Battle Of The Buffet II
‘WE know that Arsenals second-string side can almost match the seniors efforts on the pitch, but can they do the same off it?
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Can Mathieu Flamini hurl pea soup with the same panache as Edu? Can Jermaine Pennant fling pizza the same mighty distances as Robert Pires? Is Quincy Owusu-Abeyie as deadly with a cheese and ham sandwich as Thierry Henry?
We will hopefully find out in three weeks time when the Gunners travel to Old Trafford for their Carling Cup quarter-final or what the Mirror is calling Battle Of The Buffet The Second Helping.
Sir Alex Fergusons reaction to last nights draw, apart from a mental note not to wear his best suit that night, was captured by the Sun.
Oh deary me, he said. The FA will be delighted.
United booked their passage into the last eight, courtesy of a 2-0 win over what was effectively Crystal Palace reserves in a match that saw Louis Saha end his eight-game goal drought.
In other matches, Chelsea will play Fulham, Spurs will host Liverpool and Watford will be at home to Portsmouth.
Who Portsmouths manager will be by then is not clear, with the Mirror suggesting that Harry Redknapp may have been forced out.
Pompey were in the bottom half of the old Division One when the former West Ham boss took over and are now in the top half of the Premiership.
But Redknapp and chairman Milan Mandaric are known not to get on and news that Panathinaikoss Croatian director of football, Velimir Zajec, quit yesterday apparently to join Portsmouth has only increased speculation.
One man who does appear to be on his way out is Southamptons Steve Wigley, who is by general consent one game away from losing his job.
And such is the Saints plight that news in the Mail that the club will turn again to Glenn Hoddle might not provoke the same outrage that it did last time.
The paper says the board accept that the former England coach represents the most sensible option and even the supporters are starting to warm to the idea.
Keeping Southampton up might represent something of a miracle, but there is no-one in English football more capable than performing a miracle than The Chosen One.’
Posted: 11th, November 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
