Peter Hill-Wood on Wenger: 'I'm confident he'll stay'.

Very interesting and admirably long interview with the chairman today on arsenal.com, in which P H-W talks about a pretty wide range of issues and paints a very positive picture of the club.

When asked about Arsene's contract situation, Hill-Wood said:

"We had a fairly lengthy conversation recently and that went very well. Hopefully, in the not too distant future we'll have something positive to say about it. I'm confident he'll stay."

Coupled with Arsene's comments after the game on Saturday, it's becoming clearer, dare I say it, that Arsene will renew. I should imagine a statement on his future could be made before the end of the autumn. As it stands, his un-renewed contract does not seem to be, contrary to media reports, destabilising the club. I should imagine that most of us want him to stay-on, but we may have to grant him a little patience (which sounds worryingly close to a Take That lyric).

Elsewhere, the chairman had this to say on the financial implications of the new stadium:

"The stadium has not held Arsenal back at all in terms of bringing in players. It's actually given us the opportunity to compete with the biggest clubs in the world. If we had stayed at Highbury that would have limited our resources and over the long term affected our ability to financially compete with the top sides. [...] It's going to generate a lot more money. Yes we have to pay the debt off, but don't forget the debt is a 25-year fixed-rate bond, so it's very manageable and that means the stadium can have nothing but a positive impact on developing the football team."

I think this point is worth remembering. We built the stadium as a means by which to become financially competitive. Yes, the debt incurred is rather large, but it's manageable. I'm pretty sure we haven't spent big (yet) because Arsene has chosen not to, rather than the option not being available to him. The Grove is the key to the club's long-term future - patience is required but the positive effects of the stadium should become increasingly apparent over the coming years.

I recommend you read the interview, because there's too much for me to fully go through here.

In other news, Julio Baptista's return to Madrid has been confirmed. The Beast then promptly scored 3 in 3 in the Copa America. Typical.

Jose Reyes will not be returning to the club. Arsene doesn't want an unhappy player to come back, and, regardless of his talent, that's the bottom line. Whether another left-winger will be purchased for the void created by his and Pires's departure remains to be seen.

A player who might be, unexpectedly, staying is Freddie, Arsene going as far as to say he's '90% sure' Freddie will be here next season. Now, most of us have a soft spot for Freddie, but if we were to receive a decent offer for him, I still maintain that now would be a good time for him to leave. He's a useful squad player, but he's clearly no longer the goal-getting force of old, and we need midfielders who can score.

Finally, Thierry Henry has left his wife. I very much doubt that this had anything to do with his decision to leave Arsenal, contrary to the reports in today's Sun. I would also suggest that this is a personal matter of Thierry's, so we should leave it to him and not start to cast dark aspersions on his personality. As Daft Punk might have it, he's 'Human after all'.

How long will Cesc stay for? Longer than Flamini?

Two central midfielders have announced they're staying at the club in the last few days: one who wanted to go and ended up staying; another who, it seems, came much closer than many of us thought to leaving, and then stayed.

The first is Matthieu Flamini, who hasn't featured in the team for some time now, although whether this has been due to injury or Arsene deliberately excluding him isn't clear. I've always had a soft sport for the Flamster, mainly borne from his whole-hearted efforts for the team and his role in the Champions League run.

Whether he can ever make it as a really top-class central midfielder remains doubtful. Coupled with Gilberto in the centre of midfiled, Flamini has looked solid, yet with Cesc next to him, the two can appear a little lightweight. Overall, however, I'm glad he's staying, especially if he's now willing to fill in around the pitch, and not just in his favoured central midfield berth. I do wonder, though, if his decision to stay is based upon a lack of alternatives, or a real desire to stay at the club.

And so on to the other midfielder who we'll have for at least one more season: Cesc. His comments have, over the last few weeks, not overly impressed me, whether it be his commitment to Arsene, not Arsenal, or his coquettish statements about playing in Spain.

Of course, he has no real obligation to stay at the club past this season; well, other than the fact he's become the player he is due to the opportunities the club has given him from an extremely early age, and the almost unconditional support from the manager and Arsenal fans. Just that.

Here's what he had to say about a potential move to Madrid:

"I'm very grateful to Real and it is an honour that such a great club is interested in me.

"But after the departure of Thierry Henry to Barcelona I couldn't leave Arsenal in the lurch."

"I have total confidence in Arsene Wenger that he will sign a new deal."

"I spoke to Real's president Ramon Calderon and sport director Predrag Mijatovic and they are spectacular people.

"It was very satisfying to listen to them as Real Madrid is a great club but I have decided to stay at Arsenal.

"I had a long talk with Wenger. He is someone I can talk to about anything."

So, he's already started flirting with Madrid, and he's not even 21. Great.

I never expected Cesc to stay for the entirety of his 8 year contract, and I don't begrudge him a move back to Spain at some point in the future. I'm glad that he's also recognising how much trouble the club would be in if he were to leave now.

But I just wish our players would not make statements to the effect of: 'well, I won't move now, but I do quite like your club so I haven't completely closed my mind to the offer'. It's a bit like saying 'well, I like my wife, but you're quite good looking, so, if you ask again, I might go out with you next year'.

A piece of advice to the Arsenal PR department, if one actually exists. Please cut and paste this statement for every player who could, but doesn't leave due to interest from other clubs:

'I am aware of club x's interest, but I am an Arsenal player, under contract, and remain fully committed to the club'.

You see? Easy. No ambiguity in that statement.

I thought Cesc would stay until his mid-twenties, but it now seems that every summer henceforth will be a struggle to make him stay, especially if we don't start to challenge for silverware soon. I really hope he stays for as long as possible, because he's a truly fantastic player. I just hope he learns from the Vieira and Henry debacles, and doesn't flirt too openly too soon. It also makes me wonder - will Flamini outlast Cesc at the club?

Bakary Sagna: Arsene improves the defence.

First off, the customary pronunciation guide. Its Bacary (with a y, not an i) Sagna, so, using my rudimentary francophone skills, I imagine that would be pronounced back-a-ree san-ya. Not Sag-na, as he will inevitably be called.

So, where does old Bacary fit into to our motley collective down at the grove? Given that Arsene has paid a reported £7.5 million for him (around £6.1m upfront with £1.4 based on myriad performance objectives) I don't think he's the squad player that many fans and journalists are portraying him as, and I think he will, either immediately or very soon, become a first XI player. He's most comfortable, and played most of his football, at right-back, and whilst he has filled in at left-back and, I think, even occasionally at centre-half, I think right-back is where we going to see him.

He looks like a pretty big bloke; indeed, only someone with his build could pull off the frankly appalling hair-style he's currently modelling; one that makes him look slightly like The Predator, from the film of that name. I had conjectured, in fact, that the delay in the transfer might have been caused by Bacary cloaking himself, and then picking off Arsenal staff members, just like in the film. Only when Arnie was brought could Bacary be caged and the transfer complete.

But I digress.

I think he will be primarily deployed at right-back, and occasionally fill in on the left while Armand Traore continues his development. He may be used as more general defensive cover during the African Cup of Nations, when we lose both Kolo and Eboue.

What this means to the rest of our right-sided players is anyone's guess. Reading have already been linked with a £2.5 million bid for Justin Hoyte, but I'm unsure whether Arsene is ready to let him go in an ACN year.

Moreover, Sagna's signing could see Eboue deployed further up the field as an out and out winger. Arsene seems to have hinted at this in a few games this year already and Eboue is certainly stronger going forward than defensively. Football 365 have even hinted that the signing could be the beginning of the end for Alexander Hleb, with Eboue and Walcott vying for the right-wing bearth. I think that this suggestion is pretty wide of the mark, especially with Freddie's imminent departure.

One thing is, I think, certain: we've improved our defence. Sagna has already been called up to the senior French squad, and has been widely touted as the long-term replacement for the legendary Willy Sagnol. Comparisons have also been made to Sagna's own idol, Lilian Thuram. He was clearly a fan favourite at Auxerre, with this forum (thanks to Gunnerblog for the reference) voting him Auxerre's player of the season. Notice that a certain Kaboul, bought recently by a certain other club, polled but one vote. Heh.

Right back was a position I thought we needed to improve on last year, and I'm pleasantly surprised that Arsene has done so with this signing. Hopefully Bakary can add some defensive nous, but also some much needed steel, to a defence that was far too fragile last year.

Now all we need to do is ship out Freddie and buy a new winger. Could Reyes yet return and fulfil that role? Probably not, but we could do with a player of his ability, if not his temperament. And before anyone gets too upset, this long-term target (reportedly) isn't actually that good, as anyone who watched the recent under-21 championships will testify.

So; Arsene's 4th summer signing, two of which are players that can go straight into the side. Let's hope one or two are still to come, but a much stronger squad is starting to take place. Hopefully we'll see one or two of them in action on Saturday.

Summer signing no.4: Sagna signs on.

Finally, Bakari Sagna has completed his move to Arsenal. Arsenal.com have just released this statement:

"Bacary Sagna completes move to Arsenal

French defender Bacary Sagna has signed for Arsenal from Auxerre on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.

Sagna (24) who won the French Cup with Auxerre in 2005, was recently called up to the French national squad, where he was an unused substitute in his country’s Euro 2008 Qualifier victory over Georgia in June.

