Two and a half minutes of my life that might as well never have happened were those I just spent watching our squad for tonight gently jogging about, to a climactic electric guitar backing soundtrack, as if the vision of our whipper-snappers ambling around London Colney in distinctly pedestrian fashion wasn’t blood-curdling enough for Arsenal TV Online’s free video.
No, there’s an advert for a Bruce Willis movie before it, so if we just show Eboue scratching his balls and the sound of passing traffic everyone will (completely unjustifiably) think our video’s crap.
Or maybe this is one of Arsene’s special training methods. Do we always train to electric guitar, I wonder?
Maybe that’s why Ade’s so angry with everyone at the club – he used to put on hardcore Togonian rap about shopping, but then Denilson said it gave him a mild headache. Van Persie put on some bland electric guitar music instead, and eight weeks later, Ade got his revenge by stamping on his face.
Just as plausible as the other explanations I’ve heard for Ade’s thuggery if you ask me, including his own garbled mutterings about the various people who do or don’t love him.
Tonight we face a Standard Liege side shorn of their highly rated skipper Steve “Definitely” Defour, but we may well have to face the Belgian Butcher Axel Witsel, who will be well rested as he’s in the middle of an eight match ban for chopping another player’s leg in half. Highly rated player, Witsel, and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares against us.
In turn, we will, predictably, be without most of our players, but look certain to see Vito Mannone start in goal. Fabianski must be kicking himself. Except if he did he might injure himself some more and squander still further this rare opportunity to stake his claim ahead of our marvellously hirsute Spanish English Neutral (Swiss?) Waiter Goalkeeper.
There are those who have already written off Mannone on the strength of very little, really. They’d rather see Wojciech Szczesny have a go, if only in the vain hope that David Pleat may have to attempt to pronounce his name in a live broadcast.
Personally, I’m more concerned with letting SuperJack have a run-out. It’d also be lovely to see Sanchez Watt make his bow at Europe’s top table. Blessed with the finest name to emerge from Arsenal’s academy since Quincy Owusu-Abeye (his full name is actually Herschel Sanchez Watt), Sanchez has long been a firm favourite here on UpForGrabsNow. He’s got pace, skill and a rare hairstyle/great name combination that promises much.
That said, we’ll probably go with Mannone, The Back Four, Song, Fabregas, Diaby, Rosicky, Bendtner and Eduardo.I’d be tempted to put Rosicky in central midfield instead of Diaby and put Wilshere on the left, but I’d say it’s more likely that Diaby will start on the wing with Eboue roving around the midfield like a maniac.
Always interested to hear your thoughts.
One man full of thoughts today was Arsene Wenger, who has had his say on everything from Eduardo to player quotas to Vermaelen and Adebawhore.
Most impressive was his quip about Mark Hughes, which I enjoyed mainly because Hughes is exactly the kind of guy the English media love to paint as an honest, straight-talking, decent-family-values guy, when in fact he’s a nonsensical git whose teams have always been a bunch of thugs - until he could afford to buy players of Adebawhore’s calibre. And as soon as he did that he started stamping on the limbs and faces of former team-mates.
But Hughes won’t last long at City. And let’s hope the mental Togonian doesn’t either.
FREE AT LAST: With his caging quashed, the 'Boruc One' is set to be unleashed on Europe's penalty boxes once again
Tags: Arsene Wenger, Emmanuel Adebayor, Sanchez Watt, Standard Liege
September 16th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Spot on about Watt – the hair, the swagger, the name. Get this lad in the first team, pronto.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I can’t see Rosicky starting just yet; ease him in with another 30-40 minute impact cameo. Agree it would be great to see Wilshere though, but might he go for Diaby off the front two and Eboue on the right?
September 16th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
How come I never seen your posts before ? You are quite funny and articulate.. Good read.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
That would certainly be the people’s choice fourstar! Maybe with Silvestre up front on his own.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Yeah, well I’m not saying I agree with him but he’s got form using that setup. Peculiar, as Diaby blows so hot and cold.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Are you serious? Rossicky playing back 4?
Has Wenger lost it?
September 16th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Misunderstanding? I just wrote ‘The Back Four’ instead of ‘Clichy, Sagna, Vermaelen, Gallas’.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
The funny thing about Witsel is, some may know this already. But he’s actually a hardcore Gooner. I read about that on Gooner Talk and also I’ve read other interviews from other sites where he has stated his childhood team is Arsenal. So let’s hope he takes it easy on us tonight!
September 16th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
What’s this Madebayor stuff? I thought we agreed he was to be known as ‘Andepaymor?’ forever.
September 16th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Andepaymor, Adebawhore, Badebayor, Madebayor, Adebayarsehole – why limit yourself to just one?
September 16th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
i think arsenal with start with this linu up tonoght..
————-mannone—————
———-the back four————
—————song—————–
———-fabregas—–diaby———-
bendtner——————eboue——
————-dudu——————–
September 16th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
re: ade’s names. i think bat-crazy, money-grabbing cunt ought to do it.
September 16th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
No worry! arsenal 3 and standard 0; Big is Big, though we have injuries.Our soccer style is still the same though young or old.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Who was it who first said that Sanchez Watt was the only footballer to have a name with which you could interrogate a Mexican?
Oh yes it was me.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
wilshere has a kick about on the fields behind my couzins house and he was once spotted wearing a chelsea shirt also he has been promised 1st team games otherwise he was goin to newcastle on loan
September 16th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Sanchez watt will never be given the chance by wenger.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I have nothing further to add.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Fantastic Read! Funny and insightful… hard to get both right now a days
September 16th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Adegaydar
September 17th, 2009 at 8:19 am
The one to watch apart from Wilshire is Francis Coquelin he is 18 and been here for a year already so he would be a “home grown” player. He is a defensive midfielder with a massive engine and great technique. I’ve watched hm in all preseason and reserve games and he already has the skill base to be great. I think our problem is we have too may midfielders with the same playing style. Fabregas, Ramsey, Diaby, Denilson, . but i thinl when the wide players are fit wenger will have selection problems who do you think he will pick to play with Van persie. 2 out of Arshavin, Nasri, Rosicky, Eduardo, Bendtner. My opinion IS that when all are fit to play:
SAGNA VERMAELEN GALLAS CLICHY
NASRI FABREGAS RAMSEY
VAN PERSIE BENDTNER ARSHAVIN
BENCH: EBOUE
DENILSON
DIABY
ROSICKY
EDUADRO
WILSHIRE
GIBBS
We dont need any more attacking players please!!!!!!!!!!
September 17th, 2009 at 8:35 am
@DJ
Good to have you back aboard in a less-directly abusive way.
September 17th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Agree with Jonny, Coquelin looks great.
September 17th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Seconded. Coquelin looks powerful as well as skilful.
Can’t see Ramsey getting picked ahead of Denilson or Song in the middle just yet, especially if nasri and cesc were the other two. You definitely need someone who just sits back and blocks and I don’t think Ramsey will be asked to do this.
Shavin and Van Persie are dead certs up front, but I don’t share this concern about Arsene’s impending selection crisis. Between Bendtner, Rosicky, Eduardo and Nasri there is enough injury-proneness, versatility and inconsistency to mean we’re very rarely going to end up agonising about leaving someone out. Plus we’ve so many games I don’t think it matters all that much if these guys are in and out of the team a bit
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