It was party time at the Emirates last night. Vela, Ramsey and Wilshere were superb. It is no secret within the club that the trio are the most precocious amongst the present vintage, and they justified the hype with performances replete with the maturity reminiscent of an emerging Cesc Fabregas.
“These players do not play like kids. They play with intelligence, talent and with spirit. They can beat many teams and I would not be scared to play any individual in the Premier League.”
“Yes. This is the best crop.”
Wenger is not one conveniently drawn into hyperbole. The fact, then, that he volunteered superlatives and comparisons speaks volumes. There are two significant points which can be drawn from this.
- A number of players which demolished Sheffield last night, along with Fabregas, Walcott and Nasri, will eventually form the core of Wenger’s magnum opus, the final prototype of the mesmerizing brand of football he has developed. Wenger has a contract till 2011, and possibly might sign an additional short-term contract extension before deciding to step down.
- The current batch are mentally equipped to handle both praise and criticism. Pennant and Bentley put their egos ahead of the team – something which Wenger will not tolerate. It is a testament to the emotional maturity of these players that Wenger is convinced praise will only inspire confidence, not breed complacency.
Notice also that Wenger did not single out one player for praise last night, not Vela for his fabulous hat-trick, nor Ramsey for his classy performance. His platitudes are aimed at fostering a stronger team ethos, ultimately to inculcate the belief that they are part of something greater than themselves. Occasionally, he will choose to highlight an individual, to inject confidence into his game, as he did with Walcott at the beginning of the season, and Vela before last night’s encounter. What is certain is that these comments are measured, deliberate, intended to extract the best out of his young stars.
Wenger is aware that the European powerhouses envy his Midas touch. He is also aware that nurturing these players through the academy to the first team will instill a loyalty that cannot be bought. This is a work of a visionary who predicted a trend when Abramovich imposed his largesse on the Premier League. This is a man who is the best in the business.
Those disinclined towards the Wenger way should cast their attention toward Merseyside, where a half-empty Anfield watched a Liverpool side composed of their own youngsters and bit-part players stutter to a 2-1 win over tenacious Crewe Alexandria. The second string displayed a lack of killer instinct, not unlike their seniors over the weekend. Benitez took it upon himself to affirm his personal commitment to the competition, thrusting Torres into the fray to score a third goal which did not arrive.
It is difficult to see how Liverpool have progressed from seasons past. The reliance on Gerrard and Torres is still glaring. Benitez acquired Keane to form an offensive triumvirate akin to Rooney-Ronaldo-Tevez, but the complete lack of chemistry shown thus far will concern the staunchest of Kopites. Why is Babel on the bench? He is two-footed, has pace and has a respectable goal tally, despite his limited opportunities. The season is still in its infancy, but it will not be surprising if two Manchester clubs are in the Champions League next season.
babels not two footed by any stretch. he is right footed. but to base you assumptions on progression on a game against crewe? we’re 1 point off the pace and were not performing to our best yet, wheras arsenal are. if anyones writing us off now theyre foolish.
My point is that when he’s fit, Babel should be a starter, probably replacing Kuyt on the right. If there are players which managers show undue loyalty towards, Kuyt would probably fall into that category. Rest assured my comments aren’t based on that match nor any other match in isolation. The general play seems tired and predictable, but as you rightly pointed out, its early days yet. The next month of fixtures (everton, city & chelsea away, wigan home) will no doubt set the tone for your season.