1990-91 Or The Invincibles: Which Was The Best Arsenal Team Of Modern Times?

Comparing football teams across the ages is a dangerous pastime. To believe that one team is better than another, could be teleported to a different time and repeat their feats marks the claimant as arrogant. Believe the opposite, “Today’s footballers would not have last five minutes in my day“, leaves you open to being described as an old codger at best. The changes seen on the pitch inside a decade, let alone beyond that time span, render comparisons difficult, if not impossible. Despite this, that is the path being trodden in today’s post.

The Invincibles are often hailed as the best Arsenal team ever, rightly acknowledging their achievement in an undefeated League campaign. Every season that has passed since has seen the undefeated leaders of the Premier League hail themselves as being better than that Arsenal team, bragging which is usually brought to an abrupt halt by the inevitable defeat that soon follows such claims. Two seasons earlier, the squad had done the hard part by remaining unbeaten on their travels but were undone by three defeats at Highbury.

Yet both attempts at remaining unbeaten were old hat to some extent. It is often overlooked that The Invincibles were almost beaten to their feat by George Graham’s last title-winning side. 1990-91′s squad lost just once, at Stamford Bridge. Despite playing as badly as they would all season, Alan Smith’s late goal gave hope of an unlikely equaliser on a sandbox of a pitch. At that time, West London’s premier ground was one of the most inhospitable. Not because of the threat of violence or an air of malevolence – we were used to such atmospheres – but an exposed open terrace for the away fans left you at the mercy of the elements. Winter was not a time you wanted to visit a decrepit stadium that was light years away from being considered comfortable. The words of the old song tell it all; “Stamford Bridge is falling down, poor old Chelsea“. Add into that a chairman hell-bent on hairbrain schemes such as electric fences to pen in his own fans, you get the drift as to the depravity.

That tenacity was a trait common to both eras; neither were easily cowed, capable of recovering from unexpected defeats quickly. Both campaigns might have been derailed following defeats in cup competitions. Graham’s team were crushed by the counter-attack in a 2-6 home defeat to Manchester United in the League Cup, a night when it felt that every shot by the visitors found the back of the net. Four days later, defending champions Liverpool were beaten, picked off the floor and hammered back down again in a 3-0 victory that marked out where the title was most likely to be heading. The FA Cup defeat at Wembley was followed by the title being sealed shortly afterwards.

A decade or so later, each of the defeats were followed by strong performances in the League, not necessarily in events on the pitch, more in the character shown to recover. The added distraction of the Champions League offered more opportunity for disappointment, Internazionale and Dynamo Kiev both inflicted group stage defeats which might have derailed progress domestically; the character of the players was such that blips – and more serious defeats later in the campaign – never placed the title challenge in real danger. The real character came in April; consecutive defeats in the FA Cup and Champions League followed by a deficit to Liverpool in the League might have sent lesser men into a downward spiral; not The Invincibles. Drawing strength from their deep reservoir of experience, the clawed back into match at Highbury and then pulled away seemlessly, leaving the Merseysiders bewildered and mesmirised in the second half.

Graham’s men had distractions off the pitch to contend with. Adversity fostered a siege mentality when external forces imposed punishments that impacted the team. Tony Adams imprisonment just before Christmas had been preceeded by a two point deduction from the FA following a twenty-one man brawl at Old Trafford. The two helped Graham foster a team bond, even when a strong one already existed. The absence of his captain meant that Graham changed tactics to compensate with Linighan and O’Leary joining Bould in a 5-3-2 formation for two months. It had been used two or three times previously but came into its own when Adams was absent.

Too much of the manager’s reign is tainted by its descent into long-ball madness. This side were built from the defence forwards, were resolute and capable of strangling the life from a match; they were also a fluid attacking side, not yet beholden to one goalscorer with wizardry provided by Anders Limpar. Was that the pinnacle season for his career? Certainly in Arsenal colours. Merson was at his peak also, with a title-winning goal at Anfield emphasising how good he might have been had he not been derailed by other distractions whilst Alan Smith was more than a goalscorer, leading the way with 22 goals and only scoring once in the opening dozen games.

