Big changes, or we will fail again.

During pre-season this year, many Arsenal fans could see it was not shaping out well, and we all hoped it would change around miraculously and we would find our feet. Unfortunately, what we saw at Barnet, Stuttgart, was a pre-cursor to all we have seen this season. Too many changes, teams built on the younger players like Denilson, teams already being shuffled like Eboue in central midfield, and a disorganized defence were all apparent and not rectified in time, even today we can see the results of it.

Last season, the pre-season was very sharp, the team was united, we won the Emirates Cup and Amsterdam Tournament, and we went on to fight in 3 out of 4 tournaments with conviction. This season, we had a half baked pre-season, and we have had a half baked season, we were lucky in the draw for the Champions League until we met the Champions who taught us a big lesson, we had a lucky draw in the FA Cup until Chelsea beat us, the kids were not good enough for the Carling Cup, and we lost too many games before Christmas to eliminate us from a title tilt very early.

Next season, i have big worries, the full pre-season schedule has not been announced, but we have very little time indeed to get things right if we are to win a big trophy next season. Our first game is Barnet on July 18, thus most of the squad have just over a month off, the African players like Toure-Eboue-Adebayor-Song will have a match on June 20, so they will not make the Barnet game as they will need an extra week or two off. Fabregas will be at the Confederations Cup until the end of June, so he will only be back in training towards the end of July, and we are built around him. Theo Walcott will also be at the European U-21 Championships and will be back late as well.

The Emirates Cup is on August 1-2, and the league starts on August 15, before we have to play a Champions League qualifier on August 18. This is a punishing schedule indeed, and it gives us 1 month exactly to find all our tactical solutions and integrate any potential new signings into our style. This also means any signings MUST be made before Barnet so they can have a full pre-season with us. This is where we have to get it right, we need to take this period seriously, prepare well and you perform well.

This is a taste of a team that was at ease, yet ready to perform, we need to see this kind of attitude this summer.