By Myles Palmer
George Graham is still the greatest actor in the Premiership. And the most ruthlessly negative tactician.
He knows how to act dignified but play rough.
So George will play Les Ferdinand up on his own, pack midfield with Clemence, Freund, King, Sherwood and Anderton.
And have Rebrov on the bench.
It might be kick,bollock and bite football all night long.
I hope not. But I’m expecting the worst. And the posturing Jeff Winter has never been one of my favourite referees.
George admits he is not in the entertainment business. He is in the results business.
So tonight’s Sky game at White Hart Lane will be a fierce, intense battle which will make yesterday’s Man United-Liverpool game look like a mixed doubles.
But at least Arsene Wenger won’t get caught out like last year. Spurs scored twice in the first 20 minutes,so Arsenal had to chase the game, got Ljungberg unluckily sent off, and had Keown red-carded at the death.
Tonight will be different.
If Spurs start at 120 mph, Arsenal will start at 125 mph.
Arsene Wenger came in to Friday’s 1.00 pm press conference wearing a brown suit.
The most interesting thing Arsene said was that a derby is neither a home game nor an away game – it’s something else, something in between.
He spoke to daily reporters and then to the Sundays, starting with the immediate team news.
“Lauren is still out, an inflammation, some fluid in his knee. It could take two to three weeks. Seaman is still out. He’s back in full training but not fit to play in the game.
“Vieira will assessed tomorrow. He looks better but we won’t take a chance on him.He’s got to be 100% because we have so many games over Christmas, I wouldn’t like to lose him. It’s not like we play Tottenham on Monday night and then it’s the end of the season.
“For the rest, everybody looks alright. Silvinho is back.Ray Parlour has a small knock but should be OK.”
Arsene refused to say whether Seaman would come straight back into the team when he was 100% fit. He would look at his keepers later,when both were fit.He merely said, “Manninger is improving from game to game, his confidence is back.”
He was asked whether Arsenal’s current form was improving to the point where the team might be compared to the one which won the Double in 1998.
“I believe that the year after we were every close to do the Double again.Nobody speaks about that season, ’99, because Man United did the treble. But we were in the semi-final, close to one penalty to kick them out, and we lost the championship by one point.
“That semi-final changed the season.We were very close to the Double again. The only season Man United had a real domination was last year.And this season it looks like they have a great domination of the league because they are already six points ahead of everybody.But it doesn’t
mean that it’s definite. It can change quickly.”
But do you tell your players they have to be exceptional from now on?
“Being average is,of course, not good enough.Being good is not good enough.But at the moment it’s too early to say. We have to show some great results.”
Has it got harder against Man United, even during your time in English football?
“They dropped some points last week when Charlton had a real go at them.I think English teams, if they really play at their best level,everybody can beat everybody, even Man United.”
The latest on Edu?
“I believe that for this season you can forget it, even if we buy him.Because when you take a player from Brazil it takes five or six months to adjust.Even if we buy him it would be just to get him ready for next season.”
Do your new players realise the importance of Monday’s game with Spurs? And the history of North London?
“Yes. The history of North London, I don’t know. But they realise it is a big game for us because of the table. Of course some players who came in this year cannot understand the whole history of English football. But they know it’s a derby.
“The good thing is that Tottenham is strong at home, as strong as we are. But a derby is played nowhere, not really at Tottenham and not really at Arsenal. It doesn’t matter, really.
“And the second thing is we have to be on our toes from the first minute on. Because I feel we lost the game in the first 20 minutes, we lost Ljungberg at the beginning of the second half and it was very difficult.We had a very slow start and they had a very sharp start.”
You also lost Keown in that match.How important is it for your players to keep their heads?
“More important than ever. The players know it’s a huge game for us, for the club, they know that we’ve just gone through a bad patch and suddenly you wonder if you can still win a game. And now we are back on the winning track they know it’s important to be consistent away from home.”
Is it difficult to get foreign players motivated over Christmas.Because they usually have Christmas off?
“I don’t think so. That’s why I gave them a few days off. Its important for them to have a chance to keep in touch with the family in December.But, on the other hand, you know when you sign in England that you play over Christmas. So you cant complain about that. I think we have winners in the team and. For them it’s important where they stand at the end of the season. Not whether they have a Christmas holiday or not.”
George Graham brought some young players in recently. But you’ve sent some out on loan and sold Vernazza to Watford.
“The most important thing is that the player gets a chance in his life. Is it at your club or somewhere else? So you have to be honest enough if you think he has no chance to play for you.
For instance, Paulo Vernazza goes to Watford. I could keep him here. But if I’m honest, I think he won’t play for us in the next six months. He’s been here for two or three years, he has some chances. He is at an age where he needs to play.
Matthew Upson needs to play to get back to full fitness.I’m very interested in putting young players in, and I’m not scared of doing it. But I have to believe they are good enough.”
17th December 2000.