The already well-drilled defence – protected by Davis and Thomas – had been bolstered by Graham signing his long-term target, David Seaman, in the pre-season. I read that usurping Lukic was unpopular; my own recollection that the unpopularity of the move was bravado. We acknowledged Seaman was a better goalkeeper but Lukic had won a title and the problems with QPR over the fee meant the transfer was in doubt for a period of time. When he arrived, the soon-to-be England number one proved his worth; Arsenal conceded just 18 league goals all season with only Wimbledon, Manchester City and Chelsea able to breach more than once in a game. Liverpool’s record of 14 was under threat until April of that year. Wenger’s men by contrast were positively generous, conceding twenty-six goals in their campaign. 15 clean sheets suggests they were not overly generous but compared to the 24 of 1991, they were careless.

By contrast, the over-riding memory of The Invincibles is of art and skill. The perception of Bergkamp, the grace of Pires finding the goalscoring feats of Thierry Henry with Freddie Ljungberg ably supporting. That is to deny the role played by Gilberto and Patrick Vieira. The defence was not as fabled but even the inclusion of Pascal Cygan could not deter their charge to the title. Allowed to use three substitutes compared to Graham’s pair, Wenger’s season was born of a squad. There was a key core to the team but more of peripheral players contributed.

Lehmann, Toure, Campbell, Lauren and Cole were as pivotal to the their team as their predecessors were to Graham. They gave confidence to the others, knowing that any lead would be defended. In turn, the presence of Vieira and Gilberto gave a tough barrier for opponents to get through before they got that far, evidenced by only Newcastle United and Liverpool scoring more than once. Unlike Graham’s men, The Invincibles won those games. Both sides had identical home records, winning 15 and drawing 4. On the road, Wenger’s men edged it which is where the points totals varied.

Words cannot adequately describe their attacking prowess but would that have been enough? Graham’s team was well-drilled but they also scored one more than Wenger’s men yet are never given the credit in that respect. It is this organisation which I think might have given them the edge in a one-off match. The Scot was more willing to adapt his team to the opposition and the criminally under-rated Paul Davis along with a back five would have neutralised some of the attacking threat. But with the inventiveness of Bergkamp and Pires, a goal would have been inevitable. At the other end, Smith would have fancied his chances at least once with Limpar leading Lauren a merry dance. A draw seems to be an equitable outcome although if pushed, my feeling is that of ten meetings there would be 3 wins for The Invincibles, 3 draws and 4 for the 1991 team.

As it is, I consider myself lucky to have seen both squads first hand. I am not sure that their likes will be seen again.

’til Tomorrow.

One Of Us Speaks: City Are A Sign O’ The Times

Big Al’s not overly impressed by United. He’s not that taken with City either but is it their fault no-one likes them…

When I was ten my class went on a trip to the Inner Hebrides. What had been packaged as the adventure trip of our young lifetimes made Lord of the Flies look like a picnic with the Just William boys. After a few days of crawling through sheep dung, falling into peat bogs and getting thrown head first into semi-frozen lochs I started to doubt my teachers’ motives. In the evenings we huddled in primitive cabins, listening to the wind and browsing the personal effects of previous visitors, poignantly scattered on the floor.

Amongst dog-eared Match magazines and half-finished letters home to parents was a woolly Manchester City hat. It predated the brand-spattered apparel of the Sky era – simple light blue, with the club crest. Since I imagined its owner was probably buried on the other side of the island, I kept it and brought it home with me.

I always kept half an eye on them. Until a few years ago I associated them with the management merry-go-round, Niall Quinn and Georgi Kinkladze. It’s never been easy to dislike them. One of the best reasons is that they’re rivals of Manchester United, and they always seemed more “real” than their bloated neighbours. Just look at their fans – City got Marr, Curtis, Mark E. Smith and the Gallagher brothers. United got Simply Red as well as half the kids at my school. When the club was relegated, and then slumped to the Second Division the fans stuck by them, breaking attendance records during those few seasons.

So how about them now?

To someone like Arsène Wenger another club winning the lottery must have been especially difficult to take – a bit like an expert artisan stepping out of his workshop to find a giant factory had started mass-producing his products next door. Nothing personal, of course, but as a club that runs on its own steam it was going to make life much tougher for us. City weren’t quite hip to the game at first and we’ve done good business with them so far, but after three years of ploughing hundreds of millions into the club and team, they can finally challenge for the title.

There’s no point whining about it; the situation is what it is, whether or not you find it distasteful. It’s clear that neutrals wanted the old top four to be shaken up, and that’s definitely what happening now. No better way to achieve it than with a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family opening the oil valve. The idea was that the top of the table had become a corrupt cabal fattened by Champions League money – with a canny manager in calling the shots a top four club the prize and TV revenue could help ensure an endless stay at the top, leaving the rest to wither.

