From Ivan Pavkovic : too much emphasis on Vieira
I’ve noticed that a lot of people think that Vieira was the key to the the 4-4-2.
I think that is an over-simplification.
Don’t forget that we had the best left back in the world who could dominate the left side and let Pires float around and cut into more central positions.
Don’t forget we had DB who could drop deep to a more attacking midfield position. The type of position that Cesc/Carzola and now Rosicky occupy.
It looked 4-4-2 but it was much more fluid.
To play that sort of style you need smart players, ‘professional’ players, not just technically proficient.
Myles says:
It was dynamic as well as fluid, Ivan.
In ’98 you had Ray Parlour, a very reliable warrior with a fantastic attutude, game for game, month after month.
One of the smartest players was Marc Overmars
The only times Arsenal struggled in 1997-98 were when Overmars was injured.