EPL Talk » Thierry Henry

Half-Forgotten Gems – Arsenal’s Other Title Triumph

Michael Scallon — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:13:03 +0000

February 2nd 2002 was a pretty non-descript day in the History of Football, or indeed the history of anything – Prince Willem -Alexander of Orange, heir to the Dutch throne got married, Euro-Monarchy Fans will tell you (and, er… wikipedia) – but that aside, Manchester United stayed atop of the Premier League with a 4-1 win against Sunderland, with Newcastle just behind after beating Bolton, and Arsenal dropped seemingly crucial points at home against Southampton, 1-1. Despite breaking the record for scoring in consecutive Premier League games, they were now sat on 48 points, 3 behind United and 1 behind Newcastle, with the title now in the Geordies’ hands.

The press were gnawing at the absence of a “real leader” at the back: three of The Back Four (Lee Dixon, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn) had left and the other (Tony Adams) was out injured, leaving Sol Campbell to hold together a backline that – Oleg Luzhny, Matthew Upson and Ashley Cole – looks better than decent now, but was raw and uncertain back then. Whilst all the big prizes were still ‘on’, they seemed to be slipping away. Jo Tessem’s 79th minute equaliser had summed up the situation - Arsenal’s away form had been sensational, but they had picked up just over half of the available points on offer at home (19/36), and had lost to title rivals (Newcastle, Leeds), as well as a Jason Euell inspired Charlton.

Despite the atrocious performances of late autumn 2001, a Manchester United side looking for 4 successive titles had stormed to pole position, and with Sir Bobby Robson’s Newcastle also flying high, Arsenal were in danger of falling away. Or so, it seemed, before one of the Greatest Title Charges in history.

Thirteen games, thirteen wins. It started slowly, with a fortunate Sylvain Wiltord (back then Arsenal’s record signing at £13m) goal looping past Steve Simonsen at Goodison Park, before sparkling into life. A comfortable win over Fulham led to a crunch game at St James’s Park – Newcastle went into the game 2 points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, in the knowledge that victory in this and that game in hand would take them top of the table, Arsenal needed a win to keep pace with the Champions – enter Dennis Bergkamp and Sol Campbell. The latter was superb at the back, snuffing out the threat of Shearer, Laurent Robert and co before crowning an exceptionally mature display with a powerful header; whereas the dutchman silenced The Gallowgate with a moment of either intricate, delicate genius, or remarkable fortune. After taking a pass from Vieira, he slung it out wide to Pires with a lazy precision so typical of his style, before sprinting feverishly forward, seeing the chance for a counter. Pires, carrying the ball forward under little pressure from his marker, cut inside and passed it towards Bergkamp, now back to goal, given a half yard of space to work in, nothing more. With his back to the covering centre half, Nikos Dabizas, he glanced it beautifully, left footed around the right hand side of the greek with his first touch, before swivelling around the left side of Dabizas, holding him off and sliding the ball past Shay Given with a serene insouciance. Did he mean such a magnificent first touch? If he didn’t, who cares?

Following that 2-0 win Arsenal strode mercilessly on, squeaking past Derby County to go briefly top, and after wins at Villa Park, at home against Sunderland and away at Charlton, went top once and for all. On April 1st they went top, and on top they stayed. Monstrous efforts from United and a resurgent Liverpool side under Gerard Houllier (Liverpool won 13 of their last 15 games, United 17 out of 20 going into the final week), couldn’t stop Arsenal sweeping all before them, and even though United had a run of five very tough away games out of six (West Ham, Leeds, Chelsea as well as Leicester and Ipswich, scrapping for their lives), and won them all – 5-3 at Upton Park and 4-3 at Elland Road were both hum-dingers – it was not enough to even guarantee a place in the top 2, such was the amazing form of the other two. Whilst Arsenal kept on flying through their fixtures (Robert Pires, soon to be named FWA Footballer of the Year, was in astonishing form, along with Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg), with wins against Spurs, Ipswich, West Ham (late Ljungberg and Kanu strikes put the title two wins away) and Bolton (Ljungberg again, and Wiltord), three major results went in their favour:

The day after Campbell and Bergkamp thwarted Newcastle’s challenge, United dropped two crucial points at Derby to put Arsenal into The Driving Seat. United could only move one point clear, and they were lucky to get that after a Malcolm Christie goal was curiously ruled out in the last minute. The second was the Champions losing at home to Middlesbrough, an Alen Boksic sidefoot was created expertly by Juan Sebastian Veron… who was playing for United, and losing concentration on the edge of his own box. United couldn’t break Boro down, and Arsenal were given the perfect pick-me up after their Champions League exit. United were now one point ahead of Arsenal, but the gunners had two games in hand, and, as we know in hindsight, won them. With United all but out of it - a do-or-die game against Arsenal at Old Trafford was awaiting, but we’ll get to that later – Liverpool were left chasing down the to-be Champions. That was before Tottenham all but sealed the deal for Arsenal. Gus Poyet’s goal left a dent in the hopes of a Liverpool side hitherto flying under Gerard Houllier – the previous season’s treble (not The Treble, a treble) had raised hopes and a talented side including Michael Owen (before he got injured), a raw but exciting Steven Gerrard and Danny “Three Winners at Old Trafford” Murphy were pushing Arsenal hard. After this game, those hopes completely faded. Arsenal needed a point to be Champions, and they could do it at Old Trafford.

