[Cue ‘Whole Lotta Love’ by Led Zeppelin]

Morning Pop Pickers, Arsene ‘Fluff’ Wenger here, it’s time to see who Top of the Transfer Pops this morning. In at Number Five is Yoann Gorcuff from AC Milan with nothing more tenuous than a supposed previous interest in the player to boost his rankings. One higher is Lillian Thuram from Barcelona, an ageing central defender, the rationale for signing him can only be to buy time to allow Senderos, Djourou, Nortveidt or Song time to develop. At number three, replacing Mathieu Flamini is Miguel Veloso, an even more rank outside than Thuram to make it to the top on the basis that it would cost around £24m to sign him. Hot on the heels of the Number One slot is Diego from Werder Bremen, replacing the as-of-yet undeparted Alexander Hleb. Shooting straight in at the top of charts from out of the left field is Samir Nasri and this one could stay there and run for weeks yet. A good ‘un? Not ‘arf! Now let’s go to Wembley for Aretha and Otis belting out ‘Respect’ to keep ‘Appy ‘Arry smiling.

[‘Whole Lotta Love’ fades out]

Arsene moved to quell expectations about incoming players,

I think a huge player is better than a huge name. You have huge names who produce very little at the moment. There is plenty of demand from players who want to join us and what we need next year is two or three maybe. We just need talent

Whether he was referring to any of his own players in an oblique way, I am not sure. It is of course, ability that counts but for supporters (or some at least) that is not the primary motivation of transfers. A growing trend in football now is to want big names. English football is held as the bastion of the world’s best but is that necessarily true? There are a number of good players from overseas yet how many true greats play in this country. Less than half-a-dozen although that is a debate for another day, as my own view is that an awful lot of players we are told are going to remembered for years to come will be forgotten like yesterday’s chip papers, media hype overstating their abilities.

Mathieu Flamini has spoken in this morning’s Sun about his decision to leave Arsenal, launching a vigorous defence of his move,

Those who say I left for money should think that I signed as a twenty year old and I left with the same salary I had when I came to Arsenal. If money was the reason I played for Arsenal, they why did I play for four years with the same contract?

Well, Matt, principally because the club did not offer you a new one until this season because you had not earned a regular first team spot. That he earned one in his last season is a quirk of fate; had Gilberto been available from the off, I do wonder if Flamini would have been given his chance but that is if’s, but’s and maybe’s. He did get his chance and took it spectacularly well. However please do not insult us by claiming money had nothing to do with your decision.

It might not have been the principal reason because there are some things that he said which drive home a somewhat unpalatable message for the club and supporters. Arsenal is a big club in England yet their reputation in Europe is not the same. It is a simple fact. No Champions League win; one Cup Winners Cup and a Fairs Cup. Lost finals in all three competitions. Nothing that compares with the clubs that have the biggest reputations, the ones to whom we supposedly always lose our ‘stars’ to.

Flamini rams that home,

It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world – with millions of fans everywhere, an enormous history and one of the biggest trophy cabinets in the world. Milan are in the Champions League final every couple of years. Arsenal are a big club too and they have ambition

The problem Flamini has is that past performance is no guarantee of the future. Whilst Milan have enjoyed a ‘purple patch’ of three Champions League finals in the past five years, it had been a decade prior since their last similar run and before that a good fifteen years. However, the perception as Flamini sees it remains. And that is what Arsenal have to battle against. The only way to do that is to win Old Big Ears and consistently reach the last four. Only then will the perception of the club change.

When it comes to contracts, Arsenal are perceived as parsimonious by comparison to the rest of the ‘G14’ but have moved to quash that with negotiations ongoing Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna. Both players thoroughly merit any rewards. Reports suggest that a new deal is being offered to Cesc Fabregas as well although I seem to recall that we have been to this place already this season with false stories about a similar deal.

Unrest is an early theme of the close season which has yet to really get going. Flamini and Hleb featured regularly now Kolo Toure has reportedly become dissatisfied at playing right back, his desire to re-establish himself in the heart of the defence being undermined supposedly by the desire of the manager to give Alex Song some experience.

