Written by Mean Lean
on
Thursday, 30 September 2010 12:03
Good afternoon Gooners,
After the lows of the weekend and then the highs of Tuesday, my mind is very much stuck on our upcoming clash with Chelsea, so much so that I can feel butterflies in my stomach when thinking about it. It is too far away to get into very much detail about it, I am sure plenty of quotes from both camps will be making its way into the media from now until Sunday.
All of a sudden I have a very good feeling about the game, I don't know if that is just my positivity coming out but the way Chelsea are being lauded as this super team who steam roller everyone they come across (apart from Newcastle and Manchester City of course) just sets it up nicely for us. Especially when the focus is on how much Arsenal need a 'world class' keeper. We always do better when our backs are against the wall, pardon the cliché. When we are expected to sink, we often swim away quite effortlessly.
Kieran Gibbs is the latest member of the Arsenal squad to publicly back the much criticised keeper. It was Fabianski's save from the spot after Gibbs was adjudged to have brought down the Partizan player late in the second half on Tuesday.
If Fabianski does start the game then you can expect the Chelsea players to target him. I just had a horrible vision of John Terry elbowing him in his ribs when jumping for a cross. I cannot stand that man with a passion. A Chelsea mate of mine doesn't even like him one bit and that just says all you need to know about his character.
I hope Chamakh pulls him all over the place on Sunday afternoon, gets away from Terry after a through pass from Cesc and makes the despicable piece of work pull him down in the box for a penalty and sending off. Ahhh, that would be very sweet indeed.
Sorry, my hatred of that man made me go off in another direction. Fabianski was the subject. If he gets the gloves, which I think he will then I hope he can continue where he left off on Tuesday, However the season goes and whatever happens to Fabianski this season I will remember that roar of jubilation after his spot kick save on Tuesday night. Anyone who wants him to fail needs their head checked or perhaps find another club to follow. He comes across as a very likeable character and every Arsenal supporter should want him to do well for his club regardless of past mistakes.
I only say this because some of the comments I have read in other places suggest that they would rather be proved correct than see him turn into a consistent goalkeeper. That really baffles me. Everyone has their opinions of players, everyone has their favourites including myself but we should all want every member of the squad to improve because that improvement will benefit Arsenal football club, which happens to be the team I support. Alex Song at 17 was never good enough to make the grade at Arsenal, said I sitting from behind my computer. Arsene and most importantly he proved me to be wrong and I love that. Why would I not want him to succeed?
Having said all of that, if I was making the decision on Sunday, then Almunia would start between the sticks if he was fully fit. West Brom aside, he has been in good form and there is no reason why he shouldn't keep his place. Unless he looks very bad in training.
Didier Drogba is looking forward to playing against Arsenal which isn't much of a surprise given his goal scoring rate against us in recent years. Drogba actually gave different reasons though.
Drogba said: "I love playing big games and I love playing against Arsenal, I always say that Arsenal is one of my favourite teams. When I was playing in France, Arsenal was an example for us because there were all these French players who used to play in the French league and went abroad to play for Arsenal with a French manager. So to play against them for me means a lot."
The importance of dealing with Drogba on Sunday is stating the obvious but it will be interesting to see how our new center backs handle him. Our previous defenders have had a tough time of it. I have a feeling that Squillaci will do a good job on him.
I find it amazing that even with the likes of Robin Van Persie, Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey, Thomas Vermaelen and Nicklas Bendtner on the treatment table, many of us are scratching our heads as to who will and who should play on Sunday.
Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Nasri, Arshavin, Chamakh are probably all expected to start, the rest will be down to form and fitness. That pool will consist of Almunia, Fabianski, Clichy, Gibbs, Song, Denilson, Diaby, Cesc, Wilshere, Rosicky and Eboue. Wenger will have a tough choice picking five from that eleven. I will be scrambling around at 3.30pm on Sunday trying to get a first glance of the bosses’ final decision.
Time to move away from that, as I am sure much will be said in the next few days.
Our favourite little club Stoke City are still after an apology from Arsene Wenger for his comments about Ryan Shawcross when Stoke played Tottenham in August. You would think that they have more important things to concern themselves with but I guess not.
Apparently they do not want Shawcross to be seen in a bad light, well I think he is doing a great job of that on his own without any help from others. His horrific challenges, of the past have more than done enough. One in particular, that we know all too well.
I expect a hostile atmosphere when Arsenal travel up to Stoke in May, especially after we make them look like mugs at the Emirates in December. How I would love Blackburn and Stoke to finish in the bottom three at the end of the season. That is where they belong.
Teddy Sheringham has said that he would love to see Arsene Wenger take charge of the England national team because he understands the mentality of the English game as well as getting his teams playing the right type of football. It is not often that I agree with Edward but I do think he would be a great manager for England but would I like to see this? Absolutely not.
He already gets more than his fair share of sneering from the media, looking at Fabio Capello's recent treatment. The knives wouldn't just be out, the Samurai swords would be hidden away; waiting for any cracks to appear before they hacked (get it) him to death.
When Arsene does finally hang up his erm.. suit. I hope he finds another role at the club, if not then retires all together. Like a jolted husband, if we can't have him then nobody should.
Putting my knife down now and readjusting my eyes from psycho to normal, I bid you goodbye until tomorrow.
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