Tag Archives: Danny Welbeck

How do The Invincibles and Class of 2017 compare?

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Yesterday Arsene Wenger cam out and claimed his current crop of forwards was the best options he has had in his 2 decades at the club, surpassing the invicibles:

“Certainly numbers-wise and quality-wise together [they are the best],” Wenger said ahead of today’s clash with struggling Watford.

“We had never so many players who could perform and score goals – certainly never.

“Dennis and Thierry had the quality but we did not have a large number. We had Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires as well so it was not bad.”

Many have used this of further proof that Arsene Wenger is a deluded old man who has gone senile. It is further quotes to prove that he now looks at the current set up through rose tinted glasses.

Arsenal’s current forward options are: Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil & Lucas Perez. How can these compare to Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires, Kanu and Sylvain Wiltord. The invincibles.

Well the statistics do make for interesting reading:

Invincibles v Class of 2017

goals-in-order

So the Invincibles scored a goal every 2.96 games. Whilst the Class of 2017 are a goal every 3.01 games. Almost nothing in it. We are talking about a 5 minute difference. But of course, it disproves Arsene Wenger’s point. The Invincibles were superior goal scorers, but only just. And probably not by as much as people think.

For me there are main differences between the two groups of players is top end quality. The Invincibles had Thierry Henry.

Henry is by far and away the most clinical player out of the 12 players and the primary reason that the Invincibles scored more than the Class of 2017.

A minor reason is Dennis Bergkamp against Mesut Ozil. Bergkamp was much more of a striker than Mesut Ozil. Scored more goals.

Henry better than Giroud, Bergkamp better than Ozil. When you combine all 12 players into a single long list, it makes equally as interesting reading.

Long List

long-list

This list further proves that Henry was superior to every other player. Our greatest goal scorer of all time. But the next two on the list are interesting. Both from the Class of 2017. This shows that whilst the Invincibles were heavily reliant on goals from Henry, the Class of 2017 has two goal scoring options.

Lucas Perez has to kind of be disregarded as he has played so few games to make a true judgement.

You then have the next 5. Pires, Bergkamp, Wiltord, Welbeck & Walcott. Very similar games to goal ratio.

So the Invincibles had the best goal scorer, but the Class of 2017 had the better options.

Player v Player

side-by-sideA last comparison is just seeing players per their position.

Again, this highlights the importance of Henry and Bergkamp. Henry is vastly superior to Giroud. Bergkamp better than Ozil. This is not exactly ground breaking news.

On the left hand side, Sanchez out scores Pires, which again is not exactly surprising. Sanchez is better than Pires.

The right hand side of the midfield might surprise you. Walcott is more dangerous than Ljungberg.

Wiltord and Welbeck are both hardworking strikers who also cover the wide positions. Wiltord had played a lot more than Welbeck, but their record is identical.

Lastly we have Perez v Kanu. Not similar in style, but they are the lost ones left. Kanu on his day was a game changer, but was extremely inconsistent. A scorer of great goals, rather than a great goal scorer.

 

I think it is wrong to compare the Invincibles to the Class of 2017. The Invincibles won league titles, and went unbeaten. Add in a lot of FA Cups. Whilst the current crop have just those 2 FA Cups to show for their efforts. But the comparison does make interesting reading, and the difference is not as much as you would think.

The difference is Bergkamp and Henry.

Keenos

Note: I know I spelt Wiltord’s name wrong in the pretty pictures

White Knight Danny Welbeck Destroys the Evil Leicester

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Cheaters never prosper.

Or at least that is how the old Chinese proverb 骗子永远繁荣昌盛 go’s.

For 94 minutes yesterday, it seemed like the cheats were going to win. Or get a draw. Until White Knight Danny Welbeck rode in from the Arsenal treatment table to become the Arsenal hero of the day. Saving the sides league title challenge. Saving football for all of humanity. Ensuring the dirty horrible Leicester did not win.

47a834594d4a0d8076e8cfb433f49608_crop_north

Jamie Vardy, with looks like an evil goblin, was chief cheat. Going down like he was the incarnation of Andy Johnson to cheat his way to a penalty.

We have all complained already about the biased coverage, but in case you have not already seen it, Scouse evil fairy Danny Murphy said something along the lines of:

“It was a blatant penalty. Nacho Monreal planted his foot on the floor. He has no right to plant his foot on the floor. It was an utter disgrace. The way Monreal attacked the ground, causing shockwaves that were felt in Christchurch, New Zealand has no place on a football field. Jamie Vardy was unable to keep his feet. It was a 100% penalty.”

And Jamie Vardy scored that penalty. Celebrating with a face only a mother and people from Stoke could love. And the cheating did not end that there.

Other incidents – not mentioned on MOTD2, include a dive by Riyad Mahrez and a hand ball by N’Golo Kanté, where he was clearly auditioning for the French National Volleyball Team.

And then we come to Danny Simpson.

He spent much of the first half kicking Alexis Sanchez at every opportunity. Eventually he was righty booked. Then early in the second half, he pulled Alexis Sanchez as if he was holding hands on a Valentines Day date. He was given his 2nd booking and sent off. It then took him 4 minutes to leave the field of play – Will the FA extend his ban for failing to leave the field of play?

