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Dancing to the Wenger Beat

lewdikris

Established Member
Dancing to the Wenger Beat

When, in fifteen, twenty years time, when it’s all a distant memory, we all come back to look at Wenger’s Arsenal, there are certain flashes, certain images we’ll all remember.

Robert Pires moving from the left wing into the centre, shuffling past opponents before breaking out in an unlikely sprint.

Bergkamp dropping so deep into midfield it looks like he couldn’t possibly do any damage, only to come up with a pass that defies geometry.

Vieira near the edge of our box, receiving possession, surrounded by two opposition players with not a hope in hell of getting the ball off him.

Ljungberg breaking late into the box to dink the ball over the keeper.

Campbell simply out-muscling an opponent, a man mountain who can’t be physically dominated.

And Thierry Henry turning a half-chance into magic around the edges of the 18 yard box.

Sound familiar? It should, because last night, with the defeat of Lokomotiv Moskow contained all those elements of what this Arsenal team are about. It was, quite frankly, the most professional display we’ve ever given in European competition – not inspired or uncanny, like the demolitions of Inter, Juventus, Leverkusen, PSV or Roma in recent season; not tense, like Dynamo Kiev, or Real Mallorca a few years back now. And not heartbreaking, like all those false dawns we’ve seen before.

Professional, composed – played exactly to the distinctive beat Wenger has established as the best way for his team to prosper. Against Inter Milan in September we simply played too fast, twenty minutes of frantic surging leaving us horribly exposed to the counter-attack when over-ambitious through-balls went astray. The same could so nearly be said of the eventual victory over Kiev, where it took 89 minutes of constant pressure to come good.

But the last two games have been different. Calmer somehow. Maybe it’s the calmness of having nothing to lose, of being at the edge. Maybe however it was a calmness that came from the players understanding the larger significance of Arsenal’s need to qualify for the last 16. The effects it could have on their own careers, on their manager’s reputation, on the funding for Ashburton Grove. On seeing the brilliant potential of Wenger’s kids, and knowing their places would be at stake if they didn’t front up when it really mattered. On knowing that qualification would release a transfer fund that could bring in the couple of extra players we really need.

That’s a lot of pressure, and teams better than our own would have cracked under so many needs. Most satisfyingly for us, not for one second did the eleven out there last night look like buckling. They looked, from first to last like they would win, and I’ve said that very rarely with us in Europe.

If any one player is symptomatic of that it is Freddie Ljungberg. He’s had a tough year and a half. His reputation was so enhanced by his incredible scoring run to bring us the double that the burden of his hip injury - which as Roy Keane and Robbie Fowler’s own difficult rehabilitations have proved, is about as bad as it gets for crocked footballers – has made his mixed form only the more disappointing. He’s looked immobile, uninspired – a pale shadow of the player he was for that glorious seven game run.

Now he’s back. No questions about it. Four goals in six games is everything Freddie is about, popping up to finish off another trademark Henry, Bergkamp and Pires inspired move. Those three are so silky, so wondrously skilled. Freddie’s not like that. He runs at players or away from them, rarely going round or through them. But at his best he brings the three geniuses into the attack, bombing on into the box to dink something simple in over the keeper. I think his place has been under pressure by the improvements Pennant is making at Leeds, particularly by that wonder goal against Chelsea on Saturday. But Freddie’s stepped up, and when he plays like this he’s absolutely indispensable. The grit to the others silk. The one player I would stake my life on from ten yards to get a vital goal. No frills, no messing, just goals.

It’s great to see him back, unhampered and focussed. Just as it’s great to see Bobby also looking himself again. He ran the show last night. Wenger’s comparison’s of him to Zidane are specific. Like Zidane he plays best when not tied to a specific position. Let him run free and he’ll hurt you, tie him to the wing and he won’t. To do that he’s needed to be fully fit. Finally, I think he is.

Vieira was not fully fit last night, but he asserted himself magnificently. Edu, Parlour and Silva have done extremely well without him. We haven’t lost since he last performed, and Toure’s progress at the back has been a large part of the reason for that. When he’s fully fit, we’ll have a spine to our team that is matchless in Europe, strong, creative, purposeful and capable of miracles. Toure, Campbell, Vieira, Henry. That will take some beating.

So can we finally push on from here, make a real impact in Europe? If we take last night as our example, there is no question that we can. Performances, results like that against Inter Milan don’t come often. Games like last night should be our aim. Solid displays played at the constant rhythm which sees us generate chances whilst giving very few away. Purposeful and not dependant on the spectacular to prosper. Wenger wouldn’t want anything more.

As an endnote, I think I should say that last night was the final nail in Sylvain Wiltord’s coffin in the red and white. Left firmly on the bench in a high-pressure situation, he’s gone come January. We should wish him well, but not rue his passing too much.

