bad week for the gooners

Well I was saying that Arsenal might suffer a reaction after that disinterested performance they put in against Man U in the FA Cup on the basis that once momentum is lost it is hard to turn on great performances just like that. Their overall game against AC Milan in mid-week actually looked alright but they ended up with a goalless draw and the away match will be difficult for them. Yesterday they had one of those games against Birmingham City and again came away with a draw. But they lost more than 2 points of course. That dreadful tackle, which was more clumsy than malicious I think, has robbed them of an in-form player for the rest of the season. That was bad enough but they seemed to lose their cool too yesterday – understandably upset at the injury to Eduardo and increasingly frustrated by some of the decisions that went against them yesterday. Although they remain 3 points clear at the top of the table, they had a resigned, losing look about them. That said I was pleased to hear that Wenger had modified his immediate post-match comments about Taylor. That was appropriate.

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can someone else do the draw please?

Well the Gods of good fortune have failed to smile kindly on Man U again in the FA Cup 6th round draw. We could have drawn Barnsley or Bristol Rovers or the Blades (or Boro) or Cardiff or West Brom but those old goats at the FA pulled another really tough tie (albeit at home) v Portsmouth after having had to overcome Villa, Spurs and Arsenal in earlier rounds. That’ll be 11 Cup ties on the trot against Premiership opposition. Surely it’s an FA conspiracy to let a London side win it again!

Newcastle and Manchester, united in disappointment

Not a good day for Newcastle yesterday. It seems that Nigel Pearson has already had enough of the new Keegan regime and has resigned as assistant manager – or whatever title he had at the club. That didn’t take long and wasn’t the greatest shock – after Keegan’s failed wooing of Shearer to be his number 2. You wouldn’t have been terribly impressed with all that if you’d been Pearson would you?

I knew Nigel a bit – he was club captain at Middlesbrough when we first sponsored the team and he always struck me as one of the few principled footballers I ever came across. So I wasn’t surprised when his resignation was announced. Anyway he was off in the morning and yesterday afternoon NU got a real tonking from Aston Villa.

Keegan: Special K or K Mart?

Oh deep joy. The K’s back and all is well in Geordie land. I couldn’t believe the news last night; Newc U have only gone and appointed the bottler. If ever a club owner made an appointment just to appease the fans and make himself look great, then this was it. In spades with a cherry on top. The place’ll be packed, KK will blow £100m before the end of January and in 11 months time little kev will run off back to his soccer circus or whatever it is citing unacceptable pressures and the need to spend more time with the family. But let’s not be churlish, the Premiership just got to be fun again. I’d love it, love it if KK yet again led them to the Promised land only to be thwarted by the miserable scottish bastard at the door. Let the Games begin.

pp