Probably not.

Evil, the whole lot of them.

Leicester are clearly cursed. It seems like their players are inflicted with a curse that means that when their number go’s up on the 4th official’s board, they lose their ability to walk. It took a life time for each one of their substitutions to take place as they almost crawled to the touch line,

And then we have that challenge by Danny Drinkwater on Aaron Ramsey. It was a red card. Our friend Danny Murphy did not like it at all.

“I hate seeing that”

Of course, he was talking about the disgusting potential leg breaking challenge. Or was he?

So here we have a pundit, an ex-professional football player, saying that Vardy has every right to go down for the penalty, but hate’s seeing a player go down after being on the end of a potential leg breaking challenge. One which Drinkwater felt so bad about himself that he actually apologised to Ramsey at the final whistle.

Maybe the BBC will apologise to tax payers for employing such rubbish pundits?

Danny Murphy, you are a disgrace. Hope when someone hits you with a car, and you role over the bonnet and onto the pavement a few times, the ambulance man says “Oh, I do not like seeing that much” and walks off.

As for the referee. Martin Atkinson, the new Mike Dean? He is a disgraceful referee. The only thing consistent about him was his consistency.

Taking out the penalty and the diving, he seemed to change the hand ball rule as he went along.

At one point penalising Alexis Sanchez for a handball whilst running, he then failed to penalise Vard for the same incident. And then we have the Kante one. His arm was out straight and it was straight infront of the linesman. How a penalty was not given, Atkinson is the only one who can answer. Sadly, refs are answerable to no one.

And then rewinding the incident for the Leicester penalty, some bloke was climbing so on Mesut Ozil’s back it was like he was trying to reach heaven from hell. No free kick given, and luckily for us at the final whistle he was sent back to where he came from.

In the 95th minute, Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck combined to save the day. And the world was right again.

Good rose above evil and The Arsenal won 2-1.

Keenos

shop pic

Arsenal’s New Sylvain Wiltord

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Sylvain Wiltord was once Arsenal’s record signing. He joined Arsenal in 2000 for a club record fee of £13 million, just weeks after scoring the injury time equaliser for France in the Euro 2000 Final. Big things were expected of the Frenchman, who was Ligue 1 top scorer as he led Bordeaux to the title in 1999. He was supposed to the fox in the box. The man who, at 26, could guide young French winger Thierry Henry.

He became an invincible, and was immortalised in Arsenal history with the only goal in a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford which saw Arsenal win the league, in Manchester.

He is the 9th most capped French player in history, and 8th highest goal scorer. With 2 Premier League medals, 2 FA Cups, 4 Ligue 1 titles, a World Cup runners up medal and a European Football Championship winners medal in his trophy cabinet. He certainly had a stellar career.

However, it is a career that never really reached the heights it was perhaps expected to at Arsenal.

Signed amongst a lot of hype, having scored that goal in the Euro 2000 Final, it had looked like we had finally replaced Ian Wright (At that point we had not been down the Lane, to tell the Tottenham scum).

Wiltord’s Arsenal career wilted as Thierry Henry grew in stature.

In 2000, having had a year to settle, Henry was beginning to show glimpses of the great he would become. On the other hand, Wiltord very quickly became a bit part player. Back up to Henry upfront, covering on the wings.

31 goals in 106 league games. Over the entire 4 years, he ended up with 49 goals in 175 competitive games. Over the same period, Henry got himself 125 goals, in 208 games. He was certainly in the great man’s shadow.

However, despite never reaching the heights that was expected, he was still a fans favourite.

Always dependable, he rarely had a poor game. When Henry was out injured, he was still a threat up front. When Ljungberg on the left was out, he did a job on the right wing, making up for a bit of lack of quality with always putting in a shift, never complaing about being played out of position.

He was never the best crosser, could not beat a man with skill, and was not a great finisher, but he would never stop running. And with a bit of pace and strength, on his day, he could be a threat. He ended up being voted Arsenal’s 33rd Greatest Player.

What makes me reminisce about Sylvain Wiltord is the performances and development of someone else in the squad, who reminds me so much of the Frenchman.

Danny Welbeck

Now Danny Welbeck has a lot of good attributes. He is strong, he is quick, he has a high work rate. But he often lacks quality. His ability to beat a man is often negated by getting the ball stuck between his feet. His passing can be wayward, and his shooting leaves a lot to be desired.

But this does not mean he is a poor player.

Like Wiltord, he will become a good squad player. He does have the class to lead the line on occasion, as he showed against Galatasaray in the Champions League and on occasion for England.

Sylvain Wiltord went throughout his career averaging 1 in 4, with his appearances in on the wing reducing what would have probably been a 1 in 3 striker record. Danny Welbeck is currently hitting very similar statistics.

Welbeck reminds me so much of Wiltord. The way he is perhaps not quite good enough to be 1st choice striker. The way he can cover on the wing. The way he will miss chances then score others. They play in a very similar manner.

As long as Welbeck keeps his head down, continues to work hard for the team, takes his chances when they come, and does not become a big time Charlie, he will have a career at Arsenal.

Danny Welbeck will never become the next Thierry Henry, but he could become the next Sylvain Wiltord.