Author: jamesgillesp

Flamini, Adebayor’s Agent and Potential Transfer Targets

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

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We haven’t heard anything official about Flamini, but if he hasn’t signed by now he is as good as gone. There are unsupported rumours from the Corriere Dello Sport that he has told the team he has chosen Milan. Who knows?

GilbertoSilver thinks that we might have a perfect replacement for Flamini in Kolo Toure. Arguably our most versatile player, I saw huim play up front in his early days! I think he could do a job for us there, it would be convienent because his partnership with Gallas seems a little shaky at times.

I would quite like to see Michael Johnson, the England Under-21 midfield player signed up. We have been linked to him as well as Gareth Barry to replace Flamini. Man Citeh are in turmoil at the moment as their owner, Thaksin Sinawatra has decided to sack Sven, because he didn’t do well enough this year (wait, we are talking about City here right??), a valuble lesson against outright foreign ownership.

Anyway it seems Flamini may start against Everton on Sunday, no matter what his status is.

Adebayor’s agent has also been worrying Wenger by fueling transfer speculation about Ade:

“Today he is happy at Arsenal, he showed it on Monday. But you know football, everything goes very quickly.”

Just money grabbing in my opinion, there’s no reason Ade would leave Arsenal, so don’t listen.

Also, Van Persie is going to miss the Everton game:

“We don’t want to gamble at this stage of the season on a muscular problem. We had a little alert but it is not big at all.”

Fair enough, RVP has struggled badly with injuries these last few years. Maybe a rest will help him recover, I hope Holland get knocked out of Euro 2008 early!!

Clichy Talks And Where Is Flamini?

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

Morning,

I have to ask the question, where is Flamini?? I don’t think he has signed a new deal if we haven’t heard from him today, but thats the thing, we haven’t heard anything from him! So we shall have to wait and see, I only hope we won’t miss him too much if he has gone.

Clichy talks about the transfer rumours saying:

“It’s up to everyone to think what they want to do.

“But we’ve got so many examples of players who leave to win the Champions League and titles, and that didn’t prove them right.

So true Clich, how many times have we seen ex-Arsenal players falter elsewhere. He went on to praise the squad, and their belief:

“I think that we have to believe in the quality we have in the team at the moment.“I believe in it, most players believe in it and I’m sure we can do it.

“So we just have to stick together and work hard because with the team we have, we’re so young, the future is in front of us and we’re going to do something great that’s for sure.”

Thats the sort of thing we want to hear, inspiring stuff, and it’s all true!

There’s a good season review here, which points out the fact that we played very well for most of the season and should be positive about next season.

We’ve taken Ergotelis’ 16-year-old striker Nikos Karelis on trial according to Setanta. At the weekend he became the youngest player ever to play in a Greek Super League game. One for the future if we do take him on.

Eboue wants to keep his spot on the wing, after a lot of critcism this year.

“I have worked very hard to change my game to be able to play in midfield. Now, I want to keep playing there and keep improving to become a better right midfielder.

“I need to do better and be more effective next season. I want to show the coach that he got it right by asking me to play there. I want to pay him back.”

I think he is a decent defender, but he hasn’t impressed me at all on the wing. His passing and shooting are not up to scratch, many times he has found himself in front of goal, only to fluff the shot. He also dives a bit.

I don’t hate him, just don’t think he should play on the wing. You can’t say he hasn’t tried.

Arsenal Players Look to The Future As Theo’s Girl Slags Off WAGs

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal2 Comments

Cesc rues the dropping of points here

“For us, it is already next season now”

He said we would come back stronger:

“because we are young, because we want to play, because we are hungry for titles”.

I can see where he’s coming from, you can see in the desire we showed the season that next year we will be raring to go, I am sure the team will want to put this disappointment out of their minds.

Adebayor echoes his sentiments here:

“What was also important is that we sent out a message to our rivals that despite all the disappointments we have had in the past couple of months we are sticking together and showing that we are getting better and better.

“This season we may end up with nothing – but it will not look the same this time next year.”

Meanwhile Wenger believes we were “one game away” from being champions this year:

“I feel we were one game away in this championship. If we win at Old Trafford, we are champions. It’s just one game, and in that game we were 1-0 up and we had two or three chances to score the second goal, so you cannot say we had a bad season. We have 77 points and we have won championships with 78.”

This is so true, we are only 4 points off the leaders, and if we had won at Old Trafford then that would put us on 80 and Man U on 78. Anyway, no point thinking of missed chances, just take the desire into next season and unleash our amazing football on the Premiership!

