A question of time

It was just a question of time before the backlash began really. With the media going absolutely A1 nut boy about the Hand of Thierry, yesterday saw people, and people you wouldn't expect, lining up to defend our former striker. People like, um, Roy Keane and David Beckham.

Though, I suppose in Keane's case, his opinions are less about Henry and more about Ireland avoiding the situation in the first place, as well as Robbie Keane benefitting from a similar situation against Georgia but staying schtum, I don't think we've heard back from Robbie on that one. What cracks me up though is the way Keane's words have been portrayed in certain sections of the media, described as a "rant" yesterday on Sky Sports News, as if the people who have been banging on about this for the last three days have not been ranting themselves.

Patrick Barclay is the latest to point out that Thierry was guilty of nothing more than a bad judgement call. Unfortunately for Thierry, he is not Wayne Rooney, or Steven Gerrard so the voices of discontent were always going to be a little on the loud side. But he'll get over it and so will the various Arsenal "fans" and writers describing him variously as "insecure" and a "scumbag". Easy for me to say, I guess, but when I think of Thierry in the future, it won't be his left hand I'm thinking about.

So that was one number 14; our current number 14, in the latest team news for this afternoon's match, is fit and available for selection. Which is great news, I think that the jury is still out amongst Arsenal fans as regards Theo's footballing abilities and it's true that he's no Rosicky, or Nasri. But then neither of them have his scorching pace, so he brings something very different to the table. Easy to forget too, as Steve the QPR season ticket holder evidently had a few weeks back, that the boy is still just 20 years old. Time is very much on his side and if there's a serious footballer hiding all away in that young man, then who better than the boss to unleash him?

So, Theo's back and it seems that he isn't the only one, with Jack Wilshere the latest to tumble out of the treatment room although, a little confusingly, it seems that Lukasz Fabianski is not quite there yet. Perhaps that won't matter so much as Manuel Almunia has regained his commision as the man tasked with fishing any shot on target out of the old onion bag. It looks likely, that with minimal preparation time between getting players back and having to travel to the north east, that there are going to be some changes today.

Bac Sagna and William Gallas played 120 minutes on Wednesday night, so perhaps we will see Eboue and... um, er, flip a coin and (heads it's) Senderos come in to the starting XI. Of Andrey Arshavin, following Russia's failure to qualify for the Wolrd Cup, the boss says that he "has come back from a very long trip and is very disappointed" so it seems natural to assume that perhaps Andrey will be on the bench today. Though I question, whether Arshavin's disappointed state is anything new. I noticed on the LadyArse blog a few days ago that she thought the Russian wasn't as settled as we'd like and I found myself wondering whether the freak snow storm that greeted his arrival hadn't given him a false impression of London life. Perhaps a cold afternoon in the North East will be to his liking, if he gets on.

So, Eduardo will begin his first game as the spearhead of our attack (at least it seems logical to assume so) armed with a freshly minted contract, whilst we come face to face with an in form Darren Bent and a chance for Gooners to once again air the choon that goes along to the tune of The Clash's English Civil War- and yes, I know that came from somewhere else too. Sunderland are perhaps weakened by the absence of Cattermole and Kenwyn Jones, but I'm sure they'll be up for this one. A tough afternoon awaits.

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