Ok, I'll admit it. When I arrived at the gym, got on the exercise bike last night and saw Kolo Touré signing autographs in Manchester, I did feel a slight pang. It's very sad to see Kolo go, but for me it's a bit like seeing an old girlfriend that you weren't particularly happy with run off with somebody else- not that this has ever happened to me, you understand.

Where was I? Oh yeah, pangs of sadness. Yes I felt them, but then I looked up a little bit later and saw that Cesc Fabregas, who had cut short his holiday to join the Austrian jolly- sorry, sorry, the Austrian boot camp- had given the Kololess Arsenal a 1-0 victory in their final game of the tour. And so the world keeps turning.

So I can't be bothered to look up stats to justify Kolo Touré's departure. Whilst it's okay for fans to get sentimental about smiley, bleed red and white, Kolo Touré, the manager has to make a decision based on facts, not sentiment. And so he has has decided that he doesn't want to keep a player who handed in a transfer request at the beginning of the year, a player who appears to have been in decline for a couple of seasons and that should be the end of it. I have to say, and it's not something I've thought about for a while, but when the Night of Long Knives began for the Invincibles, I never thought that Kolo would finish his career with us, as his main asset was his pace. I felt sad about it then, and I feel sad about it now. But not for this football club, because we have seen his best days. Mark Hughes called Kolo "world class" last night, and he would say that, but nobody who has watched Kolo for the last two years would honestly agree with that assessment.

It's been put to me that Arsenal are scared of Manchester City, I don't think so. I don't think we'd be selling Ade and Kolo Citeh if we were that scared, or thought that they would give us reason to be scared. That's not the way we do things round here. Oh, and speaking of Ade, I say this again, just because Ade scored 30 goals two seasons ago, it does not mean he was a 20 goal a season striker, especially when added to 4, 12 and 16 goals in his other Arsenal seasons. He may well become one, but the only thing Ade guarantees is offsides. And lots of them. 

You have to wonder what planet Ian Wright is on, don't you? I say that and I slated him around this time last year for questioning, correctly as it turns out, Arsenal's ability to compete, but his statement that he's heard Patrick Vieira will return to Arsenal on a pay as you play deal takes some beating. Credit to him for managing to get it as far as the national press, mind. The first I saw of it was this morning's Sun- I don't buy it, a guy was reading it on the Northern Line- and I caught a glimpse of the back page. My heart leapt. Yes, it did. I was gutted when Patrick left, so the news that he could be on his way back- a week after denouncing him as past it- had me going. Until I went into M&S and read the "story", such as it was, for myself. There's nothing to see here really. I do think he could provide us with some experience, but if we're being honest, he looked like he was starting to struggle 4 years ago- has the intervening time produced a miraculous regeneration? Doubtful.

Still, as the Arseblogger says, if it's Vieira or nobody, I'd take Pat in a heartbeat. As I said, fans are allowed to be sentimental.

The boss has indulged in his customary summer maybe we will, maybe we won't game. Apparently "we are strong enough but if we can add then we will". I guess, brass tacks, this means the right player at the right price. Huntelaar is a name that keeps being mentioned, apparently he turned down Stuttgart (who have since taken Alex Hleb "home") when he heard we were interested, so perhaps there is something there. Or is it simply a case of 2+2=5?

Sky Sports are reporting that Kolo Touré has agreed terms with Manchester City, I doubt that took very long. Whatever your take on this, and I think mine has been made abundantly clear over the last few days, weeks and months, it's going to be mighty odd to see Kolo plying his trade for another Premier League team. Mighty odd, indeed.

But I think we'll get over it. It's funny to look at the posting on the Arsenal-Mania forum and see the panic setting in over everyone. Do these people not stop to think that the manager is not just going to hand over two players that weaken his own side, whilst strengthening a rivals? He has made huge amounts of money on Adebarndoor and Touré and will surely be able to invest some of it in recruiting reinforcements. I have noticed a consensus forming over a couple of Arsenal blogs that the manager may choose not to invest, but I think that would be uncharacteristically reckless on the manager's part.

