With British football taking a break for the Christmas weekend, apart from Scotland because they’re so fearless they play on Christmas Eve and so fearless that their league leaders can get two men sent off and still wi…lose 2-1 to St. Mirren, it was a chance for managers to have a brief break from the autonomous life of having their name echoing in the terraces and instead sit down for a Christmas meal with their nearest and dearest.
Arsene Wenger didn’t though, he never stops, “On the 25th, you think Wolves. To do well against Wolves. You think about the next game, that’s all.” Joyeux Noël indeed, Mr. Wenger. Unlike the majority of the Premier League fixtures over Christmas, Arsenal didn’t host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day, it was moved back 24 hours to December 27th due to another display of London inefficiency – the Boxing Day strikes. However, despite the cause, “once again the tube’s on strike, the greedy bastards want extra pay, for sitting on their ass all day,” it was no excuse for Arsenal’s eventual 1-1 draw with 10-men Wolves, who played the last 15 minutes with the man deficit. “I want my *expletive” money back” probably wasn’t the overriding tone of Arsenal fans however, as they witnessed a gallant performance from Wayne Hennessey in which Wolves earned their first point on the road since August. The ‘keeper said, “take your oyster card and shove it up your…….”
Steve Kean didn’t take the opportunity to have a short stop from the autonomous life of having to listen to his name echo around the terraces either. Instead of sitting down for a Christmas meal with his nearest and dearest (suspects include David Moyes, Sir Alex Ferguson, Kenny Dalglish and the Last King of Scotland) Steve Kean tucked into his Venky’s Christmas pie with David Dunn Potato Smileys, alongside the Bishop of Blackburn for some guidance from above. No, really.
After having his name aggressively chanted before the defiant cry of “Out!” the Scottish manager has finally come into a run of luck, at least off-the-pitch, and it is seemingly going to copy suit over into his Premier League form. Having had the Scot Sir Alex Ferguson state, “It doesn’t say a lot for society – for goodness sake, give the lad a break,” the Scot Kenny Dalglish say, “results aren’t purely down to what the manager does,” and the Scot David Moyes snap that he can’t, “believe the criticism they gave the manager, I thought it was disgusting,” someone other than a Scot jumped to the defence of the Scot.
A very spirited piece and long may it continue into the New Year!