I wouldn’t worry too much about finding any more info here. I got nothing if I’m honest with you. I’m running out of steam with Arsenal and I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to have to stare at so much of the footballing abyss. 

It’s amazing really. About three months ago I couldn’t wait to be saved from the grind of seeing what felt like Arsène’s last stand. I just wanted a bit of time off from Arsenal and the predictability of it all. I was looking forward to the summer. Now I’m sat here on this Metropolitan Line train at Ickenham and I’m wondering how I could have ever felt like that. Don’t get me wrong, I was pretty cheesed off with the ‘rinse. Repeat’ nature of Arsenal’s season and I’m sure after 10 games we’ll have seen the same old same old as recent times. But at least it gives us all something to talk about, eh?

The apathetic nature of summer and the dross that comes with it with regards to speculation is a killer on the mind. And even the filler for the killer – the media noise – has been pretty much done.

Mbappe excitement has faded and all is quiet.

Lacazette ‘angles’ are all covered and the well is drying up on new variations of the same old rubbish.

Thomas Lemar is been mentioned in dispatches but nothing for a while now.

Even the ‘Ox to Liverpool’ stuff has a vaguely familiar sound to it these days.

Let’s not even bother talk about Alexis.

This is torture. At the end of the season I had a discussion with a mate about how I wasn’t going to be refreshing any of the news sites for Arsenal stories on a daily basis. But the footballing boredom has taken hold already. We need something. Anything. 

A catalyst for change maybe?

Jebus, old Ivan’s gonna regret saying that, unless he hasn’t already. It’s going to be like the old ‘we can be as big as Bayern Munich’ millstone around his neck. Constantly reminded by the fans of his hollow and empty politicians respondes when in fact, he probably would be one of the first to push for more change, if he could. 

It’s probably why he was spotted with Arsène on a recent sojourn to the South of France. Arsène probably told him he was off to find a Nice player and Ivan quickly grabbed his coat and shoved a toothbrush with some pants in a suitcase, with the words trailing in the air “I’ll come with you! Wait a sec”, as the door doesn’t manage to close before Ivan is belting it after the manager. 

He probably just went to make sure Arsène isn’t just going somewhere nice to drink ice T. Kermit the Frog style.

The worry I have is that the thirst for news won’t even be quenched when the window opens. I hope it is but let’s be honest; you’ve seen this story play out before, haven’t you?

June: rumours and pictures of people at airports, but radio silence from the club.

I can handle that. It’s early in to the summer and we still have plenty of time. Chill people. Relax.

July: window opens, no major news for the first couple of days, then Arsenal go away on a pre season tour. Arsène makes comments about being in the market for talent. But talks up more the fact they are on tour at the moment. 

Ok, we really need to step up our efforts in improving the squad, please. A pre season tour isn’t really an excuse not to be making bids or doing deals. We have only weeks until the start of the season. Why aren’t we doing anything??

August: season opener starts. We’re not ready. Players haven’t been signed in time to integrate and give them a good pre season. Arsène talks about the difficulty of finding value in the market. We make some signings towards the end of the month.

The anger of late July and early August falls in to an apathy because once again we’ve all fallen in to the trap of believing the hollow words of the club. The exciting deals haven’t really materialised and quite frankly we’ve got ourselves to blame for believing the same as every season. 

There is no ‘catalyst for change’. Only ‘apathy for the same’

I hope I am dealt some humble pie. This is some pie I would like to chow down on because I want to believe we could actually go in to a season looking very strong. I want the excitement. I just hope Arsenal deliver it.