Why do I need to mention saunas? Well partly it's beacuase there is pretty much not a lot to say about tonight's game as it's one we should win, we want to win to get to teh next stage and yet we have the strange and shadowy figure of Ronald Koeman hovering in the background just to make it more difficult than it should be. So let's hope we don't have that complacent and arrogant approach that we have seen from our team at various stages in different games this year (and last) so that we are fully concentrated on the task ahead. Generally we have made relatively easy progress in recent years throught he group stages so let's continue that tonight and not return to the bad old days of squeaky bum time in the last match with dodgy defeats in Porto and last gasp wins against Dynamo Kiev. On a rather strange European note I need to understand if there is a maximum number of people allowed into a sauna - if there isn't there should be. Having overcome my Anglo-Saxon reticence to use saunas regularly at my gym today was my first experience of an overcrowded one and trying to find space amongst sweaty blokes (unlike some German mixed saunas - that's another story!) can be a very tricky experience!

So we've managed to get another injury out of nowhere, though Clichy has had a bad injury before (which is rather worrying), but we do have the twin luxury of a very good replacement in Kieran Gibbs and it coincides with an International break (AAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!). When you hear the phrase "Broken back" you do rather think that the injury will put the player out for a little bit more than one month but that, apparently, is the prognosis. Of course, we can balance this with the return of good old Thomas Rosicky though we have to keep all fingers crossed that this can be for a prolonged period.

I think that tomorrow's game will be hidden way down in virtually all media outlets (Arsenal.com may mention a little) as all journalists have probably all left the UK to head to Lyon in order to salivate over the dead corpse that is Rafa Benitez and his Liverpool side. I have no love of either Liverpool or indeed Rafa but it strikes me that the current media circus could easily move across town to us (and did to some degree last season) in the blink of an eye and it doesn't make it an edifying spectacle.

I see that Stan Kroenke has bought another 0.2% (or something similar) in his snail like march towards the required 29.9% where he needs to then make an offer to the other shareholders. What it actually means is a matter of conjecture but it seems that most people aren't worrying about  the interest from the Yank. I would prefer that there was neither Kroenke or Usmanov at the club but if we are going to have them I really feel that ABU (anyone but Usmanov) is a decent option. See these if you haven't read them before..

http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2007/09/alisher_usmanov.html

It's funny how certain individuals love the sound of their own voice right up until they suddenly realise that everything that they have been saying is a right load of bollocks. Some though just keep on repeating the same mistake and so thank you Mr Keane for your ability to give us all a great big laugh once more. Even your manager couldn't find it in his heart to support your ridiculous statements and, in some perverse manner, might actually use his team's capitulation to remind the Irish twat of this. Of course, that won't actually stop Mr Keane in the future doing a similar thing.

As for the weekend itself, there is often something missing in lunchtime kick offs and this derby was pretty uneventful (aside from one good chance for Cesc and some half chances for Arshavin & Van Persie) for 40 minutes. Spurs seemed to come with the old Liverpool plan A of hoofing it up to Crouch and seeing what happened next and aside from one excellent Song tackle we had very little to worry about. Then Van Persie scored a very decent goal (despite all the focus on "bad defending" or "bad goalkeeping" it was excellent work by the Dutchman to get to the ball first and hit it so quickly) before Cesc made the most of some sloppy play but, yet again, it still takes a rather large amount of skill and ability to beat three players and cooly finish with two other players bearing down on him. At that point the celebrations were phenomenal as the adrenalin rush from the first goal hadn't subsided one bit and the second rush kicked in! The only downside was the fact we didn't get that extra goal just to rub it in that little bit more!

It would be so nice to say I enjoy Derby games or that I really, really look forward to them and though there might be a grain of truth in that the real situation is that these are tense, nervous and sometimes scary games. Yes we haven't lost one in the league for ages means you think maybe they will at some time. Yes all the spud players and managers are saying "it's our turn" or "we're going to attack Arsenal and win" or, even worse, we get to hear from old ratface Bentley again. Discussing with my best mate and fellow STH we both realised this game has just too many emotional extremes to enjoy it unless YOU FU## ING WIN the game. That is all that matters so, aplogies for the iPhone induced lack of paragraphs, COME ON YOU RIP ROARING GUNNERS!!!!!

