RVP 2 MUFC

With enough acronyms to make even the most well-read footie fan's head spin, RVP will be under the employ of SAF and M.U.F.C. after Wenger and the Gunners agreed (we're told reluctantly) to a 20 million pound plus deal for the 29-year striker. 

Good thing red suits him.

So what does this mean for each club?

Obviously, for Arsenal, this begs the question of who will fill the 6'1"void at the top of their formation, for, as much as he is wont to admit it, not all talent can be homegrown under the constrains and demands of today's market such that there is a need to go out and make purchases to fill out a line-up.  Indeed, Arsene Wenger's men were found wanting in the midfield as adequate replacements for Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri (the latter despite his insipid attitude) had not been found. 

The good news is that this time 'round they can call upon newly-signed Lukas Podolski and the-only-marginal-bright-spot-from-France's-Euro-2012-foray Olivier Giroud.  Both seem suited to the free-flowing style Wenger prefers, though Podolski in particular seems to have more to prove after two sub-par seasons with Koln, following his relegation to bit player at Bayern and an inability to recapture his national team form circa 2006 (not to judge or anything...).  Nevertheless, there has been some serious contemplation of life post-RVP for A.F.C., which is an improvement over a year ago.

In terms of Man Utd, the fact that they missed out on the Premier League title by one goal could not be far from their minds as they fought off advances from City, Juve and others to secure the signature of the League's top scorer.  And, despite my well-known distaste for one Wayne Rooney, even I must admit that the Red Devils striker pairing is the stuff of a Fantasy Football fan's wet dreams.  Whether they can play together, of course, remains to be seen, but I am inclined to believe that van Persie's finesse will be a nice complement to Rooney's bullish charms *cough, cough* (excuse me, as I have just managed to choke on my own words...).  Moreover, pace say a Berbatov, RVP is not disinclined to create on his own and provide for others, ranking as the top assist man in the Premiership last year, while still scoring 40% of his team's goals. 

More than this though, there has to be a definite psychological boost to Man Utd's legions, as they have finally made a big signing on par with what their cross-town rivals have been doing in spades.  It must be all the more sweet the City was in the running for this one as well.  With the ever-increasing importance of deep pockets in the sport, it is imperative that the Red Devils do not fall behind the pace, which, contrary to Real Madrid and Man City form, does not mean splashing out huge sums for every big name on the market, but rather making strategic acquisitions upon a sober assessment of needs and talent vis-a-vis the competition and not being thrown off by the going rates for said players.  This is exactly what Ferguson and Co. have done here, and, in terms of personnel moves, the fans cannot ask for much more coming in to the new season.  

The Trouble with Tiki-Taka

It’s true: you can have too much of a good thing.  

Beautiful and intricate passing ad nauseam can give way to complacency and a lack of forward thinking, lulling sides into a false sense of security, as they knock it around the midfield, and often having them pay the price for their profligacy. 

Spain succumbed to the very real perils of tiki-taka against Croatia.  They were “a parody of themselves” in the words of Rob Smyth, holding possession for the vast majority of the game but creating very few quality chances from it.  So long as they held the ball, you got the sense that they were able to trick themselves into believing that they had complete control of the game.  It was, in fact, an apocryphal control. 

Del Bosque's men left themselves to be exposed on the counter throughout the match, just as they were on the back of Luka Modric’s exceptional cross to Ivan Rakitic (resulting in a sublime Casillas save).  The uncomfortable reality was that the reigning European and World Champions were still in by only the thinnest of margins.  And the more they passed, the more their forward movement stagnated and their shape narrowed; the play largely confined to a small swath of the pitch around the half-way line as La Roja pondered their next short pass.

Gotta keep possession.

What can be done to remedy their wanton ways?  Well, for starters, Arbeloa and Silva need to make way for Cesc and Navas, which would then allow Iniesta to play in his Barca role instead of being stranded wastefully on the wing.  Arbeloa is by some measure the worst player on the Spanish side, and Silva has been ineffectual throughout.  And then there is El Nino, for whom a suspect Irish defense is apparently the only opposition against which he can prove effective.  


Seriously, Fernando Llorente must be wondering what he has to do to get a whiff of the pitch at this point.  And, while Torres is certainly not good enough to produce on his own, if del Bosque insists on giving him another run out, at least he would benefit from the complementary wing play of Navas and an opportunity to play off of a false no. 9 like Fabregas this time around. 

The French brand of tiki-taka certainly didn’t rival the Spanish form in technical accomplishment (there were far to many touches in between passes), but it was even more crippling.  Against the already elimintated Swedes, Lorent Blanc’s side lost the plot even while enjoying possession for large swathes of the first forty-five.  Their build-up was painfully protracted and lethargic.  Yes, their defense was (is) shambolic (how Mexes ever got to this level is far beyond my scope of comprehension) but had they been able to seize the opportunities their possession presented, the scoreline may have allowed them to withstand Zlatan Ibrahimovic's brilliant strike with some composure intact.

The result of a somewhat more direct approach.

Moderation is the key.  There needs to be a balance between a direct line to the goal and meandering possession without a real end.  

Whether Spain or France will heed these lessons remains to be seen.  If nothing else, it will be difficult for either side to dominate possession in the manner they've been able to do so heretofore, given the tactics of the other, and that may very well be a good thing.  

P.S. For those still unsure of what constitutes good tiki-taka, here's a little how-to courtesy of Barca.  Phil Jackson was right: it is all about the triangles. 

Fleet Footed Spainard > Unstoppable Argentine?

Rumor has it that Wenger is considering some permutation of a trade that would have Cesc Fabregas for Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain (plus some cash?).

And yes, you read that right.

This move is perplexing, but not so much on Arsenal's end, rather it's Real who "got some 'splaining to do." Instead of Higuain, why not try and offload Benzema? Seriously, in what world does it make sense to trade your starting (and in form) striker, in order to keep your sullen, inflexible back-up? Madrid is finally linking up through the middle, and, to my mind, that has been a direct consequence of Benzema's play up front.

If it's a financial calculation (the high fee to pry Fabregas away from the Emirates will be more difficult to swing if the player were obvi Benzie instead of Gonzalo), Perez, Pelligrini et al should look to build on what they already have (with or without Fabregas), not dismantle it, because, for Madrid, gaining Cesc, irregardless of how wonderful he is, is not enough to outweigh the loss of Higuain.

On the other side, assuming Wenger is in his right mind, some may ask how could he ever agree to sell Cesc? Not so fast; after a quick review of the facts (see below), it is not an entirely insane proposition.

Fact: Wenger has long admired Higuain from afar.

Fact: Arsenal has significant offensive frailties, from Van Persie's inability to stay healthy for an entire season to Bendtner making stupid decisions at every opportunity, all of which has been compounded by the summer sale of Adebayor.

Fact: Gonzalo could be a quick fix for said issues.

Fact: Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Wenger has never shied away from the sale of a trademark star (see: Henry, Thierry). Of all English managers, he is consistently confident in his youth ("Young Gunners," anyone?) and unafraid of a (smart) gamble.

I'm not saying it's going to happen. I'm just saying don't be surprised if it does. Whether Cesc survives the away fixture to Barca is another issue entirely....