Arsenal vs Portsmouth - Emirates Stadium, London - Sunday 28th December 2008

This was one of those games where the result was much, much more important that the way it was achieved. After a couple of draws in the past week - both against good teams, but you feel we needed more than 2 points from the 2 games - it was important to pick up 3 points here, against one of the so-called "lesser" teams. It was good to see Tony Adams again, and nice that he waved when Arsenal fans sang at him, but we were hoping to make him unhappy in his day job.

The first half was boring. When we all gathered under the stand at half time, the over riding thought was "how very dull". There was lots of Arsenal passing, but very little penetration, no real chances created, and not much to get excited about. Bendtner and Adebayor did not exactly make a dynamic duo up front, Nasri was stuck out on the wing, and the rest of the midfield hardly looked creative. At the other end, Peter Crouch was allowed an unchallenged header, which hit the post - reminding us of Arsenal's defensive frailty, which could strike any any moment.

The second half started as more of the same - Arsenal had the vast majority of possession, created a couple of chances, but either nobody felt like shooting, or the final ball was astray. Still, we know from enough previous games that patience is key here - if we try it enough times, we will score eventually.

The introduction of Carlos Vela made a big difference to the game, for me. He went on the left wing, Nasri switched to the right, and the move injected some flair, creativity and something interesting to Arsenal's play. Vela was lively, worked hard, scared the opposition, and generally played a big part in helping to win the game. The winner came from a Gallas header, but Vela had done enough to unsettle the opposition defenders over the past 10 minutes, to be able to claim some of the credit.

Three points to finish the year, and overall, it doesn't seem like too bad a Christmas break now. For sure, we need to bring in some further resource to our squad in January, just to give us a few more options of the type that Vela provided today. We still have an uphill struggle to finish fourth I think, but with no League game for 13 days, we can at least forget about it all for a short while. A useful 3 points, the result was much better and more important than the game and performance.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal - Villa Park, Birmingham - Friday 26th December 2008

Generally speaking, I like Christmas football, and Boxing Day football in particular. Strange things tend to happen, and you tend to see some weird results. Today, we just saw a great game of football - really exciting, and what makes people say nice things about English football. I went to Birmingham in full expectation that Arsenal would lose to Aston Villa (possibly quite badly), so the eventual result was better than that as well.

The first half was a masterclass of Aston Villa's ability to create high quality chances, and Arsenal's total inability to defend against a decent team. Villa hit the woodwork at least 3 times in the first half, and created a stack of other chances too. The worrying thing throughout was that you could see lots of the chances coming from a mile away - the dangerous free kick that you just knew would find a Villa head and lead to a chance on goal, for example. Arsenal often had all 11 men back defending, but seemed totally unable to prevent such opportunities turning into occasions where the defence was evaded, the keeper beaten, and only the post saved Arsenal from going behind.

Having had such a rotten first half (other than a slight sniff for Van Persie, we did not look like we had a hope in hell of scoring), it was a very pleasant surprise when we scored about 5 minutes before half time. To describe this as "against the run of play" is a huge understatement - when I saw the ball hit the back of the net, I was too surprised and disbelieving to actually celebrate properly! It was a decent finish from Denilson, but completely undeserved on the balance of play, so it made for an amusing time in the away end.

After a half time break spent discussing how lucky we were, we went 2-0 up after a few minutes of the second half! A good move, this one - Diaby was having one of those rare moments where he looks like Patrick Vieira at his best (I did say it was rare). There was some great work by Eboue on the move as well, setting up Diaby for a very good finish. This goal was celebrated properly on the pitch and in the away end - we had an amazing and very lucky 2-0 lead, which prompted shouts of "we've only had 2 shots".

Even more stupidly, after going 2-0 up, we briefly became the better team in the game - some good passing, a few decent moves, and about 5-10 minutes where we looked in control of the game. Van Persie hit the post with our best chance of this period, but it didn't last too long. We were brought back down to earth with the award of a penalty to Villa on the hour - which looked justified enough both at the time, and watching on TV later. Barry took it very well indeed, it gave Villa a huge lift, and prompted Arsenal to resort to hoofing the ball into the upper tier of the stands in desperation again!

After all that, it wasn't a surprise when Villa eventually equalised, after yet another defensive lapse from Arsenal. It was in the 91st minute - always a time where you expect this Arsenal side to concede. But overall, I have mixed feelings about this one. Of course, it is very frustrating to have been 2-0 up, then 2-1 up on 90 minutes, and still to "only" draw the game - especially when it isn't the first time that we have let a lead slip recently. But we didn't deserve 3 points from this game, by any stretch of the imagination at all - so one cannot be too upset about not getting what we never really deserved. A point was better than I expected from the game, less than we could have got, and less than ideal. But, hard to complain at the end.

Arsenal vs Liverpool - Emirates Stadium, London - Sunday 21st December 2008

Having played, and got decent results, against the rest of the "Big 4" so far this season, Liverpool was the final test. They came into the game top of the League, so the team to beat for the season so far - even though I don't really rate them all that much, they do seem to be doing all the things that Champions do. Winning when playing badly, being quite lucky with injuries, getting fortunate refereeing decisions - they have had things their way so far this season. Whether they have the bottle and experience to keep going through the run-in is another matter - and that is where I think they will come unstuck.

I sat upstairs for this game - there was a fantastic view of the whole stadium, but it did seem a bit remote - like a TV view. I was very pleasantly surprised by the level of noise up there, I had expected there to be more atmosphere on the moon than in the Upper Tier, but there was singing and everything, throughout the game! Perhaps the fact that I was above the REDsection helped matters here, as the noise from downstairs definitely seemed to encourage people upstairs. There were a few muppets (including a Liverpool fan, who cheered when they equalised), but generally a good crowd near me. A pleasant surprise.

The first half started OK, got better, then got worse for Arsenal. We went ahead after a period of play where we looked increasingly dominant. The goal was a good one, the finish from Van Persie in particular was one to watch again on TV. Along with his goals at Chelsea, he seems to be showing this season that he is a big game player, and can score cracking goals in important games too. Towards the end of the half, things turned for the worse. Firstly, Liverpool equalised - a ball over the top exposed our obvious defensive weakness, and Robbie Keane (of all people) scored with an excellent finish. When the ball came over, our centre backs were far too far apart, and were totally outpaced. We knew that they were prone to it, but it was depressing to see it happen yet again. Then, right at the end of the half, Fabregas limped off with an injury that could cost us far more than a poxy equalising goal over the rest of the season. Grim stuff going into half time.

The second half started off OK, Arsenal looked quite bright. But, 15 minutes in, Adebayor's sending off really took the wind out of the home side. It looked like a very harsh decision, but then the ref seemed extremely fussy all game (except of course when Keane tackled Gael Clichy very hard early on - and he gave nothing). Generally, he kept blowing his whistle all the time - usually in Liverpool's favour. Adebayor's second yellow card was probably technically correct as a decision (and you have to question Adebayor's sanity, knowing he'd been booked, knowing the referee was fussy, but still going in for the challenge) - but it still makes Howard Webb something of an officious tosser. For much of the rest of the game, there was excellent focus in booing the referee for his anti-Arsenal decision making - there is no way he would have done that at Anfield or Old Trafford, and the crowd let him know what they thought of him.

After the sending off, Arsenal dominated much of the rest of the game. A few players seemed to clearly step up and take some responsibility, and the general team performance looked like one of those "backs to the wall" displays that you sometimes see from teams with 10 men - and better than we might have had with 11 men. Arsenal seemed to have all of the initiative, created the vast majority of the chances, and it was generally incredible how little ambition Liverpool showed. On their display for the last 25 minutes of the game, they did not look like potential or worthy champions - but then, they are much better than us at disposing of the crap teams!

Overall, a point was a very decent result in the circumstances. Our opponents were top of the league, we played with 10 men for half an hour, lost Fabregas at half time, and the referee was Liverpool's 12th man. At times towards the end, you thought we could have won the game - but given all that happened, it is hard to be too disappointed with the draw.

