Today’s Portsmouth game will be interesting.
In fact, it’ll be very interesting. It should tell us a lot about where Arsenal are and where they will be this season.
Portsmouth need to keep up with Everton, Arsenal need to keep up with Liverpool. And both last season’s games were drawn.
Man City were a defensive outfit who tried to nick a goal on the break but didn’t nick one, so they eventually lost 1-0.
Sparta Prague was a walkover. When Rosicky scored after seven minutes it became a training game.
Today will be different because happy Harry Redknapp, the last of the old school English stadium coats, is more likely to attack Arsenal.
In his team-building strategy, Harry invariably does the opposite of what Arsene Wenger does.
Arsene signs kids while Harry signs old pros. Kanu, Sol Campbell, Papa Bouba Diop, lots of Christians, loads of experience, Tony Adams as assistant coach.
How could today not be interesting? Good kids versus old pros?
Virgil the Roman poet said : Trust one who has done it.
Actually, Virgil said what he said in Latin : Experto credite
In the age of millionaire footballers, Arsene signs good kids and says : Trust one who wants to do it.
Still, I expect Arsenal to defend well and win by one goal. But I’m not betting on it. This season, at the start anyway, I’ve decided to have one bet per weekend and I had that yesterday. Since Derby are the worst side ever to play in the Premier League, I went for Liverpool to beat them by three goals. And Liverpool won 6-0.
When I woke up today at 8.30 am I was alone and when I stumbled downstairs Jan said, “Jolly Steve whatshisname was doing the papers. The News of the World have two stories on Arsenal. One is : David Dein says Arsenal must invest or be left behind, he’s thinking three years ahead. And Danny Fiszman says : ‘Over my dead body !’ “
The last channel I watched last night must have been Sky Sports News, so when Jan switched on the TV the first man she saw was Steve Curry.
Wish I had seen that. I quite like Steve. And I like Bill Bradshaw as well.