talking about Barcelona with his Spanish teammates. And he at least would have refrained from his weepy speeches talking of his Catalan roots, acting like a victim here.
Instead, he has gone ahead and done all that, and keeps sending out mixed signals all the time - I am captain of Arsenal but Barcelona is my home; I love Arsenal, but I love Barca too - it's tiring. He knows his going would be a big blow to Arsenal and what they have stood for for so long. He could have at least chosen to give Arsenal a few of his peak years. Yet it seems that he has started to believe that every year he stays at Arsenal, he is doing a favour to the club.
"We know he is arriving next season. Barcelona have a whole year to sort the deal out.
More Barca talk - arrogant and disrespectful.
"He is professional enough still to have a great season and also because he has a lot of respect for the Arsenal fans.
"But anybody who tries to convince themselves he wanted to stay at Arsenal is wrong."
I agree. Arsenal have to accept he wants to go, but that needn't mean letting him go cheap.
I feel that keeping an unhappy player is not entirely wise, but a line has to be drawn somewhere. If a club like Barcelona work all year to create an unhappy situation in a player's mind, and then come to the table with a disgraceful offer of 29 million knowing that they have succeeded in destabilizing the player, there is no way a club like Arsenal should bend. It would be inexcusable if Arsenal allowed this to happen and I, as a fan, would be extremely hurt if it did happen.
I must mention one thing here. The way Arsenal have responded to Barcelona's pettiness makes me proud to be a Gooner. Arsenal have been dignified, even when dealing with contemptible behaviour. And Arsenal have shown great strength and resolve. They have been so strong that Barcelona have been made to look helpless.
This situation has made me look more optimistically than I did when the first indication of Fabregas' desire to leave came. I still think that if Fabreas does leave anytime soon, it will be a big blow to Arsenal's youth policy (real youth policy, unlike that of some clubs who only claim to have one). But Arsenal have a choice, and Arsenal alone will decide Fabregas' future. They can choose to not let him go at any cost.
Even if he does go this year, we must remember that the focus on youth has helped Arsenal go through tough times incredibly well. Competing with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United at a fraction of their budgets was no mean feat, and it was made possible by our philosophy of youth. It helped us when it was needed the most. So even if it takes a moral blow now, we know it helped us survive. We now have an infrastructure of youth that is ahead of its times, and extremely difficult to set up. With better times approaching, our policy can be suitably tweaked, in a way that will make us more competent without deviating significantly from our core.
Essentially, though we are in a difficult situation with respect to Fabregas, we hold all the aces here. Arsenal will decide when, if at all, to let him go, and at what price. And Arsenal can recover from such a situation better than most people can imagine. As has been the case for years, the academy will take care of the club. In Nasri, Ramsey and Wilshere, we have three potential replacements. Most clubs will be lucky to have one Fabregas. Even if we lose one, we may create three. That is how Arsenal Football Club has been under Wenger. And that is how it will continue to be.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
A Tribute to Vicente del Bosque
When I look back at some of the greatest football teams ever made, I think of two teams - two fantastic teams that played and won in an incredible way, pleasing and thrilling every fan, every 'neutral', and intriguing even those who hated them. These were the teams that have educated me most about football. They also taught me that football is more than a game, it is a philosophy and that that is how it must be. These two teams completely shaped the way I look at football and sculpted my beliefs on how a football club should be in its spirit. They showed me why football is 'the beautiful game'.
One of those two teams, of course is my beloved Arsenal's Invincibles of 2003-2004. But this article is not about them.
On the eve of Spain's World Cup final against Netherlands, I wish to talk about the other team, and pay tribute to the man who constructed the team and orchestrated the incredibly sublime football that the team played. The team was the Real Madrid team of 1999-2003, and that man is Vicente Del Bosque, who will tonight try to win the biggest trophy that any nation can win in sport.
In his tenure as the Real Madrid manager from 1999 to 2003, the club won two la Liga titles and two Champions League titles, and many other titles such as the Intercontinental cup and Supercup.
Of course, more important than this was the way the team played football. It was football that was unpretentious and majestic in equal measure. Geniuses like Zidane and Figo were a part of the team, but you would rarely see those extravagant pieces of skill that most observers find praiseworthy. The moments of genius were of course there, but they were more subtle. One would see a pass from Zidane that seemed to glide perfectly to its destination, not requiring the receiver to do anything but just make contact with the ball to score. One would see Figo carry out a dummy that left space wide open for Raul. One would see Zidane glide away with the ball, with 4-5 defenders hovering around him trying to get through what seemed like an impermeable bubble around him. One would see the team dizzying opponents with short passes on the ground. The brilliance of Real Madrid at that time was that their game seemed simple and effortless - and this was down to Del Bosque.
There were unbelievably talented players like Raul, Morientes, Figo and Zidane in the team. But, a defensive midfielder in his playing days, Del Bosque was the man who understood the importance of Claude Makalele. He understood that Makalele was required to provide the rhythm for all of Zidane and Figo's beautifully created symphony. When asked (after his Real Madrid stint came to an end) which of the foreign players he liked, he said "It may be a surprise but it has to be Claude Makelele. He ran and worked for Zidane, Michel Salgado and Roberto Carlos, and always did it with a smile. Yet they let him go to Chelsea... but perhaps I don't know the inside story."
With all the lovely football that his teams played, not many noticed Del Bosque's love for organisation. "In some ways it is easy to be the coach of Real Madrid," Del Bosque remarked, "It's an old truth: it's hard to build a great team without the players. But without a little organisation, you can fail very quickly even if you have the players."
However, after devoting almost his entire footballing life, as a player and manager at different levels, to Real Madrid, he was sacked by Real Madrid in 2003. This was 24 hours after he had won the la Liga for the second time. Many of us read the news in disbelief. I remember asking my friends if Real Madrid has lost it completely. We all saw it as the end of an era. But in a typical statement of bravado, Real Madrid claimed that the coach was "traditional" and they "believed in making changes in good times".
"Del Bosque is a traditional coach and we feel we need another kind of person," said the club president Perez. "We feel the team would be more potent with a more tactical coach. We want someone with a high technical ability but a slightly lower profile." "The fans love Del Bosque", he went on, "but they also appreciate me and what I have done for the club. We are willing to take this risk rather than follow a more conservative policy."
What followed is history. It is a testament to Vicente Del Bosque's genius that Real Madrid only won their next la Liga in 2007, and changed 7 coaches in the 4 year period after his departure.
7 years on, watching Del Bosque guide a talented Spanish side to the World Cup final, I am reminded of what a great influence he, through his Real Madrid team, had on all of us who love football. We will always be indebted to him for that.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporter: One of your former players, Zinedine Zidane, was voted FIFA's World Player of the Year last week and Ronaldo was No 3. Did they deserve it?
Del Bosque: I don't like these individual prizes. To try to explain why Roberto Carlos, Raul, Zidane or Ronaldo deserve such an award is nonsense. How can you compare the different contribution of each player? They all share the greatest quality: they have given Real Madrid back its status as the greatest club in the world.
One of those two teams, of course is my beloved Arsenal's Invincibles of 2003-2004. But this article is not about them.
On the eve of Spain's World Cup final against Netherlands, I wish to talk about the other team, and pay tribute to the man who constructed the team and orchestrated the incredibly sublime football that the team played. The team was the Real Madrid team of 1999-2003, and that man is Vicente Del Bosque, who will tonight try to win the biggest trophy that any nation can win in sport.
In his tenure as the Real Madrid manager from 1999 to 2003, the club won two la Liga titles and two Champions League titles, and many other titles such as the Intercontinental cup and Supercup.
Of course, more important than this was the way the team played football. It was football that was unpretentious and majestic in equal measure. Geniuses like Zidane and Figo were a part of the team, but you would rarely see those extravagant pieces of skill that most observers find praiseworthy. The moments of genius were of course there, but they were more subtle. One would see a pass from Zidane that seemed to glide perfectly to its destination, not requiring the receiver to do anything but just make contact with the ball to score. One would see Figo carry out a dummy that left space wide open for Raul. One would see Zidane glide away with the ball, with 4-5 defenders hovering around him trying to get through what seemed like an impermeable bubble around him. One would see the team dizzying opponents with short passes on the ground. The brilliance of Real Madrid at that time was that their game seemed simple and effortless - and this was down to Del Bosque.
There were unbelievably talented players like Raul, Morientes, Figo and Zidane in the team. But, a defensive midfielder in his playing days, Del Bosque was the man who understood the importance of Claude Makalele. He understood that Makalele was required to provide the rhythm for all of Zidane and Figo's beautifully created symphony. When asked (after his Real Madrid stint came to an end) which of the foreign players he liked, he said "It may be a surprise but it has to be Claude Makelele. He ran and worked for Zidane, Michel Salgado and Roberto Carlos, and always did it with a smile. Yet they let him go to Chelsea... but perhaps I don't know the inside story."
With all the lovely football that his teams played, not many noticed Del Bosque's love for organisation. "In some ways it is easy to be the coach of Real Madrid," Del Bosque remarked, "It's an old truth: it's hard to build a great team without the players. But without a little organisation, you can fail very quickly even if you have the players."