Bacary, who was born in France but has Senegalese parents, has been a regular for Auxerre over the past three seasons, making 87 appearances for the French side during that time. Featuring predominantly at right back, Sagna played a part in Auxerre’s UEFA Cup campaign last season."

He's going to wear the number 3 shirt. Remind me again who wore that last?

I'll provide a full review of this signing - one I'm extremely happy about - later this evening.

For now, let's hope his playing ability is better than his hair style...

Who is William Gallas? What is he to Arsenal?

No, this is isn't some philosophic, existential poser. William Gallas obviously does 'exist', and is a defender for the Arsenal and French teams.

No, it's more a poser in the light of these comments (partially my translation, I apologise):

With Thierry's departure, it's necessary that the club should explain itself to its players. I am not at Arsenal to play for third place; it is necessary to recruit well-known players, because, whilst the younger players have many qualities, a season is very, very long.

Will the departure of Henry influence your future at Arsenal?

That goes without saying. Today, I'm at Arsenal, but I don't know what could happen tomorrow. Everything happens so quickly in the world of football.... What is certain, is that several players are now asking questions about the future of the club. Around us, all the teams are recruiting; but what is planned to compensate for the departure of Titi Henry? The young players are thirsty for victories, but Arsenal has to get results and win titles to take hold in the long-term. Otherwise, we have to change our policy to that of other teams: recruiting with more means (ie, spending more on players).

He goes on to state that he recognises that the construction of the new stadium is limiting Arsenal financially at present, and that he will discuss the objectives of the club over the coming season, and what will be put in place to build a more competitive team, with Arsene Wenger and certain board members over the coming weeks.


This isn't the first time Gallas has mouthed off in public since joining the club. He's also a player who nearly came to blows with Jens in a match earlier this season.

So what is he to Arsenal?

On the one hand, he is probably the best all-round defender in the squad, with proven quality at international level and a title-winning pedigree. I maintain that the difficulties we had at the back last year were as much caused by Kolo having a poor season as Gallas, and that Willy has had to adjust from playing in a settled, experienced defence, to a largely youthful set-up. That's not as easy as many as his critics would have it.

There have been occasions when he has looked Arsenal through and through. He has celebrated with travelling fans after the game at Old Trafford, but also thanked supporters after a series of defeats - something not all our players have done. I particularly remember him clapping the fans after our defeat to West Ham, as the rest of our players skulked off the pitch. To say he doesn't care about the club, or that he is only here for the money and the easy ride, is simply not true. He does care about our club achieving success.

Moreover, there is perhaps a kernel of truth in what he is saying. Silence, as I've said on here recently, is the way Arsenal do business, but it is clearly a way that can frustrate not just fans but also players. Arsene has still not given a public interview since the departure of Thierry. Might one be an idea?

Yet there is also a hefty debit side to his presence at the club. He has rarely, to be frank, looked like the defender he has been in previous seasons, which cannot be entirely explained away by his unfamiliar and less experienced team-mates.

Moreover his rants, whether truthful or not, should not be aired so publicly. They feed into the current media portrayal of the club being 'in crisis'. The club, players and fans should be closing ranks at the moment; outbursts like this make this harder to achieve.

Ultimately Gallas has to decide soon whether he wants to stay at the club. If, like Thierry, he's no longer up for the challenge of babysitting a young team to potential success, so be it, but he should give the club the opportunity to recruit a replacement if he's not.

I hope he stays because he remains a terrific player who can do a lot for the team. However, if he does stay, he should perhaps start to think a little more before he opens his mouth.

Gilberto is the right choice for captain.

Realistically, it was a bit of a fait accompli. Whether it has been officially announced yet or not, Gilberto is clearly the only truly viable candidate for Captain. If Cesc was two or three years older, he would be in with a definite shout - he already has the complete drive to win and the abject disdain for the opposition necessary for the role, but he does not have the experience. Yet. I imagine he shall be captain in a few years time.

Kolo would be a popular choice among the fans, but would be a rather lightweight appointment. Jens has the experience and leadership qualities necessary, but does not have the required sanity - although that never really held back Roy Keane, did it? William Gallas is the only other elder statesman in the team with the gravitas that would let him captain the side; yet he's too new to the team, and remain a rather unpopular figure among large sections of the fanbase.

So, for me, and I imagine Arsene, Gilberto it is. If he's good enough to captain Brazil, he's good enough to captain Arsenal. In the games he wore the armband last season, he led by example, exemplified by his goals for the team at crucial moments. He's calm when he needs to be calm, and authoritative at the right moments. Gilberto plays at the heart of the team; he's not ploughing a sometimes lonely furrow up-front like Thierry.

Moreover, he's not going to be a matey captain in the Thierry mould. I cannot say how much it annoyed me last year seeing Thierry laugh and joke with the opposition in the tunnel. It is, I know, only a game. But, and for all his faults, look at the steely gaze on the face of John Terry as he waits to play; see the almost psychotic concentration of Keane. When you're captain, you back your players, right or wrong. Thierry didn't do that enough; hopefully Gilberto will.

Indeed, by his comments today, he already seems up for the challenge. I want players to lead the team who publicly back the club. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come. And if nothing else, it'll be nice to have a captain who doesn't threaten to bugger off every summer. Although as soon as he is named captain, expect Madrid to publicly declare their interest in him.

In other news today, Flamini may/may not be staying which may/may not lead to the Sagna deal being off/on. Who knows. What I will say, is that there is no truth to the Fabregas to Madrid rumours. So don't worry, if you were.

The Carlos Tevez transfer saga stinks, again.

Don't get me wrong, Carlos Tevez, and for that matter Javier Mascherano, are world-class players. They would easily command positions in the Arsenal starting XI, especially as I rate Mascherano above Gilberto; they would improve our squad and help us win trophies. Tevez has shown not just bags of playing talent, but also considerable emotional strength in his time in England so far. Few players would have had the self-belief to keep slogging away every week for a relegation threatened team, just months after a world cup in which you had prominently starred; even fewer would have been done so when their very presence at the club could, and perhaps should, have led to a points deduction.

The reward for his efforts was 7 goals in his last ten matches; goals that complemented the superb all-round contribution he brought to West Ham last season; goals that kept West Ham in the Premier League.

But no matter how good he is, as long as Kia Joorabchian watches over him, I don't want Arsenal to get involved. Reading this article shows just how much West Ham have got away this year.

The question refuses to go away: is Tevez their player? Whilst he is registered as a West Ham player, do the club 'own' him? Because it would still appear that Joorabchian owns the players' economic rights - in other words, illegal, third-party control of the player.

Indeed, any potential transfer would be fraught with a rather simple difficulty: who do you pay? Any purchaser would have to pay West Ham for the Premier League to be satisfied, yet the club don't actually own the player! If West Ham were then to compensate Joorabchian, would this be tantamount to admitting their guilt?

What seems likely to happen is that Tevez will go on 'loan' to United for two seasons or more; a 'loan' which would involved United paying several million pounds to Joorabchian. At the end of this 'loan', all the interested parties would hope that the problems pertaining to the players registration would have been forgotten. Tevez can be swept under the Old Trafford carpet, as it were. This seems to be the case regarding Javier Mascherano. Everyone would be happy; well, aside from those clubs who'd been negatively affected by illegally registered players. Which would be most of the league.

This article is not meant as an affront to the fans of West Ham or United, but it is a disgrace that this matter has still not been resolved, even if it is still more of a disgrace that the relevant parties - the FA, the Premier League - allowed Tevez and Mascherano's original 'transfer' to take place.

It seems likely that Tevez will be running out as an Old Trafford player at the beginning of next season, as part of a formidable United attacking line-up. But it seems the key to obtaining Tevez as a player has been to break and bend the rules wherever and whenever possible. One hopes that Mascherano and Tevez will finally be fully owned by a club in the near future, and that transfers of this type, ones with heavy third-party ownership and influence, are not allowed to transpire again.

Taking the moral and legal high-ground is not always conducive to success. That's pretty obvious in most walks of life. Yet, whilst I'd love to see players of Tevez's calibre run out for our club, in this matter, I'd rather Arsenal kept their distance.

Silence is the way Arsenal do business.

I have to admit to feeling a little sheepish. It was on Sunday that I unleashed a, relatively, stringent attack on the way the club had conducted themselves since the Thierry Henry transfer. The silence, I ventured, was unbecoming of a club with hundred of thousands of members and millions of supporters. Where were the statements of intent, the reassurances? Where were the new players we so badly needed? The club was a shambles, I felt: arrogant to its support; unambitious in the transfer market.

The next day, completely out of the blue, Arsenal unveiled a major summer signing. With no warning, Eduardo's picture appeared on the website, and twenty-four hours later he was an Arsenal player (subject to work-permit). I almost feel like taking some credit for this signing: I'm sure that, in some way, the signing was almost like the cosmically club slapping me in the face, telling me to grow up and stop complaining. Possibly -to say this may seem a little egotistical, I know.

As Goodplaya stated shortly afterwards, Eduardo had not been linked with Arsenal whatsoever, in any mainstream or internet-based media, save for one or two blog-based, completely speculative comments. While we cheerfully made lists of Henry's replacements, the club quietly went about its business.

