Apologies for no posts over the last few days, I have been busy travelling to various locations around Tokyo and Yokohama to attend work events and then drinking in the evenings, so there just wasn’t any time to get anything posted.
Stories emerging on different websites in the last 24hrs or so highlight perfectly the stupidity and ignorance as to what is actually important in the game. Steve Bruce, instead of backing Wenger in the call for dangerous tackling to be dealt with, chooses to highlight the fact that Wenger doesn’t share a post-match drink with him. Why that is important, I don’t know. It’s as pointless a thing to point out as Wenger’s refusal to shake hands with someone after a game. Both are things which should only be done if there is a genuine friendship or respect. If you think that the other person is a tool, or has spoken out of turn about you or your club, then it is entirely within your rights to refuse to shake his hand or have a post-game drink with the offending party. I wouldn’t go for an after-work drink with someone that I didn’t like or didn’t respect, so why should Wenger have to do it? Likewise, if someone has disrespected me, I am not going to shake that person’s hand afterwards just to stick to protocol and appearances. Screw them. I’m not saying that Wenger dislikes Bruce, I’m just saying that he has no obligation to have a post-game drink with him.
It’s funny how something like that gets highlighted, yet a woeful tackle on Messi at the weekend goes largely uncommented upon in the British media and the subsequent call by Guardiola for players to get more protection by referees also fails to see him get labeled a whinger. I’m not saying that the media are anti-Arsenal, I’m just saying they are a bunch of cnuts that continually misrepresent what Wenger says. Guardiola basically said exactly what Wenger said just a week ago, that players need more protection and that the media have a responsibility too in the way that the report and cover things.
One thing that made me laugh today is the fact that Van Der Fart has been talking up how big the Carling Cup game is for Spuds and how much their players have been talking about the game, yet there aren’t a huge number of Arsenal fans that are taking the game all that seriously. For us, it will be a game where there are a number of our youngsters getting a run-out against what will almost certainly be the first choice Tottenham team. Again, that signals the difference between the two clubs.
I want some silverware at the club as much as anyone but, the Carling Cup is certainly at the bottom of our list of priorities for the season. Of course, it would be sweet if we could beat them with our second string and it will give some of our youngsters the chance to experience playing in a charged, hostile environment. Fingers crossed we get a good result and progress. There are rumours that Szczesny will play in goal tomorrow and let’s hope that the rumours are accurate as we stand a better chance of getting a result with him in goal rather than Fabianski.
Arshavin spoke to his own site after the Sunderland game and he had praise for both the fans and the defense. All he needs to do now is learn from his teammates and add some of that performance and work-rate to his own game.
“Today we had, as expected, a difficult match. Our opponent played well, but I think our defense courageously coped with their attacks and pressure at our gate.
It was especially hard for the guys after Song was sent off the pitch. On the one hand, we can say that luck was on our side at the very beginning of the game – we scored. On the other hand, it turned away from us later – we didn’t manage to score a penalty and missed an unfortunate goal at the very end. It was a very unpleasant moment.
As for the game I think that it pleased the audience but not our fans. They are great guys, they’ve been supporting us today and I hope that they see the way we play and understand that our victories are ahead. Of course we are unhappy with the result, but what’s done can’t be undone.”
Speaking of the Sunderland game, the manner of the result was very frustrating and it was one of those games where the draw felt like a defeat. I don’t care about the fact that the goal came fifteen seconds after the signaled four minutes of allocated injury time as the signaled time is just the minimum that should be added. What annoys me is the fact that the game had been there for the taking before that point, but we squandered the chances that came our way, most notably the penalty that Rosicky missed. Anyway, to look on a positive, an away trip to Sunderland is never an easy game and Saturday’s point is a point more than we got there last season. Also, the performance of our central defenders was very impressive and looks positive as we head towards the game against Chelsea next week.
That’s about all I have for today. Take it easy.
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