Stupidity helps Arsenal a lot.
We saw that when they beat Bolton 1-0 last week with a goal by Bendtner in 84 minutes.
What Gary Megson did was stupid and self-defeating. He played a deep-lying 4-5-1 and waited for Arsenal to score, which they eventually did.
We didn’t see it when Fulham beat Arsenal at Craven Cottage on August 23. And we didn’t see such stupidity when Hull won 2-1 at the Emirates. After that game on September 23, I thought : I’d like to see Hull play Porto, I wonder what would happen?
Hull City have since slipped down the table, as promoted teams often do after a sparkling start. Their team was able to punch above its weight because of their work ethic, momentum and team spirit.
Boss Phil Brown is a good tactician who can forge an effective unit out of journeyman players. This week he has signed Kevin Kilbane, an Irish winger who is 31 and can’t get a game for Wigan, which is no disgrace right now. After Man United beat Wigan 1-0 on Wednesday, Sir Alex said, “Wigan are the best team we’ve played this season.” Brown hopes to sign another Irishman, right back Steve Finnan, from Espanyol today for £1.5 million.
In the past, survivalist managers like Alan Curbishley and Steve McClaren faced Arsenal with a game-plan that was pure damage limitation. They played the way they did because they were afraid of losing 5-0. That was stupid.
But Roy Hodgson and Phil Brown are smart enough to see that you should not let Arsenal have the ball in 70% of the pitch for 90% of the game. You should press them. Pressing is attacking when you don’t have the ball, strikers chasing full backs, trying to intercept, trying to force passing errors, trying to win free-kicks and throws in the front third. Hull and Fulham won those games because they denied Arsenal the ball in the areas where they start to build up their passing rhythms.
Arsenal have had a free week to prepare, while Hull had an FA Cup replay against Newcastle. They won with a goal by centre forward Daniel Cousin, an under-rated striker who is pretty physical.
For a change, I’m up for the game tomorrow. Bit by bit I seem to be recovering my appetite for football. Hull v Arsenal will be interesting because it will be tactical. The game should tell us something about how the second half of Arsenal’s season will go.We don’t know which team will win but we do know that Phil Brown will not be stupid in his approach to playing Arsenal.
Last night we went to see Loot and the acting was fantastic. I love wild comedy. We were sitting with Americans from Syracuse, upstate New York. They come over and see 13 plays in 14 days.