I'm just repeating myself at this stage, but I think a factor in Kolo's departure is undoubtedly the transfer request he put in in January. Keeping a player initially and then shipping them out at his earliest convenience is becoming a Wenger speciality- see Vieira, Adebayor. But also, Wenger will have looked at stats like the ones Sky Sports published last night. I can't remember them off the top of my head, but it was something close to this:

Headers won: 44%

Tackle success: 78%

You'd think the tackle success was pretty good, but he's way down the list of defenders on that one. Twenty seventh or something. I don't need to say anything about the first stat. I hope.

Anyway, whilst Kolo's departure is all but a done deal, it seems as though Emmanuel Eboue's departure may be a small matter of agreeing a fee with Fiorentina. As was noted elsewhere yesterday, the days when a buying club agreed a fee with the selling club before talking terms with their intended seem a long time ago, another lifetime. I've touched on Eboue's departure and the effect it will have on our squad depth before. Football365 makes a similar point here, though- again at the risk of repeating myself- the main problem with Eboue going, as I see it, is cover at right back. To suggest he is more suited to playing the right wing than Andrey Arshavin is bizarre, whilst saying he is back up to Theo Walcott ignores the fact that Theo is himself back up to the fit again Tomas Rosicky.

In short- yes, his departure creates a gap at right back. But not on the wing.

With all this upheaval, you might think those associated with the club are throwing in the towel, as sections of the "support" seem to be. Not so, Thierry Henry has called on the Gooner nation to trust the boss and Ray Parlour has lent his support to Arsène. Ok, he's not neccessarily talking titles, though he does say,

"If Kolo Toure does go, if they can get three more players - another forward, another centre-half and a real good central midfielder - then I think they'll have a great chance."

But he he is confident that Arsenal will finish above City. And rightly so. I say this now and I mean it, City do not have anyone up front, that I would swap Eduardo, RvP and Bendtner for. I would not swap Rosicky for SWP, nor Arshavin for Robinho. Cesc for Stephen Ireland? No. And so on... It must be galling for some of you to look at City and the money they are spending. But really, who have they spent that money on?

Think on it.

Whilst the BBC understands that a deal will be completed for Kolo Toure's transfer to Manchester City, by the end of the week, Sky Sports News are going a stage further than that. According to them, everyone's favourite smiley Ivorian is flying back from the Austrian boot camp to undergo a medical which will see him bring to a close seven years of service that brought a smile to the faces of Gooners everywhere.

I remember first noticing him, it was difficult not to, when he came on as a sub at Stamford Bridge in 2002. It was a game that saw the FA having to make up a charge to justify Andy D'Urso's red card for Patrick Vieira. Kolo was phenomenal in that match, his one man army impression exemplified by the way he started and finished the move that gave us our equaliser in that match. And whilst it wasn't till the season that followed- as the energetic foil to Sol Campbell's imperious impersonation of a rock at the heart of the Unbeaten defence- that Kolo really showed his worth, his commitment and ability to play the game with a smile on his face meant that Gooners took him to their hearts almost immediately. I guess the turning point in Kolo's Arsenal career, at least for me, can be said to be his trip to ACN in 2008. When he came back, he had suffered on the pitch and he would suffer off it too, having contracted malaria. Despite his late season resurgence this year, I reckon that he's never really been the same since.

Listen, he is an experienced member of the squad, he is the only player to have played a significant part for Arsenal in a title winning team and his commitment to the cause, his energy will be missed hugely. But I am not going to, as I've seen Gooners doing today, going to suggest that his going marks the end of everything for Arsène Wenger and Arsenal. Gallas is a quality centre back, we have Djorou and Song who made big strides last year, Vermaelen will be keen to show he is the player the manager appears to think he is. And if all else fails, we have Philippe Senderos. It is, as I said yesterday, simply incomprehensible to me to imagine that we could recoup £40m this summer without the manager spending at least some of it in reinforcing what is a very good squad. I almost feel like saying that if the manager does not sign anyone else this summer, I will not continue my blog as I would clearly have no idea what is going on.

But I won't.

Moving on, Thierry Henry has moved with characteristic speed to deny Harry Redknapp's claim that he (Thierry) has advised Patrick Vieira to sign for Tottenham, saying, "I am Arsenal through and through. I'd never advise anyone to sign for Tottenham". And quite right too. I feel sure that we will not see Vieira in the white and blue of Tottenham for the same reasons. But even if he was to go, and yes, it would definitely tarnish my view of him, it's not exactly a sign of ambition to pick up a 33 year old whose best days were behind him at least three years ago, now is it?

