Gunners on target

Wenger's rediscovered the cutting edge

Last updated: 12th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Gunners on target

Wenger: The magic touch

Arsene Wenger has maybe looked back to when Dennis Bergkamp was playing and when Thierry Henry was playing, Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg, and asked why did they create so many chances with their forward movement?

Stuart Robson
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Former Arsenal midfielder Stuart Robson claims Arsene Wenger has finally rediscovered the magic formula that proved so invincible during the Bergkamp and Henry era of the club.

Arsenal have been in majestic form this season, losing only twice on their way to scoring a record 36 league goals at this stage of the season.

Signs are suggesting Wenger may finally have formed a team capable of ending The Gunners' five-year wait for silverware, and with Chelsea on the horizon Robson warned The Blues to be prepared for a much more direct Arsenal side.

"In the last few seasons the fans have always talked about Arsenal's intricate passing, and yes, they can pass the ball intricately and they are clever with their movement," he explained on Sky Sports News.

"But Arsenal are now playing far more direct than they have for several seasons. I think that's the change in philosophy Arsene Wenger has had this year.

"He's maybe looked back to when Dennis Bergkamp was playing and when Thierry Henry was playing, Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg, and asked why did they create so many chances with their forward movement?

"That's what he has tried to replicate this season."

Great skill

Robson is keen to point out he does not mean 'direct' in the sense that Arsenal occasionally fell into whilst Emmanuel Adebayor played up front, he means 'penetrative' and 'clinical' for the want of two better words.

"You'll very rarely see an Arsenal goal nowadays where they play a backward pass. They penetrate very quickly and they play a direct style of play.

"There are two types of direct football. There's the direct style that Stoke will play with the centre forward flicking balls on, which gives the ball away cheaply but you're applying pressure.

"There's possession football where you pass the ball around and penetrate occasionally, but Arsene Wenger has the balance right now by getting his team to pass the ball forward in a direct manner, but with great skill."

Comments (39)

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Saurabh Seroo (Arsenal fan) says...

Arsenal have always had a very extreme reaction from the media and press alike. Last season every week was a disaster and Wenger was a failure. This season, we've gone from 5th place to potential champions. The same thing happened in 2007/08 and its a pity that we didn't win the title that season. Henry left and suddenly Spurs were going to overtake us for 4th. I've always felt that this team could do well. The blow was losing Hleb and Flamini at the same time. Song and Diaby grew into their roles gradually and look really amazing this season. Song has been Arsenal's player of the season. He came on v Wolves and what a difference it made to Ramsey's game. Diaby just needs a little time, like Song before he finds his rhythm. I remember Song v Fulham away in the 2006/07 season. He was awful but today he looks like a world beater. Arsenal have an absolutely amazing squad of players that many people take for granted. But which other team in the league, or even in Europe has wingers of the type of Arshavin, Rosicky, Nasri and Walcott? If Arsenal beat Chelsea at home in 3 weeks time then they've lai down a marker for the rest of the season and thrown down the gauntlet. Cammon you Gunners!

Posted 15:02 13th November 2009

Riyas Izzedeen (Arsenal fan) says...

for me the current arsenal although much more attractive have yet to reach the one touch standards of the earlier era.

Posted 12:19 13th November 2009

Stuart Ho (Arsenal fan) says...

There is no doubt Arsenal are doing well right now, but its still too early to know just how far we can go. My concern is do we have enough depth to really win in the end. It's like the 1st team have a good chance to beat many teams but if our players get injured then it will be a problem. I hope Arsene will think ahead to strengthen the squad just a little bit more to ease of what could be possible for injuries. Even if Arsenal win Chelsea on 29th November. I still feel we need a bit more to reassure of what I'd love to see and that would be for Arsenal to win the Premiership and I really hope this time the Champions League. Thats the two cups I'd love Arsenal to win.

Posted 12:10 13th November 2009

Moranga Saul (Arsenal fan) says...

ARSENAL GO ON SHOOTING THE ENEMIES

Posted 11:41 13th November 2009

Ian Anderson (Arsenal fan) says...

We have been playing good, intricate football for a good few seasons now and still not got any silverware. I think the difference this season is we have grinded out results from mediocre performances whereas before we would lose miserably and that has been key so far. If we keep this up and keep injuries down, I think we can win more than one cup this season and many seasons to come. "WE ARE ARSENAL"

Posted 11:26 13th November 2009

Muhammad yaseen Tinny [arsenal gun] (Arsenal fan) says...

The Light Of Greatness Is Beginning To Shine Through; Its Arsenal's Time!

Posted 09:59 13th November 2009

Laurence Tipping (Arsenal fan) says...

The lean years have concided with Abeydayor and Fabregas taking over the attacking and midfield mantles from Henry and Vieira - although ofcourse the styles are different. The likes of Rosicky and Hleb were the replacements for Pires. Rosicky's injuries are well catalogued but both Hleb and Adebayor were unmitigated disasters, despite possessing sublime skills. Hleb was incredibly ineffective in terms of killer passes and his finishing was shocking. Abeydayor possesses everything but a brain, and as Man City have already found out with his 4 consecutive goals nullified by a subsequent 3 match ban, he is simply not a player you can rely on to take responsibilty. Offloading Abeydayor has become one of Wenger's greatest transactions. His team can live, breathe and thrive again.

Posted 09:44 13th November 2009

Paull Honeychurch (Arsenal fan) says...

