This is a public service announcement. Sky and Setanta have announced their fixtures so the only ones (so far) that we have to make alternative travel arrangements for are:

Sunday 2nd September Portsmouth (1.30pm); Sunday 7th October Sunderland (Noon); Sunday 28th October Liverpool (4.00pm); Saturday 3rd November Manchester United (12.45pm); Monday 12th November Reading 8 pm

Which no doubt means we’ll be screwed for the second part of the season but it’s like a nostalgia sandwich; rarely in the past decade can we have had such a settled kick-off pattern for 3pm on a Saturday. But of course, not so helpful for those unable to travel on a fortnightly basis to see the games live.

Onto the sustenance of the pre-season where Real Madrid continue to irk. Having been rebuffed by Milan over Kaka, they continue to try to disrupt Cesc by publicly announcing their love for him despite the fact that the lad himself said he would find it difficult to play for them. However, Milan seem to have put Real off with a stern rebuff so perhaps Arsenal will do the same. It is an interesting exercise in Football politics. The Spanish environment lends itself to outlandish claims in Election Years and thereafter, those claims have to be seen to be carried out or to ‘die trying’ almost. Having been one of the planks of Calderon’s manifesto, and with Kaka out of reach apparently, Cesc is going to be subject to almost daily speculation. However, the interesting thing about Calderon is the almost naive attempts at unsettling that publicly go on; ‘we hoped the player would make it clear that he wanted away from Serie A’ is roughly the mantra that he has been chanting for Kaka. However, in order for that to come true, Kaka would have to waive his signing-on fees still due over the course of the contract. Which means that Madrid would have to fund them so it is little wonder that they pay such extraordinarily high salaries with those and the new fees to cover. Still a stern rebuttal is due this week from the Board and today would be as good a day as any to issue it.

There will be more howling and wailing no doubt over the next few days with Liverpool reportedly bidding to bring Ryan Babbel to Anfield. Another one of our media targets bites the dust. However, that will be based on two assumptions; firstly that Babbel will go there and secondly, that Arsene actually wants to sign him. The latter, if my somewhat frail memory serves correctly, has never been publicly espoused. The one thing that I remember whenever seeing his name in print linked with the club is him saying that he would like to play for the club. That was construed as being Arsenal bidding for him. In any case, it would not surprise me if he was not a target with da Silva’s signing and that players such as Merida, ostenstibly a left sided midfielder, have just been given professional contracts. The fluidity of the midfield positions are such that I suspect Arsene probably does not deem him an urgent requirement. Unlike Bakari Sagna who the Sunday Mirror believes to be signing for £7.5m this week. Now this is one I am definitely not sure about as the only logical way for him to fit into the side is to move Eboue into midfield, a not universally popular move. Still, the player has to be signed first for that conundrum to reveal itself.

Finally, Arseblogger reports that William Gallas has uttered his views on the Henry affair.

What is sure, it is that several players are questioning club’s future. Around us, all the teams are recruiting but what is planned to compensate for the departure of Henry? I will have a discussion with Arsène Wenger and board members to know the objectives of the club this season and what they wish to set up to build an even more competitive team.

Now I know that young Billy has a tendency to annoy when he shoots from the lip but on this occasion, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt as the loss of Henry is to him a shock. What is a little bit worrying though is his inability to see the bigger picture by himself and think, ‘OK, Titi is gone. We will buy someone else and this part of the team works well, we need to concentrate more in defence, the midfield need to score more. Perhaps someone on the left in midfield but otherwise we are pretty well set‘. I would hope as a self-proclaimed Senior member of the team he would do that, maybe he has. But it would be nice for him to say that. I do hope he is not in the Chelsea mindset for signings galore because he is in for a severe disappointment if he is. Still, the distance between him and Arsene when he made the comments allows him the benefit of the doubt this time around.

’til Tomorrow