I don’t want to rehash or go over old ground. I told you what I thought of the recent internationals and you told me what you thought of me telling you what I thought. Back in April I told you about all of my Norwich related memories and associations and right now I wish I’d saved a couple so I’d have something personal or interesting to say.
Here’s what I’ve got. I’ve been pronouncing the ‘w’ in Norwich like Arsene does just to get in the mood for today’s match. Try it. It sounds like this – nor witch. See? Fun Isn’t it? Otherwise I tried to read up on a couple of Norwich blogs but there don’t seem to be any. So. Here we are then. Saturday has arrived, the boss is confident that three of our injured players will be back which means a first choice back five and then perm any six from twelve for the more offensive part of the team. The real question on everyone’s lips is will we get to see Santi and Mesut together at last? Arsène always plays a good game of poker at the press conference so if he seems to be dropping a hint you can bet your life it’s on purpose. To my mind when he said Santi is fit but lacks match practise it was a strong suggestion that he’ll not play the whole game. Now whether that means he starts and comes off at sixty nine minutes and fifty seconds or whether he plays for the last twenty minutes plus injury time, we shall have to wait and see. On the Arsenal Player video of the guys doing their one touch training Santi clearly miscontrolled the ball once and played with a fairly poor touch on another occasion and as such you’d expect a severe disciplinarian like Arsène to stick him straight on the bench. There was a lot too much laughter for my liking as well. Honestly if these players cannot take their training seriously they don’t deserve to wear the shirt.
When I said perm any six places from twelve I was being a little disingenuous. In truth it’s perm any five from eleven because there is one midfield berth bolted on due both to the significant relationship between the player and the defence and his proven importance to the team.
I am of course talking about Mikel Arteta Amatriain.
I am of course talking about Mathieu Flamini.
You see what happened there? This is, for me, the dilemma. Last season and indeed the one before, if Mikel didn’t start my heart sank. Put simply we were more assured and less likely to lose when he was in the team. I would have said he was the only truly undroppable player in the squad before the start of this campaign. Before, that is, Arsène pulled off the transfer master-stroke of the summer. Yes, yes there was the Özil signing, the one that excited both football fans and sports journalists alike, but as the manager said yesterday you can’t have a transfer policy based solely on players of his (Özil’s) proven calibre. For one thing there aren’t enough of them and for another there are more hungry teams at the top table and with more loot to buy them than ever before. So Arsenal works by carefully educating and promoting from within the club and by making deliciously unexpected or audacious signings like Santi Cazorla for a fifth of Gareth Bale’s fee, (just take a second or two to let that one sink in; five Santis to one Simian. Blimey, that’s what I call an exchange rate.) or Arsène pulls a rabbit out of the hat. It’s known as ‘doing a Kolo’. Back in the summer when I was being attacked by friend and foe alike for daring to suggest that any new signings would be the cherry on an already very rich cake and were in no way vital, I also took a bit of stick for adopting what appeared to be a volt-face in welcoming the return of our prodigal midfielder with open arms . I wrote that he was the perfect signing. Versatile, experienced, particularly as cover for Arteta (a position where we did look maybe a tad understaffed) and most important of all he was already well versed in Wengerball and familiar to and with the manager. Of course I am not claiming I foresaw his explosive return to the Prem. Nobody could have known he’d land like a burning meteor into the heart of our midfield and galvanise us to such a run of results and performances.
Now we have two names to bolt onto one position and two players more different you would struggle to find. It is Suavity and the Beast. ‘So how about playing them both?’ I hear you cry. Well maybe. Away from home that can work where we might expect to come under more pressure, where the defence might need more cover and a draw might seem a good result. Careful though, because do that and you are down to perm any four from ten for the rest of the team. Oh, and by the way, that’s before Podolski, Zelalem, Diaby, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo are fit. Also with the Prem as wide open as never before I’m not sure away draws are quite as valuable as they once might have seemed. The top six clubs will see any sharing of points as points dropped except when playing each other. So the emphasis must surely be on control and attack. Who gives us the better platform for that? I’m going to say Mikel Arteta gets my vote. Just. I look forward to a lively debate about it in the comments. In fact I’ve already started one with myself as I try to imagine Arsenal without that rabid terrier charging about in front of the monolithic rock of tranquillity that is the Per and Kos axis.
All of this is of course just a long winded way to reiterate what has become blindingly obvious to all but a few self appointed supporter’s spokespersons and internexperts. Arsène and Ivan with the quiet backing of the board have assembled one hell of a squad. Even when down to our most threadbare we only had to slot in one youngster and of course it was comparatively easy for him to find his feet in a winning, confident team which plays in precisely the same way as all the youth teams in which he learned his trade. Which is kind of what Arsène has been talking about all these years and still was yesterday at the press conference. Promotion from within. A club ethos translated into a playing style with an educated young workforce augmented by the occasional stellar signing. The only difference for me is that a lot of the youngsters have now come of age. Kieron, keeping out an extremely good left back in Monreal. Aron, never out of his depth alongside Santi or Mesut. Jack, the saviour of the nation. Theo, a boy no more but true premiership quality.
