I don't think there's any real way to predict the way the start of the season will go before the pre-season has happened, but it's certainly not only down to the players, good or bad.
Anyone who would unthinkingly back Giroud, Podolski, Walcott and Cazorla to start turning on the goals from the first second of the season seems misguided.
Timothy wrote:
Personally I think we've bid for Suarez cos we want Suarez. No other reason.
A drawing hand is worth a bluff. If we enquire at there or thereabouts for Suarez, he turns out to be available, and Wenger thinks he'd be a good player for us, he could always enter negotiations in earnest.
But let's say the followup story is true and there's been no formal enquiry from us for Suarez. No one doubts Wenger's willingness to play a long game with low margin for error in the transfer market. To do that from a strong position he needs everyone to know he has multiple options. Who knows what other factors may be involved?
Without getting too grassy knoll about it, this rumour seems like a plant and it'd only really make sense for us, Liverpool or a player agent to do that …