By Myles Palmer
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THE Norwegian league has finished, so Rosenborg were at Highbury to see Arsenal beat Birmingham 3-0.
What did they think of the game?
We shall never know that, but the men from Trondheim may be ready to give the sparky Swede a good kicking.
Freddie Ljungberg has been tremendous for the last seven weeks.
Fit, fast and fiery, Freddie provided assists on the first and third goals.
In between, Henry scored one of his turbo-goals, powering beyond Cunningham and Melchiot and right into keeper Maik Taylor’s face before stabbing past him to kill the game.
Freddie just beat Robbie Savage to touch the ball back to Pires, whose low shot found the corner.
Freddie made the third goal with a cross to the far post, giving Henry a simple header.
ROSENBORG may copy PSV’s tactics in Eindhoven.
All of PSV’s attacks came down Arsenal’s right. They concentrated wholly on that side, knowing that Arsenal are stronger on the left.
That pressure paid off when Lauren made a silly tackle and sent himself off.
Left winger Storflors looks their best player : young, positive, pretty fast.
If it’s a tight game, Storflors might be important.
Ian Ridley said in The Observer that, after Anfield, Arsene called the players into his office one by one and told them to improve.
But he didn’t summon Freddie or Cesc.
After that exercise, he dropped Jens Lehmann.
That is radical, very surprising, something the fans did not see coming at this moment. Many people are shocked and baffled.
By not speaking to the Swede, or the kid, Arsene has made a comment to them. He said nothing, but said a lot.
And all the other players know that the manager did not speak to Ljungberg and Fabregas.They know why he did not speak to them.
TO SUM UP : two unusual things have happened.
He met the players one by one.
And after talking to each player privately, he dropped the goalkeeper.
Are those two events connected?
If so, how?
Did the defenders tell him they didn’t trust Lehmann?
We know that when Manninger was playing well, the old guard persuaded the manager to restore Seaman as soon as he was fit.
That seemed harsh on Manninger at the time. It seemed to destroy his confidence
This seems harsh on Lehmann now.
Or did he drop Lehmann to shake them up?To show them that anybody can be dropped?
BOB WILSON thinks Almunia will play against Rosenborg and Chelsea.
But I’m still wondering whether dropping Lehmann is a red herring. Or a maguffin
(In Hitchcock’s films, a maguffin is a plot-enabling device, a person or object – a key, a ring, an antique Maltese falcon – something the characters care about, something that causes the action to happen.)
I think AW had to do something. Everyone knew he had to do something.
But with a thin squad, and many injuries, he was very limited in what he could do to shake it up, to send a message.
The dropping of Lehmann means something. But it’s too soon to say what.
Anyway, Arsenal should beat Rosenborg 3-1, just as they should beat Birmingham 3-0.
Even without Vieira and Lauren.
Those two will be very nervous tomorrow night.
December 6th 2004.