Arsenal Blogs

Has Arsenal star reached the point of no return?

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:20:53 +0100

Football FanCast guest columnist Dale Clifton is sick of the whole Adebayor affair and feels the player has reached the point of no return with Arsenal.

It is not often that you choke on your cornflakes twice in any given week, but I had little alternative, given the latest instalments of this Adebayor/Arsenal debacle.

First there was the ludicrous self made comparison with Thierry Henry; which must have insulted our legend greatly and secondly, the outpouring of emotion from his agent, claiming that his client wasn't greedy and he just needed the club to show their motivation to keep him - is he honestly for real?

I am sick and tired of the modern day footballer and the ridiculous high regard they hold themselves in. Unfortunately at Arsenal we have been on the end of a bad bunch of late and the sooner that the club writes them off the better. We don't need mercenaries, we don't want players who think they are bigger than the club and we certainly should never be held to ransom at any time.

It has all left a sour taste in my mouth and the sooner we sell the Togolese the better, in my opinion. AC Milan reportedly moved out of negotiations due to what was deemed an excessive fee, so the ball is now very much in Barcelona's court and see if they will agree to meet the required fee - are they having second thoughts?

I just wonder if today's comment by the player's agent is a sign that the door has been shut in his client's face. The fact that his agent has come out and claimed that Ade isn't greedy and just wants appreciation is showing early signs of an embarrassing climb down from a player, who only talked last week about his desire to move. Adebayor will clearly find himself between a rock and a hard place if Barca were to look elsewhere and l wonder how fans will feel if the player was to step out on the opening day of the season.

Ade and Hleb have already gone pass the point of no return in my eyes, but am I the only gunner who shares that view?

The kind of 'Ayrton' that you wouldn't mind the Arsenal boss spending

Billy Pearson — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:00:11 +0100

Football FanCast columnist Billy Pearson feels that Arsenal should look no further than Marcos Senna as the perfect foil for Cesc Fabregas.

It is has become the most pivotal role in any football team and their availability about as rare as a Thierry Henry header, but the need for Arsenal to acquire a top quality holding midfielder has become of paramount importance, if we have any hope of achieving success.

Of course it is a position that we never thought was an issue as we approached the end of the campaign. Mathieu Flamini clearly led Wenger up the garden path back in January and the ‘professors' belief that all players would share his own values of honesty and ‘men of the word' backfired greatly. You bet your bottom dollar that Wenger would have installed Diarra into the starting line-up, had he not been assured by the player, of his desire to sign a new deal and both men's subsequent departure has left us with a gaping hole that needs to be filled.

There have been many targets mentioned to fill the void. Some in-house like Gilberto and Diaby, some domestic like Barry and Johnson and some foreigners like Gattuso and Frings - all good players, all could fulfil a role but for me the most obvious target and the one that will best suited to Arsenal has to be Marcus Senna; undoubtedly the player of the Euro Championships.

The Villarreal midfielders stock has certainly risen given his performance at the Euros. He was the catalyst of the football team, the midfield general and his presence allowed the likes of Silva, Alonso and of course our own Cesc Fabregas the freedom to hurt the opposition. Senna reminded me of Viera in his pomp and proved an immovable object for the Spaniards and the foundation of which success was built. He also seemed in tune with Cesc, which is of massive importance and a clear sign that there will be no transition required if he was to arrive.

So how do my fellow fans feel about a move for Senna and would he prove the perfect foil for Cesc?

Why Arsenal should seriously consider going Dutch

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:59:22 +0100

Football FanCast guest columnist Jordan Smith is intrigued to hear that Seedorf has expressed an interest in the Premier League and feels he would be a perfect at the Emirates.

For me he is been one of the finest players of his generation and one of the most successful. There aren't many who can claim that they have won three Champions League winners medals, with three different clubs and it is testament to his abilities as a player that Europe's elite have all sought his services, time after time.

At 32yrs of age Clarence Seedorf would seem to be at the twilight of his career and there is growing belief in Milan that the Dutchman may have played his last game at the San Siro, as Carlo Ancelotti looks to rebuild after AC' failings last year. There will undoubtedly no shortage of options should the Dutchman wish to move on, but the player has hinted that a move to the Premier League is something that he wouldn't rule out.

