Hleb, Smith And Cups
It’s getting nearer; the sense of anticipation is rising slightly by the day as the new season approaches which makes the current quietness on the Arsenal front curious in my mind, isn’t everybody looking forward to the weekend? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe the hacks are as fed up with the false dawns of their own making as we are.
Anyway, Alexander Hleb has told The Daily Mirror that “It’s my dream to score 10 or more goals this season“. That is essential now; Hleb is an immensely talented player who for all of his skill just does not score enough. He has the capability to achieve that target, the goals he scores do show that he is able to finish yet there has seemed to be a lack of confidence on his part to take opportunities to shoot when there is a colleague alongside of him. He needs to develop a selfish streak or take more responsibility to finish when chances arise. If his desire is to play in the supporting striker role that Arsene has used in the pre-season, then selfishness is going to be a necessary part of his game.
Hleb has also had a swipe at the Clubs detractors. He ‘likes’ Liverpool’s transfer dealings ‘best of all’ this summer but is not downbeat about Arsenal,
We’ve only had a few acquisitions. But the squad is very good. At the moment I still don’t know how we will live without (Thierry) Henry. He is a great player and a part of Arsenal. But he wanted to leave. No one is irreplaceable and him leaving is not a tragedy
Whilst I would deplore a war of words, it is nice to see the squad fight back. Too many negative comments from departing and former players went unanswered early in the pre-season. Now there is a feistiness coming through that retains the respect that they have for former colleagues – not just Henry – but is indicative of a mental strength permeating throughout the squad, ‘You were good but we’ll carry on without you‘ is a half decent mantra to have.
Talking of which, the normally sane Alan Smith has supped from the poisoned chalice of Canary Wharf, believing that the team are under-equipped physically for the battles of the coming season because they are not ‘big’ enough,
One problem for Arsenal is that they aren’t the biggest side in the world. Look at Cesc Fabregas, Tomas Rosicky and Alexander Hleb, who could feasibly make up three-quarters of the midfield. Nobody can doubt their ability, but when it comes to a scrap these five-foot-something technicians aren’t ideally equipped
It is something of a mystery why so much emphasis is put on this aspect of the game. Over the past few seasons, the midfield has not been big yet I am struggling to remember a game where we were bullied off of the park in midfield. Any physical battles have been lost more in defence, conceding sloppy goals.
English football has also moved on from the cut and thrust of his day; very few teams, even those struggling, use brute force to win midfield. Of those that do, only one had success against Arsenal – Bolton – and the signs are that that particular hoodoo is on the way out following successive League and Cup victories. Blackburn tried to kick Arsenal off the park in the Premiership and FA Cup, failing to do so in both matches at Ewood, winning the FA Cup tie through an excellent McCarthy goal and our woeful finishing, a sprinkling of refereeing ineptitude thrown in to rub salt into the wounds, ‘I was watching the top half of their bodies’ is still one of the worst cop-outs heard from an official, yet they were outclassed by ten men earlier in the Premiership.
Two other defeats stand out from last season, at Bramall Lane and Upton Park, Arsenal were undone by a failure to adapt to the conditions in Sheffield and West Ham sticking rigidly to their tactical plan and our failure to adapt to it. Neither defeat was a result of being outmuscled. Out thought on the pitch the prime reason.
Smith’s piece in today’s Daily Telegraph is correct for the most part though. The themes of better defending and the importance of RvP are spot on for a successful season which he believes is achievable.
Whilst I suspect the Title is a bridge too far, the Cup competitions (FA and Champions League) are winnable. In both cases, luck of the draw helps considerably and with the latter competition, teams are set in our away matches for us to exploit. This season, it seems to me that Europe in particular is set fair for another decent run so long as the formation of 4-4-1-1 used in Amsterdam performs as well in the main competition. The personnel are interchangeable but it requires concentration in defending from all areas of the pitch to work effectively. If Eboue is effective on the right, the midfield has a solid look defensively with only the left hand side not marshalled by defensive instinct if Rosicky plays there. The 2005-06 run worked on that basis, perhaps Tomas can take notes of Pires’ performance at Highbury against Juventus where Pires played one of his most complete games for the Club.
’til Tomorrow.
Posted on August 7, 2007, in Arsenal, Champions League, FA Cup, Football, League Cup, Premiership, Soccer. Bookmark the permalink. 38 Comments.
