Pretty much business as usual on the Arsenal front as the Catalan media go into overdrive. A Spanish international gives them the opportunity to get the soundbites that they want to print or transmit; Cesc confirms that he wants to go back to Spain at some point, says that Thierry Henry should consider Barcelona seriously and that it is perfectly understandable that he should do so, blah, blah, blah. In light of the weakness of Spain’s opponents, it is hardly surprising that the majority of his questions relate to club football. Moreover, the media in Spain want the best players at their clubs – it sells more copy – and you only have to look at hysterical reaction to Beckham in the England team and how he wishes he could come on loan to Newcastle (!?!) at the end of the US season to get the drift.

Meanwhile from Barcelona’s perspective, another player is wheeled out to try to stress how important a signing Henry would be, this time Xavi says that he dreams of Henry at the Camp Nou. Personally I wish he was having nightmares about him but Henry didn’t convert the chances in Paris. I won’t tell you about my dreams but rest assured, no animals are hurt in them.

One final observation; Fabregas is getting some flack for his comments. Cut the boy some slack. For all of the maturity that he shows, he is still a young man. We all have said (and will continue to say) things that get misinterpreted, innocently or in this case, maliciously so let’s not get all sanctimonious on him.

But whisper it quietly. There is a journalist who thinks it is quite tedious, that this story is tiresome. Step forward Paul Hayward in todays Daily Mail, calling it,

…a summer ritual as constant as Cowes or Royal Ascot…This annual tedium has to be set against the countless epiphanies Henry has lavished on us since Arsenal rescued his stalled career. It’s part of the annual package for him to undergo existential angst when the sun comes out and for the rest of us to have to read about it for two months.

He ends though noting that it is not a one way street,

A personal suspicion is that the Arsenal board have found it too easy to hide behind the talent-spotting genius of their manager. Which brings us to a point that Henry would be wise to keep in mind. He won’t find a cleverer or more understanding boss than Arsene Wenger.

Sorry, I’ve come over all faint. I need to sleep it off. Cannot compute, a journalist talking sense.

Gilberto will miss the opening few games of the new season as he is in the Brazil squad for the Copa America which kicks off in about a fortnights time. Considering that 2006 was a ‘World Cup’ year, am I the only one who believes FIFA have completely lost the plot? A few years ago, they made a big song and dance about unifying the football calendar, fundamentally ensuring that the internationals all took place at the same time so that Clubs had a certainty of selection over the season. So why the hell is an international tournament taking place this summer? 2008 sees the African Cup of Nations take place in the winter and the European Championships in the summer. Fair enough, the climates on those continents dictate when the Finals occur. Not a lot you can do about that, football for all of its power over our lives has yet to find a way to dominate Mother Nature.

However, in sanctioning the CONMEBOL organised tournament, FIFA has unequivocally failed in its duty to the players. You may argue that FIFA has no duty to the players only to its member Federations and its worship of Mammon. When you consider that they have just opened a brand spanking new £100m Headquarters in Zurich, you understand where they are coming from in that respect. Understand not condone. However, surely even a one-eyed man in the Kingdom Of The Blind can see that the logical time for the Copa America is next summer? Oh, sorry, that would eat into Broadcast Revenues because the Product cannot possibly support two major tournaments at the same time. Well, what the hell do the Clubs sell us every week? And where are the Premier League in all of this? Where is the organisational skill that says, We need our best players available next season to ensure the Product doesn’t suffer? I’ll tell you where. They are coming second to a one-legged man in an arse-kicking contest because they have done absolutely nothing to take into consideration teams suffering through players being missing yet again through International tournaments. And the same will be true in 2008.

Anway, back to Gilberto’s absence. The Daily Mail suggest that Denilson could be the beneficiary of Gilberto’s absence. Personally, I expect Abou Diaby to be given the nod ahead of him for some if not all of the fixtures, although with squad rotation you can never be certain. If Fabregas remains at Arsenal for a while, and using the perverse logic of the media that should be the case – If he goes, I go ought to reverse to If he stays, so do I but it reverse to If he stays, I’m unsettled, apparently - then Diaby and Fabregas are the long term central midfield partnership.

’til Tomorrow.