Evolution

The Arsenal style, or should I say Wengerball has changed considerably over the last 4 years. For a large amount of Wenger's reign, we saw a brand of football which was based on moving the ball vertically up the field as fast as possible. This was a technical variation of hoofball, where the aim was the same but the difference being that it was done through ground balls and not high passes. The speed and precision at which it was executed was literally breathtaking. There was a saying that Arsenal were more likely to score when defending their own corner. Wenger had perfected a counterattack which no team could deal with, and it culminated in 3 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups and a 49 game unbeaten run.

Despite it's success in the league, the style failed pathetically in Europe. After comprehensively beating teams on the weekend it was baffling as to why the Gunners came unstuck against lowly European opposition. The question than arised, why did it work in the league but fail in Europe? After persisting year in year out, the answer started to become apparent. Teams in Europe simply never afforded Arsenal the space to move up the field, and they refused to push forward denying the opportunity to counter. The problem was that Arsenal could only play at a fast tempo but were unable to slow it down. As a result, they couldn't control a European game when they had to look for attacking solutions other than using the fast paced attack which had proven ineffective. The style had a deep flaw and managers like Ferguson than took these tactics and started deploying them in league games. This realisation turned the tide with managers up and down the country starting to enjoy success at Arsenal's expense.

Something radical had to be done, Chelsea had now emerged as a serious Premier League contender and Arsenal were no longer able to destroy teams like in the past. Without evolution, Arsenal were in danger of being left behind. Than the most controversial decision of Wengers time in North London was made. Captain, Patrick Vieira was sold and was replaced by the small frame of youngster Cesc Fabregas. The Frenchman had been one of the major components of our fast tempo game. He was largely behind the upfield pressing which was vital in winning the ball in order to start a counter attack. His replacement was made of completely different metals. The Spaniard brought a different type of game to Arsenal. No longer were the team going to try and win the ball quickly and attack, but instead were going to look for attacking solutions which involved intelligence, patience and most importantly possession. Wenger moved quickly to complement his new star by purchasing playmakers Alexander Hleb and Tomas Rosicky. We had seen a transition in style and the first sign of it's potential success was evident when the club reached the CL final for the first time.

Like version 1 of Wengerball, the evolved style started to draw it's critics. It was labelled boring and keeping the ball for large period's of time was a problem for many, especially when the results were not justifying the change in style. It took 2 years before it showed any signs of fruition, and a league title was almost won as a result. Unfortunately a few players who were instrumental in the implementation of Wengerball v.2 decided to leave. Hleb and Flamini left and Rosicky is still out injured. The 2 playmakers were than replaced by youngsters Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott this summer. The new wide players have started to show qualities which were prevalent in previous Arsenal teams. They both move the ball quickly up the field whilst looking for solutions through short passes. There are now players that have the qualities of both the past and present teams. This season we have seen signs of v.1 and v.2 both being displayed in tandem by the Arsenal. The 3rd version of Wengerball could possibly incorporate the best qualities from the two previous styles. Wenger may well have the cracked the code which could enable us to threaten for both the league and the CL, simultaneously.