![Blog This Here](http://www.blogthishere.com/button.png"style="height:15px;width:80px;border:0"alt="BlogThisHere")
Agree fully, another good post. For this Arsenal team to be successful, and it certainly can be, then they need to learn to defend as a complete unit. This worked brilliantly well for them in the last Champions League run and can do so again. Agree that RvP is going to play a huge role, provided the injury hoodoo doesn’t strike again. Roll on the weekend!
Like you say, its is essential that Hleb scores those 10 goals. Goals from midfield are an essential part of the game. Just look at fat frank at chelsea, who apart from grogba has been top of the scoring charts for a few seasons now. And if Hleb is playing more in the bergkamp role he must shoot more to get those goals, thats a given.
Defensively i feel the addition of Sagna and the ongoing developing partnership of Toure and Gallas will be more solid. Clichys defending is getting better by the season and so is his attacking game. Again Gilberto will be most important when he does finally get back to fitness and back in the team.
5 across midfield – either with 3 centrally and 2 wingers or Hleb/Rosicky in the bergkamp role, droping into midfield when defending can be a good tactic to sure up defensively.
Good reasoning. But do not forget the talent out of physique we have in the squad with the addition of Abu and Silva Jil.
Excellent post, especially like your comments about the fact we haven’t been bullied out of games, I hate this and I have constantly resolutely defended this arguement on the web, in the pub where ever. Lokk at Bolton away in the cup replay 3-1, we were awesome everyone had it down as a bolton win and that we’d be bullied and you mentioned the others.
Yeah overall we might we might be slightly overall smaller, but, we still have big lads in the team, Diaby, ade, Toure, Gallas, and then you have our little terriers who aint no shriking violets Denilson, Fabregas and Rosicky.
I do feel we have an outside shot at the title, our first eleven is as good as any in europe. My concern comes two fold, key injuries and ANC.
If need to stay injury free but more so in the key player department, whereas Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool have plenty of WC matchwinners, we only have a few and then couple that with the ANC, we are brittle. But I have confidence that lady luck will shine this year and maybe even glisten on silver come may.
Everyone seems to be jumping on this size bandwagon. Why wasn’t it a problem when we had Ljungberg and Wiltord in midfield. At 5′ 8″ both were shorter than our current players. Gilberto, Diaby, Song are all 6 footers. Denilson is 5’11 and Cesc 5′ 10″ as is Hleb depending on which information site you read. There was even a comment on another blog worrying about the size of our LBs Clichy and Troare. As if Ashley Cole ever hit is head on ceiling of the players tunnel. It is true that the very young players still in their teens have some physical development still to go but this ‘lightweight’ tag is overdone.
Harry
The ACN is not only a problem for us. Yes we lose Toure, Eboue and Adebayor out of the regular first teamers and Toure is the one that could cause concern although Djourou and Senderos are capable replacements. Adebayor? Well, provided Eduardo and RvP are fit, that is not too big a loss.
Chelsea lose Drogba, Kalou, Essien, Obi Mikel amongst others. Drogba and Essien are particularly big losses for them, arguably their two players of the season and also with Kalou going, leaving them with ‘just’ Pizarro and Shevchenko. If they are not scoring, then that is a big problem to overcome. OK so they may be able to go out and buy a couple of players to replace them but equally so can we.
YW
Lucky that Manyoo had those aggressive giants Scholes, Carrick and Giggs to physically dominate last season. What a load of…. Expected better from Smudge.
I like 4-4-1-1 system …. if Helb plays beyond the main attacker … it will deliate but let us see what coming in new season … with all the best to Gunner
Is that the ex Crystal Palace manager, Alan Smith?
I think that the lack of physique, or more precisely heading ability, is a problem to us. Not in midfield, where pure ability enabled us to dominate most matches, but at both ends, particularly at set pieces.
It is not a new problem because we haven’t been very strong at that since Tony Adams retired.
Pires was actually good in the air but for his size PV4 was quite poor, more so in attack.
Diaby is tall but again as yet not great in the air. That is why Gilberto is still so important to us.
I think Diarra is 5’8, so it is strange that we are thought to be after him.
However all teams have strengths & weaknesses. The physique thing becomes a bigger liability on crap pitches, which on a few occasions I believe are specially prepared for us. I exclude Sheffield U from that because that was down to the weather.
