The Leader

Monday, 29 December 08, 02:49 PM · Comments(2)

With the return of "Mr Arsenal" to Arsenal yesterday afternoon, it was perhaps inevitable that it would be another ex Arsenal skipper making the headlines today. Well, if not the headlines, then the heading to a story halfway down page 3 of the sports sections today.

As so many times last season, and a couple already this time around, it was Billy Gallas to the rescue yesterday. I listened to most of the game on the radio and it reminded me of a passage from Fever Pitch. Nick Hornby describing an era where teams would routinely come to Highbury, park, in the parlance of our times, the bus in front of the goal, stick a big man up top and hope to frustrate the Arsenal, an Arsenal with neither the wit or imagination to break such a side down. I think the game in question was a late 60's encounter against Stoke, and Arsenal nicked the game with two headers. But by the sounds of it, shorn of Walcott, Rosicky, Eduardo and Fábregas, it could have just as easily described the game against Portsmouth yesterday. I went for a bath, early in the second half and came back fully expecting Portsmouth to have scored. I was surprised that they hadn't, surprised further still that David James dropped yet another clanger and enabled us to pick up the points.

A couple of things I noticed on the radio were that the crowd began booing halfway through the first half and that Tony Adams probably got the biggest cheer of the afternoon. I ask again, are things really that bad?

Arsène has spoken of adding a creative +1 to the squad in the window- the Guardian, as with many other news outlets, think he's talking Ars.

Jay Simpson has inked a new, long term, deal with the club and Manuel Almunia, the inexplicable Arsenal number 1 never mind captain, has talked about Gallas still being the leader of the pack. Though following hot on the heels of the mad Man's description of our late collapse at Villa Park as "showing our character", it's difficult to take much the guy says seriously. Seriously though, it must be somewhat gratifying for Gallas to get some good press. God knows, he needs it.

I should also add that I think he deserves it.

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