Hello,
I was dreaming this morning that I was writing a novel and I bashed out 6 or 7 pages which were really good, including two analogies that were so brilliant I was sure to win the Nobel prize for literature. Naturally, having just sat down at the laptop this morning I can’t remember them. I can remember the fact that England was being governed by friendly robots but not the fine writing. Typical.
Anyway, it’s quiet this morning and perhaps that’s not a bad thing. It’s been some week between van Persie and Usmanov and the rest of it, and with pre-season training starting tomorrow for many of the squad, it’s bound to start getting busy from now.
Doing the rounds this morning a story in the Sunday Mirror about how Robin van Persie has arrived back from holidays this weekend and that the club want to sit down and talk to him, without his cuntmaster agent Kees Voss present to see what’s what. Kinda ironic that van Persie’s statement incorrectly accusing Gazidis of being on holidays was released why he was on holidays himself, but there you go.
I’d say the chances of him talking without his agent around are slim. Like a sleazy lawyer in an episode of Dick Law and Order he’ll have been told not to say a word to them without him being present. The other thing is that even if van Persie was on holiday and the statement released while he was away, it’s inconceivable to me that he wasn’t fully aware of its contents. I said the day after it came out that I felt they had misjudged the situation, banking on the goodwill towards van Persie and the criticisms of the club which echo that of many fans to soften any backlash. I’m not sure that worked out too well, fellas.
Whatever happens should happen as quickly as possible. Hopefully the club will show the kind of backbone I talked about yesterday and lay it on the line for van Persie. We decide what’s going to happen, not you, and if he feels even the slightest measure of responsibility as captain – which he still is! – then he’ll know how badly these sagas can affect a team. I suspect it’s pie in the sky to expect anything like that from him but we have to just hope that Wenger and Gazidis can find it in themselves to work together sufficiently well in the best interests of Arsenal.
The only other vaguely interesting piece of news around is a link in AS, based on reports in France, that Valencia are looking at a loan deal for Marouane Chamakh. Their financial situation means they have to look at ‘economic’ solutions to their transfer requirements this summer. I’m not sure a loan deal is going to be what Arsenal want however, but the reality is that Chamakh’s arrival as a Bosman meant that a signing on fee paid over the duration of his contract provides him with a weekly wage which is probably beyond many clubs.
This is one of those where we may have to take a financial hit. I don’t know if we can provide him with a payoff to make his departure easier, or let him go on a free for example but, as with any player leaving a financially healthy club for one which is struggling, we might have be a bit creative in order to make the deal happen. I think it’s well and truly over for Chamakh at Arsenal and talk of him staying to ‘compete’ if van Persie left is off the mark. Player and club should know what’s best for both and for me that means a transfer this summer.
And finally for today, Statsmeister General 7amkickoff, has a look at Robin van Persie’s Arsenal career in a By the numbers special. Well worth your time.
Now, I’m going to take the dog to the beach and let him run himself into a coma, the energetic little bastard. Till tomorrow, have yourselves a great Sunday.
