Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Arsenal: 2 - 2 Barcelona - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - and a Different Kind of Blog



The Good
: Fighting back after a two goal deficit, Arshavin going off and Eboue coming on and showing no fear, Theo's speed and sweet finish, Almunia's six saves, Cesc's determination, calm, and competitiveness, Song cleaning up the mess in the middle and filling in for Gallas, Bendtner consistently winning headers, Sagna's solidness in the back, Henry's reception from the crowd, another good performance from Denilson, holding Messi scoreless, Puyol's red card, the attacking play of both teams, and momentum for Saturday,

The Bad: Gallas out for season, the ref, Ibrahimovic ending his scoring drought, yellow cards, yellow cards, and more yellow cards, Diaby's regression, offside no-calls, Alumunia backpedaling, being on the wrong side of a 29%-71% possession split at halftime,and...Cesc may have a broken leg?



The Ugly - The first 15 minutes of complete and utter panic, giving too much space to Barca players, the game of pinball Barca played against Almunia, and the nervous energy that sat in my stomach and caused nauseousness until Theo scored.





The Summary: This team is not lying down. They are full of fight, which makes me full of hope. Doc reminded us today that no one has won at Camp Nou. Big Z's retort was that all streaks have an end. And I say...bring on next Tuesday! Whew, it's almost six hours since the game ended and I am still exhausted!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Spotlight on La Primera Liga

Fluid. Freeflowing. Creative. Silky. All these adjectives describe the pretty play of La Primera Liga of Spain. It's no wonder that league is the dream job of so many football players from around the world. It inspires images of warm sun, green grass, rabid fans, and an opportunity to play against the best of the best. Some argue that the best league in the world is the English Premier League - especially the English. But when a player who is peaking in his talent whether he be 22 or 28 years old and is looking to warmer climates and less "physical" play - Spain is the destination. The player of the last few years there is Lionel Messi - or Leo. He was voted World Player of the Year last year and has scored 25 goals in 29 games played this season for his team - Barcelona. The Argentina plays the role of attacking midfielder with relish. For a sample, press play below to see his latest hat trick only a week ago... Leo exemplifies what La Liga is all about: making runs, on target passing, quick feet, exemplary technique, and ending it all with an attractive goal. There is in La Liga, an exciting title race - as in the EPL. Barcelona is currently in second place with 74 points and a 53 goal differential. Their competition currently sits first with 74 points and a 55 goal differential. That team is... Real Madrid. Real Madrid- once called the Team of the World because everyone (even those Stateside) knew who they were - once they had players like Beckham and Zidane in their ranks. After a disappointing last five seasons, they have begun rebuilding themselves (or re-buying) again into The Galacticos - the Big Stars. This last summer they purchased players for world recording breaking salaries. One of the most expensive, Christian Ronaldo was purchased from EPL team Manchester United for a paltry $80 million. Many criticized them for trying to buy greatness, and they were ousted unceremoniously from the Champions League in the last round. Yet, they are sitting top of their league with an all important two goal lead on Barca. Their top scorer is Gonzalo Higuain, another attacking midfielder. He currently has scored 23 goals out of 29 games.
Of course, our Arsenal are playing Barcelona (in case any of you have been living under a rock and did not know this) on Wednesday at 1:45 PM CST. It is being replayed later in the evening on ESPN2 a channel that is included in basic cable packages. I encourage you to watch the game, not only to cheer on your Gunners, but to take a peek at the Spanish League "type of play". You might find it does not differ much from the play of our mighty Arsenal. Oh...and if you happen to have a good cable package, the last few games of the Spanish "futbol" season would definitely be worth viewing. Either way, I will be keeping you posted on the race for first place. Have a good one and see you tomorrow!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Are We Done Like Dinner? and Boy, I Am Spoiled!


The photo says it all, doesn't it? On Thursday, at his prematch press conference, Wenger stated we needed to be perfect in the last games of the season to stay in the title race. Well, we definitely were not perfect yesterday. On top of which, Manure and Chelski stomped their opponents, and our view of first place is a very long distance away indeed. Can we still win it? Yes, it is still mathematically possible. We can make up ground on them next week as the top two play each other. After that, they still don’t have the easiest schedule, so …maybe…just maybe. We have to do our job, though, and finish teams off.
Yesterday’s lineup was packed full of possibilities. Our back was pieced together because of Vermie’s suspension, but still looked solid. We had Diaby and Denilson in front of them and the the quartet of our Captain, Rosicky, Theo, and Bendtner up front. Right from the go, it did not seem like we were playing our game. The short, quick passing and the one-two give- and- go attempts seemed to be missing. The boys also seemed to misread each other as passes were easily picked off or went out of bounds as the receiving player ran a different way than the direction the pass was intended. The ball seemed extra bouncy. Then the commentators noted that the pitch was “bubbly”. Great. We do not do well on poor pitches. It affects our passing and gets us out of our groove. We just could not get into the flow.

