The Dalton Files: Touch Of The Ferguson’s about Arsenal.
One of my major whinges towards Arsene Wenger in his tenure is his rigid tactical plan to invite the opposition to play Arsenal, he would send out the team to play Barcelona exactly the same way as he would to play Burnley, which is all well and good if you’re as capable as Barcelona.
Recently though, I’ve noticed a difference, whether it’s been down to the absences of Fabregas and Nasri or whether you can actually teach an old dog new tricks, Arsenal have set out in the last few weeks in mind of the opponents they’ve been facing instead of being so cocksure about the first XI abilities that it doesn’t matter. And I like it.
For years and years, Manchester United have travelled down to Highbury and The Emirates and done the same thing, normally switching from a 4-4-2 or similar diamond equivalent, they would set up 4-5-1 with one pacy winger to give them an “out” and a more combative, tricky player who would hold the other flank and shift over to make sure the middle was packed with as many bodies as possible. And it’d work. Park Ji-Sung was the nemesis of Arsenal many-a-time, his work rate untouchable, doing the simple things well and would often pop-up with a goal in the big games as well.
Arsenal lined up against City with the same team that beat Spurs and the team I’ve now dubbed “The Big-Game Team”, Sagna and Walcott are the attacking outs, Benayoun shuffles across to pack the midfield and give the team a tireless workrate and hold off Aguero and Nasri who ended up drifting to the right as the game wore on. It was a very Utd like performance from Arsenal, quietly driving on, gnawing away before getting the winner they so richly deserved.
Every team needs a squad member like Yossi Benayoun, someone who is unselfish, will do a job and won’t moan when he’s not selected in the next game, Liverpool have someone similar in Dirk Kuyt, he seems to be selected for the tight games with the top teams and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make the semi-final clash with Everton.
So there you have it, I would sign Benayoun permanently should the financial aspect not be too high. And as for Arsene Wenger, we asked for the manager to change and not to change the manager, I think he listened, well…..he’s starting to.
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Arsenal has a somewhat bloated roster so i doubt that he will be signed.
Yossi has had great games and is a type of player that Arsenal needs(very good comparisons and points in the piece) but we simply have to many better players on our hand and no one can argue that Rosicky,Ox,Ramsey( despite having rather bad year)are better players or have much better upside so there is no chance he will be back. But he will be a gem for a mid-table team like Fulham or Everton who can pursuade him with a chance to play in the Euroleague.
i don’t buy the mess about players being happy at not playing. no player with real ambition is going to be happy on the bench. i’m sure park would rather be a regular. likewise for kuyt. in fact, i heard kuyt say about a month ago he was contemplating leaving liverpool this summer. dalglish doesn’t seem to fancy him. we’ll see.
i’ve been happy with benayoun this season. when he’s gotten a chance, he’s played smart soccer. i think wenger favors the permanent arsenal players to the loanee but his class is plain to see. will his loan be made permanent? first, chlesea’s got to decide to sell. second, yossi’s got to decide he wants to come to arsenal. third, arsenal have got to decide they want to buy him. i wouldn’t mind having him on a permanent basis. once again, we’ll see.
You are correct this is a Jamie piece. He’s a little technically challenged so I publish it for him.
I’m confused….It’s the “Dalton Files,” but the writer is listed as DAG? Not wanting to throw stones in a glass house, but it seems awfully short for one of DAG’s pieces, so I assume it’s Jamie….
Personally I think Benayoun has been a key factor in our success this season. He’s a runner who brings energy to the proceedings, even if the quality of his touches sometimes is lacking (his goal to the near corner, freezing Hennessey the other night, being a notable exception). Additionally he plays with an eye to maintaining space on the pitch for others, dramatically at odds with the likes of Ramsey or even Rosicky, both of whom are at their best when they’re free to take lots of touches even if it collapses space for others. Yossi’s dribbles need to be quick and short ones (he’s no Alex Hleb…..) and, like many others, he tends to get into more trouble than get out of it. Still, he’s got a knack for popping up in good spots. The late header at Villa comes to mind….
Most importantly, Yossi is the Anti-Arshavin. Unlikely “to change a match” with a single touch or two, Benayoun is all about professionalism and work-rate. If all he did was allow the manager to jettison our record-signing, static, not-so-hard-working little Russian, in order to create a superior team ethic, well, I’d say the loan-deal has been a success.
Frankly, I doubt that Yossi B will be at Arsenal (nor Chelsea) next season. The nature of the “big clubs” (in response to impatient fans….) is to constantly be bringing in more spectacular types who can do more individually. With Ox and Miyachi pushing for pitch time, bigger money signings like Gervinho and Poldoski also in tow, not to mention players like Diaby, Wilshere and the continuing project which is Aaron Ramsey, I think Yossi will not be offered a regular contract. Whether or not that’s a good idea is another matter entirely, and the example of Park-Ji-Sung is a good one). Already he’s talked about being a starter for a mid-table club, and I think that’s probably where he’ll end up. I don’t know, a one year at Arsenal (to match Rosicky’s) seems about right, but if he can score a longer term contract elsewhere, you’d have to imagine that he’ll take it….