lthough it does beg the question as to why Cesc and Alex were watching Barca when they should have been watching Arsenal instead?!

Squid Boy here. Mean Lean is unable to do the MyVision today so you’ve got me instead. And what a day to be an Arsenal fan, there’s absolutely nothing concrete going on.

For the first time in a long time, we are not playing on the weekend but on a Monday night instead. Here’s a pop quiz for you hotshots out there: when was the last time we played a league game on a Monday night???? Leave your answers in the comments section below.

In my opinion, this weekend is like the summer. You wake up Saturday morning kinda relieved that you haven’t got the stress/tension/nervousness of a game. You try and go about your normal life for a while, safe in the knowledge that there may be some non-Arsenal football to fall back on so you don’t suffer withdrawal symptoms (this weekend it’s the rest of the Premiership, in the summer it’s a European Championship or World Cup). But even that is unfulfilling. Come Sunday night (after the league games/Euros/World Cup), you’re yearning to see us play gain. Not just because you miss The Arsenal, but also because having some real juicy, meaty, succulent football (damn I’m hungry now) will put an end to all the meaningless transfer rumours and hot air.

And that’s exactly what we have this weekend, a bunch of hot air. The first bit is Cesc and Alex Hleb being spotted at the Barca/Rangers game midweek after being given the night off against Slavia Prague. Anytime Cesc even so much mentions the words “Barca” or “Catalan” the Spanish media whip themselves into a frenzy. Here is an example:

Cesc (at the airport) – “Hi which gate do I have to board from for the flight to Barcelona? Is it still Gate 49 for Catalan Airlines?”

Upon hearing that, the Spanish press start creaming themselves. Idiots. And of course our old friends on NewsNow, FC B*stard-loner blog – they never fail to pick up on stuff like this. You gotta love the way the official website puts an end to the rumours though:

“At his usual Friday press conference, Wenger did not so much slam the door shut on the story as triple lock it, put the bolt on and erect a watch-tower to ensure no-one came near again.”

Great stuff. Although it does beg the question as to why Cesc and Alex were watching Barca when they should have been watching Arsenal instead?! Naughty boys.

Next in line to have a pop at Le Boss is Reading manager Steve Coppell, saying that we should have produced more English players during Wenger’s reign. Join the queue mate. After Blatter and Platini’s rubbish, we’re used to this kinda crap. Arsene has given ample chances to plenty of young English players: Richard Wright, Franny Jeffers, Matt Upson, Jermaine Pennant and David Bentley amongst others. Through either attitude problems or simply not being able to make the grade, none of them succeeded at the Club. As for the players who Wenger let go – Sidwell, Muamba, Cashley – I’d say it was quite magnanimous of him to allow them to ply their trade elsewhere instead of letting them rot in the reserves. I mean its not as if any of the aforementioned players has turned out to be world beaters, is it?

Speaking of Reading, Le Boss has indicated that a fair amount of the eight who were rested for the game in Prague will come back into the lineup. I can see the usual back-five and Hleb, Cesc and Ade being restored. Then it’s a decision between Flamini/Gilberto/Diarra to see who partners Cesc in midfield, and two from Eduardo/Rosicky/Eboue/Theo/Diaby, depending on what formation we play. Whoever he chooses, I hope we go back to a 4-4-2. And for the love of God, no more Eduardo and Theo on the wings though, please? It’s like playing Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen out wide with Emile Heskey through the centre, it just doesn’t work.

And onto the final piece of news to come out today. Apparently three Arsenal season ticket holders, all of different religions, have threatened to take legal action against THEIR OWN CLUB because they are offended by the anti-Semitic chants directed at Spurs fans and players. What is the world coming to? I went to school with a high proportion of Jewish students, and if you started chanting “Yiddo” at them then you’d have every right to face action. But Spurs? They’ve adopted the moniker themselves to take the edge off any bad feeling the chants may cause, so for three of our own to start complaining is a bit rich. We ourselves have a fair amount of Jewish fans but I’m sure they know that the chants directed towards Totteringham are not intended with any racial undertones. If these three fans are so aghast at what they hear, I’d be more than happy to take their season tickets off their hands.