Fall in

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
15 Aug	5:30 PM	P	Everton (A)	6	1	Win

This time tomorrow afternoon, Gooners will be driving up the, to quote Crowded House's Neil Finn, "M- whatever it is" towards Goodison Park. It helps to know where you're going, doesn't it? I'm reminded of the other Everton fan in my life, Kevin and his one and only trip to Goodison. Which took place on the same weekend as Gabs, the part time Gooner, took a road trip up to Tranmere to see the other team in his life, Brentford with some friends of ours. Kevin was given a lift up but the guys got lost en route and by the time Kevin got into the ground, twenty minutes were gone and Everton were 2-0 down. By the time he left, early in the second half, Everton were 3-0 down.

And if you were wondering where I was going with that not entirely planned opening paragraph, that's where. As Francesc Fabregas (him again!) made a first Premier League start as Arsenal annihilated Everton on the first day of their unsuccessful defence of the Premier League title in 2004, so the Islington Gazette, speculates that Jack Wilshere may be in line to begin a Premier League game for the first time in his career in exactly the same place, albeit in a slightly less terrifying Arsenal side. A debut doesn't sound like that far fetched a possibility as Theo Walcott has been added to the list of attacking midfielders attacking nothing more than their sofas this weekend, whilst Abou Diaby is doubtful due to a groin problem.

Speaking of Theo, I picked up the Gazette in a McDonalds this morning and immediately flipped to the back page, and he says it's "time to reward the fans". It's nice to know Theo realises we are "just as important as the players". If anything, we're more important, because without us there'd be no club.

If I can be self-indulgent, for just a second, before the oddysey continues, I took part in an interview for ESPN Star Sports ahead of the new season, the results of which can be read here. Those of you who read this blog and think I'm an arse can take pleasure in the fact that the buggers have missed an "s" off the end of my name. Which has its' own special irony, I can't stand spelling mistakes. [Nor can I, I've asked them to correct it. - Ed]

Back to this weekend and the good news is that Thomas Vermaelen has been passed fit. He's going to have quite the test tomorrow against the aerial prowess of Tim Cahill, scorer of two goals in midweek against the Republic of Ireland. That must have been weird for Kevin, as well as being an Everton fan, he still wears the Republic's World Cup '94 kit when he plays football. Cahill has developed, like Jermaine Jenas an irritating ability to score against us. In 2006, this led to a never to be forgotten sight of Luke - pretending to be a Gooner in the 12 Pins - shouting an obscenity and wandering off into a corner apparently distraught, but secretly celebrating.

Well, I will never forget it anyway.

For the season to come then, Le Boss has set his side the goal of winning the league title. Not challenging for it, not qualifying for the Champions League, but winning the damn thing. I mentioned yesterday that this season represented a watershed for the manager and it seems to me that he agrees: "At 22 or 23 I think a team is mature enough to deliver and it is a massively important year for our club. I am conscious of that."

The way that he is talking, of this being the period where we will see whether he was right, indicates to me that this is it. This is the manager laying his cards on the table and saying "This is what I've got, I'm all in". The woaaaaaah moment of any Poker game, not that I play it but I've seen enough films ... I hope that the manager is right, he has built a fantastically talented, but fragile squad. It's time the boys become men.

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