Brief comment on Arsene + Newcastle Preview
34 comments November 7th, 2010
On my way to work yesterday, I dropped in to a cafe to pick up the obligatory coffee for anyone enduring office hours on a Saturday morning. Waiting for the foamy goodness to emerge from behind the counter, my eyes were drawn to a garish tabloid front page about the personal life of our manager.
I have no comment on the allegations. All I want to say is this: it’s interesting to note that not one single credible sports news outlet has referenced the story. Not the BBC, not The Guardian, not even Sky.
All I have to say is this: there are plenty of crap newspapers peddling crap stories. There is only one Arsene Wenger. Remember that, and sing it loud this afternoon.
Manchester United scraped another win yesterday, meaning it’s vital we pick up three points at home to Newcastle. How are this United side still unbeaten? They’re the worst Fergie team in years. Wayne Rooney is out-of-action and out-of-sorts. Yesterday they gave a start to a reanimated corpse called Owen Hargreaves, and when he disintegrated after less than ten minutes, they brought on a player who looked like a homeless competition-winner. Partly because that’s almost exactly what Bebe is. What’s worrying is that United teams usually pick up form in the second half of the season. Their performances up until now should have them adrift, and yet there they are, right in among the chasing pack.
All of which means we’ve got no room to slip up. Fortunately, we go in to the game on the back of some good injury news. Cesc Fabregas, Andrey Arshavin, Alex Song and Denilson are all fit to return to the squad. Koscielny, Sagna, and Chamakh, none of whom started in the Ukraine, can also come back in to the team.
It means that Arsene could plump for several different permutations. The defence should be fairly straightforward: Fabianski behind the French quartet of Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny and Clichy. In midfield, Fabregas and Song are certain starts. In the continued and concerning absence of Abou Diaby, Wilshere seems the obvious choice to complete the trio, but Arsene might go for the physicality of Denilson against Newcastle’s robust outfit. Upfront Chamakh and Nasri are both automatic picks, and then it’s a straight choice between Andrey Arshavin and Theo Walcott. On form it’d have to be Theo, but Arsene might be loathe to give Walcott’s recuperating limbs two starts in a matter of days.
You’ll remember we faced Newcastle not too long ago with a rather different team. A 4-0 win at St. James’ Park exaggerated the gulf between the two sides – in truth it was a closer contest in which we capitalised on a couple of lightening breaks.
That wasn’t Newcastle’s strong team either. After adding the likes of Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan back in to team, they recovered from their League Cup lashing with a stunning 5-1 thrashing of neighbours Sunderland. Carroll in particular was outstanding, and Squillaci and Koscielny will have to be at their best to keep him quiet.
Still, score an early goal and we know that Newcastle can be vulnerable to the counter. A win is essential. For our position and the league, and perhaps for Arsene.
Come On You Gunners.
