United-Arsenal: The Truest of Tests

I was given a fair bit of stick as I previewed the Arsenal-Chelsea FA Cup semifinal, with many of our kind readers claiming that my criticism of Wenger and the team had been unjustified and that I have now been made to look like a “muppet," as one not very analytically-minded soul resorted to calling me.

However, many could also see my point, and I was indeed proven right about our lack of power and know-how when it came to the big games, and one great opportunity to destroy the trophylesswilderness was ultimately ended with a rush of blood from “Joey” Fabianski (see previous article).

That said, that is all gone now and after two fairly impressive showings, from an attacking point-of-view anyway, the time has come for the real big one.

Manchester United looked—and some argue—still look, to be on the verge of tiring and limping towards their much-anticipated glory.

In Arsenal, are a team, who in theory, have come into form at just the right time, and with the Chelsea debacle seemingly a mere blip, and despite the neutrals putting United as favourites—and rightly so—we should be very much in with a shout to progress.

This all depends on which Arsenal decides to turn up.

The split personality of this Arsenal side is nicely divided into three. You have the team that, for all its talent and flair, fails to get any kind of game flowing, succumbing to pressure from intimidating opponents. Thankfully, we have not seen that side of the coin since the fiasco of Manchester City in late November.

You then have a group of players who go all out displaying attacking verve and purpose, but forget that there is another side to the game and subsequently score and ship goals with scintillating alarm (ala Anfield).

And finally, a side with no real ambition and with such anonymity about them, a quality that has ultimately cost them a place in Wembley in late May.

The acrimonious non-performances of the likes of Adebayor, Cesc, and several others in the semifinal against Chelsea will have to be eradicated come Wednesday.

The matches against Liverpool, and particularly Middlesbrough, gave us renewed belief that our players do indeed have the spirit and strength to recover from setbacks, and that this is not just a ploy of spin by Wenger.

But this is Manchester United.

The Champions and European champions. The world champions. A side packed with talent and experience in the real big-time that if we do not show strength and confidence from the off, we will be in for a very long and painful ride.

A lot has been made of the newly formed cordial ties between Fergie and Le Boss over the past couple of years. Unfortunately, I only see this as the excruciating reality of our decline more than the managers mellowing with age as Wenger suggested.

Ferguson does not see us as the threat we once used to be.

But a European Cup semifinal at Old Trafford is a great opportunity to test the true motives of the cerebral Scotsman’s “friendship." Here are two teams renowned for their passion for playing football in the true sense of the word, entertaining, looking forward at every opportunity.

Winning and winning in style. Where else can we test the measures of our true improvements in the big time, expressing ourselves freely and looking to silence the doubters?

In retrospect, the Chelsea match was a no-goer due to our aforementioned meekness. Wednesday, however, will see us come up against a side that are no weaklings themselves, but whose style is akin to that of our own, which really is a strange parallel to draw as United have scooped all before them during which we won sweet FA (pardon the pun).

I mentioned how our big players went missing in the domestic semifinal—something that must not happen on Wednesday night (as well as Song and Arshavin who literally went missing for no known reason apart from Wenger’s infuriatingly inexplicable selection blunder).

With Fabregas now revelling in a slightly advanced role behind the striker(s), and with a fairly successful interchange with Nasri in the midfield at the Emirates at the weekend, a true balance between our playmaker-in-chief’s attacking instincts and defensive abilities will be key to whether we fare well at The Theatre of Dreams.

Needless to say, the midfield as a whole will play a big part, with Song—our defensive cog—hoping to mop up whatever United throw at us.

And, whilst United may have Ronaldo on the right wing—who will surely be confident of attempting to terrorise young Kieran Gibbs (who, by the way, has performed admirably since the shaky performance at the JJB)—our own winning card and link to the home side’s penalty box might just lie in our right wing.

No one ever doubted Theo Walcott’s talent, but his impressive run of form and with his showing the only one to be truly proud of in the FA Cup defeat, Theo has begun to show something of an end product in terms of his crossing, and—more tellingly—his finishing.

Wenger has promised to play our normal passing game and attempt to secure a positive result in midweek. And, whilst I do firmly believe that this is exactly what we will do—as defending is not the Arsenal way—I cannot help but feel that our chances will be at a premium at Old Trafford.

With arguably the world’s best central defensive partnership in Ferdinand and Vidic, and the limitless experience of Edwin van der Sar behind them, being clinical will be crucial. This is also where Emmanuel Adebayor will need to wake up, and stop claiming that he is “tired of not winning trophies” and then showing the sort of performance that is an embarrassment to any professional, let alone a supposedly top striker in a semifinal.

The United defence might not quite be Beyoncés, but, in reference to Adebayor’s ridiculous analogy regarding the previous cooing from AC Milan, the Togolese giant will sure have to attract the sort of attention from the United rearguard that will maximise our attacking potential.

And finally, we just need to believe.

United are a class act, but they are not a team without their weaknesses, and a team we are used to playing, and in fact, do well against more often than not. As the sun sets on Old Trafford on Wednesday night, the truest of tests will show if we really are ready to do battle against the big guns, a second chance for glory, or the shot at glory anyway.

Just to finish off, many of you have recently attacked me for my apparent lack of support and cold attitude towards the manager and the team.

Yes, I do not forget what Wenger has done, and I know full well that we are indeed a young side when compared to others, but this is the team that Wenger was adamant would succeed, and so he is responsible for keeping his promise.

When I see the team that I have loved and followed religiously since I was a kid decline so dramatically and who find finishing fourth as a glorious achievement after Wenger had always said that he wouldn’t settle for second-best, I find it quite disheartening to say the very least, especially with a side as talented as ours; one that fails to produce when it matters.

The next 10 days can change all that. And God do we all hope so!