Flint
Nope, ex-Arsenal CF.
YW
Never heard of him! Getting old YW.
Alan Smith talking about getting physical. He was one of my favorite all time players, like Peter Simpson & Steve Bould, totally underrated.
However, wonderful player that he was, very good in the air, if he hadn’t been so nice & used his physique more, he may have got a few bookings, but would have been an even more effective player.
I can see what smith means but I dont totally agree with him. I dont think arsenal were bullied at all last season BUT I think at times when Diaby has played for us then we were able to bully others. without that agression in midfield then we can still cope but we wont necessarily dominate physically. But then we dont really need to if we can control the ball with passing and movement.
At corners Gilberto is vital. he heads away 50% of all set pieces. But even though Gallas and toure are both short I think they can do more to at least put attackers off their headers. they need to get their shoulders in the way and be agressive even if they dont actually head the ball themselves. just knocking the other player off balance with your shoulder is normally enough to stop them getting a clean contact.
Its my opinion that when the studs are flying in and its a hard physical game that he most important area to have a big man is up front. Adebayor is that man and for those games will be massively important for us so we can compete in the final third. I think he is the one we will miss the most when the ANC comes around. and maybe if Eboue is having a great season on the wing we will miss him too.
Size?
Adebayor is 6’4″
Bendtner is 6’3″
Senderos is 6’3″
Djourou is 6’4″
Gallas is 6′
Gilberto is 6’3″
Van Persie is 6’1″
Hleb is 6’1″
Diaby is 6’3″
-
Lehmann is 6’4″
Gallas is 5’11 but otherwise you are right. trouble is Bendter, Diaby, Djourou and Senderos dont often play in the first 11. maybe thats why the carling cup team were so impressive?
You may have put a few inches on Hleb there Michael.
It is not just about height but how you use it.
Djourou is a case in point. When he gets to use his physique in a more aggressive manner he is going to be 1 hell of a player.
I see Ryan Garry has gone to Bournemouth. What a shame that injuries wrecked his career here. Let’s hope he is able to get back to full fitness, with the Cherries, and manages to fulfill the promise he undoubtably had!
I’m so sick of hearing this size thing over and over again. Anybody who knows the A B C of football knows that the Gunners have never been bullied of the ball by anyone but rather by their inexperience to read the game and not defending as a unit.
This is and will continue to be the problem with english football on international level because of their relying on sheer size and muscle rather that technicality.
Having spent a lifetime looking down at the likes of Lineaker and Wrighty I think Smudge could be forgiven thinking that anyone under 6′ is a bit on the wee side!
I think AS is trying to get at the factor of (badly) that Arsenal are ‘lightweight’ in the physical stakes, not up for the rough and tumble.
This idea that the British game is all about Vinney Jones type players ( long gone ), the fighting through, passion v talent nonsense. The continental player dressed up in his winter wollies. It gets a bloody site colder in the Czech Republic and Beluruss then it does here!
You only have to look at Ajax cutting up rough to see how the myth of “get about Arsenal to upset them” has travelled.
Crap football played by crap players is not something that any fan wishes to return too. I know I have rattled on about him before but a player like Flamini is just right for the trips to Sunderland and Brum and all the other stoddgie games. He is not big, gets stuck in has passion, BUT CAN PLAY, and score goals.
Everyone talks of Arsenals 1st eleven but I am excited because I feel, game on game, we have a first 16 or 18, silly way of putting it.
We have a great squad this year with total interoprabillity. Dudu out wide or up front, four good CBs, Hleb and Rosicky on the wing, either, or in the hole. Sagna across the back, Diaby and Flamini backing up Cesc and Silva etc etc ad infinitum…..
I can just see Eboue and Dudu wipping in crosses behind defenses unto Bendtner and Ade’s heads, while the central midfield go looking for trouble…………you get the picture.
Everyone is too complacent. We have bought 2 players who can make the first team. The squad needs strengthening. If this is a great squad I must be dreaming. Theres no real allowance for injuries to RVP, Dudu cant stand in for him, and Bendner is not ready.
We have an easy opening round of games and that should tell us a lot. Unfortunately teams like Derby are very rough at tackling and I hope we remain injury free.
I agree with your optimism but would go one step further and say that the Premier League title may not be too far away from this team.
The important thing is getting off to a good start; if we can take the confidence from an excellent pre-season then push on for the first couple of months I really think we could be in with a shout.