And this is the way, more often than not, Arsenal conduct themselves. Whilst Real Madrid and Barcelona openly and defiantly covet our players, and United have, essentially, an affair with old Owen Hargreaves, Wenger's signings are usually a surprise.

To take a few recent examples, who doesn't remember the signing of Jose Reyes coming almost completely out of nowhere? Or the signing of Fabianski, which came after months in which we were linked to a host of keepers across the land, with no mention whatsoever of our new Polish shot-stopper. And the signings of players we have been linked to, say Rosicky or Baptista, usually come months after our initial interest was allegedly registered.

Arsene keeps his targets close to his chest; but he has his targets. He is extremely mindful of keeping the players he wants to sign quiet, after several recent occasions in which rival clubs have attempted to gazump us after we've opened negotiations.

So, in those long-summer months sans football, I've made peace with the silence emanating from the club. Don't do what I did and unnecessarily fret, even if our rivals seem to be outspending us in the market. If Arsene is to be our manager we have to trust him. He'll get us the players we need, but he'll do it quietly. It's the Arsenal way. The polar opposite to the way this bunch conduct. (If any conversation did take place, I imagine it was a perfunctory two-word reply by Arsene to Madrid's offer).

Elsewhere, this has finally come out. Pardon me if I don't join the 'stampede' at the club shop. I heard it was shoulder to shoulder in the Armory today. I do quite like the new Premiership lettering though.

Only a few weeks til the first friendlies. Let's hope there's a few new faces by then.

The low-down on Eduardo da Silva: I'm excited.

First thing's first. For all you commentators out there, it's Eduardo, not da Silva. In the same way it's Gilberto, not Silva. In fact, he likes to be called - perhaps unfortunately - Dudu. Sorry if that's patronising, but it's worth stating from the off.

It's also worth stating that the fee is meant to be in the region of £8 million, not the €24 million that's been quoted in some circles (including the Dinamo chairman). Worth a punt at that price I'd say, and should be covered by any fee received for Reyes, let alone Henry.

The one thing Arsenal lacked last season was goals. Our build up play was superb: we stroked the ball around in beautiful triangles, dominating possession in a sometimes cavalier fashion. But what we didn't do enough, was turn that possession into a concrete advantage. And in doing so, we put ourselves under pressure time and time again. We allowed our opponents to poach a goal, even when our dominance produced almost farcically one-sided affairs. The Beast was meant to be the answer; it's safe to say he was not.

And so what has Wenger bought? An out-and-out goalscorer, something he has not done for some time. What has concerned me most about signings over previous summers - Hleb, Rosicky, Adebayor etc. - was their goalscoring record prior to joining the club. The same cannot be said about Eduardo, who's exploits in front of goal are, frankly, phenomenal thusfar. Last season he scored 34 goals in 32 games for Zagreb; his overall record is 71 goals in 100 games for the club. Moreover, and before claims are thrown about regarding the quality of the Croatian league, Eduardo has scored 7 goals in 12 games for Croatia, including a memorable looping header over a certain English goalkeeper. He's also scored against us in virtually his only Champions League game. In short, his signing is a gamble, but I understand why Arsene is willing to take it, given Eduardo's nose for goal and positional sense.

If you're uncertain about trusting my opinion, have a look at this article published on the Guardian's website a month ago, which features the extremely positive thoughts of Slavan Bilic. He's been recognised as a terrific talent for some time.

What we're getting is someone who lives for goalscoring on the pitch, and someone who can also play on the left-wing. In fact, after conversing with someone who's watched him far more than me, it was suggested that his best position may be on the left, upfront in a 4-3-3 attack. And with Cesc increasingly looking like the future lynchpin of our side in such a system, this could be ideal.

In short, have we finally found someone to help finish off all those attacks from last year? Despite what most of the media will say - that we've signed an essentially unknown Brazillo-Croat - I'm going to trust Arsene on this one. Whether he's the replacement for Henry remains to be seen; I certainly hope one or two more players are on their way in, in any case.

Finally, this article is also illuminating, especially for those who fear Eduardo may be another fairweather player in the mould of Senor Reyes. Eduardo arrived in Croatia from Rio at the age of 17. He struggled with the language and snow, but stayed focused and broke through into the first team. If he can survive the Croat snow, and even learn Croatian, he can survive the British rain, I'm sure.

I've had a few messages from readers who are aggrieved or concerned that we haven't signed an established name, a Tevez, an Anelka, an Eto'o, or someone of that ilk. I'm not going to pretend that I can definitively say that Eduardo will be a success, or that he is of comparable quality to those mentioned. Moreover, Wenger's transfer record is certainly not unblemished, as the signings of Franny Jeffers, Sylvain Wiltord, Christophe Wreh and even Louis Boa Morte will testify. But then again, who was Nicholas Anelka when he came in to replace Wright? Who was Cesc Fabregas? Even Thierry himself was hardly the player he became when we signed him from Juventus. And it's hardly as if the transfer window has shut: we still have a good £20 million to spend (provided we can get a reasonable deal for Reyes). Other names may be on the way.

So let's give Arsene and Eduardo some leeway. I'm excited by the signing, and you should be too.

Arsenal sign Eduardo da Silva from Dynamo Zagreb.

A week of nothing, and then out of the blue: this! Hurrah!

Croatia striker Eduardo da Silva set to join Arsenal

Arsenal Football Club can confirm that terms have been agreed with Dinamo Zagreb for the transfer of striker Eduardo Da Silva on a four year contract for an undisclosed fee, subject to a medical.

Da Silva (24), was born in Brazil but moved to Croatia at the age of 15 and took Croatian nationality in 2002. The striker scored the first competitive goal at Emirates Stadium when Arsenal beat Dinamo Zagreb 5-1 on aggregate in last season’s UEFA Champions League Third Qualifying Round.

Eduardo has made 12 appearances for the Croatian national team scoring seven goals, including one of his country’s goals in their 2-0 Euro 2008 Qualifier victory over England in October 2006.

Further details will follow on Arsenal.com.

[ Monday, July 02, 2007]

http://tinyurl.com/3ckgg7

More to follow later.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Alves_da_Silva

A shambolic week at The Arsenal.

I have it on good authority who our next signing will be. It will be (drum-roll) A. Tumbleweed. Because it's so quiet at the moment, I can actually picture tumbleweeds gently drifting about in the open, empty spaces outside the Grove. Maybe if one's French, and under the age of 16, Arsene might sign them up.

Ian Grant made a good point on ANR yesterday. The silence from Arsenal this week - save for some montages of Henry's greatest moments - has been shambolic, and unbecoming of a supposedly modern business. Arsenal are a private business, albeit one with shares infrequently traded on the OFEX +market, but the wall of silence emanating from the club this week has been unacceptable, almost an affront to its fans who pay hundreds, if not thousands of pounds a year to support Arsenal.

A paragraph from Wenger before he swans off on holiday? An interview with P H-W in which he states, to the effect of, 'we won't make any signings just to keep the fans happy', whilst Arsenal blogs fall over themselves to name, assess and often dismiss potential players to bring in, whether or not these suggestions have any basis in reality? Not good enough for me.

A press conference would have been nice; one in which the club appeared united and purposeful; one in which fears about Wenger's future at the club were addressed.

Because this, above all, seems the most important issue. If Arsene procrastinates until the last minute before deciding whether or not to sign a new contract, not many players are going to want to join the club, I can guarantee that. At a time when the club needs to appear firm and united, he needs to talk to the fans, and be honest about his future. He is the lynchpin which holds together the club at the moment, and we need to know what his long-term plans are.

In terms of players we've actually been linked with, the list is seemingly endless. Take your pick from Anelka, Tevez, Eto'o, Huntelaar, Babel, Obafemi Martins, Owen etc. Yet if I were to predict a signing we're almost guaranteed to make, look no further than Msr. Sagna at Auxerre. Not exactly thrilling, but very much in the Arsene mould.

There's still two whole months to go before the closing of the transfer window, and it has only been a week since Henry's departure. But I expected a little bit more purpose from the club in the wake of the departure of one of its greatest players. And what I don't want to see is hastily cobbled together, last minute deals of the type that saw us sign Baptista and Gallas last year. We need to integrate new players into our pre-season training to accustom them to the team and the club as soon as possible. It's no surprise that Baptista struggled for so long last year, when he was brought in, unfit and new to English football at the eleventh hour. Moreover, the longer we wait, the greater the chance that our targets will be snapped up by other, hungrier clubs.

As a personal preference, I think Tevez is the best of the available bunch. Anelka and Martins could also do solid jobs for us. Yet these players don't address our lack of width on the left hand side. Could Reyes return?

Ultimately, and the point of this post, is what we must not do is nothing. We have a talented bunch of players, but new players must be brought in this summer if we want to compete. And Arsene's signature is perhaps the most necessary of all this summer, if stability and focus is to be brought to the club.

The last word on Thierry's transfer.

Sorry for the picture, but we all need to see it: he's gone and he ain't coming back.

