Remembering Rocky

David Rocastle

Today is March 31st. On this date this blog simply remembers the Great Man. Watch this video and you will understand why he was my first Arsenal hero as I was growing up.

RIP Rocky.

QPR (a) preview

Theo - best form of his career

I'll keep this brief as I am severely pushed for time right now. Sadly work and other commitments have no regard for the important stuff in life, such as watching and writing about The Arsenal.

We go in to the game at QPR tomorrow on the back of this magnificent run of victories. On paper we should be walking all over the opposition from beginning to end. But this is Premier League football, and things are simply not that straightforward. Rangers are in real trouble at the bottom end of the table and need to get something, anything, from every game. I've never liked Neil Warnock but I can not understand why he was booted out of Loftus Road earlier this season, especially to be replaced by an utter cretin like Mark Hughes. It has been no surprise to me that QPR have struggled even more since that muppet took over the reins.
The team news for Arsenal is that Koscielny "should" be fit. The fact that there is even the remotest note of uncertainty tells me that his problem may be a bit more serious than we were initially led to believe. Abou Diaby has suffered another setback, it would appear, so Arsene says the squad remains as last week - I will assume that means Carl Jenkinson drops back out of the 18 having got a late call-up to the bench against Aston Villa.
QPR will be without the suspended Djibril Cisse for the game. However, they will have Bobby Zamora in the side I think. We've faced Zamora twice this season already and, in both games, he gave Thomas Vermaelen and co one hell of a tough time. He dominated Vermaelen in the home fixture, and then popped up with the winner at Craven Cottage. I find it very hard to take as I don't rate Zamora at all. I hope he doesn't shine quite so much tomorrow and that Vermaelen is able to handle him a lot better than he did at our place. Elsewhere in their team I see Joey Barton being recalled to the starting eleven. Barton is a Mark Hughes kind of player and this is the kind of game that they will want his particular "qualities" in the middle of the pitch. Barton will be winding people up and kicking anything that moves, in a similar style to his Manager (though Hughes was more of an elbows man than a kicker). Alex Song, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky will need their wits about them throughout the game and try to avoid getting involved with the odious Barton.
Ultimately if we play our game, and play it well, we will have another win tomorrow. If we have an off day, or allow ourselves to get sucked in to a "fight" we will struggle to get the victory. One other note of caution - the referee is Mike Dean, the man who celebrated Spurs' opening goal against us the other week (look it up on Youtube). 

Concerned for Koscielny

Koscielny - fine season

As we head towards the weekend and another important away game I find myself worried about one of our players. As soon as I read that Laurent Koscielny was injured with "tendinitis" last Saturday I immediately thought about Marco Van Basten. The great Dutchman was forced in to an early retirement, before his peak years, by tendinitis in the knee. If it becomes a similarly recurring problem for our French centre-back he could go the same way, I fear.
Since the Blackburn debacle earlier in the season, when Koscielny looked as far removed from a Premier League defender as it's possible to be, he has been simply outstanding. He is the most improved player in the Arsenal squad by an absolute country-mile. Aside from Robin Van Persie I believe Koscielny and Alex Song have consistently been our best players this season. His partnership with Thomas Vermaelen has looked excellent in recent weeks, and the Manager was at pains to point it out in his programme notes last weekend (I might also say that Johan Djourou's performance last Saturday shows what a bit of confidence can do for every player in the squad, whether they are playing every week or not).
The settled defence of this past month has looked far more of a unit. Almost any defence would be improved by the introduction of Bacary Sagna, and Koscielny looks really comfortable with his French colleague on his right. I hope that the injury he suffered is just a one-off. Arsenal have said that they expect Koscielny to play this Saturday at QPR, but I am more concerned at what it means in the long-term. Fingers crossed that we see a lot more of his burgeoning partnership with Thomas Vermaelen over the next couple of years - we are certainly due an injury-free run in our defence. If they can continue with the form they're showing then they could yet form the backbone of a Title challenge next season.

I'll preview the QPR game tomorrow afternoon, when we should have some team news.

Special person has a special day

Dad with his boys outside Highbury, May 7th 2006

I tried to get this post written and published last night. Unfortunately my broadband provider gives a rubbish service which seems to want to die between 7pm and the early hours. As a result I'm only able to get it done now. I read a report last week that said TalkTalk are the most complained about broadband supplier and, frankly, I'm not surprised.

