 Friday, 3rd May 2013 00:21 by Clive Whittingham No trophy for eight years but Arsenal look set for Champions League qualification again. Does this constitute success? Are they bothered about silver pots and gold medals? OverviewIn the wake of Bayern Munich’s systematic 7-0 aggregate destruction of the greatest club football team of its generation it’s easy to forget, and largely irrelevant of course, that Arsenal actually went to Germany and beat the home side 2-0 just six weeks ago. Bayern progressed on aggregate having dominated the first leg in London and won 3-1. The love-in for Jupp Heynckes all-conquering side is well justified – although there will be those in one pocket of West London and another enclave in the north of the city muttering about why they couldn’t have played like this in a certain European final a year ago and done the bloody world a favour. They’ve absolutely wiped the floor with the Bundesliga this season, losing only once and boasting an away record of 14 wins and a draw with only three goals conceded. Their whitewash of Barcelona, coupled with Dortmund’s victory against Real Madrid, has been heralded as a shift in power from Spain to Germany. The end of an era of Spanish dominance at club and international level perhaps. More interestingly for the students of the game it’s potentially a shift away from something the sycophants call ‘tika taka’, normal people might call ‘passing to death’ and sceptics would call ‘boring into submission’ in favour of the no-less attractive but suddenly much more effective Dortmund and Munich style of ‘passing with a purpose.’ Barcelona, and the Spanish national side, have been imperious for years now and when they move through the gears and stitch their intricate passing moves together with such effortless, glorious flow there can be few more beautiful sights in the sport. However there have always been periods of time in games – the majority of last summer’s European Championships for example – when both teams have been a little dull to watch. The tactic is about picking and probing and moving the ball and waiting for gaps to open up and that has, at times, meant putting 25 passes together around the centre circle without actually going anywhere. Swansea, who mimicked the Spanish style under Brendan Rodgers, got a goal at Wolves last season where they calmly moved the ball between themselves for what seemed like weeks on the halfway line until the frustration and boredom was too much for Stephen Ward who charged forward from left back to try and execute a tackle only for them suddenly to spring into the left back space he’d left behind and score. Effective, but sleep inducing. Bayern are certainly no less comfortable on the ball, but passes are played much more directly and with a real purpose. There’s also a great physicality and athleticism about the German side that simply hasn’t been at Barcelona since Yaya Toure left for Man City and Carlos Puyol started to suffer with his fitness. It’s this style of football that is being lauded now, as the media gathers to usher Barcelona off into the history books – almost certainly prematurely. None of which is really good news for Arsenal who had a style remarkably similar to the current Munich philosophy in the early part of Arsene Wenger’s time as manager. The Gunners were always wonderful to watch with players like Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and so on, but they were bloody hard and physical as well with Patrick Viera, Emanuel Petit, Sol Campbell, Tony Adams and others adding muscle as well as guile. They’ve spent recent years going away from that towards the team of midgets playing keep ball model only to find now that the trend is heading back to what they had in the first place. While Wenger would no doubt point to a loss of form by Thomas Vermaelen and the constant injury problems of Abou Diaby, who looked like a young Vieira in stature and performance in an early season win at Liverpool but has once again managed only 15 appearances this season, it is hard to understand why he has been so keen to abandon the physical side of Arsenal’s game that married with the attractive play to create an unstoppable winning machine in 2003/04. Arsenal haven’t won a trophy for the best part of a decade now and given that they were eliminated from the domestic cups by Blackburn and Bradford this season, and are a long way away from challenging the two Manchester clubs in the league, it’s hard to see when that barren run is going to end. But while Tottenham, with a young man now officially recognised as the best player in the league at their disposal, seem to have to strain every sinew in every match they play just to get a sniff of the top four, Arsenal have put together some form and look like they’re going to make it for the eleventh straight year despite various crisis points over the past eight months. Wenger sees that constant Champions League qualification as a success, and he’s right to given that Chelsea and Man City have arrived on the scene from nowhere thanks to big money takeovers since he arrived in the country and he’s constantly having to sell his best players. Robin Van Persie left for Manchester United last summer, taking 37 goals from last season with him and adding 29 to United. It’s been like a man leaving his wife for the more attractive, more successful woman over the road and shagging her repeatedly in the front room with the curtains open and the lights on. Wenger and Arsenal have either played an absolute blinder – maintaining Champions League football in the face of increasingly stiff and minted competition while selling players and balancing books – or allowed themselves to become a second tier selling club for whom trophies are an exception to be enjoyed more through luck than planning once in a blue moon. Which it is rather depends on the effect of the Financial Fair Play regulations. In theory such rules are designed to reward a club like Arsenal and their prudent management and punish the blank cheque merchants at City and Chelsea and those involved in debt financing like Man Utd. If done effectively it will bring those teams that are increasingly stretching away from Arsenal back towards them and cups and medals will once again be realistic prospects. If they don’t, well then Arsenal have been biding their time for no good reason whatsoever and have now allowed their competitors to streak off worryingly far into the distance so that even this summer’s rumoured spending spree may struggle to close the gap. And all the while trying to perfect a style of play that the media would now have you believe is defunct anyway. InterviewWell, I’ll be digging out and dusting off the only contacts book to chase up old friends of Championship clubs for this column next season, but for now we can continue to work through the final few names who have helped us out of the last two years including Arsenal fan David Hatchard who gave up some of his time this week to talk about his club. Sudden upturn in form since the Tottenham defeat. What do you put that down to? Will it be enough to secure a top four place? I