Really Dull,

The Interlull is really Dull,

It's Dull, Dull and Dull

The Interlull is really Dull..

repeat ad nauseum

Now that song is out of my head I can concentrate on surviving week II, the return of the Interlull.

Have fun

In the past we had the ability of Stevie "He's Got No Hair but we don't Care" Bould flicking on (or passing superb balls to) for Tony Adams to score (either by headers or 20 yard left foot volleys!!) and we thought it was a thing of the olden days. Then Thomas Vermaelen arrived and it coincided with William Gallas scoring too - who needs forwards when your centre halves score 8 goals in 12 games!

It seems that this effect has rubbed off on another of our centre halves as I flicked on the TV this evening to see that Switzerland were 2-0 up after 8 minutes and both goals had been scored by Phillipe Senderos!! Arsene has obviously abandoned all defensive training at the club and is preparing the ultimate goal scoring team! Keiran Gibbs scored twice last night for England U21s (yes one was an own goal but what the heck) and it seems that we just need to get our keepers to score. Almunia has no chest infection - he's been taking intensive shooting practice and penalty taking so that he can join in with the fun... you know this makes sense.

BUT I've just seen Gallas miss a sitter for France, maybe it's not so true after all! Of course it could all be a mirage brought on by being at a beer making and tasting course all day!

Yep we've nearly made it through the first week of the Interlull, hope you've all survived without resorting to too many drugs. So what are you going to do this weekend with no Arsenal?

1) Watch the Twenty20 Champions League in French Commentary, can't beat the Delhi Chargers vs Sussex!!!

2) Watch an International game with a lot riding on the result - so that's Russia v Germany

3) Go to a Beer festival - Stuttgart or Munuch or smaller ones..

4) Go to a beer making course with the emphasis on tasting the results!

5) Recover from a hangover induced by too much beer

6) Make a calendar to count down the days until the Interlull ends

7) Visit friends and try to remember what Saturdays were like when there was no football on

8) Go shopping with the wife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9)  Have a long, really long lie in - maybe 2-3 days?

10) Watch Ukraine v England for £11.99 on the internet - HA HA HA HA HA HA there must some nuts out there....

I shall be doing one or two of these - I'll leave you to guess which ones?

So here it is, La Croix D'Or, the Pub of legends or, in this case, the Pub where Arsene gained the knowledge to be able to say "Arsene Knows"! One thing that I can say having visited this Brasserie/Restaurant (no it's not a pub and no there isn't such a thing in France just imitations of the real English establishment) is that it is uninspiring inside.

There was no "Arsene etait ici" scrawled into the bar or any plaques, photos or trophies to give you any idea. Then that is no surprise as it's a completely different owner to those days. However, maybe you could just imagine a young Arsene Wenger not seeing who nicked the Ricard and perhaps trying out a more attractive way of playing cards some long time ago.

At least I didn't get wet today on this second leg of the pilgrimage and, in truth, the cycling was as important as visiting a mere glimpse into the history of our illustrious manager.

I woke up this morning to find a beautiful, truly beautiful day and an expected high of 26-8 degs. Despite fiddling around I finally got my act together and packed for an overnight cycle trip to Duttlenheim to visit that pub we all heard about a week or so ago. I thought that I would get as much riding done today as the weather doesn't look so great tomorrow. So I've managed 130 of 145km and am in Schaeffersheim, a mere 15km from the bar. Of course I'm knackered and, of course, it will be a shabby French bar of no particular beauty but that's not the point and what better way to spend two days of the Interlull!

Our game yesterday seemed to encapsulate much of what has been going on during most Premier League matches so far this season. Apparently the Premier League has seen the highest "goals per game" average in its entire history as well as being the highest of all the major European leagues. So as much as we have one or two concerns regarding our defensive capabilities it's good to know that this seems to be a disease affecting most, if not all, clubs including the other "big 4" teams. Combined with the fact that we have the greatest array of attacking talents that this club has ever seen then we can surely cash in this. However, if our attacking players have an off day (which we've seen before) then those are the days that we do have to defend slightly better than yesterday but it ain't going to be boring.

Watching the game against Blackburn was both enthralling (80% of the game) and quite scary (the other 20%) for a wonderful 90 minutes. I read somewhere that a reporter felt very sorry for Alexander Song because apart from the four defenders and the goalkeeper, everyone else on the team only has a desire to attack and certainly not defend. I think the reporter got that wrong since it seems Vermaelen, Clichy and Sagna seem more intent on supporting the attack at various stages too! I wonder what George Graham thinks when he watches us play now.....

The great thing about this is that whilst you can work on the team concentrating and the art of tracking back you cannot teach the technique, passing, movement and football genius that is endemic amongst Fabregas, Van Persie, Rosicky, Arshavin, Walcott and Bendtner. It's obvious we haven't quite got the balance right just yet but I'd rather be watching this team develop than any other team on the planet at the moment. Is there anyone who could possibly begrudge spending the price of an admission ticket for most of our games.

Like Arseblogger said today we have a lot of pent up articles to write on how we can improve as the two week interlull starts today. Let's just start the week with a few prayers, rabbit feet and finger corssing that all our players come back uninjured.

