Write On Sports LLC - "Arsenal Revitalised" by Richard Wilson

Arsenal Revitalised

2007-10-24 12:41:25 | By: Richard Wilson

Defying expectations is de rigeur for any sports manager. Now some do it in a bad way, leading a team expected to prosper to the depths, such as Martin Jol at Spurs. But then some do it in a good way, such as Arsene Wenger is this season. Last season, Arsenal were criticised for lacking steel and not being able to turn chances into goals.

There were many prejudices from last season about Arsenal – they couldn’t score, they couldn’t fight, they couldn’t live without Henry – and every single one has been blown away. They showed their battling qualities by beating Sunderland 3-2 after they’d thrown away a 2-0 lead. They showed they could score by destroying Derby and every minute of every game they are showing that they don’t need Thierry Henry.

But one thing must be brought out now, last night’s 7-0 demolition of Sparta Prague. It was the most impressive Champions League showing one could ever hope to see, summed up by Cesc Fabregas’ 2nd goal to make it 5-0. Corner headed away, Hleb sprinting 60 yards down the left wing, slides it into Adebayor, who with one touch turns his marker inside out and lays it perfectly for Theo Walcott to provide a one touch ball to Fabregas and the Spanish magician drove it the 18 yards into the corner of the net. It maybe lasted 10 seconds, 15 at most, and in that ridiculously short space of time it highlighted everything Soccer should be about – Pace, Flair, Power and Precision. Are they the best team in the world again? It’s hard to compare teams from different countries, but if we look at England alone – Manchester United have only just recovered their form and still look uncertain in defence, Liverpool flatter to deceive and Chelsea are in crisis.

And then look at the personnel. Arsenal’s forward five of Adebayor, Hleb, Van Persie, Fabregas and Rosicky is a good forward line, but not a truly world class one. Of those, you could only imagine Fabregas and Van Persie would regularly start for Manchester United, so it’s not the players that do it. It’s the coaching staff. Arsenal are the best drilled team in the world. Watch a match of theirs and see the intricate passing tearing sides apart and see how few miss their target. The players at the club aim for perfection, and no player is brought in without having the stunning technical ability to fit in with Wenger’s philosophy, and the lynchpin is Fabregas.

The unassuming, down-to-earth Spaniard isn’t plastered all over the tabloids as the previous talisman Henry was. He concentrates on playing. Generally, he plays short passes, combined with driving runs and tireless off-the-ball work, but he’s equally at home hitting 70 yard crossfield passes. Either way, he is currently the best player in the world with a scoring run that strikers envy. Superlatives tend to run out when you’re halfway through describing how he plays, but there isn’t another 20 year old in football who can play 50 games a season and just get on the job with nary a bad performance in there. He’s consistently dominating teams with his never-erring eye for a pass, his timely runs and he’s 5 years from being at the peak of his powers so he will only get better.

The next 2 weekends (away to Liverpool and at Home to Manchester United) will be the litmus test – can they beat the big teams domestically? Well, they’ve beaten Sevilla in the Champions League, so why shouldn’t they? Defying expectations is part of the job for any sports manager, turning pessimistic expectations into the newest Renaissance of Arsenal is the reason you keep the job.