However, after devoting almost his entire footballing life, as a player and manager at different levels, to Real Madrid, he was sacked by Real Madrid in 2003. This was 24 hours after he had won the la Liga for the second time. Many of us read the news in disbelief. I remember asking my friends if Real Madrid has lost it completely. We all saw it as the end of an era. But in a typical statement of bravado, Real Madrid claimed that the coach was "traditional" and they "believed in making changes in good times".
"Del Bosque is a traditional coach and we feel we need another kind of person," said the club president Perez. "We feel the team would be more potent with a more tactical coach. We want someone with a high technical ability but a slightly lower profile." "The fans love Del Bosque", he went on, "but they also appreciate me and what I have done for the club. We are willing to take this risk rather than follow a more conservative policy."
What followed is history. It is a testament to Vicente Del Bosque's genius that Real Madrid only won their next la Liga in 2007, and changed 7 coaches in the 4 year period after his departure.
7 years on, watching Del Bosque guide a talented Spanish side to the World Cup final, I am reminded of what a great influence he, through his Real Madrid team, had on all of us who love football. We will always be indebted to him for that.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporter: One of your former players, Zinedine Zidane, was voted FIFA's World Player of the Year last week and Ronaldo was No 3. Did they deserve it?
Del Bosque: I don't like these individual prizes. To try to explain why Roberto Carlos, Raul, Zidane or Ronaldo deserve such an award is nonsense. How can you compare the different contribution of each player? They all share the greatest quality: they have given Real Madrid back its status as the greatest club in the world.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Just One More Season, Cesc...
I believe one must be careful analysing transfer related comments by players, because they are never an accurate indicator of what a player wants to do in the future. What a player says is heavily influenced by the occasion of when he says it, by media wanting to colour it in a certain way and his general mood at the time of saying it. Also, a player is a human being after all, and he can change his mind pretty quickly. Therefore, I don't usually make conclusions from comments that appear in the newspapers. However, this time, I couldn't resist it, because the comments were from our very own Cesc Fabregas.
After some of Cesc's comments in Barcelona, the press got enough fodder for gossip, which they coupled with their notoriously poor reasoning abilities to conclude that Cesc is on his way out. What was it that Fabregas said, which prompted headlines such as "Cesc ready to join Barcelona"? Here's what he said -
After some of Cesc's comments in Barcelona, the press got enough fodder for gossip, which they coupled with their notoriously poor reasoning abilities to conclude that Cesc is on his way out. What was it that Fabregas said, which prompted headlines such as "Cesc ready to join Barcelona"? Here's what he said -
"If I ever leave Arsenal it will be to play for Barcelona. I am 23 years old and I have a long career in front of me. I've never hidden the fact that playing for Barcelona is a dream that I would like to fulfill.
You see your team-mates succeeding here [in Barcelona] and it is exciting because you have worked alongside them for so long. I think I would like to go to Barcelona, whether or not they want me is another thing. I don't know when it will happen. I am happy at Arsenal and I am not in a rush to leave. Before I leave for the World Cup I want my future sorted out because it benefits nobody if I go into the tournament with something else on my mind."
A bit more perspective here. As with all other quotes, these quotes came after Cesc was prompted by journalists. So he never said "If I ever leave Arsenal it will be to play for Barcelona" on his own volition. He was asked whether Barcelona will be the team he plays for if he ever left Arsenal, to which he replied "Yes, definitely".
Anyway, the reason for discussing Cesc's desire to stay at Arsenal is that this time, unlike in the previous years, I am skeptical about to whether he will stay. Although I have pointed out that the press, as usual, has twisted some statements from Fabregas to create an impression that a transfer is imminent, I am less confident of him staying this year than I was last year. I fear the worst. The italicized text above are the reasons I believe he will stay, and the underlined portion is what makes me uncomfortable.
He clearly says that if ever he leaves Arsenal, he will only go to Barcelona. That shows he loves the club, and that the affection he has matters more to him than trophies. He is saying clearly that he will only leave from one club he loves to another one he loves. It also shows that his chances of leaving, in case Barcelona do not chase him, are remote. He will not leave for any other club in the world.
That said, Barcelona seem interested, and Cesc has said he wants to sort out his future before the World Cup. He is contracted at Arsenal till 2014, so why would he want to "sort out" his future now? It shows that there is some uncertainty there. And that is what worries me.
It worries me because this transfer will be a massive setback for everything that the current Arsenal stands for. It will be a transfer that inflicts a killer blow on Arsene Wenger's vision for the club.
The vision is of a young, intelligently assembled group of youngsters growing together, maturing together to form a great institution of total football. The vision is admirable, but it rests on one fundamental necessity - that a player, when developed and ready to lead the team to the next level, is kept at the club to achieve what he has been trained for. Once that requirement is taken care of, it is only a matter of time before the model yields results for a club as good at developing players as Arsenal are. However, if this crucial condition is not met, the model fails. 'Fails' is not to say that the club does not achieve good results, but it is to say that the ultimate goal of creating that dream team is not achieved.
The previous transfers of the likes of Thierry Henry and Vieira were difficult to accept, but Cesc's transfer, if it goes through, will be infinitely more grievous for the club. Wenger will find another gem, and Arsenal will be competitive again, but the transfer will be a big blow to everything that Arsenal and Wenger have stood for in the last 5 years. It will be a defeat of a brave ideology. Arsenal may not be the same again. They will have to change their philosophy. It will be a win for the likes of Mourinho, who recently said - "Arsenal won it in an incredible way and after that they thought they could win in a different way. They cannot win it in a different way. Either they go back to where they were or they don’t do it."
I hope Cesc stays back and proves Arsenal can do it in a different way. Just one more season, Cesc, and you'll want to stay back. Just one more season...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Nucleus Is There
Not too much to say about the game against Manchester City. The game, to say the least, was extremely boring. The surprising lack of ambition displayed by the visitors, coupled with the lethargic approach of Arsenal ensured that we had a game devoid of any life. Even the introduction of Adebayor, who throughout bore sort of a moronic grin on his face, failed to add any spark to the game.
The only thing that the game managed do was to mathematically establish that we are now out of the title race. With two games to go, it is also more or less certain that we will finish third. It is a definite improvement over the last season, but still disappointing considering we were very close to winning something this year.
However, despite the disappointment, most Arsenal fans I know agree that Wenger has been working under great constraints. A very low budget has made it difficult to have a balanced squad.
And yet, there are also people (mainly in the press) who think Wenger is some kind of a myopic, obstinate idiot who refuses to buy only because he has faith in his youngsters. Do you think a manager of Wenger's caliber is not aware of whether a player is good enough? Do you think Wenger is not aware that his goalkeepers are poor? Do you think Wenger is not aware of how badly Silvestre has played?
Why do you think Wenger didn't invest in a backup to Vermaelen and Gallas, till he signed Campbell in January? Because he does not understand that injuries can happen and a backup is needed? Of course not! He didn't have enough money. As simple as that. One needs to understand that when a 10 million pound worth player is signed, for say 60,000 pounds a week salary, about 12 million pounds are spent on his salary alone, over the 4 years of his contract. There you go - so a player may cost 'only' 10 million, but you have got to balance the player salaries too. With Manchester United and Chelsea consistently purchasing players around the 25-30 million mark, we must understand how far behind Arsenal has been financially, and what a great job Wenger has done.
Great managers win trophies, but how many managers have succeeded in creating a world class stadium without letting the quality of his sides drop considerably? Most would say that the Invincibles were Wenger's greatest achievement, but I think the Ashburton Grove comes very close to being his biggest contribution to Arsenal. The scale of Wenger's accomplishment is not appreciated. The stadium, with capacity more than 60,000 people, has virtually ensured a bright future for us. An increase in 20,000 seats is a straight 50% rise in revenues, all else being equal. For added perspective, please note that Tottenham and Liverpool have been planning a stadium for years, without success.
One of the gripes of many fans is that Wenger has persisted with players like Denilson and Silvestre. Wenger does give more time to players to show whether they are good enough to play for Arsenal. But I think most people wrongly attribute his obstinacy as the primary reason for it. Some part of it may be his stubbornness, but I believe the financial condition, more than anything else, has caused him to be patient with players. If you had Vermaelen, Djourou, Song and Gallas out injured, and had no money to buy another defender, would you not have Silvestre play? Or would you rather play with 3 at the back? I think Wenger has created enough great players to trust him with building a team.
Anyhow, now the financial situation is said to be improving at the club. Of course, we are not in the league of Manchester United and Chelsea with respect to buying expensive players, but (apparently) the finances are still better than they have been for the past five years at Arsenal. This will be a true test of whether Wenger can make signings when needed, and whether he can throw out the non-performers.
This does not mean that Wenger can go ahead and buy a Berbatov for 30 million or Villa for 40 million. He will always buy good players a lot cheaper than other managers do; but now, at least he will be able to get the right player when the squad requires one. He will be able to sideline the non performers. He will not need to depend on Denilson to perform, because he can get in someone better. That in itself will be a luxury for him.
Fans must realise that Wenger's shrewdness in the transfer market and his ability to groom players has provided this Arsenal team a strong nucleus. Fabregas, Vermaelen, Arshavin and Van Persie are 4 players who can get into any side in the world. Song has been fantastic and at the rate that he is improving, he may become one of the finest midfielders in the world next year. In Sagna and Clichy we have 2 very good full-backs. We have a very good side in place, with players who have grown together; Wenger has managed to create this over a lean period. The hope now is that Wenger will have enough funds to finally make those 1-2 signings which will make us world beaters. It is an interesting summer coming up.
