Well I would love that to be the case but it seems the snow is a little wet up in Les Crosets but it looks like sunny weather tomorrow and a good drive before Xmas/New year skiing can take place. Definitely no chance of seeing the Villa or Pompey game so it will be up to the good old Sky Sports Centre App on my iPhone and hoping that there is a semblance of a 3G signal in the mountains!

Hope you've all had a good day and all your wishes came true. Let's hope the real Arsenal turns up on Sunday and we can see the pretenders off.

Bis Bald, A Bientot et Bon Ski a Tous!!!!!!!

Of course it's nearly Christmas and that can only mean one thing - the start of the review season, best games, best players etc and everyone has an opinion. The problem is that most of the opinions, thoughts and comments have very little originality and are just a regurgitated set of words or ideas from other sources. We in the blogging world are, of course, as much to blame as anyone else but we don't get paid for our crap do we!

The recent podcasts and online articles that I have been listening to and reading have provided so many stereotypical (and often xenophobic) cliches as journalists just can't be arsed to even think before they write/talk. The major topic of debate at the moment is the "race for fourth place" and it seems that everyone thinks Liverpool have blown it, Spurs could do it, Mancini will not work at City and Villa should get it. There have been one or two articles regarding our position an whether we will stay where we are. Interestingly (especially looking at our points and their injuries) I've only heard one journalist (Paul Doyle I think) who has raised the possibility of United being dragged into a "race for 2nd, 3rd or 4th" position.  

The problem I have is that the assumption is that United will just regain some form and either win the league or take second place at a canter. Now in previous years I could see that but their form has been pretty iffy all year and the current lack of defenders is hard for any side. I would even say that the African Cup of Nations effect on Chelsea (plus their own stuttering from since beating us) could ( a big could I do admit) see the whole title race be thrown in the air. Unlikely but a possibility that is ignored as the pundits stick to their rehearsed and so well worn lines.

The other thing that I heard this week was that Martin O'Neill is a great manager having spent so little!!! Is this the same manager who spent the second highest amount across the league last season and has an American sugar daddy? Part of the reason is, of course, the possibility that Villa may supply a large number of England's World Cup squad and so the press have to build them up so they can build up the England team. I just hate the relative lack of serious thought or an ounce of originality.

Oh and happy Christmas to you all...... :-) :-) :-)

Well here in Basel it has as the temperature went from -2 yesterday to +14 oC today! Strange weather indeed and though I'm just thankful I got back yesterday my body has struggled to adjust to the rapid change in temperature. Wonder if this affects players as much - you think you're going to playing on a snowy, freezing "oop North" pitch and suddenly the sun comes out and everyone's one back to wearing T-Shirts again (though that is the norm in Snow oop North). Knowing Arsenal players the sudden change in the ambient conditions would result in several severe viral infections and many suffering from heat induced hallucinations.

Not a lot to talk about today as most people, footballers included, seem to be thinking about the holidays and not much else. That is apart from one moustached American who thought he could buy a few more shares without anyone noticing whilst the world is still talking about Mancini. What Kroenke's overall game is we can guess at and it would seem that a takeover is his expected final requirement. Is it a good thing or not? No idea and I'll add to the pile of things that "I can do bugger all about so won't worry about 'em too much".

Maybe we'll hear more on Xmas day - a seemingly good day to bury the news.

Due to the potential of a strike by British Airways I moved my flight to Switzerland from evening to lunchtime - Thank God I did! A little more snow arrives in the UK and the flight was cancelled, as were many others as the UK struggles as usual with a little dusting. I got back here and there was about 3 times as much snow and everything is working as normal...

Anyway it was a good trip back with the unexpected bonus of a trip to see Arsenal that gave me the chance to sit in a different seat,

I was behind the goal where Denilson scored his free kick and it was pretty much in from the moment he kicked it as the cliche goes. Strange group of people with loads going to the stadium for their first ever visit and three Mexicans cheering when Vela came on. I suppose I've been going for so long to watch The Arsenal that it always strikes me as odd when new supporters seem so excited!

My very good friend, Ian, plus the chaps from AISA have enabled me to see the Hull game today as long as I can get down the treacherous and icy road from my friend's house this morning. I have officially brought my warmest coat in the world, a Rab Extreme, and with a late kick off it will be bloody cold. It also has a hood to annoy Tango man this evening.

I'm waiting at Zurich airport to fly home back to the snow even if we've got loads here. Of course it makes little difference in Switzerland but the flight I often catch to gatwick was cancelled. Luckily (though not when I heard about the strike which is now off) I'm flying with BA and Heathrow seems in better shape than other airports. Coming back to see my dad but will miss Hull game as I've already had my ST sold as I wasn't expected to attend. Oh well never mind. The Basel game was good on Wednesday night but if you let Zamora score twice you ain't gonna win a lot of games. Today is also CL draw day and I really want Stuttgart for many reasons. Not that good, Jens, Gross the new manager and it's easy to get to from Basel. Fingers crossed.

