Many thanks to everyone for their best wishes via email, arses, forums or other blogs yesterday. Much appreciated. Now, we’ve got some winning stuff to get on with.
Eduardo has been released from hospital and details emerged of the sterling work done by Gary Lewin in the first few minutes after the Crozilian’s leg had been broken.
What’s also interesting is that Eduardo has been on the Martin Taylor side of things too. A Croatian reader tells me that in a training ground incident Eduardo broke the fibula of his teammate Marijan Buljat (obviously nowhere near as seriously as the break he suffered himself). Apparently he then celebrated every goal by displaying a message to the TV cameras in support of his injured pal. Having been the breaker and the breakee will, I suppose, give him better perspective on all this than any of us.
And sadly Eduardo’s injury is not the ugliest, most horrific site of the week. That honour falls to Alisher Usmanov who has made public his desire to purchase a ‘blocking stake’ in Arsenal. That’s 25% plus one share. Just when you think things can’t get any worse up pop Fat & Orange. They really do have the most impeccable timing, don’t they? Apparently the Fat part of Fat & Orange is also pumping money into Dynamo Moscow.
Tim Payton of the Arsenal Supporters Trust says:
The AST totally oppose a hostile takeover at Arsenal. Our recent financial results and position at the top of the league demonstrate the club is very well run by the current board. If Red and White want Arsenal supporters to have any trust in their stated intentions to be just long term investors, they should renew their statement to the takeover panel that they have no plans to bid. Off the pitch uncertainty will not help the club in the vital weeks ahead
All very true but sadly I don’t think Usmanov, the fat, ugly cunt, gives a fuck what anyone else thinks. It’s good to keep this pressure on him though and the more fans realise how much he and his cronies are trying to hijack what could be a memorable season for us, the better.
Shall we talk positive? Yes, let’s. We need a bit of a boost. Not the kind of Ben Johnson boost but the kind of boost a stranger paying a nice compliment to your dress gives you. Not that I know anything about that. Someone told me, all right. Anyway, Cesc says he’s ready to give everything to bring the title home this season. Speaking to the official Arsenal magazine he said:
I realise I am playing more for the team. If I’m not man of the match, if I’m not player of the month anymore I don’t care, because I know I’m doing extra positive things for the team and now that gives me the most pleasure. All I want now is to win the title and to celebrate that at the end of the season with my team-mates. I want to give everything for the club.
And it’s that kind of attitude we’re going to need. Not just from Cesc though, from all the players. With the squad stretched even thinner than Karen Carpenter during the Irish famine we’re going to need some of the players who would have been considered ‘fringe’ to really step up and make a contribution. It’s now obvious that after the miss against Milan and the haircut Adebayor will never score again but Theo Walcott reckons he can take up the baton, saying:
I feel upbeat, I feel confident. The goals helped and they gave me a boost so hopefully I can take that into Saturday.
He also speaks nicely and maturely about Eduardo in that link. Manuel Almunia reckons our home form will be vital to keep the title challenge on track. I’d go one better and suggest it’s the home and away form that’ll count – remember, we’ve got to go to Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. Those two games are going to have a huge impact on the title race.
I mentioned some weeks back the Ray of Hope appeal which is trying to raise funds for former Arsenal great Ray Kennedy, now suffering from Parkinsons disease. He talks to the Guardian about how the support from Arsenal and Liverpool has taken him aback and you can find details of the appeal if you feel like you can contribute something towards it.
Tomorrow we can start to focus on Villa, look at the team news, listen to the Arsecast and all that. Just to give you a quick reminder about the O2 Opus campaign, voting for the winners will give you the chance to win an Opus for yourself. It’s the last couple of days so if you fancy it get clicking.
Till tomorrow.
