It’s all systems go for France as they face Ukraine tonight in a World Cup play-off. Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, they’re going to need something special to turn it around and Olivier Giroud says he’s willing to die on the pitch to make it happen.
Thankfully there’s no word in French for melodrama, so we can’t be too critical, but it would probably be a good thing if they made it to Brazil. We’d have Sagna, Koscielny and Giroud all aware that any loss of form, or lack of performance for the rest of the season, could cost them the chance of going to the World Cup.
Remember what happened to Andrei Arshavin? He was so upset when Russia didn’t make it that he made a solemn vow there and then never to run more than 3 yards and to ensure that he was well padded for winter by eating as many of the cakes and biscuits as he could. Sure, that speaks more to him than anything else, but we don’t want Glum Giroud, Sad Sagna and Krimpened Koscielny.
Krimpened, in case you didn’t know, is a made-up word to describe how unhappy you are at having given away a penalty thus contributing to not making it to a major summer football tournament even if you can see the benefits of having a longer rest and a good holiday ahead of the next domestic season. It’s quite specific.
So, without wishing to alienate any Ukrainian readers, Allez Les Bleus for tonight. Not that I’m putting any money on them or anything, I’m not mad. As for the rest, there’ll be some involvement in tonight’s friendlies and we’ll bring you a round-up of who did what and who, hopefully, didn’t get maimed in tomorrow’s blog.
Meanwhile, Santi Cazorla spoke to El Pais about life at Arsenal and he summed up his football philosophy perfectly:
Joy, inside and out. I love to laugh, even in difficult times I’m trying to bring positive thoughts. They say I always laugh, but it is a way of seeing life. And I think my football is like that, happy. I do not understand football without joy. I do not understand how you can play without joy.
I think it’s fair to say we haven’t quite seen the best of him yet this season, and that’s not really been a problem which is a real positive for me. Last season there was a serious burden on him. He was about the only goalscoring midfielder, but so much of what we did creatively went through him that if he had a day when things didn’t come off, we tended to suffer for it.
Now we’ve got Ramsey scoring goals, Ozil on board to share the creative side of things, and we’re not as reliant on him as we were. It means we can cope when he’s out injured or when he has a quiet game, but he’s got so much quality and ability that when he does start to click it can really push us on (or enable us to cope when Ramsey eventually stops scoring at his current rate).
It’s also interesting to see Cazorla’s outlook in contrast with that of Mathieu Flamini who isn’t so much about the joy but bringing the PAAAAAIIINNN because he hates to lose. Sleevey O’Toole says:
I love to win and I hate to lose. That’s why for me, going on the pitch, I’m trying to give everything. Before you had gladiators at the Colosseum, today we are the gladiators on the pitch when we go in the middle of the stadium and play in front of 60,000 people. We have to give everything for our club.
And certainly, if there were one Arsenal player you could imagine standing in the centre-circle holding the referee’s head aloft in one hand, a sword in the other, and a slain lion at his feet whilst pissing on the corpse of John Terry, it would be Flamini.
For him the joy comes not from playing, but winning. Or, at the very least, not losing, but it’s nice to have those differing styles. There seems to be a good blend and as committed and hard-working as the senior players are, you have to say Flamini has brought something a little different to the table this season. That sheer unwillingness to accept defeat might land him in trouble from time to time to time (he’s suspended for this weekend’s game against Southampton because of all the yellow cards), it’s still a nice thing to have in the dressing room.
Right, let’s keep fingers crossed ahead of the games tonight. No injuries please, injury goblins, and we can start looking forward to the return of the important football from tomorrow onwards.
Till then.
