3-1, Job Done/ Tactical Musings

Before the second leg of the champions league qualifying tie, Arsene Wenger was full of talk about how this match was more significant than the impending domestic showdown with Man United. Bigger, yes. Harder, no, and hence a borderline complacent but ultimately justified team selection. With Fabregas already out, but a commanding lead from the first leg, Wenger saw fit to leave both Van Persie and Arshavin on the bench.

An early goal for celtic could have made this decision look foolish, but despite a more attacking line-up- McDonald and Fortune flanked by McGeady and Maloney- they were again toothless throughout.

The feeling I got was that what celtic needed was some of the undoubted steel they had in the recent past, especially under Martin O'Neill. They could play a bit, but their style was mostly somewhat agricultural, and this could upset teams in Europe who weren't used to push-and-rush football with added aerial bombardment. And even then, to describe that side in such terms is to do an injustice to the classy players they possessed. OK, that primarily means Henrik Larsson, but still... even the prosaic strengths of a Neil Lennon must set celtic fans yearning nostalgically when you consider their midfielders of today. What they have now, seemingly, is a team of inbetweeners with neither the tenacity nor the technique to trouble the elite.

Tony Mowbray is undertaking an admirable quest to get them playing the right way, but with the comparative lack of quality at the club, it's a long and difficult road ahead of him. No champions league revenue this year will worsen the struggle to attract the calibre of player we would have associated with celtic in the 90s and early part of this decade. As was the case with West Brom last season, a commitment to footballing aesthetics may win him some sympathy, but when it comes to the underdogs a win-at-all-costs attitude seems most effective in British football. This was proven again by the lack of threat celtic posed Arsenal. The only strong arm tactics employed by the Scots were the result of petualance, frustration or desperation rather than any pre-conceived plan to knock Arsenal out of their stride. In a battle of skill and cohesion over two legs, there could be only one winner. While you've got to admire Mowbray's idealism, it's the pragmatic underdogs who've most often troubled Wenger's Arsenal.

TALKING TAcTIcS
Most heartening on our side of it is the fact that Wenger seems to have regained some of the tactical bloodymindedness of old without compromising the flowing football. Arsenal, so far this season, are pressing high up the pitch, looking to win the ball early and it's paying handsome dividends. All of Wenger's succesful Arsenal sides have had a power in midfield that allowed them to do this. For all the talk of flowing football, our best teams were often as dangerous when YOU had the ball. How many goals came from a tackle followed by one or two forward passes and a finish? Quite a few.

After the sale of Vieira and the emergence of Fabregas as the main man, there was I think a conscious change in approach on Wenger's part. He covets the champions league of course but even in great years like 01/02 we had underachieved in it. I'll always remember that year, that we were absolutely flying in the league, but in amongst all the positive results, Deportivo came to Highbury, played us off the park and won 2-0. After that we lost to a poor Juve side and were out after that second group phase. While our mixture of power, pace and technique proved to be dominant that season in England, at times we were outplayed by European sides who knew how to keep the ball under pressure.

But with Fabregas becoming a central figure I think Wenger saw a chance to change tack a bit and build not only the team, but its overall style, around a central playmaker who could really dictate and dominate a game through, primarily, possession and mastery of the football. Vieira was, in Myles Palmer's words, a "warrior-technician", and embodied the type of stylish power-football that Wenger's early Arsenal teams played. But those sides never made much headway in Europe. Not to oversimplify, but it was only after Vieira left that Arsenal got past the Quarter Final stage, and it was the very next season, with Fabregas and Hleb, a new breed of Wenger player, at the heart of it. This emerging Arsenal style was less direct, more possession-orientated. Note also that while results have improved in Europe, we've most often fallen out of contention early in the league, where the more dynamic old Arsenal would be more suited to dealing with a lot of opponents.

The closest Wenger's got to striking a balance was 07/08. We came within a cunthair of winning the league, but injuries, bad luck and arguably a lack of big-game character proved costly, not only in the Premiership but in the champions league awell. Overall, though, we played some great stuff, and Flamini was vital to it. His partnership with Fabregas was perfectly complimentary, a huge improvement on Gilberto in two significant ways. Firstly, tempo- Flamini did things in a hurry on the ball, whereas with Gilberto and Fabregas in tandem, too many games the season before, particularly at home, had been played at a snail's pace that allowed a constant wall of ten or eleven in front of us to form and solidify. Secondly, the related point of winning the ball- whereas Gilberto, as his "invisible wall" nickname suggests, was most adept at nicking it and making interceptions in front of the back four, Flamini was a box-to-box terrier who got in opposition's faces as they so often did to us. In other words, a player like Flamini allowed Wenger to concoct a sort of fusion of early and latterday Wengerball philosophies, suggesting the possibility of simultaneous domestic and European success. While the masterful Fabregas had the ability to ensure midfield dominance of the ball, especially against less aggressive European sides, Flamini provided the steel and industry to supplement this, both upping the tempo of our passing and often winning the ball in areas that allowed Fabregas, Hleb and others the space in which to fully exploit the opposition.

