Hopefully the Europeans can produce something a little better today after their performance at Valhalla (what a name for a golf course) yesterday. Fair play to the Americans who, aside from the rather obnoxious Boo Weekly, played fairly and better than us.

Anyway I'll be watching the Bolton game live over here though it won't be as warm as when I watched the Blackburn game in Singapore last weekend. Despite the fact that BFS(*) has departed long ago you still feel that with the PWSBSOEG (**) in Kevin Davies and our week central defence it could be a struggle and why we always play them on Saturday evening is another matter. Anyway let's hope the ref has listened to Arsene and when Theo is kicked for the umpteenth time that the culprit is actually punished and not just given the "wave play on" treatment. Arsenal should have enough tonight but we need to keep above that Champions League contender Hull City - fair play to them and let's hope they and Spurs stay in the same positions for a few weeks more.

* - Big Fat Sam

** - Player Who Should Be Sent Off Every Game

I say that because as I look at the web this morning the two main breaking Arsenal stories are about:

1. Our record profits, and

2. Stan Kroenke joining the board ...

I don't think we underestimate the need to be aware of the power struggles and the inevitable link with cash that now embraces all the major (and many minor) football clubs but it doesn't stop you yearning for those times when we just talked about the matters on the pitch.

I'm sure the financial statement will get blogs and forums dragging up the lack of transfer signings this summer by Arsene Wenger but we have what we have and we move on. The second headline is probably more important in that it seems to show a clear intent to Usmanov to basically f##k off. I'm hoping so but in the modern football world you just never know.

Meanwhile, on the pitch, Theo doesn't seem to mind the kicks and he's turning out to be a very level headed young man (as we already knew I think) as well as progressing football wise.

I got back from Singapore early this week and after 30 deg temperatures (plus steamy humidity) I arrived in Switzerland in my flip flops and shorts. However, the weather had turned decidedly chilly whilst I was away. It was 14 deg and there were cold winds arriving from the North East, i.e. Russia. Looking at the Kiev weather it was virtually the same and so I was pleasantly surprised to see a lack of gloves on the players last night. Whether it was this show of strength or not, it certainly seemed to give Theo the ability to take all the kicks and hacks that he was subjected too. I don't think that, as Arsene said, there should have been three Kiev players sent off but he did deserve better protection from the referee. It will though have been an incredibly good learning experience for the young lad.

As for the result, Arsene got that one right with his "mixture of relief and frustration" comment. We should have won it, could have lost it and got a draw so for an away game in the Ukraine that will do, even if it wasn't perfect.

Tomorrow I'm hoping that Arseblog will have an interview with his regular guest, and hero of last night, William Gallas' Penis - a true star of the Champions League was born.

Having just travelled for around 18 hours from Singapore to Basel (even with the luxury of Business class seats from Singapore to Frankfurt) I'm convinced this is a bloody hard week for Arsenal. I'm all over the place today and, yes, I've gone a lot further but I'm not expected to play at a top sporting level. So Blackburn, Kiev, Bolton could possibly be the hardest week the young gunners will have ever faced. I always hated travelling for work as even for a short flight I felt knackered on getting home so let's hope the wonder of youth can propel them to 2 more good results.

I was asleep at 8.00pm last night so never saw Basel's group stage game but I did see the first goal Shakhtar scored this morning.Now if you're going to lose at home that's the sort of goal to go down to. As Donetsk won the Ukraine league ahead of Kiev and Basel aren't great shakes it should all mean Arsenal can win tonight but....

You just never know.

It was certainly different watching the game on a big screen (or any number of screens, in fact) outside in the heat & humidity of Singapore on a Saturday evening. With Premier League games kicking off at 7.45pm, 10.00pm and 12.30am on Saturday night there was no shortage of football to watch. For various reasons I didn't get to see the Singapore experience of Liverpool vs Man Utd but got to Robertson's Quay to see the Arsenal game. Liverpool shirts were (obviously) still in abundance but the local Manc supporters had slithered away into the night.

No sign of other gooners when I jumped up for Robin's opening goal and it seemed that most watching were clearly hoping Blackburn could do them a favour. However, thankfully we got a great (if flattering) result whilst I drank Tiger beer served by rather nice Tiger Girls and their jugs (of beer that is).

Now planning th etrip home so I'll be watching the Kiev game in the comfort of a CET time zone rather than the far east where Champions League games often kick off at 2.45am!!!

