A confident in form Gooners team visited this seasons whipping boys Imitators yesterday, Gooners played a team made up mainly of youth and inexperience as the manager looked to find the vital DV they may need come end of season. There were fine performances from Overmars, new guy Vermaelen and the ever impressive and entusiastic Wellington Silva. The show was stolen by one Igor Akinfeev though who in the end seemed to be making saves for the cameras and who has been in fine form all season. Last season this young player was impatient, continually out of form and throwing his dummy out of the pram... this season we have seen a different player and the managers plans to get rid of both keepers this season, has been the wake up call Akinfeev has needed.
It would be the experienced heads that grabbed the points this time round though as Leonardo Borja showed why his manager was tracking him all of last season. Borja came to Highbury with a promise that he would refind his scoring boots and return to the top division and currently these look to be promises the manager will deliver! Borja looked a different player today and will surely be one of the driving forces if Gooners are successful in their quest for top flight football, this has not passed the manager by and Borja has been given, more and more responcibility week on week.
Borja grabbed two goals and Bergkamp killed the game from the spot making the score 3 - 0 and for 10 minutes atleast Gooners regained the top spot in the division... although come final whistle Greatness would hold that position with Gooners moving two points closer to them. It is a huge ask for a developing Gooners team to finish above Greatness, but the manager is totally focused on doing so even if it means having to beat them at their own turf. Any points taken from Greatness in this mid-season period will be a massive help to Gooners plans and RDCM did a fine job yesterday and nearlly walked away with three vital points.
We grabbed a few word with a very happy Gooners boss:
"Everything is coming good for us at the right time, we had some early problems with injuries and our season could have easily been over at that point, but the squad has coped well and we grabbed vital points in the big games from the right teams. We still have alot to do to call ourselves contenders but we are in a nice position currently and able to put the pressure on the other teams. Facing Imitators at home next then Amateurs, means there is a real possibility to make up some ground in the next two games... from then on in we will need a bit of luck, players to remain fit and in form and to be properly prepared.
Those young players must gain as much experience as they can now and then be ready if called upon in the closing stages... I think we may peak at the correct moment though, players such as Bergkamp and Henry have impressive stats year after year and you would have to feel there is still alot of goals to come from these players and that maybe the difference. An in form and fit Gooners side is tough for any team to beat, and over the next two games my focus must be on gaining young players the DV they require whilst getting our key players to the top of their game... in regards to this we are happy with the progess currently.
Tactically Greatness do have weak spots and we need to keep pushing 100% in this period as RDCM and Cath look to put their seasons back on track, we certainly feel confident Bullies may get the three points they need which may secure a promotion place for them. For Bullies it looks to be the most important game of the season and a win would surely dampen the very real threat that is looming in the form of Carthage. There is also a new challenge in the form of Strollers, many will not be fancying this game but we are always looking for new challenges and are happy to be facing what I feel is now one of the top teams in the league!"
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