World Cup future

It's fair to say this World Cup so far hasn't been the most exciting of tournaments, you can tell when most of the conversations revolve around whether the vuvuzela's should be banned or not that the football hasn't been great. No matter, there are still things that Arsenal and Arsène Wenger can take from it, into club football.

Two years ago at Euro 2008, the winners, Spain, inspired Wenger to go smaller, agile and with slicker passing at Arsenal and the following Barcelona dominance on club football backed up the theory, if it's done right. So what does club football face in the next few years if the World Cup in South Africa is anything to go by?

Judging by the games we've seen so far, we don't seem to face fast, free flowing football continuing to be in fashion. Defence has been the key in most games so far, probably inspired by the success of José Mourinho's Inter Milan side this season. However if club football follows on from World Cup football in the same way it did two years ago at the Euro's, it would appear having a strong, organised defence will be what wins games in the coming season.

No matter if we were already looking for defenders this summer, this is now, definitely the area to focus on. Switzerland showed on Wednesday how against even the best passing players in the world, including Xavi, Iniesta, Alonso, Torres and Villa, a compact, organised defence was able to hold them at bay and snatch victory. In fact the majority of games so far have been won by a single goal and until North Korea surprised Brazil, no losing side had even scored.

So if Arsène Wenger took slick passing and moving from Euro 08, let the one thing he takes from World Cup 2010 be an organised defence. He had already identified it as a problem at the end of last season and surely the feast of football we're seeing at the moment will just bang that message home, and given the players we're being linked to, it would appear it has.

There were two other things about this World Cup worth mentioning from an Arsenal point of view. Going back to the Swiss turning over Spain, it was interesting to note that not only did Xavi and Iniesta start in front of our own Cesc, Fabregas didn't even make it off the bench. In fact three Barcelona players started in the midfield in front of our captain, Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets, is it possible that that team selection might have given Cesc a glimpse into life at the Nou Camp.

Most games so far have been a bit of an anti climax in South Africa, one exception to that was the German performance against the Aussies, despite the Aussies being a man down, their best man down, it was impressive from the Germans and inspired by Mesut Ozil. I was already aware of him from the under 21's tournament a year ago and already wanted Arsenal to sign him, his game in the opening group match for Germany confirmed that.

I would really make a huge effort to sign him up because he is pretty sure not to stay at Werder Bremen for much longer and at just 21, he will be a world class player before long. He would be a perfect replacement for Fabregas if he does eventually leave but even if our captain doesn't go, I would really, really love to see him plying his trade at the Emirates.

Here's hoping the World Cup livens up now the opening matches of all the groups are underway!

User Comments

User Comments

• Got something to say?
• Read comments

Vs chelsea