Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
Arsenal finally tackling their problems
Perhaps stung by criticism from the likes of Patrick Viera and Emmanuel Petit, Arsenal’s stunning 5-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur was built not just on pretty passing but on solid tackling too.
Viera and Petit provided the steel in midfield for Wenger’s first great Arsenal side, and both have recently been critical of their slide towards mid-table mediocrity.
Suddenly the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Mikael Arteta – more known for silky skills than tough tackling – were flying into challenges against Spurs, winning the ball and providing a platform on which to build.
With the labouring Andrei Arshavin shipped back to Russia, Arsenal seemed to have a new sense of purpose, and even when they went two goals behind there was still a sense that they could salvage something from the game.
Arsenal upped the tempo, Bacary Sagna’s header header bringing them back into the game before Robin Van Persie curled the ball into the top corner beyond Friedel.
Not for a second did Arsenal look like settling for a draw either, and Rosicky’s lung-bursting runs were rewarded when he netted his first goal in 50 Premier League matches.
Va-va-voom. Vintage Henry scores on Arsenal return.
The clock said 68 minutes, and no one at the Emirates Stadium in north London was looking at the action on the pitch as the fourth official held aloft his lit-up board to signal the re-introduction of Thierry Henry to English football.
Ten minutes later and he’d scored the game’s eventual winner. Comebacks don’t get this good this often.
14 to replace 15 shone the bright numbers before the goal, but alas Henry’s former number has since been taken by young English talent Theo Walcott, who idolises the French great.
Now, for six weeks and six weeks only after which he will return to the United States with the New York Red Bulls, Henry can be seen wearing an Arsenal shirt with the number 12, the same as his France days during which he won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship.
The only numbers Arsenal fans will care about are 228, 229 and who knows, possible even into the 230s.
With a trademark movement of his right boot, Henry had added to his record Arsenal tally of 226 having watched his new teammates spurn chance after chance against Leeds United in the third round of the FA Cup.
Arsenal fans out there, does this worry you? Would you like to see Arsene Wenger bring in another striker in the January transfer window given the lack of goals?
I am not an Arsenal supporter but my young son is so I find myself obligated to take an interest.
There is something special about Henry and about his relationship with the club, which I liken to the bond between Eric Cantona and Manchester United.
I dare say when his playing days are finally over he won’t be short of a job offer at the Emirates somewhere.
Mark
printer ink
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Who can Arsenal actually buy?
With Cesc Fabregas gone and Samir Nasri possibly on the move too, there is a lot of gloom around Arsenal at the moment and Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Liverpool did nothing to help the mood.
Arsenal fans are for the first time questioning the stewardship of Arsene Wenger and have demanded some top signings to prevent yet another trophyless season.
But who could Arsenal actually bring in? Would a really top player want to go to a club resembling a sinking ship? The Gunners also don't have the same financial clout as Manchester City, United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and even Liverpool nowadays. (The Italian clubs are worse off though).
Valencia winger Juan Mata seems destined for Chelsea after Arsenal's initial interest but even he is not the wow signing Arsenal fans want to ease the pain of Fabregas going back to Barca.
But Wenger's great strength has been buying near unknowns and making them great. Vieira, Henry and of course Fabregas.
There is no value in the market right now and really top players are not available. Trying to develop Jack Wilshere and Co into the new Fabregases looks like Wenger's only option.
Fans will give him the season to prove he can work miracles again but come this time next year, the rumblings of discontent in north London could be full-blown protests.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Soccer scores and the power of the pub
Let's be honest here, people, predicting the English football scores has proved to be a lot trickier than many of us imagined.
You'd have thought that the frankly obsessive interest most of us here at Reuters Soccer Blog Heights take in football would see us approach this competition with the pitiless, sweeping brilliance of Celta Vigo in their 'EuroCelta' heydey of 1998-2000*.