"I'd always love to come and play in The Premier League, but things just don't happen like that," Seedorf said. "I've never touched The Premier League yet, but let's say we never know.

"Opportunities come and go, when I was close to coming to England with Manchester United or Arsenal when I was at Sampdoria I went to Real Madrid.

"You cannot go everywhere; I've been playing in Spain and Italy. For now I'm in Italy and I'm always following with a very special eye the movement in The Premier League because at the moment it's an example for everybody." (Setanta)

I'm sure there aren't many Premier League clubs who would turn down the opportunity to sign Clarence Seedorf and me as an Arsenal fan, I would welcome him more than most.

In all honesty we have been crying out for a midfield general for a long time and for all of Mathieu Flamini's efforts last year, he was no Patrick Viera. We need that leader of men, the one who could galvanise those around and drive the football club forward in pursuit of honours. He wouldn't cost the earth to sign and I just feel for two or three seasons would be an excellent addition and be the perfect foil for Cesc Fabregas. Our side is desperately short of winners and experience and I believe that Seedorf ticks all the boxes that we require.

How would Arsenal fans feel about a possible move for Clarence Seedorf and is he just the type of player they need?

What have Arsenal ever done to deserve this?

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 21:18:11 +0100

Football FanCast guest columnist Harry Georgiou is disgusted with Emmanuel Adebayor and wonders what Arsenal have done to deserve it.

They say a week is a long time in football but 24hrs must be an eternity in Emmanuel Adebayor's world. They say nothing should surprise you in football given the mentality of the modern day footballer, but to come out with contrasting statements in space of hours is disgusting, insulting and a real whack in the face of supporters that idolise him.

I would be lying if this whole affair hasn't left anything but a sour taste in my mouth. It is not the fact that the player is obviously looking to pastures new, but the manner in which he conducted it. To come out and spurt out that his departure is a benefit all round riles me greatly. It is a modern day mercenary at his best, who is incredibly ignorant and who fails to appreciate what Arsenal football club did for him.

Wenger gave him a chance, the platform to perform and, against most supporters wishes, installed him as Henry's successor. It was a gamble that paid off for both club and Adebayor; who lost his tag as a poor man's Kanu and established himself as a house hold name in Europe. He obviously believes in his hype, thinks he is no one season wonder and is looking forward to the prospect of UEFA Cup football in Milan; probably shacked up with Agent Flamini no doubt.

I bet Arsene Wenger cannot understand what he has done to deserve such blatant disregard, respect from players he has groomed from nothing to established stars. I'm sure one day Messrs Flamini, Hleb and Adebayor will look back at their time at Arsenal and realise they may have made something of a faux pas. This is nothing to do with money or them being disheartened at the clubs lack of ambition, these are mercenaries who are seeking notoriety at what are supposedly considered Europe's glamour clubs. I wonder how long it will take them or should I say appearances on the substitute bench before they look back with regret.

Why are Arsenal seemingly losing their appeal?

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:58:09 +0100

Football FanCast guest columnist Max Rose wonders why Arsenal have suddenly lost their appeal.

I'm sure I wasn't the only Arsenal fan who shed a tear or two when Cesc Fabregas fired that 20 yarder at the San Siro, to all but guarantee the clubs progression in the Champions League.

It was a magical moment, lump in the throat stuff as Wenger's young guns went to Milan and became the first English club ever to beat them in their own back yard. It catapulted Arsenal to the forefront and testament that Arsene Wenger was right to put his faith in youth.

It all seemed rosy that night and the one time the media stood up, took note and marvelled in what was undoubtedly our best performance of the season. A period of unrivalled success, both domestically and in Europe seem to beckon until player egos intervened and put the club's best laid plans put on ice, after the events of the last few weeks.

Arsene Wenger has come out this morning and pinpointed that he felt that Milan performance as a turning point for the clubs fortunes, where suddenly players became noticed, wanted and subsequently caused the unrest that the club has experienced of late. I'm not sure that is the case given that Hleb was having a Ben & Jerry choc mudslide with Inter officials the night before, but it certainly could well be the case of Flamini and Adebayor.

I have to say that I am extremely disappointed with the situations that have occurred in the past weeks. I find it hard to fathom firstly why so many players have spoken out against the football club and why some feel the grass is greener elsewhere.

