It is over.
There are those who claim the Interlull only truly ends when the real football begins but I consider it done and dusted once the internationals are complete. And so they were last night. I know Andrei Arshavin scored for Russia, and Aaron Ramsey‘s back held up enough for him to score for Wales, but in terms of the rest our lads involvement last night I am clueless. All I hope is that there have been no injuries, knocks, niggles, strains, sprains, ganglions, bumps or bruises and we can get on with the job in hand.
And there’s plenty to get on with. Between now and the end of the month we play five times in three different competitions culminating in the North London derby at the Grove. First up though is Birmingham on Saturday and it’ll be the first time we’ve faced them since that day Eduardo’s leg was smashed by Martin Taylor. There’ll be plenty to say on that tomorrow and Saturday and we should start getting team news a bit later on today.
The player of the month this month was Thomas Vermaelen. Well deserved too, you have to say, and the captain has been bigging up the new signing, saying:
These days, to have a centre back that can play, you know, these balls on the ground, between the lines, and past players, for players like me in midfield it’s really good because it gives you so much time and so much space on the ball. It’s really good. He’s like one more midfielder.
A cunning hint at the manager’s decision to turn all his defenders into midfielders, revolutionising football with his 0-7-3 formation. Anyway, congrats to Thomas on his player of the month award. Scoring goals certainly helps supporters warm to you but it shouldn’t be overlooked that he’s brought some solidity and determination to the centre-half position that certainly wasn’t there last season. And he’s got the cold dead eyes of an assassin. I like that.
It’s good to have players who look like they might do you harm. I remember when playing football in Spain we played against this team who had this guy who looked as the insides of him were too big for his body. I don’t quite know how else to explain it. He was freaky looking and during one game he lost the plot entirely at me and our right back who might just have been giving him some verbals during the game. I know, I know, you don’t poke the hornet’s nest and you don’t stir stuff with the mentaller in foreign sounding Spanish. And you especially don’t laugh at him when he tries to give you some back in English and calls you ‘futhermucker’ repeatedly.
Anyway, he went bananas at a corner. Firstly he laid me out with a punch, then when our keeper went for him he punched him as well, this started a bit of a brawl and he was sent off which didn’t stop him punching random people down the touchline as he went on his way.
I think my point was that when you have a player on the other team who looks like he might kill you it’s probably wise not to antagonise him. We didn’t. Hmmm. Maybe that’s why we weren’t professionals. The pros won’t antagonise Vermaelen. Not unless they want to be taken out with a sniper’s bullet as they go to their car one night. That’s my point. Yeah.
And those of who had Arsenal TV when it was on TV and stuff might be glad to know that the Friday night show is back via Arsenal TV Online. Same deal, I believe, fans forum, match previews and all that lark. You can get more details here.
So … erm … pfff … there you go then. There is nothing at all else happening. Don’t forget the competition to win copies of the Official Illustrated History of Arsenal and Gunners Lists with thanks to my good old chums at Octopus Books. See yesterday’s blog for more details on that.
So, till tomorrow when, all things going well, the Arsecast should return.
