Steel Balls and a Joker in the Pack

The Arse 2
(Adik Bayor 58th, Gilberto 60th)

Pompey 2
(Pamarot 45th, Taylor47th)

The congested schedule and the small size of our squad is starting to take its toll. And it doesn't help that Arsene Wenger seems to have put on that jokers hat that Poo's Rafa had so recently discarded.

Jeremie Aliadiere, so long on the crock-list that he's probably listed as a permanent resident, was started in a midfield that is already carrying Theo Walcott.

Utter madness.

Theo Walcott is cute and a babe magnet but he's a luxury item for the team.

A good crosser, he is also able to take on defenders with mazy runs. But he definitely lacks the requisite balls to challenge for the 50-50s and the aerial crosses.

Time and again we see the boy running back to defensive positions but he never made a tackle nor used his speed to catch and harass an overlapping back. Pretty but gutless.

Here we go again, I thought - gastric juices already churning up a storm after a family dinner at Tupai-tupai and a quick perusal of Arsenal's line-up.

Again we were asked to witness the spectacle of a lightweight Arsenal midfield girding their collective loins to do battle - only this time they are also asked to do it while nursemaiding a newbie and a kid.

Cesc and Hleb looked decidedly ragged around the ears but egged on by the seemingly tireless Gilberto, they struggled gamely. Their world were collapsing around them when Pompey crashed two in, but still they struggled on.

Until Wenger came to his senses and pulled out Aliadiere. Oh, what a change!

For such a tiny morsel received, the boys gave back a thousand-fold. From the time Adik Bayor came in, Pompey was in grave danger of going back empty-handed despite being two up.

El Capitaine II, Gilberto Silva, smashes in the equaliser past old Arse, Sol Campbell

In the end, the team pulled off an amazing escape. In fact with a dash of good luck they could have pulled off a great comeback victory but tired minds and tired limbs prevailed in the end.

We didn't quite pull off the win and break the Jinx (we haven't won at the Emirates whenever the opponent scores first) but if the gutsy displays of the last 2 games become part of this team, we'll do that very soon.

So I fervently hope.

We all know that all that The Boss wants for his Xmas ...

... is for the return of the good old days, innit? :P