Ignore the hype – Gilberto’s back and its 2 from 3

Coach
By Boris Mellor
May 21 2005

I have never seen such a dismal pre Final build up by the press than the one for this year’s final. The media have attempted to wind it up to fever pitch. Most of it a figment of fevered manic media imagination, it is manufactured and phoney. Including the so-called mind games around Henry.

All that matters is what will happen on the pitch. Amongst the more sensible comments are those that argue Arsenal are the underdog because they have lost twice this season to Man U (I am not going to include Lager Cup or Community Shield). There is no doubt that these two defeats had an effect on Arsenal’s season, but does that mean that Man U will automatically win the game?

Only a few weeks ago the rat pack told us that Chelski were going to the CL final, they had the evil eye on Liverpool, who had no chance. All the pressure was on Liverpool. But it is Liverpool who are in the final. The point is not to gloat at the stupidity of the press, but to remember no match is won in advance.

If we went on form Arsenal are clearly the better team. Forget the mental gymnastics of Ferguson, Giggs and co, that argue otherwise, the league table does not lie, it is Man U who have to qualify for the CL not Arsenal. If the league had been 12 matches long and started on March 5^th Arsenal would be top and Man U mid table. But all this counts for nothing, as the Final is only one game. Football is not a science that can be calculated from formbooks, if it was the bookies would have been bankrupt long ago.

Having said all that there are two factors which could see Arsenal perform better, and one that could undermine them. Dealing with the latter factor first, Henry will be missed, he made the two goals Arsenal scored at Highbury against Man U, he is the Premiership’s top scorer. Any team would miss a striker of his calibre, but the Gunners have begun to score more and more in his absence.

Now for the factors that might aid Arsenal, firstly the defence is playing better, and Arsene has three class centre backs to choose from. When we lost at Highbury Toure was not playing, true we had Sol and Kolo at Old Trafford, but they played well enough. Arsene is keeping everyone guessing as to who the two first choice centre backs are today, however the press claim Sol is the one to lose out. It’s at time likes this you are grateful not to be the manager.

Hopefully, the best factor has been saved for last; Gilberto did not play in either of the two defeats. This time we have Silva back, and he is a big match player, he even scores in them. Most of the press has ignored the Silva factor in the build up, but then he is the invisible wall. Our good run started before he returned, but it became increasingly secure and stylish as he bedded in. Arsenal play with more pace when Gilberto plays. Arsenal are a harder to beat when he is in the team, and his return to the team and, our recent consistency are not a coincidence. It was the same in the first six games this season. This will be a very different team that United will face compared to the two Premiership games.

Finally up front the absence of Henry, and the only recent return to fitness of Ljungberg, raises more conundrums than the 2 from 3 at the back. Who will play on the right Freddy or Pires? Who will play on the left Pires or Reyes? Who will play in the centre Bergkamp, van Persie or Reyes? The permutations are endless, and we will not know the answer until 2:30 PM at the earliest. Perhaps that’s why Sir Alex prefers the certainty that Henry is playing