Right then, we’ll start first with team news ahead of tonight’s clash with Olympiacos. There’s no Theo Walcott who still hasn’t recovered enough from his back problem to make the squad although the manager did hint he may be involved on Sunday while Young Guns reports he’s due to play in a behind closed doors friendly against Olympiacos reserves tonight.
There’s no Nicklas Bendtner either who was involved in a car crash on Sunday. Nothing serious thankfully, and nothing alcohol related, but bumps and bruises mean he sits this one out. The Sun has pics of the aftermath, he is a lucky boy. However, Eduardo returns to the squad after missing out against Fulham for some reason or another while there was bad news for Denilson after he was diagnosed with a fracture in his back and will miss at least two months.
You might remember Gilberto had the same kind of injury a few years back and it proved quite serious, certainly more than a two month absence, and once again it’s another player with a fairly long-term injury at the club. Can’t we give them milk instead of Fat Tony’s malk?
Tonight’s team prediction: Mannone – Sagna – Gallas – Vermaelen – Clichy – Song – Diaby – Cesc – Arshavin – RVP – Rosicky
After the early lapses in concentration against Standard Liege we’ll be hoping for a better start tonight. Again the result is most important thing but it would be nice to see us click as a team, something we really haven’t done since the two early games against Everton and Portsmouth. I know we stuck four past Wigan but that performance was not anywhere near as accomplished as the ones mentioned.
There was much to be gained from the wins against Liege and Fulham based on how we got those points but it’d be nice to see a bit of a pick up in terms of how we play. We don’t seem to be creating a great many chances and our ball retention has been poor by our usually high standards so an improvement in those areas would be welcome. And as well as he played against Fulham I’d prefer to see Don Vito have a much quieter time against the Greeks.
The other main news is the release of Arsenal’s financial results with record profits being announced. On the one hand it’s great news that the club is being run so well and that we are making money at a time when other clubs are solely reliant on rich sugar-daddies to keep their heads above water, on the other it will simply add to the frustrations some fans feel about the squad and the manager’s reluctance to spend.
What is made clear is that the decision not to spend money is entirely the manager’s, so even if a truckload of cash landed on his doorstep tomorrow chances are he’d do exactly what he’s doing now. We don’t need an oligarch, that’s for sure, and when the manager is unwilling to spend the money he makes, and he takes pride in making, then there’s no chance of him spending the kind of money that is created from oil wells and gas fields in eastern Europe.
Speaking about his squad, he says:
There is money to spend but at the moment I am very happy with the squad I have. It’s not because I’m against spending money; I have nothing against spending money. It is not a personal thing, it is just that I have a squad that is strong enough to compete.
And if that’s what he believes then what can you do? As I said at the start of the season whether he’s right or wrong will be proven by May 2010. There are those who have doubts, who feel that the addition of one or two more players would make this squad properly competitive, but time will tell. The manager could be absolutely correct about this group of players but if another season passes by without a trophy, or at least a real and sustained title challenge, then people will, quite rightly, point to the money we had to add players and say he got it wrong.
He goes on to say:
I do not spend money because out of tomorrow’s squad is [Samir] Nasri, [Theo] Walcott, [Nicklas] Bendtner. And people want me to buy strikers, but where do I put them? I don’t know. I have to then lose players who, for me, are world class.
Now here I think Arsene is being a bit disingenuous. I don’t know too many fans who want us to buy a striker but I know plenty who think the midfield could do with the same addition of quality that Vermaelen brought to the defence and Arshavin to the attack.
And world class players win you trophies. We have some very good players, no doubt about it, but until they turn this much-lauded potential into success then I don’t think we can call them world class. Not yet. It’s up to them to prove that they’re world class, Arsene just saying doesn’t make it so.
Sometimes I get the feeling we talk too much about the money we make. If Arsenal made a profit of 1p and won a trophy I’d be far happier than millions in profit and an empty cabinet. The frustrations of fans that we didn’t add to the midfield this season are only exacerbated when we hear one of the players is going to be out for 2 months and you can’t stick £37m, or whatever it is, in a red shirt and on the pitch.
As I said it’s great that the club is well run, it’s great that we don’t have to resort to a rights issue from a shareholder none of us want anywhere near the club, it’s great that the property side of things has had a boost, but making money should not be the manager’s raison d’etre, winning championships should be and fully using the resources available to him is a part of that.
As I said, time will tell if he’s right or wrong, and if this squad comes through this season with silverware then I’ll be the first to hold my hands up and say ‘Fair play’. If not though, this money, how often we talk about it and the manager’s reluctance to spend it will be a millstone around his neck.
Anyway, let’s hope these players are as good as Arsene thinks they are, starting tonight.
Till tomorrow.
