Transfer Window Slams Shut Right on Kim Kallstrom's Back - oh and then there's Crystal Palace.

What the Heck?



Arsenal just can't do anything the easy or normal way can it?  When stories surfaced en masse on Twitter that our new and  not world-class-signing suffered a back injury during his first training with the club emerged, I laughed outloud.  Of course he did!  But even more bizarrely, there then surfaced stories that he came to us already injured (twinging his back during a game of beach footy in Abu Dhabi while on pre-season tour with his club).  Supposedly, Kim fully disclosed the problem, the medical staff checked him out and informed the Boss...who then opted to buy him anyway?  Oh my.  And quite predictably, Goonerdom went into full meltdown mode.  Hey, I'm not happy about our transfer business either, and I can't wait to hear how Wenger answers the questions posed by the press at the post-match conference, but extreme reactiveness is just not attractive.  I really do think that Arsenal is the only club in the world that would sign a an already injured player who was needed for coverage to help prevent...injury.  It really can't get anymore peculiar than that.  Let's hope Wenger knows what he's doing and we can all have a good laugh at the end of the season.

Onto Palace who are now managed by the ex-Orc leader Pulis (would that make him Sauron on Saruman?).  Anyway, I have attempted to predict lineups the last couple of weeks and have been substantially wrong in a lot of positions, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to give it another try.  Maybe my picks would have been better?  Right.  So, we have Jack, Ramsey, and Flamini not available for midfield action which means Arteta will certainly start (having discarded more rust from being out with injury one hopes), and TR7 returns after dealing with issues from his nose surgery. There is Ox to take into consideration as well in that position linking the Spaniard to the German, but I can see Wenger starting Tommy and then bringing on Ox as a sub for him to rest both and ease both back into playing.  I'm not sure if Wenger is going to rest Ozil or not taking into consideration we do not play midweek.  Podolski starting, of course, is always difficult to predict.  He has to vie with Santi for a spot on the left, and Mr. Magic Feet is in fine form scoring five goals in five games.  And who is going to do better against a team that is most likely going to park the bus?  The creative flair player, or an excellent, deadly left footer?  It has been suggested that Serge could sit after struggling a bit against Soton, and Wenger could then move Santi to the right giving Poldi the left.  I honestly can't make this call.  It makes my head hurt.

As far as our opponents go, Saruman has organized them defensively and stabilized their decline into relegation. Since Christmas, they have won three and drawn one and held Manchester City to one goal in their loss to them on the 28th.  Look for a similar defensive deployment  against us.

Ex-Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh had a nice interview in the Guardian discussing how much he enjoyed his time at Arsenal even though his fine start was disrupted by the Dutch Skunk's return to form.  Marouane seems like a decent fellow, and I hope to see him do well at Palace, but not today.  No scoring against former club today please.

That's about it except to say that this should be three points in the bag although it may be a boring three points if we have to break down a wall of four by four.  Going back to the top of the league is paramount today and could be permanent as well depending on the  Chelsea and City result on Monday.  So Come On You Rip Roaring Reds.

And have a good one Gooners.