Why do I support Arsenal Football Club? The answer is simple - my Dad is an Arsenal supporter. I suspect that's true for most football fans as the baton is passed from generation to generation. Perhaps the only surprise is that my Dad is not a Londoner. Like me he has lived all his life in Dover. So how did he come to support Arsenal? I am always at pains to point out to people that Arsenal is Kent's biggest football club, having been formed in Woolwich, but that's not the reason. Dad started to follow the Club for the 1950 FA Cup Final. He had read in the newspaper FA Cup Final special supplement that morning how Arsenal would be wearing a special "old-gold" shirt for the game against Liverpool. Quite rightly he felt that Arsenal must be a very special Club indeed if they were able to wear a gold shirt and he was hooked from there on. He went on to see his first Arsenal game at The Valley in the early 1950's and has now been going to see the boys play for over 60 years. He used to go with his old friend, Bushy (the original Dover Gooner), but he sadly passed on and my eldest brother took his place in the East Upper with Dad.
I was very fortunate to be born to a Dad who was, and is, an Arsenal season ticket holder. He took me to my first game thirty years ago this year. Of all the many things my Dad has given me over the years I would suggest that Arsenal is the one I have had the most enjoyment from. Me and my brothers are season ticket holders too and we still travel to matches all together. My Dad boasts a very proud record of having been to see every Arsenal Cup Final since 1968 against Leeds, and then he took my cousin to see us lose to Swindon Town in 1969. He was at Highbury for what he considers its greatest moment when the Fairs Cup was won in 1970. I was sat next to him for my most favourite "in the flesh" moment when Tony Adams sealed the Title in 1998. I was also sat next to him for my saddest, the final day at Highbury, which is when the photo above was taken. Sadly, his friend of many years (and the man who sat next to him in the East Upper for nearly thirty years) Bob Everett was no longer with us by then, and he is missed by Dad to this day. He's taken me to Paris and Copenhagen and Wembley and Old Trafford and Anfield and Hillsborough and the list goes on. Triumph and disappointment with Arsenal, and the emotions that come with them, are all thanks to my Dad and the fact that he chose Arsenal as the team to support.
Having gone through those sixty years he certainly couldn't be deemed a glory-hunter, by any means. In recent years he has so enjoyed the Graham era and Wenger era team's, having sat through plenty of dross in the mid-70's and early-80's. He always felt it would take an incredible player to dislodge Brady as the greatest he has seen, and Dennis Bergkamp was that man. In Dad's eyes (and most people who genuinely know their Arsenal history) Dennis is the finest we've signed, and the finest we've watched. Unlike Dennis my Dad has been on Arsenal's European tour over the past twenty years. He's been to all points from Moscow and Kiev in the East, to La Coruna and Madrid in the West. In between he enjoyed his annual trip to Austria for pre-season where he got to meet the players, the Manager, and some of the nicest people he's come across in his sixty years with Arsenal. The likes of the legendary Andreas Kovacs and Teo Scarpellini have become firm family friends. When he finishes the book he's currently writing in his retirement it will be some read, you can be sure.
So why am I writing about my Dad today? Well, yesterday (when I was hoping to get this published) he turned 70. I owe a lot to my Dad, from all the usual stuff, to my love of (and former ability to play) cricket, and of course The Arsenal. It's amazing really that he still gets to every home game, and some of the away jaunts (though not as many as he would like!) He now gets to see his Grandsons taking their seat at matches and, once again, it's his following of Arsenal that has given them their names - Freddie, Liam and George. Like I say I owe a lot to my Dad, and so do my brothers. We wouldn't have Arsenal, and that common interest, without him.
Happy Birthday Dad, and thanks.

A different kind of Spring

No finer sight than Highbury in the Sunshine

Isn't it just lovely to be winning games of football every week? Isn't it even lovelier to be winning games of football while the Sun is shining and the warmth is beating down on us? In recent years the beginning of Spring has coincided with the end of season capitulation of Arsenal. This season the players have suddenly hit their stride with the flowering of the crocuses. I don't know about you, but it has put me in a damned fine mood.
I didn't get to the game on Saturday as I was working all afternoon and evening. As a result my only coverage of the game has been Match Of The Day's "highlights". The combination of work, and not seeing enough of the game, is the reason for there being no preview or report from the match on here. I have to say that the BBC really did set new standards with their round-up on Saturday night. I checked the match stats after the game and I noticed that Villa had three shots in the entire game, and the reports I saw all spoke of the complete dominance of Arsenal. It came as no surprise, therefore, to see all three of those Villa efforts included in the edit. In fact, if you hadn't been there, seen it, or read reports, you could be forgiven for thinking Aston Villa were incredibly unlucky to lose 3-0 in such an evenly matched contest. It's frightening really, but I've come to expect nothing more from the inept fools running Match Of The Day.
The other result of interest on Saturday went our way yet again. I don't think I've ever known such a sustained period where things have gone our way so much. As a result we are now three points clear of the mugs from down the road but, more importantly, eight points ahead of Chelsea. If we can avoid defeat in most of our remaining games - in particular the one against Chelsea themselves - then we should finish at least fourth. Concentration is key, and an eighth successive win this weekend is paramount ahead of the visit of Manchester City. If we can win against QPR and then actually beat City then suddenly the runners-up spot could yet come in to play. Having said that, it's best not to get ahead of ourselves just yet - after all, that's what Spurs did and look what happened there.
If there is a frustration to be had within the context of our last seven Premier League matches, it is that we are too far adrift to be challenging for the Title. As great as it is to be winning at this time of the year, it's just not the same when you're not pushing for the main prize. In the past when we've got on a run at this stage I've found myself thinking about it all the time. I would just drift off, at school, at work, at home, in the car or wherever, and wonder if it was going to lead to the Title etc. I'd be unable to sleep at night from thinking about Arsenal and the League Title. It really takes me back to the good times when Highbury would be bathed in sunshine while Dennis and Freddie and Thierry and Bobby would be ripping sides apart, or when Rocky and Davo and Micky and Merse and Smudger were doing their stuff. I think it really hit me today that there is just that something missing. The reason it hit me is that I was on a training course and I realised that I was actually listening to what was being said. If we were pushing for the Premier League I would have been so pre-occupied in thinking about Arsenal that the course would have been going on around me. As it is I was taking in every word and, in a way, that's a real shame. Still, I'd rather be winning in Spring than losing, no matter where we are in the League. And the Sun is still shining.
More tomorrow.

