Sleeping With The Enemy: Arsenal Manchester City Preseason Date At The Bird's Nest

It has the clandestine about it. With ex-gunners Kolo Toure, Samri Nasri, Gael Clichy, Loanee Emmanuel Adebayor and an almost gunner- Yaya Toure at Manchester City; Arsenal’s confirmed date with the rich boys of English football brings to one, the odd feeling. A familiar feeling; Like a meet up with the Ex.

Like that unexpected booty call, the excitement seldom not, is soured by thoughts:  Figures, she wants you back. You jockey yourself up.  Only, back long enough to pay in kind: gonorrhea and its upcountry cousins.

Asia Done, Europe Up Next Then Africa Follows

The Champions League and Thursday night football draws were done with the day before. For the London clubs, Italian opposition stands in the way of their elusive yet to be realized ambition of European continental soccer domination.

Arsenal Planet? Image thanks Nasa

Arsenal Preseason Asia Tour, Beyond The Money

"Out here we have had the chance to travel, meet different people, see the reaction from the fans, and see a different culture. For players, that's really good." Anderi Arshain on the Asia Arsenal preseason trip

The monkey on Arsenal Football club's back is well known. In spite of attempts at  ignoring  the elephant in the room with talk of the fine furniture, the finesse of the  hand woven carpet and artistry of murals on the walls, the void exemplified by the rusty lock of the trophy cabinet at the Emirates, like a heartbreak is one  hard to ignore. 

My Ugandan friends tell me the hangover of their Waragi is better tolerated when the banana drink is imbibed in celebration. My Scottish readers add that Scotch too is toasted in happy times. The feeling across the Arsenal family is that likewise, beautiful soccer can intoxicate one only so much. A message  that we across the Equator in Swahili land, as we look on in envy, hope the legions of fans in Asia in their understandable excitement of having the gunners visit them, will subtly pass on.

While The Mouse Was Away, The Cat Played

I have been away for way too long. Nothing amiss just the hustle of living in the 21st century. Plenty has come to pass in those few weeks. Some the usual - Arsenal failing when it matters most. Some the delightful- like Eboue's  thump of a goal over the weekend against Blackpool. Some fit to quench the thirst of the curious- like Lehman between the posts after hanging his gloves a while back.