Then on top of a bad pitch, we had a bad ref. Howard Webb gave out two yellow cards to us before 30 minutes ran down. Song’s was in the first 16 minutes. Clichy’s yellow was based on the lightest of touches to Birmingham’s Gardner. How ironic as that guy was tackling using both feet, scissoring people and did not get a yellow until the 83rd minute even after Cesc was injured by him and limped for the last ten minutes of the first half. Thankfully, he came out looking okay for the second half. Webb’s worst offense was his denying Diaby his goal. Diaby was the man of the match for me. He pushed us forward, was instrumental in keeping possession, and was rewarded when he barged a man off the ball, and shot. Webb called a foul…on Diaby or was it on Cesc from the play before? It was confusion and the game should have been 1-0. I played basketball in high school and know a team has to play above the referee. We didn’t. Nasri and Arshavin then came on for Bendtner and Theo. They both made an instant impact. Nasri, Mr. Swivel hips, had a great goal and Arshavin gave Birmingham’s back four immediate trouble. But…we missed vital chances and, to me, that has been the running mantra this season. Nasri chose to pass instead of taking a second shot at goal. The pass went nowhere. Shavy couldn’t hit anything right with either foot even with a clear shot at goal. Manchester United and Chelsea went into half time 1-0 and 2-1 respectively. They came out swinging second half and won BIG. That’s what we need to do. Winning at the last minute is exciting, but can lead to massive disappointment as yesterday did. I almost feel sorry for Hull who suffered a last minute goal from us…no, not really.

Anyway, we have a huge match this Wednesday against (drum roll please) Barcelona. It’s at home which is nice as our players don’t have to worry about traveling. I’ll be highlighting them more later his week as I look over the Spanish League.
Onto being spoiled…I watched my first MLS game last night as well. The Chicago Fire versus the New York Red Bulls whose new fantastic stadium is in…New Jersey. Hmm. The good news is the American game is not as “clunky” as I had expected. It mostly held my attention due, in large portion, to the way the Red Bulls played. The New Yorkers came in attacking, scored a goal before halftime (Lindpere who is from Estonia – isn’t that the country from the Princess Diaries…digressing), and continued attacking after with great energy. The Fire slowed down as the game progressed. We do have Brian McBride, former US team member who also played for Fulham and Everton of the EPL. He attempted a great bicycle kick in the 23rd minute of the game. He brought a pass down with his chest, "pedaled" it towrad the goal, but it bounced off the post. Chicago did not lack opportunities. They just did not shoot! I was yelling at the television “Shoot, Shoot! Clear openings but no one seemed to want to pull the trigger. Even my Dad, not soccer fan…yet, asked “Why don’t they shoot"? It kind of reminded me of the movie Hoosiers when the coach is telling his players “Pass four times before you shoot”. Did Manager De Los Cabos tell them they had to make a certain number of passes before shooting? Drove me crazy. The passing also left a lot to be desired. Now, I am taking into account this was the first game of the season and therefore fitness and rust may have been factors. Passes were easily given away, and there often seemed a pause between passes – not a flow. As if the receiving player had to think before moving. At Arsenal, it seems passes are made, not only to an individual player, but to a space on the pitch where a player is going to be. Apparently, there have been a lot of changes in the Chicago side so maybe the players are just going to have to get to know each other and gel. It should be interesting to watch the process.

