By Myles Palmer
________________________________
Back in 1997 I used to think : As football teams get richer, they will have to get younger. As time goes on, and players get richer at a younger age, this will become a problem.
Looking at Anelka and Vieira, and thinking about the future of Arsenal, and thinking about what Arsene Wenger might be thinking, I concluded that : “As football teams get richer, they will have to get younger.I bet Arsene has sussed that out.”
I figured that Arsene’s answer to complacency, to the comfort zone, to millionaires having just another day at the office, would be an ongoing process of re-vitalising his team with players who brought youthful enthusiasm.
With Ashley Cole, you have seen that.
With Kolo Toure, you have seen that in abundance.
Now, with Jose Antonio Reyes, you’re gonna see it again.
I RUBBISHED the Trezeguet fantasy a couple of seeks ago.
Said Arsene won’t sign a centre forward.
I never believed he would sign Kluivert, a handsome millionaire playboy who wears leather trousers and owns a nightclub in Barcelona.
REYES has the exact qualities that Arsene needs.
He has pace and bottle and fire – and he knows where to run.
Wiltord never knew where to run.
Jeffers knew where to run, but lacked the skill to play at Arsenal’s phenomenal pace.
Overmars knew where to run- and so does Freddie.
Henry does not see as many runs as he should.
Neither does Kanu.
Mostly they want the ball to feet.
It’s very, very rare for a winger to be as good off the ball as he is one the ball.
MARC OVERMARS was a freak. He could dribble and cross and finish- but he could also time his runs as well as a top striker.
By last summer, Jeffers having failed, Arsene was thinking about a specific talent who could lift his attack up to the next level- the level where the manager can see his core player, PV4, lift the big silver bauble.
Arsene Wenger wants to get his hands on the European Cup.
He can see Patrick holding it up.
He can see Patrick handing it to him.
He can imagine himself holding it up and saying to himself, in French, “Yes – you beauty!”
Overmars-Bergkamp-Wright was an attack with bite and finesse.
Overmars-Anelka-Bergkamp was an attack with pace and finesse.
Overmars-Suker-Bergkamp was a trio he could not use together – not enough bite.
I fondly imagined, for ten minutes, that Suker could make a good team great.
NOW I IMAGINE that Reyes can make a good team great.
In the summer of 2003 Arsene was thinking : I need somebody with explosive pace who can interchange with Thierry and Robert. Not somebody who can get on the end of their crosses, but somebody who can give a final ball for Thierry to score, and also take a pass from Thierry and score.
I think he wanted Harry Kewell to play in Bergkamp’s position. And if he had signed Harry he might have let Dennis go. Although, playing for Arsenal, Harry could have played WITH Dennis, in Thierry’s position, or Freddie’s.
When Harry went to Houllier, Wenger wanted Reyes.
He knew it would be expensive, but he also knew that very few footballers have the specific qualities to become the last piece of his jigsaw.
It’s not so much that Reyes costs £16 milion.
It’s that THOSE QUALITIES cost £16 million.
That’s what this deal is about : those specific qualities.
Reyes will wear the No 9 shirt, but he is not a centre forward.
Now that funds have been released for Reyes, we are sure that Ashburton Grove will be built.I was sure already.
And Reyes will light up Ashburton Grove.
But he will light up Highbury first.
This is an exciting moment in Arsenal’s history.
All moments pass quickly, so I figure I had better mark this moment by writing a few words here.
CARLING SEMI TONIGHT at Middlesbrough?
Postponed till Feb 3rd. Snow and ice.
SATURDAY NIGHT AT HEATHROW seems a long time ago.
I suppose Heathrow has seen this scene a million times.
The gap year scene.
Six parents, two brothers, three daughters, three rucksacks.
Hugs and kisses in Terminal 4.
Lovely for teenagers to see the world before uni.
Today an email from Caroline:
we have had a bloody wickid time so far in bangkok – no arguments – no tears – no illness ecept i didnt eat for the first day cos it was all a bit hot!
cant wait for the next bit of our adventure.
love tuk tuks so much i actually bought the t shirt!!!!
Wife says a tuk-tuk is a scooter which pulls a little taxi carriage.
28th Jan 2004