February 28th
It’s the last day of the month and after the celebrations of yesterday it’s back into the real world again. In their wisdom the cunts that be have organised a round of international friendlies this week. Not really what we need when we should be knuckling down in training but what can you do?
Early yesterday Ashley Cole was talking about how his injury has given young players a chance in the team and how much he was looking forward to getting back on the pitch and into the team. Last night he took to the field as Arsenal reserves took on Sp*rs reserves and he lasted all of 7 minutes as a challenge from a Sp*rs player left him with an injured ankle. Just what we needed. This season has been an absolute nightmare for injuries and whilst you can’t use it as an excuse you have to wonder if we’d have struggled as badly with a fully fit Cole, van Persie, Lauren and Henry in team all season long. Let’s hope the injury isn’t as bad as we all fear it probably will be. Arsenal.con are saying it’s a sprain in the reserves report. The Sun has more. One of the lads on my team sprained his ankle in November. He still hasn’t played since. The game finished 2-1 to the scummers as well.
Like the rest of us the manager is ‘worried’ by our poor league form. Whilst people might put that down to bad defending away from home that’s not really the issue. The main problem is just 9 goals in 14 away games. There are days when we look like we can’t score. Again for me the problem boils down to midfield. No league goals all season for Freddie Ljungberg, only four league goals from Robert Pires, a weak central partnership due to Gilberto’s reluctance to get involved in anything vaguely physical and only one player to try and link defence and attack. Rejuvenate the midfield and we might start playing as a team again.
I know it’s ridiculous to pin hopes on a 16 year old but I’d like to see Walcott get a game. The others must know they’re under-performing and maybe they feel pressure and can’t cope with it. As much as we’re all excited by his talent I think we’re all realistic enough not to expect fireworks from a player so young but that might just the be the best reason to give him a shot. He’s under no pressure, he’s got no fear and even if things don’t go too well for him he won’t be written off despite some of our fans being rather too quick to write off young players who have shown they have talent but are struggling due to a lack of experience and support. Anyway, maybe it’s just a desperate clutch at about the only straw we have left but it can’t hurt, especially with Freddie likely to be out injured for another week or so.
Safety is Confused. Arsene Wenger must stick to his guns says FM on blogfc.com
José – “We’ve got six or seven players who speak Spanish and even more that speak French — there’s very little English. It’s difficult for me to learn English because in the dressing room we speak more French and Spanish than English.”
Right, not much time for anything else this morning. Have a good one.