The only thing that the game managed do was to mathematically establish that we are now out of the title race. With two games to go, it is also more or less certain that we will finish third. It is a definite improvement over the last season, but still disappointing considering we were very close to winning something this year.
However, despite the disappointment, most Arsenal fans I know agree that Wenger has been working under great constraints. A very low budget has made it difficult to have a balanced squad.
And yet, there are also people (mainly in the press) who think Wenger is some kind of a myopic, obstinate idiot who refuses to buy only because he has faith in his youngsters. Do you think a manager of Wenger's caliber is not aware of whether a player is good enough? Do you think Wenger is not aware that his goalkeepers are poor? Do you think Wenger is not aware of how badly Silvestre has played?
Why do you think Wenger didn't invest in a backup to Vermaelen and Gallas, till he signed Campbell in January? Because he does not understand that injuries can happen and a backup is needed? Of course not! He didn't have enough money. As simple as that. One needs to understand that when a 10 million pound worth player is signed, for say 60,000 pounds a week salary, about 12 million pounds are spent on his salary alone, over the 4 years of his contract. There you go - so a player may cost 'only' 10 million, but you have got to balance the player salaries too. With Manchester United and Chelsea consistently purchasing players around the 25-30 million mark, we must understand how far behind Arsenal has been financially, and what a great job Wenger has done.
Great managers win trophies, but how many managers have succeeded in creating a world class stadium without letting the quality of his sides drop considerably? Most would say that the Invincibles were Wenger's greatest achievement, but I think the Ashburton Grove comes very close to being his biggest contribution to Arsenal. The scale of Wenger's accomplishment is not appreciated. The stadium, with capacity more than 60,000 people, has virtually ensured a bright future for us. An increase in 20,000 seats is a straight 50% rise in revenues, all else being equal. For added perspective, please note that Tottenham and Liverpool have been planning a stadium for years, without success.
One of the gripes of many fans is that Wenger has persisted with players like Denilson and Silvestre. Wenger does give more time to players to show whether they are good enough to play for Arsenal. But I think most people wrongly attribute his obstinacy as the primary reason for it. Some part of it may be his stubbornness, but I believe the financial condition, more than anything else, has caused him to be patient with players. If you had Vermaelen, Djourou, Song and Gallas out injured, and had no money to buy another defender, would you not have Silvestre play? Or would you rather play with 3 at the back? I think Wenger has created enough great players to trust him with building a team.
Anyhow, now the financial situation is said to be improving at the club. Of course, we are not in the league of Manchester United and Chelsea with respect to buying expensive players, but (apparently) the finances are still better than they have been for the past five years at Arsenal. This will be a true test of whether Wenger can make signings when needed, and whether he can throw out the non-performers.
This does not mean that Wenger can go ahead and buy a Berbatov for 30 million or Villa for 40 million. He will always buy good players a lot cheaper than other managers do; but now, at least he will be able to get the right player when the squad requires one. He will be able to sideline the non performers. He will not need to depend on Denilson to perform, because he can get in someone better. That in itself will be a luxury for him.
Fans must realise that Wenger's shrewdness in the transfer market and his ability to groom players has provided this Arsenal team a strong nucleus. Fabregas, Vermaelen, Arshavin and Van Persie are 4 players who can get into any side in the world. Song has been fantastic and at the rate that he is improving, he may become one of the finest midfielders in the world next year. In Sagna and Clichy we have 2 very good full-backs. We have a very good side in place, with players who have grown together; Wenger has managed to create this over a lean period. The hope now is that Wenger will have enough funds to finally make those 1-2 signings which will make us world beaters. It is an interesting summer coming up.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Arsenal Throw in the Towel
Although defeat to Tottenham midweek did seem to kill off our title ambitions, I could see a ray of hope when Chelsea were beaten at White Hart Lane. Even Manchester United, despite beating Manchester City on Saturday, showed glimpses of why none of the top clubs can hold an uncontested claim to the title this year. I therefore thought we were again going to rise from the dead and this indeed would be a vintage season.
I think it was my nature as a fan that made me hope in the face of obvious reality. Otherwise, why would I harbour such hopes with half our first team out injured? Anyway, hope I did, and by the end of the first hour, the 2 goals we scored further strengthened my belief. I was already calculating where, in addition to Liverpool, Chelsea would drop points.
What followed was catastrophic. After the first Wigan goal, where the Arsenal midfield was caught napping, Flappy-hands-ki made a trademark howler. N'Zogbia completed the nightmare with a fine strike.
Were were never good value for the 2-0 lead. We were not passing well, and we were not making use of whatever possession we had. We were not even working hard to close Wigan down. But we did go up 2-0, and a team of Arsenal's standard should have held on to the lead. It is embarrassing to see your side give up a two goal cushion, especially against a side slowly being dragged into the relegation mud-fight. I still cannot believe it happened. The 2 goals should have spurred us on, but instead, we played worse after we took the lead.
The title is beyond our reach now, and it is exhausting to go through all the same emotions again - seeing Wenger's exasperated face, talking to disappointed and angry fellow-fans, and hearing all the speculation about Fabregas that refuses to die down. Then there is the English media, which again has gone over the top criticising Wenger. This is the same press that had predicted Arsenal would be the victims of Manchester City's new found prosperity. This is the same press that said Alexandre Song was Arsene Wenger's worst ever signing and that Vermaelen was too short for the English game. There, of course, is no dearth of xenophobiacs spouting venom at Wenger. Some morons even ask if Wenger is the right man for the job.
Not that all the criticism directed at Arsenal is misguided. The lack of a world class keeper is something that even Arsenal fans have been complaining about, and there is a lot of merit in the complaint. I am sure even Wenger, who has worked with David Seaman and Jens Lehmann, is aware of the fact. Whether it is lack of funds that has kept Arsenal from buying a good keeper, or it is something else, we will never know. What is clear, though, is that Arsenal need a new keeper.
What the critics fail to notice, however, is that Arsenal did have some tough luck. Van Persie was in the peak of form when he got injured. Injuries happen, but he was ruled out for almost the whole season. Such injuries are not common. Also, van Persie is one of a kind. He is a striker and a provider in equal measure. His movement used to create havoc in opponent defences. Losing him for so long was a huge blow. Take Rooney or Drogba out for a season and see if they can cope. Manchester United struggled for 2 weeks without Rooney.
We faced a lot of other injuries too. We were very much in the title race before we visited Spurs, and against them, we were without 5 key players and with van Persie on the bench. A familiar response is "every team has injuries". Every team does, but usually the injuries are rolling in nature. A team usually has maximum 2-3 players of the first 11 out. How many teams have played multiple games without 5-6 of their key players? Vermaelen, Gallas, Fabregas, Song, Arshavin and Van Persie form the core of the Arsenal team. This cannot be disputed. They are the essence of Arsenal.
This is not to blame injuries entirely for our loss. Clearly, a team with title aspirations must invest in big squads, as Chelsea and Manchester United have shown over the past 5 years, and this year. Arsenal have failed to do so, for whatever the real reasons are. But what annoys me is that people do not acknowledge the handicap that a unique situation with huge debts and injuries has created at Arsenal. Wenger is working against all odds.
I guess we just have to console ourselves in the knowledge that we were so, so close this time. Wenger had performed miracles as usual, with the signing of Vermaelen, with the improvement of Song and with the 4-3-3 that just re-emphasised that we are the best football playing team in the league. We were looking like a title winning side with our first 11 playing. Last year, our first 11 was not good enough. This year its the backup squad that has been found lacking. There is definite improvement.
We are at a stage where our disappointment threatens to ruin all the work done in the season. We must quickly get over it and ensure we win the game against Man City, and go on to win all the remaining games. We must ensure that we at least finish third, and as close as possible to United and Chelsea. That will help ease at least some of the pain.
I think it was my nature as a fan that made me hope in the face of obvious reality. Otherwise, why would I harbour such hopes with half our first team out injured? Anyway, hope I did, and by the end of the first hour, the 2 goals we scored further strengthened my belief. I was already calculating where, in addition to Liverpool, Chelsea would drop points.
What followed was catastrophic. After the first Wigan goal, where the Arsenal midfield was caught napping, Flappy-hands-ki made a trademark howler. N'Zogbia completed the nightmare with a fine strike.
Were were never good value for the 2-0 lead. We were not passing well, and we were not making use of whatever possession we had. We were not even working hard to close Wigan down. But we did go up 2-0, and a team of Arsenal's standard should have held on to the lead. It is embarrassing to see your side give up a two goal cushion, especially against a side slowly being dragged into the relegation mud-fight. I still cannot believe it happened. The 2 goals should have spurred us on, but instead, we played worse after we took the lead.
The title is beyond our reach now, and it is exhausting to go through all the same emotions again - seeing Wenger's exasperated face, talking to disappointed and angry fellow-fans, and hearing all the speculation about Fabregas that refuses to die down. Then there is the English media, which again has gone over the top criticising Wenger. This is the same press that had predicted Arsenal would be the victims of Manchester City's new found prosperity. This is the same press that said Alexandre Song was Arsene Wenger's worst ever signing and that Vermaelen was too short for the English game. There, of course, is no dearth of xenophobiacs spouting venom at Wenger. Some morons even ask if Wenger is the right man for the job.