Okay – a very long blog today...I’ll be back tomorrow with info about the Spanish League. Everyone – keep your heads up and get behind our boys for Wednesday. Cheers!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Moving On


It could be considered a positive thing that I did not remember the significance of our going to St. Andrews. It didn't occur to me that today would be the first time we have played at Birmingham since Eduardo’s injury. The remnants of that tackle are still evident today as we watch dear Du-Du struggle to find his confidence and form. Bendy vying for the striker spot doesn’t help as he has out-performed Eduardo and earned the starting role. Thankfully Tayler is no longer at Birmingham (Watford) so there won’t be a lot of opportunity for drama on the pitch. The media, however, is a different story. It is the leading story on both the Sky Sports and ESPN sites. As usual, they are ignoring what our player could be feeling and focus instead of Arsene and claiming he is holding a grudge. His answers about not being able to forgive Martin’s tackle are just that…answers. The questions have been posed by the media. Wenger didn’t choose to dredge up those memories. He, I think, wants to just put it aside and play the game. Arsene being Arsene, he answered questions about his feelings toward the leg-breaker honestly and so admitted:

”Have I bumped into him? No. Have my feelings changed towards him? No. Have they mellowed with time? No.”

He goes to say the best thing for Eduardo’s recovery is to stop rehashing it. I’m sure right after Arsene made that comment, he was asked another question about the horrific injury. I don’t know how he gets through the pre or post-game interviews without throttling someone.

I would love Eduardo to play and score a goal – not to get back at Birmingham but to give a boost to his confidence and to help him move on. Plus, we haven’t seen him smiling lately and, as you can see above, he has a great smile.
This is just a quick posting today before the match. Sorry I didn’t write a more thorough one last night, but I am fighting a cold and was done in at the end of the day. A last note, one of my many (five) readers alerted me to the fact that in my blog title, I note “European football” and that I have only discussed Arsenal and –briefly- the MLS. Well, just to remind everyone, I am watching my first Chicago Fire match tonight! And…I am going to highlight a European Football League each week. This coming week, I am going to take a look at the Spanish League – La Liga. Our upcoming Champions League opponents play (and are in first place) in that league so I thought it a natural segue way.

Alright, go grab your scarves, jerseys, and hats. Sit in your luckiest and comfiest chair and cheer on our side to the title! GO ARSENAL!!!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

We're Going For It!!!

Arsene is playing Sol on Saturday!! I said last posting that his squad selection would reveal what his aspirations are for this season. Many fans assume he only wants the CL championship as it is the only trophy missing from his shelf. We are going for the EPL crown. YES! I do not remember the season being this exciting for a long time now. We are still the dark horses, of course, due to not only being third, but also because of the goal difference. I have such a good feeling, though. Women's intuition? Maybe. All I know is that I am salivating at the possiblity of being Premier League champions. There's nothing like knowing you will be on the edge of your seat every game as there is so much at stake. And don't think that our boys don't deserve it! They have been ridiculed and wrote off for almost three years. They have fought back and deserve mounds of accolades from us. Even if you disagree with the youth policy, and you wanted Wenger to buy big name stars, you cannot tell me that you haven't been surprised and impressed by their development and improvement. You can't tell me that for the next seven games, you do not think these players deserve your support and gratitude for persevering through a mostly negative media and fan climate. John Terry couldn't even take a few weeks' worth of criticism without it affecting his form. Look how these "boys" have responded. They have responded like men.

Arsene in his press conference, discussed the tight title race. I think it is easy to imagine that he is enjoying it. He is competitive and has faith in his team and the "momentum" they have established.


Who is going to be in the lineup this Saturday? It will be interesting. He usually plays Sagna instead of Eboue away from home. Birmingham does not seem to be a real scoring threat, so he may sacrifice the defensive solidity of Sagna for the attacked-minded Eboue (remember the goal differential). He will undoubtedly play Song and probably Diaby. If he plays Silvestre, Denilson will be left on the bench. Will he play two 30- somethings next to each other in the back? Either way, I think if we have a good lead in the second half, he could substitute Denilson/Silvestre for Sol, move Song to the back, and save the Big Man's legs a bit. Up front? Bendy knocked his ankle in the West Ham game and will have a fitness test tomorrow. Wenger seems confident of his return. Bendtner may not always score goals, but he causes trouble, and I like that. Now if he could just get that first touch under control...Jeane would be much happier. If however, he is not deemed "fit", Eduardo needs some playing time, and I think he's due for some Du-Du magic (see what I did there?)