You read a lot about the manner in which the Far East adores the Premier League and having been in Singapore/Indonesia for nearly 2 weeks you can see it to a degree. The problem has been that since I arrived all we've had are the good old Internationals. Yes you can see these games out here but there isn't the same interest. Apparently when the Premier League games are on there is a square in the centre of Singapore that broadcasts the big games to a huge local and ex-pat audience on big screens outside the bars. Since the games kick off between 7.45pm and 2.30am on a Saturday it can be a great experience. I'm hoping to see the Liverpool and Arsenal games down there tomorrow night - assuming my friend and I get a pass out.

One thing is for sure, you don't miss many games out here, from whatever league you want to watch. There are so many football channels and sporrts channels that you can always find the game you want to see. They even got to see the England game, unlike most of the population of England itself.

Maybe Sven knew it all along but was too conservative to give him a go but as the papers will undoubtedly go into THEO overdrive I hope some perspective can be found. Firstly I hope a certain Arsene Wenger who, until now, has been the single most important factor in England's failure to be any good, will be given credit for his nurturing of Walcott. In hindsight, would not Wayne Rooney have been a better (or more consistent)  player if he hadn't been playing every game he could since the age of 16 and ditto Owen (who seems to have too many injuries at a relatively young age now). As I typed that I do realise that Arsenal have been playing Cesc in the same way so maybe his career will struggle as he reaches his mid twenties - it's a fine line I suppose with exceptional talent at an early age.

I haven't seen any of last night's games as I've just awoken here on Bintan but looking through the results I see Switzerland really did manage to be as bad as we probably knew they were. Losing 1-2 to Luxembourg really is a depressing result and makes any of England's poor games in the past seem almost bearable. The local press aren't too please about it. So despite my irrational hatred of International games last night did throw up results that almost made them interesting - Finland drawing with Germany and Portugal losing at home being two of them.

So you're sitting by the beach and the world is generally looking pretty good. Not being a great book reader (well not for long periods of time anyway) I've taken the opportunity to catch up on a plethora of podcasts that had been broadcast whilst I'm away in the Far East. This has taken in various 6-0-6s, Guardian Weekly and Arsecasts (see Arseblog here on oleole.com)...

When you listen to them after the event you do, unfortunately, keep thinking "you got that wrong then". It's not the broadcasters fault it's just my 20/20 hindsight! It was interesting to hear how everyone thought the transfer window would pan out, no one spotted the Robinho to Man City transfer - but then that's just them and the rest of the world. Barry Glendenning got a rare double tip for the WC Qualifiers spot on but it was a rare moment of inspiration. 

Let me say though, I'm not putting any of these guys down because these podcasts really have provided entertainment and enjoyment, both on holiday and during my time in Switzerland - So THANKS chaps andkeep it up.

I see that the mighty England managed a spectacular win against all that is Andorra and the rest of the UK teams played a variety of ex-Soviet Union states in those other so called important World Cup qualifiers. Look I love football and I do get excited every time there is a major international tournament coming up. However, qualifiers are dull and even the most ardent fans struggle to get too warmed up for them. We, therefore need a new system to sort this out.. OUCH!!!

Sorry about that I just got hit on the head by a fruit dropped by my resident holiday flat mate - a little bat. It must be much simpler being a bat in this world I think you'll agree.

Anyway back to the qualifiers and it seems that FIFA should be adopting that successful UEFA model entitled the Champions League. In this competition all the teams from countries with more money (i.e. Bigger TV audiences) get more teams to the back end of the tournament (group stages) whilst the others knock themselves out in 3 qualifying rounds. Henceforth there will be 32 teams at the World Cup with big European countries, South American and Asian countries too .. OUCH!!!

These bats eat a lot of fruit.

Meanwhile countries with no big TV money (i.e. poor African or South American or Scotland) have to fight it out to reach the final 32. It makes as much football sense as the current Champions League.

Please can we have some real football again soon.

That's part of what I expect to be doing for the next 5 days here on Bintan, an Indonesian island just off Singapore. However, the luxury villa does have internet connections so I thought I'd check what was happening in the football world. Then you realise that it's just another International weekend and so it's all rather boring though maybe Andorra can beat England just so we can all hear EBJT's (*) excuses about the result.

Elsewhere the after effects of the Keegan saga drag on and we still have the City/West Ham fun and games to watch but very little on Arsenal but L'Equipe reports the first winter transfer rumour with Podolski set for Real Madrid. Oh yes it's a real football free weekend!!!!

* - courtesy of the Guardian;s football daily The Fiver - England's Brave John Terry