It’s curious how an idea takes seed in the human mind and never shifts, despite being not untrue but in this case incorrect. 1986-87 was his first season in charge, 35 goals conceded which was an improvement on the 37 that were put into the Arsenal net as Don Howe’s reign came to its’ close. That same season, the club finished fourth and sixteen points off the lead. 1987-88 always plays in my mind as an improvement, Graham having an evolutionary effect. It isn’t true; Arsenal finished sixth, two worse than the previous season, twenty-four points off the top having conceded thirty-nine.

1988-89 saw a little improvement defensively, thirty-six was hardly the earth-shattering revolution that was seemingly needed and to be honest, gaining ten more points than the previous campaign was nothing special either. But it landed the title. Who cares if it was by the tightest of margins? That is irrelevant when the silverware is handed down.

1996-97, champions Manchester United conceded forty-four goals. 44. They finished seven points clear of Arsenal. A year later, they had conceded eighteen less. 18. And they finished a point below Arsenal.

2000-01 champions again, United conceded 31, seven better than Arsenal and were ten points ahead. Twelve months on, they were ten points behind.

In all those instances, Arsenal conceded more or less the same amount of goals. It underlines the point I made yesterday about one less goal yielding ten points. But they also underline that as much as Arsenal’s performance needs to improve, there is no guarantee of the top two maintaining theirs, something often forgotten in all of this. City improved by eighteen points, United nine. Will either maintain their levels next season? It is hard to say and only twice since 2006 has any team equalled or bettered eighty-nine points to win the title. That suggests that their improvement will not be maintained next season and will dip a little. That offers opportunity if a gradual tightening of the defensive ship is made.

Crucially though, this is not a one-dimensional change; some things should not. The attacking play must remain, sometimes more tethered than others, but that is going to be the key to a title challenge. Above all else, it offers hope. And that is surely the basis of each pre-season?

Changes to personnel inevitably happen. He still is no closer to publicly declaring his future. You can choose any one of three for which He I am referring to as the French-based players linked to Arsenal continue to play a pathetic cat-and-mouse game with the media. At least M’vila has the Bacary Sagna seal of approval and the opportunity to prove the hype at Euro2012; what is Eden Hazard going to do? Show us how wonderful his posing on the beach is? Possessing egos that big ought to be a crime. As for Jan Vertonghen, are we really Tottenham’s cast-offs?

One of the targets highlights the lunacy which beseiges football chairmen. Olivier Giroud is rated as a £50m player by his chairman who obviously only rates him as a £12.8m player since that is his contractual release clause…Still if Giroud is signed, it raises interesting questions, such as why would a French international want to sign for Arsenal to play as cover for Robin van Persie? Or could it be, <gasp, sharp inhalation>he is not signing a new contract?

Sagna does not think that is the case,

I’m confident Robin will stay. He was a complete professional from the beginning until the end and helped us into third. We want to keep him. Everyone is so grateful to him for what he’s done for the club and how important he is. He is our captain and he takes his role and responsibilities very seriously. He gives everything as a player and captain.

I am sure he does and the defender’s comments do nothing to clear the situation up which is hardly surprising for if he and other players knew what the Dutchman had decided, it would have slipped out by now. Unless it is bad news and having seen Ivan and Stan playing Good Cop, Bad Cop with their threats, the players are quaking in their boots and keeping quiet. Who knows?

The Frenchman gave his opinion on the last campaign and how it is shaping the future,

I think we can be contenders this coming season. We showed a lot of people what we could do last season. Last summer, people were talking about Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri leaving. It was a difficult season in the Premier League and, for all football fans, it has been a crazy, crazy season. It was difficult for us but we kept fighting. I think it shows we can be strong contenders next season.

This season has given us great belief for the season coming. Arsene Wenger has always given us the belief and confidence and made the decisions to help us through. If we had not had so many injuries then I think we would have gone closer to winning trophies this season.

One of which was his own, of course. Two of which in fact. The strength that emerged is acquiring another right-sided defender seems unlikely this summer; Jenkinson may be raw but grew with confidence until sidelined through injury whilst Coquelin’s performance against Norwich was sufficient for me, to suggest that whilst midfield is his chosen option, right back should not be ruled out either. Remember Lauren. It was this failure to adapt that stifled Matthieu Flamini at Arsenal; had he been willing to play left back for 2006-07, he certainly would not have been considering Birmingham City as a genuine career option five years ago this summer.

