The manager speaks

“For me, the best thing is not to talk too much about it. The more you speak about things, the less chance you have to achieve them."

When the manager finally speaks, it's worth a listen. If only to try and relax. Gooners these last few days have been high strung. My Twitter feed has thrown up quite a few desperate one-liners, and quite a few trolls, even.

I hope this blog can be an antidote of some kind. Transfer rumours in Silly Season are almost always bullsh-t!

But some of the worst kind of manure comes from our very own. When Ian Wright warbles away in the Sun about signing Michael Essien, Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany 'to make the rest of English football sit up and take notice for once' it has nothing to do with reality. They are already on inflated salaries, and Arsenal haven't the finances to inflate them more.

'Real fans don't give a hoot about debts,' Wright states. Well, ask the fans of Plymouth, Leeds or Rushden & Diamonds, and go back to your game shows! No wonder you never went into coaching or managing yourself.

'We are at the top level and therefore need exceptional quality to strengthen our side.'

There won't be many signings. There never were. The manager has confirmed Gervinho, to be unveiled next week when all the bureaucracy has been conquered. One or two more is what Wenger wants, 'of top quality'.

'My responsibility is first of all not to lose players and then to add and make us stronger. '

This is the crux of Arsène Wenger's project. To gel a team together over several seasons is the opposite of the wheeler-dealer gamesmanship made famous by our rivals' manager.

When Gooners look with envy at Liverpool's transfer activity, remember that they're a club just rescued from the brink by a billionaire, now shelling out on their ninth or tenth international midfielder. Each on tens and thousands of pounds per week. You wouldn't run your own business like that.