ARSEBLOG News Review

This will be one of my better previews.

I'm gonna take the liberty of giving myself 70% for it.

Before I've even written it.

Against Valencia Arsenal took a step sideways in their European adventure. In their last game against Roma they took a step forward. If they take a step backwards against Ajax in February then they'll be doing the waltz.

Arsene has asked the players to come dancing.

And they've taken to the Champions League dancefloor to show their style.

Bobby Pires with his soft-shoe shuffle; Dennis foxtrotting in the hole; and Ray Parlour with all the energy of a white soulboy on a weekender in Caister.

Fat-thighed Ray played out of his shorts on Tuesday.

His performance took me back to 1977. Ray showed all the energy of a young punk, full of phlegm and the pogo. The Spaniards, raised on guitar music and the Iglesias boys, couldn’t cope.

Ray kinda reminded me of Shelley. Pete, not Percy.

I met the young Buzzcock once, back when I was living with Pink Floyd in Hampstead. They guys wanted to go and see what this new music was all about, what the kids were into.

We motored down to a pub in Kentish Town, the kind of pub I like. The kind of pub you don’t often find anymore. There was prog rock on the jukebox and Skol on tap.

The band came on about 9.30. By 9.35 I was a PUNK.

By 9.40 I had sniffed my first glue.

I offerred my bag of UHU to the Floyd, but they weren’t interested. They were big stars, and they had their own drugs.They even had a guy who carried their stash around for them in a wicker bag.

How do I think Arsenal will do against Spurs?

I dunno. These Sunday games are difficult for me to call. They’re out of synch with my biorythyms, my karma AND my chi!

But I can tell you that Arsenal will win. 2-1.

It will be a tight game, and I think Spurs will score first. Probably Poyet. Or Keane. Maybe Teddy. Possibly Anderton.

Second half, Arsenal will come back strongly. Their powerful, pacy football will blow the Lilywhites away.

The midfield will be controlled by Gilberto and Ray.

Two powerful warrior-gladiators, whose lack of finesse will be compensated by their appetite for battle in the turf Arena.

Freddy will regain his form and score the first. Gio will get the second.

He’ll be on as sub for Ashley Cole on 62.2 minutes.

I’m off to a blackjack evening now readers, with my old friend Mostyn.

He’s only got 1 hand but he’s a helluva good card player. He lost the other hand in a brawl with Nick Drake back in ‘65. Mostyn had broken the reed in Nick’s clarinet, and the introspective singer went wild.

For such a gentle guy who sang songs about sheds he had a terrible temper.

Before I could react he had BITTEN off Mostyn’s whole hand.

At the wrist.

A few years later, Nick was dead.

A wasted talent, he would have made a fantastic keeper.