Not content with hitting us square in the jaw with a ‘one-two’ of international games in just over a week, the fates have conspired against us to ensure that the Interlull drags even slower with a postponed England game until this evening, meaning yet more of the terrible ‘Punditry’ of Adrian Chiles and co. clearly the English people are being retrospectively punished for all that empire building around the nineteenth century, and the best way of doing that is to hit us where it hurts through our national sport.
I don’t know what the Premier League managers with players from both sides will make of it, but I’ll be Arsene isn’t happy.
One person who appears to be quite happy is Vito Mannone. Well, why wouldn’t he be? Last season he was exiled to Hull and had to suffer the indignity of playing in front of a former Phil Brown loving side. Now he gets to line up against the most slick-haired Spaniard the world has ever seen in the form of Mikael Arteta, with little to do but kick his heels and maybe play the odd game of ‘Wembley singles’ or ‘run-outs’ with Arteta at London Colney. How good would that be for Mikael? He’d never have to argue about who go’s in goal, or who defends the base, as Don Vito does it for a living! If only Abou could join in, but he’s got a note from his mum to say that he’s not feeling well so he’ll just have to sit in the library and read a book. Poor fella.
Anyway, Don Vito took time out of that hectic schedule this week to tell the official site that he’s convinced we can challenge for the title. It’s the kind of thing that you want to hear from the players, and is heartening to see that there is such positivity emanating from the club. Mannone had also moved to quash the rumours of his departure at the end of the season by saying he has another 12 months to run on his contract. You’d think the journos that publish the story would make a basic phone call to check things like that from Highbury House, wouldn’t you? Anyway, I have no problem with his fighting talk, and it’s good that he has another year to try and prove himself at the club, but I still stand by my irkedness with him for making such a statement as he made about playing for Milan one day. Keep it under your hat, become the best Keeper in the world, then make the move and pronounce such things to the surprised Italian media like a magician pulling some posies from his sleeve. Don’t do it when you’re not even guaranteed number 1 at another club.
Finally from me for today, Olivier Giroud is talking about the ‘intensity’ and physicality of the Premier League in comparison to Ligue 1. It’s something we’re all aware of, and to be fair so would he be even before he signed us, but he still would not have known what it was like until actually playing in competitive matches and I see this admission as a positive thing. What it shows us is that he is still adapting to the physical nature of the game and will take more time still before he is fully bedded in. So we (me included) should always be mindful of that when he misses the odd chance here and there. The good thing is that it’s the physical side of the game he seems to be coping ok with. It means he’ll adapt a lot quicker and can focus on the finishing element, which was clearly there for all to see against West Ham.
Anyway, that’s it from me today, be good people.
