Nothing like a tournament to prick the interest of the Press in a Club and given the paucity of opposition in friendlies that take place in England prior to the start of each season, there is little surprise that a considerable sum of column inches is being devoted to ‘The Emirates Trophy’, a frontrunner in the worst design for a football trophy ever conceived. It is, I think, the first home-based tournament since the Makita. Remember that? From memory, it was a four or five goal drubbing against Spurs followed by a win or draw against Bayern.

Arsene’s press conference covered wide ranging topics; well, OK, the season ahead and his future at the Club. In amongst his comments about respecting his choice in taking his time over renewing contract, it is those reported on Sportal’s New Zealand site that are the most revealing about how Le Boss sees himself and his immediate future,

It’s important that I don’t go beyond my role, that I recognise my place as manager. At the moment, we have a very special mentality at this club linked to certain people. It is important that I concentrate on what is my role. The players and myself are focused on what we want to achieve together. I stay in my role. I don’t have to take part in the financial sphere. I’m focusing on the football that the club’s playing.

Which is a poke in the eye with a sharp stick for those who believe that he has larger designs on the Club, sitting in the bath every night, singing,”If I ruled the World, we’d call the Club Arsene FC“. It is a view that I have struggled to get my head around, he has never needed a Directorship to have the focus of all at the Club around the playing side of things. From the Academy to the First Team, the set-up is exactly as he believes it should be moulded to enable the success that he has brought during his tenure.

Not that he is complacent in what has been achieved. He has recognised that last season was not as expected, that the team were out of the running too quickly,

By the beginning of November last season, when we were 16 points off the leader, that wasn’t acceptable for us

For those that do not believe the current squad to be up to the task of still being in the race at the end of the season,

We went a different way and need to be patient. But, while we have a young team, we have experience. We must show the quality

It is that patience though that is wearing thin, that will not be given to the squad by some. Fair enough, each to their own and football is a game of opinions. The coming season I think, is going to see a polarisation of the support between those who will wait and those who are not prepared to do so. Unquestionably, the team should challenge for trophies but is this in the short term through unrelenting purchases that become cyclical or judicious acquisitions to strengthen a squad which if together in the long term can be one of the top two for the best part of the next decade?

Back to the Manager. He has one last salient observation made in today’s The Sun Says So It Must Be True,

Manchester United won the title and they only bought Michael Carrick last summer after selling Ruud van Nistelrooy. The lack of signings did not stop them

Which is something I’ve tried to point out previously but it has a bit more ‘gravitas’ when a professional makes it. There is a view that United took advantage of Chelsea’s injuries but that is the whole point; you win your games and let the others worry about theirs.

To this weekend’s football. What to expect of it? Well, the only thing is ratcheting up fitness. The results do not matter that much – a thrashing either way would for differing reasons, good and bad. Today’s team I would suggest ought to be completely made up of ‘Reserves’, i.e. those players not in your first choice XI. No disrespect to PSG but Inter are a sterner test so I would play the team I expect to kick off the season, bar injuries which would mean the usual suspects in defence plus Sagna, Hleb and Eboue on the flanks and Diaby and Fabregas in the middle of midfield with Dudu partnering RvP up front.

If you are going, enjoy. Remember though that it is a friendly and defeats or draws are not the important stuff. That is still a couple of weeks away.

’til Tomorrow.