We have two weeks without football.
Seeing that as an opportunity, I decided to try three days without newspapers or Sky Sports News or ANR.
It would be incorrect to say that I’m emotional, dismayed, angry or disappointed by what’s happened since Arsenal’s last win against Leyton Orient.
I just need to stop and think about whether I still have anything left to say.
This blog can only improve when I regain some enthusiasm and balance.
Several readers have pointed out that it wasn’t handball.
I’ve been wondering how I got that wrong.
For the last 40 years, if a football hits the post, I’ve seen the ball hit the post.
I’ve always seen it. Always. So I wondered why I hadn’t seen that one.
Was I very tired on Saturday night when I was watching Match of The Day?
I don’t think so.
If I’m tired, I go to bed straight away – I’ve always been like that. I don’t care what’s going on, if I’m tired, I crash out. That’s why I’ve never fallen asleep in a chair.
Sky’s co-commentator Tony Gale, whose eyes are better and younger than mine, had asked: “Was that handball?”
On Match of The Day, the BBC commentator said, “Bendtner had to improvise.”
“What did the hell do you mean by that?” I wondered.
Fortunately, I still have Match of the Day on my Skybox, so I looked at it again.
When Arshavin’s left wing cross dropped towards the far post, and Bendtner jumped up with his right arm out, I thought the ball was going beyond the far post.
I was probably thinking that because of what Tony Gale said, and because Arshavin was trying to cross the ball, not trying to shoot.
But the cross never reached Bendtner because it hit the inside of the post.
Then the ball rebounded down across the goal towards Meite and Van Persie.
Even the reverse-angle replay is deceptive, due to the presence of a black and white pole between the camera and the far goalpost.
Overall, it was a rather unusual incident and two commentators were deceived, as I was, by Bendtner’s body shape and by where he put his arm. The ball never reached his arm.
Sorry, Nick ! I didn’t see the ball hit the post.
Still can’t believe I didn’t see that ball hit the post after 5 replays on two TV channels.
That’s a big mistake and a worrying one.
I’m worried that my next mistake will be falling asleep in a chair.
Until club football resumes, I’ll carry on slowly reading VN The Life and Art of Vladimir Nabokov, a delightful book, and try to complete another chapter of a memoir that was first conceived in the late Seventies, when it had the working title Confessions of a Rock Critic.
That wasn’t a good title. I’ve learned a lot about writing books since then and my next one has a better title.
Yes, it’s slightly odd to reach Thursday and find that I’ve only had three conversations about football this week.
But it’s liberating to step off the treadmill for few days.
A friend went to Tuesday night’s Nordoff-Robbins charity dinner.
There’s a top table and last year it was Sir Alex, Eric Cantona and Ryan Giggs.
This year it was Jose Mourinho with his pals Paulo Ferreira and Steve Clarke, his agent Jorge Mendes, plus his goalkeeping coach and his mate Mario.
I’m told that Mourinho was at his humble best, with remarks like, “My wife keeps saying, ‘You’ve done everything you can in football, you should do something else’ ‘” and “I turned down Real Madrid twice, I couldn’t turn them down a third time. I had to go there.”
When a limited edition Fiat car was auctioned, Mendes paid £18,000 for it.
Mourinho said, “It’s nice for Jorge to come and spend all that money, but, to be honest, he can afford it.”