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From : Zach Cafritz Washington DC

Subject : Anelka at Ashburton ?

Frankly, despite his past, I would prefer Anelka to either Kuyt or especially the overpriced Torres for the Gunners. Fenerbahce not want to part, but they are still Fener and he could likely be purchased.

I think that, value for money, he’s probably the best option out there. And we know he can work with Henry.

Any thoughts?

REPLY : Not many. Anelka would have no re-sale value if Arsene signed him now. He didn’t combine well with Henry for France in Martinique.

At one time I thought Anelka should have stayed at Arsenal for another three years and developed into the next George Weah. But his head was never right and it is never going to be right. Character is destiny. Anelka’s career is 30% of what it could have been.

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From : Richard Back

Subject: Correction to fixtures stated on post!!

Hi Myles,

Good post as usual, just thought I’d point out that we’re actually @ home against Blackburn on the 26th of this month and away @ St.James against the Geordies on the 10th December!

Still think we can get maximum points, then bring on Chavski!!

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From: Chris Akanbi

Subject: lazy strikers

I’ve been reading your pieces for a few years now and enjoy the original views expressed. Agree with you about Henry going missing in big games and about Reyes having all the potential in the world (lets hope he realises itat Arsenal).

Thought you were a bit harsh on Henry and Pires after the penalty incident, it was arrogant but the game is about entertainment, we don’t want all the players playing like robots, afraid to try anything new.

But I’m writing about your statement that Anelka is the laziest great striker you’ve seen.

Surely a) he’s not great (just very good on his day) and b) surely Ronaldo is far lazier (literally only running when he has the ball or there’s a run on that will lead to goal for him) and IS actually great (his season at Barcelona was the most spectacular I’ve seen.

Never really saw Maradona, but he can’t have been more dangerous than Ronaldo that season. He looked like scoring every time he got the ball).

REPLY : Anelka was gifted but had the laziest attitude of any young player I’ve ever seen at Arsenal.Or anywhere. From day one, from his first game as sub.

On the Pires “penalty”, yeah, that was a bit harsh and Arsenal press officer Dan Tolhurst phoned me about it. We had a little chat.

Thierry sometimes phones reporters to bollock them about incorrect and unfair stories. Recently, he called Martin Lipton of The Mirror. Not having seen Lipton’s story, I don’t know what he was complaining about.

I reckon that if Thierry cares that much about his current reputation with Arsenal fans, he WILL sign a new deal. If he was leaving in six months, I don’t think he’d bother phoning a tabloid reporter.

What do I think about that incident now, three or four weeks later? Well, I still I hate that “penalty” and the idea behind it. Even if it had been scored, I would still have hated it.

What I wrote, calling them wankeurs, was offensive to Henry and Pires, so I changed it to “plonkeurs”, as Dan suggested.

I did not see writing that, or changing it, as any big deal. I did not hesitate to write it and I did not hesitate to change it.

However, I have to say that what Pires did was offensive to me. I was offended by it. You may think I am crazy, but I was offended by it. I was very, very upset by it.

That was why I reacted. When I saw that, I was homicidal. That’s all I can say. I hated what they tried to do. I didn’t think it was clever, I didn’t think it was “entertainment”.

I’m with Dennis on that one. They tried to involve Dennis. But he wasn’t having it. Nor was I.

No footballer will ever do anything that will anger me as much as that, so I’m unlikely to call any player a wankeur again.

But that’s more than enough about that. It’s boring. It’s history. Subject closed !

On Ronaldo at Barcelona in 96/97, that was the first season I got Sky Sports. I’ve never seen any footballer dribble as fast as Ronaldo did then and I didn’t think it was possible for any centre forward to score 34 goals in 37 league games.

I think, from memory, that 96/97 was Capello’s only season at Real Madrid, and Rivaldo’s only season at Deportivo, as Rivaldo was sold to Barca when they sold Ronaldo to Inter, and Djaminha came from Brazil to Deportivo to replace Rivaldo, and Djalminha played at Highbury in the Uefa Cup and got sent off when the score was 2-1 and Arsenal won 5-2.

Seeing Ronaldo kicked so viciously in Serie A was as horrible as seeing Pele maimed by Bulgaria and Portugal in 1966.

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From : ” Michael Ballack”

Subject : Arsenal’s weaknesses

My name is Michael, I enjoy your site very much and think you represent Arsenal very well. I was wondering if you could pinpoint Arsenal’s current “weakest link” so to speak. Every team has one I would assume, whether it be a particular player or an inability to do something in certain situations.What are your thoughts?