Was it ever really that sinister though? If you look at the members of that group – all four, excluding Chelsea, are traditional big clubs. Even pre-92 Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool were in the top tier’s four most successful clubs of all time. And as for the longest current spells in the top flight? All three are in that top four as well. In the history of these teams there have been a few quiet spells, even a couple of relegations, but more often than not these teams have finished in the top third.

And of course there has never been a better time to be a big club than in the last 20 years. Geography, fan-base and smart administration were the criteria – combined with television money – that ensured they’d never be far from the pinnacle. And now these brands can reach people around the world – every day more people are converted to English football, and once they have an allegiance they won’t lose it.

The upward (or downward) mobility that football romantics dream of doesn’t exist; unless there’s appalling mismanagement, the big clubs tend to stay big, and the small stay small. And that’s not to say that Manchester City were ever small. But a bit like Everton, Newcastle and Aston Villa, they just haven’t always been the best managed. Still, being in the north’s first city and frequently getting capacity crowds made them ripe for a takeover from abroad.

If fans of these clubs are upset with the former G14, Platini or whatever else, they should probably redirect their ire at vague trends and phenomena like the growing popularity and commercialisation of English and European football around the world. They might also save some anger for the previous boards at their clubs that failed think ahead and get their act together in what history may show is a golden age for top-level football.

City threaten the old order, as Chelsea did before them. The sporadic implosions at Chelsea suggest that the routes to riches is indeed quicker with the GDP of a small nation invested in the squad but there is no substance to it. As soon as a team grows old, the investment required is no smaller to replace them.

With Premier League coverage around the globe at a peak, City are in a prime position to exploit the markets and gain more support of a new generation of supporters. They want the money that comes with them yet their failure in Europe this season underlines the problems that the Mancunians face; unless they win trophies consistently, they will always be a rich man’s toy. Or a Government department, depending on your viewpoint.

’til Tomorrow.

Per-fect Harmony As German Rumours Abound

There seems to be a close link developing between Arsenal and the Bundesliga. No sooner has a transfer window come into view, than the Goetze rumour mill is joined with Hummels and Reus. Tomas Rosicky is wanted by Wolfsburg – better than being wanted by Interpol I suppose - whilst Lukasz Podolski to Arsenal gathered pace with his assertion that playing for another German club is not on his agenda, so abroad it is. Some reports suggest that if he played for his current employers, they might be enjoying a better season. 

Per Mertesacker cemented those links and has asked for time to settle,

If you have no pre-season with the team then that makes it more difficult. People think it’s easy to connect with your club, your team-mates, but it takes time. It’s getting better and better and hopefully I can keep improving now. Let me play a season and you can get [the full picture] of my personality and my ability as a footballer

It is incredible that an experienced international is reduced to almost begging for time to be assessed. Before he was signed, the received wisdom was the he had the turning circle of a Routemaster with the pace of a half-drunk tortoise. That was the wisdom we received from the ego’s who told us that they watched every match he played in.

Of course, the truth did not fit with their version of events at Arsenal. And bore no resemblance to any truth about the player. It seems barely believable that those views were given any credence but that was then, this is now.

And now, Mertesacker has become an integral part of the defence. Organisationally, his confidence grew with the return of Thomas Vermaelen and the continued improvement of Laurent Koscielny as a player. That he can form a solid partnership with either depending on the team selection, and so seamlessly, underlines his abilities. We should not need to wait for a season to know that he has been a good signing for the club.

But such is the instant nature of today’s world, condemnatory words are readily found.

 

Theo Walcott spoke about the new players, seeking to put the negatives to bed and summing up the situation succinctly,

Our new players needed time to gel, time to settle. They had to get used to the way the club is run. It was always going to take time. We had injuries as well. Things were not going our way, but the way we’ve played in the last few weeks, it’s nice to see us move up the table.

A trailblazer of the Anglo-German path and now sadly not playing for a club any more is Alex Hleb, who has been unceremoniously dumped by Wolfsburg which perhaps might not be the best selling point for the club. In defence of Felix Magath, the Wolfsburg coach is merely displaying the same kind of ruthlessness Arsène articulated recently.

Back to Hleb, if anyone personifies how leaving Arsenal can all go wrong, it is the Belorussian. Barcelona hasn’t worked out and despite loans with Stuttgart and Birmingham before the current one, where he will spend the final year of his contract is anyone’s guess. All of this as a result of an illicit ice-cream.