Arsene was suitably impressed by Song during his half-a-dozen or so games at the tail-end of the season,

I believe he is a remarkable player and I was one of the very, very few who believed in Alexandre Song. You will see in one or two years that he will be a great player for Arsenal. When I put a player somewhere, I know why I do. If I play Song at centre back it is because I believe he will be a great centre back for Arsenal Football Club. In Song’s case, he can play in central midfield. But can he play 60 games there? I am not convinced

To me that is the most interesting observation on Song. Arsene clearly sees his future in defence which is contrary to the form he displayed in the African Cup of Nations where performed well enough in central midfield to be chosen for the team of the tournament. The move backwards is reminiscent of the transition made by Frank McLintock. If he becomes anywhere near as good as the former Arsenal captain, Song will indeed be remembered as an Arsenal Great.

Best of luck to Cardiff this afternoon. Not simply because they are the underdog but more because I am sick of Arsenal being the answer to an unwanted pub quiz question. Will it be ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T’ or ‘What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted’? Hopefully it will be a damn sight better game than last years.

Finally, thanks for the kind words in yesterday’s comments. It is good to know people enjoy contributing to the blog.

‘til Tomorrow.

A busy day on the rumour front; a quiet one on action so the usual post-season fare then. Let’s get the trivia out of the way before wading knee-deep into the substance (nothing illegal of course). Coming in, if the players had their way, would be David Villa, erstwhile depositor of the ball into La Liga nets in a struggling Valencia side. Cesc would like him to join Arsenal but obviously not if he makes a return to the Catalan capital which apparently is on the cards with Carles Puyol nipping onto the first Easyjet flight out of El Prats. In the convoluted rumour-mongering world of the close season, it all fits neatly with the supposed signing of Marco Materazzi by Pep Guardiola. The fly in that ointment comes with the obvious reluctance of Arsene to lose a player whom he describes as having the potential to be the best midfielder the world has ever seen. Oh, and no-one has asked Barcelona or Puyol about this one. We are not in the maket for Florent Malouda according to his agent but Mr20% and Wenger did meet about something else. Who knows what that was about. We don’t because Mr20% is not telling.

Arsene has defended Emmanuel Eboue, arguing that those who criticise the player are not recognising his overall contribution to the team, in terms of the defensive balance he brings. Comparing him to the Romford Pele,

Ray Parlour did not score many goals on the right side of midfield. You look at the numbers and you will be surprised but for me he was a great player for Arsenal Football Club

There are some similarities between the two players but not in that respect but that they both succeeded popular and attacking players in the team - Parlour followed David Rocastle, Eboue, Ljungberg - and had obvious limitations in that respect. Neither Parlour nor Eboue were thought to be up to the task yet Parlour proved those early critics wrong but it took years to do so. The Ginger One had his best years under Wenger, no-one in the Graham years would have put him down to score a hattrick in an Arsenal shirt.

For Eboue, his limitations are more acute given the skilful nature of those players around him. It was his first season in the right midfield slot and the learning curve was steep. Had he kept his head down and been trying his heart out, he might have been given more time and patience. However, in this statistics-obsessed football age, he provided no goals and one assist which has been quickly seized upon whilst the theatrics have worn thin with many.

To be honest, I am undecided as to whether he will cut the mustard in that position. His forays from the right back position seemed to suggest he had the attributes to do so and they need to come to the fore if he is to retain his place on a regular basis, rather than for tricky away matches. It is this aspect where Wenger has an important role to play. If he puts Walcott in for example, Eboue cannot develop yet Arsene has to ensure that the team wins matches and does that allow him the time and space to continue with Eboue? Walcott is not the only option in that position with van Persie playing there for the Dutch in the past albeit in a 4-3-3 formation as a more advance right-sided attacker whilst the now operated on Tomas Rosicky is another option

Another player who is maligned, in recent months anyway, is William Gallas. His defence has been leapt to by the imposing figure of Patrick Vieira who believes the player will suffer if stripped of the captaincy.

