By Boris Mellor
November 28 2006

It’s bad enough listening to opposition fans passing on foul rumours about an Arsenal player, but when it is some of our supporters doing it, it makes me doubly sick.

I refer to the nose tappers, who as medical experts, decided that Henry wasn’t injured but just didn’t fancy a trip to Bolton. This was backed up by the alleged evidence that he has missed several games against the Trotters in recent times. In fact that evidence is bunk, Henry played at Bolton in the Premiership home and away last season. At the away game he was the Arsenal's Man of the Match. However he was rested in the cup, he was not the only one rested, so was Pires, Gilberto and Bergkamp. Perhaps they were all terrified? Personally I think Bergkamp is one of the hardest players I have ever seen play and I have seen a few. The reason they were rested was the fact they had played a two-hour game against the Latics in the Carling Cup.

Now I have no more evidence as to the state of Henry’s fitness than anyone else, but if Wenger decided to rest him that’s his decision and not Thierry’s, and fans, albeit a very small minority should resist passing on rumours without any evidence. So get off his back, he has had no real rest since World Cup. Remember he broke into to his holiday to play in Bergkamp’s testimonial. The only thing worse than a boo boy, is an armchair boo boy. Get off his back he is doing his best.

It should also be kept in mind that the Gunners have two local derbies coming up. They play Fulham midweek, and Spurs on Saturday. Meanwhile Spurs will have their feet up, whilst Arsenal will prepare for Porto away, and then Chelsea away. So whatever the truth of Henry’s fitness, he will have to be rested again at some point. Fans will just have to accept that.

However there is good news before the Fulham game and that is that Thierry Henry (neck) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) will return to the squad, and Robin van Persie has served his one-match suspension and is now available.

Looking ahead to Fulham some may be tempted to think this will be a walkover, and to some extent that depends on which Fulham turn up. However looking back to Saturday it was not Bolton's thuggish antics that beat the Gunners, but Arsenal’s poor defending. Last season, at home, we gave Fulham a goal start with our typical lousy defending. We chased the game for a while but then that fine header of the ball Cygan equalised and the Gunners won 4-1. At the Cottage it was 4-0. By now I assume Fulham are wary of us, and may decide to park the bus, and look for the occasional break. As the Arsenal are arch mugs faced with this kind of approach, and the prolific scorer Cygan has been sold on, who can predict what the score will be? After all Man City, Bolton and Newcastle were all in crap form until they met the Gunners. Teams who cannot score, score when they meet the Arsenal, lame players walk, and assholes like Anelka get a brace when they haven’t scored all season. Truly this team works miracles, but unfortunately of the wrong sort.

New stadium the cause of the blip? It seems more likely it is the November Blues and inexperience. This could prove to be the most open battle for third and fourth spot in a long while. Last years battle for CL places was exciting enough, but if the Gunners want one of these places they will have to improve pretty quickly.

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