Sagna is undeniably optimistic, he has to be, surely all players at a club like Arsenal have to believe before the season starts that anything is possible? If they transfer that positive thought train into performances, perhaps more supporters would believe anything is possible and that is the crux of football, the soul. It’s a hidden soul right now but the past? That’s tomorrow’s hope.

’til Tomorrow.

Steve Bould and Neil Banfield took up their new roles at the club yesterday with the former being far from the ill-fated sort who slept in doorways and in alleyways. He is however being hailed as the saviour, the panacea to all of the ills which beset the Arsenal defence last season.

An uncompromising centre back as a player, the theory goes that Bould will instil that discipline and defensive fervour into the current generation of defenders at the club. That theory may be proved to be right; it also may be wrong and I wonder in those circumstances, just how much goodwill does his elevation to Assistant Manager carry? Will those who demanded his ascension to the seat to the right of the throne be as unforgiving and quick to blame Bould as they were Pat Rice? Or would their ire and wrath turn on the manager himself?

We shall see and none of the above should diminish Bould’s career in coaching or his abilities but there is a huge burden of expectation being put on his shoulders and you wonder if he is aware of it. I am sure he is, although whether he knows the depth of feeling is open to debate. And what yardstick will be used, what realistic improvement can be expected in the space of one season?

Arsenal tally of goals conceded has been steadily increasing since 2003-04. Nothing extraordinary in a particular season but incrementally. This season is high but part of that can be put down to Old Trafford but even if you halve that scoreline, the total increases again over the previous campaign. Using 45 against as a benchmark, is it a realistic expectation to believe that ten goals less be achieved in 2012-13?

I think so but not through stopping the high scoring matches; the improvement has to come through an increase on the thirteen clean sheets. From 5th November to 31st December 2011, Arsenal conceded five goals in nine matches, never more than one in each game. It was perhaps the least effective goalscoring phase of the season as well, with only fifteen scored but yielded six wins, two draws and a solitary defeat at Eastlands.

Move on two months and the nine match spell beginning with the draw at Bolton swapped a draw to the win column, ending in defeat at Loftus Road. The run saw eight goals conceded but twenty three scored. Half of the season in total, the games saw just thirteen goals shifted. It indicates that contrary to popular belief, the basis is there for defensive solidity without necessarily impacting on the attacking displays. The second run saw three clean sheets gained. That’s seven in total out of nineteen games. When you are winning that is not too much of an issue; when you are not, there is a huge problem.

Looking at the remaining nineteen games, only two were lost by a margin of more than one goal – Liverpool at home, United away. One less goal conceded in matches not won would have yielded ten more points. No improvement in league position but third would have been more comfortable and the gap to the top just nine points. Probably a fair reflection of the squad.

It is a simple calculation and theory; one that is difficult to implement as it requires – to a certain extent – a change in mentality. That is the size of the task, can it be used as a yardstick to measure his performance against?

Observations by those around the club portray him as a man of strong beliefs, something quickly picked up on as a strength. It is and the relationship he and Arsène have will be interesting to see. The manager has strong viewpoints, you do not get to be at the top of your profession without being true to your beliefs. However, the great leaders have the strength of character to take on board other perspectives and adjust blueprints accordingly. The underling needs a thick skin as well; not every idea is going to be used, believed to be the correct path to follow.

Wenger will have known what Bould’s philosophy about coaching was, what his views were or if he was not certain, he would have a very good idea. Appointing a contrary No.2 for the sake of it is not conducive to progress; both of them would be aware that improvements can be made, weaknesses nullified. It seems strange to me that there is that air of expectation, that Bould will be a radical progressionist overwhelming the Luddite Wenger. Simply, it is not going to happen – everything about the manager’s reign has been evolutionary once the initial revolution had occurred upon his appointment.

Elsewhere, the smell around the Eden Hazard story yesterday became stronger with an apparent denial issued whilst Marouane Chamakh’s time at the club looks to be ending with the Moroccan as makeweight in a deal for Olivier Giroud. Who might be Robin van Persie’s replacement as well. Or not, depending on who you ask because frankly no-one has a clue, publicly at least, what the Dutchman has decided with as many people who claim to be In The Know contradicting themselves, as those of us Not In The Know - or normal as I like to think of it.

’til Tomorrow.

Hazard’s representatives insist that his wage demands are not as exorbitant as has been suggested. City have vowed not to offer more than £110,000 a week, a sum Arsenal — who have offered captain Robin van Persie £130,000 a week in an attempt to keep the Dutchman at the club — could easily match.