Wenger will replace him, and the rumour mill will go wild for the next few weeks over who that player will be. Finding non-cup tied players is hard. Jose Antonio Reyes is the highest class available – and the most expensive, but he would be the logical longterm replacement for Bergkamp. Alan Smith remains an option, although I think his confidence will depend more on what traumas are happening to Leeds, the club he loves, more even than how he settled in at Highbury. I’m not sure he’d forgive himself if he left and they then got relegated. Jermaine Defoe might be too inexperienced, and too solely a striker for the way Wenger likes Arsenal to play. It will probably be one of those three, I’d think – I just don’t see who else fits the bill.

Whoever it is, we can look forward happily. Finally, we’ve started to dance to the right version of Wenger beat and all of Europe will fear us now.
 

Adam

Established Member
The moment thing is spot on with this Arsenal. Every important player has his moment - his little quality which we will remember.

Pires is a player who shows consistent moments throughout the game, although Freddie being a winner often has the more rare, important moments late on. One or two times a game he will get that run into the box. For the first goal or for the decisive goal. This is why we can criticise Freddie when he is not scoring as his team play is lacking in comparison to Pires.

I was impressed with the teams confidence at 1-0. No hessitating, calmness, and a strong mentality as we could of been complacent with Loko at ten men. Psychologically - you pick the vibes of the other teams sadness at being at ten men, and this affects us. And at Arsenal you empathise with their situation of having to fight with ten men. We do it alot ourselves. But you have to remain ruthless, and this takes strength.
 

Sammer

Established Member
Interesting thoughts, lewdikris.

It seems as if we might have made a big step forward this year - the chain is broken, and I wouldn´t be surprised if we´d end up in the (semi)-finals of the CL this year.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Good report, but i think we were helped in looking good by how poor Moscow were, so i wouldnt read too much into this performance. They played far too defensive, especailly first half and had had no physical presence up front at all, untill they brought that Parks on, who was just a circus act.
There will be MUCH tougher games to come.
 

lewdikris

Established Member
But that's what a professional performance means Sol - play a team by your methods not theirs. Lokomotiv, Inter Milan - play like this (which is rare) and we'll be a test for anyone. Play badly and we're not.
 

Natnat

Established Member
Trusted ⭐
What can I say.
Sounding like a parrot in what Im saying
A lovely enjoyable report
Our Arsenal-mania reporters are very talented guys
We shall sing and sing aloud for our team
and for our mania reporters.
 

torgrim

Active Member
Freddie's back and once we've finally gotten rid of all the injuries and are able to field the strongest XI, I'd love to see them play Real, because I really believe we're better.

Great writing Chris!
 

G-F

Member
Agreed.

Freddie looked a shadow of the player that won us the double last season and did come under some critisism. I'm glad he's got his act together and starting to look the part once again. He's making more runs into the box and his overall link up with Bergy and Henry this season has been fantastic.

I thought he had a tremendous game against Rovers. On one occasion he picked out Henry in one of the best moves of the game, with a lovely pass into space which Thierry slipped into the path of Paddy.

On this form, Freddie's going to keep Spinner on the bench for a while; not that I'm complaining of course.
 

reggiepaul

Well-Known Member
I dunno. I think our players have always been at their best and very very good - I still see it.

I think the flaws that people see are not exactly dips in form but basically adapting to a new formation and team structure. If all your team have new roles, what chance have they got to perform at their peak immediately? Not very much because they are playing against each other and each player is playing in a new role to themselves.

This doesn't mean we were ever bad because I thought and still think we are an amazing team. Our caution is born from applying a defensive play to our traditional counter attacking team. The previous season saw us playing counter attacking football and then letting the defence clean up with two wingers adopting roles. Now we have our players dropping further back.

What people see as dips in form is actually arsenal playing nothing more than a new tactic/strategy against a changing climate in the premiership. A need to survive really where we have been losing focus, concentration and control in games. The best way to do this - become defensive to supplement a counter attacking team and to drop further back. This is all we needed to do.

Earlier last season we had phases of defending as a unit and then attacking as a unit. All good until we had changes in our squad structure. This hurt the team in all areas and adapting was difficult for the team who were trying to cope against a tougher schedule and players who only recently returned from injury, making them a little too sudden for games.

We did pick it up though but we were still seeking that edge and amidst this trying to place Jeffers in the squad somewhere at the expense of more experienced and better suited players.

So I think our players were always on form but now - in the recent climate we have taken our opposition more seriously, ourselves more seriously and also our game too because we are, unlike other teams, in a position where we are in strong and definite contention for some of the greatest prizes in the world. Things get more and more serious and our players work around this too. It's not just players off form (otherwise they wouldn't play against such strong competition and get good wins) but just the players getting more and more experienced as they played in a new way for arsenal.
 

