By Graham Rice
November 14 2004

Old scrooge (Chelski Manager) has moaned about the Ice Hockey score that ended with Arsenal winning Five - Four at White Hart Lane. I don't know about you but I enjoyed the game, after all football is supposed to be beautiful. But it might not be wise to repeat this feast every week.

What is wrong with the Arsenal defence? It’s leaking like a bucket with a hole in it. Many commentators believe that the answer is simple – Cygan is what’s wrong.

Now there is no doubt that Cygan lacks pace, and does not always defend well at set pieces. Well that’s that the problem isolated. Or is it? And if it is what is the answer?

Lets just first look at the problem with Cygan – he lacks pace – there is no arguing with that, but that is hardly his fault is it? Surely the coaches should have come to terms with that by now. But against Spurs, at times, he was left to cover Ashley on the left, that is madness, a man of his pace must stay back not get stretched out wide like that.

Another complaint is that the defence becomes disorganised when Cygan plays – it certainly has looked that way the last few games. But is he the one who should be doing the organising? He is the junior member of the back four. All the others have at least 2 years of playing every game. Cygan played 10 games last season, (won 8 drew 2 Lost 0) but its hardly enough experience to expect him to run the show. In fact he was very good in that run of ten games, but that was because Sol was organising the defence.

In fact Cygan hasn’t been in a Premiership defeat this season or last (Campbell played at Old Trafford). Of course we all want the return of Campbell, and if the defence is unorganised the solution cannot be the introduction of an 18 year old how ever good. The organisation problem will have to be solved first, or are we asking Senderos to do that job?

Blaming Cygan is the easy way out, surely the coaching staff need to sort this out, we know by now the weaknesses of Cygan, and it’s pointless repeating them. The coaching staff have got to start drilling and coaching the team more effectively – we are defending poorly as a team. The situation has to be resolved as a team.

Yesterday’s four goals were not entirely down to Cygan. Henry’s poor pass gave the defence no chance, Kolo missed the free kick that led to the first goal, and the whole defence backed off for Defoe’s run. The list of Culprits is endless.

Astonishingly each team had seven and eleven shots respectively – Arsenal got five goals for their 11 shots, and Spurs four from only seven. Last week Manchester United had 20 shots against City and scored zero. Is City’s defence really better than ours, with or without Cygan.

I think there are more questions to be asked of the defence coaches than Cygan.