When I saw Eduardo’s assist I smiled and thought : typical Eduardo.
Romania v Croatia is a friendly and it’s 1-1.
A left wing corner swings in towards the near post and a big defender heads the ball straight up in the air. The big guy then goes to win the second header and bumps Eduardo, the ball breaks off somebody’s arm and falls to the ground in a very crowded area.
There are ten players in the six yard box and four others in a zone between the penalty spot and the goal but Eduardo nicks the ball with sharp skill and, with typical awareness, prods a short pass forward to Niko Kranjcar, who is unmarked three yards from goal. The pass is just right and Kranjcar does not have to move or take a touch. He just smacks a right foot shot past the keeper and a defender on the line. And Croatia win the game 2-1.
Slaven Bilic has been visiting Colney to watch Eduardo in training. Wenger was more than happy for the striker to re-join his friends in the Croatia camp, who were without his skills in Euro 2008.
Like Wenger, Eduardo is cautious.He has been out for a year after a horrific injury at Birmingham on February 23, 2008.
The goal-poacher says, “Everyone kept asking me about fear, but I’m glad they all saw that I’m not afraid of anything on the pitch and am ready to play. Only at the moment I went on to the pitch did I feel a little twinge of nerves in the pit of my stomach, but after I got my first touch of the ball, that feeling went away. For the second goal, I saw Niko and passed to him. My team-mates all congratulated me, but I have much more work to do if I am to become the old Eduardo.”
Obviously, all teams need goalscorers. All teams need assist-providers too. When Wenger lost Fabregas, Arsenal had to become solid. So they tightened up at the back. Wenger put in two holding players, so they could keep clean sheets and nick goals here and there. But Denilson and Song are average, dull and unpopular.
Denilson will never be a Xavi but he might become a Dunga.