Like Brando in The Godfather, I am loathe to tell anyone outside the family what I am thinking but given the current atmosphere of mischief and sensationalism surrounding Arsenal Football Club, needs must, especially when the usual subjects are avoiding the truth like a plague.
Alexis Sanchez is undoubtedly Arsenal’s most potent offensive player. If you tuned into the mainstream media, most Arsenal blogs and podcasts you would be struck by the tones of worship when they describe his performances. You would think he is irreplaceable.
But sporting history is replete with examples of great offensive players who, rather than being assets, are downright liabilities to the overall team. American professional sports, whether it be baseball, basketball or their gridiron football, has numerous examples of blockbuster trades to get rid players with gaudy offensive stats in return for new talent with whom hopefully a more successful future can be built.
One such trade that never took place was the legendary Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls who was the dominant worldwide sports marketing figure in towards the end the last century and into this millenium. This episode in the history of the Bulls has literally been airbrushed from history and is unknown to most Gen-Xers and Millenials.
In 1988 when Jordan was coming off of being the Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and the league’s leading scorer during the 1987-1988 season, the Bulls were close to dealing him away for two high draft picks. I vaguely remember the story from my days as a basketball hound but had to dig deep in the internet to confirm. According to this piece on “the-trades-that-didnt-happen” the Bulls were on the verge of being eliminated in the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals by the Detroit Pistons and the team had won just four total playoff games – and sported a 4-15 playoff record – in the first four seasons with Michael Jordan. There was a large dividing line among Bulls management that led to a theory that the team would
“never win a title because Jordan’s style of one-on-one play eliminated the other players as contributors.”
I am increasingly becoming like those skeptical members of the Bulls’ hierarchy when it comes to Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal. Having watched him very closely since he came to this club, while ecstatic about his unpredictability and the wonderful goals he has scored I have become increasingly alarmed at his negative impact on the team dynamic.
As some of us have highlighted, Wengerball depends on maintaining possession as the club progresses up the field seeking opportunities for vertical passes to get behind defenses and create scoring opportunities. Over the past 3 years the emphasis on possession has declined. Arsenal is now the 3rd best possession team in the league behind City and Liverpool and the frequency of turnovers in midfield leading to dangerous counter attacks by opposing teams have left me with a bad state of heartburn and acid reflux.
Apart from @blackburngeorge and a few others this is a minority opinion among the denizens of this blog. Many regard his goals and the unpredictability he brings to the team as more important than his wastefulness in possession. As friends, who love the club, we never hesitate to disagree, respectfully.
Outside PA, in the mainstream media as well as most Arsenal bloggers and podcasters, there is virtual sycophancy when it comes to Alexis. It is literally taboo to criticize him. Like the political correctness crowd, they are the self-made guardians of what is acceptable discourse among Arsenal fans. Based on their recent publications, evidently blaming the manager, for one bad year in 21, is more likely to generate clicks and satisfy the snarling, howling mob that needs a scapegoat for their disappointments.
Unlike my opinionated colleagues in the blogsphere, as is my wont, I decided to do some research and see how Alexis compares with the leading strikers from other clubs fighting for top-4 positions in the Premier League. As usual the stone-cold data has no agenda, creates no headlines and is oblivious to feelings and emotion (courtesy of Whoscored.com).
| Sanchez | Kane | Costa | Aguero | Ibra | Avg. Score | |
| Apps | 31(2) | 25(1) | 32 | 23(5) | 27(1) | |
| Mins | 2,809 | 2,187 | 2,848 | 2,234 | 2,437 | 2,503 |
| Goals | 19 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 |
| Assists | 9 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| SpG | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 |
| Drb | 2.7 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 1.7 |
| Fouled | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| Off | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Disp | 3.2 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| UnsTch | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 2 | 2.6 |
| Key Passes | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| Avg Passes | 43.5 | 19.6 | 29.5 | 25 | 37.3 | 31 |
| PS% | 73.4 | 72.7 | 74.7 | 82.2 | 73.6 | 75.3 |
| Rating | 7.7 | 7.56 | 7.44 | 7.25 | 7.41 | 7.47 |
Mins – Minutes played; Goals – Total goals; Assists -Total assists; SpG – Shots per game; KeyP -Key passes per game; Drb – Dribbles per game; Fouled – Fouled per game; Off – Offsides per game; Disp – Dispossessed per game; UnsTch – Bad control per game; Avg Passes – Avg Passes per game; PS% – Passing success percentage
Good Alexis
Given he is not dedicated center-forward like those in the peer-group, often playing wide left, his numbers are noteworthy:
- Goals scored is right on the average, at 19.