REPLY : Teams have different weak points at different times of the season. Each season is an unfolding story and we get too hung up on one game.

A pal of mine says a football match is like a newspaper, it’s only meant to last one day. And, as Paul Jewell said the other day, I’m a big picture man, it’s the season that counts.

I’m also a big picture man.

I’m 100% sure that Arsenal cannot win the Champions League with this team, but I want them to keep winning and finish above Manchester United. Because they don’t want to be playing a risky qualifying game in the new stadium under huge pressure in early August 2006.

At the moment Arsenal are weak at left back.

Not having Clichy or Cole available may have profound consequences in the coming games. We shall have to wait and see.

One metatarsal is unfortunate, but two is not carelessness. But bear in mind that Gabriel Heinze did his cruciate, which is a far worse injury than a broken toe.

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From : Stathis Yannopoulos

Subject: Parki

hey myles

Kempson quoted you in the Times about the Vieira tackle… I still remember what you wrote.

Anyways say something about that sissy boy parki from the TV.

REPLY : Quoted in the Observer last month, the Times this month? An underground commentator is in danger of becoming famous.

Sissy boy Parki? I have rarely seen Michael Parkinson since the Seventies.

I don’t like a sycophantic interviewing style.I cannot stomach his questions, his manner. It always seemed phoney, false and boring to me because I am not in awe of famous people.

Billy Connolly and Muhammed Ali made his show big. I used to love Johnny Carson, who was a far hipper, more flippant chat-show host, whom I adored when I was visiting the USA.

Also Dick Cavett.

Both were comedians, not journalists, and neither was from Yorkshire.

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David P. Griffin

Subject: England aren’t gonna win the cup.

Myles,

Don’t mean to burst the English dream bubble. But there are a couple of points from the game which I watched as a neutral. It had a fantastic end but by that stage Argentina were bringing players off, after they showed they could easily open up England at will.

They scored the second then took off Ayala,Crespo and most importantly JRR.

JRR made England’s midfield look very ordinary.England have three major weaknesses.

1. They are being killed down the left because they have only one left sided player ( A.Cole) but he must play in defence.

2. They need a right midfielder who’ll stay there. I lost count of the times Beckham came inside and JRR dropped into it.

3. Sol Campbell must play before Ferdinand.England will never win anything with him at centre back,he doesn’t command at set pieces.

REPLY : With such insights, you could be a manager. But footballers would drive you mad. It’s a very, very stressful job. I could not do it, obviously, because I’m too emotional. After six weeks, I would be in an ambulance.

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Dan (east stand lower)

SUBJECT : The Man United-Chelsea game

Are you thinking about writing a piece on this game? Your opinions on Arsenal are terrific, but I enjoy equally your write-ups on other games too; if not, c’est la vie.

I am on a year out, currently in Thailand, and football banter is lacking somewhat. I look forward to your articles more than ever now, so if you would oblige, I would appreciate it.

REPLY : I would love to visit Thailand. My wife’s been, my daughter’s been twice, I have friends in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, but I still haven’t made it.I’m ashamed to admit I have never been east of Prague.

I backed Chelsea to win that match, so I lost that bet. On other games, non-Arsenal games, I do as much as I can here, when I’m in the mood and have something to say.

I’m writing another book now, and I’ve got a new job, but that will not impact on ANR. I’ll still write stuff here.And I’ll continue to make mistakes here.

And I’ll still write my best ANR pieces in my head as I’m walking home from the gym, down the Avenue of Lost Pussycats. That’s not the name of the road, but it’s what I call it because of the notices regularly pinned to the trees, sometimes with photos of the pets.

Then I get home and the phone rings and I forget the piece. But sometimes I remember later and type it out and stick it here.

It’s an ideal hobby for an old fart. And nice to think we have readers all over. Many Londoners do not live in London, and some live 8,000 miles away, or more.

ANR, to me, is a kind of sharing, a small gift of drinking water to thirsty football fans.

November 21st 2005

HUNDREDS of your emails have been forwarded to me.

It’s a lot of reading and many questions.

What do you think of Pennant? What do you think of Jeffers?

Will we sign a centreback?

How do you know Vieira and Pires will re-sign?

Plenty of knowledgeable comments. Many appreciative readers (some in USA, Cameroon)who say : Thanks for your analysis, I look forward to reading your articles.

Also, some abuse from Spurs fans re Steve Carr.

Most agree with what I wrote about David Beckham.

A grateful Syrian, Waddah Khrait, wants to meet me.

He writes :

First of all I want to say : Thank you very much for everything you do in our life.