On the Swiss side of things Basel learnt from watching us I believe and won 5-0 too! However, this was marred by violence by Basel fans.

What do you think BFS thinks when he sees teams like us, Barcelona or even United (grits teeth and grimaces as he says it) play beautiful passing football that entertains and enthralls fans of their own clubs as well as those from other teams. Does he sit there planning how he can convince any of the players he has that this is the way the game should be played or does study each player in detail to work our where a perfectly aimed kick will stop any of those players doing what they do so well.

Whilst Arsene apparently watches football 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 364 days a a year (he takes Xmas Day off - maybe?) we all know that BFS is watching sports such as Rugby Union, Wrestling and probably a bit of cage fighting to see if he can get any tips for his side. What BFS does do so well is that he has managed to spin the media so well (thanks to a few friendly words from his big mate Sir Awex - who he rewards by generally getting his players to all fawn at United and let them take a nice easy 6 points a season) that his team is seen as tough rather than a bunch of dirty cloggers. 

So today we face Blackburn in a run of good form but (whatever we may think about their style of play) we need to match them for effort and physicality as much as we can. Then we can play our football and hopefully come out comfortable winners. If at the same time BFS can either choke on his chewing gum or get multiple electric shocks through his headset we all be happy.

So the day after the day before when Arsene became the longest serving manager of all time at our illustrious club and seems that no one has a bad word to say about him (though utter c##t and Mark Hughes haven't been asked). We get words of praise from old foes like Sir Awex and BFS as if it's an online version of This is Your Life and he hasn't even retired yet. Makes you wonder what the media w##kfest will be when Sir Awex finally retires/dies/spontaneously combusts!

For supporters of Arsenal and for most reasonably minded individuals who follow other clubs there has been no doubt as to his success at the club. Whether that be on field success, the development of the facilities and stadium or just the fact that Arsenal is now known around the world in many corners that until recently had remained in ignorance. So let's hope that Sunday's game is a true celebration of the man's genius with a spanking of Blackburn with a performance that shows all the qualities that he has brought to our great club. Of course, BFS will be, I'm sure, back to his belligerent best with Blackburn and we may have to do this the hard way.

When looking at the last 13 years of pretty much successful football the biggest thing that comes to mind is the entertainment that Arsene has brought to us. Having watched home defeats to Walsall (having been at WHL the round before to see us win) in the League Cup, having been drenched watching a crap Coventry beat us at Highbury from a roofless Clockend, having endured the long (interminably long) and crap games at the end of GG's era and many, many more (far too many to mention) unpleasant experiences watching my team.....

All I can say is a heart felt thank you for all that you have achieved and ignore all the fans who demand success (despite the fact you demand it of yourself every day - it's just a matter of methods) - this is football and no team, no matter who they are have a divine right to it. However, as fans we do have a right to be entertained and enjoy the moments we spend with our team, even if a cup here or there makes any moment that much more sweeter.

Finally, from a local perspective I have to say that the mighty FC Basel were rather unlucky to lose last night and I'm looking forward to the game at St.Jakobs in December when the Red and Blues can qualify by beating Fulham in their last game!

Luck is an overrated concept and can be viewed in many different guises. Of course, football fans generally are happy to accept their fair share of good fortune whilst hoping that that any bad luck decides to give them a wide berth. There is also the rather irrational argument within football that luck "evens" itself over the course of the season. One of the reasons I say that this is an irrational argument is that though it may be possible to analyse a season and identify the times when good and bad luck has played a part in a team's games BUT....

The two different sides of lady luck can play a different part in determining (or not) the outcome of the game or, at least, the deciding of where the points go. Let's look at Arsenal this year in the Champions League. We have so far had deflected goals, own goals, dodgy penalties, handball goals and an offside goal all go our way yet none of those could seriously have been said to affect the result (maybe the Liege game we would of got only a point but is it seriously going to affect our qualification). Now as we, hopefully, go further in this year's competition we may have to suffer one or two pieces of misfortune and as the competition progresses the luck may prove a more determining role in the final result.

Anyway maybe our bad luck has just been our injury curse that has been unleashed on us by some Darren Anderton worshipping cult that wish misfortune on any player in a Red and White shirt, though we so rarely play in that shirt we survive further major mishaps!

So fortune aside (and our group draw may have been the major slice when you see Liverpool's struggles) I'll take the good luck, hope it continues or even gets better and if we pick up the big cup at the end of the season with the media crying out "lucky Arsenal", I won't give two hoots...

He's 60 this week and on Thursday Arsene Wenger will become the longest servng manager at Arsenal football club. Since we can pretty much agree that he has also been the greatest manager of our club as well then he hasn't done too bad. There have been a raft of articles today (sorry but iPhone means no links) in the media where he says Arsenal were "crazy" to emply him in 1996. When you consider everything he has done and continues to do (multiple million profit, moving to a fabulous stadium etc) then it's hard to accept the criticism he receives. Yet we are a football club and we need success on the field but this week's financial news makes me feel much more comfortable about the future. We may still be in a relatively weaker football position but as our debts reduce and the real world catches up with the rest of the Football world then we can face it with a real positive intent. Much of which we owe to Arsene andbso I say Thank You.