- Assists are 80% above the average and one-third higher than the next best, i.e. Kane and Costa.
- Highest number of dribbles per game at 2.7 is arguably a positive especially for a wide forward.
- Fouled at a higher than average per game although nowhere near Costa-levels.
- Key passes are above average at 2.2 per game compared to an average of 1.46. Only Ibra comes remotely close at 1.7.
Bad Alexis
- His passes per game widely exceed all his peers, 43.5 vs an average of 31. Only Ibrahimovich at 37.3 is remotely close. Seems his peers are less involved in the passing game and focused on being present in the box.
- Passing percentage is below the average, 73.4 vs 75.3. Only Kane has worse passing percentage but he touches the ball on average over 50% less than Alexis.
- Being dispossessed far higher than the average, 3.2 times per game vs 2.4. Only Costa is dispossessed at a higher rate at 3.4.
Having seen the evidence, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, how say you? Asset or liability?
Positively Arsenal 
Interesting – it is not just strikers that Alexis needs to be compared with though I’d say – it is midfield players who ‘assist’ in the creation of goals that the Chilean also features in the PL top five.
https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players
No Sanchez, no party.
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Well I’m afraid that on that evidence I would say asset. However, I believe he is a liability for reasons those stats don’t show.
He ruins the shape of the team by leaving his position upfront and moving into MF. Then demands the ball,. When he has the ball he ignores passes to better placed teammates, and often runs in the wrong direction, which means immediately, the whole team needs to adjust their positioning.
I also think that other players get pissed off by him ignoring their efforts to find good space and their efforts to keep the ball.
In short he fucks up our game.
He is the only player in 20 years I’ve wanted out based on his football contribution.
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Well I disagree with George I’m afraid, I’d say liability and for two reasons.
1. If anyone should be camped in the opposition penalty area it is him; he is both brilliant and lethal.
2. By permanently dropping deep, or wide, or deep AND wide we have numbers over in the midfield and, guess what, numbers under, in the penalty area.
His possession stats would be transformed if he wasn’t losing the ball in midfield. His ability to hurt the opposition by spending more time further forward would also be sharply improved.
Our tendency to not lose the ball in midfield would be reduced by Alexis playing further forward; out vulnerability to counter-attack would also be addressed.
The need for the team to constantly reposition itself to accommodate the little maverick would be eliminated and our whole game would become vastly more efficient. Players would be less fatigued, fewer mistakes made, less energy spent on recovery, more on attack.
Given his disruption to the team it’s not hard to see why he could be the focal point of dressing room discontent. Hankering for the highest wages (if true) is hardly likely to be going down well with the rest of the team.
He’s not new to the squad yet he constantly plays as if he has hardly met his teammates and this can only end one way in my view.
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I’d have to agree gentlemen. It’s become obvious to me in the last 5-10 matches. He’s constantly either running out of position, sometimes all the way across the field, or turning the ball over. I love the little guy to death but his refusal to pass to teammates during build up play and the times he sits on the ball looking to flip it into the box is becoming a problem. How many times do we have to see him ignore his overlapping fullback, and instead run across the field and get dispossessed creating a counter attack opportunity? I’m starting to think we should just cut our losses with both Sanchez and Ozil and go buy some young talent, maybe play Ramsey at the #10. If I had to choose I’d keep Ozil and hope he regains some confidence, because he’s a shadow of his former self at the moment. But at least he fits the system, and even in his current form he’s a great player. I do agree with the article, prima-donnas can wreck locker rooms. Just looking from the outside in, something is affecting the moral, and we know that there was a bust up on the training pitch prior to the Liverpool match. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
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Not sure what we disagree on Andrew, I agree with every word of that post. It is what I wanted to say but was unable too.
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Jared, good one.
