If Arsene and Co thought that Middlesbrough, Everton and Villa all played “non-football“, today’s opponents have real reason to come down to The Emirates and string two lines of five players across the pitch and defend like their lives depended on it. If they lose, and other results go against them, Newcastle United will be bottom of the Premiership tonight. Not exactly where they thought they would be right about now with the money that has been invested over recent years. And they have been such accommodating visitors to Arsenal, losing their last four visits at Highbury and surrendering maximum points on nine of their last thirteen travels to Arsenal. Newcastle have been durable and stubborn opponents in recent years, the results being close even if the games were not. Last season it took until the last nine minutes for the defences to be breached and when they were, two goals came and more should have followed.

For once the injury news for Arsenal is positive this season. Whilst Tomas Rosicky is out with his hamstring knack, Freddie Ljungberg, Jens Lehmann and Julio Baptista are all fit again. It seems however that the former will not participate today, Arsene preferring to save the Swede for Tuesday night instead. Having overcome a calf injury, it seems Freddie was laid low thanks to a dairy allergy, perhaps he should give up trying to be the Big Cheese. In the Brazlians absence, Arsene has a few options. He has added Alex Song to the squad as a straight like – for – like replacement but could either play Julio Baptista there (defensive midfield was where he started his career) or move Kolo Toure out of defence, replacing him at Centre Half with either Phillipe Senderos or Johann Djourou. There is a strong case for not doing that however. Last weeks thrashing of Liverpool was the first time that what many consider his first choice defence played together and they dealt comfortably with the Liverpool attack as a unit. It would be a bit strange to reshuffle that right now I feel. So that leaves a bunfight between Song, Baptista and Matthieu Flamini. And it is the Frenchman who I think will get the nod, especially after last Sunday’s goal. Whilst Song has done well when called upon, Flamini has more experience of the holding role and Baptista is returning to the fray after a month or so meaning it would be strange to rush him straight back into action and expect a full ninety minutes. A place on the bench I suspect is the best he will get with maybe a twenty minute runout this afternoon. So I expect the Arsenal team to be:

Lehmann; Eboue, Toure, Gallas, Clichy; Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini, van Persie; Adebayour; Henry

There are all sorts of depresssing stats for Newcastle supporters to read in the build-up and that ignores the fact that they are third bottom with less than ten points. Apparently, it is four games since they scored and six s since they scored from open play and they have won one of their last eleven Premiership games. Arsene believes that the team are over their indifferent form at home, their struggles to breadown Villa, ‘Boro and Everton consigned to history with the growing maturity of the team. Let us hope that this assessment is correct for three points will be vital today to stay in touch with Chelsea and United, who both have relative straightforward assignments, entertaining West Ham and visiting Bramall Lane respectively.

Goodbye To The Galloping Major

Yesterday was a sad day for football with the passing of Ferenc Puskas. Having been too young to witness him in action, I have had to rely on grainy video and remastered DVD’s to witness him in action. As part of the Magnificient Magyars, Puskas and his cohorts started the process that knocked the arrogance out of English football and reshaped World Football with their tactical innovations. It should be complusory for everyone to own the 3 – 6 and 1 – 7 defeats to Hungary on DVD, the astonishing techique and flair undimmed by time. His career stats are amazing: 357 goals in 354 appearances for Honved, 512 in 528 appearances for Real Madrid, 83 in 84 internationals for the Hungarians. When you consider the extornionate sums paid for players now, what price Puskas in today’s game? Indeed, the reverence shown for players who do not even match one third of his career record beggars belief when you consider the honours won:

Olympic Gold medallist
3 European Cup winner medals (1 Runners Up medal in 1962 despite scoring a hattrick in the 3 – 5 defeat to Benfica)
Intercontinental Cup winner
10 League Titles (5 in Spain, 5 in Hungary)
1 Spanish Cup
Top Scorer in Spain four seasons out of five from 1959 / 60 to 1963 / 64

Add to that Greek and Australian league titles as a manager and leading Panathinaikos to the Champions Cup final in 1971 (they lost 0 – 2 to Ajax) and you get some measure of the footballing man. Even then, whilst these are impressive by anyone’s standards, they do not reflect the influence he has had on football and its history; speed of thought was as much a key to his career as technique and ability. Perhaps the best measure of his career though was in 1999 when he voted the fourth best player in Europe during the 20th Century, behind Cruyff, Beckenbauer and Di Stefano. An excellent book was published a few years ago, Puskas on Puskas, which you are wholeheartedly recommended to seek out. Hungarian football is holding one minutes silence before each League match this weekend, something that the rest of the world would do well to replicate as a mark of respect for the passing one of the games true legends.