The Arsenal Comparison - By Kotoanyane Sefali

The conversation was going well with Kotoanyane Sefali… pretty well indeed; but just as it so always goes with die-hard fans their team always manages to crop up somehow. That’s exactly what happened here. An analysis of Barcelona’s stunning Champions League final performance turned into a thesis about Arsenal, Kotoanyane’s beloved Gunners, and where they need to improve in order to rule the world once again. It was well worth the listen though…

The Barcelona Complex

Arsenal’s Comparison - By Kotoanyane Sefali

Is this the man to lead Arsenal to the Promised Land?

Before the final I thought the game could go either way. I thought overall Barca were the better team and if they played well they’d win, but at the same time I also had slight inkling that if Barca made any mistakes United would punish them. That’s what United do, they are masters of taking opportunities, and once they do it’s very difficult to come back.

United had Barca rattled in the opening stages and could have taken advantage in the first 20 minutes. But once Barca settled we probably all knew where the trophy was going. Giggs and Carrick couldn’t cope with Barca’s midfield play and that meant Park and Valencia had to tuck in to help, therefore killing United’s wide play.

Overall it was a special performance by a unique Barca team, a display which got most people, including myself, asking themselves which team can possibly topple Guardiola’s Dream Team. Sadly, I don’t think Arsenal, at this point in time, is that team.

Unlike United even if Barca make mistakes you really can’t count on Arsenal to take advantage. Arsenal just cannot beat Barca. They are not organised enough, not like United and not like Mourinho’s teams.

People often say Arsenal plays like Barca, I’m not so sure. Yes, both teams play an attractive passing game but after that Arsenal lack in many ways:

1. Barca play swift, quick and incisive passing football. Arsenal pass relatively slower in the final third. While Barca’s game is very tricky in the final third, Arsenal’s passing game is slow and allows teams to set up nicely and wait, making Arsenal look predictable and easy to defend against. If you noticed in the Champions League tie against Barca, with Barca’s pressing game, Cesc, VP and Arshavin couldn’t put together four passes. Wilshere was probably the only one making any sort of headway as he tried to make some runs. We need to pass the ball faster as we advance higher up the pitch.

2. A passing team needs guys who can conjure up something special to make the opposing team lose shape if they’ve been defending well and are organised. Guys who can do something inspired other than passing, i.e. Iniesta, Pedro and well... Lionel Messi! Arsenal are just a team of passers with few guys who make runs or incisive dribbles. Can you imagine Arsenal playing against Mourinho’s Inter last year; they’d go nowhere. That’s why sometimes, even if Wenger calls Cesc “the best midfielder in the world”, I would prefer Nasri in the hole for his innovation and penetration because our team is full of passers. The only time I see Arsenal resemble Barca is when they are on the counter, there we can be machines at times!

3. Arsenal have no width whatsoever; if you can defend well and stay compact against us then we’re done. Nasri, Arshavin, Bendtnar and Walcott may be great players but they are not true wingers. I’d love to see Affelay, Ashley Young or Adam Johnson at the Gunners to spice things up.

And one last thing, which I believe is quite important – My beloved Gunners in the “we don’t want to win a trophy years” haven’t had what I call a devil-filled player who doesn’t give a flying donkey… excuse my French.

Wenger is too much of a purist, and as such Arsenal relies too much on their system.

You see, sometimes when a team is not doing exactly what the coach would like, or the opposing team has the upper hand for whatever reason, you need a Ronaldo to relieve pressure by taking the ball all the way from defence, get to the other teams half, get fouled and then score the resultant freekick… or maybe just score from the halfway line.

Sometimes you need a Messi to dribble the whole team and score. Or maybe when Man City is defending super well and frustrating you, you need an ugly 25 year-old English boy who will score a miraculous bicycle-kick right in the top corner.

Or maybe you need a Didier Drogba who will out of the blue inexplicably score on the turn with his heel.

Back in the day we had that luxury of performing under-par and having Henry bail us out with a goal, or assist, from nothing as only he knew how.

Van Persie did that in that Champions League first leg against Barca but he’s always injured. That’s why I think Samir is so important to us because I believe he has that devil in him.

It’s sort of like what one ESPN commentator said during Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Dallas are a brilliantly coached team with great players and attitude. But Miami have Wade & LeBron...

Overwhelming talent…

(Editor’s note: Wayne Rooney is not that ugly.)