Robert Pires (Times) calls Arsenal a “broken” team and attributes the silverware drought on too many foreign and young players.
“When they lost the Carling Cup their confidence went. They were a little bit broken because if they had won, it people would have said ‘yes, the first trophy for Arsenal for six years’.
“To me, there are two things [wrong]: they are too young and now he [Arsène Wenger] needs more English players in the team.”
Similarly Emmanuel Adebayor highlights Arsenal\’s failings: “Arsenal is a fantastic club, all the players are young, but at the end of the day you have to be harsh and be aggressive. You have to instil a mentality where you think you have to win, win, win every day. That’s the difference with Arsenal. The manager has to ask more from them.â€
Explaining that\’s what Mourinho does to his players, he added, “That is what will win Arsenal titles. They are not far off.”
So talk of Scott Parker and Arsenal in the same sentence – although paper talk at the moment is good news. The furthest Wenger goes is to say: “First we look not to weaken because we want to keep all our players, and then try to strengthen.”
The third ex-players’ contribution this week is from Paul Merson accusing Wenger of injecting yellow liquid into him. Is it an alcohol fuelled fantasy; or does the manager actually inject players so they play the way he wants, don\’t answer back and have a collective consciousness which obliterates individual responsibility for mistakes or shots on goal. Or is Merse just taking the pizz? The answer will be in increased book sales.
Staggering that Samir Nasri could slip through the net this summer. Wenger has admitted that Arsenal still have not tied down Samir to a new contract despite the French midfielder being offered a deal worth £80,000-a-week. He has just one year left on his current agreement. Arsenal tend to lose quality midfielders of late: Flamini, Hleb, Diarra. What is it? Yellow liquid?
If he goes, Arsenal have been linked with another, Mangala in midfield (in the Metro). Great name for a midfielder, even if you take the Hindu interpretation – the God of War which wouldn\’t go amiss at Arsenal. The French u-21 international plays for Standard Liege. But Spurs apparently are ‘stealing a march\’ – whatever that means. His first name is Eliaquim. Let\’s not go there. Well, only if he goes to Spurs.
More links more paper talk. Karim Benzema for £40m (yeah) [caughtoffside.com]. But more likely an unknown from Lorient. “Arsenal have made an offer to midfielder Morgan Amalfitano (26) – a free agent” – and Wenger also fancies promising French international striker Kevin Gameiro, 23, valued at £12m [Mirror].
Good to see The Arsenal Supporters Trust (Times) getting some credit. It submitted some evidence to the Commons Inquiry on Football Governance and showed a way that the government could get rid of some of the regulations that make it harder to set up clubs and for fans to invest in them. This could be done at no taxpayer cost and would be a step in the right direction.
So says Damian Collins is MP for Folkestone and Hythe and a member of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
Great too that inquiry is having an actual effect – namely the alleged FIFA corruption scandal and on who actually owns Leeds United.
Also good to see the possibility of Tommy Vermaelen back for the Villa game after an agonising time on the sidelines. And Cesc tomorrow?. Will it be his last game for Arsenal? A lot thought it was last season. Worth staying for the lap of honour to clap him for his contribution, at any rate, I reckon.
Myles is away temporarily