Filed under: UEFA Champions League | Tags: Alex Ferguson, Anderson, Arsenal, Manchester United, Paul Scholes, Premier League, Seleção
Two seasons at Manchester United, two Champions League finals – and very close to his second Premier League winning medal. Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira is just a 21-year-old and is already in the football history books as the most sucessful Brazilian player in English football. He wants more and hopes to achieve that with an extra help from the Red Devils fans.
“We have the possibility to put this squad among Manchester United’s best of all times. We have fantastic fans that will invade Rome to support us in the Champions League final. It is one more dream coming true,” says Anderson.
The week is even more special for the young Brazilian after Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said he can be the new Paul Scholes and chose Anderson ahead of the Man United idol for the Champions League semifinal match against Arsenal in London.
“It is great to know someone like Ferguson admires you. I don’t have enough words to thank him for all he has done for me at Manchester United. About replacing Scholes, it is a great honour to me. I hope I can continue doing what people expect from me. I want to make history in this club,” added the midfielder, also a regular in the Seleção under coach Dunga.
Anderson now says Manchester United will be focused on winning the Premier League trophy as soon as posible. Then, they will just have the Champions League final to worry about.
“We want to concentrate in the European final. We will have time for it and we will be in our best shape. To be able to beat us, our opponent will have to play too well.”
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Filed under: English Premier League, UEFA Champions League | Tags: Arsenal, Denílson
Denílson warms up on the sideline, an unusual scene this season
Bernardo Pires Domingues
Arsenal’s victory over Villarreal last night also marked the first time Brazilian midfielder Denílson has not started a game in this UEFA Champions League campaign.
Denílson is the player with the most starts for Arsenal this season and the Premier League top passer, with a precision rate of nearly 90%. He is also the fifth best midfielder according to the league’s official statistics.
He is yet to win the approval of part of the supporters and some English football analysts argue that the jury is still out on him. Nevertheless, his versatility and effectiveness have been of great service to the side, and recognised by the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger.
It is also still unclear whether the Brazilian will maintain his status as an untouchable component in the manager’s system now that the majority of the squad is injury-free. But he has already demonstrated his capacity to adapt.
He started off the season as a holding midfielder, but when Theo Walcott dislocated his shoulder, Denílson was played wide right, while Alex Song took over the more defensive role.
Even with the returns of injured Cèsc Fabregas and Walcott, and the signing of Andrei Arshavin, he was kept on the starting 11 – up until yesterday, when fit again Robin Van Persie was positioned behind the striker and Fabregas was brought back alongside Song.
“The manager told me I was not going to start because of a tactical choice he was making and I respect his opinion. Obviously, everyone wants to play ninety minutes, but it doesn’t happen every time. But I’m OK with this decision he’s taken”, explained Denílson after the game.
Dunga has only selected Denílson for Brazil once, for a friendly against Switzerland in 2006, and the player finished the game as an unused substitute. But the Brazilian coach has been persistently calling up Josué, from German club Wolfsburg, whom he had no problems replacing in the starting side against Italy with a central midfielder that was earning his first cap: Fiorentina’s Felipe Melo.
After all Denílson has done this season, it would seem unfair from Dunga not to consider the midfielder for a call up now in case he loses his regular starter condition.
When I interviewed him for Brazilian Placar magazine in October, he revealed how he almost asked to be loaned to a Brazilian team after the past season, out of frustration for not having the opportunities he expected at the London club. But a holiday period in Brazil and some counselling from his father made him set out two goals for this season – to definitely make it to Arsenal’s first team and to the national squad.
The first one was more than successfully accomplished. With regard to the second the midfielder is in no hurry: “I really want to play for the Seleção, and I’m sure that it will happen someday. I don’t care if it takes long, if it’s close to happening or not. But I will get to the national team”, assures a determined Denílson.
Considering that he is only 21 and has been the captain of the country’s youth team since the under-15 level, he might know what he is talking about.
FC Brazil 