Happy Thursday to you all and it’ll be a busy day at Arseblog HQ as I try and get together another Arsecast. It’ll probably be like one those premium rate phone lines where they speak really, really, really, slowly to make it sound like there’s a lot of information and you end up paying a fortune. And not one of those premium rate phone lines. Get your minds out of the gutter.
Looking at what’s happening this morning we have the wonderful story of Cesc Fabregas saying Theo Walcott is one of the best youngsters in the world. Cesc says:
If I had to choose two players it would be him and Lionel Messi, because I saw what he could do at Barcelona. For me they are the two best players I have seen at 16 to17.
Remember that this is Cesc who is so firmly ensconsed in the first team now that you forget he’s only 19 years old himself. We haven’t seen too much of Theo but if Cesc is comparing him with Messi then I’m just a little bit excited because Messi isn’t half bad.
Cesc also reckons we have to go to Porto and forget the fact that a draw will do. He says:
We’ll go there and we will try to win as usual. We are Arsenal and we always have to play to win the games. It will be difficult because I think they are a great side. We will see. But first of all we have Bolton, Fulham and Tottenham – many difficult games in the Premiership.
I love that attitude, I have to say, because it’s a dangerous game if you go out there thinking that all you need to do is draw. He’s right about the Premiership too. We’ve got some difficult games ahead starting this Saturday with Bolton away.
Not only is it Bolton away, where we’ve had a difficult time in recent seasons, but it’s on pay per view and the last few games we’ve played on pay per view at that time on a Saturday evening have not been particularly good for us. I’m not worried though. I think we’ll beat Bolton because the lads know we owe them. It’s something I discuss with the man from East Lower on the Arsecast and Goodplaya shares my view that it was a shocking performance last season at the Reebok. For me it was the low point of the season, a miserable, insipid performance and the boys know they have to put that right this time around. Team news and more previews of that game tomorrow and Saturday morning.
Safety has written a new column – “En garde. Prêt? Allez!!“, he says and who are we to argue?
In other news William Gallas talks about how Chelsea ‘hurt’ him and how much he’s enjoying life at Arsenal (he seems to tell somebody that at least once a week at the moment), Arsenal fans have apparently said they didn’t call Glenn Roeder ‘tumour boy’ and that they don’t make homophobic chants at Ashley Cole (although there’s no question we make cuntophobic chants at him), and Julio Baptista is hoping his goal against Hamburg will give him more starts for the club although he’s under no illusions, saying:
I was satisfied with the goal, I am fit and I hope to keep on helping the team in the upcoming games. IÂ know I must give good performances for the manager. With Arsene Wenger I am learning nobody is assured of their position in the starting 11 and we all have to prove ourselves.
And that, my friends, is that. More tomorrow and an Arsecast which has finally been approved by the iTunes music store (full details tomorrow as well).
