Amid the understandable brouhaha over Adebayor’s delicious overhead kick, photographed in all it’s glory here, it has yet to be pointed out that this may well be the very first time during the Wenger reign that an Arsenal player has scored an overhead kick. Truly a momentous effort then.
Some will surely point to Eduardo’s chest-and-volley-on-the-swivel against City last season, but in my view that’s exactly what it was – an ingenious over the shoulder effort which can’t quite be classified as a thoroughbred overhead kick in the Ronaldinho/Crouch mould.
If you can think of others do put them in the comments, it may be that I’ve forgotten some gem or other.
It’s been one of my odder gripes over the past few seasons that we haven’t had players who were that keen to score overhead kicks. Sure, Thierry had a go once or twice, and there was never any doubt that we had players who were technically proficient enough to pull it off. For me, it’s an attitude thing. Wenger’s boys are all about crisp finishes into the bottom corner having bamboozled the entire defence in the build up.
At their best, it’s more about running it in than walking it in, but this doesn’t involve a lot of crossing and when the ball does go in the air, our players immediately try to bring it down again to pass to a team-mate. The glorious thing about the overhead kick is that it is a desperate measure, a moment when tactics and team-mates go out the window, when all the player is thinking about is getting a shot in, however difficult that might be. And while having such intelligent players is fantastic, you do miss that impulsive, score-at-all-costs instinct that Ade showed on Tuesday.
While we’re on the topic, here’s the greatest overhead-kick I’ve ever seen. 88 minutes gone in their last game of the season, 2-2 against Valencia and needing the win to qualify for the Champions’ League, Rivaldo (having already scored both his team’s goals) produced this.
I want to see some of that from Eboue in the Champions’ League final, and then I want to see Peter Hill-Wood imitating the bloke at 0.10 in that clip. Top exultation from that man.
Moving on, it’s looking like Manuel our Spanish waiter goalkeeper will be sidelined with Le Gal for a wee while, which means Lukasz Fabianski has the chance to impress. Its a big chance for him, too. He’s been patiently chalking up cup appearances, and though he’s 24 he seems to have a good attitude and a commitment to biding his time and making it at Arsenal. He looked sharp on Tuesday and if he needs inspiration he need only remember Alex Manninger, who famously came into our 1998 side and performed heroically. Not that doing similar would necessarily mean we’d have to ship him off to Fiorentina, either.
With Djourou looking good, I hope we won’t miss Le Gal too much (though it would be very nice indeed if his injury turned out to be less serious than it looked), and with Silvestre on his way back we should have everything nothing to worry about.
Finally, if I was a betting man, which I might be, I’d haul my considerable crease onto Betfair and buy up some odds on a Liverpool comeback at Stamford Bridge. They need three goals, but they got four at Old Trafford and will, crucially, be attacking a Terry-less Chelsea, a team which often loses at home to very bad teams indeed. Plus if you do it on Betfair you can wait til Liverpool go a goal up and the odds swing enormously back towards them, sell some of your stake, and hopefully win whatever happens. Easy. Just don’t blame UpForGrabsNow if it all goes tits up.
Tags: Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Eduardo, Emmanuel Adebayor, Lukas Fabianski, Rivaldo
April 9th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Good one! A little ironic that, having been a major cause for concern for most of the season, Willie G has gone and got himself injured just when he and Kolo seem to have buried the nuclear arsenal and have put together a fine solid partnership at the heart of the defence. Agree that JD20 is stellar. Can’t afford one more injury though or Alex Song will need to be despatched from mid-field magnificence to the back four. Fly catcher is an absolute last resort in my view.
April 9th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
cannot believe we have so many injuries again, its beyond infuriating. Just when there was some real optimism over the full strength of our squad, practically everyone who hasnt already been injured this season decides its their turn!
while gibbs,fabianski and djourou can do a good job, theres no doubt they are all capable of having a shocker, especially since the three will be together at the back. should be fine in the league but chelsea and villareal will be licking their lips at the prospect of goals
April 9th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
that Rivaldo goal was just awesome, that is as good as it gets. Given the importance of the goal (getting a CL position) it was brilliant.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
I don’t think the goal was as good as the flick and volley against Spurs.
There. I’ve said it.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:06 am
I know it isnt a bicycle kick, but Van Persie´s volley against charlton a couple of years back will always be one of my favs…he was high enough in the air for it to have warranted a bicycle kick!
April 10th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
@Jake
He also hit it with his ankle, if I recall.