Preview Manchester City | Up Against A Financial Doper

I have no doubt that this afternoon's opponents, Manchester City presents us with our toughest test in this new season for a number of reasons;  they are the current champions, the game is in their own backyard and they are known to employ financial dope to improve their performance on the pitch. In fact it's a game that we can't complain about if we come out with a draw and a win will be considered a massive result.

Liverpool away was a tough test in its own way but they are not the league champions and they are a team in transition, struggling for consistency while trying to adapt to a new football philosophy being taught by a new manager. We exploited that vulnerability effectively.

What Is A Blog Post About Arsenal These Days Without Mentioning RVP?

She gave it her all but that slow start did her in...

Other than seeing Kobe Bryant and his US team mates school the shit out of the Nigerian Basketball team and our 100m women hopeful, Okagbare come in last in the finals at the Olympics, I'll say last week was a good one.

I give props to every single one of those who represents my country at the Olympics whether they end up winning a medal or not because they go out there to compete against the world's best disadvantaged by poor training facilities and a lack of commitment by the Nigerian government to sports development. The athletes have been known to finance their own training yet government officials plunder the treasury by the billions (US Dollars) as we speak. Little wonder, Ohuruogu and Abiodun represent Great Britain, Okparaebo represents Norway and a couple of others I can't remember their names now. It's a crying shame.

On to what puts a smile on my face -The Arsenal!

Watch Arsenal In Nigeria In High Definition

Sagna, Mertesacker and Podolski were in Lagos, Nigeria to meet Arsenal fans last weekend. Watch the trailer of "Arsenal In Nigeria" in high definition.

Sagna, Per & Podolski Danced In Lagos

Sagna, Per & Podolski Came To Play Monkey Post In Nigeria?

It was a serio-comic show yesterday evening at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos as Airtel and Malta Guinness hosted Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Bacary Sagna in an interactive session with Arsenal's fans in Nigeria.

The players came to participate in promotional activities with regional partners Airtel and Malta Guinness who recently signed partnership deals with Arsenal that will allow them harness the club's merchandising, hospitality and content rights.

Podolski, Per & Sagna taking questions from Charles Anazado while us ordinary mortals watched

Like Arsenal fans every where else in the world, Nigerian fans were mostly interested in extracting guarantees of a trophy next season and one wanted assurances from Sagna that his injury from the end of last season had healed sufficiently enough for him to ensure that no goal will be scored through his position at right back.

It was a lesson in diplomacy to see the trio deflect all sorts of questions like, "Sagna, will you leave Arsenal if the likes of Manchester City offered you good money?"

"If it was all about money, a few of would have left ages ago," Sagna replied.

Is it just me or does anyone else see the answer to that question in that response? Not that I blame him though, that's a question no player can answer honestly.

Charles Anazado who emceed the occasion did a good job of protecting the players from some questions that would have embarrassed them. One female fan took the microphone and asked, "What do you think of Arsenal hiring a new manager?"

I turned around to see if the chick was blonde but she was blacker than my black arse and that's saying a lot because my arse is black.

What did she expect the players to say? You're right, Honey. The club needs to sack Wenger and bring in Redknapp.

Charles took the microphone back from her and as tactfully as he manages Victor Ikpeba, Daniel Amokachi and co on his SS3N football show, answered the question himself by reminding the audience that Arsene Wenger has only recently turned down a job offer from the Brazilian Football Association.

It was good to see the boys out here really but it hardly makes up for the disappointment of the cancellation of the game that was planned for August 5th. My ManU friend actually said the trio had been sent down to play "monkey post" in Nigeria; that's the backyard football game that requires 3-5 players on each side that's popular in Africa using a small goal post that can be set up with stones or sticks.

Monkey Post

All-in-all, it was a good show but we now look forward to the big one with the whole squad in attendance as  has been promised by the club.

We'll get back to transfer rumours and speculations in this space from tomorrow. See ya.

When Per, Sagna and Podolski came to Lagos, the clowns came to welcome 'em twitter.com/naijaendgooner…
— lalah D Gooner (@naijaendgooner) July 30, 2012

Rumour Has It Mancini's Tearing His Hair Out Because Of RVP

If rumours are to be believed, Mancini was seen tearing his hair out while raging at his bosses at Manchester City for not doing enough to sign Robin Van Persie. While I take that particular story with a few pinches of salt, it is a sight that gives me a lot of satisfaction to imagine considering his penchant for calmly talking about his interest in Arsenal players that are usually designed to destabilize the players.

Apparently, City is determined to offload the likes of Adebayor, Dzeko, Tevez and Santa Cruz before upping the derisory bid they made for RVP with an eye on balancing the books before UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules kick in.

Meanwhile, rumour has it (thanks Adele for letting me borrow this) that The Old Lady has upped her bid for RVP to £20m which Arsenal has accepted. A £190k/week salary after tax offer is also said to have been offered to RVP in the personal terms discussions between the club and RVP.

So unless Manchester United comes up with something more attractive, we can look forward to seeing a bald Mancini on the side lines next season while Robin goes abroad which is what both Club and fans will prefer under the circumstances.