I was tempted to post a lengthy article regarding the finer points of the Henry transfer. But, ultimately, he's gone, and there's no use wallowing in the past, so let's move on and start to think of possible replacements. The only points I want to make on the transfer are these:

1) Henry instigated the transfer, not Wenger, Arsenal or even the Deins. Whilst it now appears that Wenger did drive a hard bargain - Barcelona's initial offer was reportedly only €12 million - it also seems that Wenger did not intend to let him go this summer, and it was only after Henry made clear to Arsene that he wanted to go that Arsene sanctioned the transfer. In short, had Henry done nothing, he would still be an Arsenal player. While the Dein's - especially Darren - helped Thierry along the way, the decision to leave lay firmly with Thierry. I think all that is worth bearing in mind. Arsene, I believe, is being forced into the transfer market in areas that he was perhaps not contemplating.

2) Henry left because he didn't think the Arsenal side he led were capable of challenging for trophies. He can dress it up with the excuse of Dein's departure, but he's ultimately going to Barcelona because he thinks they are better placed to win competitions, be it la liga or the Champions League. And on that count, it's hard to disagree. How he'll get on in a side which isn't completely centred around him remains to be seen.

3) Thierry had lost his passion for Arsenal. It was best that he left and Wenger was right to make the transfer as easy as possible. Once a players eyes start to wander, their concentration and drive begins to slip. If Wenger had tried to block the transfer, we would have had an even sulkier Thierry this season.

4) I also believe that Wenger's willingness to let Henry leave was due to the state of Thierry's injuries. Thierry passed the medical, but is being shipped to a special Parisian unit, in order that they can better tend to rebuilding his repeatedly injured groin area. If Henry was suffering from sciatica, that would also be a major concern for a player going into his 30s. In short, we got the best years of Henry's career, and it'll be interesting to see how injury-free he can stay at Barca. I think this was the right time to sell, even if it was unplanned.

5) We can finally appoint a proper captain. Thierry was only ever handed the armband to try and keep him at the club. Gilberto has proved himself to be a better leader, although I wouldn't discount Kolo or even Cesc from the captaincy equation. All seem better equipped to drive the team forward at vital moments.

Overall, and in some ways ironically, Thierry's departure could force Arsene into completing his rebuilding project, and turning the current rabble into a team truly capable of challenging for honours; a team shorn of an over-dominant individual which was perhaps restricting the ability of the team to grow into a truly cohesive unit; a team of, dare I say it, equals?

We're not even in July and we've let three strikers go. Bendtner has come in, but doubts remain about his ability. Walcott is, obviously, a huge prospect, but may need another season to really bed himself in. We need two strikers to come into the side by the end of August, otherwise the mistakes of the Vieira transfer will be repeated all over again. Once quality is over the hill, it's acceptable to let it go, but only if you think you can adequately replace it. And I've got a few suggestions for Arsene over the coming days as to who those replacements might be.

Thierry Henry: a tribute to the greatest Arsenal player I've seen.

I thought it'd be a few more years before I wrote this post, but the time has come sooner than expected.

To say his transfer was a shock would be a considerable understatement; you only have to look at my previous post to see that. And to pretend that Thierry is somehow faultless and beyond criticism is similarly wrong. You only have to ask Jose Reyes that.

But now is the time to say thank you, and pay tribute to Thierry Henry.

To me, he is without a shadow of a doubt the best player I've seen in my 16 years as an Arsenal supporter. Vieira, Bergkamp, Adams, Wright: of course, they're all up there. Yet Thierry has something more than those other legends. He produced utterly sublime and incomparable moments of brilliance that changed games and won matches. He scored some of the greatest goals I've seen, and he did them playing for our club.

Ok, so he had a bit of an ego on him; one that was not always used productively. But wouldn't you if you were that good? And wasn't his swagger part of the reason we all loved him so much. I can't measure the joy I used to get from watching Thierry score, and then turn to the opposition fans with a look on his face that said, 'I am Thierry Henry; we are The Arsenal; who the hell are you?'

He may not have scored in the cup finals we had with him, but it was, more often than not, his goals that got us to those finals. His exhausted legs may not have been able to seal a Champions League Victory, but it was his goals against Madrid and Juventus, his pass against Villareal, and even his freekick in the final that took us to within a hair's breadth of that cup.

My favourite Henry goal? Well, obviously his flick over the head against United, or his 100mph, pitch-long slalom run against Spuds are right up there. Thierry himself says it was his second goal against Liverpool in 2004, the goal that put the invincibles back on track. Whilst it's hard to argue with that, my favourite is his goal in Madrid, as it exemplified almost every aspect of his brilliance: his ability to burst past players at speed, to change and win matches, to figuratively and literally shrug off opponents, and to ensure his finish slid past the keeper. And, of course, the occasion was rather good as well.



Remember: no-one has died. Thierry's departure is more like a best-friend moving away, or when one of your siblings grows up and leaves home: you'll keep in contact but, it's never quite the same. It hurts, but it's not the end of the world.

Finally, I'd like to re-iterate my thanks. Thierry has given me and so many other Arsenal fans so much happiness in the eight seasons he played for our club. I don't begrudge him the move one bit, even if his reasoning (particularly the parts about David Dein) are a little hard to swallow. There will be more posts this week on the ramifications and nature of the transfer, particularly focussing on what I feel to be the real reasons for the transfer. I really don't think that David Dein's departure has much to do with Thierry's. Also, he was hardly the greatest captain in the world.

But for today at least, let's focus on the good times. Thierry said in an interview that playing for Arsenal was an honour; well I'd like to say that watching him play for our club was an honour. For at least a couple of his seasons at our club, the greatest player in the world was an Arsenal player. I'll never forget that. So long Thierry, and good luck.

Thierry Henry Arsenal Tribute
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£16 million for Henry is a joke.

I'm too tired and distraught to really talk about this now, but a few points, before the inevitable lengthier discussion.

1) If the fee was £16 million, we need to hire a few new negotiators. Barca and Real offered us £50m last summer - Thierry's worth has not declined by £34 million in one season. I'm sick of us accepting sub-standard deals. If Milan extorted £30 million for Shevchenko, why are we letting our best player leave on the cheap.

2) He must be replaced by proven quality.

3) Make no mistake, Arsenal are a club either in or on the precipice of crisis. A hostile takeover bid looming, a long-term manager who remains cagey about his long-term future, the club captain and the greatest Arsenal player of recent times all leaving: this cannot be easily explained away.

4) Which world-class players would want to sign for Arsenal in our current state? A team who've scrapped into Champions League qualifying two years in a row, and who've just sold their talismanic captain.

I admit that I'm a natural pessimist. But who among us can really see the light at the end of this tunnel?

Why do we have to go through this every summer?

Sorry for the lack of posts of late, but can you really blame me?

Why is it like this every summer?

The targets we've been linked with disappear off to clubs who have the money, but also a willingness to take a risk on players who are invariably overpriced.

Our top players are linked to foreign clubs, and instead of categorically denying that they want to leave, they make ambiguous statements to keep their options open. This applies to both Henry and Cesc. We know you want to play in Spain one day Cesc, but telling us this every month or so is a bit much.

In the mean time, Arsene meanders around Europe signing up 16 year old kids who may be, but probably won't be the next big thing. And even if they do make it, when will this happen exactly? Not in time for next season's alleged title push.

And on top of this, we release not one, but two ghastly away kits in the course of a few weeks. Maybe, the second is an effort to fool certain players into thinking they've signed for Barca already. Having said that, if we win the Champions League in either, they will become the greatest kits of all time.

The worst thing is, we've still got 2 and half months of this to go. Who knows, maybe we'll end up signing several players of proven quality and ability, who don't need time to finish going through puberty or acclimatise to the Premiership. Maybe our captain will even realise that saying he's an Arsenal player 'at the moment', is a bit like telling your wife that your married 'for the time being'. It's not on.

I will say but a few things as we enter the silly season:

1) If you're an Arsenal player, you're an Arsenal player. It's unacceptable for you to flirt openly with other clubs, unless you want to leave, and if you want to leave have the decency to come out and say it: don't mess the fans around.

2) As it stands, the squad needs strengthening. We particularly need goalscoring midfielders, preferably players who can naturally play out on the left and right flanks.

3) If players do go, they need to be replaced by similar quality. Arsene must learn the Vieira lesson: selling top players is fine if you think they've already peaked; what isn't is not getting in new players to replace them.

4) We need someone to help Arsene in our transfer dealings. If Hammond doesn't want the job, find somebody else.

That's all I can think of for now. Hopefully some promising news will develop soon.

Another one bites the dust.

A picture says a thousand words, eh? A long-standing, reportedly, transfer target has bitten the dust. You can say £20 million is too much, and it is, but Ribery is proven quality. More often than not, you do have to pay over the odds for footballers who don't just have potential, but have cvs that show they have what it takes to challenge for trophies.

Did we even make an offer for him in the end? I doubt it. If we did it was undoubtedly a derisory amount - £10 million say - which whilst nearer to his 'real' value, is not an amount that's going to persuade as ruthless a chairman as Pape Diouf to part with one of his top players. It's silly money, but do the Arsenal board and management realise that's what you have to pay in cases such as this?

Fear not however as, apparently, we're on the verge of signing A certain Florent Malouda. Now, I actually thought Malouda was pretty poor in the world-cup, to the extent he was almost a weak link in the French team. Yet he's been doing the business in Lyon and has just been voted French player of the year; a title, lest we forget, that another illustrious former member of the club once held.

So maybe there's some hope in the department. As a left-winger, he's a player we need, and maybe he's better than I've given him credit.