Yes we are playing the best football we have in a long time and with more concistency too but we have won nothing yet, I have complete faith in Wenger and even if we were to come out trophyless at the end of the season there is no better person to be at the helm of Arsenal football club. We are a joy to watch and by far the most entertaining side in the league at the moment long may that continue, and with some luck with injuries and no balls ups we can and will win things this year, COME ON YOU GOONERS!

Posted 09:07 13th November 2009

Matthew Buser (Arsenal fan) says...

I think Arsenal have great potential to win a trophy this season (Hopefully the league) but one thing stands out like a sore thumb.. Clean sheets or the lack of them! We need to be a little more ruthless in defence and i think once that is corrected we will be on the way to great success!

Posted 06:34 13th November 2009

Clement Lee (Arsenal fan) says...

Arsenal is back with their consistency and fluidity passing skill. I believe Arsenal will beat Chelsea 2-0 at Emirate. They just can't STOP scoring.

Posted 02:51 13th November 2009

David Miller (Arsenal fan) says...

great to see the arsenal team playing their game only with much more of an end product compared to previous seasons. although previous seasons wont let me carried away as too many times its fell away at the vital stage. i still dont think we are back in the glory days of bergkamp,henry, pires, viera but the signs are good. fabregas is the playing the best he ever has and is arguebly the best in the world at the moment van p is deadly and will assist as much as he scores. song is solid in the centre of the park vermalen lookin the buy of the season and not only that we look to have strength in depth with nasri coming back to full fitness and rosicky there not even to mention walcott we are a force. my only worry is the goalkeeping dept where i would like to strenghten but i trust in arsene. hes stuck to his beliefs and selling adebayor was a masterstroke as we look so much better without him and even now selling toure looks to be a shrewd peace of business. roll on the end of the season and make some room in the trophy cabinet. p.s bring on chelsea

Posted 02:12 13th November 2009

Jason Smith (Arsenal fan) says...

Its not just the style of play thats driving Arsenal at the moment, its also team spirit and mentality, they seem to have the desire and will to want to win. Do you remember the way the Invincibles played, if you scored a goal against them, they'd come right at you and score 2 goals as if to say how dare u score against us. This team is very similar in mentality, only now there saying "score if you like, we'll score even more". And what was john saying about Arsenal bringing Ajax style football to the premiership??? dont be trippin, Arsenal are playing a unique breed of football, proof, look at the speed of the game over the last 100 years and look at it since Arsene Wenger arrived in the UK, hell Stuart Robson had to make a new defination out of the term direct football to describe what is taking place at the Emirates. PS Ferguson has had 20+ years at the helm, benitez has a good number of years under his belt, enough time to establish his vision and Chelsea, well there new comers with very little in the way of history before the premier league began (in comparison to Liverpool, ManU and Arsenal), we'll have to wait and see. But credit where credit is due, not only are Arsenal poised to dominate football for the next ten years (if they can keep the team together) but they will have changed the face of football in the process. Pele changed the face of football by showing that you can do more with a ball then just pass and shoot, since then we have seen greats individuals like Marco Van Basten, George Best, Diego Maradonna, Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and the list goes on. Arsene has changed the game itself by combining health and fitness with great pace, great skill, great movement, and a verve that is sometimes just simply breathtaking. I hope that Arsenal are the first of the many great TEAMS we will see in the near future.

Posted 00:39 13th November 2009

Junaid Paracha (Arsenal fan) says...

I am so glad at what Arsene Wenger has done. He has built the team so well! The strategy he has employed is very new to england and he has done a great job. We FINALLY have match winners. We just need to support our team! Everyone playing or on the bench has amazing potential. we have three excellent keepers, excellent strikers, and amazing mid-field and superb defense. and above all we have belief!

Posted 00:28 13th November 2009

Joseph Akinola (Arsenal fan) says...

I have told all my friends that arsenal are going to win the league this year, I strongly believe that so I might aswell announce my views to the world.....ARSENAL WILL WIN THE LEAGUE, am not going to debate it, I will just wait for the trophy parade come may.

Posted 23:14 12th November 2009

Ive Alexander (Arsenal fan) says...

Now start making some noise at the home of football

Posted 22:27 12th November 2009

Mohamed Yusuf ali (Arsenal fan) says...

The difference this year is Thomas Vermaelen, Alex Song and the change of formation;that allows midfield players to concentrate only on the forward and it is paying dividents. It seems Arsenal recovered the wounds; and I was always cheering them and continue so.

Posted 21:55 12th November 2009

Chandresh Patel (Arsenal fan) says...

As a brit watching Arsenal this season has been a pleasure. I think in the last four seasons some doubt crept in for some of the big matches. This season feels like a different Arsenal, they seem to have more confidence and team spirit and with the youngsters getting more and more exprience the future of the clubs look really exciting. I am covinced the boys will be top two and a sneeking feeling we will win on goal difference !!!! watch the gunners go !!!!!!!

Posted 21:53 12th November 2009

Baba Dalawarzada (Arsenal fan) says...

Arsenal will be back to their best to win the primiership because we are already 2nd in the table and lets say we will win most of our easy games however the only two teams that gunners need to look for is chelsea and man utd in the title race but liverpool are having a bad season so this will not be a worry for arsenal. COME ON GUNNERS WIN ALL THE WAY!!!!!!

Posted 21:08 12th November 2009

David Sullivan (Arsenal fan) says...

adebayor goes arsenal start playing like a team the team seems happier without him and has freed up van persie and he is coming in to his own A BETTER PLAYER come on you reds

Posted 21:01 12th November 2009

Baba Dalawarzada (Arsenal fan) says...

Arsenal Fan all the way!!!!!!

Posted 20:50 12th November 2009
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