Easily match? Easily match? Didn’t you get the memo sunshine? This is Arsenal or to use their more media-friendly sobriquet, Parsimony FC. We don’t pay £30m fees or £110k a week in wages, not unless you are a player who is going to sign and then want to leave in a week.

The question is whether he should be Arsenal’s primary target. Whilst he has undoubted quality and any player that enhances the squad is welcome, there are other areas particularly a more defensively aware midfielder, that are required. Of course that does not preclude buying someone like Hazard but it casts a shadow on the involvement of Arsenal. There is a smell of agent or Lille trying to boost the price and terms.

It would be good for Arsenal to complete their transfer signings this early with the focus then shifting to the surplus squad members and replacing anyone who leaves, if necessary. With the valid criticisms of last summer’s transfer activity still surfacing despite the window not officially being open, to nail that bone of contention this early is a good start.

If the footballing world is being shaken off kilter with Arsenal entering the fray of big fees and salaries – the footballing equivalent of New Boots and Panties – we can always rely on the Football Association to restore normality with their lenient treatment of Joey Barton. Twelve matches splits into three red cards worth of violent conduct plus three matches compound interest. Hardly a deterrent to the delinquent philosopher, is it? Hopefully he will appeal which must surely be ruled spurious and thus confirm a heavier punishment. A doubling of the prescribed nine match ban might actually make him rethink his manner on a football pitch: “I think therefore I…wait, no, I’m Joey Barton, I can’t think but will instead throw out a wikipedia philosophy of life“. It is not a surprise though; with Stoke able to field a team wearing an ‘homage‘ to Barcelona, self-awareness in football is probably at an all time low.

Unless of course, you are Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The youngster is well aware of the rollercoaster season he has enjoyed, a relatively successful one on the pitch that started with an absolute low-point at Old Trafford. It is interesting that Roy Hodgson commended him on his performance in central midfield; that is not a position where I would necessarily have placed him at the beginning of his senior international. In fact, I am not sure he should even be going to Euro2012 but it says more about the paucity of talent available to Roy Hodgson. Were Jack Wilshere fit, the selection of Oxlade-Chamberlain would be in some doubt, even with Stewart Downing’s inability to hit the posterior of a bovine creature with a narrow-necked fretted instrument.

Having a player travel with the squad and not playing is a folly of one of his predecessors that I doubt Hodgson is predisposed to repeating. That said, even if he does not play Arsenal have been spared his involvement in the Olympic football tournament which is a bonus.

’til Tomorrow.

Manuel Almunia was the most high profile – if you can say that - of the departures and I hope the Spaniard finds a club this summer. He was an easy target with his confidence shaken on a regular basis. Every conversation about him inevitably turns to Paris, the final lost because of the two goals conceded with no castigation of Lehmann or even Henry for spurning chances that were normally converted with a gluttonous haste. A convenient scapegoat for numerous occasions, Almunia’s recent performances for the first team featured some of his best with partial redemption coming against Barcelona in 2010.

Such exits inevitably turn attention to others considered to be surplus to requirements. Quite why Johan Djourou regularly features in these lists escapes me. There is a certain refreshing naivety in believing that Arsenal will be able to have four world-class centre backs at the club with two content to sit on the bench on a weekly basis. Perhaps we could phone Winstone Bogarde to see if he fancies signing up? We have four internationals at the club filling those positions; yes, Djourou is a Swiss international with thirty caps albeit gained mainly in midfield.

Taking a leaf out of Almunia’s book, I will be polite about Squillaci’s spell at the club. Unsuccessful, that will do to describe it. The usual suspects of Bendtner, Denilson, Vela and Fabianski are joined by Arshavin on the way out. None are surprising, most will depart with few tears offered. The Dane might be capable of much in his career but at this moment in time, it is hard to see him leading an Arsenal frontline – Dortmund are once more hovering in the wings – whilst Vela is ill-suited to English football.

It is a major clearout and Arsenal have a balancing act to strike. With players such as Campbell and Ryo returning from their loan spells, the wide forward positions have plenty of bodies. Reports suggest that Campbell has potential but is not yet ready for the Premier League; how true that is up to the manager decide whilst Miyaichi struck me as doing well at Bolton and is worth holding onto as a substitute.

We saw last season how injuries decimated the midfield and defence at times. The reserves have to be able to step in and to not replace any of these would be derilect in their duties; Arsène is certainly not that. Of course, we have our new signings Abou Diaby and Jack Wilshere coming back to strengthen the squad whilst Etienne Capoue  on the radar as back-up to Yann M’vila in case the Rennes midfielder decides that Eden Garbo’s decision-making timescales are a good example to follow.

