I thought about it all weekend, but eventually I had to write this post because Raymond Domenech was out off line.

For those of you who missed it, Domenech who is the French national team coach, was not happy that William Gallas reinjured his calf against Barcelona and will miss the rest of the regular season.

Domenech was unhappy that Gallas played saying:

Quote:

“I am livid about Gallas. It is outrageous and irresponsible to have played him so early after the injury. It’s scandalous. He better be fit for the World Cup,” Domenech said, according to the Sunday Express.

Oh where to start with that quote? Gallas missed games for Arsenal with his calf injury. He had been training with the first team for four daus before the Barcelona game and was able to do everything that was expected of him. He told Wenger he was fit and ready to go.

What gets more going most about Domenech’s quote is the “He better be fit for the World Cup”. Gallas is a Arsenal player, who plays for France, not the other way around. Arsenal pay his salary. And if Arsenal feel he was fit then they have the right to play him.

I understand the pressure that national team managers are under, but the players belong to the clubs not the national team. England’s boss Fabio Capello played Wayne Rooney against Egypt last month when he was injured, and as a result Rooney aggravated the injyr and missed the next Manchester United game.

And then there is Robin van Persie, who Arsenal lost for half a season because Holland wanted him to play in a meaningless friendly against Italy.

Clubs need to take care of their interests first, and if that makes it more difficult for a national team manager, so be it.

Five reasons why Arsenal can beat Barcelona...

1) Barcelona are weaker
First choice centre-halves Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique suspended, standby Yaya Toure likely to be missing, first leg scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic definitely out and Andres Iniesta not match-fit makes Barcelona not as strong as last week.

2) Theo Walcott
The winger's explosive pace made all the difference when he came on at the Emirates last week. Walcott looked like a player who is ready to time his World Cup run perfectly and a performance in the Nou Camp could nail down that England berth.


3) Nou Camp nerves
This is a tie that should have been over, but is still all to play for. If the Gunners can keep things calmer from the start and avoid falling behind too early, then the anxiety levels will start to grow, especially among the reshaped Barca back line.

4) Arsene Wenger
Le Professeur will have gone to school after last week and developed a game-plan designed to close Barca down. He will have worked on the psychology of his team as well, making them believe history is in their grasp

5) Last-gasp heroes
Dead and buried last week but had the courage to pull themselves out of the fire and 18 goals in the last 10 minutes of matches this season is proof of a team that never knows when it is beaten.

... And five reasons why they can't...

1) Last week
Barcelona's first half brilliance was footballing shock and awe and will have left a huge impression on every Arsenal player, despite the eventual scoreline. Play like that again and there can surely only be one outcome.

2) The carousel
Fergie's perfect metaphor for Barca's pass and move approach to the game under Pep Guardiola. If the machine clicks into gear, Arsenal will be whirled around and shot off into the void.

3) Lionel Messi
By his own high standards, Messi was merely good last week, not great. But the little Argentine schemer is the jewel in the Catalan crown, a truly joyful player to watch and loves the wide open spaces of the Nou Camp

4) Arsenal weaker
No Cesc Fabregas, William Gallas or Andrey Arshavin, with a massive doubt over Alex Song too. The Gunners look short of midfield creativity unless Samir Nasri picks this moment to really shine.

5) Come on, didn't you see last week?
Nothing more to say really. Arsenal can't get that lucky again, can they?

The Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh has had another good season with the French Champions. They have reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League, and are just one point away from the top of Ligue 1 with two games in hand, but he has explained why he has decided to look for pastures new next season.

It was reported yesterday that Chamakh had agreed a four-year deal with Arsenal worth £12m to the Morrocan hitman, and he explained that he wasn’t leaving Bordeaux for the money.

“I just want to discover different football and other fans,” he said last night. “The time I have spent here has been wonderful and I still have other moments to share with the group.”

“I want to give my best before leaving for new horizons. I will not give up trying. My club and town will remain Bordeaux for ever. But I want to discover a different league, a different culture.”

Let’s hope that he can adapt quickly to the pace of the Premier League, and starts knocking them in here as often as he does for Bordeaux!