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The problem is Jared what ‘system’ is Mesut a part of ? Our threat in the final third of the pitch in recent weeks, and irrespective of who is in midfield or whether it is Larry, Danny or Alexis as the striker, has been toothless. It took us long enough to break into Lincoln and on Sunday, when we really needed to press Tottingham and cut into their defence, we failed.
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I will respectfully disagree with you George..
“He ruins the shape of the team by leaving his position upfront and moving into MF.”
So he’s a liability because he comes back to MF to help recover the ball and help the team.
“Then demands the ball,. When he has the ball he ignores passes to better placed teammates..”
He is ranked in top 5 not only in goals and assist but also on chances created per game…so in fact as a forward he does Middle fielder’s job really well. But since he is a forward he gets criticized for not scoring more goals. Let’s remember that his best scoring production was when he was placed as central attacker…back in those early weeks we arsenal fans thought we actually had a chance to win the league….until Wenger returned him to his wide position.
So he’s a liability because his is a multi role player whose combined stats are better than any forward or middle fielder.
“..and often runs in the wrong direction, which means immediately, the whole team needs to adjust their positioning.”
Wrong direction…meaning what ? That his team mates can’t control the ball and loose it or that he misplaces his passes. Given the number of chances created, is absolutely normal to have higher misplaced passes percentage, he is always playing on the limits. Why try to do risky passes when you can always play it safe …right?
So he’s a liability because he doesn’t focus on doing senseless passes to a teamate 10 meters away and when the defenders can’t do their job… Well… its also his fault.
I’m not a defender per se of Alexis…just hate to loose him because Wenger refuses to use him at his best position. Some claim that he disrupt the dressing room…I rather have a player that’s passionate and rants when his team looses than quiet players that calmly watch their club disappear into oblivion.
Some may say, he’s a drama queen and a cheater for his act during Leicester match…he was just bending the rules, stepping out of the line… Yes… But he was just trying to win time and secure the win.
As it happened when Barcelona sold him after his best season at Nou Camp because he and Neymar worked well during Messi’s injuries, Alexis will be sold this summer. I would hate to see him leave for Chelsea but if that’s the prize to pay to show how poor thinking Wenger has…so be it.
Dear George…as a famous Dr. Spock used to say, your logic is undeniable.
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AndyNic@11:04 am – Good point. Never thought of that.
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Thanks Shotta. The enigma that is Alexis! I remember in the first half as we attacked spurs. Alexis had the ball on our left, Kieran overlapped and Alexis cut inside, tried finding Ozil and got the pass intercepted. Herein lies my issue with Alexis. His decision making sometimes baffle me; in this case, the better pass option was Gibbs but he chose a more difficult option in passing to Mesut. Also, he tends to monopolise possession, then dribble into the crowd and many a times lost possession to the opposition. I’m afraid, whichever part of the pitch this happens has the potential of hurting us seriously because our players are out of position (sometimes taken out by Alexis’ unpredictable mazy runs).
Arteta did an interview on dot com when we signed him 3 years ago and said something to the effect that if Alexis could only do his “trick” at “certain times” that it would benefit team play a lot. Anyways, that being said, he’s still our surprise factor. I’m glad I’m not the manager.
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George – I understand your your seeming frustration that the data is not clear cut as to whether Alexis is an asset or a liability. As a matter of fact WhoScored has him rated higher than all the other forwards in the league, which by the way is a subjective assessment as someone has decided which attributes must be given a higher weighting. In this case the points awarded for teamwork appears to be relatively low or non-existent. That is why it needs the judgment of an expert to make the final call as to whether Alexis remains an Arsenal player or not. In all areas of serious human endeavors such decisions are left to those with proven knowledge and experience not to an array of journalists, bloggers and podcasters who have never managed anything beyond a game of pick-up football.
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Unless you think Alexis is the primary culprit for our downfall since january, I thonk it would be worth analyzing performances up to january and january-may as separate data sets. This feels even more relevant since he has played at CF (almost?) exclusively in the former, wide in the latter period.
