Wenger has learned nothing, Tour squad is ridiculous, Time to worry about Wilshere

Same old nonsense for the fans to bear

It's been a long week at work. You might have noticed that I must have been busy from the lack of action here. Given that transfer gossip is ignored on this site it hasn't been a bad week to be out of things. It's fair to say that not a lot of note has happened at Arsenal. Most of the "news" involving the Club has been space-filling untruths and conjecture from the less well educated journalists of this World. At last, today, we've had our first tasty news of the Summer. Sadly, it does not sit well with me. Not well at all.

As the press had already worked out, Robin Van Persie is not going to Malaysia and China with the squad. However, he remains Captain of Arsenal Football Club at this time. Until such time as Wenger grows some balls he will remain so. Before the end of last season Arsene assured us that lessons had been learned from the debacle of this time last year. Do you remember last year? You know, when our Captain announced he wanted out and we spent the rest of the Summer pratting about waiting for the inevitable, while the jumped up little scrote remained the skipper? Forgive me for feeling that we are now in the exact same position. We all know that Arsenal are going to sell Van Persie, despite the claims to the contrary. I have little problem with that. But I do have a problem with the complete lack of authority from the Manager. Can you honestly see Ferguson failing to discipline a player for doing what Van Persie did? They certainly would have been publicly stripped of the captaincy.
Elsewhere we have had the annual rubbish about needing to sell before we buy. This just a couple of days after Wenger told a Hong Kong magazine that we spend our available money. Forgive me, Arsene, but how are we so far in profit on transfers over the last four years if that is honestly the case? We have reached the last week in July and we are in the same position as we were a year ago. The Captain wants to leave, the Manager won't deal with the situation in the best interests of the Club, and the dead wood players are still hanging around like a bad smell. Oh, and we won't be buying anyone else until it's too late. That just about covers it, I think. Wenger has not learned anything from last year, and the supporters are suffering in the same depressing cycle.

The squad for the far-east tour is a joke. Mertesacker, Podolski and Giroud are staying behind in London in order to "work on their fitness". Sorry, but I thought that was what pre-season was for. Are the players going to China not working on their fitness? And if the work these players are doing on their fitness is so crucial then why are the two Germans being sent to Nigeria next week for some corporate glad-handing? Only Arsenal could consider going on a promotional tour and leaving behind the two star-signings. As a result of their omission, the new players will have (as it stands) just one friendly at Cologne to get used to playing for Arsenal. Let's not hear any more nonsense about the importance of a pre-season, shall we?
Abou Diaby, meanwhile, is "...fit, raring to go..." according to Wenger. I won't hold my breath. I'd love to see Diaby genuinely fit as he is a top player when he is able to be. I guess we'll find out in the next fortnight if that is even remotely possible.
There are three goalkeepers on the tour. Why are Fabianski and Mannone going? I can't understand why Damian Martinez had to play at Boreham Wood today instead of getting on the plane. The two clowns who I've mentioned there have no future at Arsenal. We don't want them, and they don't want to be here. Both men want to play. They are not going to do it at Arsenal. Meanwhile, according to Wenger's quotes about needing to get rid before buying, their presence is barring the recruitment of a capable goalkeeper to challenge Szczesny (you notice I said "challenge", and not "cover" - the young Pole needs a kick up the backside and a genuine threat to his place would provide it).
One other person who is on the tour is Craig Eastmond. This lad will not be an Arsenal first-team player as long as he keeps a hole in his arse. Conor Henderson, now recovered from the injury he suffered on last years trip to China, has been left out. What kind of muddled thinking is that? Why bother taking a lad on this trip who you have no intention of ever putting in to the first-team on a regular basis?
The positives from the younger players are the presence of Chuks Aneke, Benik Afobe and Nico Yennaris. Ignasi Miquel is also there. I expect all four to go on loan this season, for at least part of it, but Afobe could force his face in with a shout if given a genuine chance to impress over the next ten days.

Arsene has given injury updates on a number of players. Tomas Rosicky, Bacary Sagna and Emmanuel Frimpong are all mentioned. They also all have a return time pencilled in. Then there is Jack Wilshere. Wenger contends that he is not worried as there have been no setbacks. But there is also no return date. Arsene says:

"It difficult to say ‘it will be this week in September or October’ when he is back in training. He has been out for a year and I don’t want to put any pressure on him.”

So there is no idea when Jack will even be able to consider starting to train. That's train, never mind play. Wilshere is still a kid. He is still growing and developing physically. He has now been out of action for a year, and the end is not in sight. I am genuinely fearful for Jack's career. It would be typical of Arsenal's luck to have unearthed a talent like Wilshere, only for it to be snatched from us by such cruel luck. The time has certainly come for Arsenal and its supporters to be worried about Jack Wilshere.

I'm sorry to be so downbeat after not having posted since last week. Sadly, I fear I've captured the mood of most of the regulars at Arsenal.