Morning all.
Well, for the first time since Cescmania began we heard from the man himself. He didn’t tell us much we didn’t already know, confirming that he’d spoken to Arsene Wenger about his future. He said it was ‘probably the greatest conversation I’ve had with someone in my life’.
He went on to say:
He told me to concentrate on my football, he told me to concentrate on the World Cup, he told me to leave it in his hands, he will deal with whatever happens in my future and that’s what I’m doing, just concentrating on football.
It’s not up to me anymore and its just now about Arsenal and that’s it.
Now, I can’t imagine for one second that during that conversation Arsene said he would allow him to leave the club. What made it the greatest conversation of his life? Beats me, I wasn’t there, but I think we know the manager’s stance well enough to know he’d have been trying to persuade him the best thing for him would to be to stay at Arsenal. Perhaps he told him the names of the players we’re signing this summer and now Cesc is all excited. Like I said though, I wasn’t there so I’m just guessing.
I know some people looked at the video of the interview and thought ‘That’s it, he’s off’, but I have to say I feel a bit more confident that he’ll remain an Arsenal player. Especially when I read John Cross in this morning’s Mirror. It seems Barcelona have been in touch, although not with a bid, and Arsenal have told them, to all intents and purposes, to fuck right off.
Arsenal have told Barcelona that they are wasting their time, that they will not even enter negotiations or discussions of any kind and that Fabregas is going nowhere. They also made it clear not to bother contacting them again.
Just the stance I was hoping we’d take, to be honest, and I trust John’s sources on this one. I would posit that Cesc was made aware of the club’s position during TGCOHL© and he knows that whatever happens, whatever he wants, or wanted, ultimately it’s up to Arsenal.
He’s not in the last chance saloon when it comes to making the move back to the club he supported as a lad. He’s not at the end of his career, he still has years to go, and that’s where Arsene will be at his persuasive best, I’m sure. Whatever happens, and I’m sure there’s still plenty of mileage in this one, I don’t think it’s absolutely cut and dried that he’ll leave. It might be a small hope but it’s better than nothing.
He’ll now concentrate on his World Cup duties with Spain, Arsenal can watch the phone ringing and ignore Barcelona because of the wonders of caller ID (or at least pick up and put on a funny voice saying “Hello, Franco’s Pizza, how may I help you?”), and now it’s down to the manager to do the rest of the business that has to be done this summer.
Poor Arsene also has to deal with the possible departure of Carlos Vela, who, according to Carlos Vela News, the home of all the latest news about Carlos Vela, is thinking that the World Cup could open doors for him.
Arsenal will expecting the Mexican forward striker manchild to revolve back to London after the tournament of South African but when Arsene Wenger does not much present the opportunity for Carlitos to make time on the pitch then it is often proving that the player must fly away and the future lies in different hands. Oh yeah.
And to give him even more to think about Nicklas Bendtner was in the Danish press talking about playing for one of the big two in Spain one day. I know I should probably be thinking ‘nice timing, Nick’ but then you look at the picture of him wandering around a hotel in his underpants and I think he’s just a rather endearing mentalist who’s pretty good at headers. Footballers really are an odd lot. The sooner we stop thinking of them as normal human beings the better off we’ll all be.
How about another centre-half to add to our list? The Mail says we’re looking at Lorient’s Laurent Koscielny. Who? Exactly, but then most of us said much the same thing about Vermaelen last summer. Meanwhile, Bacary Sagna says Pape Diakhate would be a good signing. Hey, if he’s got the patented Sagna Seal of Approval® then that’s good enough for me.
Lady Arse has videos of Robin van Persie’s goals for Holland last night. Top finishing, makes me a bit wistful though. The least we deserve is an injury free, 40 goal season next time around.
And finally when I said yesterday I’d heard whispers about Joe Cole I got an email from a regular reader who has also heard the whispers but they were louder than whispers. Not quite shouty but perhaps just a touch above normal speaking volume. Make of it what you will.
And that’s about that. I’m off to ring up Barcelona just to tell them to fuck off myself.
“FC Barcelona, bon dia!”
“Fuck off!!”
*click*
Magic. Till tomorrow.
