Day: April 28, 2008

Cesc, Clichy, Sagna And Ade Do Well At PFA. Derby Preview

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal2 Comments

Well done to Cesc Fabregas, who last night won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award. He had this to say:

“To win a personal award reflects the season we have had as a team,” he said. “Everyone said that it is disappointing not to win anything but we have made a big step forward in experience, physically and mentally. One of us deserved to win something because we played some very good football.

“What matters at the end of the day is a trophy. We didn’t win one this season but we will be up for it next season. I think we will win something, of course.”

 That’s what we want to hear Cesc! He also gave his support to Gallas:

“You have to respect William for what he has done in football and what he is doing now, for me he is doing a good job. For me, the most important thing is giving everything on the pitch”

I think that is a fair statement, Gallas has done a good job on the pitch apart from a few slip ups, although I’m not sure he’ll be captain next year.

Cesc Fabregas, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy & Emmanuel Adebayor were also named in the Premier League Team of the Year, the most from any team. Wenger reacted to the praise here saying:

“If you ask any Arsenal fan what they think of Clichy and Sagna I think you will have unanimous praise.”

Derby preview here. Fabianski will start and we may see some other younger faces, Bendtner might start, and Walcott will too I guess. Eboue has said he wants to repay Wenger’s faith in him, maybe we will see him tonight too.

Flamini Leaves Arsenal?? Wenger Delighted With Clichy

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

There’s a report here which seems to claim that Flamini has agreed to join Milan. The wording isn’t very clear, I’m not really sure if Flamini has agreed to go to AC, but it may have happened. This is the first I’ve heard of anything. Waiting for an official confirmation.

To be honest I don’t believe it, but Flamini could well be leaving.

On a more positive note, Gael Clichy, one of our most consistently excellent players this year has been praised by Wenger. Le Boss is mainly happy that Gael proved he could play a whole season without injury, as earlier in his career, and play so well:

“I am very positive with Gael because he loves the game and, every day after training, he’s out there practising to improve,”

“There was a question mark about whether Gael would last the season – but he has played more games than anyone else. He had three operations on his metatarsal and he had already undergone hernia surgery, and we were concerned over whether he would be capable to absorb so many games with such a slight frame.

“The big victory for me this year is not that he has played well – I expected him to play well – but that he could absorb a complete season at the top level without any rest.”

He thinks that Gael has a lot more to show, and can play for France:

“There is still more in there. When you see the game he produced at Old Trafford, you think ‘oh, there’s more in the locker, because he takes more responsibility.”

“It was a top-class performance, not only football wise but character – he showed a non acceptance of the defeat when we were down 2-1. He was the one who really moved forward.”

“I believe Clichy is very, very close to the national team. I think he should be in the team, for me. He should be competing with Evra and Abidal.”

“He is the youngest one, he will be 23 years old this year – and don’t forget he was injured for a while. But he has hit many people with his performance at Old Trafford.”

Clichy is another player, like Flamini, who has been outstanding this year, his runs diwn the wing have been the source of many goals.

He is pacy, energetic, great in attack and defence and good at passing, crossing, heading and running at defenders and beating them.

An amazing player, I think he is a great example to all the players of someone with a great work ethic for the team!