Morning you wonderful sexy bitches, you. Well, it is for me as I write this now, having flown out to New York for the weekend with my company for a bit of a jolly. So the next couple of days will probably be somewhat disjointed blogs, although I will be waking up at 9am to watch The Arsenal game at 10am tomorrow in one of the local bars round here. Arsenal bars, of course.

And Unai gave us a bit of an update on his team and a few other goings on, so let’s start with the positive noises about Nacho, who El Bosso wants to see extending his contract. Given Nacho’s consistency, given how we are still unsure about Kolasinac and whether he’ll break through and become the dominant first choice, this all makes sense. However it’s a position that I do feel we need a long term solution for. At 32 Nacho is a guy who will probably only have two years at the top flight at best and if we’re not putting our eggs in the Kolasinac basket then we probably need another solution. But having Nacho around for another year or so – providing the deal can be done – seems a pragmatic and sensible approach to me.

Emery also spoke about Mesut and the fact that he has a good relationship with him, pushing him to improve and deliver for us, as well as the fact that he’s had a week off following his break from Die Mannschaft. I have to say it’s international breaks like this – for players like Mesut – that I’m glad happen. He’s had a stuttering start to this season, been good in patches but nowhere near as inconsistent as people say, but he’s a player we need delivering for us and I can only think that this weekend with just Arsenal focus can be a good thing for him.

I love watching Mesut glide across the pitch and my hope is that he makes the team tomorrow because if he, Laca and Auba are on the pitch together it excites me going forward. For the Cardiff match he was quiet in the first half but he got going in the second and started to turn the screw by dictating play in their final third and was influential in the build up to the Auba goal. That’s the kind of Mesut we want to see and I still believe that he will embrace Emery’s way and it will click for him.

There doesn’t seem to have been much of a tactical overview of Newcastle and how they will set up against us, but I guess that’s just the English press and their constant need for sensationalism that drives that, because they’d rather hear about non existent bust ups, or CEO’s leaving the organisation. I’ll be honest and say I’m actually hoping Gazidis does go now. You don’t have to go far to find out that he’s been a pretty bang-average CEO for most of his tenure and so I reckon losing him would be no major problem for us. Perhaps he’s the final relic of the old way that needs to go for us to truly kick on?

Anyway, there’s a City to explore and a 17 mile run around Central Park to be endured, so I’ll catch you all in the morrow. Or afternoon.

Laters.