Tin hats at ready for aerial bombardment by Bolton

Coach
By Boris Mellor
March 11 2005

Arsenal will need to pack their tin hats for the expected aerial bombardment by Bolton. Wenger will need his flak jacket to brush off any yak yak attacks of the Walrus.

 Meanwhile it might be difficult to get messages out across no man’s land without the fleet footed messenger Henry.

The battlefield will be no place for the feint hearted; Wenger should take volunteers only for this mother of all battles. Those with no stomach for the fight should be left at home.

Vieira is still getting criticism from some quarters, but on Wednesday he spent a lot of time shielding and organising the defence, that cut his mobility down. He will have to do the same on Saturday; perhaps an extra midfielder is required to help him out.

Pires has only just recovered from the assault by Prutton, Wenger says he put him on against Bayern still not fully fit,  but the team needed fresh legs. He is not sure what role he will give him at Bolton (ie bench, or start).

Thierry Henry and Edu are injured; Gilberto is still not match-fit after his lengthy lay-off with a fractured vertebrae. He may well play for the Reserves on Monday. Sol Campbell and Pascal Cygan are still out. Jens Lehmann will be in goal and Emmanuel Eboue on the bench.

Arsene says he will play his strongest possible team on Saturday, whether that includes Reyes remains to be seen. There is a suspicion that Jose does not like it up him, and no doubt big Sam’s boy’s will be playing with bayonets fixed (that’s enough military analogies Ed). In fairness to Jose he is physically lightweight, that showed against Bayern.

Bolton has had the evil eye on us for the last few games, but there have also been a lot of draws. If the defence can play like we did in last 45 minutes against Bayern, or Sheffield, for the whole game, a draw should be the least we will get.