Little preview ahead of tomorrow’s game against Fulham.

I came over all excited after we beat Cardiff, thinking it was a turning point and blah blah blah. It wasn’t a turning point. We went on to another comprehensive draw with Sunderland, and I won’t bother to wheel any more stats out about how impotent in front of goal we have suddenly become. The stats don’t lie and the stats aren’t pretty.

But of course, I’m looking forward to it. I love the routine of matchday, I love Saturday 3pm games, and tomorrow my old season ticket mucker Mr D will be in attendance for the first time in a while (he’s a village flood warden these days, though I digress). There’s an opportunity for fried food ahead of the game too – and as we all know, bacon is what made Britain the great country that it is.

So what can we expect? I reckon it’s pretty obvious. Fulham won’t take us on at our own game, they’ll bring their Routemaster and slot it in front of the goal, and who can blame them? So we’ll need to find a way of breaking them down, preferably upping the urgency before the 75th minute.

The good news is that we’ve got Arshavin slotting in, and he had an excellent debut. The other good news is that Lazarus Diaby is fit. No, I know, it’s scarcely believable. But he gives us options that others do not, and I really think he might be key tomorrow. Unless he trips over a toothpaste tube or something this evening, damaging a ventricle or cornea in the process.

Naturally, we’re looking for some of Tuesday’s good performances to carry over. But I’ve said that about a dozen times this season already. Will Frank Spencer put on a show? Can Nasri be as influential as he was? We don’t know.

All I will say is what rotten luck we’ve had this season with injuries. Currently still out are Fabregas, Walcott, Eduardo, Adebayor and Rosicky. A pivotal five players.

Right, well here goes.

Allez les rouges.