Wilshere had successful surgery on his knee and his Twitter feed suggests that it went well with Jack seemingly in good spirits. Perhaps that is helped by Jermaine Defoe paying his losing bet to Cancer Research. In an age where footballers are regularly derided for greed and egotistical self-promotion, Defoe’s actions are a glimmer of hope although I am sure that the ubiquitous John Terry will take time out from saving the Euro to spoil it all.

The club described his recovery as not being ‘significantly‘ affected which all depends on how you define that word. The surgery itself suggested that something more serious was amiss than was being disclosed which is fair enough. Recent returns from injury for other players have not gone so well and caution with Wilshere is not to be criticised. It ends any vague hope that Stuart Pearce might have retained for him playing in London2012. Even if the player has recovered his fitness, is there any credible evidence that could be produced which would support him playing in tournament football with all of the intensity which that brings? I cannot see it myself.

Were Wilshere and Diaby to be fit for a season, the midfield would look strong. The addition of a purely defensive midfielder is seen as a panacea to all our defensive ills; there are other issues that I am sure will discussed at some point…

’til Tomorrow.

It is not about buying new players. Look, it’s always nice to get new faces in – and we have done already with the signing of Lukas Podolski from Cologne – but this is more about working with the players we have got and making some big changes to how we play. If we are to challenge, if we are to improve, then it is all about Arsene Wenger needing to get a clear, coherent, defensive strategy drilled into the squad.

The improvements are necessary, nobody can argue with that. Even if you remove the freak result at Old Trafford, Arsenal still conceded too many goals. If Arsenal failed to keep a clean sheet last season, in the Premier League they conceded an average of two goals a game. If you keep twenty-five clean sheets, that is not so much of an issue; when the total is just thirteen, there is a problem to be addressed.

Steve Bould is being held up as the solution, or a potential one. Too much weight is being placed on his appointment, the fear must be that if the improvement is not forthcoming – and quickly – Bould will end up being made a scapegoat in the same way that Pat Rice was. The ‘new man’ is reportedly forthright in his views but has been appointed assistant manager. To me that indicates that he believes in the path being followed by the manager and whilst that does not preclude questioning methods, results or whatever, it is certainly no guarantee of being the defensive equivalent of Tomas de Torquemada.

Whilst the former defender was as Robson noted, “a great defender“, Rice was no slouch either. It is a popular myth that Rice was little more that Wenger’s coneman, a modern day Stewart Houston. Ultimately it is the manager who decides the tactics and maps out the focus of training; the coaching staff deliver that via the methodology the manager prescribes. It is not quite dictatorial but certainly the manager’s vision is going to be universally supported by the coaches. If it is not, then life will be frustrating for them at work being constrained by beliefs they do not share and denied any leeway to exert their own influence.

Having warmed to his theme, Robson continued,

This team needs to start consistently defending well, getting in the habit of keeping clean sheets. There is no point in full-backs bombing forward if there is no strategy when we lose the ball…The fact remains that even if Arsenal went out right now and bought the four best defenders in the world, if they keep their current style they will not make any real difference.

We need to defend more from the front, we need to be disciplined and to make sure the defence always has cover in front of it. These are the fundamentals that title-winning sides have. You don’t see poor defences win leagues. We have the players to do it.

Many will disagree with that last sentiment and having heard Robson’s commentary observations, they are somewhat surprising. Nevertheless there is a lot of truth in his assessment. Defence is not an area I would expect any new signings this summer, only if you include the goalkeepers. With Almunia and Fabianski both likely to move on, a new signing would probably be needed. Personally I am unconvinced by Mannone whilst Martinez is too raw, too inexperienced. Right back seems well-stocked with Coquelin and Jenkinson able deputies for Sagna whilst on the left Gibbs and Santos are both capable defenders, both continually improving. Centrally, when fit, Arsène is spoiled for choice from his strong trio of contenders whilst in Djourou, Bartley and perhaps Miquel, he has deputies who can solve selection problems.

However, defending as a team needs to be more coherent. Too often – notably as the season drew to its close – Arsenal were undone by sloppy ceding of possession, compounded by the midfield failing to defend their lines leaving the back four exposed. Norwich for example, were able to salvage a point when the midfield dropped too deep, barely ahead of the back four and quarter of a pitch length behind the attack; you cannot be that mis-shapen if you want to challenge for a title.

