Reflections on Being Mauled by a Group of Inspired Tigers

Sabarish S — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:05:50 -0400

The picture says it all—frustration and disappointment at the ridiculous game we played against a newly promoted side. I'd read a preview last week wheresome bloke had mentioned about how we rip apart newly promoted sides and we'd comprehensively win 4-1...the reason for the goal being given saying the defence is frail.

I've been a strong supporter of William Gallas and have stayed away completely from throwing abuse and negative remarks at him for the sole reason that he's really passionate about what he does...but NOW I FEEL LET DOWN...the complacent manner in which the corners were handled (oh,that was part of their plan to win at least five or six corners and free kicks in each half) was not the type of defending that would win you titles.

If you look at Man Utd and Chelsea, the other teams will get scared looking at the team sheet which boasts of names like Ferdinand, Vidic, Terry and Carvalho. We've all the technical qualities to be better than them and an excellent training facility also but what we lack is COMPOSURE, CONCENTRATION, and COMMITMENT on the match days.

Coming to the match, first of all full credit to Phil Brown and his men for coming with a set plan, showing lot of passion and playing percentage football as per their plan to stifle and gun down the men from the Emirates.

The manner in which they carried out their gameplan was completely incredible and their recovery from a one-goal deficit to come back and win the game at the "fortress" shows the grit and the quality they have to survive in the premiership.

My previous article highlighted the good qualities of Wenger but now I feel he's being too partial. lLast season,when Lehmann made two blunders that cost us a total of four points, he was made to warm the bench for the rest of the season. If you ask me, I feel Gallas and Robin Van Persie deserve the same.

Geovanni was simply brilliant with his first goal and their second goal was, I feel, due to meticulous planning and unbelievably bad defending from our team. The first goal could've possibly been avoided if there was someone who'd shown the commitment to close down on Geovanni when he got the space—frankly I wish Diarra had been there with us after watching his game against tottenham, he was running everywhere.

The game started off in usual style with our boys trying to get their touch and their bearings right. I felt Denilson started off brightly when he tracked back the entire length of the pitch to prevent one of their counter-attacks, but later on he faded into oblivion.

Hull were playing with lots of inspiration and they were superbly using the "doubling" technique to snuff out all our attacks—they really did well to ensure Fabregas would not get into his normal groove.

The first half was really a bland and dull affair with Hull City without doubt the better team, there was a really good chance for Eboue with an open post but, unsurprisingly, he chose to pass—to the defender of the opposing team.

The anger on Wenger's face was very evident.

I felt a goal would come in the second half and it did. All credit to Theo Walcott who just dazzled with his pace, I strongly felt we should've passed the ball more to him and not let Sagna send crosses one after the other to our strikers who were well marked

Though it was an own goal, credit to Fabregas for making his presence felt. I am not in a state of mind to describe the Hull goals but they were good, the last 20 minutes were spent in panic attacks with Gallas striking the post (aww...) and Myhill doing really well to make two finger tip saves from Fabregas's long-range shots.

The final whistle blew and to the dismay of all the Gooners,the score board said:

Arsenal 1 Hull City 2

My take on the match :

1. Adebayor has not repaid Wenger for the faith shown in him and also for the hefty pay rise he got.

2. RVP should be made more of a bench player, he's no longer that classy player he was and I guess we can only look to him for that odd wonder-goal—hope eduardo comes back soon.

3. Eboue should stop making attempts to get into the Guinness Book of Records for falling the most number of times.

4. I don't understand why Walcott was substituted with Bendtner instead of Van Persie, who was anonymous and selfish throughout the game.

5. It's high time the professor started seriously contemplating about the issue of defence, rather than admitting after each match that it is our weak link ( as if no one knew).

6. I've begun to like Almunia—his distribution and his urgency in sending out the team on counter-attacks is admirable.

7. We need a strong midfielder—denilson is fast and good, but the number of times he was mauled by the Tigers was not signs of strength in any way.

8. There should be more play from the right wing as well than just the crosses that kept pouring in without any use.

Its sad to see a champion team lose in this manner but I really hope we will gather our wits and demolish Porto this week. Until then:

God bless the gunners!

Arsene Wenger: A Tribute to the Legend

Sabarish S — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:22:07 -0400

It's not every day you hear of legends, though the term "great" is being used as frequently as we use the word "sorry."

It's not every day you see a man who maintains the passion and dignity and commands the same amount of respect the way he used to more than a decade back.

It's not commonplace to see a no-nonsense economics graduate transforming "business" knowledge into a profitable venture, at the same time not letting go of club values and football traditions (Mr. Platini, hope you got the drift).

Arsene Wenger belongs to that exclusive club of elite people who fall into all the above mentioned statements and much more also.

In today's scenario, even coaches like Hughes and Mourinho will be referred to as great, irrespective of what they have actually brought into the club or to football as such.

It is not an easy task to spot the talent of young fledglings or rather young saplings, nurture them with love and care, provide them with the warmth, and give them the energy to fight any storms and make them really strong trees.

I tend to be a little poetic, but yes, we can proudly say that the young guns of the present are the saplings that Wenger planted years ago or the ones he knew would flourish in the gardens of the Gunners.

On Sept. 28, "The Professor" completes 12 glorious years at Arsenal. He has, in every sense, turned out to be the best thing to have happened to us since the day the club was born.

The great man that he is has stuck to his principles of promoting youth and allowing them to flourish in spite of all the brickbats that has been thrown at him. With the influx of huge amounts of money in English football today, it is not that easy to stick unwaveringly to one club and also not letting go of his stand and his morals.

Wenger belongs to the league of legends like Ferguson (though I hate him), Maldini, and their likes.

How many coaches today can proudly look back and say, "I made these boys become men"?

How many coaches can look back and become reminiscent about fielding a very young team and beating the giants of Milan at the San Siro comprehensively?

How many coaches actually have the guts to rely purely on the confidence, the talents, and the exuberance of youngsters to demolish an established side like the way we took apart Sheffield United last week?

How many coaches can attribute themselves to spotting and nourishing talents like Fabregas, Henry, Wilshire, etc.?

And there's not a single coach in this world today who can lay claim to having set the way of redefining the term "total football" which is more beautiful than the grace and panache of a Russian ballerina.

In today's footballing scenario, it takes a lot to get the love of your players, and Wenger has that aplenty.

The greatest example is that scene when Fabregas ran towards "father" Wenger after scoring that stunner in Milan. Another one was when Kolo Toure ran to shake his hand and got a pat on his shoulder after equalizing at Chelsea moments after he came on in one of his first matches at Arsenal.

Wenger's undying faith in Adams reaped rich rewards and who can forget the famous "back four" who claim to still swear by Wenger. Or more recently, Vela giving that smile and a wink to the professor on completing his hat-trick.

Trophies may not have graced the cupboards at the Emirates, but they will come sooner or later. When they do, the whole world will stand, take a bow, and applaud the man who commands respect; the legend according to me, Sir Arsene Wenger, the man who will go down in history as the one who changed the face of football.

God bless Wenger!

Bleacher Report - Articles by Sabarish S

Reflections on Being Mauled by a Group of Inspired Tigers

Arsene Wenger: A Tribute to the Legend