'So close, yet so far' has been the significant story of Arsenal's season so far. The Gunners have definitely shown some very bright promises in terms of Arsene Wenger's philosophy of football but they have this weird knack of faltering when it all matters the most.
Okay, the defeat against Barcelona was probably understandable because everybody is prone to a disaster against the Catalans but what about their Carling Cup setback to Birmingham City? What about the FA Cup Quarter final disappointment against Manchester United?
Lack of physicality has always been the favorite targets for the press in Arsenal's context. While the Gunners do play some of the best football in the country, they just have this difficulty of coming up against highly physical teams on numerous occasions.
And as they get set to host Liverpool in a gigantic clash tomorrow, Live Soccer provides a brief look into the some serious issues at the Emirates.
Comparisons Between The Current Squad And The 03/04 Crop Of Untouchables
This simple example justifies it all. The obvious difference between those two generation of Arsenal players is simply the 'physical aspect' of the game. Every time there was an attack from the opposition, Patrick Viera would be standing there calm and composed, ready to intercept and build another attack for his teammates.
Martin Keown's robust presence accompanied by the hardworking Kolo Toure at the back was a super-strong partnership within the heart of Arsenal's defence- something that they have not quite had in recent times. Do not get us wrong. We do not downplay the abilities of Koscielny and Djourou but their blunders in the Carling Cup final doesn't quite put them on the same class of the 'Untouchables'.
But the fundamental aspect of those 03/04 generation of players was 'balance'. They had the perfect balance between attack and defence in their tactics and transitions between them was often carried out effortlessly.
Wake Up Lads! Gunners Seriously Lack The Winning Mentality
Once again, maturity comes into the equation again. One obvious problem that is noticeable in the current Arsenal squad is their inability to keep on bouncing back from chaotic situations. Just have a simple look at Manchester United this season.
Sir Alex's men have not really hit any sort of towering heights with their 'normal' performances this season but imminently, they sit majestically at the top of the Premier League. A massive chunk of it is literally down to their back-to-the-basics attitude that has seen them effectively grind out victories when it all matters- the portrayals of true champions.
How many times have we seen the Devils come back from a dubious position to finally secure three points at the end of the day? Ask anyone at Bloomfield Road and they will tell you all about it. Even Mick McCarthy can tell you a bedtime story about it all the time.
But recalling back Arsenal's terrible downfall against Newcastle and their dull 0-0 draws against Sunderland and Blackburn when they had a chance to further establish themselves in the title race just puzzles everybody in the world of football.
Probably this is something that basically differentiates the Gunners' and the rest.
Captain Fab And The Leadership Crisis At Emirates
From the moment Denilson accused Fabregas of not being a 'real' captain, it was obvious that there was some serious leadership crisis at Emirates. However, do they really lack from leaders at the club?
After Patrick Viera left Arsenal for Juventus, Thierry Henry was the obvious choice to take up the armband. However, when Henry left, there wasn't a single clue of who was going to be the next captain for the Gunners.
Even until nowadays, many fans regards Wenger's decision to let go of Henry came at the wrong time for the club as they failed to find a suitable replacement for the hugely influential Frenchman. It wasn't the goals that they had to replace. It was the influence and leadership abilities that Wenger never really managed to reinstate at the dressing room ever since Henry left for Barcelona.
But lets have a look at the current Arsenal team. They do not lack from natural captaincy candidates by all means. Tomas Rosicky definitely has the experience, having captained his national side on numerous occasions. Van Persie has lead Holland before. Squillachi has the experience that makes up a good leader while even Andrei Arshavin is the captain for the Russian football team.
Therefore, captaincy is not the REAL issue for Wenger but having the right leaders at the club seems like the colossal issue for him. How do they solve it? The answers solely remains with Wenger and his philosophy of not spending big during transfer windows.
