By Myles Palmer
Today I get an email from a perceptive young Gooner titled : Oleg.
A quick question….your opinion on Oleg?
Here’s mine :
Since I heard his name called out before the Newcastle game, I thought he could make a difference. Not only had Lauren been looking poor, but Oleg has a great cross, and I truly believe is better going forward than Lauren.
Sure… Lauren has a nice pass, and a good eye when looking to distribute out of defence, but it is nothing special, good …but not special.
However, Oleg seems to have an ability to draw players into the game.
HE IS FANTASTIC WITH WILTORD! He brings Sylvain into the game far better than Ralph, they overlap better, they read each other better, and when there is no pass Oleg seems to draw a lot of players away from Sylvain which gives Sylvain a better opportunity to cut in.
At Newcastle when Sylvain went upfront and Ljungberg went wide, Oleg proved his role by bringing Freddy into play on the right wing as well.
I have now just watched the Spurs game again and Oleg is in many crucial moves, not to mention two delightful chip passes, the latter to Pires.
To put it simply, I believe he has made a lot of difference and brings a lot of variety to the right wing and Wiltord.
Your thoughts please Myles?
Ben
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Ben,
You should send this letter to Arsene, not to me. You’ve got a great eye for football and should become a coach.
Just as you’re never too old to be a footballer, you’re never too young to be a coach.
I got my broadband connection this week, so I’m in dreamland. I start my day in the office listening to mellow all-night New York jazz radio from WBGO.
Did you know it was Coleman Hawkins’s birthday today?And also Dr John’s birthday.
My thoughts on Luzhny and Lauren?
I love both. I liked Luzhny from day one. But I realised he had never played 442.
LUZHNY is a fine technician and a superb crosser and I’m delighted he has played so well in the last three games.
LAUREN combined well with Wiltord early on and was one of the few players who could play with Wiltord then.
Lauren is amazingly steady and constructive. And that’s what you’re saying about Luzhny, that HE is amazingly steady and constructive.
And Luzhny has far more experience as a PURE DEFENDER.
We shall have to see what happens when Lauren is fit, since Cameroon’s Mr Cool is still Arsene’s first choice right back.
Lauren helped Sylvain steady down two years ago, before he made that wide right position his own.
Football is a game of partnerships as well as a game of sequences.
That’s why Luzhny played so badly when selected as an emergency left centreback.He was unfamiliar with the angles.
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GILBERTO played for Brazil in a 3-2 win in Seoul yesterday.
Brazil are now managed by the ageless Zagallo, again.
The Arsenal powerhouse was almost invisible in the highlights of an open game on a cold night in front of 63,000.
South Korea went 1-0 up in 8 minutes with a header after Dida conceded a freekick by picking up Cafu’s backpass.
Then Lucio released Ronaldo and he went round the keeper on the edge of the box – and shot 8 yards wide.
But Ze Roberto slipped him in again and Ronaldo equalised after 16 and it was 1-1 at half time.
Zagallo played 442, not three centrebacks like Big Phil, so the Koreans had some chances and AHN made it 2-1 after Roberto Carlos was caught in possession.
Post-Rivaldo, Ronaldinho is the main creative force.
Edilson hit a fantasic straight 50 yard pass down the middle and Ronaldo banged it through the keeper’s legs.
In 92, Amoroso took such an obvious dive that Ronaldo and Ronaldinho looked a little embarrassed.
Amoroso is a cute ballerina who played in Italy before he joined Dortmund.
A last-chance pass came through the middle,I think from Ronaldinho, but it wasn’t the best pass in the world and Amoroso couldn’t quite reach it, so he stuck his limp foot across the last defender’s foot and then crumpled like a wet Kleenex.
RONALDINO buried the pen for 3-2.
Tough on the Koreans.And a flight to London over Siberia is tough on Gilberto.
21 November 2002.