january 14th
08.34 – So yesterday saw the retirement of Manchester City goalkeeper David Seaman. It’s a strange one – if you asked me to choose Arsenal’s best ever keeper, I’d say ‘Seaman’ in a second. He had a memorable Arsenal career, and provided us with some wonderful moments over the years. Penalty saves like Sampdoria, and against Villa in the second of Arsene Wenger’s doubles. The incredible save he pulled off last season against Sheffield United in the FA cup will go down as one of the greatest saves of all time. But, maybe it’s just me, I felt his memory was a little bit tainted by his stubborn refusal to see that it was time to hang up his gloves. He always, always said that if he had to drop a level to continue playing, then he’d retire. I would call joining Manchester City dropping a level. Maybe he wanted to prove to the critics, who savaged him in the final few seasons (and sadly had more and more to savage him about), that he could carry on and win his England jersey back. I don’t know. It was all a bit sad really. When a coach like Arsene Wenger, who has stood by you for longer than many coaches would have, effectively ends your Arsenal career, that should tell you something. Some slightly more cynical folk might say he’s retiring half a million pounds richer having been paid £30,000 a week at City. Either way, hard as it might be, I’ll remember Seaman as an agile, slendertoned, finely ‘tached Arsenal legend, and not the flailing, disheartened shambles he’d become at City.
Anyway, I suspect we’ll see him back at the club sooner rather than later as he’s bound to take up the role of goalkeeping coach in the near future. I know we’ve hired Gerry Peyton, but I imagine the job is Seaman’s and Peyton is just keeping the seat warm. We’ll see.
How can you tell if someone looks as if they’ve signed for someone else? If he had signed for somebody else, do you think he’d mention it, or do you think he might not play as much if the boss knew for sure he was going somewhere else? In that case, he could sign for somebody else, not say anything, and get picked on the basis that he was still trying to make his mind up whether or not to accept Arsenal’s offer. Or he could be genuinely considering what we’ve offered. What do you do in his situation though? He’s nearly 30, his next contract is also his last big contract, and he knows he’s not an Henry or a Pires or a Vieira that the club will bend over a bit for. He could get a hefty signing on fee and nice wages at a new club because he’s on a free, instead of the reduced terms Arsenal have apparently offered. We’ll see what happens but I’d be surprised to see him in an Arsenal shirt next season.
Portsmouth still want Francis Jeffers, but Harry Redknapp is confusingly doubtful about the situation. He says “He belongs to Arsenal and he is on loan at Everton and I doubt whether or not Arsenal would want to lose him.” Right. Cheers Harry.
Underneath me my computer is making strange noises. If I didn’t know better I’d say it sounded like somebody struggling for breath. Ordinarily you might think of restarting. I’m afraid. Maybe I should do like other bloggers and put up a wish list, but instead of the ‘Just discovered lost backroom tapes of Nick Drake taking Benzedrine and quaaludes washed down with Absinthe’ CD from Amazon, I should put real wish list stuff like new computers, hoverboards, light sabers and time machines.
