It has been a great start to the season by the Gunners having lost only one game on the opening day of the campaign to Aston villa, at the Emirates. Much of the success can be attributed to the new players that have been added to the squad this summer by Arsene Wenger. These additions to the squad have created a positive atmosphere and this has shown in Arsenal FCai??i??s performance.
Wenger was initially apprehensive to sign him but after assessing his fitness after he spent three weeks at the London Colney following his departure from AC Milan and his attitude changed Wengerai??i??s mind. Wenger on Flamini:
ai???I didnai??i??t expect him to be in that mental state and in that physical shape. Our job has a great quality – it is a good teacher of humility. So you always have to be ready to change your mind, and he changed my mind.
Football is about having a perfect balance, about taking the glory as well as doing the dirty work. In this regard, Flamini is perfectly suited and from his attitude it is clearly visible that the 29- year old is loving the role assigned to him of sitting in front of the back four and acting as a shield. He has been making important interceptions, tackles and has been providing the much needed solidity at the base of the midfield.
A 2-0 victory at home against Napoli in the Champions League ensured that Arsenal continued its good form. While Mesut Ozil grabbed the headlines after scoring a classy goal and claiming an assist ai??i?? the contribution of Flamini cannot be underestimated. He helped to restrict Napoli from posing a threat on the counter attack and was given the difficult task of keeping their star playmaker Marek Hamsik in check, by Arsene Wenger. Playing as the deepest midfielder, the Frenchman performed his defensive duties exceedingly well, thereby giving the license to the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta to concentrate on stringing together attacks. He had 100% tackle success and 96% pass completion in the game against Napoli, which is nothing short of excellent.
The Frenchman suffered concussion against the Canaries in the recently concluded Premier league match. It was a huge blow for the Gunners after it was confirmed that he would miss the clubai??i??s crucial Uefa Champions League clash with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates on Tuesday night, according to reports.
As was expected, his absence in the midfield was felt. Whenever Arsenal lose the ball, Flamini would be the organizing the players, pushing them around. Flamini is a natural leader. He galvanizes the team and pushes everyone to play as a unit. All of this was missing in the game against Dortmund.
Flamini, it must be said, is not a player who would turn the match on its head with a stroke of brilliance but he understands his role well. He brings his leadership qualities to the side which has been an important aspect of his game. Theo Walcott explained it succinctly in an interview with Nik Brumsack of Arsenal.com:
“The likes of Mathieu coming inai??i??he’s a leader and you saw him bossing people around. That’s what we need.”
Flamini is providing the crucial qualities that Arsenal have been lacking for a while i.e. toughness and no-nonsense leadership. Even though these are not the most important traits a footballer should possess, but their value to any team is undeniable. Flamini is not the most flamboyant player and is a limited footballer who quiet often looked out of sorts in the Milan side. But the balance was different there and at Arsenal he is not required to play a major role in the attacking third.
With the departure of Alex Song last season to Barcelona and a series of injuries to Abou Diaby, Arsenal lacked good defensive midfielders. This led to Arteta getting overused last season, which eventually took its toll on him. But now with Flamini, Wenger has options and can rotate his defensive midfielders. Another important aspect of his game is versatility, which he demonstrated by filling in at left back during the 2006 UEFA Champions League campaign that took Arsenal to the final.
On the negative side, Flamini can be a bit of a hothead. He was actually quiet fortunate not to get sent off for a two-footed lunge shortly after coming off the bench in his first outing against Tottenham. His excitable attitude gets the better of him sometimes, which can have an adverse impact on the team. But he can be forgiven for that when he puts in a shift like he did against Stoke, which earned him the man of the match award.
He may not play every game of the season, especially after the return of the big names from injury. Nevertheless, snapping him up for a free transfer taking into account his fitness and the accompanying motivation, it was a bargain to say the least.
-by Madhur Mangal
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