Cesc & Gael Aren’t Going To Spain, Theo & Kieran Need To Step Up A Notch Or Two.

Cesc issued a denial of the headlines that surrounded his comments in the Spanish media without denying the content. Speaking to Marca, he denied saying that he would leave Arsenal if Guardiola called him. Which is entirely correct. If he wants to avoid falling into ‘traps’ as he called them, the best thing would be a media silence otherwise he will spend the summer denying breathing in the direction of the Camp Nou.

Also not joing Cesc in La Liga is Gael Clichy. The left back was the subject of speculation, lumped into the same article as media observations suggesting Eboue was on his way to Atletico. Clichy said:

I heard there is an interest from Real Madrid, but I have a contract with Arsenal which I intend to respect unless the club say otherwise. It is great to be linked with Real, but I want to win things with Arsenal

Good man. Mind you it is not surprising that he does not want to go to Madrid since there is a massive clearing out sale going on with 90% of the squad seemingly up for grabs now. Even then, the dressing room would still be cramped, filled to the brim with Ronaldo’s ego.

Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs, ahem, starred in England U21s victory over Finland last night. The young England team proved that they are more than capable of stepping into the full international squad, replicating the usual national team opening match at any World Cup or European Championships, with a decidely ordinary performance against the weakest team in the group. Gibbs was solid enough but Walcott was non-descript in the first half, making way at half-time.

Once more Theo has asserted that his ‘favoured’ position is that of central striker. As he said to Daily Express hacks:

I spoke to the boss and he wants to sort of gradually move me into a striker role. I’ll happily play anywhere for this club. But no-one has seen me as a striker at the moment, which is my main position, so I’ll be working well on that in the next couple of years.

In the current edition of FourFourTwo, there is an excellent article about Johan Cruijff. In it, the observation is made about the manner in which the Ajax youth system works and it appears that it is something that Walcott would benefit from. So that players understand all that happens on the pitch, they serve a spell in each position. Dennis Bergkamp acknowledges the benefits he gained through playing in defensive positions, ensuring that his understanding of his own role was enhanced.

Walcott has the pace to give rise to many concerns to any defence in the world yet at times he is too easily shackled by the full back and/or left-sided midfielder. Serving a spell in training at full back may develop his awareness more acutely that running at Gael Clichy or Kieran Gibbs, especially since the latter is still learning his trade. If Walcott desires a move inside to a central striking role, a spell at centre back may produce an outcome where his runs are cuter, for want of a better word.

Centre forward is a high profile position and not one where Walcott can ‘learn his trade’ in the Premier League. It would necessitate a learning curve in a competition such as the Carling Cup to allow him to develop in a few games over the next couple of seasons. If you add in the FA Cup as well, he could quite easily reach double figures before having to set foot on the pitch in the EPL as a lead striker. He has stiff competition.

Assuming Robin van Persie remains at the club, Andrei Arshavin, Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela may all have something to say about Walcott’s desire. Arsene may wish to see Walcott centrally but if others are performing well there, he has little incentive to accede to the England international’s wishes.

’til Tomorrow.

Here Comes The Summer: Cesc and Sheriff Fatman

I just called to say I love you

OK, so Pep Guardiola might add ‘as a player‘ when Cesc answered. It would indeed be ‘different‘ if Guardiola were to call Cesc since that is a direct case of tapping up and likely to add about £30m to a transfer fee to stop a formal complaint being made.

Cesc away with Spanish squad is the cue for a thousand and one stories about Fabregas’ return to Barcelona, a situation intensified since Real seem intent on signing any footballer that has two legs and a modicum of talent.

Even then, the talent and the use of two legs is deemed an optional extra. The Catalan press is now desperate to see Laporta shake his booty in the transfer market and as impatient as, well, you make your own metaphor up on this one. That situation will reach fever pitch if, as expected, Real sign David Villa in the coming weeks.