I think it has been difficult for him. I have been talking to him and he has been hurt by the criticism he has received. He is a really strong player who is committed to the club. He wants to prove that he deserves to be Arsenal captain, I know he wants to be a successful captain at Arsenal, and he will do everything he can. He is a really emotional person sometimes. He expresses his feelings and that is why he is so popular on the French national team

I do not think anyone has ever doubted his commitment to the team, more his emotional stability and the perception that you have to be in total control to lead a team. That is not necessarily so, managers regularly prove that the strain is getting to them with apparently irrational outbursts and I do not recall reading the same sustained lambasting of Rio Ferdinand for kicking a wall and stewardess at Stamford Bridge recently. That was over and done with in a matter of days. Obviously winning the title has put that one to bed quickly but to pin Arsenal’s failure to take that trophy on one incident at St. Andrews is clutching at straws.

I think he is a leader of the team. He has experience. I think he has the full support of the players. It would have a bad effect on him (if he lost the captaincy) and everybody else in the team as well. If you had the captaincy taken off you after a year it would be difficult psychologically to start the next season not as captain. He might think about what he did wrong and think that he lost the manager and the players’ trust. It would be a big blow for him and for the club and players

That is the crux of the matter for Arsene, the psychological impact of a change of captaincy. Were it to happen then there is little doubt in my mind that Gallas would be not as effective in the centre. If Arsene signs a centre half of experience, it might be that there is some substance to a change in captaincy although despite Le Boss’s claims that the issue is not decided, I expect Gallas will be leading the team next season.

Little snippets of the future emerged yesterday with Gael Clichy close to extending his contract and wanting to stay beyond its expiry in 2012 are unusual in a young player. Interestingly, he claims Wenger will be at the club for that period of time but on what this is based, we do not know. Has Arsene said that? Who knows if the club will still be in the same hands at that point either with PHW claiming that Kroenke is the right ’sort’ now to own it.

The way is being prepared for Carlos Vela to finally join the club on a permanent basis with the application for his work permit being submitted according to the official website. Arsene indicated that he is not planning on putting the youngster into the team on the left, seeing him more as a goal poacher in the Eduardo mode. He said,

Which makes you wonder if there is any intention of buying another forward as this brings the number of ‘fit’ forwards in the squad back up to four. That only two of them are what you would call experienced is of concern but like Bendtner, Vela has proven he can score at international level so all that remains is to see how he handles the Premier League. I hope he is given time by supporters. There has been so much hype surrounding him that I have a nagging doubt as to whether this will happen, a failure to score a hattrick in every appearance will no doubt be used as proof that he will not make it in England. The arguments will rage even if he scores thirty goals next season, more effort concentrated on those that he might have scored…

’til Tomorrow.

Arsene has been busy in the transfer market according to the media without actually signing anyone but never let that stop a journalist from conjuring up a half-baked story. It is not as if they were new ones either, Obafami Martins from Newcastle (but he is not leaving said Kevin Keegan en route to the Blaydon Races) and Yaya Toure from Barcelona perhaps before Guardiola takes over, maybe not ever. The former was heavily touted as Henry’s replacement - if he was not considered right for the job then why now? - whilst the latter has been arriving at the club for about the last three years, linked by blood with either sibling pushing the case for Arsene signing Yaya at any given point in respective transfer windows.

Taking both players, Toure seems a more natural fit into the current set-up than Martins. There is to my mind a more urgent need for a defensive midfielder who has an awareness of the responsibilities of playing for a big club. Whilst Martins knows the English game, he would not be my first choice as a striker if Arsene were to buy a player in that position who is currently plying his trade here. My preferred option would be Santa Cruz at Blackburn on the basis that he seems to be a more intelligent player. That observaton may be wrong and unfair to Martins. However, the biggest drawback is the suggestion that he is a scorer of spectacular goals rather than having a spectacular scoring record.

Aha, big fella, you cry; how does Arsene afford this? How about one Toure = a Hleb plus £2.5m and a Martins is £8m. Net spend is £5.5m leaving room for a Ben Arfa and a Dunne if that takes your fancy although unbelievably he is now linked with West Ham at £6m. Or one Toure = a Hleb plus £2.5m with Santa Cruz in at a starter for £10m, leaving room in a £25m budget for a Ben Arfa. Throw in a Senderos to Blackburn at £2.5m and there is still a decent sum to buy you a foreign centre-back. Increase Arsene’s pocket money by £10m and there is enough change for a Richards and a bag of Humbugs, which is perhaps an apt place to leave the suggestion that I am getting the hang of this transfer rumour malarkey.

