A pre-season friendly that’s actually on Sky Sports you say? Well jolly good. I think I might just…oh…yeah…right….that work thing I have to do. Dagnamit! Unless…my phone has Sky Go, so maybe, just maybe…

The ever enthralling world of an Arsenal fan during pre season, eh? Probably a bit selfish of me to expect Arsenal to be playing at a time convenient to me over here in muggy England. After all, I get to see Arsenal at convenient times for nine months of the year, so I just ditch my initial irritation and be happy for the Singaporeans. After all, those guys have to watch Champions League football at some ungodly hour, so it’s only right that they get a bit of convenience every once in a while.

It’s probably got more to do with the fact that we’ve all been starved of football for nearly too much, actually, because normally I wouldn’t be batting an eyelid. But if a week is a long time in politics, two months is a life sentence in football, so that’s why I’m quite desperate to see the team line up at the moment.

I think it’s also got something to do with the excitement ahead of this season. We’ve assembled quite a team over the last few seasons and for the first time in a long time, I have not for one second been overly concerned with getting more quality bodies in. Our squad already has quality bodies. We’re very well balanced at the moment. A nice blend of youth and experience, plenty of depth in all positions, so for once when Arsène is asked about potential signings and tells assembled media boss that he will only augment his team with players of exceptional quality, I believe him. I have to admit it stretched the limits of my belief when he would make a statement and follow it up by signing Marouene Chamakh on a free from Bordeaux, but right now, I don’t think there are many players out there that we could pick up for £8-£10million that would be better than the ones we have. We’re looking for superstars now. We’re shopping in the ‘Galactico’ aisle and let’s be honest, we’re only picking one of those up if other big clubs are willing to sell.

And I’m perfectly fine with Arsenal waiting to see if there is a big name out there to compliment our team.

We’re also not a selling club any more. Rumours of Özil attracting interest from Juventus were given short shrift by Arsène in Singapore and rightly so. Juventus may be Champions League runners-up, but the Italian league is a busted flush and Arsène already made his intentions clear with Özil last summer when he declined the option on Fabregas, because of his desire to build a team around the German. Why on earth would be let Özil go? We don’t need the money, although given the amount we paid for him I can’t see us wanting anything less than what we paid plus more, which Juve couldn’t afford. We don’t look like we have a player who isn’t enjoying his football in any way, shape, or form. The transfer rumour was rightly shot down and can happily be filed under ‘silly season nonsense’.

With that all put to bed, the next bit of a circus was around the new kit launch, which I have to say it was a nice (and clever) touch to release the away kit in Singapore. These kinds of kit launches are normally reserved for the outside of the Emirates, but with overseas fans showing just how mad they are for the club, it’s a good gesture and PR move to have it whilst on tour in the Far East.

We’ll ignore the fact that by now releasing a new home and away kit each season the club and its kit manufacturers are finding another way to eek a bit more cash out of fans worldwide. I suppose every team seems to do it these days, so Arsenal are doing nothing new, but in an age where every footballing tradition appears to be slowly whittling away (don’t even get me started on Saturday 3pm kick offs!), it was nice when the club would keep the tradition of alternating kits every odd season. I’m not a parent, but I’m sure it saved plenty of mums and dads a headache when they new the purchase of a £40 shirt was once every year, rather than twice every year. But hey, life moves on, football moves on and besides, it’s not like I really buy kits for myself any more, so I should probably just let it go.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for today, on account of my right thumb aching after a bit of a fight with a serrated edge and a piece of Jambon Serrano that I’m down to the bone on after six months of having it. Suffice to say I lost.