Good morning sports fans, this will be short and sharp because I have a serious hangover to deal with this morning. Things aren’t looking pretty. Tesco’s Red Stripe offer has severely incapacitated my writing skills.

First up, the Cesc Fabregas parting gifts story started by our favourite chubby Russian are a bit of a stir. Our captain gave the players a set of headphones as an end of season gift. Why? Well, when you earn £120k a season, a few sets of headphones really isn’t busting the bank. It was a nice gesture and it certainly wasn’t a parting gift. I think Arshavin’s gripe came when he asked Cesc if he could eat them… ‘No Andre, they’re only for your ears…’

England played yesterday and what a thrilling encounter it turned out to be. We saw a horror show in defence from Johann Djourrou. He gave away a stonewall penalty when he crunched Jack Wilshere over in the penalty box and overall, he had a bit of a shocker. Not a good look for our best defender last year!

Theo Walcott caused a few problems out wide but he was hardly on fire. He’s really frustrating to watch when he’s in blind alley mode. Scott Parker made an appearance in midfield, I often forget how small he is. I like the cut of his jib though, it’s a shame that according to the NoTW, Wenger doesn’t and he’s refusing to snap him up. If Wenger doesn’t sign him, you’d have to say that it’s another example of his nonchalance towards building a squad that can compete.

For me, he’s the best player on the market in that position. You can’t get better than the player of the year for the type of money Wenger is looking to spend. Yet we never sign the obvious players. Alonso made sense when Flamini left, Shay Given has been obvious for years, Cahill’s price keeps rising and rising as we dither as does Hazard’s.

We dither in the transfer market these days and ultimately, that means we miss out on top talent. Another example of this is Ashley Young. I’ve been banging the drum for him for months. We’re currently playing a big lumbering Danish centre forward out wide. There’s nothing tactical about that move other than Wenger doesn’t have enough playing staff to cover the position. So when we get to the end of the season, and a player who bagged 17 assists (this year, he’s had 15 assists and 9 goals in a team that has been relegation fodder) in a season a couple of years ago is on the market for £12million, perhaps we should be looking at them? Young came on yesterday and changed the game with a superb half volleyed finish.

It’s shame, if he were a French African plying his trade in the Parisian Sunday league 4th Division we’d have snapped him up 6 years ago.

The Cesc Fabregas rumours won’t stop. Papers need transfer stories to shift volume, when there’s not much going on, why not talk about every club in the world being interested in Cesc? That’s what the Daily Star went with this morning with nothing concrete to back it up. Scandalous rumour milling… Don’t listen to anyone who reckons they’ve heard from a good source he’s off, unless Barca come in with £50million, he’ll be with us next year.

I think what’s most upsetting about the gossip mill so far is that we haven’t been linked with any decent players… you know, even from a fantasy perspective. It’s like even the papers have given up on Wenger! I don’t have high hopes for this summer, I’d love to think Wenger has the guts to own up to his mistakes, but it doesn’t feel like he’s going that way. Realistically, if we needed 3 players when the window shut, we’re going to need 5 if Denilson and Bendtner leaves. Can we see that happening, or it going to be the same as usual… Wenger will match outwards with inwards and we’ll be left with a squad the same size again.

One player who’d like to come back is Henri Lansbury. He’s out at the Under 21 Championships and he’s raring to go. He’d like to break into the Arsenal first team this year. I’m pretty sure he said that last year. I’m not sure he’s going to do that, I’m not sure he was a regular for Norwich last season. If anything, I think it’d do him good to go back to Norwich for a year, he’s only 20 and for me, he’s nowhere near ready to cut it at Arsenal at the moment. The Under 21′s will be a good move for him, hopefully he gain some useful experience. A year in the Premiership would be even better, he can cut his mistakes with someone else and come into our first team ready. Which to be honest, sounds like a great idea!