november 24th
09.18 – It’s a month before Christmas Eve. Jeepers.
The boys are probably on their way to Milan as we speak. The early morning Ryanair flight from Luton to Genoa to save a few quid, then a seven hour coach journey should see them right as rain for the game tomorrow. It looks like it’ll be the same back four that played against Birmingham, which is kind of scary. I think we should be playing our best central-defensive partnership, which is quite clearly Kolo and Sol, but the right back issue means we’re likely to see Cygan again.
Yes, Le Fester did well against Birmingham, but Inter Milan away is a different bucket of phlegm entirely. Anyway, if AW won’t give youngster Justin Hoyte a chance against mid-table shite like Birmingham, he’s not going to play him in the San Siro. I just hope Cygan has sold his soul for a good season, but I remember how easily they cut us open at THOF and were it not for the sheer pace of Kolo on more than one occasion we’d have lost by a couple more. Cygan doesn’t have that pace, or anything approximating that pace. If they get behind him he can but watch. Who knows with Wenger though, he can surprise you, but it would be a big surprise to me if he gave us any surprises. Arsenal should take heart from the fact that Inter only managed to win 6-0 at the weekend. Oh.
David Dein has spoken out against national associations creaming in the money from World Cups, European Championships and Confederation Cups while the clubs foot the bills when players get injured on international duty. Something has to change in this regard. I’m not sure that the respective FAs should pay a player’s wages while he is away playing for his country, but certainly they should pay his wages if he’s injured while with his national side.
Apparently AW hasn’t learned a thing from signing Igors Stepanovs and is looking at Latvian international Maris Verpakovskis. According to Latvian national coach Gary Johnson “Arsenal watched Maris score in both play-off games and have invited him to London, he is a quality player.”
And there you have it. So begins another exciting Arsey week.
