...Arsenal 1, Hull 2 – Arsenal 4, Porto 0...
What's the difference? Three days? Emanuel Eboue? Samir Nasri? No – something else.
As an aside; I see The Sun didn't let us down yesterday with this well timed story for Nasri's return from injury:
I think you'll find "Angry" Phil McCaw, "15 stone" or not, that if you actually intend to commit a serious criminal offence, with aforethought, they you don't call the fucking Current Bun and try and get your face in the papers beforehand… and as for: "He's nothing to look at." – well... why not take at look in the mirror you cauliflower-eared twat and ask yourself just what daddies little rich bint ever saw in you other than a bit of 'rugger rough' to see her through her gap year. Now fuck off back to 'Doncaster Academy' you shit-kicking cunt.
Ahem... of course I blame myself for reading this barrel-of-shite of a red top – but I can't help myself, it holds a grotesque fascination - like watching Celebrity Big Brother, or 'Police Camera Action'. Am I meta-masochistic? Do I require professional help?
Anyhoo - a disgusted Wenger, 'physically sick', threatens to 'wield the axe' and 'ring in the changes'...
...Nasri came back from injury and got a start – Eboue came on later to replace him, other than that, no changes...
What's the difference? What's going on?
Porto are a better team than Hull – no question. Like Hull, Porto came into the game to destabilise our rhythm with a physical approach – it did not work. Porto got smashed, Hull get 3 points – what's the difference?
There is something amiss here – something more than just a blatant refereeing bias responsible for the gulf of quality and fortitude between Arsenal playing football and Arsenal giving up.
Kolo Toure (boo boo dah doo) states post Hull:
"I was scared to play the game, sometimes people, not the players, play the game before it's started and that's a problem because there are no small teams in the Premiership."
"Against Man United everybody thinks it's going to be a tight game but when you play against Hull it's harder because you are expected to win and score in the first minute."
"But it doesn't happen like that. I was scared against Hull because there are no easy games."
"We are professional players and when we go out we want to play well and win."
Can we, as Arsenal fans, read between the lines of what Kolo is trying to say? And why does Fabregas (now in a holding role and quoted as being entirely deliriously happy with absolutely everything) seem a little distracted of late? What's with the new haircut?
I would like to speculate but all my speculations are gloomy and 'embryonic'... I will let them grow and hopefully they will die on stony ground before they reach maturity.
That said, now that Jabba has been firmly 'kicked to the curb' (although still a major shareholder) and Kroenke is in the hot seat; what 'game' are we now playing? Anyone got a copy of the Fulham match; I think I need to study it?
The game started very nervy, and as I said – Porto took the Hull template and ran with it... they could have gone a goal up too with an absolutely sublime break that was let down by the final ball hitting the crossbar. Almunia made a good save from a midfield screamer and Clichy did enough to clear off the line from a set piece. Sublime football aside, physicality, set pieces and midfield screamers were what took us apart at the weekend; so, have lessons been learned?
In particular, Walcott impressed me last night – as did Vela when he came on... that lad makes my jaw drop every time he gets the ball. The new, slightly dirge, Walcott chant seems to be catching on (to the tune of 'Englishman in New York'):
"Whooohooo Theo Walcott; Theo, Theo Walcott - he's an Englishman at Arsenal!"
And RvP can take confidence from the 2 goals he scored and thankfully he didn't go over the top, celebration wise, and get injured... I don't know what goes through his head when he scores – probably something like this:
"Shit – I've scored a really important goal... I reckon I might slide on my knees at all them cheering fans over there; Hmmm… not enough; oh hang on – maybe I'll just impale myself on that railing spike or fling myself under the hooves of that police horse I saw outside... yeah – legend, I'll do both! RAAAGAHHAGGAHHHA!!!"
*snap*
I'd also like to know what the Porto fans said to Adebayor to warrant his 'in-your-fucking-face-boys' knee slide at them after his goal... not an entirely wise move seeing as we still have a return leg – I know it's the credit crunch and all that and Christmas will be coming up on the return leg but catching Escudos 'to the head' for 90 minutes is a hard way to supplement your income.
And Eboue... cut it out with the 'Ronaldo' stepovers, I nearly pissed myself laughing... you funny bastard.
