Happy hallowe'en to you all. A day for spooky things like spirits, trolls, monsters and the thoughts of our defence trying to cope with Rory Delap's long throws.

This morning's Sun quotes an 'Arsenal source' who spoke of dressing room discontent after the game against Sp*rs the other night. Sourcey, as I call him, says:

Everyone was going crazy in the dressing room after the game. There were a lot of raised voices and fingers being pointed. Everyone was blaming each other for Spurs’ two late goals and the manager was as angry as anyone has seen him for a long time.

Hardly a surprise, is it? I'd be more worried if there weren't some raised voices after a final 4 minutes like that. They say that the crux of the argument was the lack of leadership shown by William Gallas and Mikael Silvestre. That, of course, remains speculative. I suspect the arguing was mostly about throwing away two goals against those cunts. 

Nevertheless, Emmanuel Adebayor spoke to Arsenal TV and confirmed tempers were raised. He said:

It's better to wait. There would be a lot of words that we don't have to use and we aren't supposed to use to each other. Then we will get together and tell the truth. The nerves will calm down and everyone will have to accept their critics.

I wonder what words they're not supposed to use to each other. If I was Arsenal manager I would ban entirely use of the word 'ramekin'. It's a silly word despite the object itself being particularly handy. Still, there's obviously a bit of pointing and blaming and stuff going on within the squad and maybe that's not a bad thing. Maybe it takes the criticism of your peers for you to do something about your attitude or performance. Then again, maybe there are those that don't give a shit what anyone thinks of their performances.

The Sun goes on to say that Gallas's hamstring injury is 'convenient' for Arsene Wenger. If we take it at face value the injury provides the manager with the chance to bring back Kolo Toure in defence alongside Sylvester without having to drop the club captain. The other implication is that this isn't really an injury at all and Gallas is being dropped.

The Mirror reports that Gallas has ruled himself out of the game after harsh words with the manager. Surely that can't be true. Ok, given the fact it's Gallas it wouldn't surprise me. He's obviously an emotional person, we've seen it before, but for the captain of the club to declare himself 'injured' because he was criticised by the manager? Madness. If it is true then serious questions have to be asked about his position as captain. More serious questions than the ones that exist at the moment, I mean. And I'm being tremendously diplomatic there. I haven't suggested that he should be fired out of a cannon into the sun, or anything.

The article goes to say that Gallas, Sylvester and Adebayor were the main targets of the manager's ire with all three set to be 'dropped' for tomorrow. We might then see a central defensive partnership of Kolo + Djourou and, perhaps, Bendtner in up front alongside van Persie. Diaby and Alex Song might also come in to add some strength as we face a Stoke side that is physically quite big and strong. 

So, it's going to be interesting to hear what Arsene has to say today in his press conference. Of course he won't mention any fights or anything like that. As always he will publicly defend his players but obviously there's been quite a bit of fall-out since Wednesday night. Perhaps the team selections over the coming weeks will give us more of an idea how it all went. 

Right, on to this week's Arsecast and joining me for a blogchat about Sp*rs and stuff is GilbertoSilver from Gunnerblog. Sylvester celebrate his first Arsenal goal, Amaury Bischoff PI is there, the Man in the Bar responds to a recent cover version of his cover version of Barry Manilow's Mandy, and the usual waffle, guff and flapdoodle.

You can subscribe to the Arsecast iTunes by clicking here. Or if you want to subscribe directly to the feed URL you can do so too. To download this week's arsecast directly - click here (16mb MP3) or you can listen directly below without leaving this very page.

As well as that there's a dedicated Arsecast hotline available all season long should you desire to make a comment, get something off your chest, share a song a chant or hilarious anecdote. Feel free to call it any time during the week, it'll go to voicemail and you can leave your message. The number from inside the UK is 020 3286 6360 or from outside the UK it's +44 20 3286 6360.

Ok, have fun. More tomorrow. 

First of all, I must apologise to the Ole Ole Auditor, who text messaged me last night to ask if I was all set to write the blog today. My initial reply was "who the fuck is this?" since my phone didn't recognise the number. I knew it wasn't Arseblogger, since I know his number. So said text messager replied to me and said he was the Ole Ole Auditor, and I decided that was licence to send back a rather rude message. I may even have mentioned his mum (I'm not sure. I've deleted all the text messages since; I find myself increasingly doing that of an evening). Anyway, he phoned me, I hadn't a fucking clue who it was cos I was so blind drunk, and I had to text Arseblogger to find out. Anyway, long and boring story short, I now know who it was, and I apologise. That's what happens when you talk to a drunk cunt.

Secondly, being madder at work than a badger on LSD that's just been taken to the circus and pumped full of mescaline, I haven't had time to frequent the forums recently, and I had no idea that Arseblogger was going to London today (until earlier in the week when he asked me to write the blog - right enough, with the benefit of hindsight that should've been a clue). So when he texted me last night to say it was only his fucking birthday today, I felt like a right cunt. Even more so. So I'm sure you'll join me in wishing Arseblogger many happy returns on his 43rd birthday. There's no doubting, he looks good for his age. I'm glad he's chosen one of the game of the season nail-biters for his trip. Fingers crossed for an 83-0

So, enough of the frivolity. What's happening in the world of Arsenal today?