Wenger was pleased with Adebayor’s performance against Derby, and had this to say on his 30 goal man:

“There is more in the locker than what he is doing at the moment, but how much I don’t know. If he repeats that year in, year out, that’s a mark of class.”

Adebayor deserves the praise a top class striker, he is young and in his first big season he has been excellent. If you agree then say so, because Ade gets a bit of stick on the web!

He had a less positive comment about the Flamster, who is probably going,

“I’m waiting for him to come back to me and tell me whether he’s going”

In other news, Theo Walcott’s bird, Melanie Slade, has criticised the so-called WAGs:

“I hate the stereotype – the shopping all day long, the short dresses and massive sunglasses.

“The wannabes who are so desperate to sleep with a footballer have no respect for themselves, no ambition, nothing.”

Apparently Theo calls her “waggy” when he wants to insult her! Haha, very good, nice to see some sensible comments about people like Cheryl Cole…

Thats all from me!

Let me know what you think about Adebayor and his 30 goals!

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Derby Highlights: Six Goals and Third Place is Ours

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal2 Comments

An easy win at Pride Park saw Adebayor grab a second half hattrick, taking him to 30 goals this season, to secure at least a third place finish for the Arse.

Derby 2-6
(HT 1-2)		 Arsenal
McEveley 31
Earnshaw 77		 Bendtner 25
Van Persie 39
Adebayor 59
Walcott 78
Adebayor 81
Adebayor 90

The game was enjoyable, unless you were a Derby fan, we played well without ever really moving out of second gear.

For highlights click here.

Derby came at us in the first half but the game didn’t start at a great pace, neither side had much to play for. We rested players, Denilson starting in midfield, and Walcott on the left, with Bendtner and RVP upfront.

Went 1-0 up through a defensive mistake allowed RVP to set up Bendtner, but Derby equalised soon after through a knock down from a free kick crossed into the box.

Another defensive error from Derby, saw Van Persie leave his marker, and chest down a lovely ball from Toure in the penalty area and place the ball in the top right at close range.

Van Persie strained his thigh, so was taken off for Adebayor at half time.

Van Persie just keeps struggling to recover. He has been out for most of this season. He is an amazing player, just never seems fit for us.. I hope he can get over it for next year, because with him in the side we are much much more dangerous in attack.

Ade scored his first after half time, only for Derby to sneak one back through Rob Earnshaw. We immediately stepped up the gears and scored 2 more, a lovely goal from Walcott, and Ade’s second. We were just toying with Derby creating numerous chances and passing excellently.

Adebayor got his hattrick in extra time after a defence splitting pass from Fabregas allowed him to take it past Carroll and put it in the net.

Wenger had this to say:

“This team has a great future, I believe we were really unlucky not to win something this year.

“It is always a problem not to win trophies but I love this team, love the way they behave and the way they play.

“This was a typical Arsenal display, we were always dangerous and were good technically. They all impressed me.”

Here’s to the future..

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!

Hleb Talks About His Future

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal3 Comments

Hleb did an interview today in the Sunday Times, he said this:

“Who knows what will happen?”“All I can say is that I enjoy the game here and enjoy playing for Arsenal. There is more to come from this team and from me.”

This is his first response to the rumours that he might be leaving Arsenal this summer. It does hint that he might be staying, but he isn’t giving any direct answers.

Hleb also talks about winning more, and getting some silverware:

“We have to accept that sometimes victory will not look beautiful, we need to learn to play to win, not just play the beautiful game. The win is more important than beauty and my feeling is that playing the beautiful game is no compensation for not winning a trophy.”

Hleb tells us why he passes instead of shooting sometimes:

“What is it that stops me from shooting sometimes?”

“I know I pass the ball when I’m in a good position and I’m thinking ‘that was a good chance’. It all goes back to my childhood, to my coach, who always said ‘pass, pass, pass’.”

So no real answer, but a hint maybe that his future lies with Arsenal, as Wenger said, moving to the club who pays the most doesn’t apply any more, the players have to make the right decision for their future, and the team at Arsenal has a bright one.

Clichy wants Flamini to sign new contract, hear from him here.

Also Eduardo is expected to come back from injury sooner than expected, possibly even by August! Click here for more from 1970s Gooner.