Speaking of Tottenham, their signing of Peter Crouch (isn't he sick of moving house yet?) has me wondering how long it'll before Hoddle, Waddle and Jimmy Greaves turn up outside White Hart Lane ready to resume their Tottenham careers.

Finally, pre season continues in a goal frenzy type fashion. Eduardo marked his first game of the summer with a double to go with Nick Bendtner's and RvP knocked in a second half penalty in a 5-0 win. The Emirates Cup looms this weekend and whilst I haven't decided about going yet (having Sky, it's difficult to think about spending £25 on what is a meaningless game when I can watch in the comfort of my own home), a good result tomorrow night may yet tip the balance in favour of stadium trip.

But it probably won't.

How was your weekend?

I've had a heavy one. Late nights and alcohol throughout and so, as I sit on the third floor of our building on Pentonville Road, I feel fairly well shredded.

The news that Kolo Touré looks set to join the latest blue revolution to flood the Premier League has me feeling philosophical. £15m is a lot of money for a player who, in my opinion has seen his best days come and go. I didn't think Thomas Vermaelen was coming here to sit on the bench and, I'm sorry, it makes no sense to sell William Gallas. Touré wants first team football, he has a chance for a massive payday and after 7 years of, mostly, stellar service, I don't begrudge him that. If he goes, then good night, good luck to him and thank you very much for all the memories. Particularly that own goal at Aston Villa, a hilarious moment in Arsenal history.

I jest.

Speaking of Thomas Vermaelen, it seems that if there was a "Become a fan of Thomas Vermaelen" group and Bac Sagna was on Facebook, then our dreadlocked little terrier would be signing up to it. I was going to provide a link to the story on Arse.com, but it's a short one, so I'll precis... Very good, good passer, good left foot= Happy Baccy.

Meanwhile, the most recent signing before Jean Claud- er, sorry- Thomas Vermaelen, is showing the kind of fight that has made him such a huge hit with the Gooner nation. The very credentials, in fact, that lead Dennis Bergkamp to believe that in Andrey Arshavin, Arsenal have found the missing link and a player that could write himself in Arsenal history. And I don't think Dennis means in the way that Adebayor just has. Arshavin himself is thinking about winning the title for Arsenal, dismissing both Adebayor's departure as neccessary and Manchester City as title challengers. He seems to talk a lot, does our Andrey. Talk is fine, as long as you walk the walk too, Andrey has no problems with this, so neither do I.

Last week, I mentioned the prospect of Nick Bendtner going to Milan. The player himself has dismissed such notions, hailing Arsenal as a "special" club- you see Ade? That's how to deal with these things. I did read that Arsenal were looking to include Bendtner as a makeweight in a deal to to bring the Roma striker Vucinic to North London. But given the fact that we've just got rid of one striker, not to mention Bendtner's progress last season, that seems a touch unrealistic.

Emmanuel Eboue, I read, may well be off to Fiorentina. I've made my feelings on this one clear, but what all this movements points to is a clearing of the decks, before bringing in some fresh, and hopefully suitable, faces to take the club up a level. I don't believe that the club are sitting on their hands, thinking that the current personnel is at a sufficient level to win the title, and I find it difficult to imagine that anyone else would either.

I find it as difficult to believe as anything that Farhad Moshiri says, in fact. If his grasp of maths is as shaky as acclaiming Adebayor as averaging 20 goals a season appears to indicate it is, then forgive me if I'm not taking his word on the bigger financial picture.

A brief Saturday round up then, for any of you sad enough to be like me and near a computer on a cloudy Saturday evening in London.

The good news first. Thomas Vermaelen is officially an Arsenal player. I say good news, but as I think I've mentioned before Rachid is quite well up on Dutch football and doesn't rate him. Or at least, a mate of his is. But with Arsène expressing "delight" at the arrival of a "great" player, I think it it would be premature to write off the former Ajax captain. Captain? At 23? Oh yes, one for the future but already with some experience behind him. Also experienced in European campaigns, he has also been capped 21 times by Belgium and is a left footed centre back, who can also play left back. Arsène describes him as "multi functional". That just makes me think of the (crap) photocopiers in our office. And Thomas is very definitely not a photopcopier. He looks to have something of the Jean-Claude Van Dammes about him too, I think it's in the eyes. I hope he's better at football than the other guy was at acting. And, as a left footed centre back, that he's more Tony Adams than Pascal Cygan. How many Belgians have played for Arsenal, by the way?

