The Geordie Challenge Awaits
Mar 19th, 2009 by 'holic
After a couple of rants I have decided I should set an example to Phil Brown and Mike Riley and take some time away from the hurly-burly of top flight football. Who am I kidding ? Nobody, I know.
It’s Mothers Day weekend and the management, who has been through much in the last ten months, has been persuaded it is perfectly safe for us to venture as far as the Black Country to see son and family. The eldest of the two grandson’s up there has become a project for me. They have not long moved from the north-west, and he is already infected with the United gene. Apparently though the gift of an Arsenal kit with ‘Fabregas’ on the back has got him in two minds.
So I have to be fully prepared for the major contest of the weekend. Apparently he is excited that Grandad is coming up to witness the two, yes two, games that the under sevens will be playing against their major rivals on Sunday morning. Arsenal tales and gifts will be the order of the weekend.
Fortunately for Arsene Wenger the Gunners only face one match at the weekend. The team news this far ahead of the Saturday teatime clash is patchy, as you would expect. It looks as though Manuel Almunia may have recovered from the diabolical Diouf challenge last Saturday. The game has probably come a little early for Eduardo, however.
With club football about to shut down for a fortnight I would expect to see what Wenger would consider his strongest available eleven at St James Park. That means recalls for Toure, Clichy, Denilson, and possibly Bendtner.
The losing pound was returned by Paddy Power on Tuesday as a result of the winning goal being scored with a header. This has been a lucky week so I’ll push my luck a little this weekend. I’m hoping that the events of the last seven days have gone a long way to inspiring a much improved sense of togetherness in the squad. I’m taking a punt on a 2-0 away win, a tad skinny at 13/2 with Paddy. Look elsewhere and you will get 15/2.
Given where I will be it is doubtful I will be back with my take on the game before next Monday or Tuesday. If you are going take some pills for altitude sickness. The away section there is the highest point in England. May I take this opportunity of wishing all ‘holics, and their mothers, a wonderful weekend, and in return I trust you will wish me luck with my missionary work!
23 Responses to “The Geordie Challenge Awaits”
Great stuff ‘holic, have a brilliant weekend! Pint of Terrier please.
Missionary work will take you to some dark places, ‘holic, but someone has to get in there with a bright torch, and I can think of no brighter one than an Arsenal replica kit with Cesc on the back.
Another pint of that Guinness Extra Cold please.
Good luck sir. Hope he will hate united as much as we do.
I’m sorry Esso, I don’t serve small dogs any more.
What?
Oh, sorry 🙂
Funny how things work out. My 5 year old son is making his debut in under 7’s football. He has been moved up a year early so no doubt we will be sharing similar emotions come Saturday afternoon. However, he will be wearing his Arsenal kit proudly. In his Arsenal bag will be his boots, his Arsenal water bottle and his Arsenal towel. Not that he has ever had a choice of course……
I fancy a good 3 points for the weekend. If Arshavin can play as well as he has done at the Grove then I see us being able to rip apart the Geordie fragile back line. Then we have some time with the internationals to get the walking wounded back for the Man City game. I am getting good feeling about the run in.
A nice pint of Pedigree please. Just to raise a glass to a happy and successful weekend.
Keep the faith.
Enjoy the weekend and some time away, ‘holic.
Just a nip of armagnac, if there’s any to be had…
I do have the most knowledgeable drinkers. Of that there can be no doubt. Terrier, Guinness, Pedigree, armagnac. Mmmmm.
Would a Château de Briat be ok, singe? On the house for special customers, of course 😉
I’ll happily set up a trust fund for grandsons of southern gooners who have inadvertently ventured north within the temptations of garish, cheap northern football clubs. The fund would keep them in official Arsenal apparel and Junior Gunner membership for the duration of their exile. It should quite reasonably qualify for charitable status.
Good man, Paddy. Now about this 13/2. Can you not be a bit more generous. When was the last time we won 2-0 away from home?
It would have been Villa Park at the back end of ’08… No wait…
Heh,
Good one mollusc.
OK Paddy, it was West Ham in September. How about 15/2, or even eights now then?
good luck on ur mission! throw in an arshavin kit as well, the lad will be proud to wear it once Andrey starts hitting top form.
Good luck ‘Holic! It’s a bit tough to convert kids these days but you’ll make it! 😀
Good luck, ‘holic. I’ll drink a pint to your success. Cheers.
So, Villareal…. Any thoughts?
Apart from my dreadful spelling…
Oh lordy – I see Walcott is out for at least 5 weeks with a freak knee injury suffered in training. What is going on?
Where did you get 5 weeks from? Last I heard was that he was going for a scan and had not been ruled out of the U21’s???
Ah the appeal of United… Let’s hope your grandson will easily be bribed with the Cesc kit 😉
Allow me to indulge a bit more in my monomania: Ferguson and Benitez are trading words over who has and will spend more. The interesting bit:
“Liverpool’s net spending over five years on players is £82.5m and United’s has been £85.5m. Meanwhile, Chelsea spent £154.8m net on players during that time and Arsenal just £3.4m. ”
Puts Arsene achievements in a different spotlight, doesn’t it? I wonder which clubs in the EPL (if any) have spent less in transfers…
From http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/7956396.stm
3.4 million???????? Isn’t that that roughly the figure quoted as the match day turnover figures for one home game???????
Wants to make me ask, after nearly 3 years at The Grove where the rest has gone????
AW still a genius.
The thing with todays match is for the team NOT to come out and drop a massive turd on the pitch like they have after they’ve done well in a previous match…. I’m concerned a bit, but I’m not concerned that they can win, I’m concerned about the team spirit and unity, if it’s there then 3-1 to Arse (gotta give’em one) well yeah 1! Anyways I hope to see Dudu, I read he will be traveling with the squad so he should be fit to play, maybe not start but come on in the 60th min’ or there abouts?? If Bendtner starts I hope he can actually bag one of the chances he gets in front of goal, because he is surely getting stage fright in front of goal lately…. Anyway Up the Arse ya’all!!!
Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers!
what a performance! Nicklas finally putting me (a critic!) to rest, not only with goal but decent performance
and Diaby…..well done mate!
keep it up boys.
come on scousers tomorrow!
A very enjoyable game with many players performing really well. Credit to Newcastle, they allowed Almunia to display his outstanding skills. Nasri is steadily making his way towards a Pires-like legend status, Bendtner gets closer to his self-image and Diaby is now consistently reminding us of Vieira at times.
It’s heart-warming to see us on an upward path at this stage of the season. We’ve yet to play against heavyweights but with all these good results we’re building up the confidence we need to defeat whoever crosses our path. 2 weeks is waaay to long before our next game, can’t wait so long to see our team play again 🙁
@Steve T: We’ll we’re at the Grove but we have to repay all the loans now. Another 3-4 years until we’re done with all the redevelopments and the money should trickle down to the team again. It probably won’t matter anyway because Arsene’s thrifty youth team-building project will be rewarded before then.