The fans are happier because we believe the Club is showing ambition. This may result in more vocal support at The Emirates and less of the booing that has blighted recent months

If you’re a Londoner, then like me you may have been stuck at home on Monday due to the “adverse weather conditions”. Any day-off from work/school is often greeted with whoops of joy and an extra few hours of snoozing.

But not this one.

No siree Bob, for it was transfer deadline day! So instead of climbing into bed I’m sure many of you – like myself – were absolutely glued to the telly and the Interweb. I can honestly admit that I sat in front of my laptop like a complete reprobate from 6.30am to 11pm (although this was interspersed with work, food, nature calls and Eastenders).

I don’t know about you, but it had me hooked. From the moment Sky Sports showed pics of the man in a hotel in Hertfordshire, my F5 button took a battering as NewsNow and BBC Sport were consistently refreshed. And then on Tuesday as we awaited official confirmation, Arse.com was my first port of call.

Truth be told, few really knew what was going on as it all unfolded, with the “sources close to the deal” even giving contradictory information to various media outlets. The deal was on in the morning, off by midday, and on again in the late afternoon. We were told it was done. We should’ve known better. Like our season, this saga was a never-ending rollercoaster.

The longer the clock ticked past 5pm, the more anxious I became. “Surely if it’s sorted then it should be announced?” – this was the general consensus of the few Gooners I was in touch with during the day. And then came the hammer blow from some Zenit loudmouth that the deal was OFF. AGAIN. I’m not usually one to get wrapped up in transfer sagas, but this revelation left me drained.

It’s not so much what Arshavin will bring on the pitch that had made me want him so. Mean Lean has gone into detail on that in his article yesterday (complete with customary YouTube clips). Some rightly argue that we need a midfield enforcer or a beastly centre-half more. Whilst I don’t disagree with those notions, our usual creativity has certainly been lacking in recent months as we struggle to cope with the absences of the Fab Four (Cesc, Eddie, Rosicky and Theo).

It’s the off-pitch ramifications that appease me most. Although there is little doubt that his style of play fits ours to a T, were we to miss out on him at the eleventh hour (or thirteenth hour, as it so developed) then I fear there would’ve been a full-scale riot. Some of the more knee-jerk Arsenal fansites even called for a protest outside the Emirates at 6pm, only to be dimmed by weather conditions I presume. Instead, the vitriol was confined to forums and blogs, with everyone from Ivan Gazidis, Ken Friar, Peter Hill-Wood, Danny Fiszman, Lady Nina, and even Dennis Hill-Wood and Herbert Chapman coming in for abuse.

The worst of which was saved, of course, for Le Boss. It’s no secret that there is a murky atmosphere around the Club’s fanbase these days and much of it is attributed to him. In this day and age of expectations of instant success, it is often the figurehead who is left to carry the can. The reality is that Zenit were the c*nts, not us. But regardless of which party was holding up proceedings, the end result was positive. Mercifully.

So I’m glad we got him because it lifts the mood around us. Arshavin can provide a placebo effect.

The fans are happier because we believe the Club is showing ambition. This may result in more vocal support at The Emirates and less of the booing that has blighted recent months. The players too may feel the benefits of having an extra player challenging for a spot in the first XI – especially the likes of Nasri and…erm…Eboue – whilst the goalscorers will be licking their lips at the prospect of linking up with The Owl.

Tactically, where does he fit in? The man can play anywhere in the final third. With Ade struggling for form and goals, I wouldn’t mind seeing him partner Robin up-front – at least until Eddie returns. Our current dearth out wide may dictate differently. But that is a discussion for another day.

The key is not to expect too much of him this season. He has not played a competitive game since November and will certainly need to get match-fit – and this is before the customary adjustment period required in the English game.

In all likelihood he will not be a consistent performer during the remaining months of this campaign. What he is liable to conjure, however, is that single moment of magic that could be the difference between a draw and a win, between winning a trophy or nowt, and ultimately between UEFA Cup and Champions League football next season. And following on from difficult home games against Pompey, Bolton and West Ham recently, that is exactly what we need.

If we expect little, anything we get is a bonus. The rollercoaster to sign Arshavin had a happy ending. The man himself may be able to provide a happy ending to this rollercoaster of a season.