Mumford And Sons - Pure Groove, London - Friday 19th December 2008

Over the past year or two, one of the real shifts in the music industry in London has been in its record shops. On one hand, the crappy chains are deservedly struggling, as people realise that they don't need to spend £13 on a chart album any more. At the same time, the "proper" record shops seem to be going from strength to strength. Selling original stuff that is hard to find elsewhere, and being great places to spend time, the more innovative shops are also going into the gig business, with lots of instore performances. Pure Groove is one such good shop - selling only 100 items, hand picked by the staff, just their choice of 100 albums, singles and t shirts (plus 100 free downloads as well, from their website). Doing that in Central London (rather than up Holloway Road, where the shop used to be) is a risky thing to try, but the in store performances really attract people in now.

One such performance attracted me in, by Mumford And Sons - a band whose MySpace tunes and EPs had really impressed me. In fact, they had been on almost constant rotation on my iPod for the previous couple of weeks, so this was an easy choice to make about whether to go. I got there half an hour before show time, and joined a queue which quickly got quite a bit longer. We waited in the cold for half an hour or so, and were then let into the shop, walking past some blokes standing having a cigarette by the door as we went.

Those blokes turned out to be the band, who soon afterwards walked through the shop, and got up on stage for a 4 song set. I had heard 2 of the songs before, but the first and last ones were new to me - and I really enjoyed the whole set from start to finish. The singer bears more than a passing resemblance to Carl Barat, but it is his voice that really stands out - it is an absolutely rasping, piercing voice, incredible. The band's music is reminiscent of Noah and The Whale (and the other London bands from the same scene), but seems much more folky and American at the same time. Although it is all rather familiar, they definitely seem to have something about them that others do not - and some pretty good songs as well.

This was of course a very short set, but I really, really like this band - they are going to record a new EP in January or February, so hopefully that will mean more gigs very soon. If there is any justice, Mumford And Sons will be coming to many more peoples attention next year.

The Hold Steady - Roundhouse, London - Wednesday 17th December 2008

After almost a year of not having seen them, and a near miss when they postponed this gig from October, I went along to see the new, improved Hold Steady. With a new album out this year, and one which received a warm critical reception too, the band are inching towards the more widespread success that their music and lyrics deserve. This show was their biggest ever headline gig, an event which London has hosted before, on the band's rise.

We got into the venue very early for some strange reason, to find the main room almost totally empty. There were a few people bagging a space by the front barrier, but apart from that, there was nobody in the venue. Maybe because The Hold Steady don't often tend to have decent support bands, and that it had been incredibly hard to glean any info about who was opening up for them - so people had no reason to show up early. The support band were called The Mark Inside, and whilst stationed at the bar, their set rather passed me by. I was vaguely aware of a band playing somewhere in the distance, but they seemed utterly unremarkable, they looked like they were trying to look like Kings Of Leon, but didn't seem to have either the charisma or the songs. So, not a huge surprise that all involved seemed determined to keep their appearance a virtual secret!

By the time The Hold Steady came on stage, the venue had filled up nicely, but it was still fairly easy to get a decent place in front of the mixing desk. They kicked off with Banging Camp, before the opening tracks from the current album, Constructive Summer and Sequestered In Memphis made an appearance, to a very enthusiastic response. The band spoke very little to the audience, preferring instead to just crash from one song straight into another. Surprisingly for me, the songs seemed to be drawn fairly evenly from their last 3 albums, with a few from their debut in there as well. So, a career spanning set, in front of an audience who seemed to know even the older stuff - obviously their back catalogue has been selling OK!

All in all, this was an awesome set I thought, the band seemed tight as ever, and the songs were again a perfect soundtrack to a lairy night. The singer was looking as up for it as ever (he has apparently lost weight too, due to all the exertion of being the band's frontman), and as the set progressed, he did start to talk a bit more. Their version of Lord I'm Discouraged, which ended with a solo on a double necked guitar, was suitably over the top and rock and roll; and I loved the version of Your Little Hoodrat Friend that rounded off the main set, and was a real highlight of the show. A minor shock in the encore, that they didn't finish off with Killer Parties, but this was a brilliant show overall, and reminded me how much I'd missed seeing the band over the last year.

The Belgrave Scandal - Monto Water Rats, London - Saturday 13th December 2008

As quickly as possible after the lower league football match, I headed back into town for a meeting with The Belgrave Scandal. Playing the opening slot at the Water Rats, it was a struggle to get from Leyton to Kings Cross in time - but I just about made it. This is a great venue for the Scandal to be playing - the venue for Oasis's first ever London gig (although they play bigger places now), and a room that The Courteeners were playing in just 14 months ago. The band at the top of the bill, The Maybes?, are getting good reviews also, so an all-round decent slot to be playing.

The band came on stage just before 6:30, and kicked off with Black Pages and Brighton Away. The stage was bathed in lots of blue light, and the room was full of smoke, which made the room seem fuller (and hotter) and the set more atmospheric (even if the guitars did seem to be a bit too quiet). The audience were also fairly quiet for this one, but of course it was early, and they definitely got warmer and more enthusiastic as the Scandal's set went on. By the time Take That Train turned into House Of Cards at the end of the set, there was a decent sized crowd, and they seemed to be enjoying what the band were doing.

This set provided another good opportunity to hear some of the band's new songs - a couple of which are new to the point that they don't have names yet. One which does, 5 O'Clock Shadows, has really started to grow on me, and the other newer ones sound like they represent a different and very positive direction for the band. This is probably the last Belgrave Scandal gig of the year, they have definitely improved hugely (especially in the vocal department) this year - and their new songs really sound like they are capable of doing things in 2009.

Leyton Orient vs Cheltenham Town - Brisbane Road, London - Saturday 13th December 2008

The annual trip to see Leyton Orient play, which took place in the pouring rain, as is traditional. We arrived in the ground early, to take advantage of the Arsenal match being shown on the big screen in the bar. We had £35 "gallery" tickets again, which gave easy access to a nicely stocked bar, and some lovely salt beef sandwiches for £4 a throw. The gallery also had heating, which was a big bonus on a pretty disgusting day for weather.

Shortly after the Arsenal game finished (in disappointment, for the umpteenth time this season so far), we went outside to brave the elements and watch the third division football on offer. It was raining hard, and the pitch was very wet indeed, which added to the amusement value - footballers that aren't very good in the first place, don't get any better when they play on a pitch that kicks up spray every time you touch the ball. So, there was a lot of slipping and sliding around, which made the tackles seem even clumsier and less skillful. What might be a yellow card in the Premiership and Champions League, you are lucky to get a free kick for at this level.

Early on in the game, the weather claimed its first casualty - the linesman slipped and pulled a muscle, which required 5 minutes of treatment before he was replaced by the fourth official. Either that or he didn't fancy standing in the cold, so he faked it. That was an unusual thing to see, and it added to the amusement of those around me, that we were watching something quite amateurish (although of course a linesman at any level can get injured). From a refereeing point of view, the rest of the game was no less lively, with a penalty and a red card to add to the list of incidents.

Orient and Cheltenham, both towards the bottom of the division, were fairly evenly matched, and so the game was quite tight. Cheltenham took the lead in the first half, before Orient equalised through what looked like a rightly awarded penalty. Then, in the second half, Cheltenham got the winner, with a goal that reminded me of Wayne Bridge's Champions League winner at Highbury in 2004 - painful memories there! We were sat just behind the benches, so we got to experience the crazy antics of Cheltenham manager Martin "mad dog" Allen - he shouted like a nutter throughout, but it obviously worked, because he got the result.

Orient players were booed off at the end, after a disappointing performance, where they created little, but still contrived to miss a couple of really good chances. JJ Melligan provided most of their creativity on the right hand side, but (like many flair players) absolutely did not fancy the parts of the game that required slightly more work. He went missing when Cheltenham scored the winner, and even changed his kit at one point, because it got wet. A good player, who annoyed defenders when he ran at them with the ball (the red card for the away team came when somebody clattered him), but something of a tart apart from that. This was a pretty big win for Cheltenham, so their fans were making all the noise when the game finished - as the Orient fans skulked away, muttering under their breath about the missed chances to win the game.

Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic - Emirates Stadium, London - Saturday 6th December 2008

Straight off the plane from Philadelphia, I went to this game, hoping that Arsenal could win 2 League games in a row for the first time in a while. Having beaten Chelsea away the previous week, we were all aware that it would have all been in vain if we couldn't do the same against Wigan. Despite a disappointing defeat for the kids against Burnley in the week, we had Adebayor and Van Persie back up front for this one, as well as the excellent looking Djourou in defence again, and Kolo Toure back to partner him.

Things in the game started off OK, then got a bit more frustrating, before eventually turning weird. The first half hour saw Almunia with little to do in goal; Arsenal having the majority of possession; and creating a few decent half chances. After about 25 minutes, a ball seemed to deflect off Alex Song into the path of Adebayor, who pounced to sweep the ball past Kirkland for the goal that won the game. A good reaction from Adebayor, who managed to remain onside, and was in the right place at the right time.

The second half contained the frustrating and weird parts of the game. Arsenal created and squandered a host of chances - hitting the post more than once, and having at least 3 other chances where you just couldn't believe how they didn't go in. This happened across the first 30 minutes of the second half. Then, with 15 minutes to go, Arsenal seemed to crap themselves - as if they feared that they wouldn't score a second, but might concede a goal. They retreated to defending, and in the process, handed the initiative to Wigan. Wigan responded, came back into the game a little more, and an Almunia save from Melchiot was needed to keep us in the game.

The scapegoat for all of this was Emmanuel Eboue, who came on to replace Nasri on the left wing after half an hour. He had been injured for 6 weeks, and was playing in a totally unfamiliar position, so his poor game was understandable. What wasn't acceptable was the extent to which the Arsenal fans got on his back. He isn't the greatest player in the world, but booing your own players is inexcusable. Arsene Wenger admitted that he was becoming a liability, in no small part because the fans were on his back so much - which ultimately led to his substitution, and the cheers and boos as he went off. I have no idea who these Arsenal fans are, but there were a hell of a lot - too many - of them. Alan Hansen thought so too it seems, Arsenal fans have something of a poor reputation right now - and rightly so on this showing. No matter what the frustrations this season, booing does not help, and "fans" should not be doing it.

Work trip to Philadelphia, USA - 1st to 5th December 2008

What seemed like my billionth trip to Philadelphia (actually, I counted, it was the 8th time I've been), and I still haven't seen the Liberty Bell. Shameful. This was also my 7th and final visit to the goons at US Immigration this year, and thankfully my final foreign trip of the year. It got off to an annoying start, with an excruciatingly long flight over there. 200 mph head winds meant that we almost started going backwards as we approached the US east coast. All in all, we were in the air for almost 9 hours (as opposed to just over 7 that it should have taken) - I really wasn't psyched up for that at all, so it was a very boring and annoying flight.

Some of these trips involve a decent amount of "play", mixed in with a lot of hard "work", but this was not one of those. This was generally all work, and lots of it - there just never seemed to be enough hours in the day whilst I was there. Apart from an evening out seeing Nada Surf, this was a trip of long hours, lots of meetings, and not seeing a lot apart from my office and my hotel. So, although I have had some good times in the US this year, this was not a memorable trip to finish off the year.

One thing I did encounter (again) on my travels was a branch of the Philly deli chain called Wawa. This sells sandwiches, coffee and the like, but encapsulates the endless complexity and customisation options that exist in the US. You can have everything they sell, every possible way - so complicated in fact that you have to go through a touch screen set of menus just to order a sandwich. I captured the whole ridiculous set of choices, here.


Not much to write home about other than that - I saw a lot of people wearing Phillies clothing (now that they are World Series champions) - or maybe I just noticed them more. Those 200mph winds were still there on the flight back home, so we were in the air for less than 6 hours. Good to put the passport away for a while, I'll enjoy not going near an airport for a month or so.

Nada Surf, Delta Spirit - Trocadero, Philadelphia, USA - Thursday 4th December 2008

Whilst in Philadelphia, I was keen to do something other than work, so it was good to see that Nada Surf were playing. I had seen them at Glastonbury back in 2003 (and in the 1990s also I think), and they were quite good (especially as the sun was out at the time), so I downloaded their new album, had a listen, and bought a ticket for the show. It seemed like I was one of the only ones that did, as I got an email the day before, advertising 2 for 1 tickets on the door. Given that the venue was like a converted cinema, so couldn't have held more than 1000 people, that constitutes a real struggle to sell their tickets.

The support band were called Delta Spirit, and having been banished to the balcony if you wanted a beer (and been banned from leaning over the balcony with a drink in your hand, presumably lest the evil substance pollute the under-21s below), we settled down to watch them. They had a very radio friendly sound I though - what Americans call "alternative", but the UK thinks of as mainstream. So, they played songs that sounded, well, nice - they played them very well, but I didn't think they were particularly exciting. Towards the end of their set, they got a lot better - they pulled out their one or two really good songs, and also played a mini-encore as well, featuring a cover. The last 10-15 minutes of the set was actually pretty enjoyable, but it was a shame that the previous half hour wasn't as good.

Then, Nada Surf appeared, to a hall which was actually decently full by the time they arrived. I recognised their first couple of songs, and they seemed to be getting a good reaction from the audience. I have heard 2 of their albums - current album Lucky, and their 2002 album Let Go. Given that, I recognised probably the majority of the songs they played, which was quite pleasing. Pleasing because it meant I enjoyed the gig more, but also because I presume that the stuff I know is the good stuff! They had a female vocalist join them on stage for one song, which featured some nice chorus harmonies, but for most of the gig, they were a 3-piece.

Generally, most of Nada Surf's songs were again quite radio friendly alt-rock. During the show, I was thinking about this, and how strange it is that there is lots of this kind of music in the US, but relatively little appetite for it in the UK. Nada Surf would be highly unlikely to be very successful in the UK - because there just doesn't seem to be the market for what they do - no huge network of competing commercial radio stations, no advertisers that demand inoffensive content that sounds nice, but is fairly bland.

Having said this, Nada Surf have a tidy collection of some pretty good songs, as far as alternative radio rock goes, they are definitely among the best of the bunch. A very "American" experience here - not the type of show and tour you would see happening very much in the UK. So, an interesting experience, I was very glad I went.

Chelsea vs Arsenal - Stamford Bridge, London - Sunday 30th November 2008

A thoroughly fantastic afternoon in West London, made all the better because it was so unexpected. Going into the game, expectations of a decent result were pretty much as low as they could have been, given recent form, injuries and internal strife. Coupled with that, Chelsea are obviously a tough team to play at any time - although they have not been quite firing on all cylinders recently, they had Anelka in form, and of course are dangerous.

I got to the ground about 20 minutes before kick off, just in time to see and hear the Chelsea stadium announcer do his stuff. This odious little tosser should really be banned from doing what he does, so much of a windup merchant he manages to be. Today, he was fairly restrained, a sarcastic "welcome back" before he introduced William Gallas, a big build up for Ashley Cole, and a mention that Wayne Bridge "once scored a goal at Highbury". No other club seems to have so little class - but then Chelsea are of course a breed apart from normal, decent clubs.

Apparently, things were not much more sporting in the Sky Sports studio for this game - always an organisation that loves it when Arsenal have a bad time. Their pundit panel was made up of former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit, and Jamie Redknapp - the man whose Dad manages Spurs, whose cousin plays for Chelsea, and who used to turn out for Liverpool and Tottenham. He hates Arsenal, and is barely able to disguise it. Added to Andy Gray, it was a hostile panel at best - thanks as ever to the Arsenal haters at Sky.

The first half seemed to last for about 5 hours from where I was standing - which was high up in the corner of the away end. Chelsea had the better of the first 15 minutes or so, having lots of possession but not creating a great deal. Midway through the half, Arsenal created a couple of decent chances, but then seemed to fade and let Chelsea take control again. The referee seemed to be giving a number of soft decisions to Chelsea, but I guess that is to be expected when you are at Stamford Bridge, and when the referee has Terry and Lampard in his ear all the time. The Chelsea goal was unfortunate - mainly because Djourou had a very good game apart from scoring it - luckily he didn't end up as the fall guy for another defeat. The only other incident of note in the first half was when Ashley Cole came over to pick the ball up from near the Arsenal fans, and had lighters, coins and kitchen sinks galore thrown at him. No less than the little twat deserves.