My gut feeling is that, similarly to last season, our first XI is terrific and well balanced, but once you remove Cazorla and Iwobi, the overall technical quality is simply not good enough for a top team. Confidence, lack of physicallity, individual player deficiencies, in-fightining, divided fans – all these factors and others start falling like dominoes, and very quickly it becomes impossible to determine where one ends and the other begins.
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Morning All,
It’s a little difficult to express my views on Alexis without appearing too trite or leaving myself open to accusations of having splinters in the ass, but here goes.
In a team that seems averse to shooting or doing something out of the ordinary in attack, Sanchez is without peer, and when we need a goal, he is often the saviour, altho recent performances have dropped below his usual standards.
So, I see him as an asset.
I rarely loose my cool, in general, and even less so in footballing terms because for any perceived failings in the current squad, they cannot be accused of not trying, or of needlessly repeating mistakes over and over again when not in the last third of the pitch.
However, there is an exception both to that team ethic, and to my normally sanguine decorum — and it is indeed Sanchez.
Intercepting a pass to a better placed team mate and then dizzily dribbling in midfield in ever decreasing circles, like the fabled oomegoolie bird, until inevitably he loses the ball to a toe-poke, or passes it 2 metres to an opponent, which, infuriatingly, then puts our attack supporting defence under unnecessary pressure which occasionally results in a goal against us.
Truth to tell, this sometimes instigates a barrage of ill considered and unflattering abuse aimed at the TV screen in lieu of Alexis, as it is a much needed release of the building tension in this blogger, because of the ridiculous predictability of it all.
So, that makes him a liability.
If forced to make a decision as to whether to keep him or not, based on the above, and thank goodness that is not a call for me, as that responsibility falls squarely on Arsene, I would rationalise it by saying we can, or should, be able to cope with his predilection for causing mayhem in the ranks, but in the current squad, there is no one else who can match him in attack, and while that remains the case, the rest of the team should be professional and adjust their positioning the moment he starts dribbling. maybe a bib? lol
So, an asset he is – in the final analysis – unless, that is, his apparent wish to leave for pastures new, marries up with AW’s desire to let him go and recruit a new hot shot goal scorer for next season, in which case all bets are off.
Nowadays, the power is with the players – thank you Bosman – so we will have to wait and see – but with the season winding down, that decision, mutual or otherwise, will soon be on us.
Damn – these splinters can be mighty inconvenient. lol
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If it was me Henry it would not be matter of disposing of the current Alexis – I would be in the market to buy another one, maybe two ! Attacking massed defences requires imagination and dynamism. One practitioner is not enough.
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Then it is fortunate that I added that caveat about all bets being off if we get a newbie attacker for next season! lol
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George – your opening comment is that according to Shotta’s provided stats, AS is an asset; it’s this I disagree with. Given his tendency to drop way back into midfield, his ‘Dispossessed’ and ‘Bad Control Per Game’ numbers are unacceptably high. Fine for a Forward, a walking liability and occasional disaster for a visiting Midfielder …
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I found Tim’s initial commentary on Sanchez very interesting. Only on PA!
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I think it’s been hard to spot because of the frequent niggles but of late we can see that Chambo has taken some postive inspiration from Sanchez. he’s got the skills to do so! And occasionaly of late he’s also been ball hogging in midfield (slight negative).
Is Chamberlain staying or going is of much much greater significance then what happens with Alexis?
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Unlike Andrew Nic, having never managed a football team in my life but based on the data and my judgment, if Arsenal can find the right player at the right price, I would sell Alexis in a heartbeat and play a more orthodox possession-based system. My forward must do most of his damage in the final-third taking advantage of the unique skill-set of Ozil a la Henry and Bergkamp.
Inspired as I am by The Godfather, a Sonny Corleone in the Arsenal management would give the owner of Monaco, an offer that he couldn’t refuse; sell us Mbappe for the price we choose or else. But as the Don knew from experience and expertise, even among the Mafia there are rules and conventions. Despite the strength of the Corleones, they could not get their own way among the various Families. He had to retreat upstate, send Michael in exile, lie in the weeds and conserve forces until the time was right to strike. It remains to be seen how this movie will unfold at the Arsenal.