As mentioned elsewhere, Manchester City are believed to be putting together a £12m bid for the last true untouchable. I think I've made it clear throughout the season that I don't think Kolo is good enough to be first choice anymore, but I wouldn't neccesarily want him to leave. But if the money alleged to be on offer is right, then it's a lot of money for someone who, in my opinion, has seen his best days and could also leave on a free next summer. Not to get too far ahead of myself, as speculation persists over William Gallas's future at the club, but wouldn't it be weird to see Kolo playing in a nother Premier League club's shirt?

As it goes, taking its' lead from the Times' story, Football365 reckons Vermaelen's arrival could also trigger departures for Sylvestre (hopefully), Djourou (hopefully not) and Senderos (probably). Milan have decided not to take up their option on Senderos, but even so it seems unlikely he will return to London, N5. Is Vermaelen that good we can afford to lose all these players? Clearly not, but the usual suspects are being mentioned as reinforcements; Bassong, Hangeland and... Bolton's Gary Cahill!  

Speaking of defensive exits, the French media have linked "Tigger" Eboue to a €7m Euro move to PSG. I wonder, though, if that's by the same sources that had Bac Man off to Real Madrid. Which is, coincidentally I'm sure, also a possible destination for Gael Clichy, if the Mail on Sunday last week is to be believed. Seriously though; if it were true, I think £5.9m, which is what 7 million Euros work out to apparently, represents a serious profit on the Ivorian- who the boss bought with some spare change found down the back of his Mercedes in 2005- and I would snap PSG's metaphorical hands off.

No surprises there then.

The fall out from the shareholders meeting won't go away. I decided not to write a lunch time blog today as I felt I couldn't really add to what I've already said. On the way back from work, via the gym however, it ocurred to me that as I've been been pretty quick to criticise the manager when I feel he's got it wrong, I should also make it very clear that I still think, without a shadow of a doubt, that he is the man for the job.

Peter Hill-Wood, Arsenal Chairman, clearly thinks so too. It's certainly true that there is a section of support growing unhappy at the perceived lack of progress over the last 4 years, and I think that these people have made some valid points. In fact, there's one guy at work, I won't use his real name so let's call him Mohamed Abdi, who is certain it's time for Wenger to move over. But who can he suggest to replace the manager? He hasn't come up with an alternative. All he can say is that this team is nowhere near that famous team of 2004 (did you see the season review on Arsenal TV last night "Nobody can doubt Ashley Cole's commitment to the Arsenal cause..."). But how many teams will we see close to that in all the years we will have of watching football, nevermind the amount of Arsenal teams that will fail to come up to that impossibly high watermark?

The Daily Mail talk of there being only £13m to spend in the summer, which apparently includes funds for the rengotiation of another contract for club captain Cesc (another renewal? That's 3 in 4 years!) and for RvP has not been confirmed. But if it is true, it does give some insight into the lack of reinforcing in key areas. Like central midfield, like centre back. You know, you can question the need to sign another young central midfielder for five million quid last summer, but if there was nobody available who Arsène thought might make a difference to our midfield available for that money, then signing someone who might make a difference, a big difference in a year or two is understandable. For what it's worth, I think perhaps the expectations placed on Denilson were unrealistic given his skill set and perhaps it was a year too early for Alex Song (remember my first blog here tipped Song to be Cesc's partner). We won't go into the enigma that is Diaby...

As it stands, I don't honestly feel that the boss is that far away. We were ludicrously (to pick up a theme from an Online Gooner article this week) unlucky with injuries and anyone with 3 brain cells in their head can see that having whole areas of teams decimated by injuries throughout the season is going to have a detrimental effect. We are not Chelsea and we are not Manchester United. We will never be able to have a bench full of twenty million quid players and that's fact. Like it or not. And in those circumstances, the manager continues to work bloody miracles. We Should be thankful he's here and not some club he could easily have ended up at just a few miles up the Seven Sisters Road.. 

But it doesn't stop players like Kolo Toure dreaming of that winning feeling again, we could be contenders next season. But hounding the manager isn't the way to go about it.

