Good morning.
It’s Friday. I’m going to London at the moment, and that’s as a lot as I’ve to say. Why spoil it? Why blather on and on about stuff and issues? Stuff, okay. Issues, presumably. Stuff AND issues – that’s simply an excessive amount of for this time of the morning.
Right here’s what it’s essential know. A sure American podcaster whose title could or could not rhyme with Delliot Zzzzvmith arrived in Dublin yesterday and I’m not saying he pressured me to drink loads of wine in an Italian restaurant, and a few pointless Sazerac within the again backyard once we acquired house, but when he wasn’t right here I’d be a lot much less hungover than I’m proper now.
These are simply info. No one can dispute them. Not even Manuel Almunia. Do you know he performed 4 video games for West Ham? That’s a reality. No one can dispute it. However not many individuals keep in mind that. Solid your thoughts again to 2011. Arsenal, as everyone knows, had been in nice form again then. Every little thing was superb. So good. So, so, so good – as a sure very bizarre little opposition supervisor may say.
The summer season had gone brilliantly. There have been no switch sagas to consider, with our greatest participant having his head turned by a sure very bizarre little opposition supervisor who then signed him after which determined he wanted a while off to search out himself in New York a 12 months later. One other respectable participant, however not more than that, had spent the summer season presenting himself like cat in warmth to Manchester United solely to go and signal for Man Metropolis. Issues had been so nice we had Emmanuel Frimpong in midfield.
We had been, as they are saying, dwelling the dream. Which is superb, as a result of the factor about goals is they’re all the time constructive. There isn’t even a phrase in English for a foul dream as a result of they only don’t occur. They’ve it in German, as a result of there’s a phrase for every thing in German. It’s DREAMSCHESSEIN. That’s when the clouds in your dream world don’t appear to be candyfloss.
Anyway, the purpose is, again then we had been stacked in purpose. The Polish inflow had taken maintain. Lukasz Fabianski was there wanting good-looking, and Wojciech Szczesny was hanging across the bike sheds out the again of London Colney smoking Benson and Hedges or John Gamers or no matter. It doesn’t matter. He was simply very cool. He had a canvas satchel on which he had scrawled The Doorways emblem with a Bic biro. Inform me you’re the good child at school with out telling me you’re the good child at school.
That meant there was no place for Manuel Almunia. Third goalkeepers weren’t even a factor again then, though Vito Mannone was lurking round making an attempt to get the 2 lads to love him.
“I like a the Doorways!” he’d say, however Szczesny would then reply, “Which is your favorite album then?”, and since this was earlier than the Web was invented, he had no manner of wanting it up and his actuality as a fan of Zucchero was uncovered, opening him as much as a sort of mockery from which he by no means recovered. The person moved to Minnesota at one level. That tells you the entire story. Simply ask any American podcaster whose title could or could not rhyme with Delliot Zzzzvmith.
Anyway, the purpose is Manuel Almunia was not getting a glance in at that time so when West Ham mentioned “We want a goalkeeper” we mentioned “Now we have one spare” and Arsene Wenger despatched Manuel to Sam Allardyce. I’m not saying this was his final revenge on the Walrus or something like that, however the decisions on the time had been to ship Almunia or a thermonuclear weapon. We had been involved about fallout, in order that they went with the primary possibility.
He performed the primary of his 4 video games for West Ham in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on October 1st. Did he let in two objectives? Positive. However then did Palace additionally let in two objectives? Sure they did. It was Desmond. Right here’s the factor although. That West Ham group that day additionally featured Henri Lansbury, a sure David Bentley, and a younger man on the bench known as Man Demel – all previously of this parish.
4 former Arsenal males in a West Ham aspect? Makes you suppose, eh?
Eh?
EEEEEHHH?
Precisely. Simply watch.
Proper. I’m going to depart it there, as a result of I’ve to go to the airport quickly. Trying ahead to seeing a few of you in London, at our dwell occasion with our ArsenalVision pals at Ally Pally on Saturday evening, and on Sunday, in fact.
Might the spirit of Almunia bless you all. Go in peace to like and serve Manuel. Amen. And stuff. However maybe not issues.
That will be taking it too far.
