Michael Essien
Chelsea's midfielder
Commented that Arsenal is all style and no substance.
In other words, they are all crap besides looking good.
His exact words were:
"Everybody likes to watch beautiful football, but to play beautiful football without points is… I don’t think it’s worth it. Arsenal is one of those teams that just plays beautiful football, but at the end of the day they don’t get the points that they want to."
Also, he said, "For me, I don’t care. To be rough and get three points, or play well and get three points—win ugly or beautifully—I don’t care."
Do you agree with him?
I don't.
Firstly, I think Essien's perception of substance is way too shallow.
Substance is not just about winning the title and scoring.
It includes how well is your defense, how well the team coordinated in terms of creating chances or grabbing opportunities and so on.
And frankly speaking, you certainly require a certain unassailable level of substance to be able to play with style.
Does it mean that your team is full of substance if you can score plenty of goals but you have never played a nice game because the goals were just plain lucky or through dirty tricks?
If Chelsea can play like Arsenal and still scoring that well, then I have nothing to say.
Secondly, Essien made his judgement based on the assumption that Arsenal compromised on their scoring performance due to the emphasis on skills.
Playing a beautiful game is actually a sign respect to the soccer fans as well as to the team itself.
Essien would probably never able to understand this.
You will have no regrets although you have lost in the end because you know that you have given your best and you played it impressively.
Furthermore, Wenger has just managed to silence the critics by the triumph over Manchester United in the recent game.
Style can be side by side with Substance.
Does this mean that Manchester United has no substance?
Certainly not!
Why so?
because we know it deep in our hearts, they have played a great game.
Sometimes, maybe, maybe it's just not your time yet.
Lastly, I don't think that Arsenal have it wrong as suggested by Essien.
Instead, "Wenger deserves huge admiration for the way he insists his team goes about its business," as agreed Phil McNulty.
Look at the youngsters that Wenger has trained.
The skills and vision that they possess.
They are the playmakers in every game.
So, what's wrong now with playing a beautiful game without points?
Although I must admit that winning the title is also very important,
this is something that Arsenal can work towards perfecting the team,
every team has its own way of playing,
and the Style is what makes Arsenal stands out from the rest.
Keep it up and go all the way!
The gunners.
2 comments:
You make some arguments. But when you say that substance "includes how well is your defense, how well the team coordinated" you are actually pointing out the chief and only weakness of Arsenal. It is almost mythological this weakness - for it is their achilles heel. You can even see this weakness in that stunningly beautiful and young Arsenal team which whipped a near full-strength Wigan team in the Carling Cup yesterday. If I were an opposing manager I would focus an all out assault on the area of the field just behind Cesc Fabregas (since Arsenal refuse to buy or develop a good tough midfielder (like Essien)) and I would also hammer away at the pretty but flawed centrebacks they have on both their A and B sides. If you go to my site and my recent posts you might conclude that I don't like Arsenal. However, I have been celebrating them for a few years now - as a neutral. I love the sentiment of your post. I love when you say: "So, what's wrong now with playing a beautiful game without points? Although I must admit that winning the title is also very important, this is something that Arsenal can work towards perfecting the team,
every team has its own way of playing, and the Style is what makes Arsenal stands out from the rest." But - for me - that notion applies to last year more than this year. For me it would be nice if Wenger just came out and said that this is a rebuilding season. For I can't see this team playing beautifully or winning when the going gets tough. You referred to the victory over United but - as beautiful as that game was - it was far too open for a serious game. There is no team in the world that can beat Arsenal in an open (and honest) game of football. But as the season goes on there will be fewer and fewer of those open games and my prediction is that as a result our beautiful Arsenal will suffer and perhaps start to look un-beautiful - as they have already on a few occassions this season. Nice post though - and despite what I have said above - I hope that you keep the faith - and also that I am wrong. Nothing would make me happier than to see Arsenal's football win.
Hey, thanks for taking time to write something on my post.
I like your comment, thoughtful indeed.
I agree that last year's Arsenal was better, both in terms of style and substance.
I have browsed through all your blogs, haven't read through every single post though but they are really wonderful.
Nice try to buying over Michael Essien for 30 million pounds=)
Actually it comes to me as a surprise that you never feature David Villa.
What do you think about him?
I think Spain is a team with enormous potential.
They have good players.
And I like this:
"A beautifulgamer plays the game with skill, passion, integrity, intelligence and creativity - and lives his life according to the same criteria. One should make out of football - and life - a work of art."
Skill, passion, integrity, intelligence and creativity.
I hope that you will insist on what you believe in.
And hopefully we can see more beautiful game in the future.
Better still a beautiful game that yields some results.
I will try to write more on football in the future.
Do come by and have some discussion.
I really enjoyed your comment.
Lastly, may I link your blog?
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