So, at half time, we went in with an uphill task. The second half started much the same - Chelsea seeming to be in control possession-wise, but not really creating anything. The Arsenal defence of course played their part in that, mopping everything up excellently at the back. The Arsenal equaliser came after about 10 minutes, Van Persie firing an excellent shot into the top of the net. Immediately, I started getting texts saying that he had been offside, but who cares. He added a second, which was definitely not offside, about 5 minutes later, and it sparked the most mental goal celebrations I have experienced for a while - both on the pitch, and in the away end.

When the second Arsenal goal went in, quite a few around me were starting to say "oh shit, we have quite a while still to go". But, the team kept their discipline and resolve, and saw the game out. Despite a total lack of running (or in fact any movement at all) from Adebayor, and some shocking refereeing decisions (of course not mentioned by Scolari when he was moaning about the Van Persie offside), the job was finished. Talking of the referee, Branislav Ivanovic must be getting him a fantastic Christmas present! How he stayed on the pitch, after a number of clumsy and cynical challenges, was a mystery - but referee Mike Dean spinelessly failed to book him on a number of occasions.

So, a very useful win, and if that doesn't give our players confidence, nothing will. We even did it despite being 1-0 down at half time, despite Adebayor being anonymous throughout, and despite Almunia's distribution playing us into trouble on more than one occasion. It was strange how little Chelsea managed to create in the game, and it is notable how their new manager has failed to beat a "Big 4" team in his 3 attempts. All good news, and the celebrations amongst the away fans continued for some time after the final whistle. Of course, none of this will help us beat Wigan next weekend, but it does at least provide a day in the sun for the time being.

A Quick Minute, Dead Social Club, Day And Buffalo, The Belgrave Scandal - Tower Tavern, London - Saturday 29th November 2008

This was the first ever proper gig by a band called Dead Social Club - my mate is the singer, so I went along to see what they were like. As if I needed any further encouragement, The Belgrave Scandal were playing too, so it seemed like a thoroughly decent way to spend a Saturday night. I got to the Tower Tavern, a pub next to the BT Tower, whilst the bands were still soundchecking, and therefore managed to get away without paying the £6 door tax. So I spent the £6 on 2 beers instead.

The Belgrave Scandal were on first, and surprised me. Every time I see them after not seeing them for a while, they surprise me with how good they are. They definitely get better all the time; their new songs are increasingly good; and the way they execute them live is also getting tighter and tighter every time I see them (apart from the odd off-day, which surely everybody is allowed!). They started off with my new favourite song of theirs, Black Pages, and played 2 or 3 newer songs that I'd never heard before as well. All sounding very promising, the move to London seems to have been a good thing for them, and you just get the feeling that a bit more hard work will soon see them noticed.

The next band were a Japanese band called Day And Buffalo, who were more than a bit strange. Their lead vocalist sat on a bar stool on the floor of the pub, facing the rest of the band on stage. The other vocalist was a Japanese woman who was wrapped up in a big shawl. Lots of low level weirdness, but despite this, they were actually quite good. They had definite influences that were obvious for all to see - The Pixies, Sonic Youth, The Breeders - so if you like those band, you would probably like Day And Buffalo. The Pixies angle was especially strong, given the male and female singers in tandem. There were some very good power rock riffs in there too, something of a throwback to the early 90s, but a very enjoyable set.

Dead Social Club were on next, and by the time they came on stage, the venue was absolutely packed with friends of the band. So, they had the crowd in the palm of their hands from the very beginning. I wasn't sure what to expect from them, especially being their first gig, but I was really, really impressed. They had obviously been practicing, which is cheating! Their sound reminded me at first of Bloc Party, with grinding guitars, atmospheric keyboards, and haunting vocals. However, as the set went on, they started to remind me more of New Order or Joy Division. In fact, after a couple of songs where the bass and keyboards really reminded me of New Order, they then played a New Order cover - a really very good version of Ceremony. All in all, this was a great start for the band - a friendly crowd cheering their every move helped, but the band showed that they are a decent prospect - they have good songs, play them very well, and have a sound that is reminiscent of other good bands, but still something individual to themselves. A very good start, I'll be back for more gigs soon.

The final band I saw in the evening were A Quick Minute, who reminded me to some degree of The Darkness. They played amusing cliched rock songs, but also had a funny, really over the top stage presence - like the band was sharing a joke with the audience. Some of their songs were half decent as well, some decent heavy rock riffs, and some good singalong metal-light choruses. A pretty entertaining live show all in all, and it was obvious that the band were having fun in the process.

This was actually a very good evening of live music at the Tower Tavern, I saw four excellent bands. It helped that the venue was packed for the Dead Social Club set, and that set went off really well - so that alone made it a good night. The Belgrave Scandal played an excellent set as well (just a shame that there weren't more people there to see it), and the Pixies influences of Day And Buffalo gave us some decent tunes in between. But tonight was all about Dead Social Club's live debut - and a very promising debut it was too.

Work trip to Brussels, Belgium - 26th to 27th November 2008

Another of those 2 day, 1 night work trips, this time to my office in Brussels. So, it was off to St Pancras International to get the Eurostar again. Although getting the Eurostar is much more convenient than heading all the way out to the airport (for me at least), it is often cheaper to fly - especially if you want any flexibility, or any modern travel conveniences. My ticket for this journey cost well over £350 return (partly my fault for booking late), and when you get a cold “cooked” breakfast, whilst sat on a tired and tatty seat, you do wonder what they spend the money on.

Talking of tired and tatty, I saw lots of building work going on in Brussels, some of which is long overdue. Parts of the city are gleaming and modern, of course – but others are very run down. Gare du Midi, where the Eurostar arrives, is a good example – on the platforms where domestic trains stop, I would be amazed if there has been any work done for 30 years or more. Much of the city’s infrastructure, and a surprising number of city centre buildings are like this – they look like they haven’t been updated or even touched since the 1970s. So, although the building work is a small annoyance, it needs doing for sure, and there is lots more on the “to do” list!

My hotel on this trip was on Place du Sablon, in an area that I’d never been to before. I was really pleasantly surprised – the square had an amazing looking old church on one side of it, there was a huge Christmas tree in the middle of the square, and the "normal" trees were also decorated with Christmas lights. Given that it was very cold and foggy, there was a lovely winter feel to the place – and there were plenty of bars and restaurants in the streets around the square to warm up in. A really nice part of town, that I will try to stay in again when I visit next.

On the way home after my meetings, I encountered a full lounge – full of EU workers who had knocked off for the weekend (on Thursday afternoon!). It made for an interesting journey home, listening to the sheer number of acronyms they spoke to each other in. Although they were (apparently) speaking in English, much of what they were saying was truly unintelligible. Who needs the arguments over whether to speak French or English, when they have invented a language all of their own?

Arsenal vs Dinamo Kiev - Emirates Stadium, London - Tuesday 25th November 2008

There have been some bad weeks for Arsenal fans recently. Losing to Fulham, Hull and Stoke were all bad. Losing various players to various injuries doesn't make things better. Realising that you will not challenge for the title, and will struggle to qualify for the Champions League, is a depressing thing to come to terms with - especially in November. But generally, the 10 days leading up to this game were full of depressing stuff for Arsenal fans. A spineless loss against Aston Villa; Theo Walcott getting injured for 3 months whilst on international duty; Gallas opening his big fat mouth and getting us all over the back pages for the wrong reasons; and finally another pathetic, directionless defeat against Man City. With Gallas (at last) stripped of the captaincy, and Cesc Fabregas installed as captain the day before the game, most were hoping that a genuine turning point (for the better) had at last been reached.