Alas Dear Hearts, it is a state of affairs that is only going to lead to despair on your part for the fervour with which the Spanish media feed on the entrails of a story is matched only by the same gusto that their English counterparts devour the stale remains on the floor. Such is the desperation shown in England that fiction becomes fact, words twist in the wind like a weather-beaten sapling.

No matter what Cesc says, no matter how many times he re-affirms his allegiance to the club and a desire to remain at Arsenal, there is a clamour in Catalunya for Barcelona not to be caught with their pants down whilst Madrid rampage through the transfer market like a rhinoceros on heat searching for a suitable orifice into which they can shove their transfer budget.

The player himself has the answers for Arsene:

We are accustomed to playing alongside the likes of Patrick Vieira, Flamini and Gilberto Silva. Last season we were weak in this position which is so important, especially for teams like us. When we attack, it is vital to know someone is behind you to win the ball back.

Or maybe the best idea is not to surrender possession, at least not cheaply anyway. Back to the defensive midfielder. This is the same as the manager observed at the end of last season, identified as a target area by Wenger as requiring strengthening but then if that snippet were included in the story it would make the scaremongering tactics seem almost pointless. Well, not almost, totally.

Cesc then fed the monster in front of him, ensuring that it will come back another day:

If you do not win titles then you cannot be happy. Losing the semi-finals of the Champions League and the FA Cup meant we fell short and lacked that little bit extra. I’m happy at Arsenal but four years without success for a player who wants titles is a lot.

The bit he left out at the end was “but you appreciate winning all the more since you know the hard work that has gone into achieving the glory“. It might be that he did say that but it got, ahem, lost in the translation.

Know Your Rights

Never short of an idea that will make him popular with supporters, at least in his own mind, Uzbeki midfield hard man, Alisher Usmanov has decided to raise the stakes in his bid to be seen as Mr Nice. He has decided to win the hearts and minds of the supporters by apparently proposing that their be a rights issue at the club to raise the funds he believes necessary to raid the transfer market, sorry, ‘much needed funds‘ as the media like to call it.

The Board are to discuss this at the next meeting but Usmanov wants part of the issue to be directed at supporters to enable them to buy shares. A double-edged sword for the Uzbek since he has no guarantee that his popularity will increase nor can he stop Kroenke buying enough shares to force a takeover battle. The American is probably seen as the lesser of two evils in supporters eyes but both would need to put forward strong cases for the purchase of the club without loading debt in the manner that Gillet and Hicks did at Liverpool since that has been a fractious relationship.

For Usmanov, the ideal outcome would mean him hoovering up any unsold shares and having control of the club. If he cannot have that, anything that dilutes the influence of Kroenke and Fiszman is not going to be a bad idea. At worst, he finds all of their influences lessened if the full take up happens. Whichever way, there is positive PR being spun for him this morning and I am sure he finds that no bad thing. Whether it changes attitudes towards him is an altogether different matter.

’til Tomorrow.

Tom & Bob: All In, All Out

Remember the TR7? No, not Tomas Rosicky but the Triumph TR7, a fine example of all that was wrong with the British car industry in the ’70s. Promised so much, delivered for a while and then invariably ended up in the knackers yard. The player is somewhat more refined than his namesake car yet the same problems have arisen. However, unlike the car, Rosicky is apparently on the verge of rising from the ashes. Well, the end of next summer if reports are to be believed.

According to comments attributed to him this morning, Rosicky has the 2009/10 campaign to prove himself worth a new contract. The regard that his manager holds him in shows through in the one quote:

If I find the form I had before my injury then I will play. Wenger was frustrated when I told him I would need to undergo more surgery. But he has not tried to kick me out so he has faith in me.

For Rosicky it must hae been infinitely more frustrating to be on the sidelines than it was for us as supporters to know the talent was laying idle. His form before injury was excellent, one of the major reasons for the title challenge in 2007/08 with 7 goals in 25 games, a more than decent return for a midfielder. If, and it is a big IF, he is fully recovered the prospect of a midfield containing himself, Fabregas and Arshavin is indeed a mouth-watering thought. Should he prove his fitness, there is little doubt he will be offered a new contract. It would be an interesting test of loyalty if a wallet-bulging amount of cash were to be put in front of him in January.

