Jaidi Spares Examination of Cracks in Arsenal Midfield…
1 comment November 22nd, 2004
On Saturday 18th September, Gooners everywhere were cursing a Radhi Jaidi goal in a 2-2 draw.
This weekend, to a man, they celebrated one.
But Bolton coming back doesn’t excuse an Arsenal performance against West Brom which was way below par.
We should be gutted we didn’t take advantage and go top, not celebrating clinging on to Chelski’s coat-tails.
Against West Brom, however, we lacked imagination, and were defensively shambolic. I could spend all day talking about the different reasons for our poor record at the back, but I’d like to focus upon one particular apsect of it: the lack of protection from midfield.
Perhaps the most obvious reason for the above is Gilberto’s injury. We’re missing “The Invisible Wall” like never before. His positional know-how and tidy tackling are noticeably absent from the side.
Add to this Edu’s injury, and it’s easy to see why we might be struggling in midfield.
And yet, we still have Patrick Vieira and Cesc: what some would argue is our strongest midfield pair.
But Vieira has not reached his peak this season. His ball-winning skills have not been up to their usual standard.
And in Cesc we have seen a big change of late. When he first burst on to the scene, the thing that immediately impressed was his frantic energy and high-octane tyro tackling. However, since then, as he has settled into the side, he has developed a more relaxed, upright grace. Some would certainly say he looks a “classier” player. But I feel that we’re missing that gritt. It may be simply due to exhaustion, but he is not showing the same ability to cover ground and get those blocks in that he did in the first few games of the season.
And it shows. Our defence, already hindered by the absence of Sol Campbell, has been left exposed by the weakening of the screen directly in-front of them.
The answer could be Mathieu Flamini. His hyper-active, combatant style has led to comparisons with the great Rino Gattusso (who, I must reinforce, is a far superior player). However (surprise surprise) – he too is injured.
I can’t see Arsene dipping into the market for a midfield player, especially if Edu signs a new deal.
What’s clear is that Cesc needs a rest. So as soon as he returns to fitness, I’d expect Mathieu Flamini to be given a run in the side. And you never know, if he grasps the oppurtunity, we might just have a new star on our hands.
