Hello there, a little bit of calm before the storm kinda vibe going on today. A few bits and pieces around, little of it has to do with the titantic, end of days, armageddonesque warfare that is Sunday’s game against Chelsea.
Sorry, just trying to trump Sky Sports by engaging in hysteria and hype before they do. If you can imagine this blog’s soundtrack today being some kind of epic orchestral piece with huge drums and occasional explosion sounds you’ll get where I’m coming from.
We’ll start with Theo Walcott who says he’s raring to go and do the stuff that he does and all that. He’s over all his injuries and feels good, like a common James Brown, saying:
My knee feels fine. I’ve been working hard trying to get fit for a long time so hopefully my injury problems are out of the way now and I can just concentrate on playing for Arsenal.
Indeed. Concentrate on Arsenal. Not a mention of the World Cup. Or England. Apart from when he mentioned them but just to say he wasn’t thinking about them. Whether he makes the team for Sunday remains to be seen. I rather suspect he won’t and will have to settle for a place on the bench, which may not be a bad thing. He’s scored a couple of times against Chelsea in his career and both times we’ve lost the game. But that was when he was starting. Perhaps as a supersub kinda chappy he might have a bit of third time lucky luck going on.
The club officially confirmed that Alex Song has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2014, apparently. 2014 seems like a ridiculously futuristic date to me. I know it’s only 5 years away but if I cast my mind back to when I was a lad, kicking a football around Bushy Park in the 80s, the whole idea of 2014 would have conjured up ideas of all kinds of awesome technology – and I don’t mean iPhones or really thin laptops. I mean flying cars and robot butlers who can make delicious meals with voice commands and houses that talk to you and transporters like Star Trek. You know, properly cool stuff, and not just regular cars which look a bit nicer and have a bit of a computerised display. Car manufacturers suck.
Another left back is to undergo surgery, but fear not, it’s an elective procedure for Armand Traore who is getting all his tattoos removed this summer because his religion tells him he should. Seems like a really painful option, if you ask me. What if he got every single bit of himself tattooed the exact same colour as his skin? That’d cover up the tattoos he already has and nobody would know the difference. Anyway, the lesson here is don’t get your old girlfriend’s name tattooed in 12 inch high letters across your back. Or the word ‘Cock’. No good can come of it.
Arsenal’s reserves lost 2-1 to Aston Villa’s reserves last night and Fran Merida got sent off, which means he could well miss the Carling Cup game against Man City. I didn’t see the incident at all but I blame the Aston Villa player and the referee entirely. It seems the match report bears that out as well and you have to hope there’s some kind of appeal procedure, it’d be a shame for him to miss out on the trip to Middle Eastlands but it looks as if that’s the case. The game also saw returns to action for Lukasz Fabianski and Jack Wilshere, so that’s some good news.
Speaking of our young players Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws has apparently ‘blasted’ Arsene Wenger for not allowing two of our players go on loan there. According to the Mirror Laws said:
Arsenal haven’t grown their own young players, they have bought them from all over the world, and spent millions and millions of pounds on it. We’ve tried to get hold of them, but Arsene Wenger is going to play them in the Carling Cup. That was a disappointment.
Strikes me the Mirror are shit-stirring a bit here as the two players they mention Wednesday wanted were Craig Eastmond and Jay Emmanuel “Emmanuel” Thomas, two local boys and not bought from all over the world. I’m sure Brian Laws knows that and perhaps he’s just disappointed and not being able to boost his squad with good young players rather than actually ‘blasting’ Arsene Wenger. It’d be interesting to see the full quotes but I suspect some mischief making. If I were that Mirror reporter I’d be wary. Didn’t Laws once smash up one of his own players with a plate? Don’t make him angry, you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.
Gunnerblog has a piece on the Spirit of Highbury, which is not Arsenal’s own brand gin, but a giant team photo featuring every player that ever played at our old home. They’re still looking for photos of four players, maybe you can help – go read.
Reports this morning say that Ruud van Nistelrooy will turn down a move to Arsenal in favour of signing for Liverpool. Oh no, I am truly gutted. Sadness is oozing from my very pores. I wish we would sign him in January. Then re-sign Patrick Vieira too. Then Paddy can break all his legs in the very first training session which could then be broadcast on Arsenal TV and the images of our players standing around laughing at that horsefaced bollock featured prick while he screams in agony will go in history as a comedy classic. Move over Charles in Charge.
Right then, not much else going on so before I head off into the windy Dublin morning it’s time to announce the winner of the Chelsea tickets with thanks to Emirates Airline.
I asked you who scored the two goals which beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season and the answer was, of course, Robin van Persie. The RNG has done it’s thing and the lucky winner is: Steve Thompson. Well done, I’ll be in touch today and we’ll arrange the whole pick-up/delivery thing.
Thanks to everyone for all the entries, better luck next time, and thanks again to Emirates Airline for the fantastic prize.
Right so, that’ll have to do for today. More, and an Arsecast, tomorrow.
