april 2nd
Ok, so most of you noticed I got an April Fools in yesterday. The log in and password should really have given it away. If you take the numbers 11618912 and break it down to 1 – 16 – 18 – 9 –12 and assign a letter to each one based on their position in the alphabet, then you get the word ‘April’, while ‘tonto’ is the Spanish word for fool. I’m going to have to start thinking about next year’s gag in the off-season.
Back to football we go and Arsene Wenger has blasted the FA for the fixture pile up we find ourselves involved in at the moment. The boss says “It is unbelievable and disrespectful. We tried to have the programme changed but they said that’s it. But all it has served to do is now make me and the players even more determined to win every game.”
The main concern is that with two cup games that could possibly go into extra time the players would be dead on their feet by the time the league games against Liverpool and Newcastle came around. With that in mind it seems unlikely that Thierry Henry and Robert Pires will play in the FA Cup, but we’ll get more team news and likely line-ups later today. I know every game is important, and there could be no question of taking the FA Cup or a game against United lightly, but if he had to prioritise then I’m sure the boss would say the Champions League game against Chelsea was the more important of the two.
So with the squad likely to be fully stretched over the coming couple of weeks, injuries are not what we need, even if they do happen to Pascal Cygan who is likely to be out for 3-4 weeks. Gilberto and Ashley Cole are unlikely to be ready for either the United or Chelsea games, but Sylvain Wiltord should make the Champions League squad, while Philippe Senderos is close to full fitness and may find himself thrown in right at the deep end if we pick up any more knocks in defensive areas.
Freddie Ljungberg is determined to put the nightmare of the ‘99 semi-final behind him once and for all. Surely nobody needs reminding of the late penalty miss that destroyed Dennis Bergkamp for so long, and that goal by that hairy bastard (I turn the TV off every time I see it, but I can still remember thinking at the time ‘SOMEBODY JUST TAKE HIM OUT’). United went on to do the league, FA Cup and Champions League treble that season, Demento got a Knighthood and we had to suffer United mania for months afterwards. Freddie says “You have put in so much effort to get that far only to be beaten one game from the final. No one remembers who loses in the semi-finals.”
Except for the fans on the team that loses, which last time happened to be us. And this time I really, really don’t want to lose. Like Freddie I want revenge. I don’t want a last-minute winner either, I want a comprehensive victory with at least 4 goals from Reyes before half-time.
I also want a Nurofen for the hangover I seem to have.