Elsewhere, Freddie Ljunberg was apparently in Glasgow yesterday for discussions with Celtic. It'd be a good move for Freddie - he'd still be a real danger in the SPL. Whether we're actually going to see any money for him is another matter, and whilst I respect Arseblogger's opinion that we'll be losing a considerable wage bill if he goes, a fee for some of our players might be nice. Just a little one?

Also, apparently Cesc will leave if Wenger does (good to see some loyalty to the club there Cesc) and Thierry is roundly misquoted in today's media regarding a move abroad.

A thought for Thierry. It might be a bind, but why not organise a press conference and definitively state you'll not be off anywhere this summer. Failing that, saying Milan and Barca are 'wonderful clubs' - or statements to that effect - in almost every interview you do, isn't going to put the fans' minds at rest.

Here's hoping for some better news next week. Although Wenger's return from Sardinia seems to be the crucial factor in any progress in the market.

Season Review: The Attack.

There is actually some decent news today. Apparently we're on the verge of signing a certain Sagna from Auxerre, a player who has just been called up to the French squad and who plays at right-back. As I think that we still need a really top class right-back, I approve of these rumours; however, for now I will continue and conclude my now almost Tolstoyan season review.

Thierry Henry, 6. His worst season at Arsenal; he knows it, we know it. However that's not to say it was devoid of a few magical moments. His last minute winner against United will certainly stay with me for quite a long time, as will his goals against Blackburn and Liverpool. Questions remain though. Should he be captain? Gilberto certainly seemed to wear the armband more comfortably. Is he losing his pace or was he just unfit? If he doesn't have his electric breakout speed of old, where does he fit into the team? Despite being our record goalscorer, I'm sure Thierry will probably think he has a few things to prove next year.

Robin van Persie, 7.5. Even taking into account the fact he didn't play for half a season, Robin has more than proven himself as a top-level player this year. I still had nagging doubts about him at the beginning of the season but he seems to have it all; well, almost all. He certainly has no right-foot. He can score goals from all around the box and outside the area. Most importantly, he shoots. He knows where the goal is and he can make things happen. He can fire in magnificent screamers in the vein of his volley at Charlton, or massively important equalisers, such as against United. More than that, his team play has improved; he can certainly no longer be called selfish. The challenge for him now is to remain fit for a season, as his ability to do so is the only real question mark remaining against his name. If he can't, greater depth in our strike-force is needed.

Adebayor, 7. Yes, higher than Henry, because Ade stayed fit almost all season and chipped in with some vital goals in almost every month, including several against the Spuds, and a blissful slide finish at Old Trafford. Ade is not the type of player who the goal-scoring burden should fall upon though. He's shown this year that he knows where the net is, but he needs a RvP or a fully-firing Henry next to him in order to reach his full potential. He's very highly rated by opposition fans, which I feel says a lot about his quality, and he needs to maintain his development, and not let his ego expand too far next year.

Baptista, 5. Somewhere between genius and bafoonery lies Julio Baptista's contribution to our season, and we all know the one to which it lies closer. Legendary and semi-legendary performances at Anfield and WHL aside, he struggled almost all season due to a lack of fitness, sharpness and, unfortunately, general ball-control skills. I gave him the benefit of the doubt for a long time because he did seem to be getting into goal-scoring positions and I hoped that his nose for the poached goal might come good for us. In short, it didn't. Can't fault his effort, but it was not meant to be.

Aliadiere, 4. Worse than Baptista. Has had far too many chances to prove himself, almost to the point where you feel Arsene has indulged him a little too much. Not good enough and we need to maximise a fee for him this summer. Somehow.

Overall, 6.

The attack had plenty of quality, but not enough goals. Profligacy was the one of the key-words of our campaign with regard to the attack, as was injury. Our strikers need to take chances when they are presented to them next year, not go for the extra-pass. They need to find the target more often and also stay fit. I'm not convinced that, with Baptista and Aliadiere leaving, we have enough depth in the strike force and I'd be very happy to see some new blood come in. However, I don't think it will, and unless RvP stays fit, and the magical Thierry of old returns, we may struggle for goals again next year.

Season review: The midfield, including player of the season.

On we go...

Rosicky, 6.5, I questioned Rosicky's signing when it was announced and some of my fears have come to pass. He has been a useful addition to the squad, and has pulled out several excellent performances, but has not scored enough goals and looks wasted out on the left. He needs to play more centrally and my fear is that we may not see all he has to offer if stuck in his current position. Next year, needs more goals, but has played well enough to justify a starting position.

Hleb, 6.5, A few disjointed performances in the second half of the season don't remove the fact that Alex is a valuable and dangerous member of the squad. His goalscoring record is poor and looks unlikely to improve, but his role in the build up play to our goals is often critical. He's willing to run at defences and make things happen, which some of our other midfielders seem unwilling to do, and for that reason I'll give him more lee-way than most when it comes to losing the ball, especially as he does tackle back. Will want to improve next year, and I think he has it in him to do it.

Gilberto, 8, player of the season. More than anyone this year, Gilberto really stepped up and drove the team forward. Indeed, he's one of the few midfielders in our squad who can't be accused of not scoring enough goals. He set the tone for his season with the equaliser that he thrashed in during the opening game of the year, and rarely looked back afterwards. He's scored crucial penalties and captained the team excellently, perhaps better than the man he was standing in for. Having watched Mascherano sparkle for Liverpool, I still think that there are better holding midfielders available than Gilbs, but this should not detract from what has been an excellent season for him. A deserved player of the year if I ever saw one.

Fabregas, 7.5. Arsene asks so much of one so young, but he has already established himself as the lynch-pin of our team. He passes beautifully, can boss midfields, and always tries to win the ball if he can. His obvious deficiency is his goal tally, something which has given Gilberto the edge in my player of the season decision. He's obviously got it within himself to be a 10-15 goals a year player, and this needs to happen sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, when it does, the transfer speculation from Spain will become unbearable. Arsene should also consider whether playing him in every game is necessarily a good idea, as fatigue was obviously and understandably an issue for Cesc this year given the number of games he played. The team musn't become over-reliant on him. We need a squad that can win games in his absence, and I'm not sure that's the case at the moment.

Denilson, 5. Didn't really feature in the team heavily enough to warrant a higher score, even if he looked a very decent prospect when he did. Was understandably over-awed slightly in the bigger games he played - notably those against Chelsea - but generally held his own. Needs to develop into someone who can play effectively either with or instead of Cesc.

Diaby, 5.5. The boy has something to him, but has suffered from Arsene's desire to peddle him around the midfield. A combination of him and Cesc in central midfield would be interesting but would need time to develop. His technical skills and tackling have been, and I use this term sparingly, 'Vieira-esque' at times, although Paddy was much nearer the finished article at Abou's age. It will be interesting to see how his development progresses next year.

Freddie, 5.5. Very few goals, a lot of sitting on the ground complaining, and an inability to beat players through skill or pace should see the end of Freddie this summer. He's been a wonderful servant to the club, and he still always battles hard, but he's not cutting it anymore. Despite a few decent performances this year, he's been trading on former glories for some time.

Theo, 5. A wonderful start to the season, and a Carling Cup final goal, can't hide the fact he's looked a bit too much like a boy amongst men this year. Needs to vary how he tries to beat players, and needs more goals. Hopefully his shoulder op will see him fighting fit for what will be a very big season for him personally next year. Also, to the idiots that abuse him at The Emirates: shut up. Get behind and support a young lad with clear potential.

Flamini, 6. Quite high, I know, but I think the Flamster has been quite harshly done by. I can see his point about being dropped for finals, and he actually chipped in with quite a few goals this year. Ultimately, he's not good enough for the starting XI, but I think its a shame we'll be losing his work-rate and often tidy playing style.

Song, 4. Not as awful as everyone thinks, but not as good either. Has looked good for Charlton and may yet return to the club.


Overall, 7.

Our midfield remains our strongest area but it's still a bit of a mess. Not enough goals come from it, which has to be remedied; I would suggest this should occur via signings but also encouraging our existing squad just to have a bit more of a crack at goal. Hleb could have scored far more often this year if he knew the hairdryer treatment was waiting for him in the dressing room if he didn't. Also, Arsene'e propensity to play 4 central midfielders - two of which often no more than nominally out on the wings - has destroyed the advantage of having a wider pitch at the Grove. We need an out and out winger to come in this summer.

Still, the midfield looks more encouraging than the defence, and should only require a few new bodies, rather than major surgery.

Season Review: The Defence.

So, the great marks out of ten review begins. Avanti!

Jens, 7.

A 7 I hear you cry? Surely Jens has had a poor season, flapping about too often, his mind not always on the ball as he has no world-cup to keep sharp for. Well, rubbish, rubbish, rubbish. If Jens has had a poor season it's because he's far too often had a shambles of a defence in front of him. If a goalkeeper is, justifiably in this case, unsure of his defenders, mistakes happen. But even then, how many times has really been at fault this year? Some glaring errors are obviously notable; sometimes his penchant for streaming out of the goal does back fire - Sheff Utd away and Fulham home come to mind. But he is still capable of producing match-winning performances - Utd away, Reading at home - and we would have lost matches such as those against Chelsea if not for superb last minute saves. In short, he's still a keeper who win matches and he remains one of the best about.