Stop the crowing - 9 games to go

Now that's a gap

Arsenal's players turned in another gritty effort last night to get the three points. With this win we have now gone above Tottenham and it feels rather good. We've heard a lot from that mob over the past few months. Their favourite attempt at winding us up came with their "mind the gap" nonsense. Now that there is no gap it has all gone rather quiet. However, I am not comfortable with the way in which a large number of Gooners are now berating the Spurs fans in a similarly premature manner.
Last night I think most of us were more than happy to rub their noses in it with regards to the "gap" etc. It's fair to say that, having thought they would win the Premier League, and that they were now far superior to Arsenal, the mugs have brought a little light ribbing upon themselves. There is absolutely no problem with that, and the sport of getting them to bite every time never becomes any less amusing. There is a problem, though, with assuming Arsenal have now done the job. The fact is that there are still nine games to go and our luck (which has been very much in of late) could change back to what it was around Christmas when no decisions, and no results, were going our way at all. The profligacy we show in front of goal, which was prevalent again in the early stages at Everton, could still come back to haunt us.
One more thing that is bugging me about the attitude of a lot of Arsenal fans is the fact that they are actively celebrating us being in third place in the Premier League. We are 15 points off the lead for God's sake. This is not something to celebrate in the grand scheme of things. Yes, in the situation we found ourselves after 40 minutes of the Tottenham home game, it seems a quite spectacular achievement to be where we are now, but it really is not to a Club of Arsenal's stature. The day that finishing above Spurs, and maybe scraping a place in the Champions League, is seen as a genuine cause for major celebration is the day that we sink to their level of ambition.
Last night on the social networking sites there were a lot of people (most of them annoying student types, Tarquin's, Henrietta's and JCL's) giving off about Wenger, and how he had proved everyone wrong. Apparently those of us who believe he should be moved on "have been made to look stupid." These people fail to grasp the reality that celebrating being third is a symptom of the Club we are becoming. The reason we are so far off the pace in the League is that the Manager failed to do his job properly, and has done for a number of years now. If we do get a top three/four finish it will indeed be a surprise. Everyone wrote us off this season, including me - I couldn't see us finishing any higher than sixth. However, that doesn't excuse the fact that, had proper transfer business been done in recent seasons, we would once again have been waltzing away with the Premier League. If Wenger achieves a Champions League spot with this squad it will show that he is a fine Manager. But I would question why he should choose, therefore, to hamstring himself by not bringing in the sort of quality we need to challenge. If he can do it with this lot, just imagine what he'd have done with a couple more top players at his disposal.
What I'm trying to say is that the crowing at the Spurs fans, and the back-biting over the Manager should be put to one side. There are still nine games to go, so let's do our shouting at Tottenham, and our "I'm right and you're wrong about Wenger" arguing until we've secured a decent end to the season. Believe me, an injury or two to the wrong player(s) and Arsenal could just as easily collapse again. There is still a long way to go.

