Well, I have to admit I fully expected Chelsea to go to Hull and turn Phil Brown from glowing orange to Avatar blue, such would be the thumping they would inflict. Instead a 1-1 draw means that if we beat Chelsea on Sunday we’d be within three points of them.
If there was any further motivation needed for the lads then this is it. The captain spelt out what was required yesterday and Hull have made it even more important. I thought Chelsea would spank them, I suppose it just goes to show this league is still quite open and if we can take advantage on Sunday then everything starts to look a little rosier again. It’s a big if, naturally, but at least it’s an if we can care about.
Things have been a bit quiet from the club in the last few days, which I suppose is normal. The official site is full of news about our Vietnamese partners and Emmanuel Frimpong wanting to play for Ghana. I don’t know that I could cope with anything along the lines of ‘I believe in these players’ and ‘The reason I didn’t sign anyone is because I have statistics which show these are the 18 best players in the world right now’. Sometimes it’s best to say nothing.
One man who rarely says nothing is Nicklas Bendtner. Not quite fit enough to start against United on Sunday, we have to hope he’s available this weekend. Say what you want about his standing in the game and his relative inexperience, at least he’s a fucking striker. Get him up there to jump at Terry and say things like ‘Ooooh Vanessa’ and make various bridge related puns (I am sending a list to the Arsenal press office today in case punning is not Nick’s strong point). Anyway, he talks about being out injured and that, saying:
When people have been out with long-term injuries they say it was hell. I can understand that now. It is difficult to motivate yourself because you come in to training each day doing the same things. But you stay motivated by telling yourself that one day soon you will be better.
You always want to give your best and that is what I will try to do.
Seriously, run the recently torn bollix off him in training and play him through the middle. None of this wide right business. He doesn’t really have the craft for it but let me ask you this: when Sagna bombs down the right and puts a cross 50 feet up in the air, who has the best chance of getting a head on it – Bendtner or Arshavin? Precisely. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m pinning all our hopes on him, far from it, but I think we have to acknowledge what he can bring to the team. Or should be able to bring to the team. Or what he thinks he’s capable of bringing to the team. You know what I mean.
Gunnerblog has an interesting piece on Theo Walcott. He’s certainly done nothing to convince anyone this season. On the other hand he’s hardly played at all. Is it fair to judge a guy who has made less than 5 starts and 13 appearances in all competitions? I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t think it’s unfair to expect more from a player of his reputation and contract status, however it was earned, yet am mindful of the fact some footballers need a run of games, some rhythm etc to be able to perform. As Gunnerblog says the onus is on Theo now to make an impact. The manager said the most important thing for him is to stay fit and get appearances under his belt, then we’ll see a ‘different Theo Walcott’. Let’s hope so.
Stefan Savic is the Montenegrin Stevie Savage. He’s a 19 year old central defender and apparently he’s signed for us after a successful trial at the club. He told a local paper:
There were offers from Tottenham and Birmingham City, but once a call came from Arsenal, I had no more doubts. A pre-contract will be signed on Thursday and then I will return to Belgrade and join BSK for their preparations. I will be staying with BSK until May.
I know absolutely nothing about this chap at all. My knowledge of Montenegrin football is shamefully poor, I’ll admit, but if it’s true it’s an interesting signing. At 19 he’s not someone to go into the reserves or the youth set up, and perhaps it’s a sign that the manager is looking to fill the defensive gaps which will surely emerge this summer. Sylvester, I’m positive, will go somewhere else. Sol Campbell is unlikely to be offered an extension to his deal and there’s still the very real possibility that William Gallas will decide one final fling elsewhere is the fitting end to his football career, which would leave us very light in the centre-half department. Vermaelen, Djourou (if he can stay fit), perhaps Nordveit and then you’re looking at someone like Kyle Bartley. Of course signing a 19 year old is hardly replacing the experience we’d lose but dammit he was the winner of the Football Association of Montenegro Young Player of the Year award in 2009. How much more quality does anyone need?
I was going to comment on the story about Jay Emmanuel-Thomas being arrested driving his £100,000 car but decided against it. Firstly because I haven’t been able to find anything to back up the story on Young Guns (not that I’m saying it’s wrong, I’d just like to see it elsewhere – Update: apparently it was in the print version of the Mirror before anywhere else. Crediting existing publications is important, trying to pass off stories you got from elsewhere as your own is poor form), but perhaps part of the problem is the exposure these young players get, making them think they’re worthy of comment in the real world having done precisely fuck all to deserve it. I’m sure any right minded person is probably of the same opinion as me anyway.
And that, my friends, is about that. I’m sure the regrouping is going on behind the scenes. Arses are being kicked and we’re preparing ourselves for Chelsea. More tomorrow.
