A disappointing performance at Everton. We failed to sustain any meaningful threat on the Everton goal (or penalty area) as the Islington Shuffle just sort of fell apart. Directionless in recent games, this goal-shy rambling around approach to the game would at least have been better than what we saw last night.
Everton are a good side, strikerless or otherwise, and their midfield made it tough right from the start. We defended fairly reasonably, but we’re lucky they didn’t have Yakubu or Saha to call upon.
That said, there’s something about this Arsenal team, isn’t there? They’ve got something. Admittedly they don’t have Thierry Henry, a ridiculously long unbeaten run, a love of going 3 goals up in the first 9 minutes of home games, or any chance of the title, but they’ve got something else which some much grander Arsenal teams in recent years haven’t really had. The ability to score at the death in crunch situations. Could come in handy in the Cups.
The draw wasn’t what we wanted, but a defeat would have been disastrous. Step up Robin Van Persie with yet another quality goal for the compilation-makers. If Robin had been doing this for the Invincibles, you’d be hearing a lot more about it in the press. I think it’s important to appreciate the top class players we do have regardless of press coverage (though you can see how far that can get you in public esteem - witness Ronaldo’s gong show) rather than simply bemoan the team’s performance and conclude that none of the players are as good as they were ‘back in the day’. Which day? Circa February 2004, probably.
On UpForGrabsNow, we don’t mention Arshavin unless Arsene mentions him first, which he did last night, saying the deal is “90%” done, but sounding a note of caution, essentially that Arshavin might change his owlish mind and have his head turned (geddit?) in other directions and bigger pots of cash. I’m not sure whether to believe the media on this one. They’ve lied so many times on this story that for once it really is a case of waiting for the official website to start giving away complementary Arshavin desktop backgrounds showing the owlish one grinning coldly at London Colney.
I rather suspect that, while wages may be a minor issue, it is rather Arsenal’s insistence on naming rights that’s holding up that extra 10% of the deal. That is, the right to rename Arshavin as ‘Arse’vin’ in accordance with our policy on staff whose names are considered to be (and I quote club statute here) “phonetically related to the name of the football club sufficiently that their existing name could be altered to include the word “Arse” without causing undue confusion.”
Incidentally, I’d like to register what may prove to be a historic disagreement with Grabber on Arse’vin.
I think he’s going to sign, and I think he will prove to be a class signing for the club. I’ve had enough of Eboue on the wing and am pining for a winger who’ll get us 10-15 goals a season. Arse’vin looks like a good solution to me. Not the only one. Perhaps not the best one out there. Perhaps quite an expensive one in the end. But his signing will be very good news for Arsenal.
Don’t forget our fantastic Philosophy Football giveaway: you can win a fantastic and strictly unofficial Arsénal t-shirt. Grabs and I both have them and they’re brill – to enter simply answer the question:
Who was Arsene Wenger managing when he joined Arsenal?
Email your answer to admin@philosophyfootball.com with the heading Up For Grabs Now Competition – deadline for entries is 28 February. In the meantime feel free to visit their website: lots of good stuff on it… http://www.philosophyfootball.com/new_win.html
And finally do please remember you can now sign up for Up For Grabs Now emails, delivering you the most eloquent and intelligent Arsenal waffle straight to your inbox, so you no longer have to worry about checking to see how lazy we’ve been: sign up using the box below.
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