Funny how things turn out. The thing with taking a last minute ticket to the football is you can never be sure how things will turn out. When you get a last minute ticket to a gig, seeing as it's in all probability a band you like, you're more or less guaranteed a great evening. And so last night proved as The Specials played Brixton Academy, with an apology for a packed crowd, "I'm sorry... I don't know why the fuck it took us 26 years to play here again".

I don't think the apology was really neccessary, as the band tore through their immense back catalogue. Opening with Do The Dog, they finished with a rather apt, Enjoy Yourself. Ghost Town, A Message To You Rudy, You're Wondering Now, Man At C&A and (my favourite from the night) Blank Expression were all aired to rapturous acclaim. I thought beforehand the gig would be a big party and so it was. A brilliant night, which I rather soured by drinking too much and so was rather horrible to Jo when we got back. So, Jo, if you end up reading this, here is a public apology for you. I'm sorry... I don't why I'm such a dick. I think it's called Grolsch.

Two days after the Chelsea game, it feels like longer has passed, but there isn't much news about. Hence the semi gig review and public apology. Of course, Cesc has his date with destiny and the FA today over the alleged spitting incident that was so long ago- can that really have been Robin's last goal from open play? I suppose playing him on his own up top and out on the left wing isn't going to help him in that regard, is it really? Anyway, Cesc, Hull City and the FA. What with Newcastle's win last night, I'd have thought the soon to be playing their trade in the Championship football club would have enough on their plate already.

Aside from Cesc's programme notes from Sunday forming part of an admission, not an entirely surprising one, that the club have come up short, we have Kolo Toure explaining that his transfer request came because he was "scared". Scared by the players he saw departing the club in the summer and scared by the team's early season form. A cynic might suggest that Kolo was thinking in terms of a ship sinking, but I think Kolo is one of the players we have whose commitment shouldn't really be questioned. It's funny to think that he came here as a 21 year old powerhouse, if slightly resembling a headless chicken and now, at the age of 28, he's the longest serving member of the squad. This blog has perhaps been guilty in the past of criticising Kolo. But it's never been about his commitment or love for the club. It's more about him falling from and, in my opinion, not recovering to, the high standards set 4 or 5 years ago. Though you could also argue that he hasn't really been helped by the quality of player around him... Sylvestre...

Ugh. As the season comes to a close, I'll be putting forward my own ideas about where we've gone wrong (everywhere?) and where we can improve (everywhere?), it's worth noting that in the latest issue of The Gooner, one contributor lauds the 4-2-3-1 formation as "perfect" for us, whilst another feels it is "unconvincing". An interesting divergence, I feel. What do you think about it?

It's funny, sometimes I write this blog by just logging on and giving you the 100% RocktheCasbah experience. Sometimes, I cast around for stories, you'll be familiar by now with my hunting grounds, and sometimes I even give you links that I think are interesting. So it is today, as I try to bang this blog out quickly whilst birthday girl Joanna luxuriates in her, no doubt, very hot bath. Looking around on Arsenal.com, I found a story called "Negativity is not an option". Ah, that sounds good, I thought, so I clicked on it and I find that not only is it actually a piece from a Chelsea perspective on tomorrow's semi final- but it's been done with an old Chelsea supporting colleague of mine, Dan Levene!

Is that weird, or is it just me?

Looking deeper at the game tomorrow, Nige pointed out to me on Wednesday night, just as one area of the team gets to full strength another area loses everyone and so it is with the defence, which currently has the whiff of the Carling Cup about it anyway. Keiran Gibbs, Gael Clichy's stuntman, is a doubt with a little groin problem. Whilst the manager says that Bacary Sagna is also doubtful as a result of the virus that kept him out on Wednesday.

Jo is now out of the bath and I've got two minutes left to write this...

So, the defensive options for tomorrow are... limited, shall we say. Silvestre to left back and Song into the centre with Diaby replacing him in the centre of midfield? I'm not so sure that that team selection wouldn't have Didier Drogba slobbering all over his prematch meal, so we can only hope that at least one, if not both, of Gibbs and Sagna make it back. As I alluded to in the first sentence of this paragraph, Diaby is fit and available, for the next week at least. Eduardo is also available- I thought I saw him on the bench on Wednesday night. And, of course, Arshavin will return to the side. 

Cesc says that semi finals are not enough and a trophy would be a "dream come true", Theo feels that teams are scared of us before they get on the pitch, Ade reckons we can beat anyone in the world and Kolo Toure just screams "BRING THEM ON! ALL OF THEM NOW!" Ok, maybe he doesn't get quite that carried away, but perhaps he should have.