Perhaps something as basic as the rope system employed by George Graham to gain defensive cohesion is needed, most likely it would be something more sophisticated. The trick for Arsenal will be to balance the need for professionalism in defence without diminishing attacking capabilities. More than anything, practice makes perfect. And practice I am sure they will.

’til Tomorrow.

Success in this country and beyond its borders has manifested in the form of clubs where Sugar Daddy investors: Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid – even Liverpool – all lifted silverware whilst the fairytale of Montepellier was the obstruction to Paris St Germain’s success. Money can’t buy you love but it can help with infatuations. Arsenal’s two billionaires do not invest in the club financially and the contrast is needling some. KSE remain silent whilst Red & White drop in the perfect PR words which like the political arena, are easy to say when you do not have power. There is nothing to prove that he would carry out the investment offered nor to be fair, is there evidence he would not.

The basis for believing him is offered as the spurious rights issue that is nothing more than a backdoor way to increase their percentage of the ownership of the club or that Alisher Usmanov is a successful businessman who knows how to make money. That conveniently ignores Kroenke’s background or interests outside of the club or that in his time of ownership, the value of the club is 50% more. OK, the last is a touch spurious since that is inflated by the premium paid by Usmanov on his recent share transactions, hardly a ringing endorsement of the American’s ownership.

We all want to see the squad strengthened, it should be every summer in order to prolong any success which is enjoyed. Arguably since the 1930s, a succession of Arsenal managers have failed to do this. The double proved to be the pinnacle and the end of the trophies for that era, a procession of away defeats undermined a title challenge the season after before defeat at Wembley. George Graham never strengthened after 1989 or 1991, paying the price each time. Arsène had an evolutionary process before arguablyThe Invincibles broke up too quickly. The youth programme is bringing results through with a balance being struck between that and experience now. That looks to be correct in terms of the squad structure and continues going forward.

But if you compare now to the turn of the century, Arsenal spent on quality players as the squads evolved; 1997 to 2004 had a core of players who straddled the periods through 2000 and the four years beyond. It allowed a seamless transition that was not possible for a number of seasons whilst the new stadium was financed. Now through that phase of the club’s history, the spending has begun again not that you would believe it. Too often the net transfer income is criticised as being parsimony. There is no doubt that the club has been prey to that but in those instances, we look at one player. Would for example, Juan Mata’s signature last season have delivered more than third place? You cannot conclusively say that this is the case and to be brutally honest, I doubt it would have made a difference.

With all of these instances, hindsight applies. The logic is that contracts were too readily available, too easily and generously given to players who have not made the grade at the club. This is to ignore that the bulk of the beneficiaries in 2007-08 were realistic title challengers until close to the season’s end. Little wonder that the manager invested in them, believing that they could make the next step. This process is just a different angle to buying in players on a frequent basis. Manchester City are champions this season because compared to the other teams yet arguably they are weak champions, only having their medals because Manchester United lost their bottle when they needed it most.

Neither path offers guarantees of success and unless either of the billionaire investors is guaranteeing the club’s future by sustained and repetitive investment, it will never be the Arsenal way. Spurs habitually spend more than Arsenal but where is their return? Aston Villa spend heavily periodically; we can all find examples to support our agendas.

It may be that we argue over the club but it is a wider contextual issue in football; the heart and the soul of the game is at stake. Money has taken over and it is not going to be about producing talent but buying it. That is manifestly different from the past; heavy investment in the 1970s did not preclude teams such as Ipswich or Forest who were compiled relatively cheaply, from challenging. That opportunity is not dead but like football radically reshaped, the definition of cheaply now probably aimed at Arsenal’s level of spend. But it is all relative to their time. The spend last summer was substantial compared to previous years, relatively speaking. That sense of perspective seems to be ignored or lost entirely.

’til Tomorrow.

Come back Sergei, Arsenal is this way

I could start by explaining how I became an Arsenal fan. But it does not really matter how you come to love the club. All that really matter is that you do.

In the past it was a simple matter, you supported your local club, your hometown team. If you lived in a large city you might get the choice of teams which may include some teams in the top division. But in reality your choice would have been made before you were even born. Your team was your father’s team, as it was his father’s. Generations lived in the same catchment area and supported the same team.

But things have changed dramatically in the Premiership era. There are many contributing factors like mobility of labour, the breakup of local communities. But more so it was the arrival of saturation coverage compliments of Sky, which changed the landscape. All of a sudden it was possible to follow a team from afar. You could watch a team and become attached, without ever seeing a live game; without visiting the area where the team is based; without even visiting the country where they play.