Milan Want Flamini As Arsene Hits Out At Greed

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal2 Comments

Arsene said here:

“There is something in this team which is stronger than a few bucks here and there,

“What is really important is that this team says ‘lets go to the end of our potential together and not walk out for any simpler reason’ – and that is where I expect them to show strength, and care what they can achieve together.”

“We are not any more in a period where you get £100 more at another club and it decides your life.

“Flamini can earn more somewhere else that is for sure because it would be a free transfer – but how much is he ready to sacrifice to stay here?”

This really sums up what Arsenal mean to Arsene and what he wants to see from this group of players. Good players should not be dicated by money if they are already earning large sums.

They need to make decisions about the sort of team they want to play in – look at players like Anelka – he left Arsenal out of greed and has never really fulfilled his potential in terms of success.

The article also mentions Fabianski, and the effect that conceding 5 goals to Spurs had on him. It’s likely that he will start against Derby on Monday.

Meanwhile Ancelotti has confirmed AC Milan’s interest in Flamini:

“A player like him would be good in any team. Since he is expiring, if he wants to come to Milan for us it would be an excellent purchase.”

Mancini, boss of the other Milan club, Inter, has tried to play down his comments on Hleb (see this article), by saying:

“I have never made any declarations regarding Hleb or other players who are under contract with other clubs, for whom I have the utmost respect”

What a load of crap, Inter have gone about this in a very underhand way, first meeting in Milan, and then coming out to the press. Wenger was right to say he might report them to FIFA. As for AC, they can **** off as well.

Another player we are linked to, by Croatia coach Slaven Bilic, is Niko Kranjcar. He’s an impressive player and would work well for us if Hleb went out the door, he has proven his Premiership quality for Portsmouth already. Expect a prohibitive transfer fee though!

Oh and also, because Chelsea beat Man Utd at the Bridge yesterday, we still have a mathematical chance of winning the title. That is, If Man Utd and Chelsea both gain only one point each in the two remaining games!

Hleb and Flamini, Latest News

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal7 Comments

Wenger has made an improved offer to Flamini to try and get him to stay. Read here. It’s reportedly £55 000 a week. He said this here:

“I believe he wants to stay and we want him to stay. We have made him an offer, if it’s not good enough we will know soon.”I respect our wages structure. We have made an offer. We think it is decent and that is it.”

I am quietly confident that he will sign for us, the deadline is the end of April, so we will know in the next week whether he stays or goes.

Another player linked out, Hleb: and Wenger’s really angry about the way Inter have shown their interest.

“Statements from inside the club saying they are interested in our players, without calling us that is not acceptable. You would never hear me saying that. If I am interested in a player I go to the chairman.

“The newspapers may have the speculation but for a club to come out with a statement like that and not even call… I think it is disrespectful. It is illegal.”

Stupid Inter.. I guess Hleb will stay, why would he want to leave??

Henry. Never say never.

Fabianski to start on Monday and the Boss may not even sign another ‘keeper if Jens leaves.

Sagna out for rest of season, not so suprised about this.

Modric signs for Spurs.

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Gallas, Toure and Adams: Captaincy

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

This morning there’s some controversy about our captiancy.

Toure has said:

“Gallas was really good for us at the start of the season but then after this Birmingham game he made a mistake, he knows that and we all tried to bring him back to the team and he came back well.When you make a mistake it is difficult after that, it was a really important part of our season.”

“I would be really, really proud to be captain. I am now one of the oldest players in the squad so naturally I feel like a captain and it doesn’t matter if I have the armband or not.”

Toure wants the armband desparately. He could be a good captian, but I don’t think he’s a real leader.

Gallas has hit back:

“They [the media] can say what they want… they will not bring me down, I’m stronger than that. It makes me mad because I don’t think [what happened in Birmingham] was our problem. How can you summarise our season with that thing at Birmingham? That is not why we stopped winning matches.

“It’s true, we shouldn’t pin all of our problems on the Birmingham game, we made too many defensive errors in the last few games, that’s what it came down to.

Read the original article here.

Could Adams be the man to sort out our defence? He is out of contract at Portsmouth and willing to come back. He makes a good point about the defence:

“I just feel that people don’t realise that the best back four win the league. The last two seasons Manchester United have had the best back four and, before that, John Terry and his men were fantastic for two years.

“We’ve kept more clean sheets at Portsmouth than Arsenal have, but I’m not going to question the great man [Wenger].

“I love the club, it was part of my life for so many years and if anyone at Arsenal wants to invite me back, I’m willing to give it a shot”

It would be great to see him back, and he could do a good job on the defence!