Not that all the criticism directed at Arsenal is misguided. The lack of a world class keeper is something that even Arsenal fans have been complaining about, and there is a lot of merit in the complaint. I am sure even Wenger, who has worked with David Seaman and Jens Lehmann, is aware of the fact. Whether it is lack of funds that has kept Arsenal from buying a good keeper, or it is something else, we will never know. What is clear, though, is that Arsenal need a new keeper.
What the critics fail to notice, however, is that Arsenal did have some tough luck. Van Persie was in the peak of form when he got injured. Injuries happen, but he was ruled out for almost the whole season. Such injuries are not common. Also, van Persie is one of a kind. He is a striker and a provider in equal measure. His movement used to create havoc in opponent defences. Losing him for so long was a huge blow. Take Rooney or Drogba out for a season and see if they can cope. Manchester United struggled for 2 weeks without Rooney.
We faced a lot of other injuries too. We were very much in the title race before we visited Spurs, and against them, we were without 5 key players and with van Persie on the bench. A familiar response is "every team has injuries". Every team does, but usually the injuries are rolling in nature. A team usually has maximum 2-3 players of the first 11 out. How many teams have played multiple games without 5-6 of their key players? Vermaelen, Gallas, Fabregas, Song, Arshavin and Van Persie form the core of the Arsenal team. This cannot be disputed. They are the essence of Arsenal.
This is not to blame injuries entirely for our loss. Clearly, a team with title aspirations must invest in big squads, as Chelsea and Manchester United have shown over the past 5 years, and this year. Arsenal have failed to do so, for whatever the real reasons are. But what annoys me is that people do not acknowledge the handicap that a unique situation with huge debts and injuries has created at Arsenal. Wenger is working against all odds.
I guess we just have to console ourselves in the knowledge that we were so, so close this time. Wenger had performed miracles as usual, with the signing of Vermaelen, with the improvement of Song and with the 4-3-3 that just re-emphasised that we are the best football playing team in the league. We were looking like a title winning side with our first 11 playing. Last year, our first 11 was not good enough. This year its the backup squad that has been found lacking. There is definite improvement.
We are at a stage where our disappointment threatens to ruin all the work done in the season. We must quickly get over it and ensure we win the game against Man City, and go on to win all the remaining games. We must ensure that we at least finish third, and as close as possible to United and Chelsea. That will help ease at least some of the pain.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Dreams End at White Hart Lane
**** Many many thanks to Sumit Gangwani, who has penned this article in my absence****
Couldn't have asked for a bigger game to ascertain our title credentials midweek. This game, where we have traditionally held the upper edge, was never likely to be easy. The Gunners were haunted by injuries to key personnel - our main defender, our best midfielders and one of our star strikers (or a 'forward', as you can call Arshavin in our system of play). The only good news was that dear ol' Robin was back on the bench. The odds seemed against us, but c'mon, it was Spurs, right? We have not lost to the spuds for 10 years now. Surely we could win here tonight?
The match started evenly and soon Sol guided a corner kick towards the goal only to be blocked by last man on the line. I thought it was going pretty well till that 19 year old imp scored the first goal through an outstanding volley in the 9th minute of his debut. On the first view, I felt Almunia should have powered the corner harder. But on watching the replays, I feel it would not be justified to blame Almunia. That sheer lucky brilliance of Danny Rose was destined for goal. 9 out of 10 times he wouldn't score that even in an empty net. But as I said, it seemed to be destined this time.
Arsenal's spirit was evident when they didn't even wait for Spurs to complete celebrations of first goal and started the game. I was happy seeing that they still wanted to win this game. Then came the moment which I believe changed the course of the game. We lost our best defender, our bravest soldier to injury. Vermaelen's injury was a huge blow. Le Professeur was left with no choice but to throw Silvestre on the field. With a huge challenge to surmount, we seemed mediocre throughout. We had a lot of possession, but failed to make any use of it. Not surprising from a team deviod of Fabregas, Arshavin and van Persie.
Minutes after half time, Silvestre showed why Wenger rates him below Vermaelen, Gallas, Song and even Campbell. Sometimes I feel bad about being harsh on him, but I now think he deserves all the criticism he gets. Yes, he is close to retirement and age has caught up with him. But look at Sol Campbell. He, as he once again came up with superb performance, proved that he still has lot of fighting spirit left.
We seemed to be devoid of any quality till the introduction of Robin brought a new life to the team. With his first touch, control, positioning and his shots, he provided Bendtner with a 20 minute lesson in the art of being a striker. Within a span of 10 minutes RvP was able to make 3 genuine attempts goal, forcing brilliant saves from Gomes. Wonder where we would have been had RvP been available throughout the season. I still feel a sharp pain just wondering what could have been.
As tears rolled down, Arsenal fans realised that the trophy will have to wait. Wenger has been successful bringing unknown talents to such a stage, but has no silverware to show for his amazing achievements at Arsenal. Going forward he will definitely need to make changes. I personally feel we should get rid of Silvestere, Denilson, Fabianski, Almunia and fill up the holes with quality players. We clearly lacked the depth when we had injuries. 5 senior players being absent clearly was a genuine handicap, but history will only record that we lost title at White Hart Lane.
No matter what, though, we love Arsenal we will always love the team and Wenger. In Arsene We Trust.
Couldn't have asked for a bigger game to ascertain our title credentials midweek. This game, where we have traditionally held the upper edge, was never likely to be easy. The Gunners were haunted by injuries to key personnel - our main defender, our best midfielders and one of our star strikers (or a 'forward', as you can call Arshavin in our system of play). The only good news was that dear ol' Robin was back on the bench. The odds seemed against us, but c'mon, it was Spurs, right? We have not lost to the spuds for 10 years now. Surely we could win here tonight?
The match started evenly and soon Sol guided a corner kick towards the goal only to be blocked by last man on the line. I thought it was going pretty well till that 19 year old imp scored the first goal through an outstanding volley in the 9th minute of his debut. On the first view, I felt Almunia should have powered the corner harder. But on watching the replays, I feel it would not be justified to blame Almunia. That sheer lucky brilliance of Danny Rose was destined for goal. 9 out of 10 times he wouldn't score that even in an empty net. But as I said, it seemed to be destined this time.
Arsenal's spirit was evident when they didn't even wait for Spurs to complete celebrations of first goal and started the game. I was happy seeing that they still wanted to win this game. Then came the moment which I believe changed the course of the game. We lost our best defender, our bravest soldier to injury. Vermaelen's injury was a huge blow. Le Professeur was left with no choice but to throw Silvestre on the field. With a huge challenge to surmount, we seemed mediocre throughout. We had a lot of possession, but failed to make any use of it. Not surprising from a team deviod of Fabregas, Arshavin and van Persie.
Minutes after half time, Silvestre showed why Wenger rates him below Vermaelen, Gallas, Song and even Campbell. Sometimes I feel bad about being harsh on him, but I now think he deserves all the criticism he gets. Yes, he is close to retirement and age has caught up with him. But look at Sol Campbell. He, as he once again came up with superb performance, proved that he still has lot of fighting spirit left.
We seemed to be devoid of any quality till the introduction of Robin brought a new life to the team. With his first touch, control, positioning and his shots, he provided Bendtner with a 20 minute lesson in the art of being a striker. Within a span of 10 minutes RvP was able to make 3 genuine attempts goal, forcing brilliant saves from Gomes. Wonder where we would have been had RvP been available throughout the season. I still feel a sharp pain just wondering what could have been.
As tears rolled down, Arsenal fans realised that the trophy will have to wait. Wenger has been successful bringing unknown talents to such a stage, but has no silverware to show for his amazing achievements at Arsenal. Going forward he will definitely need to make changes. I personally feel we should get rid of Silvestere, Denilson, Fabianski, Almunia and fill up the holes with quality players. We clearly lacked the depth when we had injuries. 5 senior players being absent clearly was a genuine handicap, but history will only record that we lost title at White Hart Lane.
No matter what, though, we love Arsenal we will always love the team and Wenger. In Arsene We Trust.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Key moments: Barcelona v/s Arsenal
No regrets from the game at Camp Nou. We came up against a side which is undoubtedly the best in the world, which is arguably at the peak of its form and which boasts of definitely the best player in the world. For all the pain the Champions League exit caused me, I have no complaints. Barcelona surely deserved to go through to the semifinals over two legs.
Arsenal played with a patched up squad against a Barcelona side which also had a couple of absentees. But it would be unfair to ignore the fact that we were without our main centre back (Gallas), our two most important midfield players (Fabregas and Song), and two most important 'forwards' (Van Persie and Arshavin). We do not have the squad strength that Barcelona have, therefore, getting a favourable result at Camp Nou was always going to be a mammoth task. What followed is history.
We all know about Messi and Xavi's brilliance, how well Barcelona hold the ball, and how beautifully they play in general. How hard they work trying to get possession back is exemplary. I am not going to go on about that again. But here are some of the key moments that contributed to our defeat -
1. Diaby makes a poor decision: Faced with a choice between playing a through ball to Walcott - who would have torn free for a one on one against Valdes - and making a not so important pass to Bendtner, Diaby chose the latter. Arsenal were 0-1 up at that time, and good decision-making by Diaby may have turned the match heavily in Arsenal's favour.
2. Poor defending by Silvestre and Denilson: Everybody wishes to play for this Barcelona team. Silvestre probably wanted it so much that he played a one-two with Messi. As Messi ran with the ball along the penalty area, with Denilson hopelessly following him, an attempted pass by Messi was inadvertently played back to his feet by Silvestre. Not something you get away with.