Sorry for all the football talk, I’d love to wax lyrical about the time I met Delia in Aldi or the day I made love to a Debbie Harry lookalike while watching Arsenal put five past Norwich one sunny bank holiday weekend but you’ve heard it all before and I wouldn’t want to bore you. It’s not easy once you’ve already written about the opposition. I have to say my respect for proper bloggers who do this every day rather than occasionally (as I do) has gone off the chart. It is very easy to pick up on a phrase or two and beat someone about the head for the next few years with it, but trust me, just try walking in their shoes first and you’ll feel differently about things, I promise. Anyway on to the team predictions. No. Actually I’m not doing that here. It’s boring and pointless, but what I will do is point you to a fun tool so you can do it yourself and share your ideas on twitter, a far more suitable place for such flim-flam and guesswork. I’m talking about Line Up Builder and I’m grateful to @Limpar_Assist for introducing me to it.
I’ll see you all back here at three for the match, unless you’re going to the game, in which case, well, you’re a lucky bastard.
Positively Arsenal 
Great stuff.
But for as good as Flamini has been,Mikel is way better.
LikeLike
You’re on form today Stew
‘Five Santi’s for one Simian’ lol
No wonder the Spanish economy is buggered
LikeLike
George: Yes and I too came down on Mikel’s side but I think Flamini brings us something else, something important and I’m just saying I’m far less concerned if MA isn’t available than I used to be.
Simple fact is we have far too many players.
LikeLike
Yes Stew.I agree.No worries if Mikel needs a rest now.
Terrible sad news about Abou.
LikeLike
i also will like to agree with george, the reason why some of us feel flamini might be better is because of his briliant performance so far this season. but we have yet to play arteta in that role this season for us to actually be able to judge. but if his performance there last season is anything to go by, arteta was as good if not better. more so last season he was the only consistent player in our midfield. but this season so many of our players have stepped up. i cant wait to see arteta play that role alone on his own alongside in form ramsey.
the only thing i dont want to see too often is arteta and flamini together in the midle especially in the league. any one of them is good for me.
LikeLike
so so sad about diaby.
does anyone know when his contract will be over? i hope it not at the end of this season. i want him to come back and have enough time to prove his quality.
LikeLike
Very disappointing news about Diaby
Extremely unusual that c. six months after a surgeon goes back in on a CL reconstruction – assuming it was done correctly the first time ( worried face )
LikeLike
He has another 18 months Layksite – so AW said yesterday
LikeLike
Have to agree with everything you wrote, Steww.
Diaby, the unlucky bastard.
http://metro.co.uk/2013/10/19/arsene-wenger-confirms-abou-diaby-has-suffered-new-injury-setback-4152322/
LikeLike
Without jinxing it,
I think that earning some points today and next Saturday might mean we would have a bit of a cushion if we run into problems with too many big games in November.
LikeLike
It’s a very tough call. On form and covering grass it’s Flamini. On class and control, it’s Mikel. And it depends on the opposition, tactics, match fitness/tiredness and coming fixtures. And it’s not the only conundrum, look ahead, Jack strikes a fine vein of form and it might be Aaron or Jack, Santi recovers fully and gets to business, and it’s Mesut and/or Santi and/or Tomas if starts what he did in the tail of last season. But there you are. You need two excellent players in every position, bringing versatile qualities, all versed in the passing game. We are very close to this, especially if Serge continues his excellent play, and Ox once back is used on the left where he has been exceptional in a few games past, and then NB carries through his Danish form, we are in for quite a ride.
Today, I would plumb for conventional wisdom. Arteta. Norwich will play it simple, leave no gap between first and second line of defense, neutralize our wide play and force us central, and anyway we have no Theo for speed. They will try to counter at tremendous speed, and knock balls into the box. Therefore, we will need lock-picking triangles going forward and positional careful defending, rather than a midfield tussler.
Sagna, Per, TV?, Gibbs
Jack, Mikel
Tomas, Mesut, Santi
Giroo
That would be my more or less ignorant call.
LikeLike
Hell of a risky line up there ZP. Santi not yet match fit and leaving out the best midfielder in the business. Oh and that’s before we mention breaking up our best central defensive partnership.