Recent news has not seemed to be positive as Arsene noted a couple of days ago. Since last Friday though Emmanuel Adebayor has been forthright in commiting his immediate future to the club, once more repeating his denials of wanting a move. Well, wanting a move right now. Football has moved well away from the previous culture of players staying at one club for more than three to five years. That is not to say that all players seek a move every couple of seasons, the vast majority do not but the footballing workplace is becoming more akin to ‘normal’ working life amongst that age group where progression is sought albeit at a heightened and more mercenary rate.

Patrick Vieira has come in for some criticism over his comments about the perils of the squad disbanding. Whether the former Arsenal captain should have said those things is a matter of personal opinion. I do not see anything wrong in him voicing them, he has played for the club and understands the pressures that the frankly absurd quantities of money offered by other clubs bring. Heightened feelings at this moment in time given the departure of Flamini and the uncertainty over Alexander Hleb’s future are making supporters more sensitive to criticism. If people stood back for one second and ignored the headline grabbing sentences, they would see that what Vieira is saying is no different from any of the rest of us,

If they start losing players like that it could be a worrying time for Arsenal. I think it is important for the team to stay together. They would benefit from staying together and playing together for longer. They are a young team and they must stay together if they are to be better than last season. I think they need experience - one or more players. They lost crucial games this season, maybe down to a lack of experience among the players. I don’t believe Arsene Wenger should buy stars. I think the way they are is fantastic. Maybe they need one or two players that have experience at the key moments.

Indeed, he is more in line with Arsene’s thinking than some of the speculation at the moment. Stars are fine and dandy but not necessarily the solution; experience is the key as well as continuing to build for the future. The money that Arsenal can offer is not as much as the bigger clubs but recent financial decisions preclude that. How long the ’straitjacket’ is kept on for remains to be seen. Prize money can make a difference but as Robin van Persie observed, winning and winning in style counts for a lot. If trophies follow that can to a certain extent offset any financial shortfall for a player. Arsene’s methodology has given the club a foundation upon which a successful future can be built. The season just ended has shown that hope is not misplaced; delivery in the short-term is now equally as important to ensure the longer term.

Off the pitch, Stan Kroenke is being used to buttress the board against Alisher Usmanov even if there is too much emphasis being placed upon signing a marketing agreement, a totally different kettle of fish to a non-sale agreement. Whilst it is an indication of Kroenke’s commerical confidence in his enterprises and their relationship with Arsenal, he will be pragmatic and if a buyer came in for the club with a plan that suited him, he might not be so supportive of the current board. Oh and there is ‘transfer’ speculation about whether it will be the Brady Bunch or Harrods who occupy Edelman’s seat in the boardroom next season.

And as we have come full circle with speculation topping and tailing the middle bit, it seems a fine time to draw a line under today’s post. I’m off to see The Charlatans tonight so enjoy your day because I am going to enjoy mine. ’til Tomorrow.

Arsene and RvP have had a bit of a love-in, each admiring the other’s handiwork. van Persie kicked it all off,

I am 100 per cent convinced we will soon win big trophies. When that happens, I know the whole world will be behind us. It will be a lasting memory if we win it with our style of play. Should we put all our philosophy and vision on the way Arsenal play overboard because of one lousy penalty? I do not think so

Arsene responded in kind,

You always hope that next season Robin will have an injury-free season. He has so much talent so I am very keen to keep him, I trust him and I hope that he will get rid of his injuries. It’s simple. For me, Robin van Persie is world class, top, top class

At a time when the ship is seen to be rocking due to media and agent-inspired choppy waters, RvP’s belief is a decent statement to make. Given the willingness of Dutch footballers to offer their opinions on anything at all, if he was dissatisfied I do not think he would have made those comments. The key thing is that whilst not stopping the media insistence that the club is falling apart at the seams, RvP offers a different perspective, a sign that some at least are happy. Arsene touched on this when stating that he felt that it would be ‘criminal’ if the players did not build upon the foundations that they have laid this season.

