Silva worth his weight in gold
May 15, 2005
It took a season bereft of major trophies at the Bernabeu last year for Real Madrid fans to appreciate what Claude Makelele did for their team. And it has taken a similar void in the trophy cabinet at Highbury this season for Arsenal fans to understand the significance of Gilberto Silva’s contribution. Fortunately for the Gunners, the Brazilian has returned from serious injury in the nick of time to help salvage the silverware situation by winning the most recognisable pot of all – the FA Cup.
When Gilberto finally succumbed to a broken back last September – a full month after he suffered the injury in the opening match of the season at Everton – Arsenal were still four matches away from having their cloak of invincibility ripped from them by Manchester United. Indeed Gilberto was back home in Lagoa da Prata, beside the Amazon, recuperating when Arsenal’s 49-match unbeaten run hit the buffers at Old Trafford and the pizza and soup went flying.
By the time he had returned to Highbury in January to complete his convalescence, Arsenal were a shadow of their former selves, struggling to stay in contention in the Premiership race and on the brink of elimination from the Champions League. “When I came back I could play against Chelsea and Liverpool and now I have the FA Cup final,” said the World Cup winner, by way of consolation. “It’s not what I expected for my whole season but, in terms of what I [might have] had this season, it’s fantastic.”
There were some who thought he would never return as the months went by, but Gilberto said he was always positive about his recovery. Next to the frustration of not playing and helping his team as they struggled in his absence, the worst part for Gilberto was having to wear a corset-like device from morning till evening to immobilise his back while the bones hopefully mended.
The last time Gilberto took an extended leave away from football was of his own volition, when, at 16, having secured an apprenticeship with America Futebol Clube in Belo Horizonte, he returned home to help maintain his family after his mother became seriously ill with a kidney complaint. He stayed for 2½ years and it almost cost him his career. This time his family looked after him and his earlier sacrifice was rewarded when he returned to the Arsenal team after 6½ months’ absence in a 4-1 win against Norwich at the start of April. It was ever thus when Gilberto was in the side.
Since he returned, Arsenal have taken 16 points out of 18 and won an FA Cup semi-final. To suggest he is their talisman is an understatement. In the last 41 games that Gilberto has played, Arsenal have lost only once and that solitary defeat was in January last year when a Gunners side comprising youngsters and reserves lost 1-0 to Middlesbrough in a Carling Cup semi-final.
It doesn’t upset him that the fans have been less than fulsome in their praise of him. “I know how they think about Brazilian players, they think every Brazilian player does the same as Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, but I’m not this kind of player, my position is different,” he said in a softly-spoken lazy drawl.
Apparently, during the last World Cup, a Brazilian journalist called him “The Invisible Wall” and the description would seem to serve as well as any. “I try to be in the right position all the time,” he explained. “For example, if Patrick [Vieira] goes forward I will stay behind him.
“The young players did very well but you cannot put pressure on them like you can put pressure on me or Patrick Vieira or Thierry Henry. I like this kind of situation when I have a big challenge.”
Arsene Wenger has conceded enough already to Chelsea this season without agreeing that Gilberto is like Makelele, as complimentary as such a comparison might be. “He doesn’t need to be compared to Makelele,” said the Arsenal manager, almost indignantly, “because he’s a World Cup winner with Brazil and he’s a good player in his own right. He’s just a great player.”
And his contribution to Arsenal? “Tactical stability,” Wenger replied. “He holds back well and reads the game well. He’s put in there where we had a big weakness for a while – and he’s a genuine guy with other players, he likes to help out.
“You have two types of players, one who when you lose the ball looks to others to see if they come back to help and then you have the ones who do not even think about anybody else and just straightaway try to help out, and he’s one of those.”
The question is how fully has he recovered and is he ready to withstand a blood-curdling challenge from the likes of Roy Keane. Even the player himself admits he will not risk 40-60 challenges. When asked if his injury is behind him, Wenger’s answer is not as positive as some fans would like. “It is not behind him,” he said.
It is an indication of the player’s importance to Arsenal: 90 per cent of the old Gilberto is obviously better than none at all.
Note: As Moj calculated, Gilberto is 77kg, and 77kg of gold is worth £562,262.18. So yes, Silva is worth more than his weight in gold. Thank you.