LikeLike
Happy to be a ‘lucky bastard’ on my way to the match. As ever reading your superb writing has enhanced my journey. Thanks, Steww
LikeLike
Lovely stuff Stew,this whole Mikel or Flamini argument is irrelevant,I’m glad we’ve got both of em,even if Arsene decided he can’t ever play both at the same time (which he won’t always)- they get 30 games each,if they’re never injured or suspended (which they already have and will be!,we will need both of em! Right,I’m off for breakfast,bath and then to the game to cheer on the boys in red & white,laters..you lovely lot!
LikeLike
We might see Vermaelen today, especially with the Dortmund game mid week.
LikeLike
To the telly box everyone!
God is on football focus on the BBC right now.
LikeLike
I suppose you’re right Steww. I do tend to be a risk-taker, but not a gambler. Santi needs a run out today before Dortmund, so he will either start or come in from the bench. It’s him or Serge, and if the latter Tomas left. But Aaron needs a rest. TV needs a game. Jack needs playing time. We need to win. But perhaps all cannot be done together.
LikeLike
DB10
“Working with Wenger was fantastic because we were on the same level of thinking about football”
LikeLike
The priority for me would be Aaron needs a rest now, or soon. Games are coming thick and fast, and November will be much more challenging. Maybe Aaron gets to play the next 2 and then R&R. Yes, that makes more sense.
LikeLike
Thanks Steww.
Its possible to imagine Flamini or Arteta being the right pick for this game. then again both could start. And then some players might be held back for Dortmund, others may only get sixty odd minutes depending on fitness.
–
The cloggers will be allowed to clog, no doubt about it. If the Flame is unleashed the ref may try and send him off, after all its the same chap who sent off the manager for kicking a water bottle once. Maybe I should’ve avoided the ref preview but this lucky bastard likes to know which of Riley’s stooges will be officiating the game I’m off to watch. Fair to say this fellow is no Dickie Bird! Not by a long way.
Hope you all enjoy the game.
Come on the Arsenal.
LikeLike
Aaron, Mikel
Serge, Jack, Tomas
G
Might do the trick.
Santi and Ozil in the last 20 minutes.
LikeLike
Terrible news about Diaby. Life is not fair for any of us, but life just seems like a sadist bitch in regards to Diaby.
LikeLike
COYG just off up the kings head
LikeLike
Excited about today’s match. It is a shame they are showing the manure match on tv. Have to hope I find some good stream.
I want us to win the league so that all our games are shown on the tv here the following the season.
LikeLike
I’m devastated. What more can go wrong for Abou Diaby….the greatest player that never was…….
LikeLike
Thanks stew. I’m one of the lucky B’s on my way to the match. Just glad it’s Arsene who has to make the tough decisions and not me! Catch you guys later.
LikeLike
Well none of us guessed that line up!
LikeLike
You got that right Stew.
LikeLike
Well George, us bloggers seldom make mistakes you know.
LikeLike
Bloody exciting though isn’t it?
LikeLike
So we get an instant whiff at what Özil and Cazorla will be able to do together on the pitch. And if we are very lucky, Tomas might join them in the second half for a small glimpse at what offensive midfield perfection looks like.
LikeLike
What’s the line-up?
LikeLike
Szczesny – Sagna , Mertesacker , Koscielny , Gibbs – Arteta , Flamini – Santi Cazorla , Özil , Wilshere – Giroud
LikeLike
Koscielny isn’t just elegant and skilful he is so quick as well.
LikeLike
Wow, OK!
OK, so not that much width, I suppose Ozil will play wide right, Jack left sided, and extra work for Sagna and Gibbs.
Mikel in for Aaron in a sense, OK.
It’s a clever line-up in the sense that its quite cautious, with Mikel and Flaimini, but the attacking threat is definite.
LikeLike
Oh the joy… my beamish boy!
LikeLike
Poetry in motion. Did this really happen?
LikeLike
I guess AW wanted to get Santi and Ozil on the pitch together asap.
LikeLike
Oh. My. God. This team just gets better and better.
LikeLike
Cardiff leading Chelsea
LikeLike
What a casual first touch finish by Jack (wrong leg too) at the end of such sublime passing. Is there still anyone doesn’t see why Arsene bought Giroud by the way?
LikeLike
That goal reminds me of Jack’s first champions league goal. The one where he and Chamakh combined for one of the prettiest goals I’ve ever seen.
LikeLike
Jeez how quick is Kieron?
LikeLike
Santi has a few cobwebs to blow away, but I’m sure he’ll be fine. Good to see Jack getting among the goals.
LikeLike
Never mind the passing look how we are working to get it back!
LikeLike
Ouch!
LikeLike
This was so typical Flamini! But good to see he’s alright.
LikeLike
How hard is Flamini’s head? That guy knocked himself out headbutting him.
LikeLike
Steww, it’s a lot easier to get the ball back when you have the opposition player caught in a whirlwind of passing and movement.
LikeLike
The blow he took when he fell down was harder than the headbutt.
LikeLike