Kolo is back in the fold
Add comment January 10th, 2009
Kolo Toure will start today’s game with Bolton Wanderers as captain, just days after handing in a transfer request. It represents a remarkable turnaround for a player who looked set for a move to Manchester City after making public his row with William Gallas. Now Gallas (and Silvestre) are sidelined for three weeks or so, Kolo is suddenly indispensable again.
I doubt Arsene has ever been so glad to lose a player to injury as he is to see Gallas out for the period of the transfer window. Le Boss would be loathe to lose Toure, and Gallas’ injury allows him to restore the Ivorian to the line-up and settle him down during this brief transfer window. The situation can then be reassessed at the end of the season, when many expect Gallas to leave.
Denilson and Gael Clichy are also fit again, whilst Manuel Almunia will return after Lukasz Fabianski got a run-out in the cup game against Plymouth.
Bolton have proved famously tricky opposition for us in the past few seasons, but one would still expect (or at least hope) for an Arsenal victory today. I do genuinely despise Bolton, so any kind of victory would be enjoyable, but I’d ideally like one that left their players, fans, and manager writhin in agony. Just sayin’, like.
Arsene again refused to comment on the Andrei Arshavin story, which perversely is tantamount to confirmation that we’re actively involved in negotiations. He also refuted suggestions that he was chasing a “defensive” player, which is at once jaw-droppingly shocking and utterly unsurprising. Let’s just hope this is a big swerve, and he’s signing four 7’0″, 27 year-old centre-backs.
Just found out that Jay Simpson is starting the midlands derby for West Brom against Villa, who would go six points clear of us with a win. Hopefully Jay will do us a favour.
