If you took the time to analyse the various stories in the newspapers, there's often a commonality to them.
It's not unusual for the chaps on the Arsenal beat to all run the same story in their various newspapers, almost as if they've been briefed. Each paper will grant it various levels of exclusivity and interestingly they're all going with a big bid for Higuain this week.
welcome to a brand new week. It might be a chore to drag yourself out of bed on a Monday morning, but it also brings with it freshness and hope. Will there be action? Might something happen this week? Who knows? It's like an Arsenal season encapsulated in the space of one week.
still pretty quiet this morning but some excitement on Twitter regarding Gonzalo Higuain, with suggestions the Spanish press are saying we've gone large to sign the Argentine striker.
Marca, are the most positive, saying emails have been exchanged between us and Madrid, which say that we're willing to go as high as €30m, €8m more than Juventus are offering.
You know, I'd like to write about Arsenal stuff but there isn't any Arsenal stuff to write about. It's the end of the second week of June and nothing is stirring, not even a mouse. Or a Dick.
People worry. Which is fair enough. Folk are prone to do that and when there's no evidence to the contrary it's easy to realise your worst fears.
Historically, Arsenal have been a conservative club, but one that makes audacious moves at the right time. Executively speaking, we've had a good mix of bean counters and audacious entrepreneurs. When the club was threatened with near bankruptcy after the second world war, Bracewell-Smith's austere chairmanship kept us solvent and competitive.
Whatever you might say about the good Dublin pubs, but there's no doubt the best Guinness in the world can be found in Dingle.
Having taken a pint in quite a few establishments this week, it's a stone-cold fact that it's better down here than at home. I don't know why this is. It's creamier, tastier, nicier, the whole lot.
Why is it that most mornings you (I'm assuming I'm not the only one in the world this happens to) wake up with a song going around in your head?
Today, my brain is treating me to the classic 80s hit about that Irish marine, Cam O'Flage. I don't think I've heard it in years, yet it's bouncing around my dome in all it's jangly guitar glory.
Morning all, there's some blue sky on the horizon, which makes a nice change after the 24 hours of solid Atlantic rain.
All eyes this morning are on Ivan Gazidis and the Q&A he did last night for supporter's groups. While I think you have to give him credit for meeting fans in this way, it was, by all accounts, the usual polished performance from the chief executive.
Yesterday, the sun was shining here, I was swimming in the Atlantic. Today, as the picture shows, we have more typical Irish summer weather. This is the same view as yesterday's picture. No sign of the islands.
Ah well, you can't get too invested in the weather. Like professional footballers, it'll always let you down.
The picture above is my view for the next week. Not too shabby, especially when temperatures here hit 25C yesterday. In Ireland! I know, right?
There's little to report from an Arsenal point of view that isn't made up tosh. And usually the things you really want to happen are the most made up of all.
A very quick Saturday round-up for you. Plenty of debate still going on after Ivan's words the other day. The conclusion, regardless of which side of the fence you're on, is that it all sounds great but now back it up with actually doing stuff. Use the money, buy the players, make the team better, and let's see what happens then.
Lots of interesting stuff yesterday from Ivan Gazidis who met with some members of the press, most of whom are on the Arsenal beat throughout the season.
It's worth putting this into some context. On Monday Gazidis will meet with fans groups, like the AST and AISA, for a now annual Q&A session.
With Arshavin and Squillaci tearfully examining their final Arsenal payslips this month, operation deadwood claimed another victim this week with the news of Denilson's release. To quote The Lemonheads 1992 LP of the same name, it's a shame about Denilson. (Ray. Denilson. Whatever). In 2008-09 I thought we had had a potentially excellent player on our hands, but for one reason or another, he just didn't develop from there.
Yesterday the club announced that three players would be packing their jewel encrusted suitcases, laden with bullion and rubies and precious scents from the finest perfumiers, and heading off into the distance. I did imagine them as the kind of little chaps that run away from home, their scant belongings in a spotted handkerchief tied to pole thrown over their shoulders with a trusted old dog scuffing along with them, but it doesn't really work.
