There is no denying that Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger is an architect of beautiful soccer. His teams always have quick and elegant strikers who are capable of manufacturing some of the most fluid moves you'll ever see.
Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, Robert Pires, Sylvain Wiltord, Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin Van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri and co. can all give opposing defenders all sorts of headaches.
Even after some of the bigger names have left the team, Wenger can simply wave his magic wand and just plug anyone into his squad and, voila, he will become yet another promising scoring threat.
Wenger definitely has an eye for strikers. But the same cannot be said for his defense, especially the problems he's had on his goalkeepers.
David Seaman, Rami Shaaban, Jens Lehmann, Manuel Almunia, Lukasz Fabianski and co. can all give their OWN defenders all sorts of headaches, for one reason or another.
Manchester United has Edwin van der Sar. Liverpool has Pepe Reina. Chelsea has Petr Cech. Inexcusably, Wenger just can't a proper goalkeeper for his squad.
But please don't tell everyone that Mark Schwarzer is the guy you are going after, Arsene.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
How to Lose a World Cup
Being a sore loser, Yours Truly simply can't hide his frustration as to the way the Netherlands lost in the World Cup final.
If there is anything to blame, that should start, and probably end, with their coach Bert Van Marwijk, for the mind-boggling decisions he made.
1. Taking Dirk Kuyt Off the Field
Anyone with a normal state of mind could see that Kuyt was probably one of the, if not THE, hardest-working and efficient player in the tournament. If Yours Truly had his way, he should be on the field FOREVER. If he lost possession near the opposing team's corner flag, you would find him charging down the field to help his defense deep in his own team's corner flag. Such peskiness has made him a crowd favourite and a nightmare for the opposing team. So when Kuyt was substituted in the second half, it was such a reprieve for Spain as they finally got rid of the one player they didn't want to see on the field.
2. Taking Giovanni Van Bronckhorst Off the Field
If you thought Van Marwijk would not make a wrong substitution twice, think again. Despite his ripe old age, Van Bronckhorst proved to be their best defender in the match. If not for his repeated interventions, the Dutch would have fallen behind much earlier. And despite him having received a yellow card, Yours Truly would say that with his experience and composure, of all the Dutch players with a yellow card, he would be the least likely to receive a second one. Instead, Van Marwijk kept time-bombs such as John Heitinga (who was sent off) and Mark Van Bommel (who should have been sent off, TWICE!) on the field, with disastrous consequences.
3. Not Taking Robin Van Persie Off the Field
With the exception of Fernando Torres, Van Persie was probably the most off-form high-profiled striker in the tournament. So when Vicente Del Bosque, the Spanish coach, had the right mind to keep Torres on the bench after showing everyone that he was not back yet, Van Marwijk showed his acumen by sticking with Van Persie forever. Did he forget that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was on the bench?
To their credit, Spain was the better side last night. But they didn't win the World Cup. It was the Dutch who lost it by shooting themselves in the foot, thanks to the smart decisions of one Bert Van Marwijk.
If there is anything to blame, that should start, and probably end, with their coach Bert Van Marwijk, for the mind-boggling decisions he made.
1. Taking Dirk Kuyt Off the Field
Anyone with a normal state of mind could see that Kuyt was probably one of the, if not THE, hardest-working and efficient player in the tournament. If Yours Truly had his way, he should be on the field FOREVER. If he lost possession near the opposing team's corner flag, you would find him charging down the field to help his defense deep in his own team's corner flag. Such peskiness has made him a crowd favourite and a nightmare for the opposing team. So when Kuyt was substituted in the second half, it was such a reprieve for Spain as they finally got rid of the one player they didn't want to see on the field.
2. Taking Giovanni Van Bronckhorst Off the Field
If you thought Van Marwijk would not make a wrong substitution twice, think again. Despite his ripe old age, Van Bronckhorst proved to be their best defender in the match. If not for his repeated interventions, the Dutch would have fallen behind much earlier. And despite him having received a yellow card, Yours Truly would say that with his experience and composure, of all the Dutch players with a yellow card, he would be the least likely to receive a second one. Instead, Van Marwijk kept time-bombs such as John Heitinga (who was sent off) and Mark Van Bommel (who should have been sent off, TWICE!) on the field, with disastrous consequences.
3. Not Taking Robin Van Persie Off the Field
With the exception of Fernando Torres, Van Persie was probably the most off-form high-profiled striker in the tournament. So when Vicente Del Bosque, the Spanish coach, had the right mind to keep Torres on the bench after showing everyone that he was not back yet, Van Marwijk showed his acumen by sticking with Van Persie forever. Did he forget that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was on the bench?
To their credit, Spain was the better side last night. But they didn't win the World Cup. It was the Dutch who lost it by shooting themselves in the foot, thanks to the smart decisions of one Bert Van Marwijk.
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