I look at Arsenal, admittedly through rose tinted specs, as one of Europe's top football clubs and one that is very much in the ascendency. With new stadium in place and the unparallel riches it will bring, it has been muted that in the next couple of years we will be the richest club in world football and really the potential is endless. Wenger has built a fine young team and the foundations are in place for a period of dominance and you would think players would be crying out for the chance to play in the red and white shirt, not looking elsewhere.

So why is the grass greener elsewhere and why are we not appealing? I appreciate we have yet to win a Champions League trophy, but only Manchester United have won more silverware than us in the last 20yrs, so is it simply down to Europe? Is it because we haven't got a Henry or Bergkamp; a figurehead that attracts players to the football club? Are players simply frustrated that Wenger is choosing to bring in potential opposed to established names?

So why has the club seemingly lost its recognition and subsequent appeal?

Is it time Arsenal resolved this mess once and for all?

sunit thakurta — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:54:08 +0100

Football FanCast columnist Sunit Thakurta is growing tired of all the negative speculation around Arsenal football club and feels it time it was resolved once and for all.

While Arsene Wenger finds himself in Switzerland covering the Euros for French TV a growing problem is seemingly occurring on the home front. Every given day there are constant rumours and speculation about our own players, whether it Hleb or Adebayor and to be honest it has become somewhat tiresome to say the least.

Undoubtedly, Emmanuel Adebayor is a prized asset for the Gunners but can any club in the world go against the wishes of a player? It will be a terrible loss to sell the Togolese striker to either AC Milan or Barcelona, but what can the club realistically do about it, in a football world where player power is king? Manchester United do not want to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid but it will be very difficult for Sir Alex to keep him at Old Trafford, if the player decides to take up a new challenge at Real Madrid - it is the way football has gone where loyalty seems to count for nothing.

Former Arsenal great David Seaman's expressed his fears yesterday regarding the Adebayor situation, but to suggest his departure would be detrimental to Arsenal's chances next season is somewhat premature. Seaman during his time at N5 had seen many a great player come and go but they were always replaced accordingly. Should Adebayor think a move to UEFA cup contenders AC Milan or a move to a Barcelona side, in transition, is the right move then the best of luck to him? I have never known an Arsenal player that has ever succeeded elsewhere.

With pre season fast approaching it is vital that the club make a stand and get these issues resolved once and for all. Negative speculation is the worst thing to have around a football club and we have suffered from it more than most this summer. We are approaching an extremely important season where we need the squad focused on the job in hand; let the deserters go if they must, we are best off without them.

Semi Final Spain vs. Russia. 19.45

Arsenal will hope for a better return than Liverpool got from their 'new Zidane'

Rob Swan — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:52:20 +0100

Football FanCast columnist Rob Swan feels that labelling Arsenal's probable signing Samir Nasri, as the ‘new Zidane', is somewhat unjust and the type of pressure he can do well without.

Comparisons between rising stars and former legends are nothing new in football; rarely do they prove to be accurate. Often used as a lazy get-out clause for coaches, spectators and journalists alike to describe a youngster's attributes, these comparisons often result in undue pressure resting on the shoulders of the players in question.

Arsenal's probable new signing Samir Nasri is just another in the long line of young players dubbed 'the new [insert former legend's name here]'. This time the former great in question; Zinedine Zidane. The finest player of the last 20 years, three time World Footballer of the Year, the man who guided his country to European and World Cup glory, a Champions League winner, the list is endless.

Before Arsenal fans begin to get too excited, anticipating an exact replica of the France legend, they might be wise to cast their minds back to the first player branded 'the new Zidane'... Bruno Cheyrou. A 'where is he now' candidate if ever there was one, Cheyrou was signed by Gerard Houllier back in 2002, and it was the former Liverpool boss who saw fit to compare the youngster from France with the man who'd just sealed a move to Real Madrid for a record £47m.

Bitter disappointment soon set in amongst the Anfield faithful, as the new Zidane they'd been promised turned out to be nothing more than the new Igor Biscan, in a comparison which was about as accurate as labelling Titus Bramble the new Beckenbauer. Cheyrou was considered such a huge flop because of the comparisons Houllier had made. Had the French manager not made such an audacious claim, would the youngster have been given more time to rise up and establish himself at Liverpool?