Firstly the bad news. Tomas Rosicky has no fixed date of return, leaving the manager speechless. I'm not sure that's too much of a problem, frankly, since barely anyone can know who he is anyway. I don't know what we do about him. Not a lot, I suppose - it's not like we can sell him, and having signed a contract, (quite rightly) he's going to carry on trying to get fit. He doesn't strike me as the sort that would drag an injury out because he's a lazy cunt that just wants to sit and earn his tens of thousands of pounds a week for doing fuck all (unlike, say, me, perhaps), and he's a talented player. It's very frustrating.

Worryingly, Samir Nasri also remains sidelined by a knee injury, and joins Rosicky, Diaby, and Eduardo as the only other injured members of the squad. Nasri, as you know, picked up his knee injury on international duty. I fucking hate international duty. I hate it more than I hate being poked in the eye with a fucking hot poker. And I fucking hate that.

In better news (sort of), Silvester is fit and ready for his first game of the season. When Gallas joined us, he'd been agitating for a move, and I think it's fairly common knowledge that we'd been after him for a while. But Silvester is a cunt. A proper cunt. A right cunt. He played for *those* cunts right at the time when we were having our most intense rivalries with them, and he was a fairly significant part of their team (who are cunts). I think to get himself out of My Book of Cunts (of which I have two - he's in the bad one), he's going to have to do something very special. Like kill Gary Neville.

What else is going on? Gael Clichy feared the worst when that fat Bolton cunt tried to break his leg (I don't know why the Chester Chronicle gets the credit for those quotes; it just seemed one of the more obscure reports on News Now!). Some people, including Craig Burley, commenting on Setanta, thought that challenge was fair "because he got the ball". I didn't. I think that "if you take the man after the ball that's just the game" is a big load of old hairy bollocks. That way do very, very serious injuries lie, as we're all too familiar with, and I don't blame the team one little bit for the way they reacted on the pitch. They've seen it happen - horrifically - to one of their mates and unsurprisingly, they're not keen to see it happen again. People can bitch about Cesc waving imaginary yellow cards all they like, and I don't like to see that either, but the fact is that Clichy could've been seriously injured, because of some fat no mark Bolton cunt being "committed". Fuck off. I really do fucking hate Bolton (not as much as I used to, mind). And yes, I'm probably overprotective and hypocritical. So?

Top man Cesc Fabregas has been talking about how he'll never leave Arsenal. He seems to qualify the statement slightly by saying that he will only stay as long we keep playing our football, but it's so refreshing to hear a footballer who isn't *just* interested in the money (and regardless, I'm sure he's very well paid indeed). Also, I've no doubt The Sun has spun those "quotes".

So, Hull today at home. It's on TV at half five on Setanta 1 (so no doubt we'll have to put up with that cunt Burley again). George Boateng has been talking up Hull's chances, and there's no doubt that they've made a great start to their season. Let's hope we can bring them crashing back down to earth today and take the three points.

Once again, many happy returns to Arseblogger, and I'll see you all tomorrow for post match ramblings and other nonsense.

Come on The Arsenal!!

Morning,

so Mikael Silvestre is a an Arsenal player. How very odd. The club confirmed the signing of the former United man yesterday for a fee believed to be around £750,000 and he signed a 2 year deal. Arsene Wenger said:

We have a strong squad but a young squad and Mikael’s versatility, experience and calibre will provide the extra depth we need to reinforce our challenge for honours this season.

I have to admit being somewhat underwhelmed by this signing. Leaving aside the personal enmity I have felt for the player during his United days I'm asking why Alex Ferguson would sell him to us. Reverse the situation - would we sell United a player who we thought would improve them? It would be extremely foolish of us to do so, wouldn't it? And whatever you might think of Demento he's no fool. Does he believe Silvestre is past it or is he just not that worried about us?

The player's injury record over the last couple of seasons has been poor as well and as a club that seems to suffer rather too much from injuries I'd have thought the last thing we needed was to give more work to Colin Lewin.

Then I look at the fact that the only other clubs interested in him were Sunderland and Manchester City and I just can't help feeling we're scratching around in the bargain bins again. I don't think too many people would argue that our defence could do with some improvement but if the boss is really serious about it wouldn't he be better off bringing in somebody better than a United cast-off? Where is our Vidic or Agger or Laursen?

It really is a very strange deal altogether and I'm struggling to see the logic of it - especially when you read about us letting Djourou, who has impressed in pre-season, go out on loan because we have Silvestre now.

Maybe though Silvestre has a point to prove, maybe it will prove a Wenger masterstroke, maybe he'll do very well for us, but at the moment I can't really think about anything other than the fact that I guy I hated at Manchester United is now wearing the number 18 shirt at Arsenal. It's weird but then as 'holic pointed out some weeks back players have come to Arsenal from Sp*rs and won the crowd over. Let's see what Silvestre can do.

