Arsenal FC from FantasyLand to North London: Coming Back Down to Earth

The week long Asian Tour has come to a whimpering end and our beloved wayward warriors are packing their cheap Malaysian and Hangzhou knock-offs, hoping that HRM customs won't inspect the luggage too closely.

Going to Asia was a sort of professional footballer's Disneyland holiday. Their return is the start of a tough, grinding schedule.

Asia Is Essential for Football

While they have a ways to go to challenge EPL teams, the games with Arsenal and Liverpool drew astounding crowds and raised passions we occidentals never suspected from our Asian brothers.

Both Liverpool and Arsenal played to combined crowds of over 100,000 people over their week's visit. The range and intensity of support for visiting teams was humbling, especially when we consider that our home fans last season boomed the team as often as they cheered them.

As one Asian supporter noted, his fellow Gooners never boo their team. Win, lose or draw, it just isn't in their upbringing. If there's any lesson we should learn from them, it's loyalty and unfailing support for their team.

There's Gold in Them Thar Hills!

Financially and promotionally speaking, this tour has been a revelation.

How much Arsenal merchandise was purchased by Asian fans during the one week we were there? Imagine if Arsenal did one or two similar tours every preseason, say to Japan or Indonesia!

It is hard to believe that AW resisted this idea for so long—but surely it's become apparent to him and the Board that this must become an essential AFC ritual if we are to cash in on our brand like United, Barca and Real have done over the past few years.

Gazidis wisely supported this tour—mining the gold that sits in the pockets of the economically flowering Asians is now one of his top priorities. When Arsenal finally bring home silverware, this renaissance will explode.

Home Sweet Home, or Is It?

After these charming and fairly low key last seven days, the lads now move into the real training period. Their next game on the 23rd is against FC Cologne from the Bundesliga.

I know this team well, having watched them on a number of occasions in Germany. The Cologne stadium is quite nice, like almost all the BL grounds, and the weather could be quite hot at this time of the year in Deutschland.

Playing against top European clubs will test the Gunners' mettle far more than Asian teams could, but the biggest shock may be returning to the Emirates against Boca Juniors and New York Red Bulls in the host cup.

Will fans boo poor performances, or will all be forgiven and a new, fresh enthusiasm carry the day?

The New Faces Add Lustre to a Tarnished Team

Let's face it—the end to last season's run was like a kick to the head. We all woke up with a massive headache and the team had two black eyes to show for all of their struggles. Our reputation took a hit and the Gunners lost a certain patina of promise they had started the previous seasons with.

However, the promise of players like Frimpong, Jenkinson and, particularly, Ryo Miyachi, have the juices flowing again.

With Gervinho yet to be unleashed and (in my humble opinion) more new faces to join us before the transfer deadline, we are starting to look like a more balanced team in the midfield and attack. We still seem to have the same defensive frailties, but there is promise once again, and hope for a better start than our last finish!

This Might Be the Most Competitive and Most Unpredictable Season Yet

With three newly promoted teams rising to the EPL challenge and all Top Six clubs trying to strengthen their squads—some by bringing in new managers and others top players (in addition to the transition pains United and Chelsea will still be undergoing as they rebuild their aging squads)—this season could be even more frangible than 2010-11 was.

Chelsea, Liverpool, City and United have invested big money since January 2011, and it appears they will continue to do so in an intense battle to become EPL champions for the coming season. However, just like last season, I see some of the big teams falling to the shrimps—and that could include the Gunners, if we don't come to appreciate all of our EPL opponents equally.

The Annual Cesc Marathon Is Almost over

Well you heard it first from me. Cesc is definitely staying with Arsenal for another year, not just because he has a five-year contract and Wenger is going to make him respect it, but also because he met the mayor of his hometown and decided that the guy is a typical Catalan twat, so we can all breath easier now.

Wenger apparently told Sandro Rosell that Fabregas would never play for a team that didn't have colour photocopiers available and working, so any deal is now dead in the water.

Seriously, it may well come to pass that our Catalan cowboy will ride off into the Spanish sunset like the caballero he plans on becoming, but for now it appears we can turn the page and get on with bemoaning our fate with the referees, the cloggers and the FA all conspiring to rob us of our just rewards.

Welcome Back to the Emirates, O Blessed Gunners

One way or the other, I make a solemn promise to try and survive ANOTHER Arsenal season—and that is the most frightening challenge I can foresee in the next 10 months.

Will our beloved Gunners finally hold a trophy (or more) on high?

Will they finally knock off the other Top 4 and win the EPL?

Will they finally grab the CL by the short and curlies and win it?

Only time will tell! Go, Gunners, go!