Is what I would be doing if I was Cesc or Arsene now that the FA have decided to charge Cesc for the alleged spitting incident and for being on the pitch apparently. I guess they were always going to end up doing this in order to show Phil Brown and his cronies that "justice" was seen to be done and the big boys don't get preferential treatment (unless they happen to be United despite Old Red Nose's accusations). However, I don't get this "on the pitch" stuff, he's the captain of the club and they've just won a cup game in the last 5 minutes. Isn't he entitled to jump around on the pitch - every other member of staff normally does in such a situation. Anyway let's hope it will be immaterial by then regarding the need for Cesc to be on the pitch to secure the CL place and he can get a good rest for a potential CL final!!

Meanwhile on Sunday it's our bogey side of recent years, a team we haven't beaten at the new stadium and have lost to on numerous occasions at their place. Let's just hope for this...

The internet PC at Le Pub in Zinal seems the most reliable source of writing this blog but is one of those pay as you go machines and is a real pain. My laptop is proving useless as the WiFi signals seem to be completely intermittent.

So I check the sport on my mobile and see teh FA ar eto investigaate "CescGate" or whatever the tabloids are calling it and seems a case of:

a) School playground name calling, "that nasty boy spat on the floor and teacher did not see it"

b) Sour grapes on Phil Brown (aka the new BFS) part and a real dislike of Arsenal

c) A pointless waste of the FA and our time to have an investiagation when it is his word against Cesc.

I suppose it keeps the FA busy.

Wow that was quick...

It's strange how managers are always moaning about too many games and yet at the moment a lot of clubs are only playing once a week unless they are in Cup replays. It should, in theory, a chance for players to recuperate (although Cesc is taking the opportunity for a much needed break) and teams to be refreshed but, in reality, it seems that players (and agents) grab the headlines with whining and moaning. Thankfully it doesn't seem to involve any Arsenal players at the moment. No, according to the media it's Chelsea and Liverpool in crisis - erm isn't that the top two teams in the league - they really need to worry then!

As for the TW - it's dull, dreadfully dull and when James Beattie being transferred is big news it's duller than dull - it's Belgian dull.

With the news about Cesc and the suspension of Adebayor, the old Arsenal would have turned up at Aston Villa on Boxing Day, rolled their sleeves up and showed the rest of the league what they are made of. This team will most likely wallow in self pity, miss their captain, think about leaving in January and moan about the referee!

That's the significant difference with these young players and the teams of the past. You can't blame the youth of the team because players like Adams, Rocastle and Merson showed the right attitude from an early age. Oh well as I sit down for the start of the holidays at the mother in law we can but hope...

Merry Christmas to you all

p.s.   Blogs may become more incoherent and alochol induced over the festive period!

It's going to continue this roller coaster of a season as we approach the crucial Christmas period, none of us have any real idea which team will turn up tomorrow or for the next game or the next. We'll certainly have a little more optimism with a new captain, a good couple of wins and the return of the odd player or two. But we won't be certain and that anxiety could spread to the players if we start badly tomorrow. The crowd at the new stadium can become quite quiet and negative relatively quickly (and it's not just at Arsenal - Liverpool were booed off on Monday despite being top and having had their best season start in the Premier League).

This is the time for patience with the team, patience with the new captain and a little bit of hope, fingers crossed (or thumb holding if you're Polish!) and just support the team. 

Some odd bits of news today, apparently Ronaldo nearly signed for us. I had heard that Wenger had been looking at him but I don't know what purpose it serves to makes such comments now. Another United player, Giggs, is saying that Ramsey is Wales' future - so will Wenger adopt Fergie-like policies and make sure he's injured for every friendly.

Finally, some good news about Eduardo who looks to be on the final stages of recovery, though there may be a while before he plays in the first team but think how that Carling Cup game might have been different with him on the pitch.

..or something along those lines.

