Ade hits heights

By Boris Mellor
April 4 2008

Both teams will be making changes for the Premiership game on Saturday, although it is expected that Liverpool will make more changes than Arsenal. Indeed I was surprised not to hear from David Bentley when Pennant didn't even make the bench for the midweek game.

  Come on Pennant we should hear this champion of the oppressed cry, "you are not getting enough games at a big club", but then he is too busy trying to leave little ol Blackburn to have noticed.

Now this is petty stuff, and has little to do with the coming fixture, but seeing Liverpool for the third time in a row, with two draws in the bag already, doesn't excite me that much.

Of course it's a chance for Liverpool fans to see some decent football, so they are probably excited. Yes I know I will get a lot of scousers writing in about all their cups, and how dare I talk about Liverpool in that way. Apparently this hoofing of the ball is justified because it gets results - well not in the league eh lads? Then it's back to what a great cup team they are - but surely that's Barnsley.

Ray of Hope

I don't dislike Liverpool, they were once a great team, especially in the days of Ray Kennedy (so Arsenal fans dig deep for the Ray of Hope campaign, and well done to the Liverpool fans who organised it. See link below.). But these days they provide very little in terms of great play. Now I hate Man U, but you have to admit they play great football. You can't imagine Ferguson being contented with a 1-1 draw in the CL, even if it's away.

Anyway Liverpool being a cup team the theory goes that they will be less concerned about the League and more about Tuesday. Therefore we might expect some key players to be missing, including Gerrard, Torres; and Mascherano who is suspended.

The problem with these previews you do not know who will make the first eleven, but clearly there will be changes. Wenger says he will not take eye of league, and will play strongest team he can. However RvP is injured, so who will replace him? The wooden Bendtner perhaps? Not as bad as all that, wooden Nick, or Rusty Robin, little difference, neither can score at the present.

Thankfully Adebayor has recovered, but can he be risked? The second question is who should partner him? I would like to see Walcott do it, he had a great shot on Wednesday night that Reina only just saved. What astonished me was the venom of  the shot.

Finally I hope Toure bucks up, Arsenal cannot afford to continue to play so badly down the right. Hurry on back Sagna, he has to be our footballer of the year. It would be tragic if Crouch and Pennant embarrass us more than Kuyt and Pennant.

Finally I think the loss of Eduardo had more effect on the team, than the Man U defeat, this has now been compounded by the loss of Sagna. Nonetheless the second half against Liverpool clearly demonstrated that Arsenal are on the mend.

What's luck got to do with it?

In 1998 Arsenal lost 4-0 to Liverpool away, in the league, 10 days later they completed the double with a 2-0 Cup final victory over Newcastle. Wenger has recovered from defeats from playing weakened teams before, every occasion is different. He would have recovered this time, but for an awful run of luck. As Napoleon said "Give me lucky generals," he did not trust skill, or training, or brains. He didn't really know why some generals won and some seemed to lose.

So although Arsenal are playing well again let's hope our luck improves. On Wednesday Benitez was the lucky manager, luck more than tactics gave him the result he craved. Wenger is more ambitious, draws do not satisfy him, and his team played well, and now all they need is the luck. If half Nelsons were not now a legal part of the game (not more military men. Editor), then Arsenal would be 2-1 up

If Liverpool fans can't get enough of Boris then can read his "View from the Emirates" on the official Liverpool site.