Right then, football tonight against Alkmaar and I really hope they’re just plain old AZ tonight and not the typical Ronald Koeman AZzzzzzzzz.
Every time we play a Koeman side it’s inevitably a truly dire spectacle. A tedious, coma inducing draw of some kind and I could really do without that tonight. I’m hoping the high we’re on from the weekend will enable us to give them the kind of spanking they deserve. Not that they’re particularly objectionable as a team or anything, I’ve just had quite enough of Koeman’s teams and their dull as dishwater approach.
Arsene Wenger was asked if he had a special motivation to win tonight because he’d never beaten a team managed by Koeman. Rightly enough he said no, that wasn’t a factor at all, which is fair enough. They didn’t ask me though, did they? I’d have done pantomime yawny faces every time I said his name. I think, after being subjected to so many insipid games, we deserve a good one tonight. AW wants the same kind of performance as against Sp*rs, saying:
We have to show that we can go into the game with the same seriousness that we have done on Saturday. There are a lot of things that we have still to accomplish. It is all in front of us. We have to show that we can focus every three days, that we can play for each other every three days all along the season, also that we can prepare every game with the same kind of conscientious attitude and that we can win.
Splendid, can’t argue with that at all. The team news is so-so. While happily Tomas Rosicky returns, not to start but to the bench at least, there’s bad news for Nicklas Bendnter who is ‘seriously’ injured according to the boss. Whether or not he needs surgery remains to be seen but he’s going to be out for at least 4 weeks. It is a bit of a blow because Bendtner provides a measure of physicality and workrate in the forward three that helps balance that of, say, Arshavin who is polly-pocket sized and doesn’t necessarily get involved in the defensive side of things. It’ll be interesting to see who he plays there tonight. I know he’s gone with Eboue before but with Eduardo fit and needing a game or two, and Nasri back in the frame, I’d hope he’d go with the more positive option.
There was also bad news for Gael Clichy who has a stress fracture of his back. I think that probably means a vertebrae rather than his spine but like Bendtner he’s facing up to two months on the sidelines. You have to say though that if there was one area of the back four where we could probably cope with an injury best it’s at left full. Kieran Gibbs will replace Clichy and after that the manager has spoken about Armand Traore as back-up. Our almost identikit left backs save the day.
It’s a big chance for Gibbs though, the manager says:
I have no doubt about his quality and I have said that many times. There is suddenly a huge stress on Gibbs to play in every game. Capello and England will be happy because they want him to play but it is still a shame for us to lose Clichy.
Again with the Capello thing. To be perfectly frank I couldn’t care less if Capello wanted a trumpet playing elephant called Hamilton who starred in an animation short that I saw when I was a kid and have never been able to find again. And it really shouldn’t be of any great interest to Arsene either. I think saying stuff like that puts pressure on Gibbs that he probably doesn’t need. Maybe it’s motivational, I dunno, perhaps I shouldn’t second guess Wenger’s ability to say the right thing to get the best out of his player, but let’s hope the young man just gets his head down and plays well. Arsene also said he’s a bit like Ashley Cole. Let’s hope it’s in his football ability and not the fact that he’s a swerving off the road, money hungry, odious little cunt.
Meanwhile Abou Diaby reckons he’s stronger and more focussed this season while Arsene Wenger lauds him for being very strong in the challenge, good in the air, having a high work rate and giving us good balance in midfield.
I was wondering about Wenger’s comments in particular when I watched the press conference yesterday as they confused me. Then I realised Diaby was alongside him, heh. I don’t think it’s unfair to suggest that Diaby, having been given a run of games in his favourite central midfield position, has still to convince a lot of people that he’s got what it takes. If his effort on Saturday against Sp*rs showed his ‘high work rate’ then it’s very worrying indeed. We know he did extra training in the summer so he would be ready to grab his opportunity when it came, and while he’s had some decent performances I don’t think he’s done enough to make himself indespensible by any means. If he really wants to to make it at Arsenal he needs to step it up, and quickly.
In a quick look at other news Fran Merida’s agent, Joseba Diaz (you might remember him from such other young Catalan players as Cesc Fabregas), says Fran has an illness for Atletico Madrid. I assume he means some kind of vomiting bug every time he sees them play as they’re so awful this season, but he hints that the young man would be tempted by a move back to Spain.
And finally I’m on the other side of the mic for the ArsenalFCblog podcast, if that’s your bag.
Right then, here’s to a good old thrashing of AZ tonight. A night when Oles can ring out after we score goal number 9 and not when we’re 1-0 up and which then cause us to concede a late equaliser.
Till tomorrow.
