UNTOLD ARSENAL » 2009 » February » 02

In my story on January 26 I said that we were definitely signing Arshavin.  I said this not because I thought the Lord Wenger was desperate, and not because I had deep insight into the workings of the KGB, but rather because of the array of people who had far too much invested in the deal to let it fail.  (You can flip back and read my piece if you are really excited by such things, but probably better to accept it, read this, and then feel grateful that Untold Arsenal is here to sort out all the rubbish left over by other blogs).

As matters stand at around 11pm on Monday in the snow, we now have to wait for the EPL to allow the deal to go through after the deadline.  Since they did this last time we asked nicely (that funny Mr Cole wanting to play for KGB Fulham) I expect them to say something soppy, but let it happen.

So, why was it so difficult, and why did our Great and Glorious Leader persist?

Arshavin got a loyalty bonus when he joined Leningrad Rovers in 2006 and being Russian the club wanted it back, and asked politely as they do.   He said something that doesn’t translate very well into Ango Saxon.

So then the papers etc were abuzz with the deal being off, and had to do some quick rethinking to show that it was all on again and that they knew it all the time.  In truth, he came here, saw the snow, and thought, ah just like home.

As to why we want him.  It is rather as I said in my little snippet in the Observer on Sunday – (which I trust you read, and have saved for posterity).  If we had had just one of our creative whatnots playing with the wonderful Denilson, who has now become (according to stats) the best defensive midfielder in the league, we would have won

As it is we were depending on Nasri on his own – and that can’t be done.   True we brought on Vela, but Vela isn’t old enough to work in such positions – he has not had enough experience against the 10 man walls.

Our first player back (Theo) is four weeks away from being told he is ok by the doctors, and then he will still need some time to get back into football.   We need a midfielder now, because of the unprescendted situation of having all three creative experienced midfielders out for a long time, all at once.  Either Nasri or Arshavin will play in the middle next to Denilson.  The other will play on the wing.  I shall be deployed in my usual position in the upper tier, just to the left of the halfway line

So now we have midfielders in abundance.

I shall be signing autographed copies of my blog in which I predicted all this, along with memorial copies of the blog in which I got the Nasri purchase right at a time when everyone else had given up talking about it.

And if you keep this page open, I’ll tell you the winner of tomorrow’s 3.30 at Doncaster

Oh bugger – racing abandoned due to snow.  Sorry.

(c) Tony Attwood 2009.  (Actually the more eccentric these ramblings get, the fewer people copy them as their own and put them on other blogs, so maybe I don’t need to keep putting this copyright notice in.  But I do like seeing my name in print.)

Thank you for reading.

PS I shall look a total prat if by the time I get up tomorrow morning the silly bugger has changed his mind again and signed for Manchester Money instead.  But still, if you don’t stick your head over the parapet,  no one can use your ears for target practice.

PPS   David Beckham is buying Leyton Orient.