Comments on: Time to leave last weekend behind, for now….

By: TheSKAGooner

TheSKAGooner — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:00:35 +0000

Thrilled to the gills to have Shava back. You’re 100% right, Martin…it’s time he brought some magic to the pitch. It’s been a season of struggles for him, and not entirely his fault. He’s been nursing that foot injury all season (and I don’t think we’ve ever gotten a full account of just how bad it really is – as Arsene says “Andrey’s a tough boy”), he’s been asked to play out of position and taken an absolute battering up front. It’s got to be frustrating for him, especially considering he & RVP were just getting revved up when van Persie got hurt. Tough all ’round.

But tomorrow’s match is just massive for all sorts of reasons. Win by at least 4 goals (a DEFINITE possibility) and we’re top of the table again, if only for a brief period. Still though, this just reinforces the resilience of the lads to keep fighting. Obviously the Aaron Ramsey emotions will be on full burner as well. Arsene may say that there’s not a feeling of “us against the world” in the team, but I find that hard to believe. haha It IS us against the world, and I’ll not have another word about it, Mr Wenger! Lastly though, it’s just important for the squad to come out and continue to play Arsenal football. Just do what we do and don’t succumb to the shenanigans of Burnley and their threats of physical play. Beat them on OUR TERMS.

PS – Sorry to be away, Martin!

By: Martin @ thegoonblog.com

Martin @ thegoonblog.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:19:54 +0000

Goonermagic. Check the ‘published comments’ section!

By: Goonermagic

Goonermagic — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:55:58 +0000

Theo has been out a fair while and he needs the match practice. He has looked perky in the last few games. Watching him play recently against the Egyptians he looked quick and keen to dribble at the defenders but his touch was just a little heavy and the choices he made during the game were not his best. Although to be fair we do not know what Mr Capello told him in the dressing room and he did make a great incisive run and moved one hell of a pass to Lamps in the early moments which he duly fluffed!! I think this a very good sign. I’m sure, injury permitting, he will stride from strength to strength from now until the finishing line in May. His touch will improve, his decision making will become more consistent and I expect one or two goals.

What worries me in the short-term is Porto. They really went for us in the first leg – committing God knows how many strong tackles on Fabregas alone. If they go like that at our players again I really will fear another injury. Will we rest players against Burnley?

Aside from that its all coming up roses with Cech out for a while which is going to cause Chelsea an awful lot of hurt, Boswinga becoming a frequent visitor now in their infirmary and a few suspensions to beleaguer them further. The mighty Owen out for the rest of the season (is anyone really surprised that this has happened?), continuing injury problems in Man utds back four and off the field distractions at Old Trafford. Plus both our title contenders have the harder matches to play. Chelsea having to play Liverpool and Man Utd away and Man Utd having to play Liverpool at home, Man City away and of course Chelsea. If I were an old sea-dog explorer and looking at this fixture list as a map – there be monsters for Man U and Chelsea. For Arsenal, we have set sail for the title but we know not how hard the winds against us will blow nor how much our rivals shall fight off the monsters.