After Sunday's win tonight's game takes on a bigger importance as it's a real chance to build on the weekend's result and show we are serious about staying in touch with the league leaders. It will say as much about us as any win at Anfield.

I, however, will be freezing my gonads off at Basel v Fulham here in Switzerland and apparently 2000 Fulham fans are coming over for this "must win" game in the Europa League, as much as any game in this competition can be seen as such! Looking forward to a beer in the Seibli Kellar beforehand and a decent game but I really want to see is a white pitch and orange ball but I don't think it's gonna happen.

As the game kicks off at 7.00pm local time I think it will finish before the Arsenal games starts so I may just catch a little of that too. 

Off to find the thermals!!!

There has been, finally, a little stirring in the media regarding the antics of one or two English players of ill repute who seem to like the odd falling over routine whenever they pass the 18 yard line. After watching MOTD on Saturday and seeing the pundits completely gloss over Shrek's dive against Villa (and well played the referee for booking him) I had thought that the normal English myopia (something the media love to accuse our own manager at every opportunity) was its normal hypocritical self.

When one thinks of the witch hunt over Eduardo's penalty claim against Celtic and the headlines regarding N'gog (despite one of his English team mates being a serial offender) and his fall at Anfield, it's annoying to say the least when yet another Englishman falls over a leaf in the box and it's completely ignored.

However, reading the media and listening to the podcasts discussing the weekend there have been one or two journalists taking the opportunity to mention the hypocrisy in their industry. Two articles this week show that there can be a reasonable debate on the subject. Both Patrick Barclay (Times) and Paul Doyle (Guardian) explore similar themes and it's about time the British public did the same and not just repeat the xenophobic rants more appropriate to the Daily Mail. One podcast even gave the stats for bookings for "simulation" so far this season and there have been 10.

How many by British players? - Seven, how many by ENGLISH players? - FIVE.

So it's not a foreign disease as it has been often portrayed but something that can be undertaken by any player of any race or nationality. Interestingly a journalist said during the Game podcast that the reason the journalists give English players an easy time is the fact they may need to interview them at a later date on duty for their country. Bloody cowardice in the same way that many managers won't ask Ferguson a tough question for fear of being barred. Grow up and get some balls...

According to Lee Dixon he only saw Arsene Wenger lose it once in the dressing room during his time as a player under him. Apparently Arsene, in a fit of Gallic fury, threw a viciously (but badly aimed) plastic cup and then picked it up and put it in the bin. That story seems about as angry as our manager would ever get but this season, more than ever, he may have good reason to do so with his current crop of players.

Despite his odd fault in selection and signings (no giants here please) he has consistently backed these players and said in public of his undying belief in their ability to deliver. When they decide to play like they did in the first half I think it was truly the time for some home truths to be given to these young players. They may be young and tiny but the club is paying them a very good wage based on Arsene's sayso - he will have told the board that the lucrative contracts for such young (but as yet unproven) talent was worthwhile and necessary for he believed in their capabilities and potential that would reap a successful future.

However, he's seen a few too many "iffy" performances and with the results that had occurred on Saturday I'm pretty sure he would have been disgusted with the application and effort put in by most of the players during the first half at Anfield. Despite the words it was necessary for a little bit of luck and for a Liverpool side to just lay down and die once we took the lead. It did, of course, give us that wonderful opportunity to talk about how we won whilst playing badly - the absolute true indicator of potential champions according to every pundit in the world. Personally I think it's the case if you play well the majority of the time and win - only needing the poor performance win on the odd occasion, though it doesn't seem to work that way for United these days.

Now let's see if Arsene's words will still be in the ears of the players when they turn up at Turf Moor on Wednesday night. A night when I will be enjoying the Europa League at FC Basel who take on Fulham for a chance to play Liverpool - which these days is tantamount to a bye!!!

It seems that whenever a goal is scored these days it is rarely due to a decent piece of attacking play but rather some shoddy defending. This is particularly true (and don't we know it) when goals are scored from a set piece. At various stages pretty much every side (even Chelsea) have been slated as "poor" at defending any free kicks or corners and there is hardly ever any credit to any movement of the forwards or  the decent delivery of the ball. We have an excuse since none of our players can actually be expected to win a header when the towering opposition players appear in the box!

Whatever the reasons are we are seeing a lot more goals (my perception - no facts to back it up) this season and it seems to be continuing today by all accounts. There seems to be little analysis of the reasons behind the outbreak of goals other than defenders aren't working on their defensive skills or are just lazy these days. It's pretty much taken as fact that we don't practice on set pieces very much (looking at our free kicks against Olympiakos it seems that's from an attacking viewpoint as much as a defensive one) but surely other clubs DO and yet they are still conceding.

Perhaps some of the reasons behind the upsurge is the intensity of the game, the changing on a regular basis of the balls used and a more attacking philosophy across the league? Whatever they are it would be nice to see a little more reasoned analysis by the "experts" rather than the dolling out of cliches and tired phrases.

The only person who I see regularly highlighting the actual manner of defending errors is Lee Dixon so perhaps he should be back at Arsenal to try and sort out how we can get the best out of the resources we have.