They did, and in style. Neutering the Champions’ threat completely, they kept up their record of scoring in every single game, ten minutes into the second half, with another goal from that man Wiltord. After holding on comfortably, Arsenal’s joyous players celebrated with the travelling support, as this win secured Wenger’s second league title, and both had included 1-0 wins at Old Trafford, right at the end of the season. With thirteen straight wins after a last win over Everton, Arsenal celebrated the double, with having gone the whole season without losing a game away from home.

The Aftermath – Why is it half-forgotten?

As usual in football, subsequent events can tarnish, to a certain extent, glories of the past. The very next season, Arsenal went on to lose the title dramatically to United – another magnificent run (15 wins from 18 games) – and a rather strange collapse (they lost at home to Leeds in the penultimate game, who avoided relegation. Just.) has rather taken the glow off this particular title charge, as the season is often remembered as “United’s Veron Season” rather than “Arsenal’s Charge Season”, because United won the title the next year, and the three previous, making 2001-02 seem like simply a blip. A Veron/Laurent Blanc induced blip. Furthermore, as Arsenal then went on to go a season unbeaten, this charge – until last season the most consecutive wins by any Premier League team, ever – is almost a precede to that triumph, rather one in its own right. “The Curse Of The One In The Middle”, as anyone with older and younger siblings might argue, also comes into effect. The first title (1997-8, for Wenger’s Arsenal) is the sweetest, the most recent is the most memorable… and, oh yeah, there’s the other one.

How Important Has Foreign Influence Been On The English Premiership?

Rami Soufi — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:21:27 +0000

The influence of foreigners on football in England cannot be underestimated. While Coach Fabio Capello has guided England through the qualifiers and instilled a winning mentality amongst the players, the skills of English players such as Wayne Rooney and the presence of leaders like John Terry must also be credited with the change in England’s fortunes. It could very well be a combination of Don Fabio’s managerial skills, the quality of the players at his disposal and the maturity of certain players. The time is ripe for the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to deliver for England.

On the club level, the English Premiership has in excess of 330 foreign players representing over 60 countries while the English makeup less than half of the league’s total eligible players. The contribution of non-English footballers has been enormous with Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Gianfranco Zola, Didier Drogba, and Fernando Torres, just to name a few, all providing the fans in England with numerous highlights. While such classy players brought flair and showmanship to the game, the core values of the English game, in particular hard work, drive and commitment to the team, the fanatical support of the fans and their dedication to their clubs, have all meshed well together to transform the English clubs into perennial challengers on the European front. Manchester United lifted the Champions League twice since 1999 while Liverpool won it once with a further appearance in the final (both Arsenal and Chelsea also made it to the final in recent years). The positive displays and achievements in Europe are a sign of the new heights reached by football clubs in England to the pleasure of local fans.

Off the pitch, foreign owners have invested heavily in English clubs with Manchester City and Chelsea the leading example of the exuberant funding provided by some of those tycoons. Roman Abramovich has spent a fortune to turn Chelsea into a contender and helped the London outfit win the league title for the first time in several decades while the past several months have seen extravagant sums paid by Manchester City’s owner Dr. Al-Fahim. Foreign ownership extends beyond those two clubs to include Liverpool and Manchester United among others.

The foreign element has brought the skills of talented footballers to England and provided some clubs with massive funding while putting to good use the core characteristics of football culture in England, basically the loyalty and fervent support of English fans, the unrefined and raw talent along with the fighting spirit of English players. Simply put, diverse talent from around the world has been “coming home” to football’s motherland to provide high quality entertainment.

The English game had the fundamental ingredients needed to move forward and was only missing a key component to become a successful recipe. With the combination of local flavor and foreign infusion, the elements of success have finally aligned together. England’s Premiership has overtaken Italy’s Serie A in many ways according to well-respected critics, and that certainly is no easy feat considering the quality of Italian clubs just a few years ago.

Should Manchester City Refocus Their Mega-Spending Efforts Domestically?

tyduffy — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:11:09 +0000

Manchester City’s new ownership sent chairman Garry Cook, brimming with billions, to build a super-club capable of Champions League qualification. The club’s £91m bid for Kaka was a noted fiasco, but, as details have emerged, that’s hardly been their only activity.

City reportedly made an equally irresponsible bid for Spain and Valencia star David Villa, in the range of £100m. The club then cancelled the deal “on principle,” after Valencia countered with £135m.

