News of the World is claiming that Henry is looking forward for the summer to leave Barcelona, its also believed that he prefers to be back to EPL, specifically London. Well we all know that he did struggle this season he only scored 7 goals from his 25 appearances, so the news was not a shock to many people who follow his news.
So its not wether he would leave or not, its where is he heading. Many Arsenal fans are looking forward for him to be back where he left last season, but I really doubt that happening. Actually I see that Arsenal is better without Henry, and don’t look to our status now we did suffer heavily from injuries. I think the players felt more at ease when Henry left and they became more creative, I believe that Arsene Wenger himself wont allow him to be back.
But the excuse he is using to leave Barca is that he is not seeing his daughter “Tea” as much as he wants after he broke up with Claire Merry. So what?! he didn’t know this would happen before signing for Barcelona!! Please…. Anyway its expected that Chelsea will most likely end up getting his signature, other team such as Newcastle and Manchester City are also watching and trying but it would take something so special to lure him.
A while after “News of the World” broke the story the Barca chief dismissed the news and ruled out his move. But I guess this is just playing games.
On the 84th minute of the match and after letting us reach to the edge of insanity several times during the match, Fabregas scores a very nice and strange goal from a far distance, and then very few minutes later Wallcott crosses the ball to Adebayor to seal the deal and end the match victorious qualifying to the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League 2007/2008. Amazing….
Arsene Wenger is the ultimate superstar maker, he gets youngsters and within couple of seasons they become wanted by all clubs in the world, and I respect him for that, and I am always happy to hear that new young talented players are joining Arsenal. The only thing I demand from Mr. Arsene Wenger is that I think we need at least one new player who is already a superstar, already a world class and who is already established talented player, you know those who we usually end up selling, such as Henry!
I really wish to see Wenger splash some cash to get a new FAMOUS player, I know everybody thinks that doing that might disrupt the harmony in the team, but I think it might be useful for the youngsters. Actually Wenger himself have said today that he was happy that Lehmann and Gilberto are staying and that it is good for the young players.
Anyway, lets talk about those two new players who do seem to be on their way to Arsenal during this winter transfer window, the first one is an English youngster, which is kind of strange as Wenger is not used to look for English players, with exception of Theo Walcott ofcourse. Luke Freeman is a very talented 15 years old striker who plays for Gillingham in League One. He made history when he became the youngest player to play in the FA Cup when he played for his club against Barnet.
Wenger is always criticized that his squad do not have enough English players, now he says that most of the youngsters he have are English and that he is very impressed by Luke Freeman and very interested in making him an Arsenal player very soon. He did admit that normally he would wait until a young player reaches the age of 17 or 18 but nowadays managers from all clubs are on the watch for those youngsters.
Arsene Wenger said: “I met the boy, I like him, his personality, he looks alert, He is a striker and at 15 years of age to play for the first team sometimes is something special.”
The other young talent that also might be on his way to Arsenal is Dentinho who is an 18 years old striker he plays for Corinthians in Brazil. The plan is to get him this month to get him used to the weather and get him ready to play next season. He have featured 4 times for his club bagging a goal in the process. He is one of the most wanted Brazilian youngsters. So Wenger seems to be looking for Strikers, and I still believe that Wenger needs to splash some cash to get a world class talent.
Borussia Dortmund announced today that the deal to sign Jens Lehmann this winter collapsed after the player decided he rather stay with Arsenal. Lehmann’s contract with Arsenal expires in the summer, and Wenger have said earlier that he wont stand in the goalkeeper’s way to return to Germany, but it seems Lehmann believe he can regain his position and the trust of Arsene Wenger.
This is what he had to say today: “Although it would have been a very attractive challenge to play for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga once again, I have decided against taking this step due to personal reasons, I am sorry, particularly to disappoint the people responsible at Borussia Dortmund, who have tried very professionally to convince me to move and gave me sufficient time for consideration.”
Ofcourse the Germany coach Joachim Low and team manager Oliver Bierhoff backed Lehmann’s choice. Even Wenger stated today that he is happy Lehmann is staying and that he will be included in the next match against Birmingham. He said: “Lehmann will be on the bench, the indication I can give is that I am happy if he stays because he is an important player in the squad, like Gilberto also. We have such a young squad that these players have a big weight in the dressing room and a big input in the team. I am happy if they stay.”
Although am happy he is staying, but I find his decision a bit odd, he knows Almunia is number one now and it would take more than a couple of bad performances by Almunia to make Lehmann first choice again, what is he depending on, that Almunia is injured?? On the second hand, his national team manager already informed him only players who play regularly with their clubs will be considered to represent Germany in Euro 2008!
I was very busy today, I was not able to watch the match. But i was told it wasnt as easy at the scoreline might seem. Both goals from Gallas and Rosicky came in the last few minutes.
