Oh, hello, how the devil are you? Feeling fine and dandy on this Saturday morning?

It’s been a while since I blogged – Monday I think – but I thought I’d return to action given that there’s football this weekend. I’ve been in St Lucia you see and whilst there’s wifi throughout the resort, I chosen to just soak up a bit of the Caribbean instead. With rum. Lots of rum.

So much rum…..

Anyhoo, it’s Saturday morning 7.30am local time here, which I think is something like 11.30am back in Blighty and rather than roll over, I thought I’d say words on t’internet. Think I’ll do one tomorrow and maybe Monday too, but for now I’ll just whack some pre-Burnley thoughts down, as well as some hopes for this weekend.

First and foremost, I hope to see plenty of energy from us tomorrow. We’ve had a full week’s rest since last Saturday’s win against Swansea and so I’m expecting a rejuvenated Arsenal side to be ready to break down what will invariably be a tough Burnley team. More on the specifics of that tomorrow, but Arsène has already spoken about how difficult it was to break them down at Turf Moor and I’m expecting the same tomorrow. They will be defensive, compact and direct.

But at least we’ve got a bit of confidence going in to the game after a good win away, as well as the signature of Mertesacker being a positive one for team morale, I think. Whether or not you’re a fan of his from a playing side, the character he has in the dressing room must be important for the players and whilst I don’t think he’ll see much game time for the remainder of this season and next, it can’t hurt to be stocked in central defence. Let’s face it, it’s the sort of position where we’re likely to have players go down like the plague at some stage. That happens to us in one specific position every season. Just look at our midfield issues over the last few weeks. Only we could stockpile that many midfielders and still look short of bodies come the beginning of January, eh? So why not just fill the team with about eight players in each position!?!

So I’m not completely against the idea if I’m honest. I do think Arsène will end up putting Chambers in the bin though. That’ll be a shame because I think he’ll be a very good defender in time. Just because Holding looks decent – as decent as Chambers when he’s arrived by the way – it doesn’t mean that we should scrap heap Calum. I just hope the club don’t. I’d give Chambers more of a chance than Gabriel, who still scares me at times, and not just because of his ‘angry man’ face he seems to permanently wear. He just doesn’t seem to be too assured on the ball and his defensive positioning is nowhere near as sound as Mertesacker and also Chambers. But we’ll have to wait until the summer and the pre season games before we can get an idea on what the pecking order at the back will be.

As for today, I think I’ll watch a couple of games by the pool, and see how Man City get on against those Tiny Totts. Normally, even when it’s two teams who have similar points tallies to us if he routing for a draw first and foremost, but given how impressive Tottenham have looked and how ragged City were against Everton, I am firmly hoping that Manchester is a horrible hunting ground for the Spuds. But I have a nasty little jiggly feeling that they’ll get something from the game. You only have to look at how atrocious we were, and we managed to keep a lead until halftime, to see that Pep’s City have big, BIG problems. So yeah, I’m hoping – but not expecting – they’ll smash the Totts.

I’m not even hoping that Hull can get anything away to Chelski. That’s just a game I’m waving along like a Stormtrooper having a chat with Obi Wan in A New Hope. That game at Stamford Bridge can just totall move along. 

It’ll mean that we’ll absolutely need to win because I think Liverpool, Chelski and maybe even those Spuds might get something from their games. The league this season is more unforgiving than it’s ever been in my opinion, with more competition and yet more dominance, so I’m just hoping that at least one of the aforementioned teams slip up. Although I won’t hold my breath. 

Right, I think that’ll be that for me for one day, as there’s a breakfast and then a few Appleton Estate and Cokes with my name on it come lunchtime.

Catch y’all tomorrow.