So often this season, whenever Arsenal won a match, you read people saying “because the opponents allowing us to play”. It may be true in a certain degree, but let’s don’t take away the effort our boys have put in.
The Fulham victory by no mean means Arsenal is going to great again from now on, but it shows this young Arsenal side is CAPABLE of.
The way I see it, there are three key problems of this current Arsenal side which need to be addressed:
1. UNDERSTANDING
2. PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS
3. CONFIDENCE
UNDERSTANDING -
Let’s don’t forget our 2002 double winning side did not take off flying OVERNIGHT. In fact, it took Arsenal 4 seasons’ rebuilding process (since the 98 double winning year) to build a team which had a tremendous understanding between the players.
The current Arsenal side not only young, but many of them have only played together less than a year.
PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS -
Arsenal are probably having the youngest squad in the Premiership, many of them haven’t even fully grown physically yet. Then when take into consideration a few of them have just arrived this season, it takes time for them to grow and adjust to the physical nature of the Premiership.
CONFIDENCE -
Winning boosts confidence, confidence generates more victories. Likewise, losing generates self-doubt, self-doubt resulting to more defeats.
Regardless to the aforementioned three issues, the basic element of a great football club is about QUALITY. When you look at the skills of our young players, almost everyone of them is good with the ball on their feet. That is CRUCIAL. Because with UNDERSTANDING and PHYSICAL aspect of the game, the players will improve with time and experience. Yet at the end of the day, if their foundatmental skills are not good enough, they still wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.
Judging on Arsenal’s victories over Real Madrid and Fulham recently, we have seen the QUALITY of this young Arsenal side is rock solid. They can only get better and better with time. That to me is more important than the result itself.
7 Responses to “A Red and White Phoenix!”
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March 7th, 2006 at 1:08 am
Your points are valid. But what has cost us this season is the sudden thrust on youth combined with the dip in form of senior players. The process of change must be gradual. It is after all Wenger who said that - we pay for their (the youth) education with points. The process of rebuilding might take 2-3 more years. And one must not forget that it has already been two years without us challenging for the title (let alone coming close to winning it).
March 7th, 2006 at 1:37 am
Experience under the belt of this young team will only improve it - I bet already that next season this team will be that much better and say not lose 10 games perhaps 5 only….maybe less….
The demolition jobs on Fulham and Middlesborough or the Champions League run so far has shown the youngsters to be the talent that we always thought they are….
You cannot legislate for 2 senior established midfielders leaving and half the squad injured all the time…do you know that AW has only twice been able to start with the same starting 11 for 2 games in a row otherwise someone is always out injured….that is hardly consistent is it….
Man Utd are a little ahead of Arsenal as they have Rooney as their youngest player who is already an established star otherwise most are players into their mid 20s…
As for Chelsea, Nipuna, yes Arsenal have gone 2 years without winning but that is also because how do you legislate for a billionaire to come and bank roll a team to success….
I am even willing to bet that Mourinho will go in a year or so as Chelsea are just not winning any friends…why would a billionaire buy a football team to be his play thing when they don’t even play good football…
Botom line: Arsenal will be fine - patience is demanded and earned from AW.
March 7th, 2006 at 2:30 am
Note that I said - two years without challenging for the title - not winning it.
I am prepared to wait. I was merely pointing out that such a long wait (4-5 years) could have been avoided if the process of change was gradual and not sudden.
Mourinho could definitely go. His Chelsea team are just like the Arsenal of some years back. Invincible in the league, but not quite making it in Europe.
March 7th, 2006 at 8:21 am
Excellent points, Andez. Good to see you posting again.
I agree with some of the comments above that we’re suffering with an overreliance on the youth and vets to pull it together. I can’t believe how little offense the midfield has produced. Yet, injuries has robbed us of any real continuity among the first team. As you said, many have only been here a year. Out of those, none have played more than a few games at a stretch. Not the kind of thing Wengerball requires.
I hope the season shakes out with strong promise of a better campaign in the upcoming season. In some ways, I wouldn’t mind a UEFA tourney for the kids to build their confidence. It may cost us a few seniors, maybe even Titi, but it could mean building the strongest squad ever at a healthy pace. At the same time, the vindictive part of me wouldn’t mind watching Spuds fall in the qualifiers, taking the stuffing out of their new cocky logo.
Moving past Real would be a great confidence biulder. They’re not going to be fooled by our away form this time. Then again, we may be at just the right balance of confidence and caution to erase their CL campaign.
March 7th, 2006 at 9:24 am
Good post Andez…
But there is a real catch-22 scenario brewing, if we fail at making the top 4.
If we lose players in the off-season, and some of our best at that… then there will still be a lack of understanding on the pitch because of the new players coming in.
You can’t grow physical toughness in players. Some play that way, some do NOT. Some can learn a bit and some will never. We need an INFLUX of that type player to combat the EPL schedule. That will take buying players with that experience and style, something Wenger has proved unwilling to do previously.
Confidence.
Its like momentum. It changes in an instant… on a fluke goal or a big save or many other small nuances of the game. It can be shattered in a single match, especially with young players.
Every game left both in the league and in the CL… is of extreme importance, to next year… and the year after that, and so on. It could play a major part of the make-up of our team.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:09 am
Stag, while i agree some players would never grow as strong as others in terms of their physical power, but with more experience playing in the Premiership, they will know how to cope with it.
Take Robert Pires, physically he belongs to the weaker type in the Premiership, but not too many opponents could easily nick the ball away from him. He shield the ball well, and know when to pass, when to hold on to the ball.
For smaller players like Reyes and Cesc, with more experience, they will probably learn the trick as well. In fact, i think Cesc starts to excute it very well.
And the latest signings like Adebayor and Diago, it shouldn’t be a problem to them, those kids are big!
March 7th, 2006 at 2:48 pm
Here’s the problem…
We have no idea if Adebayor or Diaby are going to be BIG time players at Arsenal…
Cesc will be gone to Spain in 2 years or less.
(my prediction).
No proven commodities, and if we don’t make the CL… our stars will go.
We don’t have the luxury of waiting around to see if kids pan out… at some point, you HAVE TO bring in proven talent, especially if that is what is departing.