BRILLIANCE OF ALEX JAMES
— Saracen | 19/04/1930 —

I cannot recall a display of footcraft, finesse and baffling deception to equal that given by Alex James for the Arsenal against Leicester City at Highbury yesterday. One has at least to go back to the era of Bobbie Walker and the genius of his day for a player of the inside left's amazing skill. It was no wonder that the crowd rose to him, and called him "Good old Alex." It is a change from a few months ago.

During the first half, when the Arsenal should have made certain of winning the match, there seemed to be half a dozen Jameses, for the ball never appeared to be out of his possession. His sense of position was a wonderful, and, exploiting every trick that one has ever seen on a football field either to beat a man or to get the whole Leicester City defence going the wrong way, he gave a display that was occasionally baffling even to some of his colleagues.

JACK HAS AN EASY.

It was fitting that James should score the Arsenal's goal. Thi was obtained half an hour after the start, when McLaren was out of position, and Jones passed the ball back to the inside left.

The Arsenal attack was largely a one man affair owing to the fact that Jack was simply taking a feeler after his injury. I fear he got another knock on his ankle, but the mishap was trivial, though it probably made him extra careful.

During the first half the Arsenal had the chances to score four goals, but though Lambert dashed as hard as usual, he had not the ball play necessary to get in a winning shot. Hulme, too, was disappointing. Time and again James would give him the ball is that he could do what he liked with it, but he usually continued to do the wrong thing.

The second half was very different, and Chandler not only equalised, but Leicester City were, perhaps, a little unlucky in not winning. Preedy thought he had stopped the centre-forward's scoring shot, but the ball bent his fingers back and went through them into the net instead of over the top.

HAPPY UNDERSTANDING.

When the City got going their team work was better than the Arsenal were ever responsible for the understanding on both wings being excellent. Indeed, with John and Hapgood almost breaking down in their resistance to the City's clever attack, the home goal was under a continual threat which was gallantly repulsed by Parker and Seddon.

Baker came back into the Arsenal side and thoroughly justified himself, but the superiority of Leicester City at half-back was marked all through.

Arsenal: Preedy; Parker, Hapgood; Baker, Seddon, John; Hulme, Jack, Lambert, James, Jones.

Leicester City: McLaren; Black, Brown; Ritchie, Harrison, Watson; Adcock, Hine, Chandler, Lochhead, Barry.