The Lukas Podolski rumours do not appear to be slowing down any time soon with our good old Per Mertesacker talking about his late night chats with Podolski. There might not be any mention of those chats being late night but it just sounds better. Mertesacker has been selling how good life is at Arsenal but I do not know about the context. Mertesacker and Podolski could be best of friends and Mertesacker could have been asked a loaded question. Either way, it is probably best if those types of answers were avoided

Good evening,

Just wanted to take a few minutes of your time and catch up with all that is the Arsenal right now. I still feel a little weird about last night’s game (Match Thoughts Here), a strange mixture of sadness and happiness at the same time and in football it is unusual to have that combination. Either you are depressed at a result or are doing cartwheels.

We ran out of steam at the end and unfortunately we didn’t have enough of the bench mainly because most were spending their spare time on the treatment table.

When the Ox went off, it was down to a kid who hasn’t played at that level before or an out of favour striker. As we needed a goal, Arsene went with the striker. I guess it was a risk either way.

How we could have done with a certain number 12 unzipping his tracksuit or dare I say it a certain tiny number 23. But what is done is done, it is time to move forward and store this in the mind as one of those fantastic nights that will haunt a little.

The Lukas Podolski rumours do not appear to be slowing down any time soon with our good old Per Mertesacker talking about his late night chats with Podolski. There might not be any mention of those chats being late night but it just sounds better.

Mertesacker has been selling how good life is at Arsenal but I do not know about the context. Mertesacker and Podolski could be best of friends and Mertesacker could have been asked a loaded question. Either way, it is probably best if those types of answers were avoided.

Without knowing anything about what is happening behind the scenes, it appears that negotiations are already pretty advanced, advanced enough to know that the player wants to come and that we want the player. The usual price haggling is probably taking place and probably has been taking place for a while now. It sounds very much like another one of those worst kept secrets and I am guessing that this one will continue to run as journalists will continue to ask questions in Germany to Podolski and also over here to Arsene Wenger and anyone else who may know him.

Given what happened with Juan Mata, you can understand that Arsenal will want this kept quiet, so we can add our extra 75p to our offers whenever we are rejected. Chelsea could come along wave a fat cheque in Podolski’s direction and offer £28m for a player in the last year of his deal just to prize him away from Arsenal. It has happened plenty of times already in recent years.

I did say that I didn’t really want to talk about this but I guess this will become a regular theme where I cannot avoid it.

Arsene Wenger has been charged by Uefa once again, it is almost like a second birthday. Although instead of presents you get touchline bans instead. Not quite as good as a birthday I guess.

Arsene was aggrieved with some of the refereeing decisions made by Slovenian referee Damir Skomina and he made his feelings known,

It is bloody annoying but here is the thing, I am a man and I struggle with multitasking so let us actually get into the Champions League. hopefully minus the qualifier and then I can think about this because until then, it doesn’t really matter right now.

As I write this, news is floating around in Germany that Arsenal and Cologne have agreed a deal for Lukas Podolski. Apparently it is for £10.9m which is such an Arsene Wenger amount. Think Vermaelen, Koscielny, Arteta, Gervinho, Mertesacker even the likes of Nasri all around that cost give or take a few million.

Deal done in March sounds a little far fetched to me, especially considering how well he is doing in Germany right now. Surely waiting suits the player and his money hungry agent. Not sure who is he but surely he is money hungry. Perhaps he only wants a move to Arsenal and we have said deal now or we will wait for a freebie. Who actually knows? I don’t.

I would like to do some type of break dance but still would rather know that this is 100% confirmed, preferably from our end (so that could be in 2015) before I start downloading old Cologne matches and digging up old articles. Yeah, I am that sad but rather be that sad once we have actually bought the player before reading how Manchester City have doubled our offer. Been there done that too many times before.

Before I go, I would like to welcome a new weekly contributor to Arsenal Vision, his name is James ‘Raul’ Stokes.

From me, it’s goodbye until tomorrow.

James ‘Raul’ Stokes’ big-haired bohemian thoughts

Introductions, please.

Hello to you, the delicious reader of Arsenal Vision.

When Mean Lean E-mailed with the offer of writing for his site, I was delighted. No, I was ecstatic. Actually, I’d go with euphoric. To be perfectly honest with you – I want our relationship to be built on mutual trust – I was overcome with an urge to dance, and dance I did. If you can picture a large-haired bohemian fool provocatively gyrating to Motown classic ‘Upside down’, you’ll have a fair idea of my jubilation, and innate oddness. Ahhh, Diana Ross… Even she can take a better penalty than Charlie Adam.

“Okay, who’s this idiot?” I hear you collectively sneer.

Well, like the vast majority of you good folks, I’m a huge Gooner, and an amateur blogger, too. Whether it be news, opinion, joy or frustration; if it’s swirling around my brainbox and relates to The Arsenal, I’m scribing it for the consumption of the masses. Over the course of the upcoming weeks, my hope is to provide you with an interesting and humorous view on all things relating to those wonderful fellows in the red ‘n’ white.

This is just a brief introduction, the real meaty stuff will be headed your way soon. I hope you’ll take a moment to read and enjoy what I have to say. I’m very much looking forward to talking to you all.

Until then, Arsenal forever.

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