Morning to you, the end of another working week. Unless you’ve got to do blogging at the weekend which, I suspect, many of you don’t. Not that I’m complaining. The internet is a 24 hour truck stop and I’m merely the chunky-legged waitress who has seen it all. Watch where you put your hands, mister, and don’t complain that there’s ash in your soup.
Ahead of tomorrow’s game against Wigan the early team news is that there are doubts over Denilson and Chamakh but not serious doubts. Sort of like the doubts you would have if you were in a room with Phil Collins and John Terry and only had one bullet in your gun. Of course you’d shoot Phil, rip off his arm, and use that beat John Terry to death with. Both of them are expected to recover in time but I don’t expect either of them to start tomorrow. Denilson and Chamakh, I mean, Collins and Terry are done for.
Lukasz Fabianski’s shoulder injury requires ‘patience’, according to the boss, so Wojscez©® will continue in goal. The more I see of him the more I like him. And I do hope that when the inevitable error comes, because every keeper makes them, he isn’t too fazed by it. He doesn’t strike me as the introspective type who will spend much time brooding on it though.
In some ‘banter’ with a Leeds fan on Twitter who asked him where the Arsenal fans were the other night he replied:
They were the only ones I could hear mate. Really dissapointed I didn’t get any stick from Leeds fans for my pink shirt haha
And that’s a measure of the young man. He was wearing fluorescent pink. The shirt looked like it was designed for a camp Dyno-Rod man yet he still managed to look the part. And what you want when a young player is given an opportunity is for him to take his chance, so far he’s doing that very well.
Meanwhile Kieran Gibbs has come to the ‘defence’ of Cesc, not it was really needed, and spoken about his own frustration at the litany of injuries he’s picked up. He said:
I’ve been in and out and haven’t played many games on the trot, so I’m just looking to keep injury free and stay on top of that, It has been a nightmare, I won’t lie. It’s been annoying, frustrating seeing your team playing all the time and going there and limping off after 15 minutes. But I’ve got a few games under my belt now, so hopefully I can put that all behind me and keep going.
I hope so too. I think Gael Clichy has been a lot better in recent weeks and Gibbs fitness might well have something to do with that. I do think that the team’s increased focus on the defensive side of the game has been a bigger factor. That he doesn’t have Arshavin in front of him leaving him exposed as much is definitely part of it but if Gibbs can stay injury free he’ll provide good competition for that left back spot.
And our most awesome right back, Bacary Sagna, has tipped Samir Nasri to win player of the year. Apparently Rio Ferdinand said something about that too but I care as much about what that wonky-mouthed twatstrimmer says as I do about the price of pork-belly futures on the Guatemalan stock exchange. It’s clear Nasri has caught the eye because of his performances and goals but you wouldn’t have a team of the season without Sagna in it.
Every team needs unsung heroes. Guys who come in and do a solid, consistent job every week. It may not be spectacular but you know what you’re going to get from them 99% of the time. Sagna is one of those players. And that consistency of performance is what sets a very good player apart from the guy who is capable of a good showing now and again but no more than that. His athleticism, energy, drive and commitment to the cause are first class in every single game. And although he doesn’t get the plaudits others do to my mind he’s just as important to us as Nasri or Cesc or the van Persie that is fit and scores goals.
Also, he looks brilliant standing atop the world holding a goblet of fire wine while the Millenium Falcon flies by. Don’t believe me? Go look.
Beyond that not much else going on. A lot of people are taking the fact that Bolton have signed David Wheater as a sign that Gary Cahill is available for transfer. However, I’m sure I read the other day that Bolton only had two fit centre-halves so they’re hardly willing to let one go. Anyway, what kind of negligent fool would try and run a Premier League club with just two fit centre-halves? Madness, I tell you …. oh.
Right then, onto this week’s Arsecast and joining me to talk Leeds, Ipswich, Champions League, injuries, resting players, large bottles of energy drinks and more, are Goonerholic and Alan Davies (yes, him off the TV but more pertinently off the Arsenal podcast which has returned after a hiatus). Details of that in the ‘cast itself. Also in the mix Internet Joe and Den Nielsen.
You can subscribe to the Arsecast on iTunes by clicking here. Or if you want to subscribe directly to the feed URL you can do so too. To download this week’s Arsecast directly – click here (27mb MP3) or you can listen directly below without leaving this very page.
[audio:http://arseblog.com/podcasts/arsecast_episode185.mp3]And that’s really about that. The final reminder today is for the Arseblog Facebook page where it will be Flashback Friday again. Five classic Arsenal video clips to get you through the tedium of Friday and set you off in good form for those post-work pints. So come on over and ‘like’ us and all that stuff. We promise to like you too. Mostly.
Have yourselves a good day, back tomorrow with a full preview of the Wigan game and whatever crops up at Arsene’s press confdrence later on.
Till then.
