For the longest time I have been a type of Eurosnob, you know those fans who want the MLS to be like Europe. I am not a fan of the single table, nor am I a fan of only the ManUre's of the world. I was only a Eurosnob about youth development. They have been doing it there for 100+ years so they have to know how to do it.

We have seen in Part I how the term 'Man U', considered objectionable by many supporters today, was created entirely uncontroversially by newspapers at least sixty years ago, as an easy printed abbreviation for Manchester United. Used initially almost exclusively for fixtures, results and league tables, it only later became part of grassroots speech a little later.

Written by Oz Gunner

Theodore Roosevelt once said:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

So here it is, the start of the new season. And unlike the rest of you, I can say that since I really haven't watched a game yet which is an unexpected nice feeling. Yes, we all know the season really three weeks in and we have only garnered one point and basically made a bile of manure out of the summer and anything else you can think of, but we need to get on with it.

Arsenal 1 Udinese 0
Let's get one thing clear: the media reporting of this match was distinctly odd.
We were without our best player through suspension, and Arshavin didn't play. We had to deal with two defensive reshuffles in the course of the game because of injury. And crucially, Udinese played very well, with Chesney making a string of excellent saves.

Written by Camberwell Gooner

Resumption of hostilities is just around the corner. Like the starving dog stumbling through the streets on his last legs in search of a morsel, we're starting to catch whiffs of steak wafting from a nearby kitchen, giving us renewed hope that we will actually make it to the new season before the municipal authorities bundle us in a van and drop us off at the city pound.

Can you remember the 1966 World Cup Final ........ you know, the one which ended with Bobby Moore (sadly deceased) lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy? It was on television and it was in black and white. I guess few of our readers were born back in those far off days..

5 years earlier Tottenham last won the League.

A trip up to the north west beckons our weary team and our magnificent travelling support.

Some would say we're a team traumatised by recent setbacks in the league: the loss of a two goal lead last time out, the late, late penalty equaliser against the ‘dippers last weekend and the pair of home nil-nils against Blackburn and Sunderland.

Despite the uncalled for references to Manure, you may be interested to read how an Everton fan sees his clubs visit to Old Trafford on Saturday as reported in his blog 'Blue Kipper'. Perhaps more...
Continue to the full story

An inferior blogger posed this question today, so there is my riposte.

I still believe as I don't believe Manure are a team that are infallible. They have ridden tremendous luck on occasions, referee decisions have gone their way for two decades, but situations that affect their opposition are most amazing when broken down and really gleaned upon with a serious level of intent and vigour.

Well done those Chelsea boys!
Yes I know those are not words you would usually expect to see writ large on this blog.
But you see, whilst I was away on my ... erm ... sabbatical, my secret interest in this lot has increased.
Not that I would ever betray my Foxes for them.

Now that would scupper the entire tactical structure of the cavemen who visit the Home of Football tonight.

On a serious note, tonight is bloody huge, massive... a monsterous game of football... FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE CUP FINAL.

For me, and many Gooners, the ultimate prize is to be the Champions of your country, to the rule the roost in your homeland.

So Arsenal find themselves still competing on all four fronts, with the final of the Carling Cup up first at the end of February.

Sports Betting is an ever growing market place with every major sporting event fully covered.

I know of one chap who resides in North London (no links to the club) who made over £200,000 in 2010 from punting on Football alone.

Sunday's display of misogyny between Andy Gray and Richard Keys was something legendary indeed. Men capable of displaying such baffling thoughts are far and few between, unless you live in the Middle Ages (in which case, get off this future contraption and back to your manure patch). But finding men that genuinely think women don't understand off-sides and then actually verbalize that is like finding a needle in a haystack.

This time last year we were on a long unbeaten run and were beginning to hint at the possibility of a serious title challenge.

There was one glaring problem – we did not have a lead striker.

Robin van Persie was out on one of his trademark lengthy injury lay-offs and Nicklas Bendtner was filling the berth next to him in the treatment room.