Revolution
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2009
- Messages
- 13,322
- Reaction score
- 22,152
Gilberto started as a centre half and was limited in terms of creativity, playmaking and skill. Wenger said of him: "What I like was the fact that he kept things simple. He can play all across the midfield but the holding role just in front of the defence is what he does best." So you could say that it was a rigid role, one that made use of his excellent defensive qualities, protected the defence, helped them win the ball in good areas (vital for their superb counter attacking) and allowed the more creative players to use more of their energy going forward. There were hundreds of midfielders more skilful and creative than Gilberto available to Arsenal at the time, but his attributes was what they needed to complement the others. He helped them getting the balance just right.
When you say " the Arsenal Invincibles were everything a football team should be and a model we should aspire to" - a team in which a holding midfielder was a vital component - I suspect you either forgot about Gilberto Silva or you're not so critical of the holding midfielder after all. Surely your main point wasn't about Nick Montgomery again was it?
Apples and oranges again.
Monty was not helping to get the balance right. He couldn't pass, and his tackling ability deserted him in his later United career. The number of times he brought people down from behind or failed to pick them up (2009 playoff final?) was ridiculous. He was a passenger the majority of the time.
Scougall is not giving balance. Not scoring or assisting, getting the run around, letting the ball bounce off you and getting muscled out of it makes you a passenger.
gilberto scored 17 goals in 170 league games for Arsenal. That's 3 or 4 a year. Better than the two above can manage. Plus even if he were as one dimensional as you say, so what? They had Thierry Henry, for crying out loud.