It started so full of hope, with the astute purchase of Chamakh being followed up by a typical Wenger signing in the form of Koscielny. Squillaci’s arrival was also a welcome one, giving the defence a necessary makeover. A ‘keeper then, and Arsenal could be counted as serious title challengers once more.

But as the time slowly moved towards the transfer deadline that goalkeeper, astonishingly, never arrived. And on that decision rests the hopes of our season once more. That final hurdle suddenly looks harder to clear.

To fall so painfully short in the transfer market once again is, in my eyes, inexcusable. Wenger clearly believed Fulham would eventually find a replacement for Mark Schwarzer and allow the Australian to join the Gunners, but the price of that gamble could prove the difference between first and third place.

Instead we must rely on Manuel Almunia, a player who must surely know that his manager no longer trusts him as his first choice, yet is forced to turn to him out of necessity. What effect does that have on a player mentally? Only the coming months will answer that question.

Of course, that’s not to say this summer has been a failure. A shake up in the defence was much needed and in Mikael Silvestre, Sol Campbell and William Gallas we have got rid of three players whose best days are far behind them. Laurent Koscielny looks to be a player who will soon adjust to the Premier League, while Sebastien Squillaci will provide experienced cover and, at 30 years old, is hardly past his peak.

As Wenger so often points out, the benefit of having such a young team is there’s a noticeable improvement in each season that passes. And the midfield will reap the rewards of such an approach this year, with Samir Nasri seeming particularly sharp and Jack Wilshere providing another option in central areas. Out wide Theo Walcott has started in sparkling form and when he’s on song his pace really can prove to be the difference.

Effectively trading Eduardo for Chamakh is a wonderful piece of business as well. I, like so many Arsenal fans, was sad to see the Croatian international move on from the Emirates but it was the right thing to do. Marouane Chamakh fits the 4-3-3 formation perfectly and his athletic and hard working approach to the game makes him becoming a fans favourite in North London a question of when rather than if.

So plenty to still be positive about then, but in failing to fix the goalkeeping problem has Wenger ensured we’ll be nearly-men yet again?

The central defender officially completed the switch from Spain this morning for an undisclosed fee thought to be in the region of £5m and the French international is delighted to be in England.

“I am very proud and very happy to be at this big club. For me it is one of the best European clubs around with a great history.

My first impressions are very positive too, I visited the training ground which is beautiful and the pitches here are great as well. I look forward to training with my team mates and I look forward to playing for Arsenal.”

Squillaci also cited Arsene Wenger as one of the main reasons behind moving to the club and is looking forward to working under the long-serving Arsenal manager.

“I don’t know [Wenger] very well personally even though I’ve met him many times during matches with the French national team.

But Arsene Wenger has a great reputation in the football world, and in the world generally really. He’s been very important for French football and he’s done very well with Arsenal as well, we all know that, and so I’ve got great respect for him. I’m very happy to work for a coach such as him.

To work with him is very important to me and so it’s a great pleasure, really, to be trained by a coach like him.

The Frenchman, who has 21 caps for his country, is well known for his no-nonsense approach to the game and he believes this will help him to adapt to the English style.

“I enjoy the duels, I think it’s one of my qualities and here in England there are many duels on the pitch and it’s good to respond in a physical way.

I’ve played in France, I’ve played in Spain for two years, I’ve played internationals and I’ve played in the Champions League, I’m 30 and I have a bit of experience as well. Now I’m going to discover a new league and I’ve played against English teams before, like Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool, so I think I know what to expect.

Because of that experience in different leagues I do have an advantage [in adapting]. That experience can only be an advantage really.”

Squillaci won’t be involved in tomorrow’s game against Blackburn due to lack of match fitness but could now make his debut for the Gunners versus Bolton Wanderers following the international break as he looks to help his new side to success in the new season.

“It’s a very difficult league but when you play for Arsenal you play for titles and you play for trophies.

It’s very difficult to be the champions [in England] and that’s why that ambition has to be within you. Arsenal are a very well respected team who qualify for the Champions League every year so why not be at the top?”

Many journalists have already marked this fixture as the day when Blackpool begin to realise just how tough the Premier League will be. Words like “nightmare” have already been used to describe what will follow kick off for the Seasiders this afternoon.

They couldn’t be more wrong. The minnows know exactly what awaits for them this season, despite a fairytale start at Wigan last week, and they are prepared to face it head on with refreshing honesty and humour.

None exemplifies this attitude better than the irrepressible Ian Holloway. Too few managers approach a press conference with the aim of being totally honest, telling journalists exactly what he thinks of each issue they put to him without echoing the same old tired cliches over and over again.

