Some Hangover

Not at all alcohol-induced, but rather, caused by the sheer drain of having to think about the reasons for and implications of the Aaron Ramsey injury. There's been too much going on about it, so I'll spare myself the pain. The Arseblog has a good enough take on it, and there's nothing much more anybody can add. There is, however, another angle to this.

First, there is no avoiding it, but we do have to contemplate the effect this will have on the young lad's career. It may be a small redeeming factor that he's still "only 19", and that he should heal better and faster. But let's not forget that Diaby hadn't yet turned 20 either when he had his ankle done in. Apart from Henrik Larsson, I can't think of any top-level player who has experienced such an injury without going through the rest of their season with frequent niggles and never really rediscovering their peak. Think Djibril Cisse, and of course Diaby himself and Eduardo. Our prayers are with him.

So we now have to contemplate the career of one of Britain's rising stars. And what is the British tabloid press still going on about? John Terry, Wayne Bridge, and now Craig Bellamy's views on JT. The sheer imbecility of it all. Of course, it helped that it was another one of England's best young ones who did the deed in Ryan Shawcross. You can only wonder what the reaction would be if the perpetrator had been El-Hadj Diouf, or any such "foreigner" plying his trade in the EPL. We all know the difference between an Eduardo dive, a Ronaldo dive, and a Wayne Rooney dive. But maybe not. After all, Rooney has never, and will never dive.

All in all, looking at things from a pure footballing perspective, it would not be totally insane to see this past weekend as a real turning point in the season. In the space of half an hour, our season could have ended just as it did one spring day in Birmingham. But it didn't. The character that had been missing in games such as Man U at the Emirates suddenly re-emerged when it was needed most. I'm sure the players feel it, and I'm sure the fans feel it too. This could really be it, and even if we narrowly miss out in the end, if we put a good run in, it can only do wonders for our confidence. Both players and fans.

In the meantime, fingers crossed for the mindless internationals coming up. We have Burnley coming up. Let's take care of that, and see to improving on our goal difference too.