Well, we certainly have a lot to look forward to! Not only will I be glued to Arsenal performances, but Manure and Chelski's outcomes will demand my attention as well (I usually try to ignore them as much as possible). Take a deep breath now. Get ready... set... and go!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Reee-jected


Okay, so the FA rejected Arsenal's appeal of Vermie's red card.. He ends up with only a one game suspension though. It could have been worse as the FA could have tacked on more games if they thought Arsenal was being petty about the situation. Although, I don't know how one decides that. Yesterday, I wrote that I did not understand Arsene's thinking considering the risk involved if the appeal was rejected. This morning, however, Arseblog gave me food for thought. The "Gaffer" might have been trying to save Sol from having to play this weekend so he will be fresh for Wednesday. His other option is Sylvestre which none of us are comfortable with. Birmingham may not be Barcelona as they're in 9th place and one point behind Everton. But this is the EPL title we're talking about, which requires more more sweat, determination and focus than a tournament like the Champions League. Birmingham has a -3 goal differential but is only one point behind eighth place? That means they are tough in the back as our two top competitors have experienced.

Wenger may still play Song in the back alongside Sylvestre or...I don't see the another option other than using up the Big Man and him being tired Wednesday. I can now see why Arsene appealed. He was hoping not to have to make this choice. The make up of the squad Saturday I think will say much about where his focus is.

Short post today other then to note that Rooney's knee problem is bothering him and may keep him from playing Bolton which is good for us. Bolton will play "physical" and the attack from Man U. diminishes a great deal with Rooney off the pitch. Berbatov could step up I guess...Nah.

Take care and I'll be back tomorrow if there is anything to talk about. This blogging thing is pretty fun, actually!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Feeling a bit nostalgic...


Why show the mullet? You are probably thinking it is cruel of me to dredge up this early photo of Cesc. This was his first year with us. I decided to post it so you yourself can appreciate the growth of this 17 year old boy into the 22 year old man from yesterday's blog. One of the pleasures of Arsene's youth policy for us fans is that we literally get to see adolescent youth grow into confident, strong, captaining-the-side young men. Look how cute he was! Also, the mystery of the beard was uncovered this morning and revealed by the wearer himself So glad there is indeed a reason! Hopefully the infection has cleared up and Cesc acquaints himself with a razor. Although, we love him so much, he could probably play in a tu-tu and no one would mind!

Other news today. Hamlet has decided to appeal and chance the rub. There has been much talk about a one game suspension. If that indeed is the case, why appeal and risk adding on the number of games suspended? I still have not found a reliable source for the one game suspension theory. If you have a reliable source, please let me know by using the comment section. Either way, The Professor must think the risk is worth it. The FA states they will rule on the appeal on Tuesday.

What else? As you can see in the title, I am feeling a bit nostalgic today, apparently so is Henry.

"It will be weird for me to step on the pitch, even if it's at the Emirates and not Highbury, with another shirt on."
When asked if he would celebrate a goal, he added: "Forget about it. No. I do not want to play against Arsenal, simple as that.
"The bond that I have with the Arsenal fans I will never get anywhere else. Because I don't think I will ever play for another team for that long.


I began following the Gunners the season prior to the year of the Invincibles. I did not get to witness his development from a winger to a striker but was fortunate enough to see many beautiful goals from him. Compilations galore of his goals are available all over the web, but I have never been able to find my favorite memory of him, as it did not end with him scoring. It was in the Champions League final against Barcelona in '06. He was racing up the left sideline like lightening with the ball at his feet, leaping over two different tackles, and keeping the ball under control. How did he do that? So graceful. Mesmerizing. Does anyone else remember that? Ti-ti, it will be weird to see you at the Emirates in another team's uniform too.

I guess that's it. Rumors abound about Van Persie's return, but I am not holding my breath. Even if he does return, he will have to go through the rustiness and variety of niggly injuries that plague so many players when they return from long term injury. Don't get me wrong, playing time will only help him, but it will help him get ready for next season - not this one.

Okay, as I said before, feel free to click on the "Comments" box below if you have something to say. Thanks for listening!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Race to the Wire


Click here for Highlights of Westham game

Seven games. Count 'em. Seven. That's all that's left in the ELP season. Unfortunately, Liverpool did not help us out like I had hoped. I'll never sacrifice a live chicken again. At least Chelski continued their poor run and followed their Champions League exit with a draw against Blackburn. I did not see the match but understand that Diouf - the dirtiest player at Blackburn and quite ugly to boot - scored the equalizer. I don't have to kill a chicken for him do I?

