Arsene All The Way?

The one thing Arsene Wenger must've been hoping for following his team's defeat of Everton on Saturday was that his team didn't draw Man City until the final. Well he's got his wish.


It'll be hard for the average Gooner to keep his mind from drifting back to 2011 and the League Cup catastrophe against Birmingham City - the last time the drought looked like ending. That was three years ago so it was probably more of a shortage than a drought. Since then there's been a proper hosepipe ban in place.


That was the occasion when Koscielny and Szczesny flopped around like tired pensioners after a day playing Twister and Obafemi Martins got the chance to do his floor gymnastics in celebration. This year all Arsenal have got to stumble past is Wigan and, probably, Hull. It has to be, M. Wenger...



Not that Wigan won't be a handful. They're on a great run of form in the Championship and if Arsenal can find a Martin Demichelis in their ranks, the Latics should have a great chance.



This was a Pellegrini purchase, remember, part of his old guard at Malaga. It must be blind loyalty that prevents the manager from seeing what the rest of the world can see - that this is a second-rate Steven Seagal impersonator masquerading as a professional footballer. He has the turning circle of a jumbo jet and the lumbering speed of a giraffe in splints. Lescott, who never does much wrong really, must be spitting feathers that the Argie lad partners Kompany on a regular basis.


Pellegrini says it would not damage his team's search for trophies this year, but given he's just lost one that's oxymoronic. He admits his players were complacent, and to tell you the truth I've not seen overconfidence like that since my Mrs insisted that she could handle a White Russian. (She can't by the way. Which makes you wonder why she had the second, doesn't it? NB I'm talking drinks here, not people.)


Given the 2-0 deficit against the Catalan Tax-Dodgers, you can't see the Champs League bringing any further joy this year either, so Citeh are left with the prospect of reeling in Chelsea. Not that Citeh fans forget their own. Rosler was given a truly wonderful reception and in turn Uwe refrained from whirling around like a dervish when the shock win was achieved. Sometimes football makes you very proud.




But can Chelsea be caught? Mourinho mustered yet another win from his fitfully useful side. One more bad decision at the Bridge - and some horrific defending at the end - gave Chelsea a laughably large 4-0 victory. It's ominous. United won the title last year playing a lot of scruffy nonsense, and Chelsea - Hazard aside - aren't much better this season. But both clubs are/were managed by blokes who know how to get the job done.


In the meantime, Citeh have lost their swagger, Arsenal are fraying at the edges, and Liverpool have a defence as porous as pumice. Even without a decent centre-forward - and Eto'o's celebration was a joy to behold on Saturday - Chelsea look very likely now.


Mourinho will keep insisting the Blues lead is a false one. I expect when he lifts the trophy at the end of the season he'll be shaking his head and telling the world that Citeh are still favourites. It's at times like these that the theatrical old stager resembles a cat on top of a wall, looking disdainfully down at all the yapping terriers who he knows will never quite reach him.


Ed Miliband recently spoke of a 'race to the bottom' in this country. (And when the head of an 'alternative' bank to the main players has a hissy fit cos the world's learnt that he gets rewarded for abject failure like every other fucker in that sector, you sort of understand what he means). In footy terms, it means panicky owners behaving like picky teenage girls in Top Shop, and constantly wishing they had a different top to choose from.


Jeremy Peace must be hoping he stuck with temporary manager Keith Downing - and there's every chance he'll resort back to him for the run-in, given Pepe Mel seems to be forcing a leaden-footed side to play a fleet-footed game.


The only contribution of note that Felix Magath has made is the adoption of black and white glasses. What he sees through them must be similarly monochrome. Doom. Fulham are down.
Cardiff, despite a frenetic victory over their nearest strugglers, will join them. No one will miss the Vincent Tan (that's when you bask in your own glory and everything turns a funny colour - frequently from blue to red).


Norwich have so may six-pointers coming up they could claim the league if they win them all. Their last four games look horrendous however. Palace are not so much goal-shy as goal-averse. Sunderland should rise from the mire but those Cup defeats will be tough to take. Be nice to have a North-East derby to look forward to again in the Championship. But nah. West Brom to join 'em is my best guess. Boing-boing.


As for Arsenal... well I can't help feeling the final will be a living Hull.