Despite assurances from the well-connected Mirrorman, Robin van Persie has not spoken to Arsenal about his contract according to Peter Whimsy. But the driving force behind Arsenal’s resurgence this season said, “I think Robin wants to stay, he seems very happy“. Well that’s just fine and dandy then.

One or two things ahead of Sunday. Despite spending heavily for several years, City have still maintained their record of not progressing beyond the first round of the Champions League or its predecessor. Yes, that is a tad gloating but nowhere near as knowing that Manchester City are the only English team to be crowned Champions (1936-37) and relegated the following season (1937-38). Were that to be a price of them winning the title this season, I think that I might well be happy to let them have their silverware…

’til Tomorrow.

Gibbs Return & New Signings Need Sales To Fit Them In

Arsenal’s injury woes eased slightly as Kieran Gibbs comeback has been pencilled in for the Boxing Day clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers at The Emirates. Of course this unofficial at the moment and The Sun is about as a reliable a source as The Mirror knowing that Robin van Persie is definitely going to sign a new contract.

Still it is positive news nonetheless although with Arsenal’s record of niggling injuries following anything more than a couple of weeks lay-off, Arsène may yet have to get his chequebook out in January, if only to cover a loan fee.

That is not impossible. Reported comments on the website are being interpreted as a sign that there will be activity in the coming transfer window. Wenger noted,

We lose players like Chamakh and Gervinho to the Africa Cup of Nations, so hopefully touch wood we do not get any injuries to our strikers. But if an opportunity turns up in that department then we will buy.

The situation, I must say, is a bit special. Economically the whole environment has changed and people suffer more. The clubs will suffer more financially and it’s much more difficult.

Maybe we will have some opportunities because we are in a good financial situation.

It is key that we recognise he has not confirmed he is buying a forward, simply that if a good deal can be made, the club will act. It is that definitive wording from a man so adept at being positively non-commital that is fuelling the drama.

The departure of Gervinho is not so much of a concern in that there are players who can fill that role. It is the rotation for van Persie. Chamakh might reasonably have expected to start against Leeds in the FA Cup, those duties will now presumably fall on Park’s shoulders.

The Korean is proving to be a strange buy. Wenger has repeatedly stated that Park has taken time to settle in England but recently that changed to he is settled and will feature more in the second half of the season. The cynical suggest that he is proof of the panic which had beset the club in the time of the Old Trafford debacle and Nasri’s departure. The generous go with the manager; most of us land somewhere between the two.

It seems improbable that a new signing would have featured so infrequently for the club. Yet that is the case and it is hard to criticise those who have written him off already; there is little evidence to suggest that he will be another one of Wenger’s Gems. It is this which provides the uncertainty.

Yet signing another player is not so simple, unless they are a player who is English or ‘naturalised’ via football’s ludicrously lax rules. We are told that Podolski is a target, Karim Benzema also. In order to fit them, Arsenal need to either omit someone such as Almunia from the Premier League squad or offload unwanted foreign players. It is not quite so simple as it seems as last Summer proved. I cannot see Squillaci for example, being delisted if he remains at the club, the risk of needing an experienced centre back is too high for that to happen.

Neither sale or delisting scenario is unbelievable although the latter seems less plausible for a club so financially frugal; it is after all, paying a player who can never play as opposed to one you chose not to pick. We shall see what transpires but with Arshavin capable of playing centrally if required and Walcott desirous of a central role, there are options. Yet none of them fill me with much confidence.

The other side of the coin is whether a world-class striker would want to join Arsenal knowing that they will not displace Robin van Persie. Not one of the names mentioned in the media is better than the Dutchman so it would mean either versatility to be able to play on the wing or a change in tactics to a more orthodox 4-4-2, which seems highly unlikely. And to be honest, if someone is relying on van Persie’s legendary injury problems to get a place in the team, that just smacks of a lack of ambition and self-belief. Do you want that sort of player at the club?

’til Tomorrow.

Out Of Defence, Out Of The Club & Into Africa?

The wheels it seems are falling off everyone’s seasons except for Chelsea and Manchester United. Spurs fans have taken defeat at Stoke so badly that they are abusing a Knight of the Realm rather than the referee which is not even so pathetic as to be funny whilst Manchester City’s fall at Chelsea last night is the sign of a falling empire. I rather liked @Arsenal Gent‘s description of the match as the ‘Oil Firm Derby‘.