Although it's unlikely that Nasri will be anywhere near as ineffective as Cheyrou for his new club, the danger of a similar issue arising is still there because of the unfair title he's been dubbed with. Arsenal fans may be forgiven for expecting miracles from their new French playmaker, but they should also remember first and foremost that he's only 20, and secondly, that Samir Nasri is Samir Nasri, and not Zinedine Zidane reincarnated.

As Zidane only retired two years ago, there's still plenty of time for more players to come under the same intense scrutiny as a result of the tag in the future. No player has ever been used more as a comparison reference than the greatest player of all time, Diego Maradona. After 'hanging up his international boots' in 1994, a list of young and talented Argentine footballers as long as your arm have been hailed as the second coming.

From Ariel Ortega to Pablo Aimar, Juan Roman Riquelme to Javier Saviola, none of the players who compile the list have ever come close to taking Maradona's mantle because of the sheer amount he accomplished in his career combined with his steely determination and unpredictable personality, and it's hard not to think that the same will be true in the case of Zidane.

It's a credit to Zidane's ability that he was able to take Michel Platini's seemingly untouchable title as the best player France ever produced, but however much Samir Nasri or anyone else equipped with the 'new Zidane' tag achieves in their respective careers, it will surely do little to jolt Zizou's top spot position. A national hero in his home country as well as his parent's native homeland, Zidane's legacy is now set in stone. And now 20-year-old Samir Nasri finds himself up against the challenge of proving himself a worthy heir to Zidane's throne before his career has even really got going.

This of course will be no mean feat. Zidane, a player who was able to display an unparalleled level of artistry and genius on the pitch to subsequently earn a place amongst the very best footballers of all time, as well as having an admirable humility away from the sport rarely seen amongst modern day world-class footballers.

Good luck Samir, you might just need it.

NB - Rob Swan is competing in our Bloggers Euro Championship so if you can give his article a rating in the voting box, it would be greatly appreciated.

Semi Final Germany vs. Turkey. 19.45

Arsenal need to adopt a steely mentality if they wish to succeed!

sunit thakurta — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:50:02 +0100

Football FanCast columnist Sunit Thakurta feels that Arsenal need to adopt a steely mentality, if they have any hope of winning silverware next season.

The title of the topic may sound a bit damning but that is what Arsenal must do next season to compete for the Premiership title. The very phrase ‘beautiful football' is synonymous with the style of play that is being practiced at the Emirates over the years.

Yet Arsene Wenger must now teach his wards to learn the essence of grinding out results on seemingly difficult and treacherous English Premier League matchdays.

Since the days of the ‘invincibles'; Arsenal fans have hardly tasted any major success and questions have already been raised about the mental toughness of the club, especially when it comes to winning silverware. This is a club that hardly gets outplayed by any team, yet sides with less calibre and defensive mentality, have made it a routine to shut out the Gunners by putting all ten outfield players behind the ball. Check out the records of past few seasons and one can easily make out the reasons for Arsenal's lack of success in recent years.

On their day, no one can match the Gunners' attacking prowess and it is the best in the country, yet Arsene Wenger's men tend to come undone on perceived easy days against the likes of Wigan Athletic on a dull English winter's pitch or against Birmingham City on a chilly Midlands afternoon. Yet, the club, on the verge of wresting the Premier League title back lost valuable points due to some inept finishing and the lack of mental strength to see off these weaker teams.

Fans at the Emirates do not want fancy dribbles in front of goal without any concrete results. Let us have a team, young or experienced, that can play bad on some days yet take all three points through sheer class and grit. Arsenal cannot afford to win against Liverpool at the Emirates and then see themselves humiliated by Middlesbrough on a rain-soaked Riverside the following weekend.

The upcoming season is very important as far as Arsenal is concerned. With all the speculation surrounding the red half of North London, from the transfers rumours of Adebayor and Hleb to that of Arsene Wenger being linked with the French national team, the Gunners need to win something to lend a measure of stability to a club that in all probability has forgot to win titles over the past few seasons.

Let us have faith in the Arsenal boardroom and Wenger for ‘Arsene is a gift of God to Arsenal'

Semi Final Germany vs. Turkey. 19.45