It's that time of the year again.
The time of waiting is nearly over.
Tickets purchased for the first few games of the season already.
Away days planned to the detail.
The football season is essentally here!
It's also speculative blog season as well. So again I with the thousands and thousands of feckless idiots will attempt to put down my feelings in some rambling ranting narrative on my beloved Arsenal football club.
It's going to be a unique season for me. Ill be watching a large chunk of the first half of the season around on the other side of the world. So perhaps i will be detatched from the feelings of excitement, anger and ultimate dissapointment. I hope not.
It seems that everything that i tried to predict in my last blog hasn't exactly panned out. Whilst so far we have managed to shift some deadwood in Denilson & Jay Emmanuel Thomas. Other players who i outlined in my Last blog are still knocking about. Our inspirational captain is still very much on the radar of his hometown club and European champions Barcalona. Whilst everyone in the whole world seems to have an oponion on the issue. The likes of Xavi, Inesta, Guardiola & Wenger have had somthing to say on the issue.
But the one man at the centre of it all has been tight-lipped. According to his twitter feed he seems to be more interested in recieving blind adulation from fans in his re-tweets and posting up go-kart lap times.
It beggers belief- Would you ever see the likes of Terry, Vidic or Dawson do this? Hardly but thats down to the simple fact that the Arsenal captency is used as a devise to appease want away players.
Last captain before Cesc was Gallas & before him Henry. It's a devise used by Wenger to command loyality to the club. I think it's a floored exersise personally- you can't trick people into stay at a club, personally if Fabregas want's to leave he can go for the right money. It pains me to see him leave- but if he is set to disrupt the squad he should leave. Simple as.
Perhaps IF Febregas leaves Wenger might hand the armband to Wiltshire, Song or Vermaelen, to a leader who will really drive the team. More than likely he'll flog it to Nasri, another Arsenal star who was never to far from the back pages over the summer.
In terms of signings it's been a mixed bag. We are still in the market for a centre half & another midfielder as cover. Buying Gervinho goes some way to add some quality to our squad and early indications look good. Small,technally estute it 'looks' like a goood wenger signing- I just hope he can step up the goal tally which has been lacking from our front 4 from last season bar RVP.
So prediction time.... As of now i genuinely don't think we will strengthen if Fabregas leaves or not. Time and time again Wenger has maintained we have funds and time and time again we have been priced out of the transfer market. With Phil Jones & Juan Mata two clear examples in this seasons transfer window.
That said the increasing rise of Ramsey & Wiltshire in Midfield is a exciting prospect. Are season will be defined perhaps in 3 short games against Newcastle, Liverpool & Manchester United. We must hit the ground running. That said i think we will be battling for a champions league place with a rejuvinated Liverpool side under the leadership of King Kenny.
So thats's that i guess. I predict a 4th placed finish. Suprising really as i see myself as a glass-half full kind of Arsenal supporter. But after season after season of the same story it does get a little tedious. Either way a groundswell of discontent is building in some quarters of the Arsenal faithful.
All i know is that this year above all will be watched with great interest. Even if i am on the other side of the world.
