Hangovers; Wenger invited for tea with FA; Hangovers; Platini Talks; More Hangovers

Hi all,

Only a short post today as I'm suffering from a hangover. Having said that, I only had four pints last night so I must be losing my drinking powers!

One bit of good news for tomorrow's game against Everton is that Kolo Toure returns from his one match suspension. Eboue and Adebayor are still banned for their Carling Cup handbags fight with Chelsea.

Hleb returns from his injury (i.e. solitary confinement punishment from Wenger for some crap performanaces of late). Thomas Rosicky didn't start for the match against Villa but is pushing for a start tomorrow.

Manwhile, any hopes of Van Persie making any real contribution at the tail-end of this season are fading fast, with Wenger saying: "I hope we will see him again this season but it could be very short."

I think Arsene may be taking a similar approach to RVP's fitness as he is taking with Thierry Henry. It's important that Arsenal finish as high up the table as possible but, more importantly, lets get every player back to their top physical and mental levels for a title push next season.

Charges
The FA love having Arsene around for a cup of tea so they've invited him around for more disciplinary procedures and scones.

Wenger has been asked by the governing body to explain his comments after the Carling Cup final that “the whole system is not honest”, referring to the disciplinary procedures of the FA.

The Arsenal manager also suggested the assistant whom referee Howard Webb consulted before sending off striker Emmanuel Adebayor in the Carling Cup Final was a “liar”.

The FA have released a statement which read: “Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been charged with improper conduct and/or bringing the game into disrepute.

“The charge relates to his media comments about one of the assistant referees in the Carling Cup final.

Wenger will be expected to bring around one of Pat Rice's lovely sponge cakes when he makes yet another appearance at the FA over a charge of improper conduct after a confrontation with referee Steve Bennett during the Portsmouth match at the Emirates Stadium in December while the Frenchman .

On a particularly cranky day, Wenger reflected sarcastically on his relationship with the FA: "I am not subtle enough maybe to master it completely, but when the truth does not come out you call it as you want. A mistake, a lie, I do not know.

"It is not the truth. The FA have one responsibility, it is to respect football.

"If you tomorrow are manager of Arsenal and you can prove Adebayor intended not to punch [Frank] Lampard would you say 'yes he intended that, thank you very much, the FA are so big, three games, no six? Okay'.

"I can say what I think. They can put me up on the wall and shoot me down, but it still does not make that decision right.

"If they do not like my words, then they do not like it. I will never change.

"Would you like to see me with a dictionary after the game and think 'oh no, that is a little bit too strong, what is the synonym of that word because I could be punished by the FA?"

Maybe Arsene won't bring that sponge cake after all? A shame really, Pat Rice was looking forward to using those oven gloves that Mart Poom bought him for Christmas.

N.B. As Mart Poom never plays, he has a dual role of goalkeeper/canteen chef.

Platini speaks
Michel Platini has waded into the Wenger/ Domenech dispute by sticking up for Mr Domenech.

"I don't understand how Thierry Henry was injured in March due to a match he played in Bosnia in August,"said Platini, in reference to Wenger's accusations of Domenech being a major cause of the striker's recent injury problems..

"I am not a physiotherapist, but I can't understand how he can be injured because of a match six months ago."

Yes, you're right, Platini: Playing an utterly exhausted man for 90 minutes in meaningless friendlies won't have a cumulative effect on the state of his body at all. Is that why you're working in administration instead of football management now?

Well that's all for today. If you're looking for something else to read, pop over to Arsenal Land for a decent article on Wenger's potential midfield selection problems.

Tally-ho!