Happy Monday to you all and more importantly happy St Michael’s Day.
It was this very day 19 years ago (Jesus, where did the time go?) when Michael Thomas popped up to score that late goal which won the title at Anfield. I think it’s fair to say that it had a massive impact on the fortunes of both clubs. Liverpool, so dominant until that night, have only won the league once since – and that was in 1990.
Arsenal have enjoyed European success, a couple of doubles, an unbeaten league season and numerous FA Cup triumphs – all of which seemed unthinkable during the doldrums of the 1980s.
For 89 footage Arseweb still has it: Alan Smith goal – Michael Thomas goal – Brian Moore’s famous commentary.
Of course, football being the mad game it is Michael Thomas actually signed for the Mugsmashers a couple of years later, but that can’t do anything to stain the man. His goal was the Arsenal equivalent of the JFK assassination – everyone remembers where they were when it happened. Where were you?
There’s really not a lot happening. You’ll have all seen the story where Wenger more or less confirms the Nasri story and there’s nothing new in this morning’s papers.
In Spain El Mundo talks about how Arsenal will this week meet with Adebayor’s representatives to fix a price for him. Somewhere between €24 and €30m is what they suggest, while Sport says the Togonator is very much on the radar for the Catalan club. I wonder does Adebayor’s increasingly close relationship with Darren Dein have anything to do with all of this. He is the man, let’s not forget, who rang Barcelona last summer to offer them Thierry Henry.
Theo Walcott talks to the Times about playing for England amongst other things. You really do get the impression that Theo bucks the trend for young English players. He seems polite, sensible and well balanced. I really hope that next season he’s given the chance to push on and develop as a player – his performances towards the end of the season showed great promise.
And that’s really about it. No doubt we’ll have some other blogs complaining that we haven’t signed anyone or that we haven’t been linked with anyone new, whipping themselves and other fans into a frenzy of self-perpetuating fake hysteria. But summer can be slow, there are approximately 96 days until the transfer window closes – we might sign 2-4 players before it closes. That means that there are 92 days, at least, when no signing at all will happen.
Can you keep it up for 92 days? Can you keep saying the same things over and over and fucking over? I bet you can. Misery loves company and all that.
Me? I’m going to make a sandwich. Happy St Michael’s Day folks, enjoy the good memories.
