Open Letter - Frustration with sports

The other day I saw some comments in various quarters of the press about Arsene Wenger and Arsenal football club that prompted me to write this open letter.

Respect

The FA and the Premier League are presently running a campaign about respect specifically for match officials but generally in the game. Recent comments by Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack just made me realise how far away football is to achieving any of it.

Following Arsenal's defeat to Chelsea, Wenger said… ‘we didn't get a demonstration of football..’ (Click here to read more)

Now if you look at the statistics from the game Arsenal dominated in every statistical category aside from goals scored. Of course people will come back making the point that goals win matches and that't all that counts. But is it really? (See style and substance below)

Ballack is an exceptionally talented player and my retort has no bearing on his individual performances on the pitch. For him to come out with ‘Wenger always says things like this when he loses to find an excuse’ is down right disrespectful. It is not a players place to speak of another teams approach at all. That is just wrong. How often do you hear or see an NFL,NBA, Rugby, Cricket, Tennis, Golf or even Snooker (run out of examples) player speak of the opposition like that?b That is not the spirit of sports and competition

I think football is actually losing its direction if it hasn’t done so already. That Ballack's sentiment right or wrong is deemed acceptable is beyond me.

Style and Substance

Now as for Arsenal's play. I made the point of watching the Everton-Chelsea game to see what they did, that Arsenal could learn from and I'm afraid if that is what it takes, I'd rather we be seen as a predictable team. That is not football. That is anti-football. In that game Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill were on the pitch but If you watch, you'd think they were not playing. You forget how skilful these players are.

Dominant players are intrinsic in team sports because of individual abilities/capabilities. But in a game of 10 outfield players it is beyond me how a team can rely on just 2 or 3 players (including the goal keeper) and call that tactics. Is it not the case that in a team sport you call on your strong players as well as your weak links? Otherwise, how then is it deemed a team sport?

I see and completely buy into Wenger’s ethos of ensuring that the ball is spread across the team. Every player gets a touch and contributes to a collaborative effort. Can you imagine how much of a game would be left if rugby union or *American football relied on just a select bunch rather than the whole team? If cricket was all about top order batsmen, we would never see or celebrate performances such as that by Graham Onions in England's recent test series in South Africa. You have to engage the other 10 outfield players in a game. You can't plot a match such that only 2 players touch the ball and then call it tactics.

Winning is one thing, but this notion of winning at the cost/expense of the value of the game is absurd. Trophy or no trophy, fans have to be entertained.

The argument against anti-football is starting to gain traction and soon I believe UEFA - European football governing body - will take it upon themselves to deal with this issue. The sort of play I have derided above is the sort of play that has come to represent European Champions league football. Football in the UK needs a massive rethink because this cannot go on much longer. Expect UEFA to interject, strongly.

* I actually believe that New England Patriots were over reliant on Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker and that is how they got caught out. They relied too much on that long pass over the top.