One contract that is being resolved soon is hopefully that of Robin van Persie. Reports from unreliable sources say that a meeting is to be held this week to resume the negotiations. That is not good enough for a contradictory Charlie Nicholas, short of a bob or two now that Soccer Saturday is over:

Van Persie’s playing a daft game saying he wants to know what the future holds for him. Who the hell is he to ask Wenger or Arsenal that? To be fair…he put in a good shift last season. But that doesn’t mean he should start throwing this stuff at the manager’s door – wanting to know who’s going to be coming in before signing a contract. He’s had plenty of chances, just like the rest of them, to do something about it – and, at the end of the day, it just hasn’t been good enough.

Nicholas knows a thing or two about underperforming Arsenal teams, having been a key member of the 1980s version. I am sure that Charlie never held a club to ransom and in no way played silly buggers over his contracts at all. And to be fair to van Persie, he is not playing silly buggers. As far back as three months ago, he made it clear that these negotiations are not about money since the club’s offer was more than satisfactory. He has a desire to win and wants to know that the club can achieve that.

The same issue which Rosicky may face can also be said to exist for van Persie. During his time at the club, he has missed more than one season of games through injury, the major ones being caused whilst on international duty. Should he sign simply through loyalty or some debt that could be said to exist for supporting him through the bad times as well as good? It probably does but at the same time, he has to be happy within himself, that he can achieve that which he desires, that which drives him on, with Arsenal.

Nicholas ranted that Adebayor, Eboue, Djourou and Gallas – “If he is not up for it” – go this summer. It always amazes me when people want wholesale clearances of players. One of the reasons Wenger has been successful in the past and will be so in the future, is that his sides evolve. They do not turn up with the flourish of a chequebook. Bergkamp last week observed that new signings pep up a squad. No argument with that but when the areas of the squad that need strengthening have their heart ripped out, it strikes me that the opposite effect would occur.

The weakness of Nicholas’ arguments are shown with his assessment of Adebayor:

If you’ve not got a striker scoring 25 goals a season with the number of chances they create, then there’s something wrong. He’s not fitting in.

So Adebayor should have scored a goal every game last season then, eh Charlie? Never let a fact get in the way of a populist rant. No doubt Nicholas would criticise the fans for displaying an “I want it now” attitude if they espoused the same theories.

Hot and sunny this morning so play nicely. ’til Tomorrow.

But What About The Children?

Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter have long espoused the view that youngsters moving to another country to serve their footballing apprenticeship is not the right way for the future of the game. At varying times, the clubs are called child traffickers, kidnappers or accused of using slave labour. Hardy rhetoric that damages their arguments rather than enhancing them.

Arsenal are regularly held up as an example of this by FIFA and UEFA. The media like to herald the club as playing football the right way but criticise the path followed to get there, ignoring the personal animosities of Blatter and Platini towards the English, the EPL and Wenger himself.

This week, the head of the KNVB, the Dutch Football Federation, announced that he was seeking ‘clarification‘ about a football school which is being created by Arsenal as part of their global network. According to Goal.com, the Dutch are concerned that they will lose their brightest talents to Arsenal. There is some validity to their concerns yet it is another case of unashamed hypocrisy by a national association.

Arsenal are not pioneers of this strategy by any stretch of the imagination. Many Spanish and Italian teams have stripped the vines in South America, plucking those whom they consider worthy to learn their crafts in Youth Academy’s in former colonial powers. The French and Portuguese do so in Africa, the Dutch themselves have trodden a similar path. Indeed, Ajax took the process further than any other club in South Africa yet none of these are beaten with the same stick as Arsenal.

The nature of football is such that it will forever be a global sport in terms of allegiances on and off the pitch. UEFA may support the promotion of native talent through rule changes but there are holes so wide in the legislation that they propose, rather than promoting the pursuance of natives, they encourage younger players to move abroad if the price is right.

