Beanpole Zigic proves too good for Arsenal’s artisans
Wenger expects his Arsenal players to be sharp, mobile, flexible and able to tease and caress the ball in the most pressured situations.
Zigic is none of those and if his football brain is as razor-sharp as some of Wenger’s players, the time it takes to send a message the full six feet eight inches from brain to feet certainly dulls the effect.
In the crudest terms, Zigic is a lump.
And that would actually be one of the more generous terms used to describe the giant Serb in the months following his move from Valencia to St Andrew’s last summer.
The forward was struggling to fit into his new life in the Premier League and his physique and ungainly movement made him an easy target for those who take their beautiful game with a little more flair.
Zigic, though, quickly began to prove people wrong and was transformed from laughing stock to cult hero.
His elevated status is now confirmed forever in the Blue part of England’s second city following his opening goal in the Carling Cup final and an all-round display that demonstrated that football is more than a collection of neat passing moves.
The striker was a constant threat to Arsenal. The presence of such a player may be an affront to a purist like Wenger and the way Zigic caused problems for Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou was certainly a sight for the Frenchman’s sore eyes.
Of course Zigic acts as a valuable target for his own team-mates and the positions he took up in and around the Arsenal box at Wembley provided a focal point for Alex Mcleish’s side’s attacks. But he did more than that.
Koscielny and Djourou appeared unnerved by the presence of such a towering figure and, knowing they were unable to match the Serb in an aerial battle, seemed to lose the sense of positional play.
Consequently Djourou went walkabout when the forward was allowed to head home his side’s opening goal standing unmarked in front of Wojciech Szczesny.
Zigic was again involved in the build-up to Obafemi Martins’ winning goal, flicking on a long ball although there would have been little danger had Szczesny and Koscielny not combined to produce a moment of slapstick.
No wonder Wenger looked as pained as he has ever done immediately after the game.
Not that Birmingham’s win was all down to a towering centre-forward and a route one approach to attacking play.
Their’s was a victory built on an incredible appetite for hard work and a determination not to simply play a supporting role in yesterday’s showpiece. The only way to halt a team like Arsenal is to deny them the space and time they crave and are so adept at creating for themselves.
Birmingham, a collection of honest individuals, many of whom thought this day would forever elude them, were willing to put in the unstinting effort required to give themselves even a glimmer of hope of success.
Chief among McLeish’s men was the captain, Stephen Carr who, unsurprisingly, played like a man determined to make the most of his second chance in the game. The full back had retired when he was persuaded to join Birmingham as a free agent in February 2009. “That will make the fans’ year, make their life probably,” said Carr. “A lot of people have been waiting a long time for this.”
By contrast, Arsenal had too many players who were unable or unwilling to seize the moment. Their enduring trophy drought may be nothing compared to Birmingham’s 48-year wait but the burden of five barren seasons weighs heavily on Wenger’s side and without Cesc Fabregas to inspire them on the field, the doubts and fears proved disabling.
This summer Fabregas’ future at the club will once again be questioned and it is clear Wenger needs to bring in more players with more steel in their make-up.
Just like Zigic and his Birmingham team-mates had, in fact.
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