Well folks, here we are, we’ve wandered knowingly into an international break and there’s no Arsenal until Easter. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. It’s bloody hard going at times like this. Especially when it feels like it’s been so long since one of these inconveniences has come around.
From August to December there seemed to be one of these a month, which felt like every ten days, making for an unwelcome frequency of boredom. Plus usually, the added kick in the knickers of losing one, two or a handful of your first team squad. We’d also had to contend with Alexis coming back from a NASA mission to Endor to play their select XI, so fatigue was always the worry, so all in all it made for an irritating part of the season.
Thankfully at least Alexis And Gabriel don’t have to travel too far, what with Chile playing Brazil on their home turf in North London, but the others will be posted out here, there and everywhere, so we just have to clasp our hands together and look up to the sky muttering incantations. I think they call it ‘praying’.
In this country we have to deal with seeing players like Daniel Sturridge fall down with a ‘knock’ that will most likely miraculously see him fit for our game Saturday after next, but the news that Lallana has pulled out of the England squad could mean it’s a bit more serious for him, because unlike Sturridge Lallana needs to grasp every opportunity possible to play for his national side. There is plenty more competition for him than Sturridge, so I won’t be surprised at all to see Sturridge return and Lallana out when we play them next week.
The other blow for the Scousers was the charging of Martin Skyrtel which, if confirmed as expected that Liverpool have accepted the charge, would be a big blow to their team and massive positive for us. He’s scored at Anfield for the last two years running against us and is undoubtedly their best defender. So losing him, as well as Gerrard and possibly Lallana, will cause Rodgers a bit of a selection headache I suspect. And not the kind of selection headache that Arsène has had with fitting his players in, either.
When you look at our form in March, actually since Christmas is you funk about it, this international break has come at the worst possible time. We are in such a rich vein of form and these breaks inevitably cause a disruption to the ryhthm that we could do without. If I’m looking on the positive side, at least our opponents over Easter will also face disruption. When you’re up against another team from the top of the division, they also have plenty of internationals heading out to their national teams, as opposed to when you’re playing teams towards the bottom of the league. Those teams will still have one or two internationals, but take Burnley for example, who will have a host of English players not in the squad. They get a week of training and probably get some time together to work as a group at how their going to overcome their next opponents. It gives them an advantage and at this stage of the season, when there are tired legs and minds, the last thing you want to see is a group of players who have had a week off and have the full intention of catching you cold.
So in a way it’s a good time to be playing another team fighting at the top.
That’s it from me. Have a good’un and stay safe in these barron times.
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