The Daily Mail says Portsmouth and West Ham, the two sides heavily linked with Ljungberg in January’s transfer window, are set to make summer moves for a player who, in spite of never recapturing his blistering form of 2002, will leave as an Arsenal hero.
They also talk on an eleven player exodus, before naming Jose Reyes, Mathieu Flamini, Manuel Almunia, Philippe Senderos, Jeremie Aliadiere, Alexandre Song, Kerrea Gilbert and on-loan Brazilian Julio Baptista as other possible departures (Arturo Lupoli and Fabrice Muamba have already left).
I’d be very surprised to see Senderos sold, and I think the sale of Muamba suggests that Alex Song, for better (or much more likely worse), will be part of the first-team squad next season. However, Emmanuel Eboue and Justin Hoyte both signing long-term contracts does not bode well for the future of Kerrea Gilbert.
Flamini, Baptista, and Aliadiere will definitely leave, but don’t really require replacing. The emergence of Denilson and Diaby more than compensates for Flamini’s departure, whilst Niklas Bendtner will join the first-team after penning a new five-year deal.
Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing another striker arrive to supplement Henry, Van Persie, and Adebayor. Bendtner and Walcott have plenty of potential, but are largely unproven. You know by now how highly I rate Carlos Tevez, and if this lad were available for around £6m he’d be worth a punt. Being English, however, I expect he’ll cost thrice that.
Manuel Almunia has been usurped by Wookash Fabyanski, which leaves just Ljungberg and Reyes. These are the two that do require replacing. The wide areas is where we’ve looked weakest this season – if we’re going to lose two wingers, we must replace them with proven quality. All eyes are on Marseille winger Franck Ribery, but if you watch the UEFA Cup Final tonight you might catch a long-term Arsenal target on Sevilla’s left flank: Antonio Puerta. Imagine Reyes, but cheaper and less of a girl.
“The biggest transfer I can make is to try to get everybody fit by the start of next season. If I manage that I have done 80% of the job and I will be pleased, the other 20% is optional – whether I buy or not.”
Now, Mr. Wenger has a degree ineconomics. So the question of whether to buy or not surely is rhetorical. If everyone is fit: great, 80%. But if we want to realistically mount a title challenge, then we need the further 20% signings would give us. Because 100% is, apparently, somewhat better than 80%.
I suspect arseblogger gets it right when he says the buys will primarily replace the dead wood (a process which, it seems, has already started).
Perhaps the most interesting signing will be the appointment of a new Sporting Director. Nick Hammond of Reading is certainly in the frame, but is he a little inexperienced in the big wide world of Premiership football? Let’s see.
Tuesday, 9 January 2007: Julio Baptista’s penalty is palmed away by Jerzy Dudek
Wednesday, 14 February 2007: Baptista blasts over from the spot in extra-time
Sunday, 13 May 2007: No third time lucky. No law of averages. David James flings himself to his right to save yet another Baptista penalty.
I can’t be the only person who feels genuinely sorry for The Beast. If it weren’t for Andriy Shevchenko, he’d be the biggest flop since diced bread.
So, we didn’t come fourth. Where Baptista failed from the spot, Harry Kewell succeeded, and that was that. It’s no biggie, but the prestige probably means less than the £500k in prize money.
No point in worrying about the result, or indeed the game. It meant next to nothing. As a side point, you can’t help but wonder if Manuel Almunia’s exclusion was in the same vein as that of Flamini and Aliadiere.
Oh, and any fans of that evil womble Neil Warnock’s team who might happen to be reading…
Arsenal take on Portsmouth today in our final match of the season. If we get a better result than Liverpool do at home to the already relegated Charlton (which seems rather unlikely), we’ll take third spot. Pompey, however, are chasing an enticing UEFA Cup place, meaning the likes of Lauren and Kanu won’t go easy against their former club.
As today’s headline suggests, our team might have the distinctive feel of the walking dead, for it seems likely that quite a few of those who start today will not appear for the club again.
In goal, Manuel Almunia may seek pastures new after the signing of Woo-kashFab-yan-ski.
With Gilberto suffering from chronic “niggles”, Mathieu Flamini could be given a final opportunity to display his astounding averageness in the centre of midfield.
Aleksandr Hleb and Freddie Ljungberg are both likely to start, and with the manager talking about ways of “creating money” (in ways that presumably don’t involve a colour photocopier), it wouldn’t surprise me if one of them was sold against their will this summer.
Upfront, Jeremie Aliadiere is probably still being kept in solitary confinement, but Julio Baptista will certainly start. Although his chances of staying might well have increased after Jose Reyes put in a storming performance for Real Madrid last night, he probably needs another performance like the one he put in at Anfield to give him a hope in even the most lenient of Hells.
“If you make a table of the top four we are top. If you make a table of the top 10 we are second, three points behind Man Utd. If you make a table of the top 20 we are 25 points behind the leader.”
It’s pretty clear where the problem lies. But just in case anyone out there hasn’t got it, Arsene adds:
“It means we have lost the points against the second part of the table.”
Nail. Head. Hit. On. The.
The stats do make interesting reading, and even though it’s good to see Arsene take reponsibility, it’s not particularly positive to hear his “I’m lost” comments of earlier this season echoed when he says, “I can’t put my finger one where we went wrong”. Well, at the risk of being condescending to a many I respect hugely, I’d suggest we didn’t take enough of our chances, conceded too many sloppy goals, and dropped points against the league’s poorer teams.
Ken Friar helped negotiate the signing of Åukasz FabiaÅ„ski, which will be all tied up once the season is over. As for Julio Baptista, his future is tied up with that of Jose Reyes, who wants to stay in Spain, where nobody wants him. Once word: “wellthatservesyouright”.
It looks likely that Baptista will play his final game for Arsenal in a weakened side on Sunday. It may also prove to be Manuel Almunia’s final appearance for the club if, as rumoured, he takes up one of several intriguing offers from La Liga.
Finally, goodbye and good luck to Fabrice Muamba. When you’re behind Alex Song in the club’s pecking order, you know it’s probably time to move on. £2m in the bank (that could rise as high as £4m) has got to be regarded as good business.
Arsenal take on Portsmouth today in our final match of the season. If we get a better result than Liverpool do at home to the already relegated Charlton (which seems rather unlikely), we’ll take third spot. Pompey, however, are chasing an enticing UEFA Cup place, meaning the likes of Lauren and Kanu won’t go easy against their former club.
