By Myles Palmer
Is Arsenal v Chelsea the FA Cup Final?
Yes, but not if you are a Southampton or Leeds player.
If Arsenal beat Chelsea they should retain the trophy comfortably.
I read that Henry and Bergkamp would be rested before the Roma game.
Before that, when I thought those two would be playing, I figured Arsenal would win a close game.
When I heard they would be absent I reckoned Chelsea might win a close game.Because Jeffers needs Henry’s crosses or Bergkamp’s passes.
And Freddie needs passes from Dennis. Those two make each other look good. If one comes back as another drops out, it’s dodgy .
I like Claudio Ranieri. He’s one of the good guys of football, like Bobby, Arsene,Curbs, Moyes, Strachan.
Big revenge game for Hasselbaink, who played on one leg in Cardiff. He could not run. Any other game, he would not have played.
It’s no secret that I was a Chelsea fan for eight years and that I love Jimmy and Eidur Gudjohnsen.
Two explosive,dynamic, skilful gladiators.They are fun to watch.
If there was one striker I could cherry-pick into the Arsenal team it would be Gudjohnsen.
He can hold the ball and pass and get on the end of crosses. He has power, bottle,finesse, a football brain.
Gudjohnsen is a very, very fine striker and playing for Arsenal would add 20% to his game.
But that will never happen.The North Pole will melt before Ken Bates sells a good player to David Dein.
And the Icelander’s gambling might count against him.
Personally, I think Arsene could get Gudjonssen out of the casino and into the European Cup Final.
Anyway, this morning I get a phone call saying : it’s Dennis and Franny, no Thierry.
This afternoon I get another call: Dennis will be rested.So I dunno what to believe.
As I say, I rate Chelsea as a team with terrific athleticism,experience, a very acrobatic keeper who is in his prime,plenty of goalscorers.
Lampard, overawed in his first season there, has started to do a bit.
Winning 2-0 at Man United last time out doesn’t mean that Arsenal can beat Chelsea in the next round. Because Chelsea themselves could have won at Old Trafford.
Arsenal usually beat Chelsea.That, right now, is all we know.
Otherwise, it’s been an odd week dominated by fiftysomethings.
Gooner Mitch phoned on Wednesday and said, “Me and Kenny Dalglish were 52 yesterday.”
Then I read an interview with Jackson Browne by Adam Sweeting, my favourite rock critic. Adam says the boyish-looking Jackson is now….. 54!
You probably don’t know that The Naked Ride Home is one of JB’s most fully-realized albums and one of the best of 2002.
A warm, colourful ensemble sound, a bit like Norah Jones in that his bass player co-wrote four of the songs and that shows in the grooves.
Last time Jackson was over I interviewed him in a spacious apartment in Kensington, near the Albert Hall, where he played magnificently that night.
He gave such long, thoughtful answers that I never got to the bottom of my list of questions.
We over-ran and it was time for the soundcheck and I knew that a soundcheck at the Albert Hall is much more important than an interview with The Scotsman.
His roadie came in, but he did not interrupt or hover. And I admired them both for that. Because only a smart rock star would employ a roadie who is as subtle as a good butler.
American musicians are always on their best behaviour during interviews, so you often wonder what they are really like.
I’m convinced that Jackson Browne is a solid gold geezer.
I love him and what he stands for.And I hope you are all as young as he is when you’re 54.
They did 22 songs at Hammersmith last night and he said,“We were down in Australia when you had your demonstration here in London.We marched with the people in Sydney that day.”
A fine show, but I won’t review it. I won’t say a word.
Well, maybe one thing : the drums on My Stunning Mystery Companion were just…fantastic.
He is there again tonight, Friday. Onstage at 8. p.m.
7th March 2003.