Just take his comments on the way his club is being run financially:

“We still need seven or eight players if we are to reach the January window in some sort of shape. The trick is getting your top earners sorted out on sensible money, then you can pin everyone else down under that. You can control the other Herberts by telling them, “Excuse me, you’re not as good as him, you’re not worth as much, so shut up and get out of my office”.

‘But if you’ve got too big a lid on it, and your best player is on 220 grand a week, how can you make sense of what the others should be on? Can you say, “There’s two grand a week, off you go”? I don’t think so. You get average players earning far more than they should, and that’s when the trouble starts.’

Ahead of the game he also lauded Wenger as a “genius”, and admitted that he even wants to come down to London Colney to watch the Frenchman at work, to learn from it and add it to his own managerial style so he can take himself forward and with him his Blackpool side who seem to share his ambition to learn from the best in what could be the launchpad for a successful top flight career whether they stay with Blackpool or leave.

But as well as the breathtaking realism he displays, there’s no doubt what journalist’s really look forward to are his quirky side comments and entertaining anecdotes.

“I’m still desperate to beat [Wenger]. I lost at cards to my wife the other night and was fuming, because I hate losing at anything. In life, you aspire to be the best at everything.

We might end up losing by the most embarrassing scoreline in Premier League history, or we could pull off the shock of the century.”

I for one hope he enjoys more of the latter than the former, just not starting today.

Talking Tactics

Having lost Samir Nasri to injury this week, there is some some good news for the Gunners as they look to welcome back World Cup winner and club captain Cesc Fabregas to the side after he missed last week’s trip to Anfield. Johan Djourou also returns but both he and the Spaniard may only be fit enough for the bench. Robin van Persie is pushing for a start after a substitute role on Sunday.

In that case Alex Song should be used in central defence as Vermaelen’s partner, with Diaby playing as the holding midfielder with Tomas Rosicky likely to take Samir Nasri’s slot in midfield, although hopefully with Jack Wilshere pushed further forward than he played last weekend.

With Arsenal likely to dominate possession I’d like to see Kieran Gibbs and Emmanuel Eboue get the nod ahead of Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna at full back, both replacements offering far more going forward than the latter pair.

Theo Walcott will hope to take his place on the right wing, whilst Andrey Arshavin will be lucky to retain his place on the left wing after a poor performance against Liverpool, having previously admitted he is carrying an injury. In my opinion Carlos Vela deserves a chance to shine if the Russian is indeed left on the bench.

He has put pen to paper on a long term contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be worth up to 12 million euros to the French club.

Koscielny takes the number 6 shirt famously worn by club legend Tony Adams and more recently Philippe Senderos who moved across London to Fulham earlier this summer.

The Gunners’ new signing had a hugely impressive first season at Lorient as his side reached 7th place in Ligue 1 and his arrival will help to ease defensive concerns at the club with fellow centre backs William Gallas, Sol Campbell and Mikael Silvestre all out of contract.

Manager Arsene Wenger believes Koscielny will be a “great addition” to his team, going on to decribing his latest signing.

“Koscielny is a central defender with great ability who performed extremely well last season for Lorient. We identified him as a very strong centre half, who has made big progress very quickly. He has shown he is mentally strong, he’s a fighter and a very strong competitor.”

The right footed centre back, who was born in France but also qualifies for the Polish national side, explained that Arsene Wenger played a key part in his decision to cross the channel.

“I’m very excited to be joining Arsenal. They are one of the biggest teams in Europe with many great players. I’m really looking forward to playing in the English Premier League and the Champions League with my new club. Also, in Arsène Wenger, Arsenal has one of the best managers in the world and I can’t wait to work with him and do my best for the Arsenal supporters.”

Koscielny should make his first appearance for Arsenal at the annual pre-season opener against Barnet at Underhill next Saturday.

There is little doubt that Eduardo deliberately went to ground to get his side a spot kick against Celtic, even the most ardent Arsenal fan will admit it should never have been given, and even that the Croatian international deserved a yellow card for his troubles. But there is no excuse for the unacceptable way that the media and Europe’s governing body have treated him.

Wenger’s description was of a “witch hunt” and Uefa will be happy to know they have reached the point where the burning can begin in earnest, handing a two match ban out. In doing so, however, they have turned a page in the history of football that they cannot be allowed to return to.

