Morning all, a quick Sunday round-up for you.
We’ll start with man of the moment Thierry Henry. Double-D says we turned down two world record bids from two clubs in Spain. Real Madrid and Barcelona, obviously. And a world record bid would be something above the £47m Real Madrid paid Juventus for Zidedine Zidane.
Frank Rijkaard says he respects Henry’s decision while Julio Beletti reckons Henry is ‘finished’ as a top class striker. He says:
Henry is Arsenal’s best player but his time at the top level of the game is over. He might just make it into the world’s top 10 at the moment but that’s not for certain. He needed to leave London to become one of the top strikers but if he doesn’t leave Arsenal, he never will.
Isn’t it amazing how a fucker like him, who has spent most of the season on the bench because Barcelona prefer to play a centre-half at right back, gets all giddy because he got lucky and scored a goal which deflected in off the keeper’s ankle. Does he really think anyone cares what he says? That his opinion counts for anything? All he’s done is make himself look like an enormous cretin because anyone with half a brain can see Henry is the best striker in the world right now and that would be true if he were playing for Barcelona or Bristol Rovers. Stupid Belletti, if I see you around town I am going to give you a chinese burn.
Arsenal must be the only team in the history of the European Cup to lose the final and end up feeling they have won something invaluable.
Amy Lawrence on what the future holds after Paris. Could Pires and Ashley be part of it? The Guardian suggested Thierry requested Robert Pires be given the two year deal he was looking for as part of his own negotiations. Sounds a bit off to me. Henry has too much respect for the manager to hold him over a barrel like that. More likely that he convinced Pires to accept the one year deal that was on offer.
Will Ashley Cole stay? The Independent says Cole will discuss his future with his shitbag agent and his family this weekend. However, the Sunday Mirror suggests he could be off to Chelsea as part of swap deal for Shaun Wright-Phillips. On a purely footballing level we’re better with Cole but it’s hard to leave his baggage behind and I suspect Cole’s alleged discomfort with Arsenal is not so much his own but his agents. Anyway, we’ll see what happens. If he does go we have options so it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Arsene Wenger has spoken out against diving in the past and he’s had a few choice words for Emmanuel Eboue after his Mark Spitz impressions in Paris on Wednesday night. The boss said:
It is clear there was no foul. I condemn and regret the attitude of Eboue. I have always risen up against cheating. Eboue cheated by simulating the foul. I detest simulation.
Strong words indeed but if you ask me he’s dead right. I like Eboue but his diving, and Paris was not the first time, is pathetic. I hate seeing it, I really do. Not only was there the one which led to the goal but there was one in the second half where he rolled over and over and over and that was just horrible to watch. He could be a very good player but he needs to look at Kolo who crunches and gets crunched in tackles and doesn’t flinch. He needs to realise that he will gain himself a reputation which is impossible to shake and hopefully the manager’s words will do that. If not you have to think strongly about his future in the team. Anyway, for me when Lauren is fit he’s first choice. Eboue has potential but he’s nowhere near the finished article and is maybe a bit overrated due to the high-profile games he’s been involved in.
Freddie Ljungberg talks about his migraine attacks, as he heads off to the World Cup with Sweden. And that’s it. I got my first two goals of the season yesterday, late I know, but worth waiting for.
Ok, till tomorrow. Happy Sunday.
