ROSICKY and Gallas will be key men between now and May 13th.Both are world class players, both are coming back from injuries, both are proud pros who will want to end the season well.
Against Everton today, Rosicky or Gallas could score the only goal in a tight game.
Arsene Wenger was stating the obvious when he said Andy Johnson is the right partner for Wayne Rooney in Israel next Saturday.
“Andy Johnson is a player who can help England,” said Arsene. “He is a good player, with the timing of his runs, the quality of his runs, his team ethic is fantastic, and he never gives up. He can be one of the players who can compliment Rooney because Rooney is more of a second striker who can make the runs and you need another striker who can stretch the defence. If you look at England players who can stretch the defence, Andy Johnson is one of them, as well as Michael Owen.”
Typically, repeating what he always says about English players, Arsene said, “I did consider him at one stage when he was at Crystal Palace, but the price stopped it happening. Some players make it a bit later, just look at Ian Wright. Johnson did very well in the Premier League as well and gave us problems. There was a big fight for Johnson and you know then that it is never below £12 million or £13 million.”
This afternoon a bad result for Arsenal would be Andy Johnson scoring the only goal. A bad result for England boss Steve McClaren would be Johnson getting injured. After being played on the right wing by bonehead Steve, Tel A Viv is AJ’s big chance.
I hope he gets it because he’s an honest striker who rarely dives. Arsene, who has studied him, reckons 90% of the penalties given for fouls on Johnson are, in fact, penalties. And that is one reason why William Gallas will be important at Goodison. Gallas has seen off better strikers than Andy Johnson many times. And he is a cool pro who will not make a lunge in the box if he can’t reach the ball.
Frankly, I’m not looking forward to 4 o’clock because Goodison on a cold March afternoon does NOT look like a job for Baptista and Aliadiere. With Arsenal’s luck, a hard rain will fall and there will be the kind of stiff wind that sends Pepsi cans tinkling up steep roads.
But I can’t wait for the Spurs v Chelsea replay on Monday night.
Should be a cracking game. I’d love to see Spurs knock Chelski out, even though I’ve backed Chelsea to qualify for the next round. After this 10-day international break, Seville will meet Spurs twice next month in the Uefa Cup.
With JENS LEHMANN having bought a new house in Hampstead, he may not join Hertha Berlin this summer.
I SHOULD say something about the summer and Arsene’s comments about signing one or two “super, super class players”, so I’ll get to that next week
SATURDAY was my ultimate armchair sports-junkie day, ever. Watched four sports in one day.
I saw the fantastic Andy Murray, my sportsman of 2006, beat Tommy Haas in Indian Wells, California, 10-8 in a third set tie break. But that two hours and fifty minute battle took too much out of Andy, who had an ankle injury, and last night he lost in straight sets to his Serb mate Novak Djokovic, 19, who will get thumped by Rafael Nadal, 20, in the final.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be European Footballer of the Year if he carries playing as he did in a 4-1 hammering of tired old Bolton, with three assists. Rooney 2, Park 2. Exciting football by the Red Devils and good for Arsenal because while Bolton are still fifth, just above Spurs, they are now out of contention for fourth place.
WALES beat England in Cardiff and ended their dismal rugby season with some glory. I like the Welsh so much I married a Jones.
Later on Sammy Eto’o was close to his electric best and snatched two goals in Barcelona’s 4-0 win at Recreativo. That performance puts a lot of pressure on Seville, who play tonight against Celta Vigo. The way they played said, “Right lads, we’re out of Europe, we know this team is breaking up, Frank, Ronnie and Sammy won’t be with us next year, so let’s win one last title together.”
When that game was effectively over at 3-0, I switched to the World Cup cricket and saw a miracle victory, on St Patrick’s Day, by Ireland, who beat Pakistan with a six by Trent Johnston. Gutsy, gritty, inventive cricket by resourceful part-timers, especially Niall O’Brien who hit 72. Love it !!!! I can relate to that much more easily than a bunch of pampered pricks who were never going to do anything in the Ashes Series.
The fair-skinned Irish players and fans look like aliens in the Caribbean climate but they’re having fun in the loveliest islands in this world. What romance! If you were there, the sporting day of a lifetime.