In the old days players or managers were very loathe to say anything too derogatory about their next opponents for fear of the old press cutting on the dressing room wall syndrome. It was accepted that if you slagged off your soon to be on pitch rivals then the words would be used as motivation in the forthcoming fixture. However, are players still so easily motivated to give a little extra or does the money factor change the whole psychology of pre game "war of words".

I sincerely hope not and expect to see the Irish twat's words well and truly rammed back down his throat on Saturday. Here's a player who is such a "hero" that he f##ked off to play for his boyhood idols at Liverpool at the first opportunity only to find he didn't fit in so legged it back to SHL. I'm flying back to the UK tomorrow (bleeding lunchtime KOs) and it's the first time I've been able to get to the derby since I moved out to Switzerland. I miss them even if they are the worst games of the season as you just want to win so badly that the nerves kick in more than any other league fixture in the season. It's even worse when you're not there and haven't got the adrenalin kick that you get from the live atmosphere (plus a few beers too).

It was good to see that we can hang for the last few minutes and win a game after the previous two results even if there was a late "dodgy" penalty scare. Funny how two different media outlets can give opposite opinions on whether it was or wasn't a penalty. I've read it was a "definite pen" and "never a pen" in the same day - so that surely says there was a doubt and it can't be given even if I can accept the old "I've seen 'em given" argument.

Here's to a good flight and an even better result at the weekend.. 

So it's back to Carling Cup action tonight and with no coverage out here in Switzerland (and that includes the annoying inability to get Five Live on the internet out here - why does it matter if we get it here there's no other radio commentary rights for a game like this) and I'm not sitting in front of a crappy stream from China - it's a BBC or Guardian update night.

I don't mind them too much as I can sit watching TV and my wife thinks I'm having a night off from the football. Actually she's far too smart to know I'm not keeping in touch as every minute I sneak a look at my iPhone. It's just the same on a Saturday if we're in town or out somewhere and Arsenal are playing it's just impossible not to glimpse the score every 30 seconds or so!!! I do try to not let the result or performance affect my mood but it's difficult though I do seem to recover from defeats a lot quicker than I used to.

However, tonight we have the relative serenity of a Carling Cup night and the mood reaction reflects the relative nature of the competition (though anyone near me when we lost to Wigan at Highbury in the semis a few years back may remember the odd swear word and abuse directed at those stupid fans close to me who had been oleing when they only needed one to win on away goals!!) It's a competition I want to win (as with any) but it's still our "Arsene's got Talent" show and we want to see performances from some young kids - especially like that night at Anfield. 

With injured players returning and, it has to be said, our bigger squad we will see a lot more experienced players than has been the norm in recent years so it will be interesting to see how they perform with the kids. I wonder if the experienced players really take this competition so seriously but we need them to and they need to try and play themselves into Arsene's mind as a first team regulars. I have no idea what side Liverpool will play and don't really care too much.

Meanwhile... even if they are Hammers.

So the big news at the moment is the fact that footballers are, in one small regard, the same as the rest of us. They can catch the same diseases (and probably a few we can remain free from thanks to their lifestyles) as us and we're now going to get a few weeks of "England Player in Swine Flu death fear" on page 1 stories with a "100s of players die in Africa" mentioned in a small paragraph on page 32*.

Apparently spitting is the latest activity that will encourage the spread of H1N1 and so should be discouraged (which is not a bad thing) and BFS is worried his players may have given Drogba and co the virus, though he never seemed that bothered about his players breaking our legs when we've played his teams in the past.

From an Arsenal perspective it must be quite worrying as we do not, how shall I put this, have a great record with our players and injuries. Rosicky should be immediately put in one great big hamster ball with air filter and bubble wrap and Almunia has chest infections (!!) that last 6 weeks so he may be susceptible too. We should also consider the statistics that say the young are particularly vulnerable and so our kids tomorrow night should all wear sanitised gloves and masks just to be sure.

