The Forces Of Darkness Visit

Greetings from Canada. I’m writing this short blog after checking into my hotel in Toronto. We seem to have survived the international matches this midweek without too much worry on the injury front, although Jack Wilshere is a doubt having had to withdraw from the England squad prior to the loss against France at Wembley. No doubt there will be plenty of Anglo-French wind-ups going on in training today at London Colney. 

Andrey Arshavin picked up a knock playing for Russia. Travelling all the way down to Voronezh near the Ukrainian border was a long way to go to get beaten by Belgium. Marouane Chamakh had more success in Belfast, scoring Morocco’s goal in a 1-1 draw. Cesc Fàbregas was a half-time substitute for Spain in their 4-0 belting in the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. He was also booked. He probably wishes he’d stayed in bed. It’s all gone a bit nipples skyward for Spain after lifting the World Cup in South Africa in July, having been on the end of a 4-1 belting by Argentina in Buenos Aires two months ago in September. 

Now we turn our attention to the big derby game on Saturday lunchtime. After losing at home to both the Baggies and Toon this is a must win for us having pulled ourselves back into the title race after wins at Molineux and Goodison Park, with an assist from the Mackems who did us a real favour by absolutely tonking Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge. We need keep the pressure on now. It’s time we announced our presence as real title contenders with some authoritative performances. There’s nothing like beating the Forces of Darkness to put a spring in our step. We need to ensure that ‘Arry is twitching furiously come the final whistle. 

Let’s not rise to the bait before the game. We need to walk the walk before talking the talk. The time to ‘ave it large is after we’ve given them a belting, although I’ll settle for one more than they get. When it comes to Spurs, any landing we walk away from is a good one for me. It’s such a blast to lurk on Spurs message-boards, blogs and websites and bathe in a big warm bath of schadenfreude as them from the wrong end of the Seven Sisters Road rend they clothes and grind their teeth. 

There is dissent amongst their supporters already at the Lane as their future at White Hart Lane becomes more and more doubtful. They simply aren’t going to compete with us unless they get a bigger ground. The ever escalating cost of knocking down and re-building White Hart Lane is making a move to the Olympic Stadium at Stratford seem more and more of a possibility. Whenever misfortune befalls Spurs my first instinct is to laugh. I have to say though this is a classic case where fans, even Spurs fans, should be treated like adults and be involved by their board in a debate about the options open to them. 

One thing that shouldn’t be on is allowing any of the bidders to remove the athletics track from the Olympic Stadium. I’m not a big athletics fan but I do think commitments should be kept and one of the legacy promises made by the London 2012 bid was for a world-class athletics facility. It would be reneging on a clear commitment if the running track were to be removed to suit the interests of a football club. 

The Olympic Park Legacy Company has been formed by the Mayor of London, the Department for Culture Media & Sport and the Department of Communities & Local Government to oversee and coordinate the long-term post Olympics use of the stadium and other facilities at the Olympic Park in Stratford. They need to ensure that private interests are balanced with both the public interest and the opportunity for a lasting sporting, economic and social legacy. We’ve all coppered up a lot of money for Olympics. I’ve always been a big supporter of the Olympic bid. We need to ensure that we get the same lasting benefit that Seoul, Barcelona and Sydney got from their Olympics.  

If I was a Spurs fan (thank the Lord I got taken to Highbury first and became a Gooner!) I’d detest the idea a) of moving ten miles away and b) playing in a ground with a running track. Bayern Munich fans always hated the old Olympiastadion as they were a mile from play. I generally don’t enjoy watching games in grounds with a running track either. 

Spurs are on a spike at the moment. A large part of me is delighted with this, but their fans shouldn’t be treated like mushrooms – kept in the dark and fed a load of old pooh. In that they have my support. On the field I’m never happier than when they’re plummeting with all the airy grace of a concrete parachute. 

Keep the faith! 

vic@arsenalinsider.com

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Vic Crescit

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