The question is whether there is anything inherently wrong in the policies of clubs or not. For me, the overriding principle is to get the best squad at Arsenal. That is not necessarily the best players in terms of talent but those whose abilities complement others and have a strong team ethic. If they are eleven Englishment so be it. If not, a policy of not being bothered by their passport is perfectly acceptable. Let us not kid ourselves, Arsenal are by no means the only team doing this.

To the chagrin of a section of support and to the media at large, the current Arsenal team does not provide a substantial core of the England squad. That says more of the technical abilities of English players who are unable or unavailable to fulfil Wenger’s dream. The youth system has plenty of English lads in it with some of the brightest hopes for the club eligible for the national team. That is before you address those who have passed through the Academy to forge careers elsewhere.

It is the fundamental issue which divides football and has done so in the past: club v country. Neither has particular regard for the other at administrative level hence the failure to resolve the arguments. ’til Tomorrow.

Ronaldo Deal – Good Or Bad For Arsenal?

The reported £80m bid for Cristiano Ronaldo is probably the least surprising piece of transfer business this summer. Having been elected on a ticket that effectively signalled a return to the era of Los Galacticos, Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez, was never going to be satisfied with just the signing of Kaka. Reports in the the local Valencian press yesterday suggested that Chelsea had bid for David Villa but this was rejected through progress in the player’s move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Had it been an English club spending these sums, the respective heads of FIFA and UEFA would have been exceptionally quick to have their say about levels of debt. As it is, Blatter and Platini’s silences have been resounding. Madrid will argue that they are doing no different to Liverpool, Chelsea or Manchester United, simply that they are spending all of their money in one go. They have borrowed heavily to invest yet there will be little or no attempt by the game’s governing bodies to tar the club with the same brush as their English counterparts. Quite simply, both men know that Real and indeed the RFEF do not care what anyone thinks; they are going to do what they want anyway.

Perez knows from previous experience how long it will take them to recoup the money. Sales of replica kits and such like brings in significantly more revenue than the capital outlay of purchasing the players. That is before the lucrative friendlies that will take place. Little doubt either that Adidas has funded some of the Ronaldo deal; the opportunity to poke Nike in the eye with an exceptionally sharp stick would be simply too good to refuse.

The whole system of transfers will though come under close scrutiny. It is illogical to say that neither Kaka or Ronaldo are worth their fees when the combined revenues will easily outstrip the original cost. In those circumstances, they are worth more. Add into that mix any trophies and it is not difficult to see how the transfer fee is easily justifiable.

In both cases though, money is being concentrated in the upper echelons of the game. Little of the money earned by AC Milan or Manchester United will filter down in big chunks to teams much lower down the footballing scale. They will replace their big name stars with those whose stature is already in the ascendency. No doubt either that both clubs will use some of it to reduce, or at least service, their existing debt. Although a trickle will follow a path to the bottom, out of the original sums this will be not insignificant but not vast either. Both teams will seek to buy from other Champions League teams but eventually the odd million or two will go lower.

It is the perfect opportunity for FIFA or UEFA to step in, if the situation irks them enough. Formulaic transfers exist already when younger players are the object. It is not too much effort to extend that across all transfers. In a time of recession, such a move could prove beneficial since the creation of administrative jobs would ease the unemployment burden across the footballing world. However, neither body will do anything because, certainly in the case of the latter, the clubs hold too much power.

For Arsenal, there are several issues that may affect them. The ability to purchase in the transfer market is however not one of them. Rarely do United and Arsenal cross paths when buying players. Also, Wenger has stated that his targets are more defensively orientated than Ronaldo. The first concern will be that instead of being a team of individuals, United may actually transform into more of a team without relying on Ronaldo to get them out of trouble in front of goal.

Rumours of course are circulating that there is unrest at Old Trafford with Tevez reportedly looking to move having been, in his own mind at least, disrespected. Rather curiously, Sporting Lisbon appear to have been given some encouragement in their attempt to regain the registration of Nani, either by loan or player(s) exchange and cash. No doubt most of this is media talk but welcome to our world Manchester United fans.

