Photo by Ronnie Macdonald
Whether misquoted or not (and I’m fairly sure he was) Denilson has made a valid point about the lack of leaders in the Arsenal side.
True his actual quotes were taken from an interview meant only for the Arseblog and Arsenal Brazil website by a third party, sold to the Sun and then put through their trashy, tabloid story spinner in order to make dramatic if misleading headlines, take the focus away from what really matters – the livescore in each game the side plays.
But cut away the red-top tittle tattle for a minute I think Denilson has a valid point to make and one some fans have appreciated for a while.
I have to say that Cesc does a fantastic job, I’ll say that now, but I have always seen him and the captaincy as an awkward mix. It landed in his lap almost by default as he was the club’s best player following the William Gallas ‘incident’.
It seemed like a sweetener to keep him at the club and an admission that there was no-one else really qualified for the job and fans who follow the live score Goalwire will know that.
But as Wenger persists with his quest to build a title winning side full of kids it is true that the squad has no natural leader on the pitch. The spectre of Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira loom large over the current side, not only because of their fine achievements in an Arsenal shirt but the lack of a modern day equivalent.
After the defeat to Ipswich last week Fabregas moaned to the press about the Tractor Boys ‘rugby style’ tactics. Would Adams or Vieira have done that? I doubt it, they would have rolled their sleeves up during the game and pulled the rest of the players through it, rather than collapsing in the face of some agricultural football and whining afterwards.
Denilson won’t have meant to have caused such a storm and has perhaps learnt a harsh lesson about how the media can spin even the most innocent of comments. But they very fact he mentioned it suggests the players are equally aware of a glaring problem the fans have known for a while, but Wenger seems reluctant to tackle.
I have to say i think Denilson comments might have galvanised the squad. Last nights match show a far greater committment if not quality from Arshavin and Bendtner aswell as Denilson and Gibbs.
We need this team to get a bit nasty if they want to win.
Is denilson a follower, why does he need to be led so much. He doesan’t know how to play without someone showing him how or what ?
I think Denilson wants to be captain of Arsenal..he8
Can’t help thinking you’ve fallen into the trap of taking what the tabloids say at face vaklue yourself. Fabregas didn’t “moan to the press2 about Ipswich riugby style He stated that they played a lot of long balls, kicking for position, as in rugby (which they did) but suffixed it with saying it was up to Arsenal to find a way to deal with it. This perfectly easonable assertion was then spoun by the usual clickwhores of the press as “Arsenal captain whines” as it helps them to flog their newspapers. One paper/website picks up on it, repeats the claim and hey presto it’s fact.
Really, it’s not Cesc’s fault so few people in this country possess the critical faculties necessary to treat such partial nonsense for the rubbish it is…..
When Denilson can bring something to the team then he can ask the question the fact is his mouth moves quicker than his feet, he isn’t good enough for Arsenal and the fact he states Alumnia as a good keeper shows how deluded he really is….taxi for Denilson
In the words of the captain of Arsenal should be Hanapi Suhair danilson:)