think it has been a combination of a few things. The players seemed to gain a lot of confidence from the second leg win in Bayern Munich which was much needed after the defeat to Spurs. Wins breed confidence and gradually we have put together a decent run. We have had plenty of luck in that run - some controversial incidents have turned matches in our favour and opposition teams have missed good chances. To get top four I think Arsenal must win the final three games which means winning at QPR. And if you do secure a top four place, does that mean the season is a success, even though the trophy drought goes on? This season was always going to be tough after selling Van Persie especially since we have been selling our best players for the last two or three years. In my eyes a top four place would be an achievement this season but I know for many other Arsenal fans it is not good enough. An apparent lack of ambition remains the frustrating issue for all Arsenal fans. What needs to be done to actually win a trophy? Will that be done or is the club happy to bide its time in the hope financial fair play brings the others back towards you in time? I get the feeling the club are happy to stick with what they have been doing but each season I hear more and more dissent from the stands. Arsenal need to get the right balance between established stars and developing youth players. One of my first suggestions would be to hire someone who knows how to negotiate player contracts. We can't keep letting our best players get into the last year of their contract. Who are the leading contenders for the Player of the Year? Who are the weak links in the side? Santi Cazorla has made a good start to his Arsenal career providing plenty of goals and assists whilst also managing to stay fit for the entire season. When fit Jack Wilshere has undoubtedly been our best player and has shown his class but has been unable to sustain his fitness levels. Theo Walcott really started to look like he was coming good but since signing his new contract has slightly under performed in my opinion. However, it is still his most productive season at Arsenal. Bacary Sagna has had a very poor season, epitomised by his performance in the draw with Man Utd. Gone are the days when he was voted in the Premier League team of the year because of his consistent performances. Thomas Vermaelen has also had a disappointing campaign and I hope improves for next season and regains his place in the team. Do you want Arsene Wenger to stay? Does he maintain the support of the majority of fans? Which potential replacements catch the eye? Personally I want him to stay. Given that Arsenal supposedly have plenty of money to spend this summer I think it fair that he has the chance to use that since he hasn't been a big spender in the past. I suspect most fans would be happy to give him one more year but if there is not much improvement he will probably leave at the end of his current contract. I don't take much notice of the transfer gossip as Wenger doesn't tend to go for the well-known players. Arsenal certainly need another quality striker and it will be interesting to see who Wenger goes for. Benteke has impressed me in the league but it is probably too obvious a buy for Wenger. No doubt he will pin our hopes next season on an unknown 18 year old kid from Venezuela or somewhere like that. On a separate note, good luck to QPR next season. I hope you bounce straight back up to the Premier League. Scout ReportSince a defeat at Spurs apparently handed Arsenal’s bitter North London rivals their Champions League place at the beginning of March, the Gunners have strung together five wins and two draws from seven league games to put themselves back in pole position to claim another season at Europe’s top table. Arsenal have remained pretty consistent with their preferred shape all the way through this season, even in the dark days of the defeats to Bradford and Blackburn in the League and FA Cups respectively. Ostensibly it’s a 4-2-3-1 formation but it sets up with one deep lying central midfielder, one slightly further forward, and a third in support of a lone striker. Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott tend to play either side of that – when Theo isn’t pretending that wanting to play up front rather than wanting some more money is the reason he’s not signing his contract that is. The obvious problem straight away is players who always make Arsenal a better team when they play are just far too fragile fitness wise. Abou Diaby was magnificent in a 2-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield at the start of the season but has played only 14 times since. Jack Wilshere has quickly become indispensable for club and country despite the rather rash why he throws his little fat legs into challenges but he too is prone to long spells on the sidelines. The other is up front where Van Persie was always likely to be missed. Cazorla and Walcott top score in the league with 12 each. Olivier Giroud’s suspension against Man Utd saw a recall for Lukas Podolski who Wenger really doesn’t seem sure about – rarely selected to start of late and picked in that left sided attacking role when he has been rather than as a main striker. The German has 14 goals in all competitions nevertheless. Last week’s game with Man Utd probably wasn’t much use as a scouting expedition for a game against QPR. The only thing United and Rangers have in common is having nothing left to play for this season. Arsenal looked to take advantage of any championship celebration hangover with a high tempo game and fast start that yielded a goal after two minutes. Earlier in the season, when there was a chance of them staying up, QPR approached games like this with a very tight, defensive approach resulting in bore draws against Spurs and Man City. Hard to see them having the work rate within them to do that this time, or what would be the point of it if they did. Arsenal may get nervous if they are kept scoreless for any period of time, but in reality they’re not going to have to be anywhere near their best to win this one easily. If QPR do fancy giving it half a go, they may consider trying to target right back Bacary Sagna with something. Theo Walcott’s ultra-attacking ethos left the French defender exposed behind him last week and Sagna is not in good form. Rangers could perhaps shift Andros Townsend onto that side and have a go with some pace and positive running because neither Adel Taarabt nor Junior Hoilett have shown much in recent weeks to suggest they would pose problems there. Other than that the best hope is that Loic Remy goes out to further his chances of being bought by Arsenal this summer – they’d be absolutely barmy not to have a serious look at him – and puts in a dominant display. Links >>> Official Website >>> Travel Guide >>> Arse Blog >>> Arsenal Mania Forum >>> Gooners World Forum >>> Online Arsenal Forum >>> Gunning Hawk Blog >>> Arsenal Land Blog Tweet @loftforwords Pictures – Action Images Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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