2011/12 fixtures revealed

It's Friday afternoon and the Premier League fixtures for the 2011/12 season have been released. With their release, us Gooners get an immediate reminder of the beginning of the end of our season last time out, whilst the players suffer some major blowback having somehow contrived to finish fourth in a two horse race.

We kick-off our new campaign at the scene of one of the most amazing games of football in the Premier League era- on August 13th, Newcastle United welcome us back to St James Park. They will no doubt be hoping to carry on where they left off against us in February. Arsenal will, obviously, be hoping for the extraordinary standards they reached in the first half of that 4-4 draw.

Next up for the Arsenal is a tough home match at home to "Loadsamoney" Liverpool. This one coincides with James Craddock's birthday, so let's hope he has a happy one and we send the Scousers home crying. As, let's face it, we should have done the last time they came to us. That one's followed by a potentially tricky Champions League qualifier against we know not whom just yet and then a trip up to home of the champions. And then we have to do that annoying qualification thing again. What was a mere annoyance has now become a potential nightmare at the beginning of the season. But that's with my negative hat on, I don't think we've ever really struggled to qualify for the CL- despite what certain elements of the media had to say about Celtic match two years back- so I'm not anticipating too many problems. But the penultimate week of August has become a lot tougher than it needed to be.

Outside of the opening month, October looks a bit tasty, with Stoke, Chelsea and Spurs all on the agenda- the two London fixtures away from home. It isn't until February 25th that Arsenal get the chance to make up for the home capitulation against the neighbours last season and Manchester United visit us on January 21st. Exactly three months on from that (as currently scheduled) Chelsea will visit us in our penultimate home game, a visit which takes place two weeks after the top four's most negative team comes to north London. We finish our home season against Norwich, before a final day trip to West Brom. On a personal note, I'm really looking forward to our New Year's Eve clash with newly promoted QPR- at least, I am now. My sister will make life very difficult for me should the Superhoops take the hnours there. And with our record against promoted teams last season...

What else is happening? Well, Gervinho is all set to sign on for four years at The Arsenal, for a fee believed to be around £10.6m. But this has apparently been the case for a few days now, I hope he isn't going to be another Hatem Trabelsi. Having spoken to a French friend of mine, I'm more reassured that he is going to be the kind of signing we will enjoy watching; two footed, strong, quick and, apparently, he knows where the goal is. What's not to love? The papers still seem to be toing and froing as to whether it is Cahill, Samba or both who will be reinforcing our defence next season. I'm not going to stress about who it is yet, obviously someone will be coming in so...

Sandro Rosell has obviously been taking lessons from Peter Hill-Wood on tact and diplomacy. Talking about Barcelona's desire to sign our captain, he said,

"If last summer we offered 40m euros (£35.1m) for Cesc, since then there has been wear and tear, now he's worth less,"

Who does he think he's trying to deal with? I know it may not always seem like it, but our board are not made up of men that would all bow to Lennie from Of Mice and Men in an IQ test. Of course, you could look at it as there's been "wear and tear", if you wanted to talk of Cesc as if he's a bloody race horse. But you could also look at it as he's a player, a brilliant player, under contract for at least three more years, he is our captain and is still years away from what should be his peak years. If anything, he's worth more than he was last summer. Unless Arsenal decide otherwise and, bearing in mind we don't want to sell him anyway, that seems unlikely. Especially when Rosell says this,

"What is the limit for signing him? We'll need to see. First we need to know what his salary is and what are his conditions."

No, first you need to get serious and make Arsenal an offer that will get Gazidis and company to the negotiating table. Why would you keep trying to destabilise a player who has already said he won't ask for a transfer? Time to put up or shut up, Barcelona.

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