SOCCER/ANALYSIS:As the Premier League kicks off today there are conflicting messages coming from Arsenal, writes MICHAEL WALKER

IT WAS earlyish July and Arsenal were in the Far East on a pre-season tour that doubled as a marketing exercise.

Arsene Wenger’s unease was already established by a series of transfer stories regarding two of his most precious players, captain Cesc Fabregas and assistant playmaker Samir Nasri. They were Wenger’s aesthetic personified on the pitch, after all.

The club’s unease was also established. Arsenal had just gone trophyless for a sixth consecutive season. Obvious flaws in defence and goal had again been either ignored or addressed unconvincingly. Arsenal qualified for the Champions League again but it was in fourth place on 68 points, which was a drop of 22 points from when Arsenal last won the title in 2004.

A great chance of silverware had been squandered at Wembley in February, calamitous defending leading to Birmingham City’s historic League Cup victory. After that Arsenal won only four of their 11 Premier League games. They were booed off by their own fans after the final home game, a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.

So there was discord before the journey to the Far East.

And it was there that Wenger said the following: “Imagine the worst situation – we lose Fabregas and Nasri – you cannot convince people you are ambitious after that. I believe for us it is important the message we give out. For example, you talk about Fabregas leaving, Nasri leaving.

“If you give that message out, you cannot pretend you are a big club, because a big club first of all holds onto its big players and gives a message out to all the other big clubs that they just cannot come in and take them away from you.”

Given that Fabregas and Nasri are poised to leave for Barcelona and Manchester City respectively, by Wenger’s definition Arsenal are just pretending to be a big club.

That of course is a strict interpretation of Wenger’s words, one that he would now argue is limiting and unhelpful – though the manager did not aid his cause or credibility yesterday by saying he still expects “no one” to leave.

According to last night’s reports from Spain, Fabregas will travel to Madrid tomorrow with the Barcelona squad, his transfer to be formally announced after the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup. Nasri is widely expected to join Manchester City, perhaps by Monday.

Arsenal appear set to replace the departing midfielders with a Brazilian called Jadson, Costa Rican striker Joel Campbell and the Birmingham defender Scott Dann.

They have already Lille striker Gervinho and the young talent from Southampton Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. But he won’t be 18 until Monday and has never played outside the third division. Neither Jadson, Campbell nor Dann are through the door at Ashburton Grove. Gervinho could be an instant hit in English football, or he could be Marouane Chamakh.

And the season starts today.

There was a time, even as recently as January – with Arsenal competitive in four competitions – when fans were prepared to suppress their growing doubts about Wenger’s hitherto unchallenged authority at the club.

But as their season flaked apart and four became three, became two and then one – then none – voices got louder.

Wenger’s stubbornness emerged a major gripe. And it still is. It is he and the board who are being blamed for Arsenal opening their season in apparent disarray. Where are the replacements? Why make the “big club” statement when it seemed all along that Fabregas and Nasri wanted to go? Why prolong the uncertainty? These are legitimate questions.

You always wonder about that fixture computer when it throws up an opening-day game such as Arsenal’s this afternoon. There may have been better games last season in the Premier League but there was none more exciting that Newcastle United 4 Arsenal 4 in February.

At the end of a dramatic match, which Arsenal led 4-0 until the intervention of jumped-up referee Phil Dowd, there was a feeling once again of Arsenal fragility. They did recover to beat Wolves in their next match and then overcame Barcelona at home in the Champions League, but the perception that Arsenal were vulnerable remained. Andy Carroll had exposed them when he headed Newcastle to victory at Ashburton Grove earlier in the season.

And now Arsenal return to St James’ Park just over six months later. Had Wenger performed swift and good business in the summer transfer market – as Alex Ferguson and Manchester United did – then the visit to the north-east would carry none of the cold trepidation it does.

Newcastle themselves are in a state of flux. If Fabregas has personified Wenger’s latest Arsenal, Kevin Nolan personified this Newcastle. It was he and Joey Barton who hauled the Geordies back into that February match. Nolan has been moved on to West Ham, a curious decision, while Barton is embroiled in a running row with the club’s hierarchy which manager Alan Pardew is caught in the middle of. A confident Arsenal would be favourites to begin a season-shaping fortnight with an away win.

Perhaps because they are called Arsenal, they somehow remain the bookmakers’ favourites today, but it is too easy to envisage a Newcastle victory. That would leave Wenger with more questions as the club prepares for the visit of Udinese on Tuesday.

That is a Champions League qualifier of the sort that did not complicate last August.

Then they were able to begin with a draw at Anfield, hammer Blackpool 6-0 and win at Blackburn. Now they have a problem trip to Newcastle, two tense games against Udinese, Liverpool at home and Manchester United away – in the space of 15 days.

And we do not know who will play in Arsenal’s midfield. (Jack Wilshere is injured today.) Is it any wonder therefore that there is discontent among a fanbase that wants to stay loyal to their once-brilliant manager? Next month brings the 15th anniversary of Wenger’s surprise arrival from Japan at Highbury to replace Bruce Rioch. It could be a time of club celebration, a moment to acknowledge not just the silverware Wenger used to bring to Arsenal but just as significantly (to some), the style.

But this fortnight has to be negotiated first, and skilfully. Should the worst-case scenario develop – Arsenal out of the Champions League and beaten by top-four rivals – then what was unthinkable not so long ago, would be suddenly a prominent thought: Wenger out. The rich Qataris who have taken over Paris St Germain this season may even offer him somewhere to go out to.

Of course the opposite may occur and Wenger could delight the support with unanticipated but excellent signings of the type he made his name with – Patrick Vieira was bought even before Wenger was officially installed way back in 1996.

But there’s not a strong breeze behind that sentiment and would not answer the question of timing. It all makes for a peculiar entry into a season. The Arsenal, The Gunners, Highbury – Wenger has added to that tradition of stability – and he is entitled to remind fans that Arsenal went from 1953 to 1989 with one league title.

But that would be telling. It would add to the apprehension gripping a still-big club on the eve of a season that could entail even bigger change.