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Camden New Journal - MATCH POINT by RICHARD OSLEY
Published: 12 June 2008

Five excuses to talk about Arsenal in mid-June...

THINGS I learned watching Euro 2008 this week

1. Holland are the new Arsenal: The way the Dutch put the Italians to the sword in their opening match had a familiarity about it. The second goal, full of fast-flowing, counter attacking brilliance bore a similarity to Arsenal’s total football. A joy to watch – but the Netherlands should remember that those who play the best football don’t always win in the end. I hope Holland, so often underachievers, can win with pretty passing and are better rewarded than Arsenal were for their regular Premiership masterclasses.

2. Clyde Tyldesley might be a Man United fan: He purred. He drooled. Christiano Ronaldo could’ve scored three own goals and got sent off and ITV’s main commentator Clyde Tyldesley’s glowing commentary would still have made him two times the player Pelé ever was. CT’s big mistake is thinking we are all hoping the winker will shine in this tournament – when in fact most of us, for purely irrational reasons, are hoping he will fall flat on his face.

3. Freddie Ljungberg can’t score one-on-ones: The footballer who looks most like me has had a moan or two about the way Arsenal let him go. If you saw his dismal attempt when through on goal against Greece, you can see why Arsene Wenger let him go. Luckily for Ljungberg, the Swedes somehow crashed in the rebound. He’ll always be a hero but Wenger knew when it was time to let him go and Freddie should accept that.

4. Spain must have a decent shout: If Cesc Fabregas is on Spain’s substitute bench, they must have one heck of a team. Beating Russia isn’t the most amazing feat – although it was too hard for Lampard, Terry and the rest of the England mob in the qualifiers – but their 4-1 win should be seen as an early declaration that Spain finally mean business.

5. William Gallas wasted his time to growing a mohican. The Arsenal captain spent his whole season cultivating a haircut that was as hip as it was strange. But after all that work, he just shaves it off. Just like that. It features in BBC’s half-baked opening credits, so maybe he just wants to irritate the increasingly irritating Gary Lineker.

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