Opportunity knocks.
Arsenal’s Carling Cup team should now be:
Fabianksi /Sagna Squillaci Koscielny Gibbs/Fabregas Song Wilshere/ Nasri Chamakh Arshavin
If Arsenal win the semi, that must be their Wembley team.
Clearly, West Ham have done Arsenal a big favour by eliminating Manchester United, the holders of the Carling Cup for the last two years.
If Arsenal play Birmingham, and Birmingham win, the board should hire Alex McLeish.
Talking of boards, a pal phoned last night to say that a guy on TalkSport said that the board had discussed approaching Owen Coyle if Wenger moves upstairs to Director of Football. Same source tipped Tevez to Man City, apparently.
A 2-0 win against Wigan was roughly what Gooners expected and wanted last night.
The first goal was an o.g. by centreback Alcaraz in 42 and Bendtner stuck one in from three yards at the far post after 67.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Eboue, Djourou, Koscielny, Gibbs; Denilson, Wilshere (Nasri, 72); Walcott, Van Persie (Eastmond, 72) Vela; Bendtner (Emmanuel-Thomas, 84). Subs not used Shea (gk), Sagna, Arshavin, Nordtveit.
Wigan Athletic (4-5-1): Al Habsi; Gohouri, Caldwell, Alcaraz, Figueroa; Stam (McManaman, 79), Watson, Thomas, McArthur, Moses (N’Zogbia, 39); Boselli (Gomez, 81). Subs not used Pollitt (gk), Diame, Mustoe, Di Santo.
Watching the West Ham-Manchester United tie on Sky, with snow falling throughout the game, made me feel very wintry and nostalgic.
I’m only at 60% this week. I can’t do any work and can’t go to the gym, so I’ve just accepted that. I’m ill and grumpy and have a sore throat. “You never have a cold,” said Jan. That’s true, actually I only have sniffles, I never have a cold.
Manchester United had not lost for 30 games but they were stuffed 4-0 last night, with Jonathan Spector scoring twice in a Scott Parker role, and Carlton Cole adding two more in the second half. Victor Obinna, a Nigerian on loan from Inter, was bouncing around in the blizzard and causing mayhem around the United penalty area. Obinna was involved in all four goals.
Watching West Ham last night I kept thinking about Arsenal playing West Ham in the semi-final, about cold nights, snowy games, frozen pitches, kept thinking about Bonzo, Ray Stewart, Tony Cottee scoring goals that Lineker could never have scored, lunatic Scot Frank McAvennie conjuring strikes that neither Lineker nor Cottee could ever have produced, waiting a long time for manager John Lyall to come out and talk to reporters after games, Paul Ince scoring two when they beat Liverpool 4-1, a result I didn’t see coming. Everton, I think a midweek game, Trevor Steven scored after 60, then Frank turned Everton upside down, another fantastic night. Bumping into George Graham in the upstairs corridor at Upton Park before an FA Cup tie and seeing George all tensed up. I had never seen a manager just before a game and, knowing George so well, I saw at first glance that he was very, very wound up. Arsenal soon went 2-0 down. The press box there is just to the left of the halfway line and that was the half that Arsenal were attacking and suddenly Paul Merson was through one-on-one with the keeper, running as fast as he could with the ball very much under control, just before half time. I had a very good angle and thought, “If he misses this, it’s over.” Merse slotted in fine style and that was a lifeline. Arsenal scrambled a 2-2 draw and took the Hammers back to Highbury, where I expected them to win the replay. But Leroy Rosenior scored the only goal of the game. That game was a downer and I suppose that’s why I remember it so clearly, while forgetting hundreds of other matches.
When I lived in St Ann’s Villas, opposite what is now the Kensington Hilton, I saw QPR play Spurs on a very icy pitch and three players stood out far above the others: Jimmy Greaves, Rodney Marsh and Alan Mullery. It was astonishing how much more skilful those three were.
Winter, winter, winter, what do I remember about winter football? Freezing at a bus stop near White Hart Lane with my flatmate John Mair. Going to an early kick-off at Watford on Boxing Day and then going on to Fulham v Derby County with Brian Glanville. We just got there in time for kick-off. Bobby Davison was playing for Derby. But it might not have been Boxing Day.
In Stirling, the only Xmas where the Palmer brothers brought up all three girlfriends for the holiday. Neil had to pick Jan up from Edinburgh Airport, as she had been down the routes somewhere with BA. On New Year’s Day, Paddy said we should all go to a game at Motherwell. Mum gave the girls woolly tights and then opened the hall cupboard and took down a plastic laundry basket crammed full of brightly coloured bobble-hats, scarves and gloves. Our friend Eddie, a Hearts supporter, came too. Seven of us setting off in two cars to see Willie Pettigrew score a goal. We stood on a terrace spattered with drops of maroon paint. It was worth going to Fir Park just to see the surprise on Jan’s face when an amiably drunk fan offered her a swig from his half-bottle of Scotch. People don’t do that in Oxford.
On the way home there was a blizzard, and when we turned into Laburnum Grove, I could see Mum’s worried little face in the kitchen window, watching out for us.
This morning I wrapped up and put on my ear-covering black suede cap with fake fur interior. Then I went round the corner to the shops. When walking on snow, ice and crunchy compacted slush, I always think, “I’ve never fallen over in the street but there’s always a first time.” I’ve slipped, of course. Whenever I slip, as I did this morning, the same two words come out of my mouth automatically. The words travel from my shoes to my mouth without involving my brain. The first word begins with f and the other is a four-letter word that begins with h.
I bought The Guardian for Jan, and from John, my gambling greengrocer, I bought four lemons to put in my hot Ribena.
“Last night I did Brest v Lens,” he said. “A win treble. Over two and half, both teams to score. Five past eight kick-off, guess what the score was at half-time?”
“Tell me.”
“2-1 ! I’m a genius. They won 4-1.”
Then John said, “I hope we get West Brom, cos of what they done to us.”
I’m just pottering around right now. All day, I’ve been thinking it’s Friday, that’s how out of it I am. I just sneezed four times and feel like going to sleep. Hope you’re all feeling better than I do.
PS Apoloigies for all the typos this week. And all the missing words.Even more than usual.