Written by Joel Che on Thursday, October 23, 2008

Past Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
21 Oct	7:45 PM	CL	Fenerbahce (A)	5	2	Win

Forget the league and forget the Champions League. You can even forget the FA Cup. Just try as much as possible to sit back, wait for those moments when the team plays their particular style of football and enjoy it!

The past 3 weeks I have decided to take a step away from football. I watched all games at a distance and refused to read anything about them later. I recorded all the games and watched them again without sound so I couldn't hear anyone else's opinion. I came to the conclusion described in the first paragraph. Why?

Against Fenerbahce, Arsenal had 8 players under 23 and most were 20 and 21. Adebayor is only 24 then there were Silvestre and Almunia. All those 8 players but Nasri spent their time growing up and playing together in the Academy, then the Reserves and then the Carling Cup. They grew up playing football against opponents their age in the Academy and the Reserves. Basically, against players who simply could not match the skill that Arsenal got into their kids at the same age.

They've swept aside countless opponents by simply passing and moving. Arsenal teaches technique, movement and passing to their kids. The only physical attribute that Arsenal kids work on is speed. But their package of pace, technique, movement and passing is the only thing they have known since the age of 9.

If you play for Hull City then you have the basic competence to survive in the Premiership. The Premiership is a good league so you can't make it here without basic football competence. But face it, Lionel Messi doesn't play at Hull but make no mistake, those Hull players have also been playing football since they were 9. In order to survive the competition, they have got to this level by focusing on other things – mental strength, physical strength, determination and structure.

Hull, Sunderland or Aston Villa players are players who had dreams to play for Arsenal or Manchester United but maybe fell short on skill alone but they have other great attributes complimented by their base skill and they get into first team football at the age of 24 or 25. By this time, their maturity mentally and physically is far beyond any Arsenal player who is 19 and has not spent that much time training those aspects of their game. But yet they are lined up against each other.

So when Arsenal kids at 20 years of age are on the pitch with tough 24 years old from Hull or hardened Dynamo Kiev players, it is like Adebayor against Song. Song is only 3 years younger but those two years have made a huge difference to Adebayor's game and his experience. Yakubu may not play for Real Madrid but his strength and experience makes him a nightmare against any 22 year old defender. 3 years is a very big package in experience in any fast moving profession.

Arsenal kids get a baptism of fire when they move to the first team. They don't get it when they accelerate and the opponent is still in contention after 10 yards. They are used to outrunning everyone. They don't get it when there is no space to pass or when they get pushed around. They don't get it when a team doesn't want to score and just wants to defend. They are not used to it.

When the opposition allows Arsenal space to play, whether it's Real Madrid or Chelsea or United, they will get out-played. That's because the kids are back to what they know and they know it better than anyone else.

When Everton allowed more space in the second half against Arsenal, they paid for it. When Walcott is on, he can attack much smaller spaces that most players because of his pace and control.

When Fernabahce allowed Arsenal room yesterday, they were hit twice before they knew what was going. Arsenal had an unusually high conversion rate in Turkey. I think they scored from every chance on target but 3. But they might have needed 10 goals just to stay in the game since Fernabahce were a threat on goal all the time and Arsenal's defence was frighteningly shaky.

Almunia as captain played one of his best games for Arsenal. Adebayor scored from a neat pass and Walcott zoomed with Olympic speed, slowed down with composure to get the ball round the keeper and slotted in from what seem like an impossible situation. Great skill!

Diaby used his strength in the box and fought with an un-Arsenal determination to get in front and finished with a hopeful drive that got in. Nice one, Diaby. See you in six weeks after your next injury. Although I really hope you don't get injured again.

Fernabahce failed to clear a corner with a header and the ball hung in the air. It took a player trained at Old Trafford to jump and fight for a nothing ball that van Persie or Adebayor would have walked away from. He won it and it fell kindly to Song who rocketed for 4-1.

Arsenal could have conceded 3 goals in the first half if they had been unlucky. Those days happen! Arsenal could have scored 10 goals if they were sharper – especially if Nasri could run into space. Walcott and Vela attack space and Nasri doesn't and it is beginning to annoy me. Nasri could be so much more dangerous if he passed the ball and moved to meet it rather than pass and stand. But Nasri didn't grow up at Arsenal so he missed the pace lessons. He better fix it because it is worth 1 goal a match to Arsenal if he could just follow through moves and run without the ball into good areas. He has everything else.

Wenger noted that the big difference between Walcott and Messi is that Walcott can move better off the ball. It is what makes Cristiano Ronaldo more valuable than Messi right now. Arsenal badly needs that from Nasri too.

