Welcome to Friday. I don’t know about you, but it’s a week that certainly has dragged for me. Is it because there is no football on? Is that what it is? No football, plus no real mega exciting news to speak of, equals slow-diddly-oweness. I guess there was some football on Wednesday, but I was at work so it wasn’t really something I could ‘look forward to’ so to speak. And as much as I try with recorded games that you watch after the event, it’s never quite the same, is it?

I always get a little bit too remote control trigger-happy. Throw ins, corners, stoppages in play; they all get fast forwarded. Which then completely ruins the ‘live’ experience and thrill. It’s also the unknown factor of watching it live. When you and I are watching The Arsenal live, wherever we are, we’re all in the same boat and we experience the same nerves. But we also experience the same adrenaline. All of that gets washed away when you know the result. I’ve tried to avoid all fonts cat with humans that might divulge that information in the past, but in the end it never really works out, so I gave up on that a long time ago. It’s a bit like the people on the news who say “if you don’t want to know the result, look away now”, then within a second they both say and show the result. How the devil are you supposed to react that quickly? Especially if you’ve been inebriated all day!

Anyway, tomorrow will feel a little bit more like things are getting back to the norm, because it’ll be a 1.30pm kick off UK time, plus a Saturday so I can watch the game without having to do that ‘work’ thing that gets in the way of live. And it’s another Premier League club in the shape of Everton, so that will help to trick my brain into feeling like we’re getting backflip the norm.

Why can’t they just pay us to be Gooners, eh? 

Ahh, right, yes. Because that would make us players. And probably bankrupt the club. But it’s a nice idea. Maybe I’ll write to Ivan. If you don’t buy a ticket n’all that…

There seems to be a bit more rumbling about Nacho Monreal to Bilbao. More than many of us would like it has to be said, but I do find it staggering (if true) that a club can hold so much sway over a player just because it’s in a certain region. It’s like Bilbaoan (did I get that right?) people don’t realise that if you’re a footballer, you’re supposed to be greedy and a little bit simple, but gifted with a spherical thing at your feet. The move is baffling in the extreme. If Nacho wants to go back to the club one day then you can understand it, but having just spent two years unseating Gibbs from the left back slot at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, why would you decide to join a mid table team? It’s like Gareth Bale leaving Madrid for Swansea because he misses the high levels of unemployment and people drinking Special Brew on the street at 11am on a Tuesday. 

I just don’t get it. But then again, I am from London and there perhaps aren’t the same ties as there are for the Spanish region, or even the rest of the UK I suspect. I mean yes, you’ve got the Geordies and the Mackems who are all football mad and one-club cities, but players don’t feel an unexplainable draw to the club whatever the circumstances. Just look at Jordan Henderson moving to Liverpool as a case in point. Or Andy Carroll to Liverpool too, for that matter.

Perhaps it’s got something to do with the fact he’s only got a year left on his deal and he’s angling for another three years, where as Arsène would probably only be angling for a one year extension given that he’ll be 30 in February next year. I’d offer him three. He’s deserved it and besides, having reached the tender age of 32 myself, I’d like to think he’ll still be useful when he hits my age.

Anyway, all of this could very well be Spanish tabloid mischief making, so I should probably just forget about it and think more about how exciting it will be when Big Per and Arteta lift the Premier League trophy in May next year.

As for what else is happening, well, there isn’t really anything of note. There’s more rumblings about Benzema but really, are we going to head down that well trodden route? I’m bored of it already, so I know you must be too.

And with all this in mind, I say my good day to you and hope that tidings find you well.