Sports Quotient

Arsenal are the only big time club which doesn’t seem to be making any serious effort in holding on to its key players, thanks to a combination of two reasons : one is Wenger’s insistence on youth and his reluctance to spend in the transfer market. Second, which is actually a consequence of the first, is their inability to win titles which forces players to head out to fulfil their silverware ambitions.

How bad is this exodus for the club?

If you look at the list of players who have left in the last 3 years, there is enough quality to build a fine side; good enough to compete in Europe and England. The team looks something like this.

Emmanuel Adebayor

Thierry Henry

Aleksandr Hleb

Jose Antonio Reyes

Gilberto Silva

Mathieu Flamini

Lassana Diarra

Justin Hoyte

Kolo Toure

Fabrice Mumba

Jens Lehmann

This team could play 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 or even a 3-5-2 such is the versatile nature of the squad.

These guys weren’t misfits during their time at Highbury or the Emirates. Most of them left for bigger clubs and Arsenal benefitted financially from the move. They have continued to perform at a high level for their new clubs; clearly proof that they were not let go because they weren’t good enough to play for Arsenal anymore.

The only other major European club which has had a similar outflow of top talent is probably Sevilla in Spain.

I can’t help but think.

Who would win if this XI took on the current Arsenal side?

The erstwhile Yugoslavia, which was a decent footballing nation, was broken up into many parts in the 1990’s. Today these countries have carved their own identities in world football.

Croatia – They have missed only one World Cup and one European Championships since they burst on the scene in 1993. Semi-finalists in the 1998 WC and 2008 EC. Currently ranked 8th and have been as high as 3rd in the FIFA rankings. Have a population of 4 million.

Serbia – They have been regulars in the WC, missing out only in 2002. Currently ranked 20th and have been as high as 8th in the FIFA rankings. Have a population of 7 million. Have topped their group ahead of France for 2010 WC qualifying.

Slovenia – They have qualified for the 2000 EC and 2002 WC. They beat eventual winners Italy in 2006 World cup qualification. Currently ranked 49th and have been as high as 25th in the FIFA rankings. Have a population of 2 million. Have finished ahead of the Czech Republic and qualified for a play-off spot for 2010 World Cup.

Bosnia – They have never qualified for a major event but have come very close. Currently ranked 42nd and have been as high as 25th in the FIFA rankings. Have a population of 4 million. Have finished ahead of Turkey and Belgium and qualified for a playoff spot for the 2010 world Cup.

Four quality football sides. Two of which have been in the top 10 and the other two in the top 25 of World football at different times. Out of a total population of 17 million.

Among the so called leading football nations

England has a population of 61 million

Brazil has a population of 191 million

Germany has a population of 83 million

Argentina has a population of 43 million

Spain has a population of 41 million

Italy has a population of 58 million

Russia has a population of 141 million

Holland is one country which compares with a population of 16 million.

All of them have, at different times, struggled to qualify for major tournaments.

Would they have the depth to put together 4 squads or more, with each squad capable of making it to the final round of the World Cup or the European Championships? The squads should be 22 strong each.

I seriously doubt it, save for Brazil and Argentina, but given their population they should be fielding 45 and 10 such teams respectively. And that is impossible for them.

What does that say about the strength and depth of football in the former Yugoslavia?

In the preliminary round of the ‘India’s Got Talent’ contest, Uttam Dash from Kolkata balanced a football on various parts of his body while performing among other things, a full 180 degree split. (watch him in action in the second half of this video)

However, the judges didn’t think too  much of the performance. They reckoned it didn’t take a lot of talent to make a football dance to one’s tune.

Considering, that inspite of being a nation of over a billion, we cannot produce 11 decent footballers, the judges were surely under some illusion of what qualifies as talent in football.

Thankfully for Uttam and all the football lovers watching on TV, the Kolkata crowd forced the judges to overturn their decision.

As you can see, the judges weren’t too pleased.

Kirron Kher was seething with anger after the more football-literate crowd refused to accept the judgement sitting down.

A bad sport who has no appreciation for sport?