Almunia, 6.

There's a phrase you can use for quite a few of our player this season: 'solid but not spectacular'. Unfortunately Manuel falls squarely into this category. He's done reasonably enough when called upon, even if I'm worried that alternating goalkeepers is not a strategy which breeds defensive stability. Arsene should have chosen one and stuck with them. The feeling I persistently get with Almunia is that he is a fairly reliable keeper, but not one that will win the team matches. I still think he could have kept out the first goal in the Carling Cup final. That's why I don't think he's no.1 material, and also why calls in some quarters to drop Jens earlier in the season were unfair. And with the signing of Fabianski, Manuel must surely be reviewing his situation.

Hoyte, 5.

Perhaps a little harsh, I must admit, but I struggle to think of what Justin really offered the team this year. Stability at the back? Perhaps, but only in contrast to Eboue. Justin has hardly set the world on fire, perhaps understandably given his position, and he's never really looked a defensive rock. He's come on a long way this season, but he needs to improve considerably to convince me of his abilities.

Eboue, 6.

He has been the better of the right backs this season, offering far more going forward, and contributing more to the team's general play. Yet the diving remains; the theatrics remain; he switches off defensively far too often. Eboue looks the greater prospect of out of our two right-backs, but it would be an area I would improve with signings.

Senderos, 5.

After ostensibly forcing his way into the first team last year with several strong performances in the Champions League run, Phillipe has had a torrid season. Aside from several more than reasonable performances in the Carling Cup, he's been unable to really break back into the team due to the signing of Gallas and a spate of injuries. He could well go in the summer, if not next season, if his luck doesn't change. Yet I still think Phil has the makings of a world class defender. I also think that Gallas and Senderos might be our strongest centre back partnership. If Arsene isn't going to use him, a tall centre-back with aerial dominance should be a priority, as our present inability to deal with set-pieces is embarrassing.

Kolo, 6.

We all love him don't we; everyone loves a trier and you know that you'll always get 100% from Kolo. But without a tall dominant player next to him, Kolo looked shaky on a number of occasions last year. Could it be that his position as a fans' favourite has muddied our perception of his defensive abilities? I think maybe. I know he'll certainly be looking to improve next season, as he's been at fault for a number of goals this year. Dropping him still seems almost inconceivable, however, which is not always a good thing.

Gallas, 6.

Hasn't performed to the level we've hoped, but has not been as bad as many people claim. Remains a better centre back than Kolo, and must be baffled by our inability to organise our defence after his time at Chelsea. As it is, if we don't win anything next season, he will leave. Must stop mouthing off in the press, even if his comments often have a strong kernel of truth to them. (not the bits about 'The Great William Gallas', by the way.)

Djourou, 6.

I continue to be impressed by Johann, even if he, again, can't head too well. Very comfortable with the ball at his feet and has an excellent sense of defensive timing. Will look to break into the first team a bit more next year.

Clichy, 7.

One of the real bright spots of last year was watching Gael emerge into a more than adequate replacement for 'he who shall not be named'. He can tackle, pass and get forward, even if his crossing is an area for improvement. In short, he is willing to work hard and he has the ability to go with it. I'm genuinely excited about the continuation of his development next year and he's convinced me that he's a potentially world-class left-back.

Traore, 5.

Very young and showed it, andt 17 it could really go either way. Currently better going forward than defensively, he may find his opportunities severely limited by Clichy.


Overall, 5.5.

Our defence was a constant source of weakness last year. It was unable to deal with set-pieces and aerial threats, it constantly looked poorly organised, and it seemed to be able to let teams score with their own shot on goal - quite the party trick. Organisation and steel is needed, as is a decision regarding whether Gallas and Kolo are compatible. Because even if we get a few goal-scoring midfielders in, their impact will be blunted if we continue to concede so cheaply.

What's a Hleb worth? Ribery and Reo-Coker

A predictably controversial league-table of player rankings in the Premiership was released in The Times today. Here are the full-rankings. Here is the methodology.

It's hard to argue with all of it. Gilberto was certainly - as I will be discussing later in the week - our player of the season. I would also rank Jens as the second best premiership goalkeeper. Whilst it's slightly harsh to rank him as our worst player, I think that Freddie's position goes someway to showing what a poor season he's had. One wonders how far up the table RvP would be if he'd been able to play 75%+ of the season. The low-quality of our right-backs is also justifiably emphasised.

Indeed, the main controversy lies with one player: Msr Hleb's position as our third best premiership player this season, and the tenth-best overall Premiership player.

While the statistics certainly overstate the case (he's not better than Cesc, obviously) what I do think the table shows is how undervalued Alex is to the team. Ok, so to say he doesn't like shooting would be an understatement, as would be that he does give the ball away on occasion. But he often loses the ball trying to drive the team forward, and his abilities as a tackler and a battler are often uncommented on. I've often said he's the master of the 'secondary assist', the defence splitting pass which leads to an assist - passes which are absolutely crucial to goals. I always thought he's an asset to the team and an underrated player, not just in terms of our own side but in the Premiership as a whole. I'm sure he can help us win things, even if a few more goals would be nice.

In terms of transfer rumours, the Franck Ribery signing has re-emerged as a possibility, after last week when it appeared his sale to Bayern was a done deal. I'm not entirely convinced he will answer our current problem of a lack of goals from midfield, but he clearly has quality to him. I'm not sure we need another technically-gifted yet low-scoring midfielder, and I expect him to sign for Bayern on completion of Hargreaves' sale to United.

Finally, Nigel Reo-Coker has, apparently, eyed up either us or United as potential destinations, after reportedly handing in a transfer request. At most, he would be a vastly expensive replacement for Flamini, and we can get far more for the amount we'd have to pay. Moreover, do we really players of his character? Egotistical charlatans more concerned with collecting 'Baby-Bentleys' the grafting on the pitch? I think not.

Season Review: The Year of False Dawns

A bank holiday weekend seems a good time to start the Goonerboy season review. Today, part one: a general review. This will be followed by some player ratings later in the week.

So why false dawns? Because this season has been absolutely chocked full of them. When? Well, how's about Baptista's four goals at Anfield. Adebayor's winner at Old Trafford. Henry's last gasp goal against United in January. The 3-1 drubbing of the Pool in the Cup at Anfield, followed by the victory against Bolton in the fourth-round replay. Perhaps even the 'easy' draw against PSV in the Champions League.

Put simply, there have been several moments over the course of the year where we've looked like a trophy-winning team; and by that I meant trophies within the actual season, not just victories at some indeterminate future date. But these moments, these 'false dawns' have been followed by crushing medicority and, well, failure.

I've talked about the 'false idols' of Anfield before - Baptista and Aliadiere - but, if nothing else, they were crucial to our only real success this season - reaching and almost beating Chelsea in the Carling Cup final. What followed that false dawn was the realisation that Baptista and Aliadiere are not, actually, very good. And our, understandable, inability to turnover a senior Chelsea team in Cardiff.

The two encouraging victories in the FA Cup were followed by two damp squibs of a performance against a Blackburn team we should have beaten. We didn't and the pain-fest that was the FA Cup final followed.

The 'easy' draw against PSV was followed by two of our worst performances of the season and our defeat to a very ordinary team, the type we must overcome easily if we're serious about winning the Champions League. Our exit in the Champions League ended what I called a 'make or break week' for the club, with the Carling Cup final, FA Cup replay and PSV 2nd leg all in one week. Needless to say we broke.

And finally, our enigmatic victories over United in the League. These were, for me, the undoubted highlight of the season; the atmosphere at the end of the match at the Grove was particularly incredible, the majority not only staying til the end but singing the team off with all their might.

But then what followed? Lots of games we dominated, should have won, but didn't. Away matches we lost, in which we either didn't turn up or were thumped. The lowlight of the season came in one of these games, a 4-1 thumping at Anfield were we looked out of ideas and like a bunch of boys against men.

The season has been disappointing because it promised so much; a kind of positive in a way. The end of last season was marked by our, almost, triumphant Champions League run, and stealing fourth place on the last day. This year we treaded water in the league for about three months. All the hope from last season evaporated at a painfully early stage.

Our squad this year was good enough to get a top four league position this year and no more. For me, that's not good enough. Yes, we've had injuries, and pretty devastating ones at that - which teams wouldn't suffer from losing players of the calibre of Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie - but there seems to me a horrible gnawing feeling that the problems run slightly deeper.

Our play seems as one dimensional as ever; we don't have enough goalscorers in the squad; there is virtually no coherence in our defence; we still don't have enough experienced players in the squad.

For me, we need a few new players. Attacking goalscoring wingers, not just converted central midfielders, are critical; a right back which can both defend and go forward would be nice; a replacement for the Beast who isn't a still pretty inexperienced 19 year old would be welcome; a dominating, tall centre-back should also be an option (if Arsene no longer has faith in Senderos). But who among us is really confident Arsene will spend this summer?

Overall, and even if our squad isn't significantly added to, we still have a fine, and in some cases exceptionally good, set of player. Hopefully, the promise of last season can be realised last year; but, as I've suggested, I think the squad needs strengthening.

Anyway, here's hoping we see a few more headers like Thierry's, and an absence, if possible, of those from the Alexs of this footballing world; a season of actual achievement, not just the promise of it.

