Bring on the Summer 12 May, 2008

We played out our last game of the season yesterday up at Sunderland, and depressingly, it’s all over now. We were 1-0 winners with Theo Walcott scoring inside half an hour. I didn’t watch the game, and I didn’t even manage to catch the highlights thanks to my Sky + fucking up. I have seen the goal though, Gilberto threaded it through to Theo from about the halfway line, Walcott took it under control well and slotted it nicely home.

It’s been really good to see Theo scoring this season, we signed him back in January 2006 I believe but his first league goal only came a few months ago against Birmingham. Theo’s just breaking into the team at the moment and for m, this season he’s been a great player. Why he hasn’t got more starts, is beyond me but Wenger says that next year he will be regarded as a member of the first team and he will be fighting for starting spots.

Theo has played a lot of his games on the wing, however this season he’s proved that he can do it up front too. Hopefully he continues to improve and makes a difference next year. Cue Wenger with the ‘he’ll almost be like a new signing’ line…

However, we hope to be making some actually real signings this season. Last summer we saw a few departures but the additions of Bacary Sagna and Eduardo Da Silva proved excellent signings by Wenger. This year I’ll be looking for similar efforts from the manager; then those two names were announced, I was please, however I had no idea who they were or how good they are. So this year, whoever we sign I’ll have faith in Arsene’s judgment that they’re the bollocks. Here’s what Wenger said about some possible summer signings:

“I know what I want and I am very confident. I hope to turn that around in the next two or three weeks. But the fans should be re-assured by what they see.

It would be better to buy someone who has played in England because they are less risky, but it costs more money if they are from the Premier League, so maybe I will try to do both.”

Promising words from Le Boss. I’m excited by the fact that we could have a new signing as early as two weeks but I’m more impressed that Arsene might actually spend a bit of cash and bring in an established Premiership player. Who has he got in mind? Niko Kranjcar? Gareth Barry? Probably both but it’s what he can afford to do. More on this in the week.

It’s set to be an exciting summer of comings and goings. Flamini, of course, we already know will be leaving, he’s signed a pre-contract but I guess technically he’s still our player for another month or so…yay. Gilberto Silva will decide on his future shortly. Lehmann is off, retiring or moving to another club, we don’t know yet. Hleb might be going to Inter, Wenger insists he’s staying, Hleb’s people are determined he’s going. I don’t really care to be honest.

Hopefully we keep the squad together but we’ve been promised a couple of signings and I can’t wait to see who Wenger brings in to boost the squad. I still believe that next year could be our season; I’m just depending on Wenger to make the right additions.

I’ll write up the season review in the week some time. Thanks for reading.