Saturday Round-Up
Add comment January 12th, 2008
The team news for the Birmingham game sees Van Persie (obviously) and Djourou out, but Walcott and Senderos fit. I’d imagine that’ll mean Senderos starts alongside Gallas in central defence, and aside from that it’ll be a very familiar line-up, with Eduardo partnering the ever-improving Emmanuel Adebayor.
Jens Lehmann will be on the bench after rejecting a move to Dortmund. As far as I understand it, he only wanted a six month contract, and even then was unsure about moving his children out of their English school halfway through the year. Whilst there’s still a while left in the window, I wouldn’t be disappointed to see Lehmann stay: if Almunia were to get injured, his experience could be invaluable.
Almunia himself wants to join an ever-growing cast of Englishmen at Arsenal, which could soon be supplemented by 15-year old Gillingham striker Luke Freeman. Arsene says:
“Yes, we will be pushing it through. I want to buy English. I met the boy and I like him. He has personality and he looks alert. He’s a striker and to play in a first team at 15 years of age is something special. We were quite well on the case and we are very positive that we will find an agreement with the club without going to compensation. We will pay them a transfer.”
So, it’s Birmingham today – Djourou and Bendtner’s former club, and a side that still contains a couple of former Young Guns. In theory they shouldn’t be able to contain us, but then footballing theory has never really worked, has it?
Here’s hoping.
