Ahh man, this feels like it’s a real dragger of an Interlull, and not just because there’s little going around by the way of Arsenal news.

I tune out the transfer tittle-tattle when there’s still six weeks to go until the January window opens, and when it’s a window that doesn’t usually see big clubs part with cash anyway, it doesn’t really feel like wasting my words on it would be relevant. I certainly wouldn’t waste my hard earned cash to watch it, although you can get some good deals at www.footballticketpad.com if you were so inclined. Although I’d be using that for domestic games only myself, because I work hard for my moolah and the last thing I want is for a drab international to make me feel like it’s being frittered away.

So instead I wait patiently for the news of the surviving players who haven’t been brutally maimed by some clobbermeister who currently plays in the Latvian fourth tier for FC Miqhurdlanin or some such equivalent. The news so far seems to be that we’re all ok as it is. There are a round of meaningless fixtures tomorrow night though, so I do expect we’ll have a little more need for the biting of nails then, particularly with players like Ramsey. He always feels like prime target number one for an injury to me. Mostly due to his playing style and his all-action approach to games and if anyone is going to go hammy tweaking ahead of an important run of fixtures it’s Aaron. Let’s just hope he’s managed well enough by Coleman when they play Germany tomorrow.

I think what’s also made this Interlull particularly ‘lully’ has also been the type of fixtures wedged in between. City away followed by a home game against the Totts has meant that this particular interlude feels to me like it’s stretched out a bit. Probably because of the impending fear that will soon engulf me as I try frantically to work out how this current Arsenal side get anything against a high energy, high press, fast counter-attacking Tottenham.

Given that impending sense of doom though, surely I should be relishing the fact that there is no football to really get myself worried, right?

Well, yes, I suppose that could be one way of looking at it. Except I’m a football fan and as every football fan knows it’s better to at least have that sense of anticipation than have to deal with the numbing boredom of not having any proper football to concern yourself about. 

There’s a great line in one of the Pierce Bronsnan Bond Movies where the villain (played by Robert Carlyle) says “what’s the point in living if you cannot feel alive?” and I guess that’s the reason I’d rather be locked in fear and pessimism ahead of the North London Derby, than having to sit through much more of the nothingness that international football gives me.

So yes, give me the fear of what might happen on Saturday, rather than the emptiness of what will happen at Wembley tomorrow night.

Oh bloody hell. I’ve just seen that Ollie G picked up a thigh strain injury for France at the weekend and won’t play tomorrow for France. That will most likely completely rule him out of next weekend’s game and although he hasn’t been a regular starter, he is still a very good asset in a game like this, having scored a few goals down the years against that lot too.

So there you go. Even more reason to hate the international breaks.

Catch you all tomorrow.