I think many Arsenal fans struggled to get through last night's game, it was an odd one indeed. From the continuing coverage on Arsenal's very own "The Truman Show" that is "The Billy Show" to the 59,500 (cough, cough) pairs of eyes watching the new captain take to the stage plus the various side shows - it was an "interesting" evening.

In essence we struggled, unsurprisingly, to play with any fluency or pace and it looked, from the first 5 minutes, that this was always go to be a long evening. During the 90 minutes there were little flashes of potential equally mixed with minor scares but sometimes it seemed that it was like watching an Arsenal game on a dodgy internet stream. Our passages of play never quite got into focus and the players seemed, somehow, to be out of sync with each other on numerous occasions. 

However, for all our flaws in our play last night there was (just) enough effort and concentration to make up for the lack of confidence and experience. That and, for once this season, a little bit of lady luck saw us go through after one real alarm (yet more thanks to Almunia) when Cesc made the most of a (rightly) uncontested drop ball (It WASN'T a free kick Mr. Pleat!!!) to put our own Puss in Pink Boots through to score with a superb finish.

So, as the boss remarked afterwards, we got through and we can hope the recovery has started though with our injuries and a game at Stamford Bridge this weekend we need to hold on to some of any luck going. The Champions League can be left out of our minds until February and we ask our new guy from the Soccer League to sort out one or two additions in January. BUT....

You know what I will take from last night's game, not the sight of Cesc in charge or Willie Gallas's face after he nearly let them into score but the 10 minutes or so of Jack Wilshere. 16 years old and as composed a European début since a young Spaniard probably! He looks too young to be on the pitch with the big boys but that his very appearance is what makes Arsene who he is and what he stands for. Whilst the world of football tries to eat itself with money grabbing agents and even more greedy players there still is an innocence of a young kid wanting to just play. It may not last but the memory will still be there.

It seems the world at large seem to believe that making Cesc captain was the only sensible decision open to Arsene Wenger and the media will maintain the stance until we lose a couple more games, at which point Wenger will have got it all wrong and we're in crisis for eternity. Of course, if we win tonight with a mix of Carling Cup youth and first team regulars then we will be on the right path, things can get back to normal etc.

The strange thing is that the more you read some of the blogs out in cyberspace you realise that a) there's a lot of rubbish (please no comments about my mediocre offerings) out there but b) some of the fans sharing their views on the world relating to Arsenal (or their own particular club) can offer far more common sense and rational thought than much of the media. The blogs tend to more consistent and, as they are not trying to sell papers, offer a more balanced perspective even if (like mine) it's sometimes tinged with bias and the odd nasty comment against local rivals.

It seems that the news of yesterday has cheered up a few, here, but has also been recognised as the first step along a difficult path for this young squad. I also sense that though William Gallas is not Mr.Popular amongst the majority of Arsenal fans right now there is a feeling that his experience and ability are both required. The real question is whether he is a big enough man to accept the decision of Arsene Wenger and knuckle down to the role of a senior professional under a young captain who would like his support in turning things round. Unfortunately the first thing we out of the "Gallas Camp" is from his agent (GOD I REALLY HATE THESE PEOPLE) saying (as good old Kenneth Williams said) that the media has it in for poor old William. Can't they just keep quiet and move on!

Anyway let's hope the young man can lead and inspire his troops this evening.

The majority of Arsenal fans seem to be of the same mind in that they wanted Cesc to be the new captain of the club. Today that wish has come true and whilst that might seem to be a good thing, I can see one or two potential downsides. Firstly there is the issue of how it will affect him as a player. On this season's evidence there could be a problem as he is looking tired and lethargic and so we are all hoping that this appointment will reinvigorate him as an individual and as a player. The second issue could be that people think that it all can be solved just by changing the captain and we all know that isn't the case, there are deeper problems (some of which were alluded to by Gallas, albeit in such a totally unprofessional manner) within the squad. Cesc's appointment won't change our frailities but hopefully it will boost confidence and generate a team spirit amongst the young team members and enable them to be "up" for matches over the next couple of months.

