Right then, a post-press conference Saturday round up for you.
Arsene Wenger has admitted this season has been a failure and has accepted responsibility for everything including the Space Shuttle disaster, the sinking of the Zeebrugge ferry and Phil Collins. He says:
I have to stand up first to say I am responsible for the fact that we did not fight for the championship. I can say is that I was more committed and work harder than ever this year – but still I have to stand up for what I call a failure.
He’s still convinced about the potential of the group of players that he’s got and that even though they don’t have a lot of ‘natural aggressiveness’ they’re strong when their backs are to the wall. I’m not totally convinced that’s the case to be honest but he seems convinced. In terms of transfers he makes the point that he doesn’t need to ‘add quantity’ and will only add ‘super quality, if I find it’.
I’ve given up trying to figure out what he means when he talks about the transfer market but when he says he doesn’t need to add quantity I assume he means he’ll keep his squad the same size. There will definitely be some players leaving so those players have to be replaced so he’ll bring in those players and if he finds a ‘super quality’ player, like a cross between Bobby Moore, Maradona and Chris Kiwomya then he’ll bring him in too. That’s just my guess though.
The boss also confirmed the signing of Lukasz Fabianski, saying:
He will be our new goalkeeper. He will join us next year, be in the squad and compete for a position. He is one for the future. We have identified him as having all the qualities to challenge here and be one of the future great goalkeepers for Arsenal Football Club.
All good, as far as I’m concerned. A young, hungry challenger will keep Jens Lehmann on his toes, especially ahead of Euro 2008, and we won’t see the same complacency from him next season, I’m sure. As for Fabianski I asked my good chums at gunners.com.pl and Betinho had this to say about him:
He is quite a nice lad. More like Fabregas – nice, modest and shy not in Stan Collymore. Hardworking, really liked by Legia supporters. What is more interesting – he was trained by Krzysztof Dowhan, one of the best goalkeepers coaches in Europe. Dowhan trained both Artur Boruc and Wojtek Szczesny. It is hard to say is he good enough or not – I believe he can be number two this season but it is really not so hard to be better than Almunia. My grandma is better than Almunia. Can he be number one next season? Who knows. Wenger`s policy toward young goalies (Taylor,Stack) is so weird that I cant really answer that question.
It’s a good point about Almunia. As I mentioned on the Arsecast I like Manuel, I think he’s a good keeper but realistically he’s never going to be Arsenal number 1 so Jens knows he’s not really a threat. Plus I like the idea of the Polish guy fighting the German, talk about building your rivalries. I suspect Manuel will go back to Spain in the summer.
How did we make a signing without David Dein and his Agent’s Bible though? Well, the answer is Ken Friar. AW talks about how he’s being helped by a man who has spent 50 years at Arsenal and he talks about the appointment of a new director of football which isn’t likely to happen until July. It’s good to know that transfer business can be conducted in the meantime though.
Transfer business like the sale of Fabrice Muamba to Birmingham City. Again it’s an undisclosed fee but it’s thought to be in the region of £2m with another £2m dependent on appearances/achievements etc. Not bad business and he’ll join former teammate Seb Larsson there permanently while Nicklas Bendtner will come back to Arsenal. Realistically Muamba’s chances of first team football at Arsenal were very slim.
Another transfer making the headlines this week was the Thierry Henry to Barcelona story which was summarily dismissed by Arsene Wenger who said:
It is more down to imagination than anything else, Thierry Henry will be here next year.
Can’t say much more than that. Meanwhile the Reyes/Baptista saga … well, it’s not so much a saga as the most boring episode of the worst soap opera in the world acted out by silent monks with their hoods over their heads with Leonard Cohen soundtrack… rumbles on. Because of Madrid’s involvement in the fight for La Liga (I think they’re going to win it this season) there’s been no time for a meeting but Arsene Wenger has said it’s ‘unlikely’ that Reyes will come back and hinted tomorrow could be Baptista’s last game.
And he’ll need to play a full part probably because Adebayor is struggling to be fit due to a groin strain and he could join Henry, van Persie, Walcott, Stapleton, Sunderland, Paul Mariner and Charlie George on the sidelines. Freddie is back though so he and Baptista could form a fearsome, goalmachine partnership up front. Elsewhere Rosicky is out, Gilberto will miss out due to some ‘niggles’, Almunia will play what could be his last game for the club and I hope we see the likes of Senderos, Djourou and Hoyte as well.
Finally, if you fancy reliving Anfield 89 I’m told it’s on tonight at 7pm and tomorrow night at 8.30pm on ESPN Classic which is available to people who have Sky on channel 442. Who wouldn’t watch that again? The Mug Smasher, that’s who. And John Aldridge.
Right, that’s your lot. More tomorrow when we play our final game of the season…waaaaah.