Anyway, we are currently sitting in second place above Chelsea who are playing their game-in-hand this coming Wednesday against a really tough team. Oh, no. I forgot. It's Portsmouth. Still, the Pompey are fighting (a losing battle) against relegation. And we all know those teams can be dangerous. If Portsmouth can't hold 'em to a draw or beat them, the most we can hope for is low goal scorage. I have this feeling that this title race could come down to the GD column. At least Manure only gained one point this week in that category. Still, if Burnley can beat Man U., Portsmouth can cause problems. The key for us is to not only win, win, win...but to win BIG. Clean sheets, lots of goals. Of course, later down the road, we have Man U and Chelsea playing each other. I can't even think about that yet. I get all a flutter.

Good news by the way. It's unofficial of course, but the "word on the street" is that Vermie is likely to only get a one match suspension because there was no violent conduct during the play. I am waiting for the Arsenal official site to post the decision. Okay, only one more Arsenal mention and that is...could someone get a message to Cesc that he needs to shave? Jeane and I definitely like his clean shaven look. Maybe he grew that while out injured. If he doesn't want to shave it all the way, maybe just clean it up in the neck area. We donna like it.

The MLS. Major League Soccer in America. I'm an American and consider it my duty to at least give the MLS a good look over. The season is kicking off this month, and because of geography, I have chosen to follow and root for the Chicago Fire. I've done a little research. Looks like they were 11 and 7 last year with somewhat low attendance and did not make it far into the final. I looked at their roster, and I have to admit, I did not recognize one single name. I guess I really didn't expect to. Their first game is March 27th and they play in New York against the Red Bulls in their new stadium. I'm nervous that the game is going to look a bit clunky compared to anything in Europe, but I think I need to give it a chance and promise to follow the whole season. I almost decided to root for the Seattle Sounders as they have former Arsenal winger Freddie Llundberg (Jeane's dreamboat) but thought I should stay close to home. For you other Freddie lovers, here is the link to his own blog:

That's all for now except for a big "Thank You" to my brother Chris who created my new blog banner. Isn't it gorgeous? Have a good one.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

To Appeal or Not to Appeal...That is the Question


Well, not quite the thrashing I predicted but it's still a win. It's still three points with two goals toward our Goal Differential, and another clean sheet. It also, I think, is an example of this team's burgeoning self-confidence and mental toughness - winning with 10 men. We currently sit in first place one point ahead of Manure but six goals less in the GD column. Both Chelski and Manure play tomorrow. I would normally root for both teams to draw but one point earned by each puts the Red Devils back on level with us and the other close behind. I can't believe it but I think I'm going to end up rooting for Liverpool and Blackburn tomorrow. Ugh...Gerrard and Allardyce. Oh well, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Anyway the match started brightly enough. Lots of energy, runs at the goal, and our pretty passing. And just when I am ready to write off Denilson - he scores a goal! Our Arsenal club has only one real Denilson fan. Big Z, as I will call him, has maintained his faith in the Brazilian through thick and thin. That faith was repaid today as Denilson took a nice pass from Bendy, shot from outside the box, scored, and celebrated with some version of a Samba dance. Think I prefer his head wiggle. Wenger must be right when he speaks of Denilson having special ankles and laces.
After that goal we seemed to put the brake on, and the intensity dropped a bit. West Ham progressed in possession. I was looking forward to halftime hoping the team would come out re-energized. And then...and then...my Thomas Vermaelan got sent off! Vermie is my absolute favorite player. Handsome, serious, gritty, handsome, fearless, handsome...you get the idea. Just before he got red carded, I was remarking to my friend Jeane that Vermie would be the one we would miss the most if he ever got injured or couldn't play. Duct... tape... anyone? Anyway, Franco went down in the box with little contact, Vermaelan exercised what I thought was phenomenal acrobatic skill in making contact with the ball and...red card. Harsh? I think so. Devastated? Unabashedly so. Can't you see the tears on the blog? Of course, Wenger went nuts on the sideline. But not as nuts as we did minutes later when Almunia denied Diamanti's penalty! HA! I can't remember Almunia saving many penalties which made this stop ever the sweeter. Half time began and the questions begged: who is Monsieur Wenger going to use in the back? Can we make it a full second half with only 10 men? I remembered how Hull in the previous game hunkered down and did not yield until the 93rd minute. Could we do the same?
The game resumed and we started, I thought, a bit shakily. Wenger moved Song to the back - no surprise there. Then in the 57th minute, Diaby came on for Bendy and our engine started to rev again. Diaby brought so much. He had two moments in the game where his movement on the ball was sublime. He turned effortlessly, using his body as a shield while protecting the ball. At one point Jeane's husband Doc vocalized what I was thinking, "I didn't think he was going to get that ball and he did". The tone was sheer wonderment. Beautiful boy.
Anyway, the game continued with us attacking (thanks in much part to the so-improved Eboue) until Cesc, while attempting to pass to himself in the box,was awarded a penalty due to a handball. I almost wish that handball did not occur because I think Cesc could have scored an astonishing goal if that pass to himself had been completed. Still, he got to take the penalty shot. Hammer's goalie Green did not stop it, our Captain scored his 15th Premier League goal of the season, and we hung on ten minutes more for another cardiac arresting win.

