By Myles Palmer
SHAVEN-HEADED French colossus Pascal Cygan came of age in Eindhoven, where he replaced the injured Keown after eight minutes.
Cygan played as if he had been at Arsenal for three years instead of three months.
Having watched the tape,Cygan was even better than I thought.
As was GILBERTO, who made a sensational tackle in the box on fellow Brazilian Leandro, who had just jinked inside Lauren in 82 minutes.
Watching the tape put me in mind of one of my favourite ANR pieces when I was talking about warriors,technicians and strategic brains.
I said Vieira was the ultimate gladiator because he was a warrior-technician.
Most players are one or the other.
But Gilberto is another warrior-technician.And he is even better than that.
Because, like Adams,Petit, Bergkamp and Cygan, Gilberto reads the game.
What’s missing from Arsenal since Petit and Adams left is strategic intelligence, that rare ability to read the play and give shape to the players around you by being pro-active rather than re-active.
Keown and Campbell are both re-active defenders who tend to wait for something dangerous to happen, and then use their pace.
In a back four where both full backs attack, and where both are positionally suspect, Arsenal will have moments when their defence is caught out.
It’s not a problem now, and I doubt if it will be a problem against Leeds, but it’s something Arsene will be keeping an eye on.
So this is my comment tonight : EINDHOVEN showed us something new, something beyond a stunning 4-0 win.
It showed us two readers of the game, Cygan and Gilberto, who can protect David Seaman as well as he was protected in 1998, when Adams and Petit were in the team.
After Stevenage, Arsene said Cygan needed to toughen up.And he has done, we think.
Which is just as well because he is playing against a monster tomorrow: Alan Smith, the peroxide pitbull.
Bergkamp is out with an Achilles injury, so Kanu should deputise.
Against a George Graham or David O’Leary team, playing high-tempo power football, Arsenal would have been at a huge disadvantage after flying back from Brussels at 4 a.m. on Thursday.
But, luckily for them, Tel has made Leeds a possession team, rather than an energy team.
LEEDS are not an all-action side anymore, so Lee Bowyer doesn’t make so many third-man runs to score from crosses, knockdowns and flick-ons.
We are told that MATTEO is struggling with a knee injury and that WOODGATE has a hamstring.
This may be disinformation from Tel.
If not, Leeds will start Danny Mills at centreback with Radebe.Mills and keeper Paul Robinson have been in fine form.
MARK VIDUKA is a big man with skill. He has had some wars with Keown, so he will be glad his old enemy is not playing.
For me, Viduka is like Kluivert.
On a good day he plays like the best centre forward in the world. And on a bad day he looks like a bum.
Leeds have lost two games, and beating Arsenal would be a big scalp for them.
The boys may be tired, but I will stick with my earlier prediction, a win.
Cygan reminds me of Terry Butcher in size, and Bobby Moore in composure.
If Cygan can play well again, and Arsenal can keep a clean sheet again, then Auxerre should be no problem.
And Cygan has played against Auxerre before, so he will not be scared of Cisse.
And Cisse is such a handful that, if you have never played against him before, he would worry you.
At Elland Road it is even possible that TOURE, the new powerhouse, might start.
Apparently the other players rave about Toure, think he is fantastic.
Tel is a cute coach, but Bakke and Dacourt lack class, lack real passing ability.
Bakke is a hatchet man who missed four headers last time I saw him.
And the much-publicised notion that Juventus would pay £15 million for Dacourt was quite absurd.
If Juventus want you, they are not slow to come and get you.
Dacourt, bless his cotton socks, is NOT good enough to play for Juventus.
I said that two years ago and I’ve said it ever month since -and I now solemnly promise to never say it again.
Leeds would love a win and like a draw. Knowing Tel, they might play for a draw.
Bottom line?
We will see Arsenal win again-live on Sky at noon.
27th September 2002.
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PS
A silly little thing happened at the AGM.
As we were sitting waiting for the noon start of the show a white-haired shareholder,sitting just across the aisle from Alexis, was reading The Professor.
So Alexis got up, although I asked him not to, and went over and asked the man if he wanted the author to sign it.
Alexis told me the guy said,”No thanks-I’d like Wenger to sign it.”
I said, “He’ll be lucky. Arsene doesn’t endorse products. You need Sven for that!”