Before I go for my castration, there's no way I could have done all this in just two minutes, just time to tell you that Robert Pires was very appreciative of the reception he was afforded on Wednesday night. I wish I could have been there.

We crossed fingers, we crossed toes, we prayed to Gods we don't really believe in and some of us may even have sacrificed a goat or two. The result?

A result! 3-1 to the Arsenal! Hurray, huzzah, break out the champagne! Ok, so it was only West Brom, but at the weekend it was "only" Fulham, the week before, "only" Sunderland. A win, any win, is to be celebrated at this point in time. And three goals! Well, we're being spoilt there, aren't we?

Are you still reading? OK, cool, I'll get serious now.

Nick Bendtner bagged two very nice goals, the first kind of a Thierry Henry goal but from the other flank and with none of the effortless grace of the frenchman, whilst his second he took very well. He controlled a (collectors item) long ball from captain Kolo that actually found its' target, on his thigh before smashing it in on the run. A very nice goal indeed. And by all accounts, a very good performance from the Dane, who is now in double figures for the season. He might have had a hat trick, had he not taken over from RvP as the man who likes to hit the woodwork.

I suggested yesterday that Arshavin might be in need of a breather, but he didn't get one. He played the full ninety playing off Bendtner, and it was his expert delivery from a free kick that Kolo capitalised on to restore the lead obtained by Bendtner's first goal. That we lost the lead in the first place- irony of ironies the team that can't score doesn't concede, the team that does score... well, it was inevitable, wasn't it?

Inevitable maybe, avoidable, definitely. Why anyone would put Emmanuel Eboue on the end of their wall is beyond me and it was his stepping out of the wall a fraction- yes, only a fraction, but why?- that led to the equalising goal for the home side. Thankfully, the captain's intervention meant that this mistake only proved a minor, irritating, footnote to a game that will have provided some relief to the manager, players and supporters of the Arsenal.

So relaxed did the manager feel that he could afford to continue Aaron Ramsey's integration into the first team set up by giving him the last quarter of the game in place of Eboue, whilst Fran Merida made what I make his Premier League debut for us, replacing Samir Nasri with seven minutes left. Perhaps the more important susbstitution was Abou Diaby replacing Kolo Toure at half time. Kolo has "moving pain" in a calf strain and, I imagine, is sharing a treatment table with William Gallas right now. So Song reverted to centre back with Djourou and it seems that after a period out of the side, the Swiss may get another run in the team now. Hopefully one of the two senior players will be back to play with him soon.

Not a blog title I ever thought I'd have cause to use, but we finished yesterday talking about Kolo Toure and Kolo has expanded on Tuesday's post match interview and he is full of love for the club of his heart. Which is great news. I have been quite vocal in my belief that Johan Djourou should be starting games and that William Gallas is the best partner for him, but you can't argue with the defensive solidity that we are experiencing at the present time. Or, at least, the statistics. As the last remaining full time member of the invincibles club, nobody really wanted to see Kolo go, so if he's happy, I'm happy.

Cesc Fabregas talks about the need to "focus on what is directly in front of us". A policy that should serve Arsenal well as we enter the back straight of the season. I think all too often perhaps the team has lacked focus when faced with the perceived lesser lights of the league and this is what has cost us this season. Even the ongoing central midfield conundrum does not explain how this team can beat Manchester United and Chelsea, yet lose to Hull and Stoke City. It can only be a lack of focus and application and there can be none of that now. It really, really is time for this team to get serious and put some points on the board and pressure on Aston Villa.

Disappointment beckons if we don't overhaul the team currently sitting in 4th position. It's interesting to consider that Champions League qualification is an expectation of the board's and you wonder, if we don't make it, how the board would look on Arsène's position as manager. Yes, we began Arsène's career in the UEFA Cup, but he has moved the goalposts somewhat since then, in fact he has moved the whole bloody stadium! And taken a team within a win at Manchester United of winning the title to scrapping for fourth spot in just under a year, which speaks to a slight misjudgement on his part.

The half yearly financials are in. I haven't got the head to deal with them in depth, but I quite liked this stat about matchday turnover increasing from £3.3million to £44.4million. Those pizza slices have to be good for something eh?