Here we are at the end of a week in which we’ve lost our longest servant, are in the verge of losing arguably our best player (although that’s debatable this season), still have to see any large-value replacement come in but could be on the verge of at least two very exciting transfers.

It’s quite exciting given the circumstances the team are in right now, no?

I mean let’s face it, had we been linked with nobody and it was just ‘as is’, we’d all have been grumbling quite loudly at the current inability of the team to put together any kind of winning run. So perhaps this last four or five days have been somewhat of a welcome distraction?

Even those of us who loathe the whole ‘transfer tittle-tattle’ farce that is January have still sought some comfort and solace in it. And I hold myself thoroughly guilty as charged on that front by the way. I have been dragged into the YouTube compilation reviews, watching Sky Sports News more frequently than I usually do, as well as turning on notifications for my Twitter account for certain individuals who usually give half decent information. I can’t help it, sorry.

But the Football has been a bit of a farce and really uninspiring so when that is the case what is a gooner to do?

I mean even the team news from yesterday’s press conference got buried under a sea of transfer stories absolutely everywhere you look, but what Arsène delivered was actually good news, for a nice change. Monreal, Koscielny, Kolasinac and Özil could – and probably should – all be back and those three alone will improve the chances of a good performance of the team tomorrow. I think both Chambers and Holding have done exactly what you’d expect of them: they’ve been good at tunes, looked a little ropey at times, but ultimately they are young players who have been blighted by playing in a team whose confidence is rock bottom, with no real defensive midfield support to speak of (see Xhaka’s lack of cover for the second Bournemouth goal and knock down to Ibe for a case in point) and injuries and clouds hanging over most of the team. It’s been a mess for a while now but with the better players returning you’d hope for at least some air of authority over the first team to return and I’m sure the beleaguered Arsène is glad about that.

Hopefully all he needs to worry about now is how to overcome a much improved Crystal Palace who I think will come to our gaff tomorrow looking for an upset and to put to the sword a team who defensively has been on its knees and offensively looked lethargic and uninspired.

But inspiring these players to victory is Arsène’s job and so it’s on him to make sure that the team has the “mental strength” to overcome mid table sides like Palace. I’ve pretty much given up on top four given our form this season, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see The Arsenal have a go. It’s the bread and butter for every English team and although I suspect we might have nothing to play for in a month’s time, as it stands now we can still at least pick up a couple of wins before we play the Totts.

One final point to note before I disappear for the day; I was pleased to see Arsène say that if no deal is done then Alexis will play tomorrow. He’s a player that will offer something different to the team and despite the fact I certainly want him gone, the fact that he will play tomorrow if no deal is done today, at least gives me comfort that we’re not going to cut our noses off to spite our faces two weeks in a row. It was bad enough depriving ourselves of that quality against Bournemouth, so to do it two weeks in a row would be criminal.

Catch you all tomorrow with a match preview.