This is more than can be said for Alexander Hleb. He will not be invoking Article 17 to leave the club because, according to his agent, the player is a ‘gentleman who would not stoop that low‘ which means his motor mouth of an agent has done the sums and it is not financially viable for his client to do so. Apparently, Alexander does not like living in London because it is too busy so he wants the quieter village life of Milan or Barcelona, to whom his Mr20% is trying - and by the end of the month I have a feeling that this guy is going to become very trying indeed - to engineer a move. Showing all of the modesty that one expects of an agent, Nikolai Shpilevski said,

I can confirm that some the world’s biggest clubs are interested in him. They should hold talks with Arsenal

Hleb though has not endorsed the comments of his agent but has not sacked him nor put him in his place. Therefore you have to assume that he gives his tacit approval to such utterances. Hleb said,

I will not be making statements on this and stirring it up further

He did confirm he is not happy in London but his comments seem to suggest that he will not be happy in any city that is not called Stuttgart or in Belarus,

I am not a big city man; I need my retreat - that is why I am often in Germany. Stuttgart is my second home, my friends are there and it is where I feel most comfortable

This is fast becoming a right royal pain in the Arsenal. It is time for Arsene to turn around and say that if Hleb wants a move, he must submit a written transfer request that will be considered. However, the player will not do that because he will lose out on bonuses and what remains to be paid of his signing-on fee, as is standard practice in footballer’s contracts. That being the case, the club should put a fee of £20m on his head and tell him that he is staying put unless that valuation is made. In other words, force his hand instead of allowing players to dictate moves and walk away with undeserved rewards.

The other issue for Arsene to bear in mind is whether it is worth keeping a player who is unhappy with his lot. When the key matches come along, you need your players to be fully focussed on them rather than be dreaming of sunnier climes. The time might be right in that respect to cash in and buy someone who is fully committed to the cause and full of enthusiasm rather than have someone with a longer face than Red Rum around the place.

The Observer sports section at the weekend asked a supporter from each club - presumably their weekly panel but I am not sure about that so I may be doing these individuals either a (dis)service. The questions were fairly run-of-the-mill but threw out some curious answers. In response to the request to name the top five best opposition players, those from Arsenal garnered the following votes:

Adebayor 7, Bendtner 1, Diaby 1, Fabregas 6, Hleb 4

Bendtner is explained by the fact that the Birmingham City respondent must still hold fond memories of him; there can be no other explanation. But Diaby? God alone knows what the Blackburn fan was thinking of. Alex Song I could have understood following his display in the Carling Cup at Ewood Park; a tongue-in-cheek answer might have been Jens Lehmann. A hell of a lot of technically gifted individuals must have endured bad days when facing the Blackeye Boys.

Surprisingly though neither Clichy nor Sagna procured any votes. The fullback slots in the ‘Fans Team Of The Season’ were occupied by Jagielka and Lescott of Everton. The latter you can understand considering he got around ten goals this season; that sort of return sticks in your mind for a fullback.

Oh and to the Derby fan who thought that Arsenal supporters sat in sulky silence when you equalised in the recent 6 - 1 drubbing at Pride Park. Of course there was disquiet; nobody could quite believe that the worst team in the history of top-flight football had managed to score against us.

There was one scoop that the Observer let pass but it might shed some light on the recent rumour of a Mancunian raid being along the right lines. According to the Villa fan, Patrice Evra of Arsenal was one of his top five opponents…Onto to the transfer gossip of the day - for it is that time of year. The media are still trying to flog the horse of David Villa to Arsenal, a horse that is so dead it makes Shergar look positively sprightly - what is it with dead horses today? Very bizarre as I was not glue-sniffing last night nor did I watch The Godfather! Richard Dunne’s apparent liking for London may well see him move to Arsenal ahead of the delights of the Bigg Market and Ivorian currently at Le Mans by way of Beveren (Sound familiar? Where is Merion Jones when you need him?). Of those mentioned, you would not find any displeasure on my part about signing Villa or Silva of Valencia; both are players of sufficient quality that they would enhance the team although I have a small, nagging voice at the back of my mind shouting, “Reyes! Reyes!“. As for Dunne, I am unconvinced he is an improvement on the current squad. He has had a good season for City this time around but does that mean he warrants Arsene’s close attentions? I still remember the error-prone player of a couple of seasons back which casts doubts. He has improved since then of course but this is no sure sign that he is the quality that we desire. Certainly, I would question whether his distribution is good enough for our first team.

