Morning all. Hope you’re well and still basking in the warm glow of the weekend’s win. It makes the league table look very presentable indeed, even if it is still way too early in the season to matter.
What’s good to see from our point of view is that nobody is getting too carried away. Captain Cesc Fabregas says:
It is just the first game in the title race, that’s all. We must keep going like this. Let’s keep it real, this is game one and there are 37 to go so we will talk at the end to see how we have done.
All the same the Everton result was massively encouraging. We spoke about how the start to the season was crucial and while a 1-0 win would have been just fine all those extra goals will have done the lads the world of good. Especially as there was only one goal from a striker. Of course they’ll have their days but a midfield who can get you goals backed up with centre-halves who look dangerous from set-pieces augurs well.
Naturally now though all eyes are on tomorrow night and our trip to Glasgow. I think we have every reason to feel confident but Celtic’s home record in Europe should not be ignored. Wins against AC Milan, Man United and Villarreal in the last three/four seasons show they’re more than capable of putting in big, big performances at home and I’m sure there’ll be no hint of complacency. Arsene Wenger says:
I expect a high-paced game at Celtic Park. Celtic have the dimension to play in the Premier League at the top. Celtic are on the international market as well, so it is not impossible for them to compete at this level.
While new boy Thomas Vermaelen says:
The match against Celtic is going to be great. I feel there will be a big atmosphere in Glasgow and we are going to have to play the same as we did at Everton to get a result. There is no way it will be that easy. Celtic are a good team and we will have to be at our best to win
The lads will travel up today and we should get some more team news later on. There’s the possibility that Walcott and Diaby might be fit so we’ll wait and see what emerges.
The other thing about our CL qualifying game means we miss the league fixture we were due to play against Bolton. It means United, Liverpool and Chelsea can all pick up points although even if Liverpool were to win they’d only be level with us after an opening day loss against Sp*rs. I have to say I’m truly baffled at why so many pundits are tipping them to be champions. Whatever you think the depth in our squad at least, if we need to chase a game, we can bring on Eduardo or Vela or Walcott with Rosicky (maybe) and Nasri to come back into the squad.
Liverpool throw on Andrei Voronin, the fat Emmanuel Petit lookalike. An injury to Torres and where the hell are their goals going to come from? Anyway, that’s a problem for Benitez and one, like trying to stop the toothpaste crusting up near the top of the tube, that’s hopefully very difficult to solve (sorry, ‘smasher).
Other reports this morning suggest Barcelona have ‘given up’ on Cesc Fabregas … [insert sinister music] … for now. Oh goodness. Does that mean we’re going to have suffer the same old stuff next summer, or even in January after Xavi and Iniesta both rupture their cruciate spleens or something. Yes, but it’s just something we have to live with.
Beyond that not much else going on. It’s a fairly tame start to the new week and you know what? That’s fine with me. No histrionics, no going over a disappointing result at the weekend, it’s all good and long may it stay like that.
More, and more on the Celtic game, tomorrow.