3. Messi again shows us that he has a short backlift: Silvestre played the ball back to Messi, but Vermaelen and Silvestre himself were not far away and flung themselves in the way. The way Messi took his shot was unbelievable. In a fraction of a second, not only did he hit it accurately, but he also found the requisite power to beat the surprised Almunia.
4. Arsenal fail to deal with the cross: For the second goal, a cross caused panic in the Arsenal defence and we failed to clear the ball. Messi showed great composure and quick decision making by taking a first touch that moved the ball beyond the hapless Clichy. We never had a chance once Messi got past Clichy.
5. Arsenal fail with the offside trap: An interesting statistic is that we are the team that has caught opponents offside the most number of times in the Premier League. We generally play the high line in defence. But against Barcelona, playing the high line didn't quite work out very well. Our defence was so high up that Messi took Kieta's headed pass almost from the half line, ran the entire length of the half, and scored without being challenged. We all know about Messi's pace. Playing a high line is very risky against a player who is that fast. The offside trap has to work perfectly in such a scenario. We took the risk and we paid for it.
These moments, for me, shaped the result.
Finally, all said and done, sometimes you just have to raise your hands and accept you came up against a superior opposition. Luckily for Arsenal, this moment doesn't come too often. But when it does, like this time, I choose to congratulate the winning team and hope that maybe we will get to their level soon.
Arsenal played with a patched up squad against a Barcelona side which also had a couple of absentees. But it would be unfair to ignore the fact that we were without our main centre back (Gallas), our two most important midfield players (Fabregas and Song), and two most important 'forwards' (Van Persie and Arshavin). We do not have the squad strength that Barcelona have, therefore, getting a favourable result at Camp Nou was always going to be a mammoth task. What followed is history.
We all know about Messi and Xavi's brilliance, how well Barcelona hold the ball, and how beautifully they play in general. How hard they work trying to get possession back is exemplary. I am not going to go on about that again. But here are some of the key moments that contributed to our defeat -
1. Diaby makes a poor decision: Faced with a choice between playing a through ball to Walcott - who would have torn free for a one on one against Valdes - and making a not so important pass to Bendtner, Diaby chose the latter. Arsenal were 0-1 up at that time, and good decision-making by Diaby may have turned the match heavily in Arsenal's favour.
2. Poor defending by Silvestre and Denilson: Everybody wishes to play for this Barcelona team. Silvestre probably wanted it so much that he played a one-two with Messi. As Messi ran with the ball along the penalty area, with Denilson hopelessly following him, an attempted pass by Messi was inadvertently played back to his feet by Silvestre. Not something you get away with.
3. Messi again shows us that he has a short backlift: Silvestre played the ball back to Messi, but Vermaelen and Silvestre himself were not far away and flung themselves in the way. The way Messi took his shot was unbelievable. In a fraction of a second, not only did he hit it accurately, but he also found the requisite power to beat the surprised Almunia.
4. Arsenal fail to deal with the cross: For the second goal, a cross caused panic in the Arsenal defence and we failed to clear the ball. Messi showed great composure and quick decision making by taking a first touch that moved the ball beyond the hapless Clichy. We never had a chance once Messi got past Clichy.
5. Arsenal fail with the offside trap: An interesting statistic is that we are the team that has caught opponents offside the most number of times in the Premier League. We generally play the high line in defence. But against Barcelona, playing the high line didn't quite work out very well. Our defence was so high up that Messi took Kieta's headed pass almost from the half line, ran the entire length of the half, and scored without being challenged. We all know about Messi's pace. Playing a high line is very risky against a player who is that fast. The offside trap has to work perfectly in such a scenario. We took the risk and we paid for it.
These moments, for me, shaped the result.
Finally, all said and done, sometimes you just have to raise your hands and accept you came up against a superior opposition. Luckily for Arsenal, this moment doesn't come too often. But when it does, like this time, I choose to congratulate the winning team and hope that maybe we will get to their level soon.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Arsenal vs Aliens
Let me start this post by saying I felt privileged to watch what is definitely one of the greatest, if not the greatest footballing side of our generation. Such was the elegance and the imagination in their play, that after 25 minutes of fantasy football, where they treated my beloved Arsenal like some youth team of a second division club, I could not even hold a grudge against them. I could only tell myself that I was lucky to see one of this great side's finest performances of the season. I do not feel even a twinge of discomfort in saying that though Arsenal are the best footballing side in England, they are miles behind the current Barcelona side.
Barcelona dominated the game so emphatically, that it would be disrespectful to even suggest 2-3 points 'where Arsenal lost the match'. Arsenal lost the game all over the pitch. But I did notice a couple of things which La Masia did very well.
One, Barcelona's full-backs were constantly harassing Arsenal's midfield and defence. Nasri and Arshavin have a tendency to cut in from the wings, leaving space down the wings. They also failed to use their creativity to keep Dani Alves and Maxwell sufficiently busy. The Barcelona full-backs utilised the available space lethally and our full-backs were left to deal with them and their wide midfield players. The Arsenal midfield provided help to the full-backs. But the space this battle on the wings created in the middle was swiftly utilised by switching play.
Barcelona's attacks were starting from the back, and their use of the wings was incredible. Arshavin and Nasri were caught between defending and attacking. That is the reason we looked a little more assured after Arshavin was replaced by the more defensive minded Eboue. And it is only when Walcott was introduced in the second half that Maxwell had something more to occupy him.
Second, did you notice how much time Arsenal players were given on the ball? Zilch. As soon as an Arsenal player (especially Fabregas, Nasri or Arshavin) had the ball, Barcelona would close him down very quickly. That was important, because had Arsenal been given time on the ball, Arsenal could have hurt Barcelona. Barcelona pressed high up the pitch, with even Messi and Ibrahimovic playing a role in closing down Arsenal's players. It is not physically easy to maintain the tempo that Barcelona play with, and keep closing down the opposition consistently for 90 minutes. That is why Arsenal had a greater say in the game in the final 20-25 minutes, when Barcelona seemed to drop off a little. That could have been because of some fatigue, or because they were already 2-0 up, or both.
All this said, one cannot help but applaud the character of the Arsenal team. There is no denying this team has a will power and a team spirit second to none. They were butchered for the first 25 minutes, started finding their feet after that, and were dealt with two cruel blows from Ibrahimovic. It must have required a great deal of maturity, self belief and determination to go on and level the tie.
That brings me to the penalty incident. My take on it is that the red card was harsh, but there was no doubt about the penalty. Fabregas was taking the shot when Puyol came from behind. That is when the contact occured. Fabregas' leg might have hit Puyol during the back-lift, but so what? It was not as if Puyol was already standing there and Fabregas entangled his feet into Puyol's. It's Puyol who came from behind and it's Puyol who should have taken care not to impede the shot. It was hence a penalty. By the rule of the book, the red card followed. I think that is quite harsh, but that is the rule (as Vermaelen found out against West Ham). Sam 'Dirty' Allardyce has gone to the extent of saying Fabregas dived, but knowing Dirty Sam, I am sure he would not have felt it was a foul even if Puyol had chopped off Fabregas' leg with an axe. Most people have rightly ignored him.
Arsenal played this game like there was no tomorrow, but have paid a heavy price for their commitment. They have lost Fabregas (and Gallas, according to some reports) for the season. Arshavin is out for 3 weeks. We have played the whole season without Van Persie. We will most probably play without our top 4 players for at least the next 3 weeks. The treatment table makes the outlook bleak.
But this season Arsenal have been without without Gallas and Fabregas each for a month, and without Van Persie for most of the season. They have also been without Arshavin for a few weeks. They have dealt with a load of criticism and the innate xenophobia some commentators suffer from. It is nothing short of a miracle that Arsene Wenger still has his team up there. Nasri, Song, Vermaelen have showed they can take the mantle when required. There is no reason we must lose belief now.
Barcelona dominated the game so emphatically, that it would be disrespectful to even suggest 2-3 points 'where Arsenal lost the match'. Arsenal lost the game all over the pitch. But I did notice a couple of things which La Masia did very well.
One, Barcelona's full-backs were constantly harassing Arsenal's midfield and defence. Nasri and Arshavin have a tendency to cut in from the wings, leaving space down the wings. They also failed to use their creativity to keep Dani Alves and Maxwell sufficiently busy. The Barcelona full-backs utilised the available space lethally and our full-backs were left to deal with them and their wide midfield players. The Arsenal midfield provided help to the full-backs. But the space this battle on the wings created in the middle was swiftly utilised by switching play.
Barcelona's attacks were starting from the back, and their use of the wings was incredible. Arshavin and Nasri were caught between defending and attacking. That is the reason we looked a little more assured after Arshavin was replaced by the more defensive minded Eboue. And it is only when Walcott was introduced in the second half that Maxwell had something more to occupy him.
Second, did you notice how much time Arsenal players were given on the ball? Zilch. As soon as an Arsenal player (especially Fabregas, Nasri or Arshavin) had the ball, Barcelona would close him down very quickly. That was important, because had Arsenal been given time on the ball, Arsenal could have hurt Barcelona. Barcelona pressed high up the pitch, with even Messi and Ibrahimovic playing a role in closing down Arsenal's players. It is not physically easy to maintain the tempo that Barcelona play with, and keep closing down the opposition consistently for 90 minutes. That is why Arsenal had a greater say in the game in the final 20-25 minutes, when Barcelona seemed to drop off a little. That could have been because of some fatigue, or because they were already 2-0 up, or both.
