Morning all, a not particularly in-depth look at the stories this Saturday.
As usual the manager had his Friday press conference and there’s some linkage out of that. He talked about the possible team to play Reading suggesting he’d ‘change things around’. Having left out 8 players for the midweek trip to Prague there are some fresh legs and you’d have to think most of them will come back in. I also think we’ll revert to a 4-4-2 against Reading with Eduardo playing up front instead of pushed out wide, which really doesn’t seem to suit him.
He revealed he had no problem with Cesc and Hleb flying to Barcelona to watch the Spaniards play Rangers in the Champions League. Cesc’s visit sparked another round of stories from the cretinous shitbags in the Catalan press. You know the deal now. Barcelona want Cesc, don’t want to pay too much, blah blah blah boring blah blah cunts. When asked about if he’d be open to a phone call from Barcelona about Cesc, he said “No chance.”
Splendid. Can’t say much more than that. AW went on to talk about how he has no problem with his players having time off but even on holiday he doesn’t switch off, calling himself a ‘marathon runner‘.
He also hit back at Michel Platini’s criticism of Arsenal’s youth policy. Sadly he didn’t hit back with a lead-tipped baseball bat but it’s hard to argue with the boss when he says:
I don’t understand because our purpose is to give a good life to a player who wants to become a good football player. I don’t see what is wrong with that.
Again it’s just Platini talking out of his stupid curly arse. Football administrators really are the most awful people. He can’t have been too impressed with Steve Coppell’s criticism either. The Reading manager suggesting that Arsenal have a responsibility to produce players for England. Nonsense, really, but if you look through the Premier League there are plenty of young English players who made the grade due to their education at Arsenal, including Kevin Harper at Reading. If you haven’t already seen the video of John Lydon, take a look. It’s fantastic. He’s a proper Gooner and I love his line about McClaren.
Emmanuel Adebayor says he’s happy with his form this season. I have to agree with him for the most part. He started brilliantly but hasn’t scored since Derby now. No question he needs a goal or two in the next couple of games but all strikers go through fallow spells. Many of them contribute little, you can’t make that accusation of Adebayor who really does give you 100% all the time. Bearing that in mind, and the fact he was asked to play as a lone striker against Liverpool and United, I think criticism of him is harsh.
You know Liverpool are worried about Arsenal. Steven Gerrard thinks the young players will crack under the pressure. Well, he’d know. Liverpool have been doing it every year since 1990. What’s that sound? Oh, it’s another league campaign blowing up in early spring. Twat.
The Independent carries a rather strange story about three Arsenal fans who have instructed human rights lawyers to bring legal action against the club for ‘racist chanting’. A Jew, a Muslim and a Christian (it sounds like the start of a joke, or something) have objected to the use of the word ‘yid’ or ‘yiddos’ in reference to Sp*rs players/fans. Their lawyer, one Lawrence Davies, says:
It is simply not sufficient to state in the match-day programme that the club is against racism … There needs to be an approach to tackle racism which educates fans on anti-racist behaviour.
I think everyone would agree that any kind of racist chanting needs to be cut out but this seems just bizarre to me. From what I can see Arsenal have been tremendously pro-active when it comes to this sort of thing, certainly more than other clubs who let their fans sing all kinds of songs. And to bring ‘human rights’ into the equation smacks of attention seeking to me. Let me clarify, any kind of racist chanting is absolutely wrong, but I’m not quite sure what this legal action against the club, not the fans who they can surely identify, will do.
Arsenal are quoted as saying:
Arsenal Football Club will not tolerate foul language and racist chanting at Emirates Stadium. Whether Arsenal supporters or visiting fans are responsible, we will take action – through the courts if necessary – to stamp out this unacceptable behaviour. Where evidence exists (including video evidence), prosecutions will follow.Arsenal Football Club will not tolerate foul language and racist chanting at Emirates Stadium. Whether Arsenal supporters or visiting fans are responsible, we will take action – through the courts if necessary – to stamp out this unacceptable behaviour. Where evidence exists (including video evidence), prosecutions will follow.
Which is perfectly reasonable, so let the three lads from the start of the joke provide the kind of evidence that will help the club, not bring a spurious legal action against it. The world has gone mad, I tell you.
And on that rather strange note I’ll bid all of you bastards, whatever your race, creed or colour, a good day. And I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