The effectiveness of what I'm talking about was nowhere better exemplified than over the two legs of the tie against Milan. While it took a Fabregas potshot and a breakaway goal in the last ten minutes of the second leg to put the Gunners through, their dominance was complete over 180 minutes of football. Admittedly, Milan were having a poor time of it domestically, but the fact remains that they were European champions and had wonderful players at their disposal. Yet the way Flamini defused the threat of Kaka, and Fabregas prompted from midfield, was inspirational. A year earlier, Milan had destroyed Manchester United at the San Siro playing patient possession football that made a fatally passive United midfield look like schoolboys (that was probably the night Fergie decided to buy Owen Hargreaves). Yet here they were the ones who were outpassed. And it was the speed of Arsenal's passing that made the two games so thrilling despite the lack of goals until late on. I think that Flamini was the overriding factor in all this- in that glorious tie and in our sustained challenge over most of the season. He was, as far as I'm concerned, the most underappreciated Arsenal player that we've seen under Wenger, and the fans who dismiss him with that unimaginative "Flamoney" pun and say we don't miss him would do well to look at the shambles of last season and do some reflecting.

In any case, the optimism that 07/08 engendered was largely obliterated by the dual blows of the loss of Flamini and, ridiculously, Diarra, who should have been kept to replace the Flamster in the event of his departure. This was exacerbated by Wenger's infuriating refusal to replace in turn either of these players OR Gilberto who was also allowed leave. Anyone who went into last season expecting success needs their head examined. I don't care if we reach brilliance again, I'll never forgive Wenger for the way he allowed things to decay after a season that seemed to promise much. 08/09 was not even a transitional season. If 07/08 was a big step forward, this was a giant leap back. We lost the dynamism that Flamini and Lassana Diarra provided, and were left with unsuitable partners for Fabregas- Denilson, Diaby and the raw Song. For me, this ridiculous state of affairs was best summed up when Wenger lsot faith in these guys to the extent that he ended up playing Nasri in central midfield in the biggest game of the season, when United tonked us at the Emirates. What a shambles. If Villa had a bigger squad, I probably wouldn't be writing about a champions league qualifier right now.

But I am, and as mentioned, we've new cause for optimism. Hope is what being a football fan is all about, after all. While unwilling or unable to buy a player that could duplicate the impact of Flamini, or even one as physically imposing and technically adept as Vieira in his pomp (ok, not many of them actually exist), it's possible that this new 4-3-3 could be the solution. As I've mentioned before, two players alongside Fabregas in the central areas provides him with the support one feels he needs to play his best stuff. If neither Song nor, especially, Denilson have the game to do that alone, then playing them both seems a reasonable idea. In the games against Everton, celtic and Pompey we've played the high-tempo, pressing game that was conspicuous by its absence in the seasons either side of 07/08. As stated, I thought Flamini was vital to setting that tone before; he had the mobility and tenacity to negate the apparent weakness of not having a specialist holding midfielder. Now, the pressing is more of a collective thing that starts with the three man forward line but intensifies in the midfield axis of Fabregas, Denilson and Song. While I enjoy a bit of leisurely possession football as much as the next man, and it's amazing when it ends with a goal, as with Nasri's second against United in the league last season, there's probably nothing quite as thrilling as direct counter-attacking football. In 97/98, 01/02, 03/04, many a great move started with a tackle by Vieira around halfway and ended mere seconds later in the back of the net. The evidence so far this season suggests that Wenger's new 4-3-3 could see us replicate that explosive style of football, or at least fuse it with the pass-pass-pass style we've developed of late. Until chelsea decide to sell us Essien for 7 million, this may suffice. Man United at Old Trafford on Saturday will certainly tell us more.

Fabregas absence to encourage Celtic?

It has emerged today that Fabregas will be missing for the second leg against celtic, having been withdrawn at half-time against portsmouth. Wenger says he could return at Old Trafford at the weekend, but it would be interesting (I don't mean enjoyable) to see how we'd fare without him. I feel that the result would more than likely provide food for thought for Wenger, who apparently regards our squad as huge, and for any fans who've got carried away with the good start.