The bigger concern for Arsenal fans already used to endless summers of media speculation, is that some of it may come true. Rather like a child in a sweet shop, Milan may wave the much reported £25m – £30m cheque in front of Arsenal’s face for the services of Adebayor. It is not something that is beyond the realms of belief and personally, I would not advocate losing the Togolese striker. That said, it would be good business, financially, and as a supporter, you have to trust that the club would not do such business without having lined up a suitable replacement first. Little doubt that there will be cries for Benzema or Villa but they are earmarked for others in reporting terms.

Prior to the Ronaldo deal being announced, Cesc Fabregas was interviewed by ATVO. He committed his future to the club and there is no reason to doubt the veracity of his words. Tellingly, he observed:

What you cannot stop is what people say about you. The press can write or say whatever they want.

The greater concern will be that this high profile flurry will goad Barcelona into making a bid for him. As Ronaldo has proven, every player has a price and there will doubtless be a welter of opinion in the Catalan press that Barcelona should react positively with a statement of intent that they are not going to surrender the trophies that they have won this season lightly. For Arsenal, such a bid would be doubly unwelcome on the basis that (a) Fabregas is a world class player and lynchpin of the side but also (b) his sale may send the wrong signal to other players in the squad, particularly van Persie who has yet to extend his contract.

Of course, there is an argument that in Arshavin, Nasri and possibly Rosicky, the club has players who could replace from within. The latter would perhaps be the most ‘like for like’ but with his fitness still clouded by well-founded concerns, reliance would fall on the former duo. Of course, all players are different and bring their own attributes to the game but having suspected it would be a long and dull summer before recent events, it may well be that exactly but with a twist or two down the line.

’til Tomorrow.

Theo, Come Fly With Me & More

Having been roundly criticised for his first half efforts for England at the weekend, Theo enjoyed rather a better evening last night. He was never alone for wherever he went, three Andorrans followed. In those circumstances, Walcott did whatever he could and generally speaking, won a corner or throw to maintain the attacking momentum.

Interestingly Ashley Young has garnered some higher ratings which just goes to show how narrow minded the media observers are. Young was energetic his delivery from the wing frequently caused a move to end rather than offering up another phase of attack. It seems that Walcott is being hung by raised expectations following his hattrick in Croatia.

Arsenal’s sponsors showed considerably more pessimism – or is it indifference – than even the most negative of Arsenal fans. Considering the amount of money that they are investing – not huge by comparison to other Big Four deals but still not inconsiderable – you might have thought that their expectation levels would be higher. Tim Clarke, Emirates Airlines President observed:

We didn’t expect them to win the Champions League or the Premiership. So long as they finish in the top half.

Apparently, we are to ”watch this space” as to whether or not they would sponsor another football team. Reports suggest that they were looking at AC Milan for around £17m which puts the Arsenal deal (£100m) into some context, although no information is noted as to the length of any potential deal. Given that Emirates are already a sponsor of Milan at their ground and training facility - as well as PSG, Hamburger SV, Olympiacos – such a leap is not too much to believe. In any case, why should such investment be disconcerting since it is part of a global sponsorship strategy?

The question of Arsenal’s finishing positions and performance in knockout tournaments is an interesting one from the sponsors point of view. I doubt that Emirates would be overly amused if Arsenal consistently finished outside of the top four since it would diminish the clubs marketability around the world, as well as severely impacting on television exposure which in today’s football age is a key element.

Even so, it seems that high profile clubs have little problem in attracting new commercial partners but no doubt some smart-arsenal in the media will interpret the comments negatively.

