Meanwhile the different midfield pairings shielded a centre back pairing of 12’ 3” (Adams 6’ 2”). The midfield was taller than the CBs, something not seen at Liverpool, for example.

(He's so fecking tall, he should play basket ball. Was a verse of his song sang by less discerning Gooners)

Recently the first choice centre backs (Kolo and Billy) total 11’ 11”, if Senderos plays it goes up to 12’ 1”, which is still quite short by contemporary standards.

However, of late the most amazing shrinkage has been in midfield where the midfield of Fabregas and Flamini total 11’ 9”, although this based on the claim by Arsenal that Cesc is 5’ 11”. Perhaps Wenger’s kids really have grown up that much.Of course, if Gilberto pairs Cesc the combined height increases to 12’ 2”, but still a third of a foot shorter than the Paddy O’ Gilberto heyday.

 

However, Lassana Diarra (not to be confused with lasagne that gave Spurs the shits) is reported to be only 5’ 8”. If he became the regular partner of Fabregas, the total height would drop to 11’ 7”, nearly a foot shorter than the Paddy Le Petit pairing.

Now taking into account the shrinkage at the back, you would think that Wenger would want some taller midfielders to shield them, but clearly, he does not. He has shrunk the team, and the Gunners are becoming the diddy men. He wants an all action, high up the field pressing game.

I refuse to believe this decrease in height is an accident, Wenger is an obsessive, he measures, weighs, and checks the ages of his teams on a regular basis. He might not check passports, but he checks speed over 100 yards, height, weight, signs of aging and involvement. 

It was often said that if ever George Graham had some spare cash he would buy another centre half, it’ s now said of Wenger that in the same situation he buys another midfielder, and apart from Diaby, who mainly plays wide, or in the hole, they are  diddy men. Even Denilson is more in keeping with the new trend at 5’ 10”.

In his early period Wenger depended on juggernauts,  who like ice breakers,  churned their way through the opposition, now he has diddy men buzzing around like mosquitoes’ with triangular passing.

This is Wenger’s plan B, not a crude kick the opposition into submission with regulators; instead, it is out pass the opponent to death.  Wenger has swapped the war of manoeuvre for the war of position. He wants’ high-speed movement, rather than the tall defensive midfielder. Diarra could spell the end for Gilberto, as Cesc did for Vieira.

 

Nor is it walk the ball into the net, when first introduced it happened that way, as certain pieces were missing from the jigsaw, but now that the midfielders are scoring, and the strikers gaining confidence, the buzzing suddenly stops as a direct route to goal is dovetailed into the system.

 

This team can now break just as rapidly as any of Arsene’s top teams. Football is as much about personnel as it is about systems. For a while Wenger had the system, but not the personnel. Now some have grown into the system, others have left, and new ones arrived.

 Suddenly it all fits like a glove. Last season, at times, to the outsider, it looked like Wenger had lost the plot. Arsene, himself, possibly, had an unrealistic time scale, and even now it is working nothing is proved until the trophies are won. 

After the Newcastle game Wenger joked that he had learnt from the press the need for the team to score headers, and shoot from 20 yards. As the team can no longer look to Henry for an easy option for a goal, they have all improved their shooting, and use of options. When no one is certain to score, in the way that Henry did, then all must score. Thus, we now see Cesc, Rosicky, Diaby, Rosicky and even Denilson get goals. 

 

So is West Ham a test? Yes in a way, but only in the sense that all games will be a test; they will test if the new Wengaball can continue to dominate. However, it should be remembered everything grows from the ground up, the foundations were laid last season. The victory at Old Trafford, and even the defeat in the Carling Cup Final, were the first sightings that the new team and tactics could work. Ironically, diddy man Diarra was on the other side that day.

 

It is amazing that while most pundits were criticising Wenger’s teams for not being physical enough, and too young, he responded by acquiring even smaller, and younger players. What a genius, who would have guessed the answer was to shrink the team.

 For West Ham it is possible that Gilberto will return, but will that be at the cost of Flamini? It seems to me that Fab and Flam are playing too well to break up. Hleb is due back, but Rosicky, Gallas, Eduardo, Jens Lehmann and Song are all ruled out.  

The possible squad is Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini, Diaby, Adebayor, van Persie, Fabianski, Gilberto, Eboue, Diarra, Denilson, Hoyte, and Bendtner.

 

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