Thanks to Bolton, Arsenal is top of the table with 33 Points and a game in hand.
All Arsenal fans already know the story, Flamini takes Gilberto place, Gilberto looks for an out, Gilberto finds destination. The guy wants to go to Juventus, so if he said it so clearly like that, then it is already done. Juventus were expected also to sign a top class midfielder. I like Gilberto’s style but Wenger has my full trust as usual, in addition the player is 31 years of age. So I guess this move will give Diarra the chance he always wanted.
Here what Gilberto had to say today to “La Gazzetta dello Sport” about a move to Turin:
“I would willingly go to Turin, Juve are a prestigious club and they have already overcome their problems following their demotion to Serie B.
I would adapt myself well to the Italian league, however Juve should know that I have no intention of starting a war with Arsenal.”
Gilberto added: “Buffon is the best goalkeeper in the world and it is true that he is a symbol of Juve. Del Piero is a player with large prestige on the international stage. As for me, well I do not have the feet of a Ronaldinho, but I do know how to organise a team”.
Arsene Wenger had a bad experience with Ivory Cosat last time in the African Cup. He asked the permission to play 2 players in an FA Cup match which would delay their international release for like a day or so, and although they were not going to start any fitness tests only after 2 days, they still refused and Wenger had to pull Manu and Kolo out of the squad. So now he says he wont even bother asking them anything and that he would just stop using the players from the 5th of Jan 2008.
Here is his full rant, eh, interview.. (After the jump)“They are so stubborn that there is no point in even speaking to them, They will go at the beginning of January. They have to be available for their country 15 days before the start of the tournament.
Before the last tournament we tried to negotiate a later release date with the Ivory Coast, but we had no success so we won’t try this time. We will give them the players when they are due, and won’t even speak to the Ivorian federation about it.
We were so disappointed with their attitude last time. We had to pull Manu and Kolo out of the 2006 FA Cup game against Cardiff an hour before kick-off because the Ivory Coast were adamant they had to join up, even though they were only going to be sitting in a hotel room in Paris doing nothing.
Eboué had not played many games back then, so it would have been good for him to play in the FA Cup tie. But they wanted to meet up on a Saturday night, and even though our game was early that day they refused to give us permission to play them.
This was not even to go to Africa, but to go to Paris, where they would not even start fitness tests until the Monday. They just sat in the hotel that weekend, and I said to them ‘let’s be a little bit logical here’ – but it was impossible.
It is not the players’ fault at all, but the Ivory Coast management were very stubborn, and unnecessarily so because it would have been better for their preparation. So this time I will count them out of action from about January 5th until approximately the middle of February.”
As I said before Adriano is back home in Brazil in rehab, trying to regain fitness. He was lately quoted by Brazilian local media stating that he would love to stay in Brazil permanently. Although he is told by Inter Milan not to talk to the press he said this to Estado de Sao Paolo “I would talk to you, but I have been banned and if I do speak then I’ll get into trouble. Incredible, isn’t it?”, Adriano requested not to be paid while his rehab is going on.
Altho clubs like Sao Paolo, Santos, his former club wlamengo were linked to Adriano his agent stil insists that Adriano wont stay in Brazil after his rehabilitation ends. Adriano was linked to Arsenal early this week and now he is linked to a move to Manchester City or West Ham.
I believe Adriano, the REAL Adriano, will be a great boost for any squad, but as I mentioned before if he ever comes to arsenal he have to know he wont play much for a while,Ii guess if he goes to Manchester City or West Ham he might be more appreciated there.
Jens Lehman supposedly gave the middle finger gesture to Germany’s fans during the match against Cyprus where they won 4-0 against them. The fans where chanting for Robert Enke to replace Lehman on the pitch. Now if he really did it or that he was only scratching his face, i don’t know, but the German media is sure that it was a rude gesture and they wont back down.
Of-course he denied these accusations, and of-course the president of the GFA stood beside him and gave his support stating “I will stand up for him here, He knows there’s no reason to make gestures that could hurt fans. I know he respects the fans”.
Jens Lehman already have enough controversies, since he was dropped from first choice in the start of the season in Arsenal and was replaced by Manuel Almunia, he criticized both Almunia and Wenger several times and announced that he is leaving Arsenal in January.
I like Lehman, he was part of the team in Arsenal who spent a full season with no defeats, remember that ?, so i really hate to see him go from arsenal, at least not like this. But since his flare-up with Oliver Kahn we know what kind of personality he has. So i don’t dismiss that he actually might have done that gesture, and if it was found that it was deliberate, i think we have seen the last of Lehman on both German National team and Arsenal.
