We know Robert Pires is back in training with the club. There were some pictures of him on the training ground with Cesc and co on the official site yesterday. Look at him and Cesc smiling, like smilers.
I know, he’s so dreamy he makes something that’s to do with dreams look like something that isn’t anything to do with dreams but is, all things going well, a vaguely amusing comparison. There’s also a video interview with him which was really very interesting until it got to the part about the Champions League final.
I had to turn it off. I couldn’t watch. I have never watched any of it since that night in Paris and there was the danger they’d show the goals. And I didn’t want to see crestfallen Bob being hauled off when Jens got his red card. You know who I blame for this mess? Ashley Cole. If he’d had the good grace to remain injured and not just come back for the final then the game would have taken an entirely different course. Flamini would have played at left back, everything would have transpired differently and we’d have won 3-1.
I know this the same way I know that being in a room with an angry, hungry bear, whose porridge you have just eaten, is a bad idea. That Goldilocks was a provocative little wench. Anyway, the interview is on ATVO if you have a subscription and a cold, dead heart.
Moving on and Jack Wilshere, who could get injured while playing for England tonight, reckons we’re still in the title race, saying:
I know we are seven points behind, but I think Chelsea will definitely drop points and we’ve just got to capitalise when they do. Hopefully there aren’t too many injuries but if there are we’ve got a big squad and we can cope.
How interesting to note that even for our players the amount of injuries are a concern. I’ve just had a look at Chelsea’s fixtures to see if they have any tough games coming up and when I look at them all I can think is that the game is tough for whoever their opponents are. I can’t see anyone taking any points off them at all right now so our margin for error is pretty much non-existent.
That margin of nothingness returns on Saturday when we play Birmingham and the FA have kindly given us referee Martin Atkinson for the day. That’s got to be deliberate. Atkinson was, of course, the 4th official who the boss ‘pushed’ at Sunderland, picking up a ban and fine in the process. He was also the referee who completely missed Nigel de Jong’s leg-breaker on Geordie lad Ben Arthur. As the debate over tackling crunches on how odd that a ref like Atkinson should be given a game at Arsenal.
By my reckoning we don’t have too many players involved in Interlull action tonight. The aforementioned Wilshere is likely to be on the bench for England. Nasri, Diaby and Clichy could play for France, Tomas Rosicky for the Czech Republic, Arshavin for Russia, Henri Lansbury for the England U21s and both of our grumpy young keepers are in action for their countries at U20/U21 level. So not too bad. Well, not until you consider that the rest of them aren’t playing because they’re broken, mostly. Fingers crossed and all that.
Anyway, to alleviate the dullness of the Interlull, here’s a competition for you. A chance to win this fantastic Dennis Bergkamp canvas (75×50) thanks to my pals at Modern Canvas Art.
All you have to do is answer the following question: Against whom did Dennis Bergkamp score his final Arsenal goal?
Just email: [email protected] and I’ll give you the answer, and the winner, tomorrow.
And finally for today, another trip down YouTube memory lane. Can’t be anything other than 10 of the best from Dennis himself. Slightly dodgy soundtrack but you can’t take away from the quality of the goals.
Till tomorrow.
