Tom Oldfield
Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit have gone down in Arsenal history for their midfield partnership, which brought the Premiership title to the club back in 1998. For all the bravery of Tony Adams, the predatory instincts of Ian Wright and the sublime touches of Dennis Bergkamp, the title could not have been achieved without the unbeatable Vieira-Petit axis.
Arsene Wenger was the manager then and is the manager now, which makes it all the more puzzling that he has overlooked the importance of a dominant defensive midfielder for the past two summers. Losing Gilberto Silva and Mathieu Flamini and failing to replace them seemed a staggering decision ahead of the 2008/09 campaign and, on top of losing Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure to Manchester City, the Gunners face the same midfield worries again this season.
Admittedly, it is not for the want of trying. Wenger chased highly-rated Brazilian spoiler Felipe Melo for months, identifying the hard-working midfielder as a missing piece in the Arsenal jigsaw. For a while, it looked very promising indeed, especially with Gilberto Silva urging his compatriot to consider the merits of a switch to North London. Gilberto also told the media: ‘He [Melo] is exactly what they need – a powerful player with quality.’
Ultimately, though, there was bitter disappointment for Wenger and all Arsenal fans. Juventus won the race for Melo’s signature. And, in that one moment, the Gunners’ hopes for 2009/10 had to be adjusted.
Although Arsenal have not won a major trophy since lifting the FA Cup in 2005, Wenger’s overall record is such that it appears crazy to ever doubt him. But, without Melo, the club cannot expect to challenge for the title. It is as simple as that. The squad is inexperienced – and probably not deep enough – but most critically there is not enough steel. Winning big games, particularly away from home, requires more than just natural ability. Strong characters and brave ball-winners are equally essential on the path to the game’s major prizes. One look at the importance of Yaya Toure to Barcelona or Javier Mascherano to Liverpool confirms this point.
You may ask, why all the fuss about Melo? After all, he has only really hit the headlines in England over the past few months and for many he is not yet a household name. But he will be soon. The former Fiorentina man is the latest in a long line of Brazilian defensive midfielders, which includes national team boss Dunga, Mauro Silva, Emerson and Gilberto Silva, but he arguably has more flair up his sleeve than many of those who went before him in that position. Those who have seen him play regularly will know that he possesses a dangerous long-range strike and that his passing is always economical and sensible
The 26 year-old began his career with Flamengo in 2001 and went on to represent Spanish sides Real Mallorca, Racing Santander and Almeria. But it was his transfer to Fiorentina that really put him on the map. Incidentally, he made his international debut at The Emirates against Italy in February 2009 and showed exactly why he was on the rise, outfighting the Italian midfield and protecting his back four expertly. He displayed these same qualities during the Confederations Cup in South Africa later in the year as Brazil won the competition.
In short, he is just the type of player to follow in the footsteps of Vieira and Petit at Arsenal; just the type of player to lead Wenger’s side back to winning ways. His relentless energy levels would have suited English football excellently and he would have been the perfect foil for Gunners skipper Cesc Fabregas. Instead, Wenger is faced with an all too familiar concern – how can he make his team competitive on their travels?
Of course, there is still plenty of talent for the Arsenal manager to call upon. And this must not be forgotten in the sea of scepticism. Adebayor and Toure both appeared out of sorts last season, with the former often seeming disinterested, their exits may bring out the best in Robin van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner and new central defender Thomas Vermaelen, who arrived from Ajax. Fabregas is sure to be firing on all cylinders again and Gael Clichy is as good a full-back as there is in the Premier League. There are also unconfirmed rumours of Vieira returning after falling out of favour at Inter Milan and there is plenty of money to spend, though Wenger will not be rushed.
All this should be enough to keep hold of a spot in the top four, despite Manchester City spending big money this summer. But when compared to Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, the Arsenal squad cannot realistically put together the type of consistent campaign required to chase the title. Expect to see all the usual thrills from debatably the league’s most attractive footballing side but, until the defensive midfield conundrum is solved, the Gunners’ trophy drought looks set to continue.
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