Lauren axed for Southampton?

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By Boris Mellor
February 26 2005

This morning's Sun claims that Lauren has been axed for the Southampton game? Could this be similar to Wenger's reaction to defeat away at Liverpool when he dropped Lehmann?

I must admit I have been puzzled by the amount of covering Kolo has had to do for him. Yet when Kolo made his error on Tuesday he got no cover at all. Surely full backs should cover a centre back in a lone position?

It also claims that Senderos is to be brought into central defence, which could mean Kolo gets the right back position. That could be interesting and something Arsenal fans have wanted to see for a while.

Of course Arsenal are without a host of players for todays game, including no Fabregas, Edu, Bergkamp,Campbell, Reyes etc. Indeed our injuries and suspensions would make someone a tasty little team.

We messed this fixture up at home, conceding a draw, and it will be interesting to see how Cygan/Senderos deal with the 8 foot tall basketball player Meadow Lark Crouch (Wasn't he the short Harlem Globe Trotter? Ed. Pish of Ed its a metaphor and the only Globe Trotter anyone remembers. Boris. Dont get cheeky Boris or I will pull the column. Ed).

My uncle George had a tactic for fighting drunks, he used to say "just keep backing away from them and they trip over there own legs". Although whether this will work for Crouch is debatable, firstly as I assume he will turn up sober, and secondly he has scored seven goals since Xmas.

Southampton haven't won or lost a game in ages at St Marys, but no doubts the Lords Bountiful of Arsenal will do everything they can to resucitate their season, and raise the Saints confidence.  However lets hope that the Bayern defeat really rankles and that they ditch their normal kindness (Palace an exception that does not prove the rule) to relegation threatend teams and get a good result.

It is most likely that Flamini and Vieira will start together, there is little other choice. Finally mad Frankie will almost certainly start; can Henry begin to find a partner that will replace the magic Dutchman? Well we will know by 2:30pm.