Arsenal now say RVP is going nowhere.
If contract talks don\’t work, Robin van Persie will not be allowed to leave this summer.
If signs a new deal, you\’ll hear about it.
You won\’t need me to tell you about that one.
But I really hate summer sagas and it\’s not because I\’m worried about losing players, who leave football clubs every year, all over the world, always have,always will.
Nothing to do with that.
It\’s just that the appalling Anelka saga, the inevitable Fabregas saga, and the nasty Nasri saga, all bored the pants off me.
But we expect summer sagas now.
Arsenal is a selling club run by a developmental manager who keeps his unique job and dictatorial power by making a profit every year and by selling the future to gullible Gooners.
ROY HODGSON has dropped Rio because he can\’t play twice in four days or three times in eight days. That makes the ghastly JT more important than he would otherwise be.
Hodgson chose Gary Neville, my footballer of the year, as his No.2.
Gary, 37, has signed a four-year contract with the FA. Good call !
Roy\’s 23 for Euro 2012 will be announced at 1pm.
His press conference is at 2pm.
PAUL LAMBERT is better than the Aston Villa job. He should stay at Norwich for another season.
ROBERTO DI MATTEO flew to Berlin for the German Cup Final and saw champions Borussia Dortmund beat Bayern Munich 5-2.
The more I think about the final, and the tactics, and all the absent stars, and the heroes who have missed big finals in the past, like Keane and Scholes missing Bayern Munich, the more I think Chelsea can nick it.
If Ashley Cole can shut down Robben, Chelsea can win 1-0.
Keep him on his right foot, keep him outside the box, keep him at awkward angles. Petr Cech is more likely to keep a clean sheet than the giant Manuel Neuer, who is 26 but a relative rookie at thgis level.This is his first season with Bayern.
Also, Bundesliga goal-machine Mario Gomes is a donkey who wouldn\’t make it in the Premier League. And Franck Ribery is over-rated.
OK, Lampard & Co. only finished 6th in the EPL.
But I think Chelsea will park the bus and nick it.
In the biggest game of his life, Drogba will score again. He\’s a gladiator who delivers on big nights and challenging days.
Maybe I can preview the final later in the week but I\’m saying this now in case, for any reason, I can\’t write anything on Friday before the game.
At 1.30pm today I\’ll post the England 23 and say a few words.
You can see/hear/read Roy Hodgson\’s comments tonight or tomorrow.