Sow and ye shall reap!
Well, TDH has a confession to make, for starters. Another dinner at a Hong Kong private kitchen prevented seeing most of the match. TDH managed to catch a glimpse of a faraway television screen showing 1-1 after 83 minutes and change, and then it was just silent prayer until arriving home to read the final score.
But nevertheless, TDH has the gall to claim some vindication. Dyer as a quasi-striker, allowing Duff to roam a bit more, and Solano starting for Milner paid dividends, practically suggesting that Roeder is either 1) extremely perceptive or 2) a loyal reader of TDH. (Which are really the same thing, right?) Of course, it didn't hurt that Given and Martins were back. Could it be that we're starting to look like a real team again? A team that must be spoken of in serious tones, even?
We can hope....
But nevertheless, TDH has the gall to claim some vindication. Dyer as a quasi-striker, allowing Duff to roam a bit more, and Solano starting for Milner paid dividends, practically suggesting that Roeder is either 1) extremely perceptive or 2) a loyal reader of TDH. (Which are really the same thing, right?) Of course, it didn't hurt that Given and Martins were back. Could it be that we're starting to look like a real team again? A team that must be spoken of in serious tones, even?
We can hope....
posted by Daniel Altman at 6:46 PM
6 Comments:
So what the hell sort of striker is Martins exactly? Does he need some alongside him who can put the ball in the back of the net or someone who's supposed to be grabbing 20 odd goals a season? I still can't work it out.
A very heartening result, and by all accounts, performance. many thanks to the France coach for playing Henry for 90 minutes midweek. And maybe by the end of the season I won't look so stupid for consistently getting 'Dyer 8' on the back of each new kit I buy (a shirt I have worn many more times over the last few years than the man himself ).
Dyer's still young! His best years are ahead! As a commentator, at least....
In other ruminations:
It has fallen to us once again to knock Chelsea out of a cup competition. Chelsea's doing its part by playing scrubs (like Young Joe!), and the tie's luckily at our place. But still, why couldn't we have drawn Wycombe for a change?
On the bright side, our undefeated European team (yes, we can kid ourselves at having a squad as deep as those of the top clubs) needs only one point to advance in UEFA. Might be nice to do slightly more than absolutely necessary for a change, though.
Injuries continue to plague the side, this time at the back. Step forward, centerback Amoeba....
I'm going to ignore that comment about Young Joe, England's best performer (yet again!) against the nether-regions.
However, I would like to puncture your bubble somewhat - Arsenal are a bit crap these days. Yes, they made the European Cup final last year, with a helping of luck (step forward, Juan Roman; on second thoughts, don't), but a better indication of their true level was their struggle to finish fourth, one they look intent on replicating this season. They were made to look strong by a truly abysmal Liverpool performance the previous week, but don't let this raise your hopes too high.
Ah, it's almost too easy to bait you, Mara....
Actually, I fear Young Joe in the Cup tie. He can squeeze all his good football into a short time if he's forced to.
You're right that Arsenal aren't as threatening as they once were. But I wouldn't say that they're incapable of performing at the same peaks they reached three years back - rather, I'd say that there's more variance in the quality of their play. They could be brilliant, or they could be shite. Fortunately, against us, they were just a little above so-so, by their standards.
Just a thought, but maybe Arsenal didn't play that well because we didn't allow them to do so...
I don't think anybody's getting carried away. It was just nice to see a competent display in the league against top-class opposition. Its been so long. Also, Dyer and martins look like they might be on each others wavelength. And has Roeder solved our problems at full-back by deciding to play 4 centre-halves? I certainly wouldn't weep if babayaro and Carr were shipped out for good.
Ooooh, Palms, how will we ever drive away the Evil Eye with that kind of talk?
I was at SJP for the debut of Mr. Carr against Spurs. The chant, to the tune of Guantanamera: "Signed for a big club, your captain signed for a big club..." Then some old guy said, "He wasn't our captain!" The chant kept the same tune but changed to: "Stephen Carr's dad, it's Stephen Carr's dad..."
Too bad, though - the Shearer/Bellamy partnership should have yielded about four in the first half, but we lost to what I think was the only goal Atouba ever scored in Premiership.
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