Okay so I’m in a bit of a mood this morning. Maybe it’s the music as i’m currently listening to metalcore, but then again i’m only listening because I can’t find one of my albums.
I’m really particular about my music. I’m in a bad mood because that’s what I want to listen to now and I can’t listen now and I have to listen to something else.
Sigh.
On to something Arsenal.
Tonight we play Olympiacos in the final group game of the Champions League. We know what we need; a win that’s not 1-0 or 2-1 and we should be fine. History is against us as we’ve not had much luck in Greece in recent times, but the team seems upbeat, at least the manager thinks so, he believes we have to adapt to every situation.
He had this to say.
“We have to put every scenario in our head, it is important we focus on the performance,” the manager said. “The results come if we play well so let’s focus on that. When the goal comes I don’t know, but if we play well we have a chance to score.“Mentally, you prepare yourself to adapt to every situation and give the right response to every situation you face.
“We will have to adapt to what is happening on the pitch and to all of the scenarios, accept them and respond.
“Ideally, you would like to not have to be patient but we might need to be. What is important is that basically the same for every game in Champions League you attack well and defend well, that is the best way, go into the game with a desire to win it and knowing you need to do both sides of the game well.
“Of course, we have a history where we have positive results. We know we can do it so the best way to do it is with a top-quality performance and that is what we want to focus on.”
All quotes from Arsenal.com
So he believes we can, I guess we’re also to believe we can.
It looks like the same team that faced off against Sunderland would be available. The only question to my mind is whether the manager will start Walcott or would persist with Giroud. The Frenchman has been decent so far getting goals and putting in a shift, so we’ll just have to see.
A good win will do the team a lot of good especially as it seems to be coming against the odds. Maybe if we score early it could give Olympiacos the case of the nerves and they might bottle it.
We would need significantly better performances from the likes of the Ox and Flamini in my opinion to keep Olympiacos at bay. We just have to better; the performance against Sunderland was not encouraging even if the score line was. It would be nice if Campbell could get another goal and add to his slowly growing tally. Who knows, he just might carve a place for himself in the team and maybe when Alexis returns Oxlade Chamberlain might find that he’s the one on the bench. Remains to be seen though.
Elsewhere, Mathieu Debuchy has once again talked about his desire to leave. During a radio interview, he says:
“I’m waiting to talk to the boss, we talked earlier in the season on the subject. I have to accept the competition at the moment. But currently, I need playing time. It’s clear that I need to talk again with the boss.
“I’ll look at the offers to move, I love England and the football here, but why not return to France. In the summer Wenger told me we’d talk if I was not happy with my situation in December. It is now December.
“Of course I would be disappointed not to make the Euros, it’s probably my last chance to play in such a situation.”
I sympathize with Debuchy as it can’t be easy sitting on the bench and with the Euros looming and his age we have to put all that into consideration, but this is a top level sport, I’m sure if he had a run in the first team he’d be fine, but we can’t afford that. In the top level, one has just a small window of opportunity and what sets apart good players from great ones is the ability to make use of the small opportunities afforded to them.
The few games Debuchy played weren’t so great and I understand that he was rusty and all that, but football’s cruel and he has to do better if he is to displace Bellerin. Anyway, we’ll see how that plays out later.
Here’s hoping for a win. Fingers crossed
COYG!
Till later
