My Vision

So when Arsène spoke about his new contract for the first time he was asked about the summer and he went off on one a little about the importance of adding to the squad in June - July. Ok maybe not going off on one but for Arsène to give that much away without much prompting it made me think he has a plan. But that is not it, Ivan Gazidis was recently talking to fans at one of those fans cosy chit chatting sessions and he spoke about Arsenal being in deep conversations with clubs at the moment and I'm pretty sure he said something off record about 'a big one'  I don't think he was talking about Oliver Giroud in the showers either.

I did want to talk about Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Although he picked up an injury which will see him out of action for a few weeks, Roy Hodgson wants to keep Chambo in the squad and not replace him with one of his standby players who would be ready from the off. It's got to be incredibly frustrating for Alex to find his groove and then suffer a set back, battle his way back and bang, it happens again. It's been that way since his excellent pre season and start to the campaign only to get crocked in the first game of the season against Villa. 

It feels like those wanting Cesc back are thinking emotionally rather than anything else. I count myself in that to a point. Not that I think it is vital to have him back in our team but because the idea of him wearing the blue of Chelsea is enough to make me sick. But that is from an emotional point of view, a point of view that the manager has to avoid when makinhg decisions. Without question Cesc Fabregas makes Chelsea or Arsenal a better team, but £30m plus his wages for a 27 year old central attacking midfielder makes no sense for Arsenal. Well unless we have a bottomless pit and if giving

The last time Arsène Wenger was able to compete financially with those around him he built arguably our greatest ever football team. Today there is more competition, there are more clubs with greater spending power than us but for the first time in a while we are able to keep the players we want to keep. Arsène has tied down 99% of his players to long term deals, they are all pulling in the same direction and it would have seemed just wrong for Arsène Wenger to drag the club to this stage to then hand over the reigns to another manager. That is my opinion and I am guessing that if you often find yourself saying any of the following then you do not agree.

Do you remember when that Norwich City player re-broke Bacary Sagna's leg towards the end of a few seasons ago? Well Bac was not ready for the new season and Jenkinson had what I assume is his biggest stretch of games in the first team. He was one of our best defenders during that period. I think it was Steve Bould's first few games as assistant manager and that was when he was involved with the back four, working on the team's shape and body positions etc. I distinctly remember thinking that Sagna should not be walking back into the team given Carl's performances. Ironically that was Sagna's worst season in an Arsenal shirt if I have my dates correct.

Since then I have felt the adrenaline rush when Bergkamp fired a long range strike to send us into the UEFA cup in 95 or 96, I must have fell down four rows in the northbank and injured myself in the process but not feeling a thing until afterwards. I enjoyed watching Alan Smith flick the ball onto the racing Ian Wright to dink past Chris Woods in the FA cup final on my first visit to Wembley. In the replay I got told off for making too much noise when Andy Linighan powered in the winning header late in the game. A more recent memory that seems to stand out for me was Robert Pires' goal at Aston Villa when he lobbed Peter Schmeichel. It stands out for me because I leapt up in a pub in Walthamstow and knocked over a table which had a number of pints on from people I didn't know yet I

However I am wise enough not pay too much attention from a Tottenham supporter. However we faltered at the end and whatever the reasons were for the faltering you'd be a very difficult Gooner to please if you thought our league season was not an improvement on the season before. Seven points from top spot is a vast improvement on the sixteen the year previous. While the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea can play their own version of the what if game, at least we have been invited to the table. We were never anywhere near a title race last season and certainly did not win the FA cup.

But I can't shake off the feeling that I am more worried about losing than I am winning if that makes sense. Don't get me wrong, I want us to win the FA cup, I want the players to taste a part of success because as you may or may not know, it's been a while since we have. I will be in full celebration mode if Mikel Arteta manages to end the day lifting that cup above his head.

The big news which isn't really news because not a great deal has changed but Arsène has given his clearest indication that he will sign that new contract with us for a further two years which I am pleased about I must say. What I believe we need is stability and continuity. We will already have to make a few changes to the squad given that the likes of Sagna, Vermaelen and Fabianski are more than likely off so the idea of a new manager, possible changes to back room staff at this stage seems like too much work in such a short space of time. A few people have suggested that Arsène could call it a day if we do not beat Hull City in the final of the FA Cup. That it will be time to hand the reigns to someone else. That it will be time for a new approach.