As for the celtic game, Fabregas' absence suggests to me that it may not be plain sailing, and an early goal for the visitors could herald an unbearably nervy night, but to expect much from that ordinary celtic side is probably a bit unrealistic.

The flying start continued with the aforementioned home game against pompey ending in a 4-1 win. Abou Diaby plundered a surprising, and impressive, brace on his first start of the season. The laughable comparisons to Vieira have duly reemerged, but perhaps, and this is tentative on my part, the new formation can be good for Diaby. I don't see him ever being capable as, say, a partner for Fabregas in a 4-4-2, but maybe with the insurance of Song in front of the defence Diaby could add some dynamism in place of Denilson. The Brazilian does at times seem like a poor man's Fabregas and in the name of variety Diaby could be a viable alternative in that position... BUT, Denilson deserves it at the moment because he has some acquaintance with the word 'consistency' and doesn't have such an infuriating tendency to take too many touches on the ball in a central area.

With United battering Wigan 5-0, and chelsea providing a trademark dull performance to triumph 2-0 at Fulham, it was left to Liverpool to ensure that the weekend was not completely a reversion to bland familiarity. Mistakes led to three goals conceded at Anfield, and Aston Villa left with a 3-1 win to remind everyone what a dogged proposition they have often been, and can still be, under Martin O'Neill.

Returning to Arsenal and the subject of our 'huge' squad, Wenger would do well to recognise that this hugeness is mostly the result of dead weight- he keeps citing almost permanently injured players as part of our supposed strength. Ok, Nasri, Walcott and Rosicky will at some point be off the injury list, but we all know that these names will be readily replaced on that list by Eduardo, Van Persie, and, er, Rosicky. In any case, it would border on negligence for Wenger to ignore the holes at centre back and defensive midfield- with Song off to the African Nations cup for up to a month... After the grim twist that 07/08 took, for the same problems to derail our charge yet again would be a bit too much like Groundhog Day.

Celtic 0-2 Arsenal

The gulf in class between the two sides was obvious on Tuesday night, even if there was an element of fortune about both of Arsenal's goals. I had been fairly jittery about the game, and while the pre-match atmosphere only heightened that feeling, nothing after kick off suggested that celtic could pull this off.

And so it proved, but only after a flukey Gallas goal, Fabregas' free kick hitting his back and flying into the corner of the net, right on half-time. Before this Arsenal had largely conformed to that irritating but often justified stereotype of passing in pretty patterns with little by way of end product. While our midfield was dominant throughout- and Song again particularly impressive- the front three still hasn't really gelled, and Arshavin and Van Persie both look unaccustomed to their specific roles. Nevertheless, it would be difficult to argue that celtic deserved parity to last on a night when they were largely outclassed.

Gallas' goal, and its timing, had a deflating effect on the hoops. In the first few minutes of the second half, the tie should have been put to bed, but Arsenal proved wasteful in front of goal. Thankfully this didn't end up costing the Gunners. After Diaby's introduction, the Frenchman prompted a move that saw clichy send in a low centre, and caldwell could only slide the ball into his own net. With about twenty minutes left, celtic's resistance was broken. The tie looks over.

While it looks like we're in the group stages again, and can be pleased with the night's work, I'd preach caution as ever. It's been a solid start to this season, and with solidity something that we've lacked of late, all Arsenal fans will take that. Goodison and celtic parks are difficult places to go get a result, and we've handed out one hammering, while in the second game showing plenty of grit as well as superior class. While the forward players were not as ruthless or as sharp as against Everton, a high level of graft atoned for the slight loss of craft, and that's a good sign. As mentioned in my last post, Vermaelan and Gallas look to compliment eachother very well, so far.

I still believe that the formation is an implicit acknowledgement that neither Song or Denilson are quite imposing enough to partner Fabregas in a 4-4-2. But if in actuality, as seems likely to me, Arsenal just can't afford to buy that calibre of player, this seems like a worthy and so far moderately successful experiment. I say moderately because as stated earlier our two most potent attackers, Van Persie and Arshavin, don't yet look quite comfortable.

Also, forgive my pessimism, but if Arsenal can't afford players of similar quality to compliment him, then why wouldn't Fabregas move back to Barca next summer? The Spanish gutter press are claiming a deal is already, provisionally, in place. Obviously, we should by no means take that as gospel but he'll certainly move in the not-too-distant future. It could well end up a great regret to all of us that Arsenal can't, for a multitude of complex reasons, surround him with the players he deserves.