The game itself was more of the same (or at least similar) in terms of the performance. Arsenal created little, struggled to cope at times with a Kiev side who were very physical, and didn't often look like scoring. Given the number of injuries (not to mention the bad form), expectations were low, and the game was very much as expected. It was quite tight, fairly unremarkable, and not all that good to watch. Kiev had a couple of chances towards the end, as they realised that a draw would not be good enough for them, but Almunia made some good saves to keep us level.

Then, a few minutes from the end, Nicklas Bendtner latched onto a fantastic long pass from Captain Cesc, to score. The fact that he managed to control the ball was mildly surprising, but the finish was emphatic. Even if he was wearing the most ridiculous pair of pink boots when he did it. Kiev players were frustrated and appealing to the referee, but they can all sod off, especially the one who got a second yellow card for his troubles towards the end.

This was one of those games where, undoubtedly, the result was much more important than the performance. Keeping a clean sheet was a very positive thing (although I suspect Chelsea will test us more in that department on Sunday),; and a win sees us through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, and therefore able to rest some players in Porto in 2 weeks time. The way our season is going, you have no idea what will happen on Sunday now – whether a win tonight means that we will lose then for sure, or whether this is finally the start of a run of form. For the time being though, congratulations to Captain Cesc, and good luck for the rest of your (hopefully long and successful) reign!

The View, Holy Ghost Revival - Astoria, London - Friday 21st November 2008

Eighteen months to 2 years ago, I seemed to see The View all the time. Last time I saw them properly was at The Forum in London last April, but the first time was only about 6 months before that - and I'm sure I saw them half a dozen times in that short period. They have been away for a while, making a second album, and this was the sole London date on a huge tour of the UK - taking in some very small venues, in some towns that wouldn't normally get a visit from a band like this. So, this was by far the biggest date on the tour, and there seemed to be photographers galore at the front.

Support for this show were Holy Ghost Revival, one of The View's labelmates on 1965 Records. Having a former Rough Trade employee as your head honcho (one who signed The Libertines too), should spell success - but The View aside, none of 1965's other signings have really pulled up any trees. Watching Holy Ghost Revival made it easy to see why not. The band had a pretty "unique" stage show - pretty entertaining in parts, and you could see how somebody could see them live in a small(er) venue and think they were amazing. But, they seemed to be all about the live show, and not much about their songs, which seemed distinctly average.

The band are from Seattle, and have a frontman who more than earns his money. He sang 2 songs from in the crowd, and he reminded you of Iggy Pop with his shirt off, rolling around on the stage. Their tour manager even came on stage to sing one song, which was probably the best of their set. It was very entertaining to watch (even if it was a bit reminiscent of The Darkness in its over the top, cheesiness) - you didn't want to take your eyes off the stage in case you missed something. But, not a single song that they played made any lasting impression. I can see how they got signed on the strength of their live show - but can also see why they don't sell many records. If you heard them on CD without seeing them live, you wouldn't give them a second listen. That said, I will try to get in early, next time I see them supporting somebody, as they are worth another look live.

Very early (but then, this is the Astoria), The View came on stage to a venue that still had lots of space to move around in. They started off with a couple of new songs, the second of which was the excellent new single 5 Rebbeccas. That was followed immediately by Wasted Little DJs, by the end of which, everybody was thoroughly warmed up! The set comprised about half old and half new songs overall, the newer songs sounded generally quite good, albeit more elaborate and less punky than the older material. The audience seemed to react well to the new songs too, which bodes well for their new album.

But overall, it was of course difficult to go mad to songs that you were hearing for the first time. This was a showcase gig, but the warmest audience reactions were still for the old, familiar songs - and these were sprinkled in regularly, so that a familiar tune was never far away. The set ended up in familiar style, with Same Jeans and Superstar Tradesman, although there did seem to be a couple of other decent songs that might make potential set closers in a few months time. The View seem to be capable of writing material that at least lives up to their first album. Welcome back.

Trip to New York and New Jersey, USA - 14th to 20th November 2008

Following a few days in New England, we headed back into New York city for the weekend. The commuter train from New Haven trundled through lots of towns on the edges of New York, before eventually going underground, then pitching up at Grand Central Terminal. A few blocks walk along 42nd Street, and we reached our hotel, the Hilton New York. A room on the 35th floor gave a pretty decent view of (some of) the city, and you could just about see the lights of Times Square. Being a posh Hilton, doing anything more than breathing the air was obscenely expensive - despite having a "free" breakfast included, we were still expected to leave a 20% tip on the $50 "cost" of the breakfast - a nice scam.

The following day, we woke up to pissing rain and virtually no visibility whatsoever. Arsenal were due to play at 10am, so we headed to Nevada Smiths to watch the game. Given the result, I wish I hadn't bothered - another spineless display from Arsenal. In the pub, it was amazing how many people were there (it was packed at 10am when the UK games kicked off), all wearing various Premier League team "jerseys". There was a good Arsenal contingent there, as well as a surprising number of Fulham fans. There were lots of football songs being sung throughout - with lots of strange accents used in them, and in the ways that people were describing the game. "That's a cock sucking call" was said a few times - just weird. Warren Barton was the TV studio pundit for the coverage of the Arsenal game - sadly, with the sound turned down, we did not get to hear his perceptive analysis!

On walking out of the pub after a(nother) depressing Arsenal display and result, we almost bumped into the Kaiser Chiefs, who were playing a gig that night at a venue a couple of blocks away. All very English - bumping into an English band, after watching a football match in the pub - all in the middle of New York.


We seemed to divide much of the time in New York between the SoHo and Greenwich Village area; and Midtown. Staying in Midtown meant a fair bit of walking around that area - at around 5pm on Saturday night, we were in Times Square, which was like hell on earth. Very busy with very, very slow moving and dithering people. Even late on Sunday night, the place was packed - MTV were doing something with a famous person in their studios, so there was a huge crowd outside watching. The whole city seemed to be rammed with Brits as well, all most weird.

After a weekend in New York City, we headed off to Hoboken in New Jersey, to stay for a few days. In reality, this is about 10 minutes (at a quick time) from Manhattan, but may as well be a million miles away in many respects. Being in New Jersey, it is not in either New York City or State, so it is not on any of the transport maps, and is generally not considered by New Yorkers. Getting on the train there was like going back to the 1970s, although the brown, cream and orange decor didn't help there! The main street of Hoboken had lots of independent shops and restaurants, and a generally slower pace of everything than Manhattan.

So, despite Hoboken being a decent enough place to live, eat and shop, we found ourselves heading back into Manhattan every day, for more excitement - it seemed crazy to have New York so close, and not to go there. We did the MoMa, Top Of The Rock, Central Park, and all of the standard stuff - then concentrated on buying stuff (despite the rapidly worsening exchange rate). It was getting colder and colder by the day, so indoor activities started to take over the agenda. It was a great few days in New York, but eventually the cold was setting in so much, it was good to get back to London - relatively warm at a whole 10 degrees.

Trip to Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, USA - 10th to 14th November 2008

This was my 6th trip to the USA this year (so far) - this time for a holiday in New York and New England. We flew into New York, stayed for a short night's sleep, then headed straight out of town the next morning. We caught a train from Penn Station to New Haven, Connecticut - to pick up a hire car, then drive around New England for a few days. The train trip out of town took us past some lovely looking NY stockbroker belt towns. We also got to see the beauty of New England in the fall - going through valleys with fantastic colours, as the leaves all changed colour before falling off.

New Haven is a pretty town, and also the home of Yale University. That means there are lots of students, which in turn means good cheap food. Best of all is Pepe's Pizza, which came highly recommended by a few American friends that had been to New Haven. "Best pizza I've ever eaten" was a comment from more than one person. So we headed there, and got 2 people absolutely stuffed on fantastic pizza for under $20 in total. The pizza was very authentic, and absolutely delicious. The experience was rather like a pie and mash shop - things work in a very particular way, and you need to learn what that way is quickly! They have obviously been doing the same thing in exactly the same way for years - which, when it is that good, makes complete sense.