The ticket problems in Athens should concern all clubs, Poom/Hleb/Torres

I can't help but give a wider focus to today's entry in light of the events in Athens, because what took place there surely effects, or should effect, all football fans, and in particular those who attend games across Europe. Namely, the problem that is Uefa's inability to properly organise show-piece European football matches.

As far as I can tell, this was the situation. An 80,000 capacity stadium was reduced to 63,000, partly due to certain rows being affected by large advertising hoardings. Of the remaining tickets, only 34,000 were given to supporters of the two clubs. Of these, only 11,000 were put on something resembling general sale to Liverpool supporters.

At least 40,000 Liverpool supporters descended on Athens and were faced with a stadium with no turnstiles, with inadequate ticket checks, and with, yet again, a police force who seemed only too happy to fire tear gas and bash people over the head, with the slightest, or even without, any provocation.

Thousands of ticket-holding supporters were locked out of the ground and understandably angry; thankfully the Liverpool end was shut before it became dangerously overcrowded. In short, we should all be grateful that a disaster was averted.

Now Liverpool and its fans must share some culpability. Fans who rushed gates and got into the stadium were endangering themselves and their fellow fans and the club should have put more tickets on sale to its supporters.

But Uefa must take the lions share of the blame.

Firstly, and in a move reminiscent of the allocation in our final last year, taking over half the ground for corporate supporters or 'neutrals' is obscene. Ok, it's their competition; but clubs and their supporters should always come first. Not the prawn sandwich brigade. If you give out ludicrously small allocations to massive fan bases, don't protest innocence when all hell breaks loose.

Secondly, when will Uefa learn that regardless of their desire to give as many countries as possible the chance to host these occasions, put simply, many are not able to properly host games such as these. Their stewards aren't good enough; their police are overly heavy handed; their grounds can't deal with the requirements of thousands of ticketless fans descending upon them.

So, while Uefa are undoubtedly correct to criticise the behaviour of Liverpool fans, what did they expect to happen in the circumstances? 30,000 ticketless fans to play nice?

Increase ticket allocations to fans; train stewards and riot police to a general European standard of how to monitor and police these games; ensure stadiums are adequate to control the movement of fans in and out of them. That really shouldn't be too much to ask in the early 21st century. I say this because next year, when we hopefully reach the final, the game is at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, and I have fears about how the Russian police will deal with a situation like the one that arose in Athens. Uefa have to note and deal with the crowd problems that have arisen in this year's competition, not just lash out and blame fans for the organisation's own shortcomings.

Anyway, rant over.

Bits and bobs continue to float about regarding us, some more concrete than others. It would seem that the Mart 'Poomenator' Poom will be leaving this summer, with Watford as a possible destination. Lest we forget, Mart has been a very loyal servant of the club, and technically has a 100% clean sheet record in the Premiership. 1 out of 1 to be precise. heh.

Elsewhere, the first ludicrous swap deal of the summer has emerged, with Tribal Football contending that Hleb and Ljunberg + cash = Fernando Torres. While I would dearly love for us to get hold of a player of Torres's quality, it's pretty unlikely that this is going to happen. Hleb, even if you're a Hleb-hater, is not going anywhere this summer. And even if Freddie should be, and Reyes was used a makeweight in such a deal, I'm not holding my breath.

Finally, as Ade has had his supension from the Togolese national team lifted, we seem to be resigned to losing him for all of next January. Why they have to hold the ACoN every 2 years is beyond me. Something Arsene should consider more when signing players?

So long to the 'Beast', Bent, Bale, and Tony's dream

Reports from the Beast's mouth seem to confirm that it's so long and thanks for the couple of goals. You have to feel for the poor guy in a way, especially if he's deluded enough to think he 'adapted well' to English football. Injured on his arrival, never able to get into the team when he did build up some form, and then expected to be our main goalscoring threat for the second half of the season. I should imagine that he won't be at Real for too long; they'll probably flog him to a mid-table Spanish team, or even back to South America, post-haste.

Arsene is out in Madrid at the moment, which led to an unusually panicky post from Blogger regarding Cesc's future. While I share his belief that Cesc will be back playing in Spain at some point in the future, I think he'll stick with us for a few years yet, if not the entire 8 of his current 'monsta monsta' contract. Hopefully it was just a quick plate of tapas and a little bit of chit chat while he was out there.

A player who Arsene has undoubtedly been discussing while in Madrid is Senor Reyes. Hopefully Atletico will be willing to take him off our hands, for somewhere in the region of £10 million. A line needs to be drawn under that saga, as it's clear that Jose does not want to return.

One player we've been linked with today is Darren Bent. I remember last season dismissing, rather pompously, any suggestion that we should sign Andy Johnson, who then went on to bag rather more goals than some of our strike force this year. Bent is young and proven in the Premiership. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised to see him go to Liverpool or United this summer. He'll be expensive, but not as much as many seem to be suggesting, and if he's a proven goal-scorer in the Premiership, doesn't that make him, well, worth it?

Gareth Bale is, according to the BBC website, having a medical with the Spuds as we speak. Such a waste of talent if this is true.

Tony Adams has stated that it is his dream to manage Arsenal. Maybe so. But It's my dream to play no10 for Arsenal; dreams don't always come true. Frankly, his record in management has been abysmal, and his post-career conduct with the club has left a lot to be desired. Maybe in ten years time he'll have proven himself as a top-level manager, but I think it's unlikely.

Predictably last night's match was nothing like the last one. Liverpool dominated the first half yet went in behind at half-time after a flukey sucker-punch of a goal. Benitez has to hold his hands up and admit culpability rather than angrily demand transfer funds. If players of the ilk of Zenden, Bellamy, Pennant (who I actually thought played OK) and Crouch aren't good enough then he only has himself to blame. He bought them for no small amounts of cash. Playing 4-5-1 with Kuyt up front also left Liverpool with no bite in the final third. Indeed, their dominance of possession and inability to score was eerily reminiscent of many of our matches this year. In some ways, Benitez over thought his own plans.

Anyway commiserations to them; we all know what it's like to lose a final 2-1. And that Milan are even in the competition this year borders on a disgrace. Calcio, eh? Bloody hell.

Oh for it to be a year today... and contracts, contracts, contracts.

Or, to be more precise, for it to be May 15 2006. Or to be even more precise, any moment on that day before Mr Eto'o and co. decided to break the hearts of Gooner's around the globe.


It's hard to know what to expect from tonight's match. Those promoting the match have, of course, hyped it up as the mother of all re-matches, with action from that memorable 3-3 disgorged all over the TV at the moment. What they didn't show were the turgid, boring performances these two have often knocked out over the years in the Champions League. Anyone remember Milan's victory in 2003? I'd rather not. And the standard of play in the recent Chelski Liverpool semi was hardly scintillating.

Benitez is a very astute tactician and my money is on him playing conservatively, hoping to squeeze out a 1-0 against a Milan side who are likely to give little away. It might be a game where both managers try to nullify the others most dangerous player: expect to see Gattuso snapping at Gerrard's ankles, and Mascherano sticking to Kaka like the proverbial glue. The victors in those contests could decide the match.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Benitez play Gerrard, Mascherano and Alonso together, with possibly only one up-front, lining up his team in a 4-1-3-1-1. If he does, the game will be very tight and cagey; and not necessarily enjoyable.

Who knows, maybe Milan will score and the game will open up; we'll have to wait and see.

In Arsenal related news, it's been a week or so of new contracts. Ade, Eboue and Bendtner have all been handed the customary 'long-term deals', effectively ruling us out of any purchases in the right-back or forward area this summer.

Bendtner should become Baptista's replacement and he's a player with a lot to prove. Despite his goals, I've seen some distinctly middling performances from him at Birmingham. He's clearly got something to him, but whether it's the ability to really perform at a top four club is questionable. And don't believe for a minute the stories of him being linked to Milan or other top sides: those all emanate from his agent, who is also his father. I would say his 'signing' probably means we won't go into the market for a new striker. When fit, we have a pretty decent quartet of strikers now in Henry, RvP, Ade and Bendtner. Here's hoping they can actually stay fit, this year.

Eboue also needs to step up next season. No-one is questioning his ability to get forward and be an attacking threat, but his defensive abilities are still far too suspect for my liking. Maybe he can learn from Clichy and improve this year. Either way, and despite his frequent theatrics, Arsene clearly has a great deal of faith in Manu.

Elsewhere we've, predictably, signed a young, unknown player to potentially be Jens's successor. Whether Fabianski can do this or not is anyone's guess; he could be the new Petr Cech or the new Richard Wright. It would be nice if just once we bought in some established talent.

There are a few stories floating around regarding potential transfer targets. Michael Owen has been mooted but I really don't think Arsene would go for him now. I should imagine Owen will have to stay at Newcastle for at least one more year to show some gratitude for the support the club has given him thusfar. Other than that it's the usual mix of unknown French midfielders, with Gareth Bale throw in on top (so to speak).

I still think we need more players but very little seems definite at the moment. If I get any HOT rumours I'll let you know. And hopefully my website won't break down in the process....

Neither Baptista nor Arsenal good enough as season finally comes to an end.

So here we are finally, the polar opposite to the end of last season. No fireworks displays; no thrilling comebacks; no Henry; no Champions League final. Just turgid, wasteful football, played by a bunch of youngsters and underachievers.

