[Cue ‘Whole Lotta Love’ by Led Zeppelin]
Morning Pop Pickers, Arsene ‘Fluff’ Wenger here, it’s time to see who Top of the Transfer Pops this morning. In at Number Five is Yoann Gorcuff from AC Milan with nothing more tenuous than a supposed previous interest in the player to boost his rankings. One higher is Lillian Thuram from Barcelona, an ageing central defender, the rationale for signing him can only be to buy time to allow Senderos, Djourou, Nortveidt or Song time to develop. At number three, replacing Mathieu Flamini is Miguel Veloso, an even more rank outside than Thuram to make it to the top on the basis that it would cost around £24m to sign him. Hot on the heels of the Number One slot is Diego from Werder Bremen, replacing the as-of-yet undeparted Alexander Hleb. Shooting straight in at the top of charts from out of the left field is Samir Nasri and this one could stay there and run for weeks yet. A good ‘un? Not ‘arf! Now let’s go to Wembley for Aretha and Otis belting out ‘Respect’ to keep ‘Appy ‘Arry smiling.
[‘Whole Lotta Love’ fades out]
Arsene moved to quell expectations about incoming players,
I think a huge player is better than a huge name. You have huge names who produce very little at the moment. There is plenty of demand from players who want to join us and what we need next year is two or three maybe. We just need talent
Whether he was referring to any of his own players in an oblique way, I am not sure. It is of course, ability that counts but for supporters (or some at least) that is not the primary motivation of transfers. A growing trend in football now is to want big names. English football is held as the bastion of the world’s best but is that necessarily true? There are a number of good players from overseas yet how many true greats play in this country. Less than half-a-dozen although that is a debate for another day, as my own view is that an awful lot of players we are told are going to remembered for years to come will be forgotten like yesterday’s chip papers, media hype overstating their abilities.
Mathieu Flamini has spoken in this morning’s Sun about his decision to leave Arsenal, launching a vigorous defence of his move,
Those who say I left for money should think that I signed as a twenty year old and I left with the same salary I had when I came to Arsenal. If money was the reason I played for Arsenal, they why did I play for four years with the same contract?
Well, Matt, principally because the club did not offer you a new one until this season because you had not earned a regular first team spot. That he earned one in his last season is a quirk of fate; had Gilberto been available from the off, I do wonder if Flamini would have been given his chance but that is if’s, but’s and maybe’s. He did get his chance and took it spectacularly well. However please do not insult us by claiming money had nothing to do with your decision.
It might not have been the principal reason because there are some things that he said which drive home a somewhat unpalatable message for the club and supporters. Arsenal is a big club in England yet their reputation in Europe is not the same. It is a simple fact. No Champions League win; one Cup Winners Cup and a Fairs Cup. Lost finals in all three competitions. Nothing that compares with the clubs that have the biggest reputations, the ones to whom we supposedly always lose our ‘stars’ to.
Flamini rams that home,
It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world – with millions of fans everywhere, an enormous history and one of the biggest trophy cabinets in the world. Milan are in the Champions League final every couple of years. Arsenal are a big club too and they have ambition
The problem Flamini has is that past performance is no guarantee of the future. Whilst Milan have enjoyed a ‘purple patch’ of three Champions League finals in the past five years, it had been a decade prior since their last similar run and before that a good fifteen years. However, the perception as Flamini sees it remains. And that is what Arsenal have to battle against. The only way to do that is to win Old Big Ears and consistently reach the last four. Only then will the perception of the club change.
When it comes to contracts, Arsenal are perceived as parsimonious by comparison to the rest of the ‘G14’ but have moved to quash that with negotiations ongoing Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna. Both players thoroughly merit any rewards. Reports suggest that a new deal is being offered to Cesc Fabregas as well although I seem to recall that we have been to this place already this season with false stories about a similar deal.
Unrest is an early theme of the close season which has yet to really get going. Flamini and Hleb featured regularly now Kolo Toure has reportedly become dissatisfied at playing right back, his desire to re-establish himself in the heart of the defence being undermined supposedly by the desire of the manager to give Alex Song some experience.
Arsene was suitably impressed by Song during his half-a-dozen or so games at the tail-end of the season,
I believe he is a remarkable player and I was one of the very, very few who believed in Alexandre Song. You will see in one or two years that he will be a great player for Arsenal. When I put a player somewhere, I know why I do. If I play Song at centre back it is because I believe he will be a great centre back for Arsenal Football Club. In Song’s case, he can play in central midfield. But can he play 60 games there? I am not convinced
To me that is the most interesting observation on Song. Arsene clearly sees his future in defence which is contrary to the form he displayed in the African Cup of Nations where performed well enough in central midfield to be chosen for the team of the tournament. The move backwards is reminiscent of the transition made by Frank McLintock. If he becomes anywhere near as good as the former Arsenal captain, Song will indeed be remembered as an Arsenal Great.
Best of luck to Cardiff this afternoon. Not simply because they are the underdog but more because I am sick of Arsenal being the answer to an unwanted pub quiz question. Will it be ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T’ or ‘What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted’? Hopefully it will be a damn sight better game than last years.
Finally, thanks for the kind words in yesterday’s comments. It is good to know people enjoy contributing to the blog.
‘til Tomorrow.
Posted in Arsenal, Football, Premier League, Premiership, Soccer, Transfer Gossip | Tags: Alex Song, Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Football, Kolo Toure, Mathieu Flamini, Premier League, Soccer, Transfer Rumours