Having picked up a car, we drove through Connecticut - seeing pretty valleys and villages - then into Rhode Island. Rhode Island is a very small (in fact, the smallest), but a very independent state - one of the first to declare independence from Britain, and quite non conformist on lots of other counts too. We entered Rhode Island almost by mistake - driving through a nice looking village centre, which turned out to be 2 villages - Pawcatuck in Connecticut, and Westerly in Rhode Island - which are joined together. We crossed the state line halfway down the main street, and it was something of a surprise. There were lots of other really picturesque villages by the coast in the state, the village of Watch Hill in particular had a very nice harbour, and some absolutely huge houses! Eventually, we wound our way to Providence, the state capital, then exited the state again, into Massachusetts, where we stayed the night.

The following day was spent driving around Cape Cod. Again, there were lovely small villages, beautiful scenery, and those multi coloured trees again. Being 11th November, it was Veterans Day, so there were parades and ceremonies in the small towns. We stopped in the lovely town of Falmouth just before 11am, and saw their Vet Day parade, which reminded me how much more respect Americans seem to have for their servicemen that we do.

Many of the towns in the Cape Cod area are named after towns in Devon and Dorset, like Falmouth, Yarmouth, and Barnstable. Driving around, it was clear to see that the area is a big tourist area (and the scenery was amazing) - but it did have some of the slightly depressing features of small town America. The same chains of restaurants and hotels seemed to repeat themselves every few miles. There are many motels and diners, mostly built during the boom in car ownership and population in the 1950s - and many have not had a lick of paint since. They have either been taken over by the same big national chains (there is a Dunkin' Donuts every 2 miles, it seems), or have just been allowed to become shabby and neglected - all of which makes for a slightly "faded glamour" feel. I suppose going in November, when it was all quite empty and closed up, may not have helped on that front. In general in the US though, I have found that there is great diversity (in things like the people, food, etc) in the cities, but that the small towns all seem to be very similar. Maybe that isn't too different to the UK or anywhere else, but it really strikes you when you visit small town America.

Talking of Devon towns, our tour of Cape Cod eventually ended up in Plymouth, where some of the original pilgrims from England landed - in 1620 in the case of this small town. We saw their boat, and the famous Plymouth Rock, which is supposed to have been the first spot where the pilgrims set foot in America. This was a town full of history, all linked to England, and to the birth of the US as a nation, so it was a really interesting place to look around.

After a night in Plymouth, we drove the short trip to Boston - no trip to New England would be complete without visiting its biggest city. Boston is obviously a pretty big and significant city, and also has bags of history - many of the "first" things in the US were done there. In fact, Boston, New York and Philadelphia are the 3 big cities in the US that do actually have decent history to speak of. The centre point of Boston is a place called Boston Common - a big green area, right in the middle of the city, that has been the centre for meeting, protest and demonstration since the early 1600s. It is one of those great city centre parks, that gives you the fantastic view of significant green space, with the city's buildings rising up in the background.

Boston Common is also the starting point for the Freedom Trail - a 3 mile walk past most of the city's historical landmarks. These include the old Boston City Hall, the state Senate building for Massachusetts, and a whole load of old buildings with historical significance - not just for Boston the city, but some central places to the American Revolution too. The mix of (small) old buildings and (big) modern buildings made for a strange sight at times. Many of the plaques talked about how they didn't like the English very much, luckily, they seem to have warmed to us again since! During a fantastic day of sightseeing there, we visited Cambridge (home of Harvard University), and the North End (the big Italian neighbourhood in Boston), as well as covering most of the centre of town (using the Subway, which had a station with the fantastic name of Alewife). Boston seemed like a really, really nice city - which I got the feeling would be a great place to live. It is dominated by various universities - so there are lots of young people there, and everything seems very relaxed and easy going.

After the day in Boston, the weather turned wet, so we were glad to have got the sightseeing in whilst the weather was good for doing it. The next day and a bit was spent making our way back from Boston to New Haven - slowly, and with plenty of stops and picturesque detours. One big stop was in Mystic, Connecticut, where I was introduced to Five Guys - quite simply the best burger and fries it is possible to eat. They have a branch about a block away from my office in Philadelphia, so I will most definitely be making a number of further visits there. I just wish they would come to London.

All in all, a great few days in New England, looking at some lovely countryside, and exploring a fantastic city. After giving the hire car back in New Haven, we jumped on a commuter train back to New York City, for a few more days there.

Arsenal vs Manchester United - Emirates Stadium, London - Saturday 8th November 2008

After the most difficult week in a while for Arsenal (in fact, since the last one - about a month ago), what better than a game against Manchester United to get back on track. Before the game, most seemed to think that we would get beaten and beaten badly; whilst a few had a sneaking suspicion that having struggled lately, we would never be more likely to turn around and beat the Mancs. We were of course all hoping for the latter. In the papers before the game, Nicklas Bendtner was getting lots of press, being pretty much our only striker available. Arsene Wenger was also full of fighting talk - chatting about how our problems aren't due to inexperience, and how a player can be intelligent at 20, or stupid at 30. Fabregas and Gallas seem to bear that out.

So to the game, which overall was a pulsating and enthralling game, one of those games that makes people trot out the cliches about the Premier League being the best in the world. End to end stuff, both teams doing lots of attacking, and plenty of excitement from start to finish. Arsenal probably shaded the chances created, and definitely made more of theirs, which on the day was the difference between the two teams. The pundits were purring afterwards, and this time, for once, they were right.

Nicklas Bendtner was quiet, but did some very important work up front, allowing Nasri to step up and score the 2 goals. Denilson had his best game for a while, working hard in midfield, and the defence (Clichy in particular - again - as well as Almunia) had a good game. By contrast, Manchester United were wasteful in front of goal, Wayne Rooney especially having a bad day at the office (after his recent run of such good form as well - shame!). On another day, with Arsenal finishing like they had against Fenerbahce, and United finishing like we know they can, United could have won this game 4-0. But they didn't, they lost it 2-1, which sparked an all day party in Islington.

The size of the party was all the bigger, given the fact that we seemed to have been playing against 12 men at times. The referee was fussy in penalising Arsenal players, and didn't seem to apply the same standards to the other team. In the first 20 minutes, Wayne Rooney amazingly escaped a booking for a cynical and deliberate hack on Theo Walcott, and we then saw 2 Arsenal players booked for essentially the same offence. Then at the end, the referee added 6 minutes of injury time, which seemed like the longest 6 minutes ever. The 6 minutes were probably just about merited, but it did seem to add to the feeling that Howard Webb was trying to afford Manchester United every advantage. You won't hear that on TV, but that was definitely how it seemed from the stands.

Anyway, sod the referee, even he couldn't take victory away from us. Arsene Wenger has said that our title fortunes this year will depend on how we do against the big 4, and this was a good start. It is very frustrating that we can beat the best of the best, but insist on making title challenges so difficult by capitulating to crap teams. Still, I will never, ever tire of watching Arsenal beat the Mancs, so this was a very welcome victory indeed. I would much rather we beat Man U and lost to Stoke, than the other way around. Thinking about it like that, maybe it wasn't such a bad week after all.

Arsenal vs Fenerbahce - Emirates Stadium, London - Wednesday 5th November 2008

Since the disaster (which had been waiting to happen, one suspects) at Stoke, there has obviously been lots of fallout. In the 4 days since, lots of writing and lots of opinion has emerged, including this incisive piece from the Gooner editor. For many Arsenal fans, the rest of this season will now involve detaching from any idea that we might win the League, hoping that we can finish in 4th place to qualify for the Champions League; and praying that Arsene Wenger can come around to recognising where things have gone wrong - then start to get back onto the right track.

This game wasn't the best start, to be honest. Probably best described as 2 hours of my life that I'll never get back, it was one of the more dull, frustrating and generally forgettable games of recent memory. Fenerbahce were clearly in no mood to concede five goals again, so they turned up looking very defensive indeed. They went forward about twice - maybe three times - in the whole game, but otherwise just concentrated on wasting time and not conceding. All of the "European" tactics were on display - shirt pulling, falling over, rolling around, getting the physio on, making substitutions last 5 minutes - and for the away side, it all worked a treat.

