West Ham today and a chance to start making amends for the dire performances we’ve been forced to endure since the Man City match. The good news is that West Ham will be without Scott Parker who has single-handedly kept them from casting adrift at the bottom of the table.

Well, that’s how it looks to me as an ‘outsider.’

As we know, we will be without Fabianski (shoulder) and Sagna (funky chicken) and the expectations on their replacements are poles apart – no pun intended. Whereas the inclusion of Chesney in the line-up causes not one single palpitation, knowing that Eboue will be impersonating a right-back once again does leave me slightly nervy. Eboue worked harder than anyone I can remember at turning his game around and it is a real shame to see him revert to his diving, whinging, incompetent ways and we can only hope that he watched his ‘performance’ against Ipswich and has decided he likes it far more when the  fans are behind him and puts his head down and works hard again. Alternatively, he is nothing more than a distraction to the entire squad and, on his day, a liability.

Too harsh? I don’t really think so.

With Nasri and Van Persie back from their mid-week rest we should have some added threat, but given that we haven’t scored from open play in something like 300+ minutes of football, and only managed to score one v West Ham at our place, I’m not overly expecting a goal-fest today. Of course, should Arsenal wish to prove me wrong you won’t get any complaints from me.

Lining up, we should be like this: Chesney, Eboue, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy, Song, Cesc, Jack, Nasri, Theo, RVP.

Instantly that teams looks far more lethal than any which includes Denilson, Arshavin, and Bendtner. What those three players should take from that, I’m not entirely sure, but they must be coming close to truly testing the patience of many-a Arsenal fan.

So what can we expect today? Well, this team, with Nasri et al have played a higher tempo game than their stand-ins and if we hit the ground running we should have too much for West Ham. Turn up with an attitude akin to that which we faced Leeds, or Ipswich, or West Brom, or Newcastle etc, and we will, once again, get our arses handed to us. With the Mancs playing away at the Spuds tomorrow, there is the real possibility that they will be dropping some points. We simply MUST take advantage should that happen.

100% first, three points second.

That’ll do me. You?

Just in – Regardless of what happens today, it is being reported that Avram is on his way out of West Ham with Martin O’Neil coming in. Avram Grant has only lost one game in the last seven and on the verge of yet another Cup Final, but there you go, some decisions make no sense whatsoever.

Football huh?

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