It’s been weird not having the use of my computer all week.
But it’s nice to chill out and read an exciting book
And after using Jan’s Compaq for five days, I don’t hate laptops so much.
My old desktop is OK now.
But Explorer refuses to connect to the net : Microsoft Feeds Synchronisation?What’s that all about? I have to use Firefox.
Where are we?
Four days on from the Wigan defeat?
The Sagna-Djourou-Vermaelem-Santos back four had only played together once before.
Djourou is one of Wenger’s favourite sons but he makes Gooners apprehensive.
Santos is the wrong body shape. Still amazed that AW signed a footballer of his body shape.
Arteta will miss the remaining games. Badly sprained right ankle
Losing Arteta after 8 minutes was a big factor on Monday night.Even if it had been 0-0 when Arteta went off, his absence would still have been a big factor.
Experienced midfielders like Arteta and Lampard can pinch a ball in midfield and make a goal.
Arteta slammed in the winner against Man City by doing that. Lampard took the ball off Messi just inside his own half and hit a ball into the run of Ramires and his left foot cross found Driga, who scuffed his left foot shot but it went past Victor Valdes for a priceless goal.
Rob Hughes tells me that Ashley Cole made two clearances off the line, not one.
When I looked at the highlights again, Pedro\’s shot clipped the heel of Ivanovic and Ashley Cole got a faint touch before it hit the post. I had to watch five more replays before I saw that.
Lots of speculation about what team RDM will play against Arsenal, given that he has the second leg in Barcelona on Tuesday night.
I think he might play Torres and Sturridge at the Emirates
Before the Wigan game, Sky analyst Gary Neville had highlighted Victor Moses, talking about his power, strength and pace.
Last night Sir Alex was in Lisbon to scout five of the Bilbao players who beat United twice.
Like most semis, Sporting Lisbon v Atletic Bilbao was a tight, scrappy first leg, very competitive. Bilbao were hardly in it but then scored in 54 minutes, a cross from the right found left back Aurtenetxe unmarked at the far post and his left-foot volley was pure Jimmy Greaves. Tidy and lethal.
Remarkably, Sporting\’s left back Insua made it 1-1 in 75. The Argentine ran onto a bouncing clearance and headed the ball in off the post for 1-1. Then Spaniard Diego Capel, playing right wing for Lisbon, hit a phenomenal left foot shot into the bottom corner.
Incredibly, this is Marcelo Bielsa’s first season in European competition.
Eight clubs are left in European competition.
Five are Spanish : Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia and Atletico Madrid.
Man United have no Africans and Fergie thinks they need more Latins. The best Latins know how important football is and play as if they know how important football is.
We’ll see much more of Llorente and Muniain in the second leg next Thursday.
My favourite striker Radimel Falcao starred in Atletico’s 4-2 victory over Valencia. He scored the first with an electric header, the fourth with a left-foot thunderbolt from the D. Falcao plays with passionate virtuosity and he’s scored 32 goals this season.
Coming back to Arsenal, I love Szczesny but he was at fault for both of Wigan’s goals.
The big Pole should have won both 50-50s.He came out to Di Santo and was beaten by a player who hasn’t scored in 19 games.
And he reacted late to dive at the feet of Jordi Gomez when the ball broke off Djourou.
Let’s hope Szczesny has a better game against Chelsea.
Huge potential but still raw.
PS The book is about a guy I’ve wanted to read something on for 20 years.
I’ve now lucked into a masterpiece about a crazy bastard who served eight US presidents. He was the greatest scumbag of the American century.
Official and Confidential :The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover
By Anthony Summers, as recommended by Christopher Hitchens, Hilary Mantel, Gore Vidal and Paul Theroux.