I haven't blogged since Sunday and I think I got it pretty right with my pre-game blog  and then tweeted with Arseblogger to try and see how many times we can use the word sloppy. That's not a nice word but it seems to sum us up too many times. Once in a week is a careless, twice in a week is just plain lazy and stupid - let's hope we may just have learnt a lesson finally....ermmmm

* - I don't think any have died yet but we will never find out in the UK press.

Okay after drinking way too much wine at the Basel Weinmesse yesterday (as well as spending way too much money as a result!) means that the extra hour didn't really give me that much of a great sleep - it was too restless because of the alcohol. I hope it was for that reason and not because of the game today but there is a little cause for concern regarding today's match. Mostly it stems from the almost unanimous opinion of the pundits that we should easily win at a side who haven't won since the first day if the season and are second from bottom. However, Liverpool had no chance without Gerrard having lost 4 on the spin and playing against United and look what happened there.

Realisitcally we have the players to win this game and West Ham do try and play football so we won't be kicked off the park but..

A team at the bottom, fighting for a badly needed three points, a home crowd up for the game, our inability to defend set pieces (and with Cole/Upson they will fancy their chances) and a poor(ish) display in midweek all mean that we have to be at the very top of our game AND, most importantly, TAKE any chances that come our way (and they will). I'll settle for a repeat of last year here but I wouldn't be surprised if the game develops a little like our Fulham game earlier this season.

Come on you Gunners!!

In the early 80s I went to University in the East End (QMC) and lived for two years within spitting distance of Upton Park. It happened to coincide with the best season West Ham ever had in the 1st Division, they finished 3rd mainly due to the strike force of Tony Cottee and Frank McAvennie (wonder what happened to him !!) so it was not good being a) a student and b) an Arsenal fan in the locality.

I think I went to see Arsenal around 8/9 times at Upton Park and it was never a favourite place, either due to the intimidatory nature of the place (especially when trying to get out of the police escort as you lived near by), the results when we go there or standing on the North Bank whilst we lost 3-1! What has always amazed me is how West Ham are seen as such a lovely family club when in the 80s (thankfully to a lot lesser extent now despite the Millwall game) they were a club of violent and racist fans (Bulldog was openly sold outside the gates) fans. Yes they produced a stream of good football players and played football the way it should be played - it's just the local family were the Krays!

However, my favourite memory of Upton Park was a game when Arsenal were not involved. My house mate was a Newcastle fan and we went to the West Ham v Newcastle game when the Hammers won 8-1!! It was the fact that Alvin Martin scored a hat trick and Peter Beardsley ended up in goal as well as the major piss taking that remains a great memory till today.

Did you know that only two managers have won the Champions League when aged over 60, Sir Awex and Raymond Goethals (see this article), so it may be a challenge but it seems to be one Arsene intends to succeed in! Hopefully, he might just take the example of Chelsea and spend some time on the training ground looking at how to defend free-kicks hoofed into our box from the opposition's half. It's hard to say it was a one off lack of concentration when it happened in identical fashion against Blackburn and Alkmaar. However, we wouldn't be the modern Arsenal without a "Arsenal miss loads of chances and concede soft goal" shocker.

I also need to hold my hands up over the inherent dullness of the CL group stages as this week has been full of shocks. It doesn't stop me from thinking that the same old teams will qualify but they are just making it hard for themselves. However, if a team that is a 46-1 (that's the actual odds for Rubin and Barcelona were still 3-10 at half time when losing 0-1 at home) shot can win then maybe anything is possible.

One other point is that do any other Arsenal fans see some similarities regarding the press reaction this week to Liverpool's "crisis" and us at a similar stage last season. Both clubs had a good previous season that ultimately failed and have slumped to too many early defeats. Immediately in this blog obsessed, news hungry world it means the club is in "meltdown" and will implode at any moment. I don't give two hoots whether Liverpool get better or not but a win against United would just shut the media up and maybe they could actually try and find other stories, e.g. the fact that Chester are likely to go bust this week. Surelythe players and employees of that club, albeit much smaller, deserve the attention.

Also - here's a great list of Wenger's top 60 quotes - what's your favourite? I particularly liked:

"I tried to watch the Tottenham match on television in my hotel yesterday, but I fell asleep." 

"At some clubs success is accidental. At Arsenal it is compulsory." 

"We do not buy superstars. We make them."