By Myles Palmer
Arsene Wenger said some things about danger-man David Trezeguet at Monday’s pre-match press conference.
He said : stop the crosses!
I’m always comforted when we are singing from the same hymn-sheet.I like it when he says what I said yesterday.
My Dad used to say, “When two people are continually in agreement, one is redundant.”
Luckily, we are NOT continually in agreement, so I’m not redundant yet.
Indeed, 106,000 hits on ANR in November suggests I have a small role to play.
At such moments, when Arsene says what I said yesterday, I always think Arsenal will win.
Let me re-phrase that : I USUALLY think Arsenal will win.
Arsene said,”I know Trezeguet very well and I think the
best way to stop him is to stop the source.When he gets in the box he knows exactly where to be and has got a great nose for the goal. If you give him just one yard left or right he will punish you.”
The manager also said,”I have always rated him very highly and believe that he has things that you cannot teach somebody. He is a natural.”
How Arsene must wish Tony Adams was playing.
Because there are three reasons why you want to play a high-powered pressing/offside game against Juventus.
One, to keep them away from rookie keeper Stuart Taylor.
Two, to stop them launching their accurate crosses into a spaces around the penalty spot.
Three, to make sure that if you concede a free-kick, you do not concede it 20 yards out or 25 yards out. Because Del Piero is the guv’nor at placing those free-kicks in the postage stamp.
Today’s news reports suggest Edgar Davids will be on the bench. I don’t believe that.
Tudor is a six foot five Croatian centreback who has been playing in midfield. I think Pires and Vieira could play round him and glide round him.
But gliding round a spiky fireball like Davids is much more difficult.
Hacks who are close to the Juve team say Tudor will be in midfield. Maybe he will be. And maybe it will work well.
Lippi should know what team to pick by now.
It’s just that I think that Lippi would be a mug not to start Davids in this game.But it would be good news for Arsenal if Davids is on the bench.
A few years ago Graeme Souness was talking about the European Cup.
He said, “These are the games you live for.”
That seems to be Arsene Wenger’s attitude.
Managers don’t mean everything they say, of course, and Arsene didn’t say, “These are the games you live for.”
But Wenger, Houllier and Ferguson ABSOLUTELY LOVE these big European games.
What Arsene said was:”This is a massive game for us and a real test, but it gives us the opportunity to show just how good we really are.
“We do not fear Juventus and we are looking forward to the
game because it gives us the chance to assert ourselves as one of the best teams in Europe.”
Can Arsenal win this game? I don’t know.
Barcelona away, I thought they could win but they drew 1-1.
Fiorentina at Wembley, I thought they would win but they lost 1-0.
Lazio, I was sure Arsenal would win and they did by 2-0.
Bayern, I thought it was over when they led 2-0 but that was a 2-2 draw.
I usually have a view, usually have a prediction, a gut feeling. But this time I just don’t know.
Juve are a tough, workmanlike side with zippy, aggressive midfielders, a classic thug in Montero, an energetic, tidy pro in Pessotto.
And a superstar in Del Piero, who has had to grow up now that Zidane has gone.
Maybe their style is more direct post-Zidane.If so, that is why Trezeguet is scoring so many goals.
Thierry Henry will want to show Juventus fans what they missed by playing him wide left in a 3-5-2 formation.
Henry is a fabulous dribbler and a greyhound.
Trezeguet is a fabulous target man and a goalpoacher.
Only one striker in Europe can dribble as well as Henry and convert crosses as well as Trezeguet.
Shevchenko.
December 3rd 2001.