Diaby; finally something to smile about!

Ok, so we've all heard of the comparisons with Vieira but I do think I really am beginning to get excited about this fella. Whilst the 'New Vieira' tag has become a little cliched and tiresome, it has to be admitted that he does give us just what have lacked since the sale (and prior decline) of PV4.

I thought he might prove an interesting purchase when he arrived, but then came that sickening tackle in the Sunderland game, and we had to place all our judgements on hold.

In recent games though, he really has given us a taste of his potential; breaking up attacks and surging forward to join our strikers. This was most apparent yesterday in the derby against the lesser team on north London; he really did provide a bit of muscle in the centre of the park - something that we have been sorely missing this season. I love Gilberto, but he is closer to the end than he he is to the beginning of his career and we do need someone to play that 'enforcer' role next to either Cesc or Denilson.

Of course, like the rest of our midfield, he needs to work on his finishing ( he did miss some real sitters against Bolton) but I'm sure that will develop. Incidently, wasn't it interesting to see the ease at which he muscled Baptistsa off the ball for one of those chances?

This week there has been a lot of turmoil for us gooners with Dein's departure and the press doing their best to agitate us with the notion that Wenger will follow but at least in Diaby's performance against the spuds we do have something to smile about!

'As if there weren't enough Arsenal blogs. . . .'

Yes, I know there is already a huge number of gooner related blogs floating around in the cyber-ether BUT what the hell, here is another.

This is all a big experiment I guess, I'm not sure if anyone will ever read it but in any case, it will serve it's purpose in allowing me to try blogging for the first time.

About me . . .

Well I have been a rabidly obsessive gooner since I was a young lad. The first game I saw at Highbury was in 1983 and we got beaten 1-0 by Coventry City but by that stage I was already smitten with the Gunners; a love affair that probably really began with the '5 minute final' of 1979 (that Alan Sunderland goal still gives me goosebumps even if he was sporting a Scouser style perm and 'tash a la Harry Enfield). Ever since those 'Terry Neil' days of my childhood, my brother and I grew up as Junior Gunners loving the Arsenal.

I used to live in North London, just off the Seven Sisters Road and used to manage to see a lot of home games.

Eventually however, I ended up moving to Canada in 2005 (its a long story but involves a beautiful woman) and have been a 'gooner in exile' ever since.

Despite it being a bit of a crap season, I thought it was about time for me to start an Arsenal blog.

I don't know if it will be anywhere near as good as the excellent 'Arseblog', 'East Lower', 'Goodplaya' (or indeed any of the other fine blogs I have as links) but I hope at least to have a link to at least one interesting item on the web per day.
So here goes. . .