Arsenal's defence was pathetic but given that they don't know each other, I settled for them scoring more than the opposition. However, we cannot continue like that because the next game, the sequence of goals could work against us. What if the opposition scored 2 goals first? Is there enough determination in this team to come back? There is enough skill but I wonder about the mental strength.

So there you go. Arsenal is a team of purist who are very young. For Wenger's vision to work, he has to keep this team of players until their average age is 24 or 25. The problem now is that we have a fantastic group and then start losing pieces of the puzzle.

I will bet you this.

If Arsenal were to keep this team together, in 3 years time, they would have developed their physical, mental and experience strengths together as well as gotten even better with their movement, pace and skill. If Arsenal kept this team together, in 3 years they will beat everyone and win everything over a 2 year period. I promise you that if this team stayed together, in 3 years they would have shown the future of football so clearly that Football would not accept anything less but to start the journey to the future. If this team stayed together for the next 3 years they would be shrewder and better than the invincibles and any other football team that has gone before them. It could be one of the best things that happened to football.

Before then watch and enjoy. Forget trophies.

User Comments

26

Hugh - Adelaide, Australia

Posted on 24 Oct, 2008 at 07:37 AM - Reply

Joel, one of the best pieces on Arsenal I've ever read. Perspective seems to be the point missed by many (myself included) regarding this current Arsenal team and the current level of competition (I refer to the financial power of Chelsea and ManU who only managed a point superiority last season of 3 and 4 respectively).

I believe you may be right. Enjoying the successes of this team regardless of trophies will make for a far more enjoyable season and a greater appreciation of the football that this side sometimes plays.

The fact that Arsene and his players seem to always strive to play this beautiful style of football is the reason I became an Arsenal fan.

25

Patrick

Posted on 24 Oct, 2008 at 05:47 AM - Reply

We need to win a trophy soon to convince these players to stay together, then we can win all the trophies. Fabregas, Adebayor, Nasri, Walcott, even RvP and Clichy, are well sought after by the big clubs. Most of them can outbid us for the player's signature.

24

Browski

Posted on 24 Oct, 2008 at 01:48 AM - Reply

Top draw article Joël. Some brave but very logical predictions. Lets just hope this new team have the grounding and financial discretion to stick around and achieve something very special. As you say NOT just trophies!
I’m so proud of the whole setup at Arsenal top to bottom. Especially when comparing us to the ridiculous fiascos that are the other top flight football teams. I hope your views are echoed fully understood and BELIEVED by all Arsenal fans.
Wenger is a true visionary and luckily within the Arsenal setup that seems to be contagious.
Victoria Concordia Crescit.

23

LAKMERT

Posted on 24 Oct, 2008 at 12:07 AM - Reply

At first i didn't really see the relevance of this article but as i read on, you make some valid points. I also think if this team stays together there is no one that can stop them, but i don't believe in the defence progressing as much as the mid and attack would in 2-3years. I think clichy has come a long way since he used to be the back up for batty cole, senderos in my opinion is a lost cause and we should of flogged him a long time ago. We need experience, defence isn't something you wait for because as you wait for these players to develop you get hurt every game. The question is, how many games are we going to get hurt before we start winning? I think buying some more experience players that are not almost collecting pensions is the best result. Kompany is a prime example of an arsenal type of player that would fit perfectly back there with clichy and toure. Gallas would of been a positive purchase if it had been 4 years prior. All in all, this is just a die hard fan just having a good rant because he sees a potential in this team that may be under attack by the market. If you haven't noticed we have been losing 2 players at the end of each campaign for 2 seasons now. Its scary but i have no option but to hope that we will manage to keep this team together and go on to rule europe.

22

Slique

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 08:59 PM - Reply

Good article accompanied by good sense of football. I guess my take away here is keeping this young team together and not lose anyone of these brilliant lads. Walcott is a revelation, and he seems to be getting better every game. I have always rated Diaby (he is a better version of Viera), I hope he stays injury free for a long time. In Wenger we trust!!

21

jakes

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 07:57 PM - Reply

my thoughts exactly, except i had those thought 2 years ago and that we would and conquer all in front of us this year. it seemed to be true after last season's great play of football. let's hope it won't take 3 years... and the trophies will flow sooner :)

20

MIMO (canada)

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 06:16 PM - Reply

If only if they stay togheter, it will be an amazing team for the future. Don t forget the premiership is alot harder now then what it was 5 years ago and for me as long as by april they are still in it and playing the beautiful game, i cant ask for more...

