If he had not missed the last four months of the season, I suspect that Robin van Persie would have been challenging Cesc as most people’s Player of the Season, had he maintained the form that he had shown until then. It sums up the striking problems that have been suffered that he is still the club’s top scorer with thirteen goals, only Gilberto could threaten that but I think he needs a hattrick on the last day to overhaul him. I cannot remember the last time that the top scorer in a season failed to trouble twenty goals in all competitions but that is where we find ourselves today. It says a lot about his improvement that his goal tally this season is one short of the total number of goals he scored for Feyenoord in sixty nine games.

Showing a similar maturity to Cesc, albeit with three years on him, he has been talking to The Times about his time out with injury,

I had a lot of time to think about things, such as how I see Arsenal, how Arsenal sees me, how I can improve

That is one of things that I like about the players Arsene has brought together – they are all hungry for success as a squad but they are not content to sit on their laurels individually. RvP goes on,

I am sure that if we keep on playing the way that the boss thinks, the way Arsenal thinks, the way most of the players think, we will be successful. Maybe next year, and certainly within two years, as long as we all stay together

So if they believe it, why are we getting our knickers in a twist? Surely we should share their confidence, not getting involved in our naval gazing (and yes, before any says it, I know I’m as bad as the rest in that department)?

Arsene reaffirmed his confidence in the squad on Pravda yesterday,

The problem is that because we have had a disappointing season, everybody wants you to buy…I have to really think if that is needed or not because there is an element in our team that they will progress because they are young. Also, what doI need to add, if I do need to add something?

Given he felt earlier in the season that we needed two ‘super, super class players‘, it would interesting if he told us what has changed his mind about this? Aah, it has not,

We will be ready to go [for the title] next season if we have the right mixture…We need to find a better balance in our team in some positions then we will be ready…I will do what I feel is right for the team and for the Club but the situation is not always to buy

A mass of contradictions, I interpret that as him admitting that there is scope for a signing or two but that will be your lot. One of them is supposed to  be Lukasz Fabianski which seems to be heading to its conclusion this week. Some reports suggest that Le Boss has been after the lad for two years but that was kiboshed when Artur Boruc left Legia for Celtic. It will be interesting to see what AW does with the GOalkeeping because you feel sure that he, Almunia and Lehmann all want to play on a weekly basis. Will Almunia still be his first choice cup goalkeeper or is he looking to put the Pole into that position?

Oh, and it is going to be a long Summer on the transfer gossip front. Personally, I thought that it would be Fabregas to Madrid that bored us all senseless this summer but no, it seems that Barcelona are intent on annoying the hell out of everyone with the Spanish media all seeming to have a touch of sunstroke over Thierry Henry. The ratings battle is hotting up with Catalunya Radio now joining their print colleagues in claiming Barca will be looking to get the Club Captain for €20m which seems particularly cheap to me, perhaps even a tad insulting for Henry given that they were prepared to pay double that last summer. Surely his injuries cannot have downrated his value by that much. I mean, I’m all for a good bit of gossip but lets have some respect about the price. After all, we are not the ‘Pound Shop’ of English football. We may not have the cash to splash but surely don’t have to sell off the Family Silver yet? No but they obviously need to hide the fact that the self-styled Catalan Giants have not made any forays into the transfer market and look like they are going to have a fire-sale in the Summer themselves.

‘Til tomorrow.