All this said, one cannot help but applaud the character of the Arsenal team. There is no denying this team has a will power and a team spirit second to none. They were butchered for the first 25 minutes, started finding their feet after that, and were dealt with two cruel blows from Ibrahimovic. It must have required a great deal of maturity, self belief and determination to go on and level the tie.
That brings me to the penalty incident. My take on it is that the red card was harsh, but there was no doubt about the penalty. Fabregas was taking the shot when Puyol came from behind. That is when the contact occured. Fabregas' leg might have hit Puyol during the back-lift, but so what? It was not as if Puyol was already standing there and Fabregas entangled his feet into Puyol's. It's Puyol who came from behind and it's Puyol who should have taken care not to impede the shot. It was hence a penalty. By the rule of the book, the red card followed. I think that is quite harsh, but that is the rule (as Vermaelen found out against West Ham). Sam 'Dirty' Allardyce has gone to the extent of saying Fabregas dived, but knowing Dirty Sam, I am sure he would not have felt it was a foul even if Puyol had chopped off Fabregas' leg with an axe. Most people have rightly ignored him.
Arsenal played this game like there was no tomorrow, but have paid a heavy price for their commitment. They have lost Fabregas (and Gallas, according to some reports) for the season. Arshavin is out for 3 weeks. We have played the whole season without Van Persie. We will most probably play without our top 4 players for at least the next 3 weeks. The treatment table makes the outlook bleak.
But this season Arsenal have been without without Gallas and Fabregas each for a month, and without Van Persie for most of the season. They have also been without Arshavin for a few weeks. They have dealt with a load of criticism and the innate xenophobia some commentators suffer from. It is nothing short of a miracle that Arsene Wenger still has his team up there. Nasri, Song, Vermaelen have showed they can take the mantle when required. There is no reason we must lose belief now.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
My Gunners 11 against Barcelona
The big day is here and Gallas has given Arsenal a timely boost by declaring himself fit to play the match. Whether he will be match fit is for Le Boss to decide. Assuming both Gallas and Fabregas are fit to start the game, following is my Gunners team for tonight (names mentioned in brackets are replacements if Fabregas/Gallas cannot start) -
Almunia
Eboue, Vermaelen, Gallas (or Campbell), Clichy
Diaby, Song, Fabregas (or Nasri)
Nasri (or Rosicky), Bendtner, Arshavin
That was my starting 11 for tonight... what is yours?
Almunia
Eboue, Vermaelen, Gallas (or Campbell), Clichy
Diaby, Song, Fabregas (or Nasri)
Nasri (or Rosicky), Bendtner, Arshavin
That was my starting 11 for tonight... what is yours?
Monday, March 29, 2010
Birmingham Aftermath
Did you feel that excruciating pain when that ball looped over Almunia's flapping arms? Did you feel the unbearable agony? If you didn't, you are probably not an Arsenal fan.
But if you are a fan, you are probably bracing yourself for a dreadful few days to come. It seems like we are entering one of those familiar phases when we lose everything. When we get knocked out of every competition we compete in. When every big decision goes against us. When big teams hammer us and 'small' teams snatch draws. When everything falls apart. It's frightening, to say the least.
But have you ever wondered why we keep having these phases?
Its because we don't react well. And when I say 'we', I mean the players, the manager and the fans. Arsenal Football Club as a whole gets trapped in a feeling of doom too easily. We feel the world is against us. When we are pushed a little, when our backs are against the wall, we don't respond with defiance. The fans give up and boo the players. The players get frustrated. Some fans even question Arsene Wenger.
Remember 23 Feb, 2008? Even after we drew against Birmingham that day, we were 3 points ahead of Manchester United. After 5 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats from the 11 remaining games, we finished the season 4 points behind Manchester United. That means Manchester United won 7 points more that we did in last 11 games played.
Where would we be if we had shown mental strength and belief in that period? Had we converted just 2 of those 4 draws into wins, and 1 of those 2 defeats into a draw, we would have won the title at least by a point. We lost the title because our players and fans lost belief at Birmingham. Yes, it wasn't a penalty. Yes, Eduardo broke his leg. But we didn't rise above all that. The whole club got mired in an atmosphere of self pity and depression. A team that looked like champions for 7 months suddenly looked like it had no confidence, despite being top of the table by 3 points.
The players and the manager always take their share of blame, but what about us fans? Didn't we also contribute to the whole mood of disillusionment that year? Every fan lost the premier league for their club as much as the manager and the players did.
The worry is that a similar feeling of disenchantment seems to be taking over at Ashburton Grove again. The manager seems frustrated, and the players seem depressed. The fans are already discussing if Fabregas will leave in the summer, and wondering why Almunia still plays for Arsenal.
This kind of atmosphere is the last thing that the club needs right now. For God's sake, we are 4 points from the top, with Manchester United and Chelsea to play each other next week. There are still enough games where United and Chelsea might drop points (United are still to play Man City away, Chelsea are yet to play Liverpool). Its a tough league and big teams have been dropping points. For all you know Sunderland might snatch a last gasp winner against United. Why not?
I am not being naive. I know its much tougher for us now than it would have been if we had got all 3 points at St. Andrews. I know there is a possibility that Manchester United will not drop a single point. But what if they do slip up, and we fail to take advantage just because we are busy wallowing in self pity? How much will we all kick ourselves then?
Our team has already shown us twice this season that there is improvement on the psychological front. They have been dead and buried in the league twice, and they have risen like a phoenix on both occasions. They almost won yesterday at a place where both Manchester United and Chelsea have failed to win. And they have done it without their first choice centre-backs and their first choice striker, and with Howard Webb as the referee. They are still playing to win the League and the Champions League. Lets not undermine a very good side with our negativity.
Most of all, win or lose, it is our team and our club. Lets support it through thick and thin. Come on you Gunners!
But if you are a fan, you are probably bracing yourself for a dreadful few days to come. It seems like we are entering one of those familiar phases when we lose everything. When we get knocked out of every competition we compete in. When every big decision goes against us. When big teams hammer us and 'small' teams snatch draws. When everything falls apart. It's frightening, to say the least.
But have you ever wondered why we keep having these phases?
Its because we don't react well. And when I say 'we', I mean the players, the manager and the fans. Arsenal Football Club as a whole gets trapped in a feeling of doom too easily. We feel the world is against us. When we are pushed a little, when our backs are against the wall, we don't respond with defiance. The fans give up and boo the players. The players get frustrated. Some fans even question Arsene Wenger.
Remember 23 Feb, 2008? Even after we drew against Birmingham that day, we were 3 points ahead of Manchester United. After 5 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats from the 11 remaining games, we finished the season 4 points behind Manchester United. That means Manchester United won 7 points more that we did in last 11 games played.
Where would we be if we had shown mental strength and belief in that period? Had we converted just 2 of those 4 draws into wins, and 1 of those 2 defeats into a draw, we would have won the title at least by a point. We lost the title because our players and fans lost belief at Birmingham. Yes, it wasn't a penalty. Yes, Eduardo broke his leg. But we didn't rise above all that. The whole club got mired in an atmosphere of self pity and depression. A team that looked like champions for 7 months suddenly looked like it had no confidence, despite being top of the table by 3 points.
The players and the manager always take their share of blame, but what about us fans? Didn't we also contribute to the whole mood of disillusionment that year? Every fan lost the premier league for their club as much as the manager and the players did.
The worry is that a similar feeling of disenchantment seems to be taking over at Ashburton Grove again. The manager seems frustrated, and the players seem depressed. The fans are already discussing if Fabregas will leave in the summer, and wondering why Almunia still plays for Arsenal.
This kind of atmosphere is the last thing that the club needs right now. For God's sake, we are 4 points from the top, with Manchester United and Chelsea to play each other next week. There are still enough games where United and Chelsea might drop points (United are still to play Man City away, Chelsea are yet to play Liverpool). Its a tough league and big teams have been dropping points. For all you know Sunderland might snatch a last gasp winner against United. Why not?
I am not being naive. I know its much tougher for us now than it would have been if we had got all 3 points at St. Andrews. I know there is a possibility that Manchester United will not drop a single point. But what if they do slip up, and we fail to take advantage just because we are busy wallowing in self pity? How much will we all kick ourselves then?
Our team has already shown us twice this season that there is improvement on the psychological front. They have been dead and buried in the league twice, and they have risen like a phoenix on both occasions. They almost won yesterday at a place where both Manchester United and Chelsea have failed to win. And they have done it without their first choice centre-backs and their first choice striker, and with Howard Webb as the referee. They are still playing to win the League and the Champions League. Lets not undermine a very good side with our negativity.
Most of all, win or lose, it is our team and our club. Lets support it through thick and thin. Come on you Gunners!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Come Hell or High Water
Two years back, Arsenal were sitting pretty at the top of the league, when they traveled to a fairly innocuous looking St. Andrews stadium to play Birmingham. Eduardo ended up with a broken leg, and Arsenal ended up with a shattered morale. It was clear that very day that we would not win the league that year. It has taken us two years to recover from that episode. And here we are, with the midlands calling again.
