by azriahmad » Sat Oct 09, 2004 6:41 am
I really admire the way Arsenal play, from a purely football perspective. It seems that Wenger's priorities in a player, especially if he is for the midfield and attack, is pace, passing and movement. So far, he has managed to find new players who fit these mould and there is continuity even if the regulars get injured. The pace at which they move the ball and their penetrative abilities are really all the more amazing because they do it in a very attractive way. Because of Wenger's playing philosophy and that this philosophy is being translated onto the actual physical play, I will not begrudge them if they win the CL. Liverpool's team on 1987-88 with Barnes and Beardsley at their pomp play a very attractive football but sadly, we were not able to sustain this beautiful playing style for as long as Arsenal has under Wenger.
However, I don't think they are equipped to win the CL just yet - their achilles heel is their defence and they can be found wanting when the opposition manages to slow them down. This is the game at the CL level and right now, Arsenal is not yet equipped IMHO. Lowly Euro teams like PSV can frustrate them and expose their shortcoming.
manure in 1999, apart from their luck, had the qualities of the more traditional Enclish teams - resillience, which Liverpool has in abundance in the 70s and 80s and can be the undiong of the more flair-equipped teams in the CL. This, somehow, Arsenal lack when in their Euro games.