thefoamroses
04 Dec 2005, 07:27 PM
As I am an infrequent poster, I am unsure of how many of you will be drawn to this thread, but I believe many share the same sentiments I carry. So I will present this as plainly as possible.
Arsenal this season have lacked grit and character all around. There is swagger, of course, and leadership with Henry, but there is no vibrancy or attacking character defensively. This has little to do in my mind with the sale of Patrick Vieira, as I believe we were experiencing the same symptoms last year. His departure may have simply made it a bit more obvious.
Gilberto has been, all season, not just a weakness but a liability. Perhaps its his partnership with an inexperienced Fabregas, but week in, week out it seems more his own fault. Campbell has fell to the same disease. Distracted on the pitch, both seem to pass haphazardly, almost as if their heart isn't in it.
We lack a player in mid-field or defense capable of commanding a game. Not in the sense of passing or marshalling the play forward as Cesc is quite capable there, but someone to fight in the middle. We missed this last year as well.
For me, the question has been the last couple weeks what type of team do I want Arsenal to be. Do I simply want a Vieira replacement, one of the names bandied about the forums like Diop, Diarra, or Ghaly? Or do I want someone in the vein of Roy Keane, who, while Irish in origin, had a greater affiliation with his club than a continental star and a enthusiasm on the pitch that wasn't constructed around a 6 foot 5 inch frame?
Players like Roy Keane, who I hate with an undying passion, do not come along often. It takes great managers to build them, and a passion behind that construction. This sort of player, with his heart at Arsenal FC (not lambasting his fellow teammates or talking to other clubs every summer), is what we need in the midfield. Our manager must find this player, or this whole rebuilding nonsense we have struggled through for the past year will be worthless. We need a player with his heart at Arsenal, not just a player to replace a bygone star. This is a difficult task.
I wonder if others feel the same as me: If whats most important, at this point, is not someone to "replace Vieira" but someone to be that enthused, fighting spirt in the club. My appreciation for reading.
Greg
Arsenal this season have lacked grit and character all around. There is swagger, of course, and leadership with Henry, but there is no vibrancy or attacking character defensively. This has little to do in my mind with the sale of Patrick Vieira, as I believe we were experiencing the same symptoms last year. His departure may have simply made it a bit more obvious.
Gilberto has been, all season, not just a weakness but a liability. Perhaps its his partnership with an inexperienced Fabregas, but week in, week out it seems more his own fault. Campbell has fell to the same disease. Distracted on the pitch, both seem to pass haphazardly, almost as if their heart isn't in it.
We lack a player in mid-field or defense capable of commanding a game. Not in the sense of passing or marshalling the play forward as Cesc is quite capable there, but someone to fight in the middle. We missed this last year as well.
For me, the question has been the last couple weeks what type of team do I want Arsenal to be. Do I simply want a Vieira replacement, one of the names bandied about the forums like Diop, Diarra, or Ghaly? Or do I want someone in the vein of Roy Keane, who, while Irish in origin, had a greater affiliation with his club than a continental star and a enthusiasm on the pitch that wasn't constructed around a 6 foot 5 inch frame?
Players like Roy Keane, who I hate with an undying passion, do not come along often. It takes great managers to build them, and a passion behind that construction. This sort of player, with his heart at Arsenal FC (not lambasting his fellow teammates or talking to other clubs every summer), is what we need in the midfield. Our manager must find this player, or this whole rebuilding nonsense we have struggled through for the past year will be worthless. We need a player with his heart at Arsenal, not just a player to replace a bygone star. This is a difficult task.
I wonder if others feel the same as me: If whats most important, at this point, is not someone to "replace Vieira" but someone to be that enthused, fighting spirt in the club. My appreciation for reading.
Greg