19

AG

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 06:10 PM - Reply

Very good article, but I have to say the aim of the game is to win here and now and not tomorrow, particularly when the manager and players hark on about how they are confident of winning this, that and the other this season! So in fairness, despite the quality of the article, I do think it is very defeatist of you to ask to merely forget the pure aim of football and just enjoy how pretty we are on the ball whilst the likes of United, Chelsea and Liverpool just steam ahead of us and sweep everything from off the carpet.

Added to that, we are by no means out of it, but there is definitely hardly any room for error.

18

Nurik

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 04:33 PM - Reply

Good article and analysis. We have skilled attacking players who I'm sure will mature in coming years as they gain more experience and mental strength. But defensively, we are not that good and I really can't see Djorou or Song becoming world-class defenders.

17

CHristian

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 04:13 PM - Reply

fantastic article!

16

double-you

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 03:04 PM - Reply

interesting points but weren't we saying this in 2004? will the fans be preprared to wait 3 years? will the players?

15

Edwin

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 02:53 PM - Reply

Fantastic article.

14

Mark Nk

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 02:26 PM - Reply

SPOT ON Joel. If only Flamini had not left us!

13

lutaayam

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 12:40 PM - Reply

Problem is that the team is not likely to stay together. Cesc will leave next season after we fail to win a trophy...then some players will leave the following seasons because we couldn't raise thier wages..blah blah

12

Egyptian

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 12:09 PM - Reply

This is exactly what i decided to do at the beginning of this season !

11

looneygooner

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 11:48 AM - Reply

Spot on, the trick is to keep this team together, the trophies will follow, but in this present climate the fans want it now.
It's a crying shame as this team has the potential to win the lot and in style, it is one helluva ride and I am enjoying every moment of it

10

j

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 11:13 AM - Reply

u sound too idealistic

9

Sami

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 11:09 AM - Reply

Crazy...

8

Dragan

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 10:42 AM - Reply

Good article, but i dont agree with some things. You say sit back and watch the young players and forget about the trophies, but you dont take in concideration the fact that if we dont win a trophy this season Fabregas or any other player that gets a good offer from the big clubs might accept it and then your bet wont even count. Another thing i dont agree with is the Nasri argument. Maybe hes not as good as Walcott off the ball but Nasri is a playmaker who has better technique, vision and pass than Walcott and that is for me much more needed in this team than another player running in space.

7

GunnerSG

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 10:41 AM - Reply

Cant agree more with your last paragraph. If this team just stayed together with nobody moving, this team would absolutely run riot in every stadium they played. We can already see goals starting to come from all areas in the team. That's the beauty of the current Arsenal, we have quite a few natural finishers.

6

lemo

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 10:26 AM - Reply

totally agree
brilliantly written... good article :)
IF we keep the players... we will dominate in all competitions.
but thats the thing... i get the feeling.. wenger is thinknig of 3/4 years ahead... but by that time.. the fabregas' van persies adebayors, bendtners those players.. would have all left by then, and if we dont win something now, or next year. the players will just leave due to being frustrated and selfish and wanting, either, more money, more playing time, or just oblivious to the fact that if they stick together through the hard times, they will be a huge huge, possibly best team in the world. but thats just it isnt it.... they dont see what us fans can see sometimes.

5

Richard Bedwell

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 09:30 AM - Reply

A very sensible article, although I would disagree with a couple of points.
I think that this squad will win a trphy or two in the next 2/3 years - but unless we're very lucky with the draw it won't be the Carling Cup.
In terms of turnover of personnel it is unlikely that either Gallas or Silvestre will be encouraged to stay beyond their current contracts because they are at an age (and a level of consistent fitness0 that does not put them in the managers medium to long term plans. In fact, if they did stay, the likes of Djourou would want to move on anyway.
In fact the key piece of retention will be the manager himself. If he stays (or is replaced by someone of equal stature in the players eyes and with the same long term strategy) then your predictions could well come true.

4

eze

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 09:29 AM - Reply

that's the simple truth

3

Towser2878

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 08:41 AM - Reply

cracking piece.. absolutely spot on...
If only we can keep them together..

2

Vavavoom

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 08:36 AM - Reply

Nice article! Wenger's vision very well summed up. What are the odds that the team will stay together though and who are the most likely candidates to leave? What about the relentless cries for a better DM? Is that still a missing piece of the puzzle?

1

dave mccs

Posted on 23 Oct, 2008 at 08:31 AM - Reply

How refreshing to read something considered and insightful. Completely sound analysis - problem is that fans MAY sit back and enjoy - will the players do the same

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