By Myles Palmer
ARSENE started seven kids against Wolves – and they won 5-1.
But West Brom are better than Wolves, especially playing at home.
West Brom stuffed Man United 2-0 on Wednesday night.
But Man U fielded Butt, O’Shea, Kleberson, Cristiano Ronaldo and a bunch of third team kids. Not reserves, like the Arsenal boys.
So we don’t know what side Arsene will put out in the Carling Cup quarter-final.
All we know is that he has said this is the best bunch of kids the club has had since the Adams-Merson generation.
CESC FABREGAS, now 16, may become a Premiership midfield regular at 18, as Alan Hudson did.
Fabregas is one of those freak talents who come along occasionally, where it is silly to have them playing against players of their own age. It’s ridiculous, it’s unfair.
The lad enjoyed playing with Vieira, who said, “Cesc is a fantastic prospect who reads the game very quickly and knows what to do when he receives the ball. He has a brilliant future.”
CESC said, “I never expected to be in the first team so soon. A year ago I was watching the Premiership games and Patrick Vieira. Now I have played alongside him, the player I regard as the best midfield player in the world. He just told me before and during the game to relax, not to worry, that he was there for me. That helped a lot.”
ALIADIERE scored the first goal and the third.
On the first he sniffs out a backpass by the left back, intercepts against the advancing keeper, and knocks it in at the near post off the keeper’s elbow.
I love near post goals. That’s what was needed against Fulham, a couple of near-post runs
Then he scored a fantastic goal to make it 3-0, a real Ronaldo-George Weah type goal which you may not have seen on TV.
He collects Kanu’s pass in the centre circle and cruises down the middle of the field with the ball and then checks to his right, as if to shoot from 25 yards, swerves to his left to draw the two defenders close together – and then, inches inside the box, he checks back onto his right foot and rifles it inside the near post, looping down viciously into the back of the net.
What a goal ! And he made it look so easy !
I think that was more than a goal. It was a statement.
I said this kid had a cool head when he slipped Pires in for 5-1 in Milan, although I neglected to mention that he showed good strength to knock the defender over just before that.
ALIADIERE always looked like a player to me.
I guessed two years that he would make it, even on a minimum of evidence. Some players just give you that feeling.
And now, at 20, Aliadiere is stronger, tougher. He is a man now, not a boy. His body language is the body language of a man.
Anyway, in the Carling Cup, Arsene says that he will do whatever is best for the club.
Meaning : on that day. He will do what is best for the club on that day.
Because, in football, the circumstances of every match are different.
There are three other games between now and December 16 : Leicester away, Moscow Lokomotiv and Blackburn at home.
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Teams:
ARSENAL (4-4-2): Stack; Hoyte (Skulason, 55), Tavlaridis, Simek, Clichy; Fabregas,Vieira, Bentley (Smith, 78), Wiltord; Kanu, Aliadière (Papadopulos, 82).
Substitutes not used: Shaaban (gk), Owusu-Abeyie.
WOLVES(4-5-1): Marshall; Gudjonsson, Craddock, Butler, Naylor; Miller (Kennedy 60), Andrew (Sturridge 68), Ince, Rae, Tamara (Newton 72); Blake.
5th December 2003.