Attack Of The Gooner Penguins

I may very well be wrong, but I don't think there's a Gooner LUG. There certainly should be. The very idea of a few beers and Geek-talk-meets-football after a game gets me awfully excited... anyone else?

Thankfully, HC is back at work so I've got someone intelligent to talk to which takes some of the pain out of my foot-leather-wasting transport there and back atm. When the weekend comes I guess it's time to look for Bollock's replacement.

Transfer gossip is rather dull atm - my prediction: we'll sign Owen (as in Michael, not Havgreaves) and Guti, AC3 will be off to Real next summer (or even in January if they're out of the CL by then). We'll see.

Some Things You Can Predict

It'll come as little surprise to anyone that TH14 has been appointed captain. I think it's pretty much what everyone wanted and I certainly think it's the right choice. He's not only a great ambassador for the club and football in general but also for the simple virtue of being a decent human being. If he makes half a decent fist of it as he has everything else he's turned his hand to then he'll do just fine.

The News of the Screws (and just about everyone else, though they hedge their bets by crediting the NOTW) reports that AC3 is about to sign a new contract, extending his current deal to three years and netting him £70k per week into the bargain. The contract apparently includes a "gentleman's agreement" that he can go to Real next summer if he wants, which makes one wonder whether the extension is merely to protect his value in that deal. We shall see.

In the meantime, perhaps we can now forget that saga and see if he can still do his talking on the pitch, I think we've all had enough of hearing him off it.

RIP Bollock

Bugger. Bollock, my stalwart motorized companion for the last few years, has finally broken down. Sadly, it looks terminal.

He will be dearly missed, particularly today as I'm marooned in the middle of nowhere and am still too bloody sick to walk anywhere :(

All Things Must Pass

So PV4's finally off then. The papers are having a field day, of course - not least because, Chelsea having managed the seemingly impossible in having priced themselves out of the market for anyone whilst having more money than most of Africa and Asia combined, there's little else for them to write about. The most extreme reaction I've heard from any fellow Gooners, however, is "fair enough".

Is this reaction just down to the fact that's we've had the "is he/isn't he" saga every last few summers? I don't think so. The impression I get is that most of us feel the time is right for a change - and anyone who suffered watching JL1 single-handedly mugging the Mancs must see that we really do need a Plan B...

So I'm looking forward to an exciting new season with an exiting-as-usual-but-rather-different team. Cool, bring it on... come on you Redcurrants!

Anyway, best of wishes to Pat is his new career and many thanks for all he's done for us. Nice one, good luck.

Hello World

Well, it's traditional... it's hot here, I'm feeling bloody sick and I'm tired, too. Ideal blogger material, me. Tomorrow we start in earnest, oh yes.