Having said all this, of course there is some responsibility attached to Arsenal for the 0-0 draw. Teams will occasionally come to Emirates to defend and waste time, and if you are a team with aspirations to win things, you should be able to deal with this. More often that not, Arsenal would have been able to (especially at home in Europe) - but not tonight. Confidence is generally low at the moment, and things were definitely not right in the passing and shooting departments. Fabregas looked like a completely different player to the maestro who won the European Championships; Van Persie did almost everything right until he got into the penalty area, whereupon he became completely unable to shoot on target; and Bendtner had a real game to forget, with little impact at all. There were others that didn't exactly have a game to get excited about, and generally the wayward passing was a worry for the second game in a row.

So, there wasn't much to get excited about in this game - lots of the buildup play was fine, but let down by one pass too many, or a dodgy final ball, or a crap shot. But on the bright side, we kept a clean sheet, we didn't lose, and a couple of players that had been drafted in for the day (Djourou and Ramsey in particular) looked decent. Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea also all struggled in the Champions League this week, and in a way, it isn't a bad thing that we play United on Saturday - I'd almost rather play them than a team that's had a week off. It would be just like Arsenal to win that game after a few games of crap - at least, that's what we have to hope!

Work trip to Paris, France - 4th to 5th November 2008

I hadn't been to Paris for 9 months or so, and was missing the place. Sadly, however, this trip did not involve the opportunity to see anything except train, station, metro, office, and hotel - then the same sequence in reverse the following day. So, the massive roof of St Pancras station - still amazing even when you see it for the 10th time - was about the most interesting thing I saw on the whole trip. That and the inside of the bar next to my hotel, where I had dinner - which had Good Shoes, The Pigeon Detectives, and Oasis on the stereo - strange but good.

My hotel room was a typical Paris hotel room - about the size of a postage stamp, and of a slightly dubious level of cleanliness and modernity. The hotel was firmly from the 1970s in most ways. What did surprise me was that I had a full 4-poster bed in my room - but then virtually no other floor space apart from that. To take the picture here, I was practically climbing out of the window, so cramped was the room. Made me wonder why they bothered with the stupidly extravagant bed, in a room the size of a broom cupboard. Very Parisian. This trip was very little except travelling and working, but it did at least remind me that I like Paris, and I need to come back for a weekend before too much longer.

Stoke City vs Arsenal - Britannia Stadium, Stoke - Saturday 1st November 2008

Although I don't go to anywhere near as many away games as I used to - travelling so much for work has removed my desire to go up and down the country at the weekends - I am still a sucker for an opportunity to visit a football ground I've never been to before. So, Stoke City away in the Premier League was an opportunity that wasn't going to be missed in a hurry. On an absolutely freezing day, we hit the M1 to head for one of England's less remarkable towns.

And utterly unremarkable it was too - the Britannia Stadium is just off the motorway, in the middle of an industrial estate. Pre match entertainment consists of a crap branch of Harvester, and the surroundings include factories, car parks, and car showrooms. All very boring - there are lots of new grounds like this (including Reading, Bolton, and many more); and every time I visit one, I thank our lucky stars that Arsenal built their new stadium close to civilisation, rather than by the motorway.

Because of the lack of anything whatsoever to do outside (and the cold and windy weather), we headed pretty quickly into the ground. Luckily, the pies on offer were the best thing about the day, so it was good to have plenty of time to enjoy them! The chicken balti pie actually tasted of something, and the pie tasting in general was the absolute highlight of the day!

When the game started, the locals were very predictably small time and bitter, with plenty of chips on their shoulders. Of course, as an Arsenal fan, you encounter all the bitterness about us being a "Champions League" club; and are also hated for coming from London (of which many Northerners seem to have a pathological hatred - they should remember who subsidises them!). In addition, given our foreign players, the locals often also resort to old fashioned small minded patriotism - the "In Ger Lund" song was first aired a whole 2 minutes after kick off. So all in all, the Britannia Stadium is one of the less hospitable grounds in the Premier League for an Arsenal fan.

I said that the pies were the highlight of the day - they didn't have much competition from the football. Arsenal just didn't seem up for the game at all, and Stoke took full advantage. We did start with some taller players, to counteract Stoke's long throws and aerial ability - it would have been nice if Toure in particular had tried jumping though - his lack of any effort to clear a Delap long throw led to the first goal. Toure didn't want to jump up to head it away, Almunia didn't fancy coming to get the ball either - Arsenal players just didn't really seem to care about having the ball all day. Given that, Stoke's superiority in effort and application meant that they thoroughly deserved the win. The game was marked (again) by a lack of any creativity from Arsenal - we hardly created a chance all game, and the norm was for passes to find the opposition rather than a yellow shirt.

Adebayor limped off just after the second goal, and Van Persie got himself sent off with a ridiculous and unnecessary challenge on the goalkeeper soon afterwards. He obviously couldn't be bothered to stay out there any longer, and as a result is now banned for League games against Manchester United and Aston Villa - just when he had watched fellow striker Adebayor walk off injured. Thanks Robin, you are a genius. If that doesn't get him fined a couple of weeks' wages, nothing will - but I suspect that Wenger will defend him as usual.

So, we have now lost to Fulham, Hull and Stoke - 2 newly promoted teams, along with a cast iron favourite (as usual) to be relegated. Along with disappointing draws against Sunderland and Spurs, and the fact that we still haven't played a decent side yet, and it is all very depressing. With our next 4 League games against Manchester United, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea, this could get a lot worse before it gets any better. And the buck for all of it has to stop with Arsene Wenger, and his decision not to strengthen the squad in the summer. If he honestly thinks that there is no player out there that could make our squad better, he has lost the plot completely.

Wenger said that Stoke were physical - they were slightly (although not overly), but if you know that is going to be the case, you buy some players to cope with it. Wenger seems to be doing little to address the obvious flaws in our squad, but is then complaining when those flaws are exposed. The whole game was such a disaster that there were Arsenal fans fighting amongst themselves by the end. A real day to forget. The title challenge is over, and Arsenal fans are no longer in any doubt that we will face a real battle to finish in 4th place this season. We have an abject lack of bottle, determination, "mental strength" and decent leadership in our side at the moment, and I think that many people will rightly be questioning whether Arsene really "knows" anything any more.

Some good stuff has been written in the aftermath of this game, firstly by Gunnerblog, and secondly by Arseblog. I would agree with both - it is sad what is happening to Arsenal at the moment, and we have to hope that it does not get too much worse, before it starts to get better.

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur - Emirates Stadium, London - Wednesday 29th October 2008

This was a good game of football - with, from an Arsenal fan's view, an utterly shameful result. No team - I don't care who they are and I don't care who they are playing - should draw a game after being 2 goals up in the 89th minute. They certainly shouldn't do it if they aspire to win the League, and they most definitely should not do it against their local rivals, the team at the bottom of the League. Arsene Wenger admitted he was angry afterwards, and most Arsenal fans were even angrier - with him and his team. First Fulham, then Hull, now Tottenham - this Arsenal side have such a soft centre at times, it is ridiculous. We have now dropped 10 league points without even playing a decent side yet. On our day we can beat the best in the world, but we don't have enough of those "days" at the moment; and our off days are very worrying indeed.

From a neutral's perspective, this was a great game - reminiscent of the 5-4 game at White Hart Lane in 2004. Neither team's defence really covered themselves in glory - Spurs' defence and keeper seemed to crap themselves every time Arsenal brought the ball near them; and Arsenal's keeper in particular (not helped by his defence), let in practically every shot that Spurs managed to get on target. In terms of the play, how Spurs managed to get a draw still confuses me, because Arsenal played them off the pitch at times. But, we have only ourselves to blame for what happened in the end.

The first goal, and the first sign that this might not be as easy as we'd all hoped, came after about 15 minutes. Bentley picked up the ball about 40 yards out, and booted it over Almunia's head and into the net. The goal reminded me of the "Nayim from the half way line" effort that Spurs are so fond of - a bit of a freak goal really. Bentley saw Almunia off his line, and it was a good strike - but not one you see every day. By just after half time though, Arsenal had got themselves back to 2-1, with two very similar goals. A corner which Silvestre headed in, and a free kick which Gallas headed in. Not often that you see 2 Arsenal goals from set pieces in a game, but nobody near me was complaining.