I’m living in Damascus (the oldest city in the world) in the middle east and everyday I check your web page to see if there is a new article.

Believe me how blue I feel when I dont see a new article.I used to live in London and I was a ticket holder for 2 seasons and believe me you are the one who makes me feel as if I’m watching the Arsenal matches live.Thank you again.When I come to London again I’ll try hard to see you and your family if you don’t mind.

What do I think about ANR readers? Can I generalise?

Well, most are highly intelligent, so that’s good. But not surprising.

Most people realise that this is a hobby, that I can’t interact with hundreds of correspondents on a weekly basis.

A couple of readers ask me to write more.

One wants me update him on the news !

You have Reuters and the BBC for the news, mate.

ANR is meant to be an ALTERNATIVE!

Frankly, it’s quite worrying to think that people on five continents are waiting for my next ANR piece.

It’s quite inhibiting. It’s quite intimidating.

Even for somebody as casual and cocky as me.

To me ANR a local thing, written in London for S.E. England.

So I make assumptions about what readers already know.And my assumptions are often misguided.

It’s nice when flatterers like Mike Cobain say : Respect.

Hi,

I’m a subscriber of your mailing list and always read your articles.I think that they are fantastic and love getting my new article e-mail !!

This may be a bit of a burden for you, but it would be great if you wrote more of them, I think your analysis is awesome.You have a great understanding of the game and would just like to offer you my thanks for the work you’ve done. Keep it up!!!

Thanks, Mike – it’s not a burden. It could be in the future,but not right now.

If ANR was a burden, I couldn’t carry it. But you’ve gotta realise I won’t be here forever.

On ANR, I do what I can, if I’m in the mood.

I used to write late at night, not realising I was tired.Then I stopped that. If I’m tired, I go to bed.

This is a high-wire circus act. No editor, no sub-editors, just me,free to say what I like, free to make a fool of myself any day,any night.

That freedom puts me in dangerous territory.

ALSO: I can’t write if I’m not at home. I can’t write if I’m doing other things.

And, most important, I can’t write when I’m not thinking clearly. It’s easy to write this stuff quickly if I’m fresh and thinking clearly.

But If I’m stale or tired, if my head is spinning, if I’ve been on the phone all day, I can’t write. So I don’t try.

If I’m in the right mood, this stuff pours out simply onto the screen, like a thumbprint on a police pad.To me it’s like a thumbprint. Something simple with its own DNA.

But I can’t fake it or force it.

Since it’s not a job, I never have to force it or fake it.

I love the game, but it’s not my whole life.

To me, football is the most important unimportant thing in the world.

I have many interests, several pet projects, and I’m always being drawn into other people’s projects.

The other thing many ANR readers say is : I’m glad you are positive, I get sick of moaning Gooners.

Well, I’m not neurotic, not a worrier.

And I’ve done angry. I’ve done rage and despair.

A few weeks back I re-read a piece from two summers ago.

It was PATRICK VIEIRA, HOW CAN YOU SLEEP?

I was very, very shocked. As I read it, I was thinking : Jesus,you were furious when you wrote this.You were homicidal !

So I’ve been there and done that.

I’ve done rage and despair.And I might do it again. But not this week.

I’m doing mellow now because I’m on holiday.

Yes, I’ve scored a few bullseyes here.

Christine Waterstone reminds me of an old one.She says :

Myles, you were right once again. In the article “Sir Alex should sell Veron,Barthez, hire a coach”, which was published over a year ago on this site, you said, “Fergie should hire a coach who can give his team shape, method, new ideas.” Carlos Queiroz was this man. And thankfully he has now gone to Madrid.

I had forgotten that piece.

A couple of ANR readers, I’ve replied privately.

Like Dave Rogers, the lost school pal who first got me interested in football when I was 15.

After grammar school I went to Manchester University, my family moved, I never saw any of my school pals again.

Then in 1966, among a crowd of 90,000 fans going into the England v Portugal semi-final, I bumped into Dave.So we arranged to meet again for the final and saw Alf’s England make history.

So I’ve sent him a memo saying, “Please keep in touch. 37 years is a long time between emails. “

Sunday was Thierry Henry’s birthday – and mine.

Thierry is a lucky man and so am I.

My 18-year old daughter wrote on the birthday card : You’re the best, most interesting and most funky Dad around. Have a wonderful day! Love you lots, Caroline.

And that’s it. Life goes on.All is possible. They sent me the Runrig album today.

When I hear Gaelic music, I see mountains. I suppose everybody does.

19th August 2003.