You know, when the season is over it should be over, yet we have players away on international duty and some players who could possibly play right up until the end of June.
We know about Theo Walcott, whose determination to play in the U21 European Championships is outlined in today’s Mail. On the one hand it’d be better if he got a summer of rest and arrived at pre-season fresh as a daisy, but on the other he had four months off, so to speak, during the winter. He’s also a very young player who should have energy to burn. Tony Adams is worried about burn-out but given Tony’s recent proclamations I’m inclined to think that the opposite of whatever he says is probably true.
As well as Theo though Cesc Fabregas is away with Spain who are going to be taking part in the risible, pointless Confederations Cup in South Africa this summer. I’ve spoken before about this ridiculous tournament. FIFA complain about players not being given enough rest by their clubs yet they schedule this needless, money-spinner in the very summer when players could get a good holiday.
If Spain go all the way Cesc could be playing/training right up until June 28th and with our pre-season starting on July 6th it’s hardly ideal. I suppose the fact that Cesc also spent a lot of time out injured this winter means he may not suffer as much as if he’d slogged his way through the whole campaign but with the Confederations Cup in particular it’s hard to see the benefit to anyone bar FIFA’s bank accounts.
Arsene Wenger will be looking at Theo and Cesc playing through the summer, then having to take a holiday, come back for pre-season, play a full season with Arsenal, then both players will head for next summer’s World Cup and he’ll be concerned that come next summer’s pre-season he’s got players whose batteries need a good recharge. Anyway, it’s a problem for the future, but a problem nonetheless.
Cesc played for Spain last night against Azerbaijan and picked up what looked to be a serious head injury but he got a couple of stitches and he’s all right.
Meanwhile Robin van Persie has been talking about potential new signing Thomas Vermaelen. He says:
It’s a good thing. There’s nothing wrong with the qualities of Vermaelen. He can play as left-back and central defender and we need this type of player.
The guys that we now have on those positions are already somewhat older. Our head scout doesn’t do such a thing out of the blue. He needs to see a player 30 to 40 times before a decision is made.
Interestingly the Mirror reports this morning that the arrival of Vermaelen could hasten the departure of William Gallas with Italian clubs said to be interested. There are also a lot of whispers about us bidding, still, for Fulham’s Brede Hangeland as well.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Gallas leave, with everything that went on last season I think it was fairly common knowledge that he’d seek an exit this summer. What makes me wonder is Kolo Toure as well. It seems City are after him and maybe I’m putting two and two together and getting five but the insistence of Yaya Toure’s agent that he wouldn’t go to Arsenal was interesting.
It seems he’s not getting the love, or the big bucks, from Barcelona despite being a vital part of their team for the last two seasons. They’ve got their beady little eyes set on Mascherano meaning Toure Jr could well be leaving Catalunya. With our need for a player of his type, our ability to pay very decent wages and his brother at the club you’d think Arsenal would be an option … unless his brother was on the way out.
Perhaps I’m just reading stuff into the situation that isn’t there but maybe we’re about to see a complete changing of the guard at the back this summer.
Also former Sp*rs boss Martin Jol is said to be ‘livid’ that Ajax have agreed to sell their captain to us. Here’s my thinking on that: Jol is a potato headed cuntbutler who can go and shove it (it being anything large and/or pointy) up his hole. “Play on”, Martin? Cock off, more like.
There’s other stuff this morning about Andrei Arshavin wanting a pay rise because of the new tax rates in the UK but this means trying to figure out what goes on in the rather baffling mind of Dennis Lachter. The Owl’s agent can contradict himself in the same sentence. One moment he says there’s no story, the next he’s saying the exact opposite, so rather than make my brain hurt more than it already does I choose not to analyse this story at all.
Not much else going on. Reminder about the London Masters competition, see Monday’s blog for details on that.
Catch you later.
