I'm currently reading a really interesting book, "My Father and Other Working Class Heroes", by Gary Imlach who writes about his late father's career as a footballer in the 1950s/60s and then comparing his lifestyle to the current lot of a footballer. Stewart Imlach was on the maximum wage (£14 per week) and clubs used the retention and transfer system to literally own players, who had no control over their destiny or career. It is almost sickening to read the working conditions under which they operated then and certainly when you compare it with the pampered lifestyles and outrageous money that players now have.

Considering that, it's interesting to see that Gareth Barry has shown his ambition and determination to play in the Champions League (to show how good a player he is) by joining a club that finished 4 places below (and 12 points worse off) Aston Villa. I'm trying to think why he did it, he will obviously say he is going to a club with "great ambition and a plan for the future" but it can't just be that, can it?

Oh and then I saw the £100,000 per week wages he's going to get and the fact that Manchester City are rushing it through (before Liverpool or dare I say, Arsenal, get a chance to ruin the move) shows all you need to know about the "nouveau rich" club and the player himself. I used to think both City were a decent club and Barry a decent player but now I know them both as yet more symbols of the over inflated monster (that will eat itself) that is modern football.

Well reading around the blogging world yesterday and this morning it does seem that all Arsenal fans are likely to commit suicide or, at least, kick their cat* if we don't sign someone (or more) in the last week of the transfer window. You can understand the fear, we did after all lose at Fulham and play pretty badly. The question, as always after a defeat, is was the performance symptomatic of what's to come or just a bad at the office? The problem is that the answer to the question will only be known a few months into the season. However, it was notable that Arsene didn't give any excuses to the performance on Saturday (something he often does) and maybe there is a realisation that something is required.

Of course, there are numerous opinions on what we need but actually very few concrete recommendations of who we should buy. If, as many people suggest, we need a Flamini type player as well as a centre half then who are they and are they available. The oft quoted examples of Alonso and Barry are both good players but they would not necessarily provide the dynamism that Flamini did last year. Maybe, and I know that this could be sacreligious to say, we have to work with the youngsters, allow them to grow together, share the bad experiences and watch them blossom.

However, this approach has a downside, we won't challenge for titles and we may struggle to qualify for the Champions League. This will leave us, potentially, at risk of financial difficulties and may see players such as Cesc decide to leave (we know mercenaries such as Adebayor would be off like a shot) not to mention the loss of all the part time supporters. Unlike many fans I remember times when we didn't expect to challenge for titles/Europe and so have some experiences to draw on but football like life now seems so much more short term and I'm not sure many have the patience to cope with such a strategy.

It will be interesting to see the supporters' reactions if we are 10th in January, out of the Champions League and playing poor football. I'm not saying we will be as 2 games is not enough to judge the potential of the season (look at Manchester United last year. However, the blog comments seem to indicate a certain stage of panic already (not from all but by many) and it could get messy....

Anyway we'll talk about it after we have a stonking win over FC Twente on Wednesday night!

This is not particularly meant to be a dig at Adebayor and Adebayor alone but can we make kissing a badge a red card offence. The problem is, that despite the possible good intentions behind the gesture, you know that any badge kissing is a meaningless and possibly, even offensive act that has probably been scripted before the match by player, agent and PR representative - well, maybe.

Do you remember the 1970s/80s when players stayed at clubs for a whole career, however long that may have been. In fact, because of wages at the time, if a player had been at a club for 7-8 years he would never leave because of the chance to get the lucrative testimonial you could get at 10 years service. That testimonial could give a player a nice little retirement fund, something that today's footballers really should have no need for, provided they don't waste it on bling & cars. (N.B. Villa attempted to court Barry with the promise of a Testimonial but they are taxed these days and aren't so valuable)

As a result I wonder what we can expect, in terms of player loyalty. Is staying for a period of time, say 5 years, loyalty enough or, is it, more to do with the manner of leaving (or attempting to leave) or maybe where the player goes. Of recent ex- Arsenal players, only good old Ashley Cole is really hated and it's not because of his time at Arsenal but his love of lucre (and his pathetic attempts to portray himself as hard done by) from a rather tainted blue source. Some players leave at the right time (Henry, Vieira, etc) and some are just professional players with no ties to the club who exploit the end of contract scenario - see Flamini and Edu, though strangely Edu left with fans loving him and Flamini is seen as more of a villain....

Whatever loyalty is these days some agents should really talk to their "clients" and advise against kissing badges and concentrate on being the best professional they can be - fans will respect that and, maybe, even be capable of letting you go on your terms.

Anyway, one thing is for sure, there will never be a worse or unloyal player than Frank Stapleton and, no, I won't forgive him, ever....

Are you a Booer? Is Booer even a real word? I don't know but there's been a lot of chat about booing recently. Gareth Barry got booed by Villa fans at a pre-season game and then got cheered at the next one when it looked like he was going to stay (shame they didn't wait as he may be off again!) Yesterday there were boos/jeers for Adebayor and yet there were none at the Stuttgart friendly last week. Is there a difference between a hardcore group travelling to Germany and 60,000 home fans (many who may not otherwise have got to see Arsenal play) making their point known.

The strange thing is that last year some of the radio phone ins were rambling on and on about boos directed at England players following their exit from the European Championships to Croatia. So called experts were saying that it was out of order but, if you think about it, fans have very little other way of registering their protest at players (for whatever reason). It's not like the 50s when players used to travel on the same bus to the ground with their own fans. Then you could have challenged them to "sort it out" or, at least, have a discussion about a player's poor performances.

No, nowadays, the most obvious route is to boo though I do suggest some caveats.... Don't boo because everyone else is or you've read a crap tabloid story - be sure, in your own mind, this player has gone beyond the pale and, as a fan, you feel the need to let him know. Don't boo for ever - it gets boring - get it over with short and sweet. Remember too that unless you're playing in Spain or other more emotionally charged countries that booing shouldn't be replaced with throwing of a pig's head or other such grusome stuff.

And anyway I rather hear a boo than a f##king "olé"....Any day of the week...

Meanwhile here in Basel, FC Basel lost their first game of the week, 2-0 away to Sion. Maybe the game against Gothenburg is more on their minds at the moment.