My only worry is that we go and drop points to Fulham on Sunday, the doom-sayers get on our backs and the squad might start to believe the media that we aren’t good enough.
Last season, yes the defence let in goals they shouldn’t have but if the team had put away half the clear-cut chances they had, we would have been much much closer to the top two. Let’s hope one of Eduardo, Ade or Nicklas are the “fox-in-the-box” that we so desperately need.
RVP is proving to be the new Bergkamp and putting Eboue at right mid could be one of AW’s biggest masterstrokes since turning Henry into a striker…
If you hadn’t guessed, in reply to your opening paragraph, I’m very excited about the new season and can’t wait for it to start…
Don’t think Alan Smith was a million miles away from the truth. It is not simply an issue of heights though but also a reflction on our ability to impart our game on opponents. We may not have been specifically bullied out of games but we have at times been physically overpowered in defence. A slightly random example, is Kevin Davies, who often plays against ourselves on a completely different level to which manages the reast of the season.
Sagna, should help this, as his positional sense and strength look above that of the marauding Eboue. Overall, a little more aggression will be required to ensure the young players are protected and free to play. Either way, we are not specialists in the air but we are on the deck, if we make the most of this fact with high possession and a higher turnover of converting chances we can be very effective.
I happen to think RVP is the biggest fox in the box we have. the way he has started to arrive late into the box to get on the end of crosses is something we have missed for a long time. the goal against man u, then the couple against Genclirbirligi and the one against Ajax are all poacher goals. he can score those goals or make goals for himself like the one against Inter Milan. he can score free kicks and long range efforts as well so he is an all round striker.
dudu has clearly shown he can finish off chances for Zagreb and despite his height is very good with his head, so in theory we have two players who will sniffing around making the most of all the chances our creative midfield can give them. as others have said, the key players must stay relatively injury free if we are to have a chance of the title.
If Hleb plays in the number 10 role he can score the 10 goals he has talked about. if on the wing he will lucky to get 2. Rosicky needs to score more goals and I think he will do if he can stay fit and cesc needs to start shooting from the outside/edge of the box. He tried it against PSG and Bentdner picked up the deflection to score a goal, so its a good source of goals.
Id settle for 25 goals in all comps between Hleb, Rosicky and Cesc. Thats not to unrealistic a target is it ?
Good Comments.I still believe that the boys will deliver and that they deserve more credit than is given to them. a point of concern though, Arsenal is so afraid to spend money. Sold Henry for peanuts and spending none of it. The trend is we develop players for other teams to buy them when they become big. Arsenal should be a team where players come to not leave. Is the team so poor or just run by stingy guys on the top.
Actually Josh, apart from Anelka and Reyes who agitated to leave, we’ve only ever sold players after they’ve given their best years to Arsenal. £16m for an injury prone 30 year old is not that bad a deal.
sol gooner,
dontworry about telling them these issues
these guys are falling for the – this team ‘is ready’ speech
used in previous seasons . (by arsene).
Id like to think that our guys are players of the future in the EPL. but as for this season or the next forget it . without a utility midfeilder who can plug straight into the team with style and left-right wings positioning , A LEGEND of a midfeilder.. and another LEGEND scorer. Tevez for 2mil wouldnt have been half bad.. (IF ONLY WE FOLLOWED IT UP) .
we will be forced to play 1-5-4 alot this season due to being lean in the striker department. dont count on bentner , and ade gone for a large stretch of time . better hope our only 2 strikers left are injury free …
Oh dear oh dear oh dear
frank your a gimp ..
get an opinion.. stop crushing others opinions just cause your a dreamer !!!! and more importantly you dont agree !
what is wrong with saying we need a left midfeilder? and preferably one who can play down the right too as freddie is gone like reyes ! ..
or another striker as we will find ourselves short come the
ANC !
middle fingerz up !
Hi Ethan,
I seem to recall that the deal for Tevez is actually £2 million to West Ham… £10 mill from Man Utd for the 2 year loan deal (they still won’t own his econonmic rights but may then purchase them after the loan period for £30 mill from dear Mr Kia). So £2 million isn’t quite the way to look at it and add the fact none of the above factors in his salary.