Now the old fans, the local fans, they were born into the club, like being born into a family. They were, and indeed are, stuck with the hand they were dealt, like it or not. Of course this fan was fairly happy no matter what his team achieved, because unless you live within walking distance of say, Anfield, your expectations were fixed around the level your local club had always been in the habit of delivering. Usually, not a lot. This was normal, you went to watch with your mates and just enjoyed the football and the camaraderie.

New fans have chosen their team. Fallen in love with it, sort of married it. But although you may be deeply passionate about your chosen “remote” club, it throws up some previously unknown problems. Likely, most new fans were attracted to their new remote club because it was achieving a high level of success. If the club becomes less successful, then the new fan might feel a sense of disappointment. They likely expected the success to continue and feel a sense of entitlement because they bought into the success. And they want it back. Pronto.

So now they are frustrated. What can they do? It is a bit late to change club, they are fans now, in love, in a committed relationship. They can’t go to the pub and have a moan up, because no one cares about their team, or at least very few do.

OK, here is my point now.

So there I am in Blackburn and I want to talk football but who do I talk too? I don’t know one other person in the area who supports Arsenal. None of my real life friends could care less. All I have is myself. And that is company I have never liked.

So I go on-line.

I start reading some blogs and choose to comment on the ones whose tone most suits my mood and opinions. I start putting the club to rights. Then I came across “A Cultured Left Foot” . Jackpot. A whole load of people who seem to have the same values as me.

Start posting. More posting. Endless posting it must seem to many. Then something wonderful happens. People start talking back. Some agreeing, some not so much, but relationships are being formed. Friends are being made and some adversaries too.

But I now have “mates” to banter with. To take the mickey out of ,or be taken the mickey of by. There are people to educate my on the history of the club, there are many who know much more about the game than me to help me understand the dynamics of the team, tactics and formations. And those who are so passionate that I am infected by it, even more than before.

Since I became a regular poster on ACLF my relationship and love for Arsenal is stronger than ever. The blog gives me what the old type fan always had. A community, friendships and an outlet for frustrations. Indeed, a feeling of involvement that was previously lacking.

So I suppose what I am saying is that in the modern world of remote fans, blogs and other social networking is a very important part of feeling part of something bigger. In our case that is The Arsenal in all its majesty.

Thanks PG. ’til Tomorrow.

As the world prepares for the Champions League final this evening, Arsenal prepare for oblivion. That is the media angle and it is becoming warmly embraced by some. Robin van Persie’s failure to sign a new deal before he departed for Euro2012 is indicative of him not returning. In itself – and because of last summer – that is the signal of implosion. Theo Walcott has not signed a new deal and is apparently upset with Arsenal for not getting into negotiations before he departed for Euro2012. Alex Song is just about to enter the last year of his contract, all the good players are going, the bad ones are staying. The sky is falling in and there is a rush to descend into the madness.

Grow a set.

van Persie’s contract talks were scheduled for this week as was his departure for the Dutch squad. That left four days for Arsenal and the Dutchman to meet and discuss the contract. The presumption seems to be that it was a simple, “I’ll sign for this and three M’vila’s”; it is not that simple and with legal teams viewing the opportunity to relieve their clients of some funds in chargeable time, as unrealistic as expecting Arsenal to have completed their transfer business by now. The season has not even finished in some countries and getting players signed now, before the Euro2012 kick-off when their clubs eye the tournament as an opportunity for transfer valuations to rise, is unrealistic.

Yet still that was expected.

As for Walcott and Song, the smell of agent planted stories and journalistic creativity wafts through, luring the unsuspecting in with its decadent scent. Theo’s upset over negotiations not beginning before Euro2012? I doubt it but if he is, tough, it is his own fault for not starting them during the season. Alex Song is about to enter the final straight of a contract? And?

Agendas are being exposed.

That so many contracts are beginning to come to run their course is unsurprising. The players we are talking about have all broken into the first team around 2005 – 2007. Negotiations happened shortly after and new contracts or extensions signed. The continual process of having a young team means that these cycles happen, as opposed to buying ready-made teams of twenty-five year old – even older players – who have the contract they sign and perhaps minor extensions until their useful footballing life to Arsenal ends. If that sounds like players are assets, in the raw basics they are numbers on a balance sheet, assets that produce a revenue stream from the club’s core activity.

It does not mean bad management.

