It’s Friday at last and we all know what that means. Yes. Tomorrow is Saturday. And what does that mean? Who cares?!
We’ll start this morning with the news that Arsene Wenger looks set to sign a new three year contract. And that’s all I’m going to say about it. We’ve known he was going to sign for ages now and it’s just a matter of it being announced officially. More comment when it is but it goes without saying that it’s good news.
Update: Contract extended until 2011 – confirmed by the official website. Arsene says:
My heart is tied to this football club so signing a new deal was always my intention.  Arsenal is the club of my life. I have been entrusted with complete freedom to implement and execute my plans on what will make the team successful and that means I have a responsibility to the fans to deliver silverware and also a responsibility to the players to help turn our potential into prizes. This Club has deep-seated roots and a tremendous heritage and it is my aim to uphold these important values and help create new history for future generations to recount.
Arsene. Is. The. Man. Onwards and upwards, Arsefans. I do like the nod towards our roots and heritage as well. We are lucky to have a man with integrity and intelligence at the helm.
Further reading: Martin Keown on Arsene Wenger via the BBC.
As Jens Lehmann is fit to play against Wales for Germany he’s launched a rather curious broadside against journalists and their interpretations of their own inventions. I know the link is TribalFootball but it gives a much longer version of his quotes and frankly it’s fucking brilliant. I don’t have a clue what he’s on about but it’s tremendously entertaining. He certainly hasn’t lost any of his self-belief and it’s going to be a big scrap for the keeper position when he gets back. I suspect Almunia will stay, having done little wrong, but the pressure from Lehmann will be on. Oh yes.
Nicklas Bendtner is unhappy at being left out of the Arsenal squad for the game against Portsmouth. He says:
I didn’t get any explanation. I don’t know why he did that and I’ll demand to know why and have a talk with Arsene Wenger when I get back. But what is said will stay between us.
You have to laugh at a 19 year old who has yet to play a full game for us demanding to know why he’s been left out of the squad. The lad is obviously not short of self-confidence but I can’t imagine making demands and bleating to the press is going to do him any good.
Just before the Arsecast I’d like to point out that Caughtoffside and Sportingo blogs are a load of old horse cock.
Now, the Arsecast.
In this week’s OleOle.com sponsored Arsecast I chat to Tim Payton from the Arsenal Supporters Trust about Dein, Usmanov and all that crack. The Man in the Bar has another player history and there’s the usual mindless booze enhanced waffle.
To subscribe to the arsecast in iTunes – click here. To download this week’s arsecast directly – click here (13mb MP3). You can find the arsecast archives here. And you can listen directly below without leaving this very page.
[audio:http://arseblog.com/podcasts/arsecast_episode43.mp3]So there you go. Have yourselves a fine Friday ahead of tomorrow’s Saturday. More then.