The one certainty from the appointment is that the entire fan base will be totally behind Fabregas and be willing him to succeed. He has shown since his first appearance for the club his enthusiasm for the club, his ability to defy his tender years and that he seems to thrive on the big occasion. His first big task could be to try and develop a relationship with William Gallas, of all people, as his experience is needed and he is due to play tomorrow evening. How he deals with him will also be seen as a marker to the younger players on how he may develop as a captain.

I can't do anything but wish the young man well and hope, pray and keep everything crossed that he can be as good a captain as the last 21 year old to have that honour.

I can't remember the exact game now but it was towards the end of George Graham's era and a angry crowd gathered outside Highbury to bemoan the state of the side. Out of one of the windows Ian Wright started shouting abuse at those below and it encapsulated the very mood of the club at the time. There was disharmony and discontent brought about by poor performances and results after a period of success under the manager. We had a midfield that included such greats as David Hillier, Eddie McGoldrick and Ian Selley, we spent much of the season in the bottom half of the table and Highbury was nothing like sold out every week and there wasn't even a recession.

Most of the crowd then had supported Arsenal for all or most of their life and had a passion for the club that probably doesn't exist in the same way any more. The fans of then have grown older and less passionate, the new fans see the game in a different light and are just as likely to change club as protest at current events. Looking at the ticket availability on the Arsenal website it seems that games are still being sold out but will the newbies keep coming if results stay the same?

There are some lifelong (and some newer) fans who actually want to see, in a perverse way, Arsenal struggle so as they can see the impact on the newer fans. Will they show ever increasing support in hard times? Will Ashburton Grove become a place with 1000s of empty seats? Will even Gunnersaurus be booed for not showing enough effort?

Of course our form is bad, the results are poor and the effort is lacking but Amy Lawrence has found our saviour in the shape of a new captain in Cesc. Will he be made captain and what will the effect be - I have no idea but it's still better to be facing these problems than seeing Stephen Morrow in midfield.

Oh and as an aside, anyone remember Rohan Ricketts - he slagged us off when he left as a youngster to go to Spurs and their fans crowed about nicking him. Ever wondered where he is now, well look here. :-)

Tonight if, as expected, the average age of the team that takes the field is that of the average GCSE student then most Arsenal fans will be happy. It's the Carling Cup you see and the game is sold out due to low prices, fewer season ticket holders, better atmosphere, the chance to get to a game for many and, possibly more importantly for some, the opportunity to see the next generation - the same generation that saw off a hard northern Sheffield United 6-0 in the previous round. From previous experience we've learnt two main things from the Carling Cup: firstly, many of the kids that make the grade learn from playing in this competition and secondly, it normally goes tits up when we play the experienced players during the final stages. So let's stick with the kids whatever and, tonight, we have a tough task against a Wigan side who have played good football this season with little luck (let's hope they don't get that tonight). 

The other, more controversial, side of Arsene's youth policy is his belief that buying in an experienced player at the expense of the youngsters currently in the side actually harms the development of the younger player. In a recent Guardian piece he is quoted;

"It's not easy. You need strength because the easier part is to take a player of 28 and play him. But we went for this way. You build a player like Fábregas and when he's 19, [if] you put a player in front of him who is 26, maybe in the short-term he will do better but you will lose the player. That's why in this policy we have taken, what you say for one, you have to say for two."

I can really see this point and though there are some contradictions in terms of buying in Silvestre and also the fact that young players would not be harmed by one or two senior, experienced players around them, it's admirable even if it has split Arsenal fans. If, for example, you can beat the current Premier League and Champions League holders with a midfield of players aged 19, 21, 22, 20, & 21 then it can work but we get the inconsistency argument. The hardest part, I believe, is not the manager's or fans' patience but the fact that these days it's so hard to keep a group together for long enough to see the fruition of the development they go through together. We are already seeing the rumours of Cesc leaving if we don't win anything and I even saw some rubbish about Theo being targeted. Whether rumours are true is irrelevant because we all know many other clubs can't be bothered to nurture talent but like it ready mixed and will pay the price.