Post by Salem6 on Nov 24, 2003 7:20:06 GMT
By Clive White
(Filed: 23/11/2003)
It is not often that Arsenal fans find themselves pining for the George
Graham era these days, but some of the virtues of the old Gunners might have
served them rather better at times in this Champions League campaign than
the slick, seamless football that we have come to expect from Arsene Wenger
sides these past seven years.
Not only then might they not have conceded the goals that they sloppily have
done, but they might also have profited more from set-piece play. As it is,
Arsenal once again find themselves on the brink of a premature departure
from Europe's premier club competition. Anything short of victory against
Inter Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday will almost certainly leave them
cursing themselves.
Arsenal have had more shots, both on and off target, more corners, more
possession and conceded fewer free-kicks than any other team in Group B and
yet they are bottom of the table. "It shows you how strange football can
be," said the Arsenal manager. Yet he knows it is not completely
inexplicable. For one thing, Arsenal pose little or no threat at corners,
where once upon time, notably in the days of Steve Bould's near post
flick-ons, they did. And they also lack someone who is capable of putting
the ball into the penalty area to meaningful effect; a David Beckham-type,
if you like.
Wenger seemed to indicate as much when he said: "The efficiency of
set-pieces depends upon the delivery and as well on the characteristic of
the team. Unfortunately, we are not naturally the strongest, gifted players
on set-pieces because we are not a team who puts the ball in the air and
deflects the ball and fights for the second ball. We are a team who put the
ball on the ground and plays a game based on movement, technique and
mobility."
Short of Wenger turning into Dave Bassett overnight and his ball-players
suddenly adopting a preference for the up-and-at-'em approach it means
Arsenal will again be looking to Thierry Henry to produce the kind of
finesse which has largely deserted him in this season's competition. He has
scored just once, against Dynamo Kiev, when the game was as good as lost. Of
all their indifferent performances in Europe this season, this, one
suspects, is the one which rankles most with Wenger. "To lose 2-1 with the
goals we conceded and the goals we missed. . . we should have at least one
more point," he said.
So where, the Arsenal manager was asked, were the goals going to come from
this time - as if one didn't know the answer. "You know that, you know that
as well as I know it," he replied. "Fortunately, other players like [Robert]
Pires and [Freddie] Ljungberg are getting among the goals, but of course we
depend on Henry because he's an exceptional talent."
He will not be the only exceptional striker on the field on Tuesday:
Christian Vieri, who was hardly missed in the 3-0 win by Inter at Highbury,
will be available to test an Arsenal defence shorn of Martin Keown and
Lauren, not to mention Patrick Vieira's protective qualities, all because of
injury.
Someone who was at the first match and will definitely not be at the return
is Hector Cuper, the who was recently sacked as Inter coach and replaced by
Alberto Zaccheroni. The two club's fortunes could not have contrasted much
more dramatically - nor surprisingly - since that mid-September meeting.
Arsenal have lost just one of their 11 games since - the defeat to Dynamo -
while Inter had won only one of their seven - against Dynamo - up until
Cuper's departure.
Even devout followers of the Nerazzurri will no doubt concur that their
performance at Highbury has been their only outstanding one of the season
thus far. However, there are signs that they are coming back into form at
just the wrong time for Arsenal drawing one and then winning two of their
first three games under Zaccheroni. "The positive thing is that we have not
to calculate or speculate on anything because we know only one result is
good. And that's a victory," said Wenger.
While anything less may not bear thinking about for Arsenal fans, Wenger
insisted he would not lose any more sleep over it than he would over any
other game. Nor would he accept that his team had under-achieved in Europe.
"We're ranked No 5 in Europe," he said, ignoring the fact that they had only
once reached the quarter-finals and that the co-efficient used to work out
that ranking also takes into account the country's performance.
"They [Manchester United] have shown as well it's not as easy as it looks to
win it. They won it once in 15 years' domination of English football." he
said. "For me the biggest competition has always been the league
championship because that's where you see a quality team, and [to go out of]
the Champions League would be a big disappointment, but we would survive."
Surely, though, an early elimination would curb his spending power in
January.
"No, we're bankrupt anyway," said Wenger.