Arsenal? Well, we don’t have a full back to our name and half the forward line is to be sold, should be sold, wants to be sold or will be leaving for Madrid in the upcoming transfer window or two. But it doesn’t matter as Karim Benzema is on his way to The Emirates for the fifth season running. And, no, I’m not expecting any change to the previous windows when the much vaunted transfer never happened. He’s like a horse much touted before the Grand National; a lot of hot air, filling the column inches but when the real thing comes about, nowhere to be seen.

Of those rumours and innuendo, the worrying aspect is news that Andre Santos is out for three months with a ligament injury. That it arose in a meaningless Champions League match compounds the disappointment. It leaves Arsène relying on Thomas Vermaelen’s fitness until Kieran Gibbs returns next month but with his injury woes, a long spell in the team cannot be relied upon.

It is this which is leading to the conjecture that a loan signing is likely. I am not so sure about a loanee but certainly it seems unlikely that anything longer term than that will be happening. If that happens, what does that indicate of the future for Gibbs?

With Santos likely to be fit before Easter, signing experienced cover in January would be tantamount to an admission that the manager cannot rely on the youngster for a season. Rumours of Jan Vertonghen seem more driven by the words of Mr20% than having a basis in truth. Would Wenger look to sign the Ajax defender with Bartley and Miquel looking to break into the team next season, if not sooner? Perhaps but that would suggest that the oft-hinted at departure of Sebastian Squillaci is more a reality than appears to be the case.

Last night at Stamford Bridge, the two previous incumbents in the left back position for Arsenal went head-to-head. Ashley Cole came out on top and Gael Clichy almost reinforced the premise that it was a good time to let him go. Certainly he was found wanting when dealing with Daniel Sturridge on several occasions, to the extent that it is almost a shame Theo Walcott won’t get the chance to run at him on Sunday at Eastlands.

The transfer window is leading to more speculation than is descent at this time of year, to the extent that Arsène is taking to denying rumours before they have gained any credibility. Of course denying interest in signing Yoann Gorcuff is likely to lead to intense speculation that you are interested in signing him; that cunning Monsieur Wenger is running a double-bluff, we’re sure of it.

As for Mario Goetze, well an injury just reinforces his Arsenal credentials and hardly acts as a block to a January transfer as The Sun seems to believe. Indeed, it would be a pleasant-ish change to know we had been sold a pup before a player arrived, rather than finding out three months afterwards.

Elsewhere, Arsenal’s commercial naiveté was exposed as they turned up in Nigeria to find out that the $50m in a bank account in the email was a scam. Whilst they were struggling to work out who was going to tell Arsène that his January transfer fund had shrunk significantly, they managed to discuss a possible tour next summer in place of The Emirates Trophy.

It makes sense with the huge fanbase that the club has and I hope in this instance it will be of more substance than two matches played in the Far East last summer. To be honest, that might have been commercially successful but it smacked of no more than lip service. Quite what squad will travel is interesting; Euro2012 will see those from England and other qualified nations given an extended holiday, most likely missing trips to foreign fields as they seek to recover before the season starts.

That’s in the future and no doubt subject to more twists and turns. So we’ll deal with the present until then.

’til Tomorrow.

Football Aid: A Decade Of Dreams

 

 

Play at The Emirates! – The Perfect Xmas Gift

It’s that time of year again: the Christmas tree is up, the snow is falling, and the streets are packed with frantic shoppers searching for the ideal festive gift for their nearest and dearest Arsenal fan…

Football Aid to the rescue! Why brave the winter weather when you can secure the gift of a lifetime from the warmth and comfort of your own home? The unique gifts available at www.footballaid.com will leave any man you know delighted! This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will give Arsenal fans the thrill of the ultimate match day experience at The Emirates!

Football Aid offers fans the opportunity to Live the Dream of an authentic match day experience; to gain exclusive access to the pitch and tunnel areas, pull on their own personalised shirt in the official changing rooms, walk down the tunnel to the sound of a cheering crowd and ultimately to step out onto their Field of Dreams and represent their club in a never to be forgotten 90 minute match.

The matches have also been supported by a host of Gunners legends down the years, with the likes of Liam Brady, Steve Bould and Brian Hornsby all lending their valuable experience in previous years, by playing alongside or managing the supporters in the hugely enjoyable matches at The Emirates.

So if you’re keen to secure your place on your Field of Dreams early this season, why not visit www.footballaid.com today to make sure you’re ahead of the crowd!

