Arsenal are still the favourite media whipping boy this weekend, with various hacks and has-beens having a go. Sadly we’re all just going to have to take this on the chin for now because our club is the obvious story. To add to the pounding fron the pundits, there’s news that Jack Wilshere may be out a while yet.
There may be twenty Premier League clubs, but in truth it’s the fight for the top four places that dominates the coverage. There’s heavy commercial logic here right across the media so don’t expect this to change.
Whilst there might be some nit-picking over various aspects of United, City and Chelsea’s squads, no-one thinks they are going to be uncompetitive. In contrast, even the most blinkered Gooner would admit that we have had a traumatic summer that followed a terrible closing third of the season.
So we’ve got it all to prove against the challengers for our top four status. To aid the media, this can easily easily be characterised as matey Kenny and ‘arry verses too clever by half Arsene. So this is our lot until the team can prove otherwise.
What of the challenge from Liverpool and Tottenham?
Everyone agrees that Liverpool have got stronger this summer, but I think the jury is still out on quite how much stronger. They beat us two-nil, but we were poor and understrength. I didn’t think they looked that special.
I don’t think anyone has really made their minds up about Spurs yet. They have kept their two most influential players, Van Der Vaart and Modric, but have let go of a number. In come Parker, Friedel and Adebayor. Adebayor had just 15 starts last season. Who knows just how much he’s got to give.
Gooners have been on an emotional roller coaster. Depths of despair at old Trafford, the surge of relief from the closing stages of the transfer window. Now we’re sat stationery, we’ve paid for another ride but we don’t know how it will go.
If the Arsenal as a team can be more than the sum of its parts, competition with City, United and Chelsea beckons. Or will the ‘big top four’ turn in two groups of three?
Hold very tight now!