Only this time, Birmingham and St. Andrews don't seem so harmless. They sit 9th in the league, better than they have managed the 6 times they have played in the premier league in the last decade. They have played 15 home games this season, and lost only 2 of them. The last they lost at home was in September 2009, when a minor blip caused two home losses on a trot, and have since held both Manchester United and Chelsea to draws at home.
In this backdrop, the red card that Vermaelen received last week seems ominous. FA decided to not to retract the red card, so the Gunners travel to face Alex Mc Liesh's side, without their first choice centre-backs and their first choice striker. The fact that Barcelona visit 4 days after this game only adds to our woes.
Wenger will have some key issues to sort out. Who plays in the defence against Birmingham? If Sol Campbell does, can he play against Barcelona? Most probably not. So should Campbell and Song start in defence against Birmingham, and Song and Vermaelen do the job against Barcelona? But will we miss Song's ability to break play in the midfield if he plays in defence against Barcelona? Can we afford that against them? Where does Silvestre fit?
Whatever said and done, we will need to grind out a win against Birmingham. If we drop points against Birmingham, it will be almost impossible to win the Premier League and the disappointment will be huge. We cannot even think of getting a decent result against Barcelona in that state of mind. I just hope the boys look at what happened two years back and derive some motivation.
I think we have a better chance of winning the league than we have of winning Champions League. But the Birmingham game will affect our run in both competitions. Its one of the most important games we have played for a long time. We need to win it, come hell or high water.
Only this time, Birmingham and St. Andrews don't seem so harmless. They sit 9th in the league, better than they have managed the 6 times they have played in the premier league in the last decade. They have played 15 home games this season, and lost only 2 of them. The last they lost at home was in September 2009, when a minor blip caused two home losses on a trot, and have since held both Manchester United and Chelsea to draws at home.
In this backdrop, the red card that Vermaelen received last week seems ominous. FA decided to not to retract the red card, so the Gunners travel to face Alex Mc Liesh's side, without their first choice centre-backs and their first choice striker. The fact that Barcelona visit 4 days after this game only adds to our woes.
Wenger will have some key issues to sort out. Who plays in the defence against Birmingham? If Sol Campbell does, can he play against Barcelona? Most probably not. So should Campbell and Song start in defence against Birmingham, and Song and Vermaelen do the job against Barcelona? But will we miss Song's ability to break play in the midfield if he plays in defence against Barcelona? Can we afford that against them? Where does Silvestre fit?
Whatever said and done, we will need to grind out a win against Birmingham. If we drop points against Birmingham, it will be almost impossible to win the Premier League and the disappointment will be huge. We cannot even think of getting a decent result against Barcelona in that state of mind. I just hope the boys look at what happened two years back and derive some motivation.
I think we have a better chance of winning the league than we have of winning Champions League. But the Birmingham game will affect our run in both competitions. Its one of the most important games we have played for a long time. We need to win it, come hell or high water.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Impossible is Nothing
I was watching the Champions League draw live, hoping for a comparatively easy path to the semi-finals. I say comparatively, because every game here on is difficult (its cliched, but its true). One lapse of concentration can be fatal.
So there I was hoping for an easy route, when the first draw that came out was Lyon v/s Bordeaux. I almost swore in frustration. Of all the teams in the competition, these were my 3rd and 1st choice for Arsenal to face (2nd being CSKA). Lyon are a team capable of beating anyone on their day, but they are still not more dangerous than Inter, Manchester Utd, Barcelona, or even Bayern Munich. So I was quite apprehensive about what might follow.
The next came Bayern Munich v/s Manchester Utd. I was quite neutral about this. I guess I was glad facing CSKA was still a possibility. And also that the English were out of the way till the final at least.
It was at this point that I realised that the 3 teams we could face were CSKA, Barcelona and Inter. And then the scary part came. Which one would we be happy to face, if not CSKA? Before I could even think about it, "Arsenal v/s Barcelona" flashed on my screen.
I felt like I was hit by something. I mean, this is the team to beat right? This is the team that won every competition they played in last year. And won in style. This is the team every club is running scared of. Because Barcelona don't only beat the opponent - they make their opponents look like a local pub team at times. Ask Manchester United.
After a few hours passed, I thought about it again. Would Arsenal have a better chance against the cold discipline of Intermilan? Or maybe against the tenacity and power of Manchester United? No. Nada. It's not like we cannot beat a Manchester United or an Intermilan over two legs. But the way those teams play means we start with a disadvantage. Beating them requires being physically strong, being patient and showing uncompromising discipline for 90 minutes. It requires being bloody-minded. Although we have proved we can display these traits, these are definitely not our strongest characteristics, are they?
Our strengths are skill, technique, pace and team-play. This is exactly what Barca are all about, so, for all their brilliance in attack, they will allow us to play to our strengths. I know that Barcelona are at the peak of their form, and may even be much stronger than us in attack. But at least they will not frustrate us with constant cynical fouling and physical intimidation. It will not be a case of an artist having to physically take on a wrestler.
In fact, I think Arsenal will have certain assets of their own when playing Barcelona. Arsenal move the ball quicker than Barcelona. Playing in the premier league, they have also had to add some industry to their character. Furthermore, all the criticism that these players have dealt with at a young age has made them mentally strong and united.
Barcelona, for once might come up against a unit that will take the game to them. If Arsenal knick an early goal, Barcelona may find that Arsenal have the ability to play on the counter attack too. And if all doesn't go this well for Arsenal, they will still keep going, till the end.
Having said all this, Barcelona are the best team in the world, and they have great qualities of their own. They are certainly the favourites against any opposition in the world right now. I am not challenging Barcelona's superiority. What I am getting at is that Arsenal are not a bad team either. We fans need not give up before the two legs are played.
I think 2 Arsenal players are key if we are to win this game. Nicklas Bendtner and Sol Campbell. Bendtner, because we will need to be clinical against Barcelona. They will keep creating chances at the other end and the sheer quality at their disposal means they will score. So we will have to put them under pressure in their half. Bendtner will have to be a constant threat, a nagging irritant to their defence. Arsenal will have to make Barcelona's midfielders contribute significantly in defence. And definitely, we will need goals to ensure we don't get frustrated and they don't get comfortable. That is why Bendtner will be key. Why Campbell will be key does not require too much explanation.
No matter what, we will surely get a display of elegant football. I sincerely hope that the enormity of the occasion does not dull the game. May we see good football, may the best team win, and may Arsenal be the best team on the day!
So there I was hoping for an easy route, when the first draw that came out was Lyon v/s Bordeaux. I almost swore in frustration. Of all the teams in the competition, these were my 3rd and 1st choice for Arsenal to face (2nd being CSKA). Lyon are a team capable of beating anyone on their day, but they are still not more dangerous than Inter, Manchester Utd, Barcelona, or even Bayern Munich. So I was quite apprehensive about what might follow.
The next came Bayern Munich v/s Manchester Utd. I was quite neutral about this. I guess I was glad facing CSKA was still a possibility. And also that the English were out of the way till the final at least.
It was at this point that I realised that the 3 teams we could face were CSKA, Barcelona and Inter. And then the scary part came. Which one would we be happy to face, if not CSKA? Before I could even think about it, "Arsenal v/s Barcelona" flashed on my screen.
I felt like I was hit by something. I mean, this is the team to beat right? This is the team that won every competition they played in last year. And won in style. This is the team every club is running scared of. Because Barcelona don't only beat the opponent - they make their opponents look like a local pub team at times. Ask Manchester United.
After a few hours passed, I thought about it again. Would Arsenal have a better chance against the cold discipline of Intermilan? Or maybe against the tenacity and power of Manchester United? No. Nada. It's not like we cannot beat a Manchester United or an Intermilan over two legs. But the way those teams play means we start with a disadvantage. Beating them requires being physically strong, being patient and showing uncompromising discipline for 90 minutes. It requires being bloody-minded. Although we have proved we can display these traits, these are definitely not our strongest characteristics, are they?
Our strengths are skill, technique, pace and team-play. This is exactly what Barca are all about, so, for all their brilliance in attack, they will allow us to play to our strengths. I know that Barcelona are at the peak of their form, and may even be much stronger than us in attack. But at least they will not frustrate us with constant cynical fouling and physical intimidation. It will not be a case of an artist having to physically take on a wrestler.
In fact, I think Arsenal will have certain assets of their own when playing Barcelona. Arsenal move the ball quicker than Barcelona. Playing in the premier league, they have also had to add some industry to their character. Furthermore, all the criticism that these players have dealt with at a young age has made them mentally strong and united.
Barcelona, for once might come up against a unit that will take the game to them. If Arsenal knick an early goal, Barcelona may find that Arsenal have the ability to play on the counter attack too. And if all doesn't go this well for Arsenal, they will still keep going, till the end.
Having said all this, Barcelona are the best team in the world, and they have great qualities of their own. They are certainly the favourites against any opposition in the world right now. I am not challenging Barcelona's superiority. What I am getting at is that Arsenal are not a bad team either. We fans need not give up before the two legs are played.
I think 2 Arsenal players are key if we are to win this game. Nicklas Bendtner and Sol Campbell. Bendtner, because we will need to be clinical against Barcelona. They will keep creating chances at the other end and the sheer quality at their disposal means they will score. So we will have to put them under pressure in their half. Bendtner will have to be a constant threat, a nagging irritant to their defence. Arsenal will have to make Barcelona's midfielders contribute significantly in defence. And definitely, we will need goals to ensure we don't get frustrated and they don't get comfortable. That is why Bendtner will be key. Why Campbell will be key does not require too much explanation.