A dive, if spotted by the referee, warrants “only” a yellow card. No suspension, you will notice. Yet if the referee fails to do his job, that same dive can now be accompanied by a retrospective two match ban. The ban is for “decieving the referee”, a simply ridiculous phrase that Uefa should be forced to regret after every single game this season. Hats off to Uefa if they really intend to stick to this new plan to get rid of cheating in the game, but does anyone really believe they are going to implement the same penalty against the likes of £30m+ Ibrahimovic, £80m Cristiano Ronaldo and co when they con the ref in every game they feature in this season. If they did so we would probably never see them get two consecutive appearances this year.

If a player claims the ball did not touch him when the opposition appeal for a corner kick, presumably if the ref believes that player and gives a goal kick after the match that player will then be given a two match ban for “decieving the referee”? Hmmm, I think not. Likewise if in the middle of the pitch someone takes a dive to win a meaningless free kick, the next day when everyone realises he has conned the referee will he miss the next two matches as a result? Once again, I highly doubt it.

The truth is that the media and Uefa have teamed up to make an example of Arsenal Football Club and of Eduardo, creating a show of unity against cheating in a haphazard, nonsensical manner that has been pathetic to see. If Uefa had really wanted to stamp out cheating in football, where is the two match ban for Ashley Young following the wingers tumble to gain a penalty against Rapid Vienna just days after Eduard0-gate? Where is the ban for Lionel Messi following an attempted headbutt that he only recieved a yellow for?

I will leave you with this thought – If Ronaldo had done the same thing as Eduardo, as he has done so many times in his career, would we have the same situation?

Following the international break manager Arsene Wenger gave Arsenal.com the run down on the latest injury news:

“We have some problems. We have Theo Walcott who is not available. Diaby has a little groin problem but he could be available. [Also] we have lost Johan Djourou and Lukasz Fabianksi because they had injuries. Lukasz had a cartilage surgery, he will be out for two months. Johan has a knee problem that will take some time to cure – one month.”

Johan Djourou’s replacement will surely be summer signing Thomas Vermaelen, who will now be available having missed the Emirates Cup and final friendly match in Valencia.

“Thomas Vermaelen played 45 minutes for Belgium last night and came through OK so he will be available.”

Finally the Arsenal fans have been given updates on the progress Nasri and Rosicky are making:

“Tomas Rosicky is two weeks away [from being fit again]. Samir Nasri [is out for] three-and-a-half weeks now. But it will be six or seven weeks until he is available for training.”

So positive news on Tomas Rosicky who was originally thought to be out for 6 weeks, while Walcott and Diaby are very short term injuries so both should be back for the Champions League qualifier on Tuesday next week in a crucial tie for the Gunners.

I know, the shock hasn’t quite registered with me yet either….

You have to laugh at those Arsenal supporters who are up in arms about this latest piece of news regarding our injury prone Czech international, wanting to get rid of him. Why exactly should we sell him now, just as he is returning from an 18 month injury lay off? It would make little or no sense to do so and this latest injury is simply a reaction to playing football once again after such a long absence.

Eduardo experienced the same thing after a shorter lay off as he tried to return and only now can be said to have fully recovered. It will be the same for Rosicky and the hamstring injury sustained in training this week shouldn’t surprise or upset anyone.  Of course in an ideal world he would have come back, stayed injury free and played 50 games this season while we march towards the title but the reality is very different. If Tomas can manage 20 games this season I will see that as great progress towards regular football – anything more than that  will be a huge bonus for us.

Here’s what Wenger had to say about it:

“It’s worrying because he was so sharp. It’s difficult to accept that suddenly he has a muscle injury. It’s not major problem, but you get these kinds of injuries when you’ve been out for 18 months.”

The Arsenal manager was speaking at Arsenal’s charity launch, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in North London, and he also dismissed rumours that Arsenal had been in contact with Fulham over defender Brede Hangeland, although did admit that the Gunners were interested in defensive reinforcements with the news that Senderos may leave the club soon.

“We had a look at him, but we have not contacted Fulham, have not contacted Hangeland and have not made our choice on him or anybody else. We can still make do with one or two players more. One could be in the defensive areas, and one in the attacking areas.

We make a few enquires for players, but we are nowhere near to signing anybody at the moment. Usually the transfer market speeds up from August 26 up to midnight on 31st – especially in the last two hours.

There is an interest from Everton [for Senderos], but he is still our player. He has an opportunity to go because he only has one year left on his contract, so we will see what happens next week.”

Wenger also revealed that he was not close to re-signing former club captain Patrick Vieira and that he believed Bordeaux were guilty of overpricing Moroccan forward Marouane Chamakh, no doubt in a bid to reduce their demands for their star striker. While this latest interview suggests at least that Wenger is looking for reinforcements there still seems to be some way to go before there will be any new arrivals at the Emirates.