Bobby Pires was one of Wenger’s top three signings
When Bobby Pires came to Arsenal, the French press said he was one of the most decent people you could meet.
I had the good fortune to meet him once – and wasn’t disappointed. He could best be described by the blunt English term – ‘good bloke’.
When he came on as substitute a few times last season – he transformed games. He also got important goals – notably at Spurs and in the last game against Wigan.
Goals from midfield were a theme throughout his Arsenal career. Pires’s six-year association with Arsenal included 284 games and 84 goals after his £6m move – one every 3.3 games. He grabbed 19 from midfield in the unbeaten season.
These are the Arsenal incidents I’ll remember him for:
* Injury against Newcastle
* spat with David O’Leary against Leeds
* winner in the 4-5 win at Spurs
* equaliser at WHL
* goal against Chelsea in CL quarter
* setting up Henry with inumerable through balls
* being part of the Arsenal left side triangle
* being the third, and laughing musketeer
ANR has had a few worried emails. From the high of signing Rosicky, earlier in the week to the disappointment of losing Robert. Coupled with the retirement of Dennis Bergkamp – that’s a lot of experience and creativity to lose in a week.
Arsenal currently are the weaker for not having Pires. But he was a great signing and we wish him well in his new set-up at Villareal.
* Incidentally a lawyer, Richard Linskell of Dawsons quoted in the Guardian says offering players only a one year contracts when they are over 30 could trigger age discrimination claims, according to a new law coming into force this year in the UK. In October the Employment Equality (Age)Regulations 2006 comes into force.
A Davies bid looks serious
Reading between the lines, a bid for WBA centre back Curtis Davies looks serious. Wenger had a £3m offer for the 21-year-old rejected in the January transfer window, says the Mirror.
But he has not given up on the player, say the Daily Express.
The Mirror says Spurs manager Martin Jol has had a £4m bid for 21-year-old Davies turned down by Albion, who know Arsenal are also very keen to sign him. And they say Wenger has made the Midlands club aware of his interest and the two north London rivals are heading for a bidding battle.
Arsenal go for Thai takeaway
Arsenal have signed an agreement with JMG (Thailand) for an option to buy two Thai players from a recently formed academy.
It was formed by ex-French international Jean Marc Guillou, who set up a similar scheme in the Ivory Coast, from whence 70% of the current World Cup squad originate, including Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue.
“This is the first time that a major European club is ready to invest in Thai talent. We will soon start recruiting new young promising players for our second promotion and from then onwards you will see more and more Thais courted by top European clubs,” added md Robert Procureur.
Currently the academy is training 12-13 year olds, who were selected from thousands of applicants and Arsenal could take the best two from this year’s intake by 2012.
Nearly all match fans think they influence referees
Ninety eight per cent of British football fans who attend matches are convinced they can sway referees’ decisions, according to the World Entertainment News Network. But over half think bias is not a problem.
Asked which clubs gets most bias due to the crowd – Man U were top at 59%, 15% for Chelsea, 7% for Arsenal and 1% for Newcastle. Although the latter thought they exerted the most influence over refs.
Professor Alan Nevill of the University of Wolverhampton, who has studied soccer crowds, says, “I believe that referees are influenced by environmental pressures – exactly how that happens is inconclusive.”
Secret squirrel?
The Times moots that the pitch invasion by the squirrel was via a bet between two media employees who let it out of the bag and filmed it on their mobiles. No names are supplied for legal reasons.