Alternatively if you’d like any additional information, you can call Football Aid on 0131 220 5999 or email info@footballaid.com.

Football Aid celebrated their 10th anniversary in 2010 and have allowed over 12,225 football fans the chance to “Live the Dream” in more than 460 matches. They are a groundbreaking organisation which generates funds annually by hosting charity football matches at iconic stadiums all over the UK.

Cesc Highlights His & Arsenal Failings Of Recent Years

The contrast between Arsenal and Barcelona along with the then and now, has been everywhere this weekend. The former is contained in a Cesc Fábregas interview with FourFourTwo magazine. The former Arsenal captain speaks fondly of his time at the club yet is not reticent in highlighting the failings. Not winning any trophies is a regret; you sense that unfulfilment will always be a hole in his mind no matter what medal haul he accumulates in Spain. Cesc is not slow to highlight why that happened: age and inexperience.

Interestingly, he does not spot the criticism of himself in the question and subsequent answer. The team missed “A leader – an experienced player” according to the interviewer, a point agreed to by Cesc, particularly in defence. The absence of van Persie is held equally important and the form shown thus far by an injury-free van Persie lends credence to that to some extent. Both of these are debatable though. For example in 2007-08, William Gallas was in the defence and had by any measure, plenty of experience whilst thinking of himself as a great Leader; the footballing equivalent of the Napoleon Complex perhaps.

More damning though is his determination of the differences between Arsenal and Barcelona. They highlight matters over which Fábregas had some influence. Attitude was often criticised, the feeling that at times the players did not care enough. Cesc observes that in Spain he gets more aggravation, more abuse following a defeat. He could, he states, go out for a meal in London after a loss; he would not dare to do so in Barcelona. Whilst he enjoyed that aspect, he claims,

I wanted to say, “B******ks, if I play badly I want them to whistle and boo me!” No-one wants to be whistled but I wanted that pressure, those demands. That helps you improve. At times at Arsenal, there was a feeling of: “If we win, great; if not, well, we’re very young, we’re this, we’re that…everything’s fine.

I doubt that he realises that this highlights Wenger’s folly in appointing him as Captain. Whilst he was undoubtedly the pivot of the team, if he requires abuse to motivate him, there is something wrong. God knows we put up with enough last season in particular to have the right to some extent to do that.

That attitude highlighted is unforgivable. Everything in that statement shows a lack of experience, leadership and courage. As Captain, he should not have allowed that to take hold of his team. There was enough stature given to the player for him to have been able to stand up in front of the squad to read the footballing riot act. The 1997-98 team were heading that direction until the infamous post-Blackburn team meeting; home truths were told and a double achieved. That is leadership and teamwork. We were told such team meetings took place periodically with the squad. As Captain, Cesc failed if that attitude still prevailed.

As manager, Wenger should not have indulged such laxity. A sustained period of this mental attitude would have been impossible to hide yet it is only this Summer that the true break-up of his Golden Generation really happened. And it is noticeable how the experienced heads have brought a tougher attitude, less willingness to, well, give up. The opening games of the season forged some of that and I believe a change of captain.

After the Wigan defeat I observed that there was a marked difference between his and Robin van Persie’s captaincy. I felt – and still do – that the Dutchman was a much more generous leader; it hints at something darker as well. He is not reticent to criticise the team publicly if they underperform, more harshly than the Spaniard was. With Cesc his words were more calculated, more worried about upsetting the delicate balance of the dressing room. Yet everything we are told of football suggests that the harsh words are the norm, more accepted.

Equally as crucial is the discipline of the side. Barcelona, Cesc says, are more tactically aware, more rigid in their approach; at Arsenal, matters are more off-the-cuff. It strikes me that this season, there is more of the awareness Cesc felt was missing. When Santos rampages forward, it is more likely that a midfielder will fill the gap. When Clichy went forward, there was little of that. As Cesc says, both full backs attacking at the same time is footballing suicide. A happy by-product of having two centre backs on the flanks at the weekend is that natural tendency to get forward is curbed.

Ultimately, Cesc is not solely responsible for what happened following the dismantling of The Invincibles. He is not even solely responsible for the failures of recent seasons but they happened on his watch. And none of this should detract from what a phenomenal player he was for the club, how privileged we were to see his development. Rightly, he will be remembered as one of the Arsenal Greats and if a Pantheon ever emerges, he should be in there. But the one for Great Arsenal Captains?

’til Tomorrow.