Gigi Buffon was probably the target of another record bid, although Manchester City again withdrew when Juventus started asking for nearly £100m for Buffon. They will hold firm for £6m for Shay Given, yet be willing to part with ten times that for Buffon?

Man City also tried to raid Barcelona’s bench, offering a combined £49m for Thierry Henry , who may be a possibility next summer, and midfielder Yaya Toure. They had a £10m offer to Arsenal for Yaya’s brother Kolo as well.

The club also have offered £18m for Roque Santa Cruz. They are so eager they’re willing to throw Tal Ben Haim into the deal, which surely has nothing to do with him being Israeli.

This excludes the £40m already spent on players in January, bringing in a competent left-back (Wayne Bridge), a diminutive striker who doesn’t score much (Craig Bellamy) and a midfielder good enough to be rumored but never to be bought by a big club (Nigel de Jong).

Tallying things up, City have put forth a ludicrous amount of money, with ludicrous ambition. So, it seems only fitting they get ludicrous responses.

City have been content scouring the continent for spectacular Brazilians, but, if they want their spending to be effective, sound they consider throwing their money around closer to home?

Manchester City’s transfer budget dwarfs that of England’s big four combined. There are reasons for that.

Manchester United sit on a mountain of debt. They bought their two Serbians and they’re out. Roman Abramovich, after losing a few billion wants Chelsea to run a tight ship, allowing only £12m in January. Liverpool face an uncertain financial future, should the Americans not be able to find a buyer. Even profitable Arsenal must repay their debt. And these are the well off clubs…

If Garry Cook is willing to offer nearly £100m to continental giants, why not test the resolve of the domestic ones?

Would the Liverpool board allow Rafa Benitez to turn his nose at such a mega-offer for Mascherano or Fernando Torres?

If City offered £50m for Adebayor or Van Persie could Arsenal afford not to listen?

With players at Chelsea paying for their own lunches, could they entice one of Chelsea’s stars up north?

Even moving down the table, Villa may be able to reject a great transfer bid. But, could cash-short Everton reject a gobsmacking offer for Arteta?

Perhaps, these transfers may be inconceivable for January. But, if the economy begins to effect the boffo Premier League revenues – and that probably should be a when not an if– these speculations may be a crude reality.

Manchester City Are Going To Be The Biggest Club In The World

The Gaffer — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:11:00 +0000

Imagine an all-star team of footballers featuring the top names in the sport. Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres, Thierry Henry, Robinho and David Villa. Now imagine all of these players on the same team, Manchester City.

Before yesterday, that notion sounded ridiculous, but now that the Abu Dhabi United Group is in charge of Manchester City, it seems very plausible.

“We are going to be the biggest club in the world, bigger than both Real Madrid and Manchester United,” said Al Fahim. “We’re not just going to spend money on anyone, but if we can get the biggest players in the world, and of course if the manager wants them, then we will get them.”

The ramifications from such an ambitious move by Manchester City will change the entire sport. When you have an investor with seemingly unlimited funds that makes Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United look like poor cousins, you know that the rules have changed.

With all of the money flooding in and out of England yesterday, expect FIFA and UEFA to sound the alarm bells within the coming days warning that money is ruining the game and is shifting the balance of power to Premier League clubs.

Both FIFA and UEFA should be worried. If the Premier League continues at this pace and more Middle East investors purchase English clubs, the Premier League will become the defacto world leader. The Champions League, while a massive revenue generator, will be less appealing when clubs such as Manchester City buy the trophy. And when you compare what the Premier League could be versus the World Cup, the Copa Mundial will seem far less appealing especially when club football is bigger and more powerful than playing for your country.

The danger of what’s happening within the Premier League is that the league could explode just as quickly as it’s growing right now. If in 2-3 years from now, the Middle East owners decide to sell the clubs, there are very few — if any — investors in the world who would be able to pay the inflated player wages that an all-star team would demand. The only option would be to declare bankruptcy.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. The Premier League is now the world’s soccer league and has little, if anything, to do with England anymore. England has simply become the fields of grass where the matches are being played. The only thing missing from the Premier League becoming truly the world league of soccer is playing matches overseas, and the wheels are already in motion for this to happen. Just wait.

Julie Foudy: You Are ESPN’s Weakest Link, Goodbye!

The Gaffer — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:21:52 +0000

At the start of the Euro 2008 tournament, ESPN pundits were asked who was going to be their star of the tournament. Pundit Julie Foudy picked Thierry Henry. Her choice showed how clueless she is about the sport.

I’m still scratching my head why ESPN selected Foudy as a member of their Euro 2008 broadcasting team. Maybe the network thought it wanted to break up the male monopoly by having a token female on its staff?

It would have been wiser for ESPN to have selected Seamus Malin instead of Foudy, a former member of the U.S. women’s team.

If you have any clue why Foudy was selected, please share your comments below.