But no. It turns out we're strictly second division, rather like Celta now, in fact, when it comes to predicting the scores. Still, at least we now know why.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger puts his success in football down to being brought up in the Croix d'Or bistro in Duttlenheim. Wenger said:
"I even learned about tactics and selection from the people talking about football in the pub... who plays on the left wing and who should be in the team."
This is good news for me, as my dad was brought up in a pub so I'm going to get him to do my predictions this week. Expect great things.
To recap, briefly, you get one point for predicting the right result, and make that five points if you get the score spot on. This week there are double points, and possible forfeits, for Stoke v Manchester United, and there are always bonus points available, but I'm afraid they are entirely on my whim. Here's how things stand at the moment:
Great start for Mark Meadows on the Reuters Soccer Blog panel… Almost everyone had Everton to win but Mar, bizarrely, was the only one to go for 1-0.
Long way to go, though…
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Is Eduardo’s two-match ban too harsh?
UEFA's decision to hand Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva a two-match ban for diving has infuriated the Croatian media, many fans and national team coach Slaven Bilic.
"It is a shameful decision, especially in view of the fact that Eduardo personifies everything that's decent in professional sport," Bilic told Zagreb daily Vecernji List after learning the verdict.
Fans and media have gone to even greater length in defending the Brazilian-born Croatia striker, who has won the hearts and sympathy of his adopted country after recovering from a horrific leg break he suffered in Arsenal's Premier League match at Birmingham in February 2008.
The sense of injustice in Croatia wasn't helped by last weekend's injury suffered by Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric, who faces up to six weeks on the sidelines after breaking his leg in a league match with Birmingham (again).
Croatia's leading sports website, www.sportnet.hr, had harsh words.
"Eduardo has been punished in a most detestable manner, supposedly so that justice is done, while justice was deaf, dumb and blind only 18 months earlier when he was in bed with his ankle shattered and his career hanging by a thread," the website said.
Is Eduardo a victim of double standards, or simply his own ill-judged decision to go down rather easily after minimum or no contact with the goalkeeper?
Very silly. If Eduardo had been called a diver by the ref at the time, he would have ended up with a yellow card for diving and you wouldnt have heard not one story about this on the net. Yet becasue the ref handed out a penalty he gets a 2 match ban and destroyed by every hack with a computer. Players getting punished for ref errors…..
…… very poor.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Wenger makes his point with customary elegance
"Highly intelligent" and "Arsene Wenger" sit neatly together in countless newspaper columns outlining the exploits, achievements and travails of the cerebral Arsenal manager.
Consequently there was no elaborate deconstruction required following an interview with a French television channel at the club's training ground this week.
Wenger, who habitually brushes aside any question of his allegiance to the north London club, was asked his thoughts about yet another approach from Real Madrid if Florentino Perez returns as president.
"With Florentino Perez in charge, the project he has put forward would be interesting for any coach but I would prefer not to comment on this," Wenger replied.
Wenger was fully aware that he had already commented. His response followed a sometimes acrimonious question-and-answer session with the Arsenal shareholders on the previous night and grumbling among fans who have been forced to absorb higher season ticket prices during a fourth consecutive season without a trophy.
The prospect of Wenger defecting to the Bernabeu after 13 years at Arsenal inspired an instant response in north London and one gratifying to the many supporters of a sensitive man committed to his vision of the beautiful game and convinced that style and success are not mutually exclusive. The group Redaction has mobilised a march of supporters for Sunday's home match against Stoke and online petitions backing Wenger have been launched.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Which soccer players would make good Star Trek characters?
With the new Star Trek film out, we thought we'd have a bit of fun and see which soccer players could play the famous characters.
They've changed all the actors anyway and brought in a youthful crop, so why not?
Over at Kottke.org, they've already done it with NBA players. Captain Kirk is Tony Parker they reckon.
Reuters resident Trekkies Kevin Fylan and Alison Wildey had a bash at a soccer version but please come up with your own ideas in the comments below.
1. David Beckham as Kirk (if not John Terry or Steven Gerrard)
2. Someone logical and Germanic as Spock, so maybe Arsene Wenger
