We have qualified top of the group. Well done, lads.

Is this a reason to play a B team tonight? You bet it is.

Olympiakos would like to win this fixture and thus have the chance to progress, Marseilles would like us to win and allow them to go into the knockout rounds. Should we care? How would we feel in Marseilles place if AFC play a team that has no chance of winning?

My guess is that the fans of the other 3 teams in the group will look at our travellers and think “this is wrong – no van Persie, no Walcott, no Worlds No 1”, but ….. and this is a huge but ….. our B team are more than capable of beating Olympiakos in Athens (unlike BD) and I fully expect them to do so.

Almost all of our side are Internationals or have future stars stamped across their foreheads. Rosicky is likely to play some part and he is his Nation’s Captain, as is Bennie, and TV, and so is Arshavin.  Fabianski is an International, so are Park and Chamakh, so too are Squillaci and JD  – this is not a sub-standard side, it is a team of top quality players who will be desperate to impress on the International stage.

I am surprised to see Santos travel with the squad – he is surely in “the red.” I know we are short at LB but Miquel did well against the Oil Slickers so why not give him another go?

My team:

Almost the same team that started in the CC but Olympiakos are no Man City.

One bad omen. Two years ago we lost to MC in the Carling and a week later travelled to Olympiakos where a young Arsenal team which included Tom Cruise, Merida, Vela, a 17 y.o. JW, and Kyle Bartley lost 1-0.

An inventor from Athens? How about Archimedes. For some reason I can find no photos of the great man so we will have to make do with the technology of the time which shows the lad to sport a top beard and moustache. Well played Archie!

COYRRG

Written by Big Raddy