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Fins: I can’t remember my exact comment, but I suspect it wasn’t entirely favourable. He reminds me too much of KP, but I guess until we know exactly how things are playing out in the dressing room we cannot tell whether he adds or subtracts to the team. My guess is that he is being played every game at the moment for several reasons:
because he is the man most likely to score
because if he were dropped it would impact his sell-on price
because in the current media and fan climate it would be suicidal not to play him
I would expect him to leave this summer for quite a price – and I would expect the form of a few of our current under-performers to improve quite significantly the moment he does.
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I think Alexis should play as Centre forward
To get the most of his poaching abilities.
Infact we were better off when he was leading the line durung August to october.
In this way we can avoid his weakness of giving away the ball during the play build up.
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Foreverheady – £60 million to Chelsea; those dogs look way too settled in London to be moved now.
(Although I expect we’ll give Liverpool first refusal for Or £60,000,001).
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Sanchez has player at C/F in our worst games as well.
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Thanks Tim.
We’ll find out one day.
For me KP was always more like RVP and not just because of the Dutch connection! I also like to imagine that my fantasy signing Sancho Sanchez Panza would have short shrift for the parasitic Morons out there. But it’s a good reference.
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Fins: your signing would have been the ideal assist master for a few Mick Channon celebrations.
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We want Barry Richards, not KP
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Gordon Greenidge was 66 on Monday
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Gordon was a great supporting act for Barry
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Alexis can be both a liability and an asset. Unpredictable, sometimes shows genius, sometimes sulks, gives the ball away, and refuses to pass to better places team mates.
Also get the impression he thinks some he plays with are far below him in terms of talent and even work ethic…and he may have a point on the talent front at least.
Love watching him at his best, BUT looking at our history…and especially now if we dont quality for the CL, I am not sure we we will get anything approaching his quality as a replacement. If he goes to Chelsea and lights up their team, it will make things even worse
have a feeling this summer is going to be one of those Arsenal…up and down ….summers
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Who is Barry Richards?
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A finer display of the art of batting you will never see, join Richie and John Arlott in cooing in appreciation.
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Thank you!
This helps to understand why he’s such a goodbye plundit haha!
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< good
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But that’s not the only reason that football plunditry is so lampooned/targeted by talented satirists (Alan Partdrige!)
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I’m gonna sue for plagiarism!
As I concluded based on a look at Alexis’ stats, he is most definitely an asset. I can appreciate George’s view that the stats don’t show how he spoils our game and affects the team negatively.
But as with Jordan, Arsenal would be foolish to trade him away. You don’t win by giving away your best players (and we don’t need the money, and who will we get in for that money that would be better?) You win by surrounding them by the right pieces.
The Bulls won 6 championships by surrounding Jordan with the right talent. If they had traded him, I doubt they would have won, or won as much.
For me it’s clear. Keep Alexis. Bring in more talent in midfield and attack. The Invincibles had 4 top players in Bergkamp, Henry, Vieira and Pires (and maybe Campbell) along with an able supporting cast with the likes of Gilberto, Ljungberg, Wiltord etc. That’s what we need. Not to sell the the sort of players who can make a difference, regardless of their shortcomings.
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Michael Jordan: Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and the league’s leading scorer.
Alexis Sanchez: Average number of goals in top-4, Most Dispossessed of the top-4, 2nd lowest passing percentage in top-4.
Build a team around Alexis?
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Damn. Richards was good. Never played vs the Windies due to our boycott of Apartheid South Africa.
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For me this season’s disintegration kicked into high gear once contract negotiations with Alexis began. AW had basically over-relied on him once the other options predictably succumbed to injury. Alexis carried the team in the first half of the season and clearly his agent kept a running log on his every grimace, fart, and turbomove he made. AW leaned too much on him and they decided to lean back way harder than expected. This is 2017, the digital age, the age of selfies, the market is God, and throwing the baby out of the bathwater (it’s virtual after all). It’s a lesson Fergie knew so we’ll that I hope AW has learned from. To summarize Alexis is only a keeper if the board loosen the purse strings, pay him his megabucks, and bring in 2 more all-universe players at premium bucks to balance the machismo. If not, I say sell him to the highest bidder, reinvest in 2-6 next level talents (e.g.Tielemans, Mbappe), sell our duds, re-up Ozil, bring back Joel Campbell, jiggle the staff, make Hector sign a hairstyle limitation agreement, and give AW a final 2-year contract. Tick all those boxes, preferably without the Europa league, and watch us win the league. Not rocket science at all..methinks.