Okay let's address the question in the title of the blog: Should Wenger appeal the red card? A three game suspension for Thomas means we are without the Belgian for the matches with Birmingham, Wolves and Spuds. Not good. But if we lose the appeal? The FA could tack on a few more games to Vermie's suspension under the auspice of "frivolous appealing". Aye, that is indeed the rub. Maybe we should just take our lumps, hope and pray Diaby, Denilson, and Song stay healthy and keep Song in the centre back position. The other two can help hold the midfield. Denilson may keep a good run of form (that's for you Big Z) and be able to handle the challenge. We will see.

Before I sign off, a brief word to our dearly loved club member Chops who is abandoning the club (sigh) and moving to Indianapolis. Thanks for all your insight, up-to-the-date information about players, and choice of explicatives. Stay in touch!

Anyway that's all for now. We have a whole week off before we play the Blues of Birmingham City, so bumps and bruises have a chance to heal. Remember- "Go Liverpool and Blackburn!" Excuse me while I go wash my mouth out with soap...

Friday, March 19, 2010

Hello There!



The Chicago Bulls in the Jordan era, Notre Dame football and basketball, the Chicago Bears, and -dare I admit it- the Chicago Cubs ( although I still love Wrigley Field). Gone. Kicked to the curb. Replaced by a passion and addiction to The Beautiful Game. I, a Midwestern middle aged woman brought up watching and participating in traditional American sports, have been converted to football...the real football. Specifically The Arsenal of the English Premier League.
Why "soccer", you ask? I will give you three brief reasons: 1) The sheer guts, athleticism, and fitness it takes to run 90 minutes with no time outs and create beautiful goals. That's right...NO TIME OUTS. There is a paltry 15 minute halftime. 2) The game is in constant motion and even when action stops because of a foul or injury, there is almost always something going on on the pitch (field) to watch. 3) NO COMMERCIAL BREAKS. That's right folks. Today's college football games take almost four hours to play four quarters - 15 minutes each quarter. Ridiculous. Soccer is two hours max taking into account injury time or overtime. How can you not appreciate that in today's crazy busy life?
Now, before I discuss actual soccer goings ons, I have a group of people I want to acknowlege for their contribution to my soccer education. My soccer club. They will be mentioned from time to time. There are seven members in our illustrious Arsenal-loving club. My good friend, her Indian husband, and four of his colleagues who are from various part of Europe. They have been instrumental in my tutelage. To them I say thank you and hope I don't embarrass the heck out of you.
Alright then, onto the important stuff. The Champions League draw was today. Barcelona. What can I say? My first reaction was...gulp. Then a deep breath and...another gulp. By the third breath, I was thinking clearer and began deliberating. Hmmm...Our boys and Barcelona play similar styles. Barcelona is weak in the back (like us)and attack which leaves them vulnerable for counter attacks (like us). Hmmmm...so what if they have Messi and our beloved Thierry? and Xavi? and YaYa? I then determined it was a great opportunity. We beat Barcelona and we shut up a bunch of yaps. I have decided I cannot wait for March 31st.
Okay, next up is the game this Saturday against West Ham. We're at the Emirates against them, and they sit somewhat mid-table at 19th place. The thing to remember (or forget as I would like to) is that they tied us 2-2 at their place last October. Actually the particularly painful memory is that we let a two goal lead slip away...but I actually am not that worried after our recent form. We seem especially galvanized and together after the Ramsey incident. We need these three points to stay in the title race, so here in my first blog posting ever, I am predicting a thrashing by us. Let's say 3-0 as our clean sheet record has been on the rise.
I guess that's all for now. I'll be back after we beat the Hammies. GO YOU GOONERS!!!

P.S. A kudos goes out to Aaron Ramsey who apparently has been ignoring Ryan Shawcross's phone calls and texts. Poor Ryan will have to obtain his absolution somewhere else. Way to stay firm and focused Aaron!