By Ian Grant
PLAYERS
Francis Jeffers and Tony Adams were reported to be back in training this week. Tony Adams says he is trying to be back before Christmas.
[The Jeffers news is particularly good, given the false stories about him being out all season, and for those Arsenal fans who hankered after Robbie Fowler.]
Thierry Henry T-shirt on Sunday said: “For the West Indies”. It was directed to his family back in Guadeloupe.
Alan Green said after the Deportivo game, “Arsenal fans must see that Vieira is a ‘transfer waiting to happen’ – next summer at the latest. And if Vieira goes, who would follow him out the door? Robert Pires? Thierry Henry?”
Thierry Henry is out in front as lead Premiership striker with 12 goals and a goal/game average. Bergkamp and Pires have four each.
Ashley Cole said on the Arsenal defence: “Our biggest problem is that we’re new to each other. It’s a different defence and we’ve got to get used to one another. So far, we haven’t adapted well together, and it’s something we need to work hard at in training.”
And on la Coruna: “They were better than us, and weren’t even at full strength. If we knew why we couldn’t win away in Europe, we’d change it, but the truth is that we’ve been playing some good teams. Too good for us, really.”
The People points out that Sol Campbell earns nearly three times as much as Thierry Henry.
David Seaman’s hairdresser, Errol Douglas, has been trying in vain to persuade the England goalkeeper to cut his ponytail off.
Zinedine Zidane received the Onze Mondial award for the year’s top European player. Readers of the French monthly soccer magazine Onze Mondial voted for Zidane ahead of Michael Owen and Robert Pires.
TEAM
Arsene Wenger said: “There is a big feeling in the dressing room [after Man U] that this could be a pivotal result for us.”
“We don’t know what team Arsenal will play,” Grimsby manager Lennie Lawrence said. “It’s nearly impossible to prepare for it.”
According to the Independent’s ratings, Patrick Vieira is the best performer at Arsenal this season with 7/10. Pires and Henry are both on 6.6/10.
Didi Hamann will miss the Liverpool-Arsenal match on 23 December, following his red card at the weekend.
Arsenal remain in second place in the Premiership disciplinary league after Derby, with 29 yellows and 3 reds this season.
Manchester United were 8/5 to beat Arsenal at the week-end.
According to the Times, the Arsenal football team use the Over the Top range of shampoo (prices from £6.95 from HQhair.com).
Arsenal have now gone 14 Premiership games without failing to score.
WENGER
Arsene Wenger said: “I will be here next season. Maybe it’s because I’m from a different generation but when I give my word it’s my word even if someone comes in tomorrow and gives me five times more money. I would not sign players for three or four years and then run away.”
Wenger added that Arsenal will make an announcement on his contract in the near future. The news is expected to coincide with the announcement they have been granted full planning permission for their new Ashburton Grove ground.
He added that: “The Arsenal players know how I feel. Signing a new contract is not an issue with me.”
On loyalty, he said: ‘We live in a world where money has taken over but we must obey basic rules. If fans fear loyalty has gone then the popularity of football will go. You can’t have a situation where a player is training with you on Monday but you don’t know if he will be there for the game on Saturday.”
Alex Ferguson said: “We have a good friendship away from football, myself and Arsene.”
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Bayer Leverkusen, who are in Arsenal’s Champions League group, moved four points clear of Bayern Munich in Germany thanks to a 4-1 win over Hamburg. Oliver Neuville grabbed a hat-trick and the other goal came from midfielder Michael Ballack, a transfer target for both Bayern and Arsenal.
UEFA are looking into the possibility of reducing the number of Champions League matches by 2003, by restructuring the competition.
Liverpool and Arsenal are both 18/1 to win the Champions League.
TRANSFER RUMOURS
The Sunday Mirror says Clarence Seedorf claims that Arsenal are desperate to sign him. He insists he turned down a move to Highbury earlier this year because he was ‘happy’ in Italy, but that Wenger has continued to keep a close eye on him and also remained in contact with the player’s agent.
According to the Mirror, Arsene Wenger had Southampton defender, Wayne Bridge watched at Derby last weekend.
INTERNATIONALS
Another club v country spat is looming with the African Cup which starts in Mali on January 9, with the final on February 10. Countries are expecting their players to report early. Kanu and Lauren could be affected.
Gareth Southgate has emerged as the partner for Rio Ferdinand for the next few England friendlies, leading to the World Cup. It leaves the Arsenal duo, Sol Campbell and Martin Keown, having to fight to get into the first team, according to some papers today.
LADIES
Arsenal ladies, White and Stoney played in England’s 1-1 draw with Portugal.
MISCELLANEOUS
The Independent points out that Osama bin Laden, Johnny Rotten, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Jeremy Beadle are all Arsenal supporters, and is offering a bottle of champagne to readers identifying the biggest cringe making fan.
It also points out that Adolf Hitler supported Schalke.
David Dein, the vice-chairman of Arsenal and of the FA, has offered to set up a new players’ welfare fund.
According to the Observer, an Arsenal source said vice-chairman David Dein’s personal view on the proposed Phoenix league is that to “create a new league based on anything other than sporting criteria would be immoral”.
OLD BOYS
Willie Young, the former Arsenal and Scotland defender, turned 50 this week.
George Graham was 57 last week and the Express pointed out that with Saturn, planet of limitation, transiting his opposite sign of Gemini until 2003 Graham is unlikely to take charge at another Premiership club this season or next.
Ian Wright is returning to Crystal Palace to coach part-time.