So all on the last point I read an article from KPMG about how the wages are shooting through the £100k a week mark for players. The latest being the £135k for Mr Terry. The article was a good review of where football is at in the current monetary market and the fact that so many clubs are increasing their over drafts to compensate players. I don’t think it is a stretch to far to see that football is heading to a cross roads and that will be the introduction of some type of a salary cap. Any thoughts?
Anyone in business will tell you that there is a ceiling on growth, at that point it is cost control and prudent investment that allows sustainablilty. I like to think over the years that the development of Arsenal has been done in a very smart but long term way, with ample consideration given to the club in 10-50 years time and not just today.
Well that’t it for me in the gray of Toronto.
Yeah Arsenal need to really work hard. RVP at the front, Cesc n Gilberto at mid and Gallas n Toure at back. Rosicky n Hleb should support striker by scoring 10+ goals each.
Ethan,
You are quite entitled to your views as is everyone else and whilst Frank does not agree with yours does not invalidate what you have to say. I would however suggest that getting personal by name calling is some what beneath you. I like to think that whilst this forum is largely positive in nature it does for the most part respect people and there views.
Ethan,
I do have views and I have written in on numerous occasions. I find your views very difficult to discern, although there appears to be a common theme along the lines of AW does not know what he is doing, our players are not good enough, other teams are better than AFC and the only way to success is to buy, buy, buy…oh and you appear to believe that the press and media are somehow AFC experts. You also have a tendency to reply to your own comments which is a trifle bizaree. I find you very misguided and I don’t want a debate with you, but of course I agree that you a right to your opinions and, I suppose, to publish them.
There will never be an American style salary cap. One proposal was 60 per cent of revenue and AFC are well below this. Chelsea are not.
I do not think we have to buy buy buy BUT AW promised 2 super signings and Dudu and Sagna though both good are not Super signings,
There are players in the Bundesliga and Dutch league who are nearly superstars, there msut be a left wing player out ther, so when their are injuries Abu Diably doesnt end up wasted on the wing
I would love there to be a spending cap. ie clubs can only spend what they earn. it seems so sensible. I guess thats why it will never happen. it just seems plain wrong that if chelsea have a poor season and want to spend 100m on players and the same on wages to put it right then they can and thats not sport. its corrupt business.
I am actually astounded that in the days of heavy punishments if clubs go into administration, that such a rule does not exist for this. the FA clearly do have the powers to act over club finance issues and in the interests of fair competition you really would have thought this would have been one of the first rules laid down.
Isn’t there a Salary Cap in the Football League? I know it seems to be a lot like asking Turkeys to vote for Christmas but for football to be sustainable in the long term future, there has to be more secure financial management. A lot of money has been spent this summer to ‘live the dream’ but I suspect if it were put to a vote a large portion of the Division would be in favour. The ones who would vote against would be the ones who are way over that limit now. If it were set at 60%, would more than eight vote against it (which is the level that prevents change)?
In the 05/06 accounts (last published figures) AFC had a total wage bill of £83mn and total revenues of £132mn which equals 63%. I think only Chelsea were higher. In November they published interim figures for the first half of the financial year just ended (31/5/07) revealing that wages had increased by £12mn. This figure included all staff not just players. revenues in this last year would also have increased as a consequence of the new stadium. The problem with a salary cap is that it consolidates power amongst the big clubs. AFC have tended to spend big on wages and comparatively little on transfer fees.
I’ll tell you why there’s so much talk about the physical aspects. Its simply the way football has evolved. Look no further than the Copa America finals.
Argentina, for all their flair, passion and gameplay, got tossed around like a ragdoll against the much more physically brutal and imposing brazilians. If you saw that game, Brazil efficiently fouled and stopped the flow of the game , ensuring no more than 3-5 passes threaded by argentines in a stretch. This is how I envision Cesc , Hleb and Rosicky playing too , and pretty much how the opposition is going to put them off their game.
Of course, the disclaimer is that Wenger is anyday a much better coach that Basile (coach of the Argentine national team). Basile doesn’t have any Plan-Bs or Cs ready when the game doesn’t go the way he expects. A very slow dude.
We should try to play beautiful game when we can ..if the result is not coming we shud play long balls to adebayor and va persie and dudu can feed on those balls..we have good passers in cesc and eboue and clichy who can pass to taregte man adebayor effective…
if 60 mins for passing game doesnt work play 30 mins of long balls game..individual skills wud help us get results in long balls too
Pingback: Top Posts « WordPress.com