Football: Merson answers doubters
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Your support makes all the difference.PAUL MERSON hopes his next call from the Arsenal manager, George Graham, after a match-winning two-goal performance in Cyprus will be to tell him he is still in the side to face Premiership leaders Newcastle at Highbury tomorrow.
It would certainly be preferable to the call he had last weekend, ordering him to go and take a four- mile run. That was Merson's fate after his dismal start to the season which, not for the first time, raised question marks over the enigmatic player's ability to harness undoubted talent to consistency.
Recalled for Thursday's European Cup-Winners' Cup-tie against Omonia Nicosia, he promptly unveiled the form Graham wants to see on a far more regular basis.
'I only got back in the team in Cyprus because Kevin Campbell was suspended and I don't know if I'll keep my place,' Merson said. 'I hope so because it should be a terrific game against Newcastle and I want to prove to everybody who says I can't do it consistently that they are wrong.'
Merson has had his ups and downs at Arsenal before. The likelihood is that there will be more to come. Maybe Graham and the Highbury fans just have to enjoy him while they can - and accept that a flawed genius will never completely paper over the cracks.
Merson has three years left of his Highbury contract and continues to deny the on-going rumours that he wants to quit Arsenal. He said: 'I love the club and I want to stay.'
Arsenal weathered an early storm of Omonia raids on a sub-standard pitch when Lee Dixon cleared off the line and Martin Keown deflected a goal-bound rocket over the bar. Then Merson and Ian Wright set about the Cypriots with goals either side of half-time.
Costas Malekos took advantage of a mistake by Stefan Schwarz to give Omonia some hope with 18 minutes to go, but poor defensive work enabled Wright to set up Merson for the clincher.
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