Onion Bag: Ferguson Outfoxes Wenger, Barcelona Drops Points
By Ty Duffy
The result paired with previous failures has led absurd reactionaries (and goaded Fox Soccer pundits) to speculate about Arsene Wenger’s future. That may be a bit premature. Wenger’s recent reign raises legitimate concerns. His blind spots have remained blind. Holes, such as a driving midfielder to replace Gilberto Silva or a top-caliber goalkeeper to replace Jens Lehman remain unfilled.
Players like Abou Diaby, Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott have not developed as expected. Signings such as Rosicky, Arshavin and Chamakh have been underwhelming. The team tends to go limp in pressure situations. The club overall has been less vigorous since David Dein and his collaborative voice departed.
That said, last weekend’s results can be as easily explained by injuries as philosophical faults or a lack of fortitude. Arsenal on Saturday didn’t have Walcott’s speed, didn’t have Fabregas’ incisive passing, didn’t have their best defensive midfielder, Song, and didn’t have their first-choice goalkeeper Szczesny. Most teams would struggle with equivalent injuries.
Arsenal have disappointed. They’ve eroded most of their fans’ patience, but Arsene Wenger knows what he’s doing. UEFA is forcing clubs to balance budgets. The Premier League is restricting squads to promote homegrown talent. European soccer is moving toward a more balanced, fiscally responsible and domestically furnished future. Arsenal, cultivating starlets such as Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere, has been preparing for that eventuality for years.
With a young squad, the Gunners are set to improve in the near future and, oh yeah, they still have an excellent chance to win the Premier League this season.
Hometown Hero: Francesco Totti gets free reign at Roma. On Sunday he reminded everyone why. The 34-year-old legend rocketed a free kick into the net to break the draw with arch-rival Lazio on 70 minutes, overcame his head being stamped and scored a penalty in the dying minutes to seal a 2-0 win, Roma’s fifth-straight in the derby. Totti’s the gifted legend who stayed home. He also has a remarkable sense of timing.
Failure: For just the fourth time this season, Barcelona dropped points in the league. The Catalans were held to a 1-1 draw away to Sevilla, dropping their record to a pedestrian 24-1-3 and letting Real Madrid close the gap to a de facto six points. Barcelona continued a run of misspent chances in this match hitting the crossbar twice. The have scored only three goals in their past three league matches, but, given their attacking talent, long-term concern should be minimal.
Humorless: The French Football Federation suspended Cedric Enroljas, president of French amateur team FC Borne, for six months. While intoxicated, Enroljas put in a joke transfer bid for Lionel Messi. The FFF intercepted the bid, refused to send it to Spain and issued the suspension. Enroljas promised to spend the next few months contemplating his grave error in the pub. You would think Raymond Domenech’s six years in charge of the French national team would’ve cultivated a greater appreciation for farce.
Recovery: The J-League has cancelled all Japanese matches through the end of March, with foreign players being sent home. Friendly matches scheduled with Montenegro and New Zealand are in doubt. AFC Champions League matches scheduled in Japan have been postponed indefinitely.
[Photo via Getty]
Goal of the Week: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) vs. Arsenal