Look at the teams that have improved from last season. Tottenham for example did not lose any players, brought in good players for their standard and improved. The difference between them and us in August and September was huge, not because of the quality of player as we see today but for the continuity and momentum that they had and we had completely lost after having to rebuild the squad. Fans often say that transition is an excuse but you can see the difference an

Since yesterday I haven’t been able to get that out of my head, over and over again. If it was anything else, it would annoy the hell out of me but as we have officially ended the worst kept transfer secret (the latest worst one of course) I can make an exception. In fact I cannot wait until it is ringing around the Emirates stadium next season after he thumps in one of those left footed thunderbolts past a flailing keeper.

In so many ways it is the typical Arsene purchase. Still relatively young, quality, experienced at ridiculous value. If the rumoured valuation is correct then you can buy roughly five Lukas Podolski’s for one Fernando Torres or maybe even three and a half Lukas Podolski’s for an Andy Carroll. Even if the three Podolski’s were injured at the same time, the half Podolski would still probably score more goals.

Lukas has been a player that has been on Arsene’s wish list for some time now and it is Arsene’s way not to switch targets and wait for the players he wants. It is common knowledge that we wanted him in January but the player did not want to leave Germany before the European Championships. We could do with his goal threat right about now but I guess we have to remain patient. It is not as if we have long to go before the season is over with.

Looking at his physique, it doesn’t look as if he will need any time to adjust to that side of the game over here. If you missed yesterday’s Q&A with an FC Koln fan about Podolski’s move to Arsenal then have a read when you catch a minute but I still have questions that I am impatiently awaiting answers. Those answers can only come from the manager.

I have asked these already and I will have to bore you again with them i’m afraid. Apologies in advance.

The team turning around the season in the second half of the season started at home to Tottenham. Wenger ditched the two attacking wide forwards either side of van Persie and selected work horse Yossi Benayoun. A player who is comfortable slotting into midfield and adding another body in that area. Since that day we have reverted back to two attacking wide forwards on probably 2-3 occasions at the most. One was against Aston Villa at the Emirates, I will have a flick through later to see if it happened on any other occasions.

Lukas Podolski is not a replacement for Yossi Benayoun, if anything he is more like Theo Walcott. A wide striker who gets in behind and scores goals rather than drops inside and links the game together.

If our post Spuds mashing is our newly created template, which players fits into the rest of the puzzle? if you are to assume that van Persie and Podolski will start centrally and wide left respectively.

Will Arsene play a front line of Podolski – van Persie – Walcott in games where the opposition play five in midfield or against tough teams? especially away from the Emirates. I cannot see it and I am sure I am jumping way too far ahead here but it is an itch that I cannot scratch. I guess pre season may just scratch it for me.

Other bits of transfer speculation that will not disintegrate is that of Jan Vertonghen and Yann M’Vila. Judging by the comments from the players themselves and the fact that news outlets in England, Holland and France continue to repeat the same stories indicates that some form of negotiations could be happening.

It certainly looks as if we could be doing our business early this year and that is exactly what the manager would want with the Euro’s around the corner.

I would say that keeping our existing players is more important than recruiting new faces. When I say keeping existing players, I obviously mean the players that the manager wants to keep, the players that are in the managers plans for the short and longer term.

This probably more than anything else has been the obstacle that has prevented us from picking up silverware since 2005. Silverware is usually acquired by building and improving on what you have but since that FA cup win we have been losing key players from our squad either from departures or from injuries. It is little use buying Podolski, M’Vila and Vertonghen whilst losing van Persie, Song and Vermaelen for example.

Partnerships are broken, on field chemistry is reset and new players have to adjust and bed into a new style, country and league.

Look at the teams that have improved from last season. Tottenham for example did not lose any players, brought in good players for their standard and they improved. The difference between them and us in August and September was huge, not because of the quality of player as we see today but for the continuity and momentum that they had and we had completely lost after having to rebuild the squad. Fans often say that transition is an excuse but you can see the difference an adapting period makes compared to a gelled unit.

This is why it is vitally important to keep hold of what we need and not have to go through yet more readjustments. If we keep hold of our better players and even if we only add Lukas Podolski and Jack Wilshere to our match day squads it will make us a far better team. Wipe away the missed points due to our second pre season coming at the start of the season rather than in the actual pre season then *flips on red tinted glasses* we are set for a strong push for trophies in my ever so humble opinion.

The scary thing is that no matter how strong we find ourselves, there are clubs with larger resources than ourselves and with squads that more than double our own in value so it is always a difficult task to win trophies. Unfortunately winning trophies is not as simple as just wanting it and taking it.

Not much else to talk about today as Poldi steals the headlines but I think I shall be back with a Your Vision article at some point this evening.

’till then.

PS – Do you remember how much stick we got from the media for not having a shot on target at the Camp Nou? Just wanted to let you know that Manchester United had 0 shots last night at Manchester City.