It even got better before it got worse, 2 more goals from Adebayor and Van Persie, and all seemed to be well with the world. Then it all went wrong. Gael Clichy fell over for no apparent reason, the defence failed to close Jenas down, and he curled a shot past Almunia for 4-3. Then, right into stoppage time, another long range shot bounced off the post, the Arsenal defenders were nowhere to be seen, and Lennon got there first to score the equaliser. Spurs players and fans celebrated like they had just won the Champions League (a reminder: it was only a draw, and you are still bottom of the League), and there was silence pretty much everywhere else in the ground. If you lose a game you deserved to lose, there are no complaints, but to throw away a win like that is just ridiculous. Fair play to Spurs, in keeping going until the end, and playing for each other when they got their chances, they did what we used to do quite well.

Afterwards, Arsene Wenger trotted out the usual crap about the team being young, and about this being a learning experience. How many more learning experiences must we watch this team go through, after Fulham, Hull and now Spurs? Surely they don't need to learn how to not concede 2 goals in injury time? Something seems to be wrong with the Arsenal team at the moment, and we can only hope that it gets fixed soon. I suspect that the root of the problem might begin with a "G" and end with "allas", but we will just have to trust (again) that Arsene knows best. But more than a few Arsenal fans are finding their faith in Arsene distinctly tested just lately.

Oasis, Glasvegas - Roundhouse, London - Sunday 26th October 2008

The final show in the BBC's Electric Proms was a big one. Oasis and Glasvegas, at the Roundhouse in Camden. It was announced a few days before their album came out (although those in the know had been hearing rumours for a while before that), and when tickets went on sale at 8:15am one day, they were all gone in literally a few seconds. Then they were all over eBay for silly money. So, I was delighted that the promoters (and presumably the BBC themselves) put some very strict anti-touting measures in place. Ticket holders had to go to the venue any time from 10am on the day of the gig; show photo ID, a credit card, and proof of address, and be wristbanded, along with their guest. You then needed your wristband and a ticket (the number of which was cross referenced against the wristband) to get back into the show later. Really strict, and hopefully this will be applied to other gigs in huge demand in future. Anything that makes tout vermin's lives harder, or that removes their customers by making them not willing to risk cash if they may not get in, is great news.

Anyway, I got into the venue just in time to see most of the Glasvegas set, although I did miss the first song or two. Watching from the back, they looked and sounded incredible as ever. Since I last saw them, their album has come out, almost outselling Metallica in its week of release - so they are becoming really big news. I thought that their sound was much clearer than any time I've seen them before - maybe because there were professional TV sound engineers looking after it. And, they were very very loud - even after half an hour, my ears were fully ringing when they left the stage. A really good set, and I'll definitely aim to go and see them again soon.

Between Glasvegas and Oasis, there was the opportunity for plenty of celebrity spotting in the seats upstairs in the venue. First person we saw was Joe Cole and his WAG, sat in the front row at the side of the stage. Then, more and more people kept appearing in the centre of the upstairs - Samantha Janus, Nicole Appleton, Russell Brand, and eventually James Bond Daniel Craig. When that lot were all in place, it was remarkable how crap Joe Cole's seat was by comparison - definitely a second class celebrity at this gig!

Eventually, Edith Bowman bounded on stage and introduced Oasis, and we could then get on with probably the best Oasis gig I've seen in a long while. The small venue helped, and the idiot count was extremely low - this was fairly hardcore, pretty cool Oasis fans only. Liam seemed up for the show, and all of the band in general seemed to be really enjoying themselves - when that shows through, it always makes for a good gig. In many respects, this was like the triumphant homecoming gig in front of a select group - and in that regard, it was a privilege to have been there.

There were rumours of special covers, and songs that aren't played very often, but none of that materialised - the set was identical to the one that has featured on the current tour. Although there was a 50 piece choir backing Oasis, they didn't really seem to do anything different as a result - the choir just fitted in around the band's normal set. In the venue, you couldn't even really hear the choir, it was only when I got home and put the TV on that you knew they were there. Having said that this was a fairly standard Oasis show, the sound was very good, and there was a fairly riotous atmosphere for the vast majority of the songs. So although the songs were the same, the occasion, performance and atmosphere were all significantly better than a normal Oasis gig.

The set lasted for about an hour and three quarters, and hearing songs like Slide Away, Wonderwall and Morning Glory never fails to remind you of how absolutely fantastic Oasis are/were as a band. The old songs sound so good (even if Liam's voice can't quite do all that it used to any more), that you almost wish they would stop making new records, and just play all the classics every time. Of course, everybody, including the BBC, NME, and Gigwise were at this show, so reviews are ten a penny. From my perspective, this was a special show, one that I feel lucky to have been at, and a great reminder to the world of what a good band Oasis are.

New Orleans Saints vs San Diego Chargers - Wembley Stadium, London - Sunday 26th October 2008

I had an American colleague in town this weekend, so I reluctantly abandoned West Ham vs Arsenal, and went to Wembley for the annual NFL game there. I'd never been to an American Football game before (although I'd done hockey and baseball before), so was interested to see what it was like. Although, probably the reason I'd never been before was that it doesn't really interest me that much - so I was more of a curious observer than anything else. In Central London during the day, and later on the approach to Wembley, I saw plenty of people wearing NFL clothes, split pretty evenly between Americans and Brits. The Brits in particular were wearing shirts from any and all teams, not just the 2 that were playing this game.

After the pre match warm up, sponsored by Visa (which I was really grateful for - how else would it have happened, without Visa's amazing support?!), the players buggered off, and the "pre game show" began. This featured Stereophonics playing a couple of songs (not very loudly) from a stage which was wheeled onto the pitch just beforehand. The whole thing was supposed to by hyping up the excitement levels, but it all just seemed more than a bit fake. Whilst Stereophonics were playing their songs, the Saints cheerleaders were doing their stuff, people were moving big inflatables around, and some soldiers brought British and American flags onto the pitch. There was lots going on on the field, but I struggled to see the point of it all. Then, they had the national anthems sung - Ne-Yo singing the US anthem, and Joss Stone singing God Save The Queen. When Joss Stone was introduced, she was roundly booed, and deservedly so! Finally, we had the "coin toss", which Rebecca Adlington "helped" with - strange to introduce a British swimmer that won 2 Olympic gold medals, when this just seemed to give the Americans there an excuse to talk about how Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals. Anyway, after all of this completely over the top buildup, the game finally started!

The game itself was a decent enough game actually - fairly open and high scoring, with a few touchdowns, and some good "glory" passes and runs. One thing I noticed was that it seems to take forever and a day to do anything - for example, the last 5 minutes or so of the second quarter took about half an hour! Kick the ball, take 6 seconds off the clock, stop the clock, go for an advert break! It all just seems to drag out far more when you are in the stadium (which to be fair is also true for televised football matches, especially the break after the players come out) - which of course reminds you that this sport is made for TV. All those breaks are great when you are at home watching on TV - go to the loo, grab a drink, etc - but they drag the whole thing out absurdly when you are in the stadium, and it actually makes it pretty boring. Of course, the OTT stuff carries on through the game, with a very excitable announcer with a ridiculously deep voice talking shit throughout.

Other than all this, I noticed a few strange things apart from the game. Firstly, the sheer number of people hanging around the pitch during the game - to be expected when you have 50 players on each team, I suppose. At most points, there were just dozens and dozens of people milling around the edges of the pitch, making it all seem much more important and involved than it probably is - being just a glorified game of rugby. The other thing I noticed were the heat pipes, which spray hot air at the players on the bench, to keep them warm. Stupid, and further proof (as well as the pads and crash helmets) that NFL players are sissies. I know it can get pretty cold in the US, but you wouldn't catch football and rugby players standing by a heater, oh no!

An interesting experience all in all, quite funny to laugh at some of the ridiculously excitable and hyped up parts of what goes on. The BBC showed the game, and got into the spirit of things too. I was really glad I went in the end, but I'm not sure I'd rush back to an NFL game - the fluff around it is more interesting and exciting than the game itself at times, which is never a good sign for a sports match!