Arsenal’s team of the 2003/04 season was special. Despite the cliché, it really was a ‘golden era’, where manager Arsène Wenger conjured up an unbelievable crop of players, who beautifully fitted together like an intricate jigsaw puzzle.
The sheer pace and directness of Thierry Henry allowed the magic of Dennis Bergkamp to be used, in a frequent, sensational fashion. The wings were occupied by Fredrik Ljungberg – an intelligent, effective winger and Robert Pirès – a true master of the beautiful game. David Seaman once said this on Pirès: “If it were any other generation, Pirès would have been the main man.” This truly emphasises the uniqueness and talent that the team possessed. Behind that spectacular quartet were two crucial cogs to the team’s structure. Arsenal revolutionised the ‘double-pivot’ – a tactic used everywhere in the continent now – and had it down to a tee. Alongside the warrior, leader and captain, Patrick Vieira, was Gilberto Silva – someone who, perhaps, didn’t get the recognition that he deserved. He was somewhat overshadowed by his partner in the midfield, predictably; as Vieira was extravagant and far more noticeable than his Brazilian teammate. However, in terms of how well they did their jobs, I don’t think there was that much difference.
In my rather controversial opinion, Gilberto Silva was one of the best – and certainly one of the most important – players in the Arsenal team at the time. His role in the team is often tagged as that of a ‘waterboy’; the player who does the hard work, without getting the adequate plaudits. He graced this role terrifically, though, and done it better than anyone else I’ve ever seen. With the talent that the World Cup winner possessed, it was almost wasteful to give him the job of the ‘anchor man’: a player who is rarely allowed to venture forward. In a large percentage of the other teams in Europe, Gilbero could have had a far more glamorous role, but he really did take what Arsène Wenger wanted him to do, ‘by storm’. He had the ability to show real class offensively but conceded this in a disciplined fashion, for the good of the team.
Statistics weren’t in as big an abundance as they are now, and due to that the Brazilian can’t be recorded in the form of numbers; but his goals, something around the figure of five, showed that he did have the ability to finish off moves when possible. His influence within attacks is something that can’t be forgotten, either: if pre-assists were recorded, he would have a more than respectable amount – I’m sure of that. He was often the indirect architect of goals, giving the ball to the likes of Dennis Bergkamp to erect his architect-esque drawings.
A superbly vocal leader, he remained at the club until 2008 and stayed on whilst many of his invincible teammates departed. His level of performance hardly dropped either, and thus he was even handed the captain’s armband by boss Arsène Wenger. He remained as vital a part as ever until his final match. He was also as level-headed as he was bald-headed; his groundedness often helped to perfect the younger players’ mindsets on and off the pitch. It is easy to argue that, as the years go by, the next generations’ personalities seem to be more egotistical and flash but – as new blood came into the Emirates – Gilberto helped to ensure that the new players’ intricate touches were executed by level headedness and pure concentration, as opposed to complacency.
This personality was absolutely ideal. Off the pitch, the midfielder was portrayed as someone who didn’t have much to say and someone who, when he did choose to open his mouth, did so with a purpose. Once his typically-black boots crossed the perfectly-painted white line of the football pitch, however, his vocality was turned up a notch or two but was still used with aplomb and for good reason.
He may not have been the most glamarous of players, but I for one think that Gilberto Silva was amongst the best players in the world. He was signed in 2002 and had a lot of adapting to do having only played in homeland Brazil, but one year later and he was a key player to one of the greatest teams to ever live.
His credit may be limited, but if you ask me, his influence and ability certainly wasn’t.
