After a long day and little sleep, this blogger is feeling the effects of international break

It’s depressing when the only Arsenal news you scour the interweb for is injury related. No videos of great goals. No build-up to the big game. No spitting on old men. Just injuries and tedious transfer speculation. Here’s a little update from a tired blogger.

Van Persie has a hamstring injury that will keep him out of Holland’s midweek international. He has reamained remarkably healthy this season so let’s hope this just needs rest and not “rest rest” like Bendtner’s knee.

Speaking of Nik, there’s no real update to be found except that he apparently will miss the Man City match. I’m not sure how that speculation can be made considering there’s no public news regarding the injury, but I’m guessing that it turns out to be correct.

Arsenal generally, and Fabregas in particular will be asked by the FA to respond to Hull’s complaint. This is purely procedural. The FA must request the response to conduct a proper inquiry. Apparenly Hull required the services of a lawyer to draft their copious memorandum. As a former attorney myself, I can assure you that you only turn to a lawyer if you are facing prison or have to make an argument that is riddle with holes. If Hull had any, oh, what’s the word I’m looking for? EVIDENCE. Yes, EVIDENCE. If Hull had any of that, then they wouldn’t need a lawyer. But I suppose a few pages of conjecture works just as nicely. As expected, the English press are reporting that the Hull complaint also proves that Fabregas molests small woodland creatures.

Finally, Jose Mourinho has covered himself in shame by voicing his support of the 6+5 rule. It’s a shameful, xenophobic rule and I’m dangerously close to starting a 1000 line rant in opposition. Mourinho states that the fans want to see players from their home nation and that they will support those players with greater fervor. And that’s a good thing? Crazy xenophobic nationalism is a good thing? I don’t think so.

Sport is supposed to bring people together. Sport can break down barriers and end prejudice. Just look at Jackie Robinson. Barrack Obama’s election can be directly linked to his accomplishments. But in European football, bigotry and nationalism seem to find ways to persist. I just don’t understand it. Why should an Englishman or an Italian prefer to support and English or Italian player? If the player is committed and loyal to the club he supports, isn’t that enough? In the NBA Dirk Nowitzski, Steve Nash, and Tony Parker are three of the league’s best players. The fans of their teams are crazy about them. It doesn’t seem to matter to anyone that they are German, Canadian and French respectively. The fans don’t find American players on those teams to support instead.

America is an obscenely patriotic nation, but no one cares about the nationality of their favorite players. We watch sport to be entertained, exhilerated, riled up, brought together, and ultimately distracted from the harsh realities of the world around us. If the players on our favorite team are black, white, American, German, Jewish, Muslim, who cares? They wear our colors so they’re our players. Youth sports are driven by parents and role models. It doesn’t matter where the role models come from, as long as they send the right message. If a young boy in Italy grows up watching Brazillian players in Serie A, will that make him any less passionate about playing football? Of course not. The proposed rule is absurd, it would destroy European football, and certainly lose me as a supporter. I simply could not be connected with a sport that champions nationalism in such a way.

Okay, I’m spent. Fingers crossed for our players as the next round of international matches approaches.