The way I see it – Bolton Wanderers v Arsenal

Last updated : 02 December 2005 By Jason Hogan
Things haven't been too bad down at the Arsenal either lately, have they? In fact when I got up on Thursday morning I actually pinched myself. Not because it was the first day of the month you understand but because it was purely my way of coming to terms with the fact that the Arsenal had actually got through the whole of November without losing a single game they played in! I'm sure most Gooners out there know exactly what I mean here.

It was perhaps fitting that it was the kids that ensured that the Arsenal would see November out with a win over Reading given that they set the tone at the start of the month with a win up at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland. What is beyond doubt is that the kids we have at Arsenal are definitely alright.

Fans of opposing teams have accused us on various fans forums of going over the top about what the kids did on Tuesday night but how on earth can you fail, as an Arsenal fan, to be enthusiastic and optimistic when you see a side containing 10 players under the age of 22 and six players under the age of 20 going out and doing a number on the best team outside of the Premiership right now? Who else is doing this sort of thing in the competition and proving themselves capable of getting away with it?

Reading couldn't have come to Highbury in much better form. They were unbeaten in their last 23 domestic games for Christ sake and they came with their strongest team barring Bobby Convey and Glenn Little, who were both left on the bench.

Nobody can say that Reading rolled over or never took the game seriously on the night and maybe if Dave Kitson, Leroy Lita and Steve Sidwell were more efficient the result could have been different.

But it turned out to be a night of redemption for Reyes who ended a 12-match barren spell with a well taken opener after the impressive Quincy set him up, a night when van Persie underlined his burgeoning promise and a night when young Arturo Lupoli showed once again what a young predator he is.

There is still a long way to go but I would love to see the young kids make the final of the Carling Cup this year. It would be a huge fillip for the whole club and it would certainly go a long way underlining the fact that Wenger has just about the best eye in the game for young talent. We certainly have a decent chance of making the semis - as long we avoid Doncaster in the last eight.

I watched the Rovers destroy Villa at Belle Vue the other night. They were bloody brilliant I have to say. In all seriousness I would not want to see us going there to play that lot on their own patch. I know that we are likely to have our kids out once again if we were to meet Rovers but if this lot were to beat us it wouldn't stop the press and the media heaping more shame in us than Tottenham ever got after being beaten by Grimsby in what was effectively the first round.

Anyway, let's now look at our trip to the Reebok to face the wanderers of Bolton.

Like us, the Wanderers booked a place in the last eight of the Carling Cup in the week although they were made to fight all the way by Leicester who took them to extra time before Ricardo Vaz Te settled things.

It meant that Bolton were none the worse off for being deprived of the services of El Hadji Diouf who talked himself into a second booking after the final whistle went at Craven Cottage last Saturday and although it's not absolutely he would have played against Leicester anyway, he will be available for the game against us – worst luck.

Being one not to mince my words, I would say that Diouf is quite simply a real piece of scum – but the fact is the boy can play. I remember when he first came to prominence in the 2002 World Cup against France. Desailly and Thuram were the centre halves that day and I'll tell you all this – I have seen strikers give one of those players a hard time at one time or another in a France shirt but Diouf gave BOTH of them the runaround that day. He was brilliant and was integral part in Senegal's shock win over the French that day.

Of course, since he has been in this country, it's safe to say that the boy has not covered himself in too much glory. But as I said, he can play when the mood takes him and Arsenal found that out to their cost last January in last season's corresponding fixture. Even Sol found it hard to deal with him that day and it was he that Diouf rolled around to get in the cross which led to Stelios converting a header at the far post, a strike which proved decisive on the night.

Bolton have far more about them than just Diouf. I have always been a fan of Kevin Davies even though his career hasn't quite hit the heights that I thought it once would. Kevin Nolan is another one that I am a fan of. He is the most underrated English midfielder in the country for me and I have no doubts as to whether he could perform on a slightly bigger stage if ever he was to leave Bolton for some reason.

In fact, the only thing that really bugs me about Bolton is not so much their style of football but the boss – Sam Allardyce. Sorry, but I don't like the bloke one bit. He is one of the biggest hypocrites in the game today.

He brandishes the notion that Bolton are a humble little club who are trying to make good but always end up getting the rough end of the deal particularly against the big clubs. Yet every five minutes he is in the papers having cheap digs particularly at Arsene and Arsenal as a club and therefore courting cheap publicity for himself and the club in the process.

Recently, he accused Arsene of being a conman and misleading everyone with the idea that Arsenal always play attractive football. Sorry, Sammy Boy, but believe me if anyone is a conman it's you. In the way that David O'Leary was forever talking about his former Leeds side as his babies, nobody is really buying into this "little Bolton" crap anymore or the fact that Allardyce uses this as some sort of race card in order to get what he sees as fair treatment week in, week out for his team.

Bolton may have a few old soldiers of fortune in the ranks but nevertheless they are side packed with experienced players who have been around, been there, done it, got a few T-shirts and have proved themselves to be big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves in the Premiership over the last few years – in more ways than one.

In a nutshell, that has been the secret of their success as far as I can see. That is why they are playing in Europe these days and that is why they have every chance of finishing in the top six once again this year.

We know how Bolton are going to play the game. We know that they will make it as ugly as possible for as long as possible and work from there. I know that we got some revenge for the league defeat at the Reebok when we met them there a few months later in the cup but I would dearly love to see us go up there give them one hell of a spanking and watch Allardyce carp and moan after the game in the way that only he can.

The reality is very different though. Bolton have lost just once in their last nine games in all competitions and they will relish the prospect of facing us because as usual they will have everything to gain whereas the Arsenal will have it all to lose.

It's a really big time for Arsenal coming up in the next fortnight and a bit. There are teams immediately below us with far easier games to play over the same period.

There are some people that have suggested that Arsenal are back in the last few weeks and that the Arsenal are on a real roll. Personally I think that it's true to an extent. But as I said before, I still think that we have a score to settle with this lot even though we beat them in their back yard in that cup tie back in February.

Losing to them back in January was just about the lowest point of last season for me taking into account how we played particularly in the second half that night. I'll never forget how I felt after watching that game live on the box last year. I do NOT want to feel like that again this time around.