Having watched both teams play this weekend, I think we can say a couple of things.
1. Both teams played extremely well. Arsenal simply consumed Boro, whilst Man U massively unnerved Newcastle’s tame defence in the second half at St. James’ Park. At the heart of both games were the two captains – Keane and Vieira both seem back to their best, and over the last 6 years, the tussle between those two over game after game has been the central argument over who’s the best and most important player in British football. That they both played so well is an indication this might be one hell of a season.
2. Man U and Arsenal’s style seems to be getting more and more distant as times pass. We all know from last year what fluidity Wenger’s brought out of us, and Gilberto’s goal yesterday was so perfectly formed you kinda figure they’ve rehearsed it a hundred times over. Hell, that Gilberto scored a cracking volley is indication alone of how good we were yesterday. Man U have one thing we don’t, and i’m not sure why it happens, but they have always, at their best, seemed to crack teams psychologically, forcing them into grievous errors in positioning and timing. It happenened twice on Saturday, and Newcastle’s defence was drawn helplessly out of shape. Without Beckham that style seems only more likely to be at the heart of their play, with the three behind Ruud van 9.5 arriving late to exploit the holes he puts into defences. Say what you like about him, but his movement is awesome.
Which style is better? I guess Man U’s is easier basically. It’s simpler to make defences screw up, which in the EPL they do with mind-numbing regularity, than to construct intricate moves in the Arsenal style. Particularly on an off day. But Wiltord gave me real hope yesterday. His movements always been pretty sharp, but this renewal of his formerly poor pairing up front with Henry prospered yesterday. Like Ally said in his match report, he did Jeffers role better than Jeffers has ever managed, leaving the creative role to Henry, Pires and Ljungberg who were all exceptional yesterday. And frankly, if we need a two yard tap in man he may be the boy for it if he signs a new contract.
It’s always been obvious that if we had that kinda player we’d be better off. It’s why we bought Jeffers (who may well have to content himself at another season as 4th choice striker); it’s what Henry has always wanted so he can really play with complete freedom across the pitch. And it means we don’t have to be as good as we were yesterday to mop up the simple chances. Wiltord’s passing and control have both been suspect. But he looks great from 5 yards. Long may that continue.
3. Defensively, both teams still look a little shady. Toure and Lauren both seemed to have balance problems yesterday. Toure’s learning really fast don’t get me wrong. And Boro barely tested us. But despite them both slipping over three times in the course of the match, and Ash getting caught out of position as frequently as ever, I actually have high hopes that we can outperform Man U this year at the back. Ferdinand looks really nervy for Man U – still, a year on. He’s a magnificent tackler, his movement’s brilliant, but he just seems uncertain about his integration into the unit. Silvestre wouldn’t fill me with confidence if I was a Scum-lover either. Shearer’s a tough guy, most defender’s struggle with him, but Silvestre looked like a four year old fighting Britain’s Strongest Man. He’s physically weak. Same can just sometimes be said of Ferdinand, definitely of Brown. And you could NEVER say that about Toure, Keown and Sol. Their positioning might be more solid than ours, but collective muscle counts for a lot, and with Queiroz gone, i’d expect confidence to ebb in the scum backline due to physical failings quicker than ours does due to positional error.
4. The Goalkeepers. Well they both like to come off their lines. In fact Lehmann seems to have one of those weird superstitions tennis players get and refuses to stand on his line at any time. I’ve never, ever, seen a keeper who stands four yards out at corners and moves from there. Howard likes a charge as well. I haven’t seen enough of him the MLS to know, but Rodney Marsh said on Sky that he’s been caught out pretty badly doing that. Gotta say though, both seem pretty good purchases. I felt totally confident Lehmann yesterday. He’s got presence and that air of German arrogance which screams ‘winner’.
5. Well, us and Man U are the best two teams. Chelsea worry me, bigtime. Mutu and Crespo is a dream partnership up front – stronger than anything at Highbury or OT. But can Ranieri create a style as distinct as Wenger or Ferguson’s? I doubt it, I really do. The tinkerman will go. Whether it’s Eriksson or Capello (my bet) or Harry Redknapp who takes over, someone who wants something specific out of that mad squad is going to have to galvanise them the way both we and the Scum perform according to the wishes of our leaders. Liverpool are hilarious. Kewell a right winger. Jesus. Newcastle can’t defend and don’t have the central midfield presence. So it’ll be business as usual. Keane and Djemba Djemba against Gilberto and Vieira. Two excellent teams. Gonna be a hot season.