I can almost smell it... Michael Thomas t-shirt up for grabs now...

We're getting close kids! The Charity.. sorry... Community Shield is this weekend, featuring the Arsenal Retirement Home versus the Northern Scum. It's a match that I rarely get excited about other than it being the flare that is sent up to warn of proper football coming shortly. So there is only a week of preparations to get through before we can see our lads in serious action again.

First up in that preparation is The Amsterdam Tournament, which is working out as an ideal warm up for the match up against FC Twente, currently being mismanaged by Steve 'Euro2008 Commentator' McClaren. I think Arsene will be feeling pretty confident that Steve poses little threat in terms of tactical awareness, and the run out against Ajax is ideal.

Of course in the background there is plenty of stuff going on. The newspapers have taken to linking us with every centre midfielder in the known universe for one thing, and so far we look no closer to signing one - something that Arsene has publicly acknowledged. It is odd though - if we need a new midfielder, and I realise the transfer window is still open for a while yet, that we wouldn't try to get someone in before the season started rather than during its first month. But Denilson has played well in the few run outs he has, and the lure of a first team place will hopefully push him to become the great player he has the potential to be. His challenger for that spot, Abou Diaby, needs to stop hanging out with Tomas Rosicky and RvP if he wants to claim the spot - he has been far too injury prone in recent months, or most of his Arsenal career if you want to be cynical, although Sunderland's hatchet man Matt Smith had a hand in that. I still doubt whether he has it in him to last a whole campaign. And keeping with the script the gangly Vieira wannabe is injured once again, FFS! What is it with our players, the season hasn't even started and we've got more casualties than a party thrown by Michael Barrymore. Scarily, Ebouseless got a run at centre midfield against 'Ze Germans', which I'm hoping was merely a plan to get him some fitness and not a test run for yet another position switch.

Meanwhile Jack 'Wonderkid of the week' Wilshere is impressing everyone still - enough so that he has been given a first team squad position. I can't imagine that he'll see much of the Premier League, despite Arsene assertion that he wouldn't be afraid to throw him in, but it is still wonderful to have such a hot prospect, an English one at that, coming through the ranks. I'm sure Gael Clichy is wondering what the hell is going on with him consistently being one of the oldest players on the pitch for us in the warm up games.

And first up we get West Brom, who are fresh up from the Championship. They'll be out for an upset so it'll be a tougher game than it looks on paper but hopefully we'll knock the confidence out of them early on and from there it will be a steady slide into oblivion. I'm particularly keen to see Samir Nasri take the field - if he can be more of a Pires than a Hleb then I think we'll challenge for honours again this season. If not, we obviously need younger players!

Roll on The Amsterdam Tournament enjoy it Gooner's, the real curtain raiser for 'proper football'! C'mon on The Arsenal.

By Paul Wright Allgoonerdup roving reporter.

It's up for grabs - it is now - Win a 'St Michael Thomas' t-shirt

You lucky people have the chance to win an Arsenal inspired t-shirt. We've added some new wares to the Allgoonerdup Online Shop and you can be the proud owner of this brand spanking new Michael Thomas inspired number. All you need to tell us is, what number was Michael Thomas wearing when he scored 'that' goal at Anfield in our title winning match up on 26 May 1989?

Send your answer, t-shirt size, name and postal address to: iwannafreebie@allgoonerdup.com

Competition closes Monday 18 August.

Good luck Gooners.

Girl in a shirt

Allgoonerdup is looking to give the Goonerbabe page a bit of a boost and we're going for a 'Girl in the Shirt' approach. Do you have any pictures of your girl in the shirt or girls get yourself seen on the Goonerbabe wall and send in your own pictures. Lets get this party started right. Send your pictures in and tell us your name, favourite player, favourite all time player, favourite drink and if you have anything else to declare to babe@allgoonerdup.com

Score predictor Mini league - join up!

There's still time to join the Allgoonerdup.com score prediction game mini league. There will of course be a prize for the winner. To join the fun just follow the link below:
http://iknowthescore.premierleague.com/landing.htm

Enter the code: FCCDA-XVB to join the Allgoonerdup.com mini league.

The deadline is August the 16th!

Join the Allgoonerdup Fantasy Premier League

You've got just over a week to join the fun. 82 Gooners so far have got their game on and have joined the Allgoonerdup Fantasy league.

There will be prize for the winner and it will have a 20th anniversary Championship winning feel to it, that or a keg load of beer for the lucky punter! Click the below link to get started.

http://fantasy.premierleague.com

Sign up to it
Design your team
Join the league by entering this pin into the ‘Join league bit’ (League Pin 73628-19858)!
(The league is called sonofallgooneredup)
Then you are away!
The deadline is August the 16th!

Son of Allgoonerdup comments section

As well as the main site Allgoonerdup has the comments section Son of Allgoonerdup courtesy of WordPress. The stories on the main site will appear on the comments section so you Gooner's will have the pleasure to have some banter with one another and see just what the general shenanigans of the day is, let your fellow Gooner mates know about it too and lets share in all things Arsenal. You don't need to sign up, there's no long drawn out signing up process either - so jump on and have a skive when the boss isn't looking.