Monday bits and bobs… 31 March, 2008

Not a lot going on today, which doesn’t bother me too much as I’m knackered. Was tempted not to update the site at all but that would just be mean.

There are a few stories coming off the back of Saturday’s inspiring win at Bolton. Gallas and Toure have both been talking about Wenger’s half time team talk and how it changed the game for us. Unfortunately I don’t have Arsenal TV Online so I can’t actually listen too what our centre backs have said about the team talk, so yeah, sorry.

You have to credit the manager with the part he played in Saturday’s game. He obviously said to the players that he believed in them and told them to go out there and fight back. However he got it right tactically too. We ended up playing a strange 2-2-2 formation down the middle of the park with Clichy and Walcott on the flanks and then Hleb was given the freedom to roam Bolton’s half. Not traditional, but it worked, we completely dominated the second half. Here’s what Le Boss had to say:

“We needed a win because we had not won for a while and eventually that plays on your mind. Also it is a good basis to prepare for Wednesday’s game. We know there were three Liverpool games and Manchester United on the back of this game so it was very important for us to win.

We will fight until the last second. We believe we can do it but now we must just play our next Premier League game against Liverpool and then go to Manchester United.

But this is a weight off the shoulders really because we had a heavy disappointment at Chelsea. The belief is in there again now. We would not have won this game if we had not had the belief. We were 10 v 11 and 2-0 down, without belief that is impossible.”

Nice to hear him say “we will fight until the last second”, but it is a bit worrying when he says our next league games are against Liverpool and Man United. The outcome of those two games will surely determine our place in the title race.

We need to forget about the Premier League for the moment though, next up it’s Liverpool in the Champions League; the first of three games against the Scoucers in six days. It might feel like a domestic game, but we have to give 100% everything in this European game because we’re as much in this tournament as anyone else is.

Liverpool will be up for it too and we all know that they have a knack of doing well in Europe. We need to try and upset that. Our game’s not ’til Wednesday night, so I’m going to save the match build up for tomorrow.

The only other bit of news is that Eduardo has come out of his cast. Good news that his recovery is on track. He’s still a long way away but it’s nice to know everything’s going to plan, I’m still not expecting him until about Christmas though, when you can guarantee Wenger will describe his comeback as ‘like a new signing’.

Right then people, I’m off. I’ll speak to you tomorrow with the first of many Liverpool match previews. Until then.