On the other hand I don't believe that that's our transfer business done for the summer. Arsene Wenger was in Switzerland to watch Switzerland play Cyprus, perhaps looking at Gokhan Inler. He might also have taken note of the fact that Xabi Alonso scored twice for Spain last night. I think the midfielder is still coming so between that signing and the Silvestre one the squad would be in better shape.

Reaction to the Silvestre signing from Frank McLintock (who reckons he's just what we need) and United's Wes Brown.

What do you think about the Silvestre signing? If you feel like leaving a voicemail for the Arsecast the lines are open all day. The number from inside the UK is 020 3286 6360 or from outside the UK it's +44 20 3286 6360. I'll use some of them (not all) in tomorrow's Arsecast - please try and keep them under 60 seconds, thanks.

Update: Got enough for the moment. Thanks for all the calls.

You'll remember last week we did a competition to win copies of the book Arsènal - by Alex Flynn and Online Gooner ed Kevin Witcher. Just to remind you that Arseblog readers can get over £2 off the £12.99 publishers’ online price, making the book £10.91 plus postage and packing. Of the money you save, over £1 per copy will be donated to the Cancer Research UK charity in memory of David Rocastle - and so far we've raised over £100.

To buy the book online, simply click here and select ‘buy now’. In the window that opens enter the word rocky in the promotion code box and your £2 will be discounted when you press the ‘go’ box next to it.

Right, well that's really about it. The Silvestre signing has certainly got people talking. Finally for today birthday greetings to the nefarious Mugsmasher, smasher of all mugs. He's grown up so fast ... *sniff sniff*

More tomorrow.

I've been having some trouble sleeping the last few nights. I lie there almost wide awake then drift off into that sleep that doesn't seem like sleep at all.

I have these strange and weird dreams that make no kind of sense to me at all. Vivid motion picture dreams but at the same time I'm convinced that I'm not asleep. It's all terribly confusing. I mean, last night I dreamt that we were about to sign Mikael Silvestre from Manchester United.

The fish-faced, Freddie Ljungberg head-butting cunt from Manchester United. I must be eating too much cheese before bed time. Still, it's good to have a cup of coffee in front of me, open up my browser and check the morning news to get a good, healthy dose of reality.

Oh.

I'm really not sure how to feel about this. On one hand Silvestre is an experienced defender, he's won titles, played many times for France and would provide better cover at left back than Armand Traore who could then go out on loan and get experience. On the other hand he's a poxy fucking cunt who can't seem to close his mouth. Why would we want to sign a player who can't close his mouth? Many of his injury problems at United have come from swallowing insects as he runs along with his big open gob. I mean, look at him. He was once out for three months when a bee went right down his throat like Luke Skywalker's bomb in the first Star Wars and stung him on the Adam's Apple.

While the logical part of me, small as it is, can see some sense in this signing (if it happens) my heart says 'Noooooooooooooooo', and I support Arsenal with my heart, small as it is, and not my brain. It's very difficult to hate a guy for years because he plays for a rival then all of a sudden he's wearing your shirt and you're supposed to like him. Because you're supposed to like every Arsenal player, that's just the way it is. First Gallas, who I always hated when he was at Chelsea, now Silvestre who I really hated at United. Arsene is making my heart hurt.

Anyway, we can all look forward to the 'Mikael is an experienced, versatile player who can play at left-back, centre-half, left-wing, central midfield, up front, did I mention central-midfield?, all across the back four and, most importantly, in central midfield' statement from the boss when he signs. I don't know whether to cry or weep.

In seriousness though, I'm weeping. I did suggest last week that we might sign two players and this would be a fairly typical Wenger move for the second one. The big one is still to come. The big one is still to come. The big one is still to come. The big one is still to come. Join in. If we all say it enough times the cosmic power of the universe will make it happen. The big one is still to come.

Tomas Rosicky has cleared up his comments saying we win and lose as a team and he was just trying to explain to a Czech newspaper that we'll have learned from the mistakes we made and be stronger this time around. I suppose that's fair enough. He should still shut up and get fit though, Tommy Brittlebones.

The manager gets behind Theo Walcott, who had a quiet game on Saturday, and has urged patience over the young man. I really want Theo to do it this season. I have a feeling playing on the right doesn't suit him as much as we'd hoped it would but hopefully he'll grow into the role a bit more and kick on again like he did last season.

Samir Nasri, who was called up late to the French squad to replace Hatem Ben Affleck, has now pulled out of it with a thigh strain. It remains to be seen if it's a real thigh strain or a Giggs not playing for Wales in a friendly thigh strain. Hopefully he'll be available for the weekend.

And there you go. Your daily dose of Arse over and done with. I can't believe I'm actually dreaming that I'm writing today's blog. Talk about it being a part of your life you can escape. This is ridiculous. I mean, Silvestre. I'm going to wake up any minute now and have a good laugh, like when you dream you kill someone and you can't believe it and the police are after you and then you wake up and you go 'Phew, it was all a dream'.

Any minute now. Any minute now.