Abou's Reserves return, Everton (a) preview

Theo - outstanding last week

One of the worst things about being out of the cups is that the games don't come thick and fast. While this is a small advantage to Arsenal in that they can keep putting out the first-choice players (fitness permitting) it makes for some very boring times for us supporters. If you're playing twice a week in the Spring it means you're having a very good season. Having not played since last Monday there is no way the Arsenal players should be fatigued tomorrow evening. More on that game below.
Since I last wrote there really hasn't been much to say Arsenal-wise. That's why I haven't been writing anything. If there's nothing to give an opinion on then there is no point in writing for the sake of it. Of course there has been some football in the meantime, and my brother and his wife have been blessed with a baby girl, but nothing happening in the World of Arsenal. The main thing to have happened in football is, of course, the dramatic (but thankfully not tragic, we hope) scenes at Spurs on Saturday evening. Football and its followers get a lot of stick, but the reaction of those inside White Hart Lane the other night showed that, despite our obsessions with our Club's, rivalries can be put aside when needs must. Fabrice Muamba is, it seems, improving day by day, and thank God for that. He began at Arsenal, of course, and the reaction on Twitter of his ex-teammates, and those employed by Arsenal that worked with him, shows that Muamba is a genuinely popular young man. Good luck to him in his recovery.

Down to business then and I watched most of the Reserves encounter with Liverpool this afternoon as it was live on Liverpool TV. It was a decent game, marred by a terrible foul on Jernade Meade that could have easily broken his leg. The referee missed it completely (as he did most fouls on Arsenal players throughout the match) and then somehow only booked the assailant when his linesman drew his attention to the foul. Meade was able to continue after some treatment, but he told me on Twitter that he was in a bit of pain on the coach coming home, and not looking forward to how it will feel in the morning.
The Arsenal team today was notable for the inclusion of Abou Diaby, making his latest return from injury. Diaby got Arsenal's equaliser in the 1-1 draw with a tap-in from close range. Typically he managed to get kicked on the ankle in the act of scoring, but hopefully has come through his hour on the pitch generally unscathed. If, by some miracle, we could get him fit and keep him fit until the end of the season then Diaby could have a big part to play in the Premier League run-in. At the level he played today he was simply a class above, and Liverpool only got the ball off him when he misplaced the odd pass. With the ball at his feet Diaby was simply too skillful, too quick and too powerful for Liverpool's inexperienced midfielders to contain. But for some missed chances from the also returning Benik Afobe it could have been a deserved three points for the youngsters.

Tomorrow we get back to some real Arsenal action as the boys travel to Everton. We've had a decent record at Goodison Park in recent times, but that counts for very little. We've actually handed out a spanking or two to The Toffees in recent times, yet I still consider a trip to Goodison to be among the toughest fixtures of the season. Their results against the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea recently only serve to underline the task ahead of us tomorrow. Frankly, I'd take a draw right now.
The team news is that the same squad will be involved as was last Monday against Newcastle. I would think it unlikely that Arsene would look to change the starting line-up, though Andre Santos is knocking heavily on Kieran Gibbs' door. However, Gibbs has played reasonably well of late (though he let Ben Arfa beat him far too easily for the goal last week) and I don't see Wenger leaving him out just yet. Apart from that there's not too much to say about Arsenal's team. The only thing I will say, because I failed to mention it last week, is that I hope Theo Walcott will pick up where he left off last Monday. Against Newcastle I thought he was outstanding. Everything he did was first-rate, from controlling the ball, to running at his man, to his excellent crossing from wide (which led to both Arsenal goals) it was the most complete display of his career. I am one of Theo's biggest critics but if he can play like that on a regular basis then he might yet fulfil his potential. I'd love for Walcott to prove me and many others wrong by showing he is a footballer, and not just a sprinter.
Everton rested a lot of players for the Merseyside Derby last midweek, ahead of the FA Cup on Saturday. I was amazed that Moyes would choose to leave out his best players against Liverpool, of all teams. Given that they have to have a replay in the FA Cup I would rather hope he does the same thing tomorrow. If Everton were to field the same players as they did last Wednesday then I would fancy a committed Arsenal to beat them. We will see what happens, but we already know the dangerous Seamus Coleman will not be involved, which should be a slight relief to whoever gets the nod at left-back for Arsenal. I've been impressed (far more than I thought I would be) by Jelavic, while Stracqarlursi (don't know if I've spelt that right) looks the sort of whole-hearted trier that every Club would like to have in their squad. Whoever plays up front for them tomorrow Arsenal's centre-backs will have their work cut out.
I expect Arsenal to fall at least three points behind Tottenham again tomorrow. I can see them beating Stoke fairly comfortably at home (though 'Arry might rest a few) while, as I said before, I would take a draw in our game. I'm not concerned if that's the case. However, I would very much like to see Man City beat Chelsea. I don't care which of the Manchester sides wins the Title, but we need Chelsea to drop as many points as possible. If they were to lose tomorrow, and then only draw with Spurs this weekend, it would set them back again. I fear Fernando Torres may have found himself again, and that should worry us, but if we can get away from them over the next ten days then the future looks bright. Whatever happens, Arsenal must make sure of their own performances and results. The rest can then take care of itself.