More transfer rumours I am sure will seep out of the woodwork today of that you can be sure. ’til Tomorrow.

In last weekend’s Mail on Sunday supplement, there was an interesting article on life at Wigan and their existence. Equally, there was an uninteresting ego-fest asking the question about what life would be like if men suffered from PMT. They do actually although the author of the piece in question failed to come up with the correct answer which is that they go to the web and scweam and scweam and scweam until they are allowed to list all of the players that they want Arsene to sign irrespective of the money it would cost. Everyone is spending big so why aren’t we, so the argument goes. We will never compete until we do, the punchline.

Their prayers may get some sort of answer in the next few weeks if Arsene has his way although the stature of the players coming is unlikely to be satisfactory in their eyes. Wenger said that he hopes to make a signing by the end of the month,

I know what I want and I am very confident. I hope to turn that around in the next two or three weeks. But the fans should be re-assured by what they see. It would be better to buy someone who has played in England because they are less risky. But it costs more money if they are from the Premier League, so maybe I will try to do both

So there you go. The media have already linked the club with Hatem Ben Arfa - perhaps the one from abroad but maybe not because depending on which outlet you believe, the player has signed, is coy about whether or not he has signed, or is not thinking about his future until after the Coupe de France final in a week or so’s time. Maybe it is Gareth Barry but unlikely because Martin O’Neill has not gone to the media to bleat about a derisory offer although the Arsenal way of conducting transfers is to not conduct negotiations through the media so perhaps not.

But wait, maybe Gareth Barry is not the one to be signed. It could Niko from Portsmouth, Jean from Lille, Mario from Germany, Seydou from Seville, Raul from Valencia, Yaya from Barcelona or Eric from Mars. Keeping track of who Arsene is supposed to be interested in is a full-time business.

One player who seems to want to stay even though as a World Cup winner he might have expected to play more often, is Gilberto Silva who has again re-iterated his desire to stay. For Arsene, this is a thorny issue. Had Mathieu Flamini not left for the lucre of Milan, I have no doubt that the Brazilian would have been told he could leave for a reasonable fee this summer. The question for Arsene now is whether or not to hold onto Gilberto for one more season and let him depart on a free transfer once the manager has had time to refocus on the midfield? Personally, I would keep the player who seems willing to stay and is understanding of the circumstances, publicly at least. The key thing though is to keep him match fit. Understandably rusty during his limited starts this season, Arsene must involve him in some key matches early on, perhaps the CL Qualifier away leg and may be some of the Group Stage ties assuming Arsenal progress that far, of course.

Theo Walcott has been tasked by Arsene with being a regular starter next season. It presents the youngster with opportunity to unseat Emmanuel Eboue on the right, I suspect, with the possibility of moving inside for some matches. If Arsene is to get the best from him though, he needs to give the player stability in a positional sense which suggests that the front two for the first half of the season will predominantly be Adebayor and van Persie with Bendtner as their reserve. Eduardo is on the road to recovery with Arsene believing that mental strength is going to be his biggest challenge. Le Boss believes he will be back in November / December,

We believe medically there is no problem, he will play again, but after that how well can he deal with it? He is a tough boy so I am confident he will deal with it. We expect him to be out completely for six months but to play really at the top, top level, it will be nine months [from when he was injured]

Eduardo’s fitness is the one area where the rumour of signing Mario Gomez has big doubts cast over it. What is the point in signing another forward if there are already four players with first team experience to cover for the Croat’s absence? Unless of course, Arsene does not believe that Walcott, Adebayor, van Persie and Bendtner will score the requisite number of goals. If that is the case, then it should be a case of ‘X - you are the weakest link. Goodbye’ although Arsene, it would be greatly appreciated if you would leave out the Botox overdose should you decide that is route to follow.

