A case for the defence, and more ...

The boss revealed a few more details about his transfer plans yesterday. Despite the fact we missed our injured strikers a bit the focus, naturally enough, is at the back. Arsene said:

If you divide the season into two – going forward we have done very well but defensively we have been average. I want to rectify that.

My transfer policy this summer will be to keep our strengths going forward, add one player, and add more defensive strength.

Which is pretty much what we all want to hear and what we want him to do. I've been looking at the squad and the new rules and the 25 man thing and all that and trying to work out a few bits and pieces - I'll post something on that when it stops confusing me and making my head hurt so much. It's clear we need at least one centre-half, two would be better giving us a line-up of Vermaelen, Djourou, Sol, Newboy1 and Newboy2. Now, those Newboys could include Herbert Narwhal, the young Norwegian who spent last season out on loan, or even Kyle Bartley, who also spent a chunk out on loan, and that could be a reasonable solution.

Given that Vermaelen is a nailed on starter, the boss thinks very highly of Djourou and that he should be looking to buy at least one defender who, at the very least, is going to compete for a first XI place straight away, it'd be hard to bring in another defender who is happy to sit on the bench most weeks. I think I'd rather see a youngster like Bartley or Narwhal take their place in the squad than a grizzled veteran in the Sylvester mould.

Once Gazidis sorts out the new witchdoctor, faith healer, voodoo chief and medicine man to join the physio team we won't suffer all those injuries and come the end of the season won't have to rely on our 5th and 6th choice centre-halves in important games. It'll be good, you'll see.

As if we needed more proof of William Gallas's imminent departure, Chairman PHW has revealed that the former captain who couldn't be arsed turning up on the last day of the season is looking for silly money. He said:

His demands are quite extravagant and I don’t think we are prepared to go along with it. We would very much like him to stay, but I think for one year, and not on the money he wants.

He is a good player, but you have got to draw the line somewhere.

Gallas is in a race to be fit for the World Cup, Raymond Dominatrix has told him to prove his fitness or he'll lose his place in France's squad to a player who was born while Mercury was in direct shadow and Mars was retrograded in Leo and there was harmonization of the ongoing Saturn-Uranus opposition. Which I think is Philippe Mexes or possibly the seventh son of Didier Six. Who knows?

Gallas and Arsenal have never really fit, have they? He's had his moments and some pockets of decent form, his goalscoring has been a bit good at times, but overall I think he's been a bit of a square peg in our round and well worn hole. We need to insert a rounder peg in our hole. Who that might be is anybody's guess at this stage.

After a season in which he's pretty much assured his position as number one choice for the defensive midfield role, Alex Song says he wants to add goals to his game. I think he got one last season, a great header against Portsmouth, but that was it. Goals would be nice but really they're not a big part of his job in the team. His presence allows Cesc to get forward more and the fact that the captain got 18 goals this season was in no small part due to the work Song did.

I don't think it's any coincidence that Cesc's two best seasons in terms of goals have come when he's been playing with somebody who he knows is going to do the defensive work in midfield. In 2007-8 he got 13 when Flamini was doing the defensive duty and as I said 18 last time around with Sideshow Song. So while it would be nice to see Song score a few more, preferably from corners and the like and not from charging forward at every opportunity, I think it's more important that he concentrates on his main role which allows us to get the best out of Cesc.

I see the Spanish papers are up to their old tricks again, El Mundo stating this morning that Cesc has told family and friends he wants to join Barcelona after the World Cup. The only thing missing is the agreement between the two clubs, which, rather sadly for Barcelona, is somewhat crucial. This stuff will get worse when the Spanish season finishes up this weekend, it'll get worse again when they get into the nitty gritty of the presidential campaigns, but it's nothing we haven't heard a hundred times before.

I think I'd love to work for a newspaper like those Spanish ones though. You don't have to use facts or research or anything like that, you can just make up what you like. Your editor comes down and says "Barcelona say they want to sign X player from Y club, make it so". You sit there, lash in a few 'sources close to', chuck in a definitive 'the deal is done apart from all the bits that aren't', perhaps garnish it with a little detail about how the player was seen in the Ikea on Gran Via picking out a new bathroom suite and your job is done. Easy work, sure who wouldn't want to do it?

Sport.co.uk link us with ex-Ireland and current Man City mentalist, Stephen Ireland. He's certainly a good player but quite barmy indeed. Perhaps that's what we need. More mental instability. All our players are too level headed, more bonkersness required. Ireland would certainly fit the bill in that regard. 

Tomorrow is Arsecast day and I'm looking for contributions from you lot. The Arsecast hotline will be open from 12 noon today and I'd like your thoughts on the season. Have you been encouraged at all? Was it all miserable? Do you see progress or did we stand still? What was your favourite moment? Your worst moment? Your favourite goal? etc etc. Pick a topic, give me no more than 60 seconds on it and I'll play some of them in tomorrow's 'cast.

I know some people might want to vent, and that's fair enough, but I'd like a bit of balance between positive and negative if we can manage it.

To leave a message simply call 020 3286 8671 from inside the UK, from outside it's +44 20 3286 8671. From Ireland you can call 01 442 9901.

As I said, try and keep them below 60 seconds, give us your name and location to start off with and then say what you want to say. Please do not call until after 12 noon GMT, the lines will be open for a few hours, at which point, yes, it will be too late, even if you're half-Irish. 

Update: UK and other close to GMT based fans, thanks, we have enough now. I'll leave lines open for another hour for fans in the US or other crazy timezone places to get their spoke in.

Last update: That's that - NO MORE CALLS PLEASE.

Finally for today the winner of the Junior Gunners contest who wins Emmanuel Eboue in a tent a night camping at the Grove, including a game of football on the pitch, a movie and dinner in Club Level and all that. The RNG has done its thing and the lucky dad who gets a night off is Mike Pemberton. I'll drop you a mail this morning, Mike, to sort it all out.

Right so, that'll have to do. Until tomorrow.