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My word. Am I the only fan of The Godfather? March 24th last marks the 40th Anniversary of one of the greatest movies in modern cinematography. Come on guys, don’t fail me. It took some thinking on my part to find a connection, however tenuous, with our current state of affairs.
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Arsene needs to put Sonny Corleone on the case. Nothing the head of his prized stallion, cleanly cut, in the bed of the Monaco owner wouldn’t solve pronto, pronto:
http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsene-wenger-reveals-arsenal-were-very-very-close-to-kylian-mbappe-deal-as-he-continues-hunt-for-a3529926.html
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C’ ‘na luna mezz’u mare
Mamma mia m’a maritare
Figlia mia a cu te dare
Mamma mia pensace tu
Se te piglio lu pesciaiole
Isse vai isse vene
Sempe lu pesce mane tene
Se ce ‘ncappa la fantasia
Te pesculia figghiuzza mia
Là lariulà pesce fritt’e baccalà
Uei cumpà no calamare c’eggi’accattà
“leave the gun take the cannoli, Moe Green gets it in the eye.Hey Michael we was all proud of you being a war hero and all, Clemenzas meat balls, hey Mikey why you a no tell that nice girl you love her! I love you with a all my heart!
Fredo you are nothing to me now.”
Its is endless Shotts! Coppola had a tough time making that film, probably couldnt be made today. The intricate details, ( ie Michaels clothing is more “intellectual” than gangster when he starts to get involved, side parting hair etc.)
How Michael is an innocent with Kay at the start and then becomes so frightening and ruthless, a man with almost no compassion. Pretty terrifying films really.Not sure I could watch them now without feeling really nervous and tense ( I be a wet blanket).
John Cazales acting when Mike says your nothing and he knows hes finished. what an actor he was!Brando didnt learn any of his lines and they would chalk them up for him. when you see he and Pacino talking you can see Brando looking up and reading them.
Lets face it everyones acting is superb in the film, and its a milestone is film making.
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1972 Shotts – a perfect film
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Yup Millsy. It made Coppolla and others giants in cinema. For me it so dramatically captured the seven deadly sins of mankind:
Lust
Gluttony
Greed
Sloth
Wrath
Envy
Pride
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..and Clemenzas meatball reciepe! Theres a deleted scene which was part of the Cannoli/Paulie scene, where Clemenza buggers off to the restaurant for ages. Silent pretty much, shot from afar, but fascinating.
But what about the Solozzo scene for tension and build up? so intense.
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I’ve always been Tom Hagen – with ambition to be Luca Brasi
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–
Juve take the lead with an away goal.
Earlier the Monaco kid missed an uncontested header in front of goal, from the six yard line I think. More then a half chance at least. Good movement I guess. Their best chance so far.
Is it fair to speculate that Giroud would’ve done better with that type of chance?
When even Young Pep copied the Arsenal and tried to add a leading targetman to his squad (didn’t work out) I can’t understand the gripes some have for OG. Welbeck’s injury was imo almost as big a loss as Cazorla. Two proven talents with lots of medals, CL matches & made it as top international level players all of it under their belt. Their loss has to be a big blow for a squad that unlike chelsea do not have a score of 30M plus signings on the bench.
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A5–Old Luca got it bad in that bar! Tom was a great character though-its tough when Vito leaves him out. I always liked Tessio, sort of sad when he gets led away.
I relate to more being like Enzo the baker,shaking like a leaf!
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Michael’s return to the family business was transformative. Stone cold, unemotional. None of Papa’s paternalism and hesitancy.
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Correction: Monaco had three encouraging chances in that half.
Juve with a classic counter attacking goal away from home.
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Didnt Brando say a some point that he wanted to play Vito as less of a gangster, that he couldnt relate to him in the book too much? And thus we see Vito as being warmer-it works well for the tension in the film though.Been a long time since Ive watched the documentaries etc so could be wrong about what Brando said.
Do you think that also Mikes wife getting blown up turned him?
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