The result of the move to a new stadium, renewing the squad via a youth system means that this is the path that the club chose to tread reaching the merry-go-round at the end of the rainbow. This cycle of constant contract negotiations is going to become very familiar each summer as the deals and the players mature. When the club do enter talks and get contracts signed, they are criticised for even doing that before the focus turns onto the size of the deal. Arsenal are taking an informed punt, banking that the youthful promise will mature into an outstanding player. It doesn’t always work.

It is a process that the club cannot always control; Cesc would not have signed a new deal if offered, neither would Nasri and van Persie, Walcott, perhaps Song, are hedging their bets as is their right, waiting for a time that is beneficial to them to talk or sign deals or leave. This lays bear the hypocrisy of football supporters with claims that the loyalty shown by Arsenal to each of them in difficult times of loss of form or injury – or both – deserve loyalty from the players. Were you or I in similar situations in our own employment, I am sure that the same ‘tugs of the heart strings’ we might feel are felt by players. I am sure that the same feeling of looking after your own interests that the players feel would be reciprocated by us in our own circumstances.

Yeah, I’m a hypocrite. I expect that loyalty to exist.

I want the season to start so that there are genuine grounds for complaint, for the moaning to at least have some substance from events on the pitch. Please Mr Platini, let Arsenal enter Euro2012.

’til Tomorrow.

Here’s why – I reckon most footballers are quite difficult to get on with. All that money at such a young age must make them feel a bit too important. And the drive that gets them to the top of their sport means their minds probably don’t work like everybody else’s.

Early on they need to decide between friends and career. As adults they uproot their families and drag them around the world with them. And that’s before we get to fidelity in relationships.

The thing about Nasri is that he’s forthright and he won’t sugarcoat it for Arsenal fans; he left because he wants to win trophies in a team in which more talented players would do the work for him, and was able achieve that at a club that has spent the last four years “building” the most expensive squad ever in English football.

Man City were always going to win the title eventually. If building a winning team is like bridging a ravine, then City have done it by filling the hole with the expensive wreckage of a succession of collapsed bridges. And sorry to get all righteous, but if you look closely at the mess you might even spot a few thousand migrant workers from India and the Philippines.

Anyway, back to our two favourite sons. Nasri like most footballers is unsentimental, disloyal and headstrong. And so is Fàbregas, but at least one is honest. While Nasri’s agent, harbouring years of bitterness since the Marseille match-fixing scandal, was waging a personal war against Arsène Wenger, Cesc was pussyfooting us with a kind of soft strike.

Because bloody hell, that chronic hamstring knack cleared itself up pretty quick. Within days of his transfer he was on the pitch for Barcelona. And since then he’s stayed fit all season, unctuously claiming his love for Arsenal, probably out of some fixation with being wanted, even by the people he stepped on.

Why am I dredging this up now? Well that is the scene that faced the manager as he planned Arsenal’s 2011-12 season. A flaky captain feigning injury to get a move, and one of the stars of the previous season, also desperate to leave, being used as a pawn in Jean-Pierre Bernès’ scheme to cause as much trouble as possible for his former rival.

They were drawn out, for different reasons, and no doubt demanded all of our administrative resources. When they were finally resolved, as late as possible, we had to get to work and find replacements with the clock ticking. Yes, it was a trolley dash, but we’d figured out the shopping list a long time before. Looking back, only Park’s dramatic hotel raid and kidnap seems like a bit of a punt.

By this point though, the club’s youngsters were stumbling through a brutal fixture list. Udinese are formidable opponents to meet in a qualification stage that in the past had given us teams like FC Twente and Celtic. No weaker for having sold their stars, Udinese are now the third-best team in Italy.

I don’t need to remind you who we had to play in the Premiership and what the score lines were in August and September. It might seem implausible to you, but we really did lose to Liverpool during those difficult weeks.

All of this – losing two important players, trying to get the newer players to integrate into the side, and facing disapproval from most quarters – has made the achievements of the manager and the team since then more impressive. No, we didn’t win a trophy, but I think Arsenal fans are a bit more realistic about the Premier League pecking order now.

When you’re in a league with Manchester United, who are the big worldwide football brand – from which they derive commercial revenue the likes of which the sport has never seen; or when you’re battling Chelsea and Manchester City, who have spent the GDP of developing nations in recent years; it pays to take a little perspective.

And I’m no prophet of the past. I knew the team would improve, but in October I was worried where we were going to end up. I think everybody was. Every time Wenger faced the press he was asked if he was going to resign. At one point they were wondering if he was worried about relegation. He had to cope with all that and keep the team focused on fighting its way back up the table.

