Friday Round-up: Bendtner, Adebayor, Clichy, and Arshavin’s flu scare
Add comment May 8th, 2009
Hello there. Apologies for my absence yesterday. I felt as unwell as… well, as unwell as I assume Nicklas Bendtner felt after his big night out in the wake of our defeat at Manchester United. Whilst the Dane has rightly offered a sincere apology for his conduct, I won’t be too quick to condemn him. Perhaps it’s because he’s been in rather good form of late, but for a twenty-one year-old who has a day off the following day, blowing off a little steam in such a manner isn’t the greatest sin I can conceive of. It’s not like he shagged any grannies.
Hopes are high for what Bendtner might achieve next season, and some even see him replacing a departing Emmanuel Adebayor. Adebayor, however, doesn’t see himself going anywhere:
“Arsenal put me where I am today. They made me one of the biggest strikers in the world. I have to pay them back.
How am I going to pay them back? Make them win trophies. That’s what I am here for and I have to fight for that. Next season, 100 per cent, I am an Arsenal footballer.”
I suppose that as with Patrick Vieira and others before him, if Arsene Wenger decides he wants to move Adebayor on the player won’t be able to do that much about it. The question of whether or not the man from Togo is indeed about To-go will certainly be one of the Summer’s major stories, and considering the potential it has to drag on into the realm of utter tedium, I think I’ll leave it till then.
Gael Clichy has no need to put anything off until the Summer, as his season is over. It’s a shame but I’d rather he rested up than put any strain on what is a fairly serious back injury. In the meantime, Kieran Gibbs will gain some more invaluable experience, which will undoubtedly help him get over the trauma he suffered on Tuesday night.
Damn. Almost got through the whole blog without mentioning it. Still, after the remarkable events at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, at least we’ll have two former Gunners to cheer on in the final against United in Sylvinho and Thierry Henry. Thierry undoubtedly deserves a medal, and with rumours he could be moved on by Barca in the Summer, this could be his last chance to get one. Allez Titi.
On Sunday we face Chelsea, with both sides looking to get over their respective Champions League exits. Andrey Arshavin is a slight doubt with flu – but don’t worry, he didn’t get it off one of Carlos Vela’s mates. After the debacle that was Arshavin’s benching in the FA Cup semi-final, I’m hoping he’s fit enough to make him point at the Emirates on Sunday.
Till tomorrow.
—UPDATE—
10.51: I know I said “till tomorrow”, and it’s still very much “today”, but there is news to impart: Theo Walcott has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal Football Club.  Considering he only had twelve months or so to run on his present deal, that’s something of a relief. More tomorrow.