Of more concern to the club will be the apparent difficulties afflicting Setanta. The broadcaster is seeking to refinance but having been rebuffed by Sky, rumours continue that ESPN is looking to takeover the business, either in part or in total. And they have not helped themselves by removing the ability of anyone to subscribe online where their site is, cough, splutter, ahem:

Whilst Arsenal will be impacted by the overall Premier League contract should any black hole emerge in the finances, the future of Arsenal TV is impacted. It seemed a curious decision at the time to use Setanta as a platform since Sky is the dominant supplier in the market. However, financially I suppose Setanta’s was the more attractive offer. Quite possibly in much the same way the ITV Digital’s was to the Football League. A relationship that looks doomed to be described as a ‘good idea at the time’.

’til Tomorrow.

Cesc, Billy, Bob & More Transfer Talk

It’s 66 days to the start of the season.We’ve got a full tank, cigarettes, it’s dark, we’re wearing sunglasses.

Hit it.

Which is more or less what Cesc did yesterday in Baku. The dirt that is. In a not dissimilar fashion to that of John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd hitting the dirt as Carrie Fisher waved an AK-47 in their general direction, he ended with a head covered in you know what. It was after all an international friendly so being up-ended in a violent manner is only to be expected. Apparently, the medicos asked if he’d ‘banged his bonce‘ and upon getting the reply, ‘I come from Barthelona‘, was enough to have them haul him off whilst a thousand Spanish scribes concocted a story of how he wanted to return to the Camp Nou. A full recovery has been made, in time for him to knacker himself out in a rather pointless international tournament. So much caring for the players, eh Sepp, eh Michel?

And I realised then that the Wages of Sin, was two bucks an hour and working weekends

Which is more or less the pains suffered by Andrei Arshavin. Well, that is when he bemoaned his fate about the increase in the highest rate of tax about a month or so ago. Tightening his sphincter, his Mr20%, Dennis Lachter – you remember him from the ‘Hleb Affair’ – noted that:

This crisis will affect not only Andrey Arshavin, but Frank Lampard, Cristiano Ronaldo, the Queen of England, and so on. The situation is not simple – it is understandable that no one wants to lose their money.

Far be it for me to shatter any illusions but Liz and Phil have much better advisors that Arshavin for we still provide their funding rather than them making an overall contribution to the coffers of HM Treasury. Anyway, if you listened hard enough, the sound of Dennis backpeddling faster than any MP caught out about his expenses could be heard:

No he isn’t looking for a pay rise at the moment, he is happy. I cannot comment on that, it is made up by somebody I think. As far as I know the tax rate has not come in yet

I suspect that the sound which most us would find gratifying as far as Lachter is concerned would be (1) his brain engaging before his mouth, and, (2) silence. Still Dennis is in good company for as Albert Einstein observed, “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.“

Come Join My Gang…Join Us Tonight

Robin van Persie gave his nod of approval for the signing of Thomas Vermaelen, praising the Belgian centre back:

He can play as left-back and central defender and we need this type of player.

Not before going on in the time honoured tradition of the Dutch and looking to start a fight in an empty room:

The guys that we now have on those positions are already somewhat older.

I do apologise. The former nearly Mrs YW has offered the strenuous opinion that her compatriot was offering an, ahem, honest opinion, as opposed to being argumentative – unlike you then, dear – and that I should cast no aspersions on behalf of Robin over the abilities of Messrs Gallas and Silvestre. In no way should we or the media interpet them as being RvP’s view that the two Frenchmen are over the hill because he did not mean that in any way, shape or form. Not even for the cheapest of cheap shots. Glad to clear that one up.

Breaking News…Breaking News Not joining Arsenal this summer: Yaya Toure. Confirmed. Agent says that they have better offers…Breaking News

In the time honoured tradition of close season reporting, the hacks have decreed that one in means one out. In Arsenal’s case, having spent the best part of a season lambasting the defence, they have decided that the one out is William Gallas. OK, it is marginally more imaginative than, er, ummm, nothing and personally, I would be surprised if he does leave this summer since if I remember correctly, he is entering the final year of his contract. More likely, a bigger payday can be elicited if he hanggs on.

Even so, Gallas has more to offer provided he and his partner in the centre are in-form. Despite the problems, he has probably been the most consistent centre back at the club over the past couple of seasons.

’til Tomorrow.