Rocky Remembered

Today was more about celebrating and reminiscing about the past and to contrast the culture of the old and the new. Twelve years ago to the day we lost one of our great player at the age of thirty three. David  Rocastle was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and a month later he was no longer with us.  Seeing his image on the giant screen reminded me of the great player he was.  He was a giant who played among giants.  It is hard to find many giants in the current team (Not now that its Wenger's policy to recruit midgets. Ha ha Editor. Sorry couldn't resist that Ed).

 The Arsenal of twelve years ago was a team of full of leaders.  If it was not Tony Adams, it was Sol Campbell.  If it was not Berkhamp it was Pires or Ljungberg.  If it was not Vierra it was Parlour. Who are the leaders of today? Twelve years ago one relished the fixture between Arsenal and Manchester United, the duel between Vierra and Roy Keane. Today playing Man U is about how many we are going to concede and not about winning the game.

The old ethos of the club was about economics and winning.  Today’s culture is about about economics and where failure is affordable. A team who can be twenty points or more behind the leader and yet still qualify for the Champion league.  It is hard to imagine the players of twelve years ago accepting such an outcome.  In the old stadium we were winners and we have yet to win anything in the new stadium and the prospect of winning anything look very distant.  The money men would prefer the new stadium some fans would be happy to go back to the old stadium.

The positives.  Carzola continues to show why he was such a good buy, he was pivotal to the game, he was incisive, willing to take the game by the scruff of the neck and willing to shoot, he showed urgency.  His goal was the best goal.  The defence continues to improve.  I understand the reason Wenger sticks with Mertsaker who shows he is dependable and his passing accuracy is very high.  Ramsey game continues to improve but he remains prone to silly mistakes. Against Reading his silly mistake did not matter but in the big games they do.  If he continues to start games he is very likely to continue to improve.