adieu

So, Henry's off.

It was getting more and more certain and now its confirmed. Great footballer - still is - and will do well at Barca. good luck and all that.
I still don't understand how he was sold so cheaply but... I'm sure we'll find out. However, it was the 'right' time for him to go - 30 this year with 2-3 quality seasons left in him. He's probably had his best seasons but will probably have more successful ones (in Europe) with Barca.

I'm pretty sanguine cos for the last 2 or 3 seasons, when he was brilliant Arsenal were brilliant. However, when he was having a bit of a sulk, the rest of the team performed poorly. Maybe his appetite wasn't there anymore and he didn't feel the challenge with this current crop of players - all completely understandable.

However, its not a disaster (yet) for Arsenal as we still have a team that got 4th place (joint on points) without Henry and RVP for most of the season. Now we will have RVP back and fit, as well as the lack of distraction from Baptista and possibly augmented by a good striker (Anelka??). It will be a disaster though if all the talk in the press is about "instability" with the board and manager. Its our stability that has made us attractive to players (and managers for that matter).

I think the uncertainty with Wenger is a bigger factor thank Henry leaving - Wenger needs to commit beyond his contract to entice good players to the squad.

Anyway, enough of all that. At least this is all wrapped up early in the summer to allow us a respite of the "will-he-or-won't-he?" chatter. Lets hope it doesn't turn into chatter about the board that bores us

don't look up

I was wandering along the South Bank on Sunday after pottering round Tate Modern and came across the Coin St Festival which was celebrating Refugee Week.

Saw an interesting klezmer-like band (the destroyers) and a lot of well meaning people. And it must be said a helluva lot of smiles.

Mind you, at the same time, there was the flyover commemorating the Falklands war. Lots of helicopters and fighter jets.
The noise of these things is unique and must be terrifying during an actual war.

And there must have been at least some refugees from some of the worst war torn countries on the South Bank that day who would have recognised that noise.

I paused to think, but there may have been some who cringed at that sound again.

stars in their eyes

well, I haven't blogged in a while. But then agian what would I say?

I mean, all that's happening is that Thierry Henry is being sold, I had a very drunken night in a club, I've joined Facebook, been to a wedding, endured people not respecting the "what happens on stag stays on stag" rule, am leaving my house of 11-and-a-half years and am about to enjoy/ endure the launch of the site I've been working on.

fuck all to blog about then.

If I had to, I'd say that its interesting that much of the online (arsenal) community seem pretty ok with Henry leaving (none want it but all are pretty sanguine as long as its done quickly and not some horrible heamorrage over the whole summer).

aside from that all I can say is.... what does one star mean?

Would we get one star for the site or two?

shhhhsh

Why is it thick people talk so loudly?

Obviously this is not a value judgement upon anyone and we are all equal, but I hate being subjected to very loud people shouting at each other (in an argument/conversation) and talking nonsense.

They should shut their fucking cake-holes.

the thick fuckwits

a typical london sunday

that was nice. spent an afternoon in Regent's Park with me bruvver.

It was an odd tree-hugging event, espousing all things 'sustainable' and 'good'. lots of signing of petitions and reading of flyers to demonstrations and talks. Obviously not by us, we had a female friend to do all that.

Also lots of homeopathic medicines, yoga, "chi", natural remedies, biodegradable bags and starch forks etc etc ad nauseum.

Wanted to set up a Snake-oil stall and see if anyone wanted to buy. Rueful look from bro told me to whisht.

All in all a nice chat and bit of frisbee with too much sun - all in all a good afternoon.

Thank god there wasn't any poetry reciting from the slightly over-enthusiastic compere on stage to spoil it.