Still no confirmation of Alexander Hleb chucking his ticket in. You have to assume that if it is a case of he is leaving, he and his agent are negotiating with Internazionale to pay the compensation or better still, offer Arsenal a fee because there is little doubt in my mind that the player does not have the stomach for a fight with Arsenal over being released under the provisions of Article 17, especially if the club decide to argue it out. One soon to be ex-Arsenal player looks set for life after The Emirates with Jens Lehmann reportedly signing for Stuttgart.

’til Tomorrow.

Sunderland 0 - 1 Arsenal

0 - 1 Walcott (23)

The season signs off on a winning note with Theo Walcott’s excellent finish midway through the first half being the difference between the two sides that the history books will note. In reality, the margin was wider for despite fielding a side that would not have looked out of place in the Carling Cup.

The hosts started brightly with Fabianski scrambling away Carlos Edward’s long-range effort inside the opening twenty seconds. For all of their possession, Sunderland were largely restricted to efforts from outside of the area all afternoon. Indeed, it was injury-time as the match drew toward its conclusion that the young Pole was required to make another meaningful save, stopping O’Donovan’s effort on the line.

Arsenal’s winner came from the two extremes of the club on show. In youthful surroundings, Gilberto Silva rolled back the years with an inch-perfect pass for Walcott to race onto and bury in a clinical fashion that he shows regularly at the junior international level. The Brazilian was a quietly dominant force in the midfield throughout the afternoon, going about his work in a quartet that provided decent protection to the Arsenal penalty area.

With Kolo Toure succumbing to a hamstring injury - Arsene should look at this for there must be some sort of record held by Arsenal this season for the cumulative total of this type of strain or tear - Johan Djourou slotted into the right back slot, Alex Song being partnered by Philippe Senderos in the centre in the absence of William Gallas. All of them were reasonably comfortable in the carrying out their duties although Arsene needs to look at the right side of the defence for fitting square pegs into round holes over a sustained timescale does not work. Sagna and Hoyte picking up knocks and missing long spells is a somewhat unusual situation to be in so should not be treated as the norm and a reason to claim that more strengthening is needed specifically there. If Hoyte were to leave then that would need addressing.

Post match, Arsene was upbeat,

I don’t think we have failed. When you get eighty-three points, you have the opposite feeling. I have won the championship with less. We have been remarkable; I have never had a team which consistently produced quality like this one. But we lost the one hundred metres by a fraction of a second and someone stuck their chest out in front of us at the last. That doesn’t mean we have not run a great race

It is a matter of opinion whether this season has been a failure. In brutal terms, no trophies is not successful. However, that the team for so long led the way in the Premier League race is a cause for optimism. Reducing the deficit to the Champions to four points is a significant achievement. Ordinarily, the title is won by how you perform against teams lower down the division; this time it has been the matches between the top four that have provided the difference. Of their six games, United won four and drew two. Arsenal conversely won one and drew three, losing the others.

The landscape of English football has changed. No longer is the title race between two teams, three are there and this makes it more difficult to win. The wait for one rival to slip is often not long but for two to make mistakes takes more time. Arsenal found this season that the longer the season goes, the more costly the slip.

Prior to the match, Arsene indicated that he was hopeful his summer business would be completed before the end of the month, toying with journalists that he was going to Euro2008 as a ‘football fan’. If that is correct, people will be happier with the summer months although for some, no matter how many players Arsene signs, they will not be enough or sufficiently high in stature.

More immediately, his attentions will be turned to Alexander Hleb’s future. In this morning’s Times, Martin Samuel feeds the ‘Prophets of Doom’, arguing that Wenger’s modus operandi is nearing its end in the same way that led to Wimbledon’s demise. Using Flamini and Hleb as examples, his argument suggests that players such as Adebayor and Fabregas will follow suit unless Arsene breaks the clubs wage structure.

