Arsenal

Excuse rose tinted spectacles, but, to quote Janice, Oh-My-God...

Here you have a team that is coached well, that is tactically prepared for each game, a team that contains players who are young, exceedingly talented (Eboue, he is going to be some player, and as for Fabregas....), players who pass and move, players who are comfortable on the ball wherever they might care to get it (Eboue-last ditch saving tackles or fast and dangerous runs forward), players and a team that are obviously going places, and with a manager and coaching staff who are, who must be, amongst the very best in the game...

The temptation is to say "why can't we be like that?". OK, in terms of the size of the club and the calibre of the players we attract, no, of course not. But why can't we looka t how they do things and scale it down accordingly-talented and forward thinking management and coaching, young and talented players who want to improve -and hell, if they see us as a "stepping stone" why not-and a team and philosophy that is based on passing football and players who are, and look, completely at home with the ball at their feet, and who, when they don't have it are looking for it, and are not afraid.

Like I said, excuse the rose tinted spectacles. But if that is the way ahead for a club the size of Arsenal, why can't it, on a smaller scale, be the way ahead for clubs like ours? And yes, ours in particular.

I accept that there team lacks any home grown players, maybe the "downscaling" of any such philosopy is to do just what they have done-with young British and Irish players. I don't know. But I envy Arsenal right now and their fans, not just for their size and success, but the way they play their football. I'd sooner watch them than Chelsea, despite their megastars, anyday. Can there be (dare I mention the phrase?) an "Arsenal model" at Carrow Road?Is it hoof, hit and hope, and "journeymen" the only way we can thrive?

I really hope not.

Posted By: Martin Peters, Mar 29, 09:01:13