Arsenal fans recognised that the situation was grave, and also responded. Whenever I was at the ground last season it felt like everyone was digging in together. In 2011-12 the stadium felt more like home than ever, to me at least.

In the end the turnaround was pretty quick. We were near the top by Christmas, but after that the injuries began to bite. We had to cope without our full-backs and their replacements for three months. Football boffins like Jonathan Wilson have banged on about how important wide defenders are, but I never took them too seriously until we had none.

I’m not sure, but I think in a spending league we sit around fourth or perhaps fifth in the table behind Liverpool. Our wages are higher than Tottenham’s but for Arsenal players, European football isn’t an aspiration; it’s home. We don’t well up when we hear the Champions League theme before matches; for us it’s just the ambient noise on another midweek evening. And it’s been like this for 15 years straight.

So to wrap up, I don’t think footballers would make great friends, but this season more than any other rammed home the fact that in spite of all appearances they are actually human beings. And there isn’t a football fan around who wouldn’t like to see guys like Abidal, Muamba and Petrov playing the game they love again as soon as possible.

No, not the Greeks trying to bluff their way out of oblivion but Arsenal’s attempts to persuade Robin van Persie to sign a new contract. The self-imposed deadline of Arsène is unlikely to be met and the European Championships will get underway with the Dutchman’s future no surer than it was on Monday. Or at least that is how the public perceive the situation. With neither side issuing a formal statement, we rely upon stories arising from agent briefings or those In The Know…actually, I will pass on that until the outcome is officially announced by either party. The biggest hint came with van Persie giving Arsène a copy of Signed, Sealed, Delivered complete with Stevie Wonder’s signature, as he was leaving.

Announcing something publicly about the talks yesterday would have been a good strategy for Arsenal with Liverpool’s sacking of Kenny Dalglish outshining Roy Hodgson’s Euro2012 announcement. The sacking was as surprising as expected; Liverpool have been abject this season, despite reaching two Wembley finals. Dalglish played on the Carling Cup victory as getting the club back to winning ways. The tradition of the trophy ending managerial careers continued with Mourinho, Ramos, McLeish and now Dalglish all changing employment at the end of those winning seasons.

Until it was pointed out yesterday, I had not paid any attention to it but it explains why some Arsenal supporters are still upset about last season’s defeat to Birmingham City. I also recalled fleetingly that the same fate befell Alfredo di Stefano three weeks after his Valencia side had won the European Cup Winners Cup at Arsenal’s expense in 1980; trophies are no guarantee of future employment prospects.

Which brings us to Roy Hodgson’s squad. I cannot fathom the exclusion of Rio Ferdinand making so many headlines. The convenient excuse for his omission came when Sir Alex Ferguson offered the opinion that the central defender probably would not be able to sustain tournament football, even if England do exit at the first hurdle. With Wayne Rooney’s ban for two matches forcing Hodgson’s hand in terms of personnel and structure of the squad, versatile defenders were the key but more importantly, those whose fitness was not in doubt were always going to be selected first.

The main beneficiary of this is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Hodgson proved in one sentence that he paid more attention to constructing a coherent tactical strategy than any of his predecessors, using Wayne Rooney’s two-match suspension as the basis for including four wide midfielders in the squad. Previous efforts by Capello and Eriksson were always seeming to pick players who were the media favourites; as for McLaren, nobody quite seems to know what was going on in his mind. Even if you do not agree with Hodgson’s choices entirely, at least you see a man with a plan.

And what of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s inclusion? I would not have picked him personally, I think it is too soon in his career despite his excellent performances for the club and country at junior level. I would not have picked Wellbeck, Carroll or Downing; he was arrested for assault earlier this year but not charged; another thing he could not hit. Oxlade-Chamberlain has more chance of participating in matches than Walcott had in 2006, the folly of his inclusion less obvious than TJs. It is good experience and should England make the World Cup finals in 2014, this trip will stand him in good stead.

Funnily enough, the player most threatened by his inclusion is Walcott. The two offer interesting contrasts in their width, Oxlade-Chamberlain more direct in his approach to the by-line and in my opinion, more accurate in his delivery which if Carroll is on the pitch will be key. It offers more interest in the tournament and is quite exciting in some ways; unexpectedly so from Hodgson! The other plus is that Oxlade-Chamberlain is no longer eligible for TeamGB. And anything that annoys Stuart Pearce can’t be all bad, can it.

’til Tomorrow.