Samuel would have received his answer had he read the papers over the weekend. The basic salaries may be lower but the bonus and incentive system operated by the club compensates for that. In winning seasons, it is higher yet they will be amply rewarded this time around. Mathieu Flamini used a smokescreen on Saturday to claim he would have stayed had the club won the title or Champions League. It is disingenuous to say the least. He is joining a club facing the very real prospect of UEFA Cup football next season, one that is so far behind their local rivals that winning the title in the next two seasons is not a realistic prospect. To claim anything that represents moving as footballing reasons does not stack up with the evidence in front of him.

As for Hleb, Samuel hits the nail squarely on the head. Without doubt, his head has been turned by the mind-boggling sums on offer elsewhere. However, considering the hard facts of his contribution to the Arsenal team (a total of goals in the Premier League that has yet to hit double figures; a shots on target tally that does not reach double figures in a season in the same competition), this observation ought to be considered very closely,

Hleb may be making a huge mistake and his uniquely ambitious style of play may never be indulged so lovingly by a manager again

Frequently, the Byelorussian is the pass before the ubiquitous ‘assist’ stat and that masks his contribution to the side. However, he needs to remember who has nurtured him through this period. You can guarantee that no other top four manager would have continued to play him with a paucity of end results. That said, I do not think he will give it a second thought. Money talks and it will be no surprise to see Alex walk.

’til Tomorrow.

Arsene rebuffed the claims by Alexander Hleb’s agent that the player was leaving. Whilst answering the question posed, Arsene was being somewhat disingenuous by claiming that no one – agent or otherwise - had contacted him about the Byelorussian. In choosing to ignore the Article 17 aspect, the journalist missed an opportunity to push Le Boss perhaps for a more definitive answer.

Wenger subsequently argued quite logically that the wage structure does not hold him back, the inference being that he cuts his cloth accordingly. That may not satisfy those who are hell-bent on replicating their Football Manager squad at Arsenal. Arsene gave no indication about his summer targets pretty much re-affirming his stance of previous seasons,

I cannot spend my whole summer answering newspaper speculation

So speculate freely they will because Arsene answered questions about whether he would have a lot on his plate about signing players, commenting that the manager’s lot was one of always being busy.

Wenger exuded confidence in the squad though, commenting,

We will have a team competitive next year to fight for the championship

One of those players, linked with moving away Emmanuel Adebayor has issued a statement calling yesterday’s reports of him moving away unless he got a big pay rise as ‘rubbish’. The player went on,

I am very happy here…I love the club and the fans…We have had a good season but next year we want to go one better

No doubt there will be those who dismiss these words along the lines of ‘talk is cheap’ but then that suits their own opinion about the man.

Bacary Sagna is on a high, his reward for the consistent season reportedly being a new contract. He is rightly satisfied with his start although that is tinged by the absence of silverware.

We had the qualities to win silverware but we managed badly some vital moments. But we learnt so much that we will be even stronger next season. We will be even hungrier for titles

The words are slightly different but you wonder if the squad sat down and worked out a strategy for the media, so similar are their utterances. It could genuinely be that they, for the most part, believe that, particularly the younger ones but do not go mentioning that too much otherwise people might start believing there is a unified squad at the club.

Off the pitch has its own issue to be dealt with. Whilst Vic Akers role with the Football Club should not be diminished, the ladies will miss him more than the men. Causing greater concern for Arsene though will be the desire of Fabio Capello to have dedicated England men around him. That Gary Lewin combines a role for club and country ought to have meant that he could continue to do so. The Italian has other idea so not only do we have a situation where the players are desired by other clubs, now the backroom staff seem destined for the same overtures.

Reports of Edelman’s chosen successor being Karen Brady although she believes that opportunity to have fallen by the wayside. Perception is king. At the moment, it seems that Arsenal is on the verge of self-destruction. Flamini seemingly followed out of the door by Hleb on the pitch; Edelman possibly by Akers and Lewin. It needs some firm leadership in media terms to take place otherwise a cyclone of negative news swirl through town and ill-will generate off of it in certain circles.

Anyway, Number One Son has his First Holy Communion today so be nice to each other, people, and enjoy your day. No doubt that there will have been more twists and turns in the Alex Hleb saga by the time you read this so be gentle with me…

’til Tomorrow.