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;$sessionid$N1WCL3LM5AFQJQFIQMGSFFWAVCBQWIV0?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=%2Fsport%2F2003%2F11%2F23%2Fsfnars23.xml&view=DETAILS&_requestid=40397
(Filed: 23/11/2003)
It is not often that Arsenal fans find themselves pining for the George
Graham era these days, but some of the virtues of the old Gunners might have
served them rather better at times in this Champions League campaign than
the slick, seamless football that we have come to expect from Arsene Wenger
sides these past seven years.
Not only then might they not have conceded the goals that they sloppily have
done, but they might also have profited more from set-piece play. As it is,
Arsenal once again find themselves on the brink of a premature departure
from Europe's premier club competition. Anything short of victory against
Inter Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday will almost certainly leave them
cursing themselves.
Arsenal have had more shots, both on and off target, more corners, more
possession and conceded fewer free-kicks than any other team in Group B and
yet they are bottom of the table. "It shows you how strange football can
be," said the Arsenal manager. Yet he knows it is not completely
inexplicable. For one thing, Arsenal pose little or no threat at corners,
where once upon time, notably in the days of Steve Bould's near post
flick-ons, they did. And they also lack someone who is capable of putting
the ball into the penalty area to meaningful effect; a David Beckham-type,
if you like.
Wenger seemed to indicate as much when he said: "The efficiency of
set-pieces depends upon the delivery and as well on the characteristic of
the team. Unfortunately, we are not naturally the strongest, gifted players
on set-pieces because we are not a team who puts the ball in the air and
deflects the ball and fights for the second ball. We are a team who put the
ball on the ground and plays a game based on movement, technique and
mobility."
Short of Wenger turning into Dave Bassett overnight and his ball-players
suddenly adopting a preference for the up-and-at-'em approach it means
Arsenal will again be looking to Thierry Henry to produce the kind of
finesse which has largely deserted him in this season's competition. He has
scored just once, against Dynamo Kiev, when the game was as good as lost. Of
all their indifferent performances in Europe this season, this, one
suspects, is the one which rankles most with Wenger. "To lose 2-1 with the
goals we conceded and the goals we missed. . . we should have at least one
more point," he said.
So where, the Arsenal manager was asked, were the goals going to come from
this time - as if one didn't know the answer. "You know that, you know that
as well as I know it," he replied. "Fortunately, other players like [Robert]
Pires and [Freddie] Ljungberg are getting among the goals, but of course we
depend on Henry because he's an exceptional talent."
He will not be the only exceptional striker on the field on Tuesday:
Christian Vieri, who was hardly missed in the 3-0 win by Inter at Highbury,
will be available to test an Arsenal defence shorn of Martin Keown and
Lauren, not to mention Patrick Vieira's protective qualities, all because of
injury.
Someone who was at the first match and will definitely not be at the return
is Hector Cuper, the who was recently sacked as Inter coach and replaced by
Alberto Zaccheroni. The two club's fortunes could not have contrasted much
more dramatically - nor surprisingly - since that mid-September meeting.
Arsenal have lost just one of their 11 games since - the defeat to Dynamo -
while Inter had won only one of their seven - against Dynamo - up until
Cuper's departure.
Even devout followers of the Nerazzurri will no doubt concur that their
performance at Highbury has been their only outstanding one of the season
thus far. However, there are signs that they are coming back into form at
just the wrong time for Arsenal drawing one and then winning two of their
first three games under Zaccheroni. "The positive thing is that we have not
to calculate or speculate on anything because we know only one result is
good. And that's a victory," said Wenger.
While anything less may not bear thinking about for Arsenal fans, Wenger
insisted he would not lose any more sleep over it than he would over any
other game. Nor would he accept that his team had under-achieved in Europe.
"We're ranked No 5 in Europe," he said, ignoring the fact that they had only
once reached the quarter-finals and that the co-efficient used to work out
that ranking also takes into account the country's performance.
"They [Manchester United] have shown as well it's not as easy as it looks to
win it. They won it once in 15 years' domination of English football." he
said. "For me the biggest competition has always been the league
championship because that's where you see a quality team, and [to go out of]
the Champions League would be a big disappointment, but we would survive."
Surely, though, an early elimination would curb his spending power in
January.
"No, we're bankrupt anyway," said Wenger.
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;$sessionid$N1WCL3LM5AFQJQFIQMGSFFWAVCBQWIV0?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=%2Fsport%2F2003%2F11%2F23%2Fsfnars23.xml&view=DETAILS&_requestid=40397
