What we’d all give to have another Arsenal winger like him

What we’d all give to have another Arsenal winger like him
Date: 27th March 2015 at 6:54pm
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The imperial Robert Pires has left his mark on Arsenal forever. Long gone are the days of his silky skill and blistering pace, blazing down the left flank. What we would give to have another like him. Pires joined Arsenal in 2000 with massive Overmars sized boots to fill.

Despite some indifferent form initially, it is safe to say did just that and then some. Absolutely superlative ability he had, not just to score goals but to create them. He led the league in assists in only his second season with the club, claiming the FWA Footballer of the Year Award as well as Arsenal’s player of the year award.

That would be just the beginning of a successful six year stint with the club which yielded 2 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups, and 2 Community Shields.

Without getting into his extensive list of personal feats and statistics, I will point out that it is Pires’ command of the wing that Arsenal have missed. He was a traditional winger in every sense of the word, blazing down the flank, whipping in his crosses, picking out razor sharp passes, and of course chipping in with a cheekily taken goal every now and then. In fact, it was more like every so often, as he ended up with 62 league goal in 189 appearances.

The wingers after him like Rosicky and Hleb, and now Sanchez and Welbeck and Cazorla, all like to drift inside and create and combine through the middle. While that style is perfectly fine and effective, I quite liked how Pires hugged the touchline for the most part. He stretched teams and provided the side with much width and another dynamic.

Absolutely terrifying he was for opposing defenses, and gave full backs and midfielders much to think about. More often than not, he would draw two or three out of position, leaving room for the likes of Vieira and Silva to stroll into. We will always miss Bobby Pires, and can only hope to find another like him.

 

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