And it had to be him as well, didn't it. It had to be Baptista stepping up to cap off his extraordinarily poor season . Three out of three penalty misses is no mean fit for a player supposedly worth over £10 million, perhaps even £15 million. And in many ways, Baptista is the iconic figurehead of our season: over-hyped, profligate in front of goal, wasteful in possession, and, more than anything, not coming anywhere near the hopes we had last May. You have to feel for the guy - I certainly don't think it's from lack of trying that he's been so poor this year - but it must be recognised that he's been no where near the required standard. And even if he leaves, which he must, who's the replacement going to be? An exciting, proven goalscorer? An Eto'o, or even a Huntelaar? No, I should imagine it will be Bendtner, who has hardly set the Championship on fire this season, despite the statements from his publicity hungry agent/father.

I read back through some of my posts from June/July last year, and there was a real buzz and hope for this season. Unfortunately, the performance yesterday encapsulated much of the frustrating, and, it has to be said, pretty average football we've seen from the team this year. Why send out such a weakened team? It was almost an insult to the fans who'd travelled down to watch the game. We could have snatched third place yesterday, with Liverpool only able to draw against Charlton, but it was hard to see how we could have beaten Portsmouth, let alone score a goal, with the personnel we put out yesterday.

It looks like there will be a clear out this summer, but my concern remains that we won't buy proven quality to replace the outgoing players. Yesterday was not a one-off, and even taking into account injuries, it shows the lack of depth in the squad. The bench might as well have been for the under-18s side, and it was hardly surprising that Arsene didn't delve into it.

So another season of transition ends, but the return of the club to a position where we can really challenge for trophies hardly seems that much closer. Perhaps, with Henry, RvP, and Rosicky all fully fit and firing on all cylinders, things might be different next year. But I think we need some new players of proven quality in the mix. Otherwise we could be in for a few more days like yesterday.

Nike's new advertising campaign insults Arsenal's history

No, that's not a photoshop picture. That's the new logo for the Nike advertising campaign, soon to be unleashed upon us.

Now, call me a sceptic, but I very much doubt Nike can communicate with the dead. Who knows, maybe they can; maybe Derren Brown is actually, secretly, a Nike employee.

But, apparently, they can tell what Herbert Chapman would want for our club, or at least what he have approved.

What's the best way to launch an innovation? Dress it up and package it as tradition. So when Nike release their new -and I'm pretty sure it must be white - away kit on us in a few weeks time, they have appropriated a legendary figure from our past, on the basis of the fact he also altered the kit and introduced revolutionary measures that pushed the club forward.

So Nike now as much as what's good for the club as Mr Chapman did. But why stop there? Nike obviously care about our club as much as he did. Why don't they do away with the red and white shirts as well? Why don't they bring out a pink polka-dot away shirt that looks really nice with distressed jeans when you're out with your mates having a pint.

All in the name of progress! All in the name of profit! That's what I say.

This was the essential point I made in my protest against the white shirt last week. Nameless suits working for big corporations who care nothing for the club, aside from the money they can make from it, are trying to milk us for all we're worth, and eroding the few traditions we have left. And in doing so, they're launching propaganda efforts, such as the one above, to win over the weak-minded.

So, fine. If you think it looks pretty, go out and buy the new white shirt. But I'm sick of these people miking our club for their financial ends, and appropriating figures from our history as they see fit. I won't by the shirt if its not yellow, and I hope you don't either, because I think the issue is larger than the shirt.

Arsenal 1 - Chelsea 1: Schadenfreude is not enough.

I expected a niggly, frustrating game full of snide challenges and I guess that's exactly what we were served up at the Grove yesterday, in a match and atmosphere full of venom.

Coming up the steps to the stadium, it was clear the crowd were up for this one: inflatable mobile-phones were in abundance, as were chants relating to Msr. Cole. It's a shame that it took a pretty visceral hatred of one of our ex players to motivate the crowd into an atmosphere, but there you go.

Indeed, real enmity was palpable yesterday. Whether it be the chants of 'Liv-ah-poool' coming from the Arsenal fans or the 'que sera, sera' chants from the Chelsea fans; whether it be Steve Clarke making gestures of 'zero' (trophies) to the Arsenal fans as he trooped off the field, or Mourinho, Lampard or Terry all 'clapping' the Arsenal fans' hail of abuse as they exited; whether it be Terry spitting abuse at the referee at any given opportunity and Lampard niggling and winding up the opposition (particularly Cesc) from the get-go; whether it be Arsenal fans celebrating at the end, not jubilant at our team winning, but at preventing Chelsea from a league triumph.

It was all rather pathetic. We can mock Chelsea for a lack of class, and they have little - Terry is possibly the most despicable individual to captain the national team in my life-time, and his manager's actions at the end perhaps only emphasise why so many people revelled in Chelsea's failure yesterday - but to revel in the misfortune of others - schadenfreude - makes us little better than those Spurs fans who celebrate every draw against us like a title winning moment. Our club, and our fans, should be better than that.

Somewhere amongst this a scrappy game of football was played; not one I particularly wish to dwell upon, I must say.

We started with a four central midfielders playing in midfield, one of which - Denilson - who we hadn't seen for some time. Why Wenger decided that now would be the moment to drop/rest Hleb is beyond me. A game like this would be the ideal forum for his trickery, and whilst he bottled one chance at the end, he had another effort well saved by Cech, and he created opportunities against a stretched Chelsea back line.

The BBC described Chelsea's performance as 'remarkable', and they certainly showed a great spirit to maintain some form of cohesion throughout the second half. They didn't deserve to win, however, and what was more remarkable (or predictable) was our inability to put the game to bed. We spurned chance after chance - Adebayor and Gallas being particularly culpable - and whilst our midfield quartet played some lovely football, it was another case of profligacy coming home to haunt us. Predictably, after missing our chances, we let Chelsea back into the game and they took their chance with a professionalism that emphasises why they're above us in the league this year. And had it not been for a superb save by Jens in the dying moments, it could have been worse.

Chelsea didn't look particularly special, but defended and harried well. Mikel looks a real prospect and Essien was excellent, again. What I wish, and what I think puts Chelsea down in so many persons estimation, is their constant gamesmanship, their constant sniping. Kicking the ball away at free-kicks, throwing the ball past players instead of too them when free-kicks are conceded, feigning injury, harrying the referee, constant fouling: it's all there and Wiley did very little, aside from the deserved sending off, to deal with it. Undoubtedly, Cesc will be pilloried for throwing the ball at Lampard - but he had thrown the ball at him to start with, and Lampard seemed the more interested in continuing and exacerbating the Carling Cup spat. But then I suppose Lampard is English and Cesc is Spanish, so I doubt the media will do anything aside from absolve Lampard of any sins, yet again.

So, in some ways, it was obviously delightful to stop this current Chelsea side from winning the league. They play dull, financially 'doped' football, full of gamesmanship and devoid of any real flair.

But schadenfreude is not enough. In two years we've sunk to the level of our great rivals, revelling in the failures of our, presently, more successful neighbours.

I stayed and clapped the team during their post-match, post-season 'lap of celebration/thanks/something' but that the stadium was half-empty said a lot. We must do better next year. We need new players and perhaps some fresh ideas. But more on that in the weeks to follow, I hope.

Resist the monstrous white kit!

You've probably seen this over on Arseblog already, but I thought I'd add my own slice of vitriol to the matter.

Quite simply, this will not do. I'm sick and tired of Nike and the other myriad corporations running modern football disregarding history and the desire of most football fans in the pursuit of a quick buck.

Yes, we hardly kicked up a fuss when 'Fly Emirates/O2/JVC etc' was plastered over the shirt and now stadium, even if I wish they weren't there. Yes, we may have played a few seasons in a white shirt before (although I would like someone to actually supply me with dates on this). Yes, from an objective viewpoint, the shirt is aesthetically not awful. And Yes, I did, as I knew it would only be a one-off, buy the redcurrant shirt.

But I want yellow. I want the colour of Arsenal's truly historic away kit. Ok, for the last few years we've played in Blue (didn't like), Green (no-one liked) and, apparently, white.

But I want the colour Charlie George had on when he scored in 71; the colour Sunderland and Brady wore in '79; the colour Thomas wore at Anfield in '89; the colour Overmars, Wiltord (essentially) and Adey wore in our recent victories up at OT; the colour Thierry wore as he ripped apart the Madrid defence last year. The real colour of The Arsenal when we're away from home.

I would prefer Yellow and Blue, naturally, but Yellow (predominantly) and the recent grey/black has been acceptable. Other colours are not Arsenal colours: they are nike colours. Do not forget this.

There will be many on here who undoubtedly think 'I quite like the kit' or 'it's only a kit' or 'you're living in the past maaan'. But the colours of the club are its most basic call to arms, the visible, essential means of uniting its fans to its players: they are a massive part of the way a club defines itself.

Arsenal in all white? No thank you. What team is that? I wouldn't recognise them.

Remember: our famous green kit failed due to low sales. I urge you, if you care at all about maintaining the few traditions we have left at the club, DO NOT BUY THIS KIT. That's the only language Nike understand.

It's funny really. I was quite up for buying the away kit this year. Oh well, let's hope Nike see sense, or that this isn't actually the kit.