may 21st
08.53 – Well it’s happening already. I get up, make my coffee, take a quick look around the wonderful worldwide web for the latest snippets of Arsenal news to bring, and discover that there is fuck all going on. This is just the start of the quiet time, Arsenal are notoriously silent during the summer.
There’s re-hash of the Wiltord story in the Times, a plea from Super Oleg’s agent for him to be given another year at Arsenal, despite claims that he’s been in talks with Charlton ahead of next season and according to the Mirror Real Madrid want Arsene Wenger. Well, they can want in one hand, and shit in the other and see which gets full first.
Former youngster David Noble says “It was frustrating at Arsenal and that is what led me to want to get out in the end because there was no real opportunity there for the young talent. It seems to be since I have left they have realised that they have got no money, and they are thinking about playing a few of them, as they did at the end of the season.”
Should’ve stayed then, shouldn’t you? Our old chum David O’Leary is back in business – he’s now calling him ‘Dangerous Dave O’Leary’ so he can work alongside ‘Deadly Doug Ellis’ at Aston Villa. He’s promising them European football in 2 years. That’s quite clever really – promising something so you can have at least 2 years grace in a job, and he’s signed a 3 year contact. Guess we have to really hate Villa next season now.
His former club Leeds revealed the extent of their carefree spending over the last few years. Having paid out £5.7m compensation to O’Leary and Venables, £600,000 a year on company cars, and loads of other expenses and dodgy dealing the cost cutting measures have hit the club hard. Bye Bye Brian Kidd and Eddie Gray and other backroom staff, but this made me laugh. Leeds spent “…£20 per month on goldfish for the chairman’s office, which have now left the club as part of the cost-cutting measures.”
Apparently Peter Kenyon snapped them up as soon as he heard.
As there’s so little Arsenal news, I’ll have to resort to the emails I receive to help flesh things out a bit. I hope the person in question doesn’t mind me posting this here, but it’s transfer gossip of the best quality. “I hav arsenals first official transfetr and its jermaine defoe my cousin knows dave beckhams sister really really well the one he dont speak to!! and by chance shes goin out wid jermaine defoe. my cousin ask jermaine defoe if he was bothered bout bein grelegated he se di dnt give a fuk cos im ghoing to arsenal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i guarantee it he will b at arsenal he swed it himself.”
Sounds kosher to me I have to say. Keep ’em coming.
Right, I think tomorrow I’ll do my speculative report as to the ins and outs this summer. As usual I’ll get everything completely wrong, but what the hell. It’lll be good to be able to look back and larf when the season starts and Kanu is lining up alongside Sol in central defence.