No matter what, we will surely get a display of elegant football. I sincerely hope that the enormity of the occasion does not dull the game. May we see good football, may the best team win, and may Arsenal be the best team on the day!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Rooney or Messi?
Are these the two best players in the world currently? There are a few players who are probably thereabouts, but the media, always ready for a hype, has already dubbed them the two best players in the world. And not entirely without reason. In a world of Drogba, Torres, Fabregas, Ronaldo and Kaka, these two have entered a league of their own, because of their current form. And because how well their teams are doing. And because they have stayed fit for a long time to exert an influence on their teams and the game in general.
So who do you think is better footballer, Wayne Rooney or Lionel Messi?
I might get pilloried by Manchester United fans, but Messi wins this one hands down. No doubts about it. If you were to ask me who is more influential, I would say it is Rooney without a second thought. But a better footballer? There is none better than Lionel Messi today. And that has been the case for the last 2 years.
Rooney has great technique, superb pace and excellent awareness. He is lightning quick. He has great power and is a fantastic athlete. His finishing is lethal. But most of all, he has unmatched drive to work for his team. His energy is unrivalled. You will see him everywhere on the pitch. Defending, creating and scoring. A complete team player.
Messi of course has great energy too, though he is nowhere close to Rooney when it comes to that attribute. But see him with the ball and he shows you why he is the world's best. His pace and acceleration are complemented with unbelievably quick feet and deadly finishing. He can dribble his way past a number of defenders. And he can do that time and again. He can see and make a pass that many would probably not spot even on television or on play-station. And this is what distinguishes him from most other players. Not that the other players cannot do all this. It's just that some of the passes he makes and goals he scores are of unbelievable quality and he keeps doing this with incredible consistency.
Add to that the elegance with which he plays every minute of his game, and you have the best player in the world. Tom Adams, in a fabulous article on soccernet (you can see it here) says -
"Speculation that Rooney is football's leading light is far from outrageous. It is not, for example, a manifestation of the unjustified national arrogance that was exposed so horribly when Hungary humbled an overconfident England side with a 6-3 victory at Wembley in 1953, shattering illusions of grandeur. But it should be recognised that Messi is on another level - a once-in-a-lifetime talent. There is no excuse for a superiority complex on the part of Rooney or England."
"Sir Alex Ferguson's protege is in the form of his life though, there is no question about that. Deadly in the box, he has married a collection of predatory strikes with a catalogue of headed efforts. But they are not goals that cause jaws to drop in amazement and fans to forward on YouTube links with childish enthusiasm.
Messi, with his precocious dribbling skills, expert finishing, raw pace and brilliant football brain, scores such goals on a ridiculously regular basis. Moments that engage the imagination are his stock in trade, and he produced another on Wednesday night with that thrilling first goal."
I think that captures the point perfectly.
Messi vs Rooney is somewhat like Barcelona vs Manchester United. Both teams are superbly effective and their record speaks for itself. But Manchester United are mostly about raw practicality, physicality and power, whereas Barcelona are all about elegance and unadulterated skill.
Its a joy to watch Barcelona even if you are not a fan. To watch them is like watching art unfolding itself in front of your eyes. That is what football is all about. And no one epitomizes that more than the world's greatest footballer - Lionel Messi.
So who do you think is better footballer, Wayne Rooney or Lionel Messi?
I might get pilloried by Manchester United fans, but Messi wins this one hands down. No doubts about it. If you were to ask me who is more influential, I would say it is Rooney without a second thought. But a better footballer? There is none better than Lionel Messi today. And that has been the case for the last 2 years.
Rooney has great technique, superb pace and excellent awareness. He is lightning quick. He has great power and is a fantastic athlete. His finishing is lethal. But most of all, he has unmatched drive to work for his team. His energy is unrivalled. You will see him everywhere on the pitch. Defending, creating and scoring. A complete team player.
Messi of course has great energy too, though he is nowhere close to Rooney when it comes to that attribute. But see him with the ball and he shows you why he is the world's best. His pace and acceleration are complemented with unbelievably quick feet and deadly finishing. He can dribble his way past a number of defenders. And he can do that time and again. He can see and make a pass that many would probably not spot even on television or on play-station. And this is what distinguishes him from most other players. Not that the other players cannot do all this. It's just that some of the passes he makes and goals he scores are of unbelievable quality and he keeps doing this with incredible consistency.
Add to that the elegance with which he plays every minute of his game, and you have the best player in the world. Tom Adams, in a fabulous article on soccernet (you can see it here) says -
"Speculation that Rooney is football's leading light is far from outrageous. It is not, for example, a manifestation of the unjustified national arrogance that was exposed so horribly when Hungary humbled an overconfident England side with a 6-3 victory at Wembley in 1953, shattering illusions of grandeur. But it should be recognised that Messi is on another level - a once-in-a-lifetime talent. There is no excuse for a superiority complex on the part of Rooney or England."
"Sir Alex Ferguson's protege is in the form of his life though, there is no question about that. Deadly in the box, he has married a collection of predatory strikes with a catalogue of headed efforts. But they are not goals that cause jaws to drop in amazement and fans to forward on YouTube links with childish enthusiasm.
Messi, with his precocious dribbling skills, expert finishing, raw pace and brilliant football brain, scores such goals on a ridiculously regular basis. Moments that engage the imagination are his stock in trade, and he produced another on Wednesday night with that thrilling first goal."
I think that captures the point perfectly.
Messi vs Rooney is somewhat like Barcelona vs Manchester United. Both teams are superbly effective and their record speaks for itself. But Manchester United are mostly about raw practicality, physicality and power, whereas Barcelona are all about elegance and unadulterated skill.
Its a joy to watch Barcelona even if you are not a fan. To watch them is like watching art unfolding itself in front of your eyes. That is what football is all about. And no one epitomizes that more than the world's greatest footballer - Lionel Messi.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
All We Need Is A Bit Of Luck
As the season draws to a close, each Arsenal fan, in his own way, is doing his bit to ensure that this amazing run by Arsenal does not get jinxed. Methods vary - to some, it means watching every Arsenal game wearing a particular T shirt (no matter how dirty it is), and to some like me, it means not talking up our title chances, even if it involves tipping Chelsea for the title. This irrational behaviour actually confirms one thing - every Arsenal fan realises that we are going to have to enjoy some luck to win it this year. Every team needs some luck, but for us, it's going to be doubly important.
One, because we are 3 points behind Chelsea (assuming they win the game in hand), and 2 behind United. It's not in our hands anymore, and we will depend upon those two to drop more points than us.
And two, because the pressure on the Gunners is much higher than anybody else. With no trophy won to show for all the efforts on and off the pitch in the last 5 years, the players and the manager are going to be increasingly nervous with every game. The media of course will do its bit in adding to the nerves. Also, this group of players does not have the experience of winning a major trophy, so the boys will have to handle severe stress with great maturity.
There may be times when things don't go well in a match (which, like every match now, would be a 'must win'). And our players might not find any answers under pressure. In such situations, besides our grit and ability, we might need some fortuitous moments to go ahead and win the game. Like the one at Hull where Myhill completely messed up with a perfectly innocuous shot from Denilson. Like when the ball fell to the feet of Sheringham and Solskjaer in the Champions League final in 1999. Like the 5 miraculous minutes in Istanbul when Liverpool won their first major trophy in 15 years. These moments were not down to luck alone, and that is not what I am suggesting. All I am saying is that there was luck involved, and without it we would not have seen Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool win those games.
Titles are not won only through good fortune. The truth is far from that. In fact, our quality will ensure that we do not require to be lucky in too many games. I just hope fortune favours us when we need it the most.
So guys, go ahead and be irrational. Do everything that your heart tells you to make sure we don't jinx it. And come the 9th of May, may we...
One, because we are 3 points behind Chelsea (assuming they win the game in hand), and 2 behind United. It's not in our hands anymore, and we will depend upon those two to drop more points than us.
And two, because the pressure on the Gunners is much higher than anybody else. With no trophy won to show for all the efforts on and off the pitch in the last 5 years, the players and the manager are going to be increasingly nervous with every game. The media of course will do its bit in adding to the nerves. Also, this group of players does not have the experience of winning a major trophy, so the boys will have to handle severe stress with great maturity.
There may be times when things don't go well in a match (which, like every match now, would be a 'must win'). And our players might not find any answers under pressure. In such situations, besides our grit and ability, we might need some fortuitous moments to go ahead and win the game. Like the one at Hull where Myhill completely messed up with a perfectly innocuous shot from Denilson. Like when the ball fell to the feet of Sheringham and Solskjaer in the Champions League final in 1999. Like the 5 miraculous minutes in Istanbul when Liverpool won their first major trophy in 15 years. These moments were not down to luck alone, and that is not what I am suggesting. All I am saying is that there was luck involved, and without it we would not have seen Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool win those games.
Titles are not won only through good fortune. The truth is far from that. In fact, our quality will ensure that we do not require to be lucky in too many games. I just hope fortune favours us when we need it the most.
So guys, go ahead and be irrational. Do everything that your heart tells you to make sure we don't jinx it. And come the 9th of May, may we...
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