MEMORY OF BOLTON ORCS SLAIN - ARE THE KIDS READY?
We all headed into that League Cup game with a foul taste in our mouths. The metallic swill of Sunday despair demanded a minty sorbet cleanser whipped up by the finest Project Youth chefs in the game.
Damn.
That was fresh.
Two Nwaneri goals.
Nichols involved in two of the goals.
MLS inverting like a more athletic Zinchenko, fizzing Michelin-star balls into Raheem Sterling.
Kabia making a debut. Maldini making a debut. Porter making a debut.
No injuries.
A BRUTAL DECAPITATION OF BOLTON.
5-1 against a League One side is a result you can only get as a Premier League team if you have a good culture. That score means the senior players showed up to win, and the young kids understood the brief.
Raheem Sterling has had his whole being questioned – but he put the rumours to bed with a performance that was purring. He was light on his feet, productive, sharp, defensively solid, and he scored a goal. This is a sleeper hit of a signing… when United wanted him, you lot were laughing at them (I was laughing at them), now he’s signed for us, and you want to walk away from that view (please let me walk away). I’m not having it (I will take the L in secret). Raheem is going to be so, so useful to us if he can stay fit all season.
Two players we needed to see something from were MLS and Nwaneri.
Both were brilliant. MLS inverting from the left was exceptional. He’s a small player, but light on his feet, strong, with a very cultured range of passing. I’ve already noted he set the ball rolling for Raheem to give an assist. It was a really encouraging game beyond that. He held his own against grown men and showed he was a level above all of them.
Ethan scoring two goals in second gear gave us a glimpse into what we could see from him. He’s raw, because he’s a baby. But he has Kai-like body language – totally at ease being in the first team. He never tries to do too much… and under pressure, he mostly makes the right decisions. Two goals? Surely he’s getting some minutes against Leicester.
The senior players did well. Declan settled the nerves early on with a goal and a forceful performance. Calafiori was on a power level above anyone in a green shirt; he’s top tier. Kiwior showed again that he would be good in most teams’ central defence. Saka playing made me a little angry, but he wanted to be in the action.
Even the subs cared. Kai Havertz scored a goal. Martinelli was deep in the mix, trying to get a proper break to get him into the kind of form we’re begging to see from him.
5-1 in what I wanted to see. Too often over the last decade, we’ve mailed it in for the League Cup. Our record is embarrassing, especially annoying when you consider a lot of top managers use this tournament to kickstart their season. This could be our year. We’ve got a great squad. Great youngsters. Momentum.
Preston in the next round…
Say it quietly… but the momentum feels like it’s with Arsenal. We’re more relevant than ever. The media hates us. Rival fans hate us. PGMOL hates us.
That’s exactly where we want to be – winding up the nation. Hopefully, we’ll cap off the season with a haul of silverware.
Check out ‘On The Whistle’. It’s me, Johnny, and Matt. It was a banger. Members only.