Great View, Terrible View

The problem with sitting very close to the pitch at matches is that although you get a terrific view for taking pictures, you don't get to see the match as well as you could. I was close enough to shout "ALEX" and not only did he hear me but he looked up and waved.

Top boy that Song! A diplomat in the making.

The match has an entirely different meaning for me when I cannot watch from a proper angle to see what's going on. Sure, I saw the players from very close and sometimes heard them shouting but I couldn't see what happened when the Belgian no. 9 hit the bar. There was a wall of bodies in my way and then suddenly the ball smashes off the bar.

Liege were of a very poor standard to be honest. Please pardon the pun. It's fair to say though that had that ball gone in, we might have struggled a bit.

However, I did see the after effects of Gallas's head injury. He wobbled around (literally) for most of the First Half. I thought he was concussed. And in the Second Half when Eboue and then Song after him went close with what would have been very special goals, I saw the anguish on Eboue's face and the disappointment on Song's.

The best yet worst view was of Kieran Gibbs being hacked by a Standard player near the end of the match. The tackle took place as Gibbs made contact with the ball. It was similar to Robin's case for Holland. Gibbs attempted to play on but he was clearly unable to. This morning it has been confirmed that he will miss up to three months with a fractured foot.

You didn't expect us to go injury-free this season did you?

Nonetheless a good result has given us some breathing room. Players can be rested vs. Olympiakos in the CL next month . Others can get games when they normally wouldn't even make the bench.

As I said immediately after the Sunderland match, the next game is the most important. Chelsea is huge. HUGE!

I don't see it as season ending if we lose, but a draw is obviously the minimum result required. The players know this is one of the matches that the five-year plan hinges on. It is one of the games in which they need to step up and 'repay' Wenger for his faith.

Sharkshavin must raise his game Sunday. A performance a la Anfield last season would work. I'm going to shoot some more pictures now.

Peace!