St. Etienne and Monaco:the implications
by Myles Palmer
FEATURES
THE ARSENAL AGM - FULL WRITE UP
FIVE REASONS: ARSENAL COULD WIN IN BARCELONA
CARLTON AND ITV UPSET US AGAIN
JEKYLL AND HYDE PLAY THE NOU CAMP
The workouts against St Etienne and Monaco were both draws, but totally different games.
St Etienne, seen on Eurosport on Saturday at 7.30pm was a fast and fierce contest which finished 2-2. A high-energy match against a newlypromoted team club with a point to prove.
Monaco, on C5 on Monday at 6pm, was a 11 yawn with players just ambling about.
The starting lineup in St. Etienne was : Seaman; Luzhny, Keown, Grimandi, Winterburn; Parlour, Vieira, Petit, Silvinho ; Kanu, Ljungberg.
The starting team in Clermont-Ferrand was : Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Upson, Winterburn ; Parlour, Vieira, Petit, Silvinho, Kanu, Boa Morte.
Eric Poulat, the referee in the Monaco game, asked Wenger to take
Petit off just before half-time, as he was in danger of being
sent off. The ref indicated that an elbow had been raised, although
it was reported that Petit used abusive language about an incident
between keeper Barthez and Winterburn.
The flamboyant Barthez dived over Winterburn's outstretched foot. It was the most trivial of minor incidents. Winterburn did not foul the keeper, and Barthez did not pretend he had been kicked while the ball was in his hands.
Petit should have ignored the incident. But Poulat was being far too touchy and officious when he came over to the touchline in the 44th minute and asked Wenger to substitute his midfielder.
Too many refs are on ego-trips.
The games had two things in common. They showed that Arsenal need to sign two strikers immediately.
And, in each game, the first goal should have been disallowed.
Aloisio is a young Brazilian centre forward who has just joined St Etienne. Looks a bit like Amoroso, but is more physical. Fast, aggressive, skilful, far better than Caballero, Boa Morte or Wreh.
He scored the first goal, made the second with a great flick that put Revelles in against a static, apparently hypnotised Seaman.
Aloisio is the kind of player Arsenal should have signed as cover for the big name striker who should have already replaced Anelka.
If St. Etienne can find a striker as good as Aloisio, why can't Arsenal?
The Aloisio goal after 8 minutes came after a blatant handball.
The keeper took a 70-yard free-kick which went down Arsenal's right flank. Luzhny headed the ball away, Vieira tried a risky short pass to Petit, the ball was intercepted and played forward to Sarr, who handled just before Keown collided with him, and Aloisio rifled a half-volley past Seaman.
Monaco's equaliser was offside. Marco Simone found Farnerud with a very good pass, but he was already three yards behind the defence. The slow-motion replay was damning but not definitive.
Pignol had scored an own goal in 22 minutes. Vieira broke forward and passed to Petit in a wide right position. His right foot shot was blocked by Barthez, but the rebound hit Pignol and went in. A jammy goal.
Monaco
The Monaco match was a love-in compared to the St Etienne game, played at 40% of the tempo. I missed part of Marc Overmarss interview at half-time, but heard him say that the game lacked the speed of the previous match.
In St Etienne, Wenger had started with Kanu and Ljungberg up front and both scored good goals.
Ljungberg was the best player on the field when Sweden drew with England on June 5th. He looked sharp, quick and positive here, a more viable temporary partner for Kanu than the erratic Boa Morte, who played against Monaco.
That was bizarre : the master of deception paired with the headless chicken.
Boa Morte is a fast, brave left winger who cannot pass and does not know where to run. He is actually better as a striker than as a left winger because he can use his energy.
But half his passes are to opponents. The other half are 50-50 balls. He is not good enough. Never has been, never will be.
The most interesting substitution of the two matches came in the Monaco game when Wenger brought Luznhy on for Parlour after 60 minutes.
So the Ukrainian was playing in front of Lee Dixon in a 4-4-2. He is a far more accurate passer than Parlour or Dixon, so that was interesting.
Maybe Wenger can do with a Petit with Luzhny. Turn a full back into a midfield player. Sounds improbable? But stranger things have happened.
Referee and programme writer Kenny Goldman is always telling me that Parlour would make a right back. But I think right backs are born, not made.
Arsenal's best player over the two games was Silvinho. He is compact, quick and resourceful, and has a right foot.
He crosses beautifully, and takes good corners and free-kicks. Obviously no Arsenal left back will ever be as good a tackler as Winterburn, or as consistent, as brave, as durable. But Silvinho looks worth every penny of £4 million.
Upson intercepted well, and passed well, but went off at half time against Monaco, perhaps with that hamstring problem, which is very worrying.
Upson is a class defender. He will make it, injuries permitting.
Malz is tall, strong, competent and left-footed. A useful squad player who will become more confident.
But the squad is far too small. With Bould and Hughes gone, Arsenal need another centreback and another midfielder as well as two strikers.
And remember, Thierry Henry is not a striker. He is not a goalscorer.
He scored only 20 goals in 103 games for Monaco. And he did nothing at Juventus.
Henry is a right-footed left winger who is quick and skilful. He can also play wide on the right.
Even Arsene Wenger cannot make Henry into a striker.
So lets get that straight in our minds before we read any more ignorant tosh in the papers. Got it? Thierry Henry is a winger.