Santi Carzola is the boy from Malaga who rumour also has it that we have agreed terms to sign. It is the most plausible of all the transfer targets we have been linked with recently because Malaga is in a financial mess and have until July 31st to pay up all outstanding debts or face relegation. Carzola, citing unpaid wages from the last campaign has informed the club that he wants to leave and has already held positive talks with Arsenal officials. July 31st is only seven days away so we may expect this deal to be expedited.

The club has meanwhile announced that Koscielny has agreed to sign a new long term contract which offers some reassurance with Barcelona rumoured to be sniffing around him in the past few weeks. My friend Okey was quick to remind me that these contracts don't mean a thing these days.

"Apart from the fact that the selling club will get a bit more for a player with a lengthy contract, when they want to leave they leave," Okey said. But then he's the most pessimistic Gooner I know.

I've heard the club criticized for not extending player contracts before it gets to the last year to avoid the scenarios we are seeing with RVP and Theo. The truth is having a player on a long contract shifts the balance of power in favour of the club. Any club who wants to sign him must go through the club and the club have to be ready to do business to entertain any offers. So I say well done, Arsenal and  to Koscielney, I say congratulations. We have a tradition of repaying those who show faith in us

The boys will play the first of their Asian tour matches against Malaysia XI this afternoon by 1.45pm Nigerian time and it will be aired on ESPN so you can catch it if you can steal 90 minutes of your employers' time but be sure not to say I sent you.

On a final note, there are people who still have confidence in Marouane Chamakh even if most of us have given up hope in him. The team held an open training session at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil yesterday and one Malaysian beauty proposed publicly to him. We are awaiting his response.

Arsenal First Team Stars To Fly To Nigeria

On the heels of the cancellation of its trip to Nigeria in August, the club has announced that four first team stars will be flying to Nigeria to take part in marketing activities with regional partners, Airtel and Malta Guinness.

Sagna, Mertesacker, Podolski and Rosicky have been chosen to fly to Lagos with club officials in two weeks to take part in club events and activities organised by Airtel and Malta Guinness.

Arsenal’s head of global partnerships Vinai Venkatesham said: “We were disappointed to have to postpone the game and intend to visit Nigeria next summer. However we are delighted to be bringing this group of players to Nigeria to take part in events with our regional partners. It will give us a chance to engage with local supporters and reinforce our commitment to the market.”

The players will take part in a busy schedule of events in Lagos. Emmanuel Agu, marketing manager for (Malta) Guinness Nigeria plc commented: "Malta Guinness is the Official Malt Drink of Arsenal in Nigeria and we are looking forward to welcoming the Arsenal players to Lagos.

"We are sure that they will have a most enjoyable visit as they experience the energy and vitality of their Nigerian fans. Over the next few days, we will be announcing how fans of the nation's No 1 malt drink - Malta Guinness - can enjoy not only the goodness of our new lower sugar variant, but also win the opportunity to interact and get involved with their idols at a number of exclusive events during their stay. You can get more information by going to www.facebook.com/maltaguinness."

The players will also be making appearances for mobile network operator Airtel. Deepak Srivastava, chief operating officer and executive director for Airtel Nigeria, said: "Arsenal has a very large supporter base in Nigeria and Airtel is eager to connect these fans with some of their favourite football players.

"Indeed, Airtel is extremely committed to creating opportunities to excite and engage telecommunications consumers just as we are passionate about realising our brand vision of being the most-loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians."

The Gunners Have Landed in Nigeria!

Yes, I know that title amounts to taking the piss. I couldn't resist this one so pray, forgive a disappointed Gooner who had cancelled every other engagement to be at the Abuja National Stadium on August the 5th but must now wait until next summer to see the team he loves play in his home country. This is the closest I'll be getting to them in Nigeria until then.

If you look beyond the obvious state of disrepair of the bridge railings in the picture above, you'll see one of Airtel Nigeria's billboards located at Costain in Lagos showing a picture of members of the Arsenal team. I took this picture out of my car window while driving at a 130km/hour

Arsenal Postpone Nigeria Trip

Arsenal FC has today announced the postponement of the trip to Nigeria which was originally billed for August 5th, 2012. The Arsenal first team was slated to play the Nigerian national team at the National Stadium in Abuja on the last leg of it's pre-season tour.

The club in a statement on the club's official website blamed "complexities linked to the planned game against Nigeria..."

Airtel Goes With Arsenal

Arsenal FC has today announced a three year partnership deal with African mobile network operator Airtel. Announcing this earlier today, Arsenal's Head of Global Partnerships Vinai Venkatesham said, "“I am delighted to welcome Airtel into our family of Commercial Partners. This is the second long-term partnership arrangement to arise from the continent and we look forward to developing a number of exciting initiatives with Airtel, starting with our forthcoming tour to Nigeria in August. This underlines the depth of our following in Africa and how the profile of the Club continues to grow internationally."

The deal allows Airtel to harness the club's merchandising, hospitality, and content rights in five markets including Nigeria, Rwanda, Gambia, Uganda and Ghana

Keshi Vs Wenger

I find myself in a bit of dilemma this morning. It's the old club versus country dilemma that has either made or marred the best of us. Oh, I love my country with all my heart and will scream it from the top of the Udi hills if need be. But I also love Arsenal and have very often chanted "Arsenal for life!" or "Arsenal till I die!". But in all this I never for once believed both these loves of mine will line up against each other and make me choose. What colour of jersey will I be wearing when I arrive the Abuja stadium on August 5th