Well, a number of news sources, mostly gossip, already set Adriano to Arsenal, we already know that Inter Milan have sent the faty adriano to brazil for rehab. Depression, partying, unfitness, and so on, basically the player lost his appetite to play. I totally disagree whats happening is that Mr. Mancini just doesn’t want the guy to play, i don’t get it why, but thats how its been for a while and any inter milan fan knows this. So lately there was a lot of fighting between the two men and you can see who suffered.
Although I like Adriano and I always watched him since he was half owned by parma and then later having great games playing beside crespo, but i think this wont be a winning deal for Arsenal, although i know wenger loves to fix broken players as he did with a good number of them who later became stars.
The way I see it, Adriano would just disrupt the harmony in the squad, although Gilberto moving to Inter Milan would actually solve Lassana Diarra dilemma, he did not feature with his new team and not playing regularly is giving him a hard time to play for France, he already sounded this yesterday in an interview:
“But it will be sorted out soon. To be called again by Les Bleus I have to play for my club. So that situation has to be settled quickly, I am not getting mad with that. I am patient.”
“At Arsenal I don’t feel in competition with Bacary Sagna, as I am a midfielder. The midfielders are outstanding, but I work fine in training sessions and I am waiting for an opportunity.”
The only way for Diarra to have a chance to start up matches is for Gilberto to leave, since the arrival of this player i was wondering what wenger was thinking ?, is it a long term solution or did he just do it in the bases of any player snatched from chelasea is a success buy?!
I don’t doubt Arsene Wenger, the years taught me that this guy always has the key and he knows what he is doing, but am telling you Gilberto will be a huge loss, he is a fit pro who knows Arsenal style and has history with wenger and handles the midfield rather beautifully. Getting Adriano might be good but he will have to accept the fact that he wont be playing any part in arsenal during this season because he will need to work hard to regain his fitness.
Bottom line, getting Adriano withought losing Gilberto or Rosicky is ok, other that its just our loss.
News of the World is claiming that Henry is looking forward for the summer to leave Barcelona, its also believed that he prefers to be back to EPL, specifically London. Well we all know that he did struggle this season he only scored 7 goals from his 25 appearances, so the news was not a shock to many people who follow his news. 
Arsene Wenger is the ultimate superstar maker, he gets youngsters and within couple of seasons they become wanted by all clubs in the world, and I respect him for that, and I am always happy to hear that new young talented players are joining Arsenal. The only thing I demand from Mr. Arsene Wenger is that I think we need at least one new player who is already a superstar, already a world class and who is already established talented player, you know those who we usually end up selling, such as Henry!
The other young talent that also might be on his way to Arsenal is Dentinho who is an 18 years old striker he plays for Corinthians in Brazil. The plan is to get him this month to get him used to the weather and get him ready to play next season. He have featured 4 times for his club bagging a goal in the process. He is one of the most wanted Brazilian youngsters. So Wenger seems to be looking for Strikers, and I still believe that Wenger needs to splash some cash to get a world class talent.
Borussia Dortmund announced today that the deal to sign Jens Lehmann this winter collapsed after the player decided he rather stay with Arsenal. Lehmann’s contract with Arsenal expires in the summer, and Wenger have said earlier that he wont stand in the goalkeeper’s way to return to Germany, but it seems Lehmann believe he can regain his position and the trust of Arsene Wenger.
All Arsenal fans already know the story, Flamini takes Gilberto place, Gilberto looks for an out, Gilberto finds destination. The guy wants to go to Juventus, so if he said it so clearly like that, then it is already done. Juventus were expected also to sign a top class midfielder. I like Gilberto’s style but Wenger has my full trust as usual, in addition the player is 31 years of age. So I guess this move will give Diarra the chance he always wanted.
Arsene Wenger had a bad experience with Ivory Cosat last time in the African Cup. He asked the permission to play 2 players in an FA Cup match which would delay their international release for like a day or so, and although they were not going to start any fitness tests only after 2 days, they still refused and Wenger had to pull Manu and Kolo out of the squad. So now he says he wont even bother asking them anything and that he would just stop using the players from the 5th of Jan 2008.
As I said 
Jens Lehman supposedly gave the middle finger gesture to Germany’s fans during the match against Cyprus where they won 4-0 against them. The fans where chanting for Robert Enke to replace Lehman on the pitch. Now if he really did it or that he was only scratching his face, i don’t know, but the German media is sure that it was a rude gesture and they wont back down.
Well, a number of news sources, mostly gossip, already set Adriano to Arsenal, we already know that Inter Milan have sent the faty adriano to brazil for rehab. Depression, partying, unfitness, and so on, basically the player lost his appetite to play. I totally disagree whats happening is that Mr. Mancini just doesn’t want the guy to play, i don’t get it why, but thats how its been for a while and any inter milan fan knows this. So lately there was a lot of fighting between the two men and you can see who suffered.