Adam

Established Member
It's a mix Reggie.

It's the mixture of these first few months being transitional in terms of tactics and style of play, and the players form perhaps suffering as a result. But this is still not certain.

Pires and Ljungberg have been off form - that is certain. Wenger does not drop him for games against United etc without seeing something different in a players form.
 

reggiepaul

Well-Known Member
The drop for United was more resting I'd say and tactical on the day.

When I see the players hold position I find them to be getting used to a new style and only game after game do they gain the experience to get used to not only the position but those players around them, new, old and also difference in style too.

You see, I can't totally agree with dips in form - when so many of the players are suffering from it. One player - fair enough and this is usually visible or factual in terms of injury, unsettled or the like.

When a number of our players dip in form there is a team problem and our game has become more defensive so it is here where I see us playing differently and seeking to adapt to this new style. There was a hoo haa about our defensive play and Wenger and our players coming forward to voice their concerns and we worked towards it. Even when Kolo was there our players went deeper and only recently have they got used to where each other runs and makes their play.

So, dips in form collectively are usually changes and transformations in team. This is more notable in a better example being a) Manchester United (loss of Beckham and new players) b) Chelsea lots of new players and loads of squad rotation and c) England trying to play youth and giving everyone a quick run in. All examples of players trying to adapt in crucial situations, aiming to perform to their best and impress the manager for a starting place.

We've done it because we stuck to more or less the same players last season but still a lot to learn from this adaptation.
 

G-F

Member
Your theory does make sense to a certain extent but you can't always put a dip in form down to tactical changes in the team.

One example is Wiltord - we haven't made any significant tactical changes to the side but his poor form has seen Kanu and Ali move up the pecking order.

Igors never worked no matter which tactics we used and the same could be said of Cygan who had a poor season.

Goalkeepers in principle are exemptions because any 'keeper worth his salt should be able to adapt to any changes.
 

reggiepaul

Well-Known Member
Not always but most of the time and a manager should and usually does know his players and team enough, to the point he knows which is the best team for the job - to the best of his knowledge of course.

I can't speak for Wiltord really. I would have thought our recent drifts in to defensive tactics would have brought out a player that was amazing for this job. Sadly he has other things on his mind and I think he is on the way out sadly. I think the general feeling people have of him has really got to him. Wiltord was a bit part player in the past and always being there if needed, and doing the job. When our system changed somewhat and he moved up in the pecking order fans were expecting more from him and sadly his mistakes were like giant bogeys standing on the side of the houses of parliament.

There is no quick and fast reason why a player of Wiltord capability at a team like arsenal would drift in to total uninterest and mediocrity. He is not a bad player as he has played in such massive competitions and proven himself over and over again but this recent "form" I assume is down to his career being under question and feelings he hasn't succeeded as he would've liked to have in the past.

Igor wasn't always bad. Igor was never really a tactical option but more of a "**** we have no defenders!!! We HAVE to use Igor" ideal. He isn't a bad defender but just a defender lacking match fitness thrown in to the deep end.

Goalkeepers are goalkeepers, yup but a great keeper knows his players, not as much as the manager but enough to keep some control at the back.
 

G-F

Member
I have a feeling Jermaine Pennant's return from Leeds will coincide with Wiltord's departure from the club (possible loan deal with PSG?). Arsène has not commented on the situation nor do I expect him to but I think he may go ahead and loan Spinner to PSG.

However, there is still the problem with his unsigned contract so the boss may even be tempted to offload Spinner in January instead of risking it and loaning him out.

I used the original examples of Wiltord, Cygan and Igors to prove that dips in form are not necessarily caused by tactical changes but by the players themselves. As far as I know, Cygan and Igors have no problems with their contracts, yet their defending is (to put it nicely) not up to the expected standard (though a little sympathy can be felt for Cygan who in all fairness had a tremendous game against Rovers).
 

reggiepaul

Well-Known Member
I too was thinking Pennant will return to cater for our congested season as we fight for four cups. Although I can see Wiltord staying to help out if needed. Many won't agree with this but such is the situation as it presents itself unless we get someone else.

I'd got with tactical changes still. These players can play their hearts out in certain situations where as in other scenarios their "role" as presented to them by Arsène can be overburdening. A different player (maybe better, possibly for the scenario that would be at hand) will be able to give a different strategy to a new game and so forth.

Adaptation and revolving around different scenarios from opposition would also play a part. A lot of times you get sussed out. That happens in league situations where as in knock out competitions it's more a case of performing for that moment only. Better managers do better in these scenarios due to their experience and knowledge of the game.
 

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