Here is the first review 20 years ago this weekend.
Quite a trip; how we live and learn.
Jason MacAteer was booed by Bolton fans in a friendly and was confronted by fans, no doubt hastening his departure from the club. Alan Stubbs has refused a new contract. Bolton Wanderers are chasing Graham Hyde as a replacement for Jason MacAteer?
On Soccer Extra, Mark Lawrenson said that he didn’t think McAteer would go to Arsenal, but that Stubbs would. He said that Arsenal needed a passer in defence rather than hoofing the ball twenty or so yards. Lawrenson said Arsenal will be like Spurs early last season if they get MacAteer, with too many attacking forwards and midfielders. On the same programme, Malcolm Alison said he didn’t think Arsenal were good enough to stay with Manchester United, Blackburn or Liverpool in the Premiership race.
In one Sunday paper, Glenn Helder is alleged to have had big gambling debts in Holland and was forced to quit with a signing on fee to pay off his debts. Big guys with leather jackets and guns used to turn up for him at training, it alleges. (Well, with Merson on the right wing and Helder on the left, at least its symmetrical. One supporter has offered to start up Arsenal Anonymous).
Meanwhile Arsenal recorded profits of over £6m+ for 1994/5 season, second behind MU at £11m.
Paul Davies has left the Norwegian club Stavenger and is interesting Portsmouth.
Steve Bould is reportedly interesting Sheffield Wednesday for £2m (rather high for 32)
Chris Kiwomya and Paul Dickov are interesting Crystal Palace.
Gary Lineker writing in the Observer tips Arsenal to be runners up for the Premiership. He doubts whether they have the technical ability to consistently supply their strikers and says the defence is old and injury prone. He reckons they will be pipped by Newcastle (there again he would wouldn’t he).
Arsenal’s interest in Correntin Martens, the Auxerre midfielder who did a lot of damage in the Cup Winners’ Cup last year , appears to have waned. (He might have been just what the doctor ordered, a bit a creativity and craft in midfield to get the ball quickly to the strikers). Auxerre wanted £3m.
Can it be that Arsenal are to launch an audacious bid for Matt le Tissier? A top club is preparing a big bid, according to Rodney Marsh, and Bruce Rioch intimated that if a player is worth £10m he would go for him, otherwise someone else would. Someone else is probably Blackburn Rovers.
Dennis Bergkamp, interviewed in the Observer by Partrick Barclay has cleared up the confusion on who will make forward runs into the area for Arsenal. He says, when Platt goes, I will stay back. When I go, Platt will stay back. When we both go, everyone else will stay back. Predictions in the Observer are that English defences cannot mark a man in the hole behind the front two, because they are too inflexible. A man to man marker unbalances the team, and the article reckons Dennis will have a field day.
MU are reportedly interested in Paul Merson for £4.5m, but Arsenal are unlikely to sell, says the Sunday Express.
Bruce Rioch is said to be interested in Chris Coleman of Crystal Palace, (again) if he can’t get Alan Stubbs. CP may want Chris Kiwomya and Paul Dickov in a swap deal.
Ian Wright is said to be worried about a warts and all biography coming out later this week and is consulting lawyers.
In an Article in the Evening Standard, Arsenal are reported to have sold 300,000 shirts worldwide (misprint I think, because they get £202,000 for every 10,000 sold, making £6m – unless we know something we shouldn’t?) In the article Arsenal’s “repugnant” yellow and black strip is referred to as ‘ making your eyes revolve”. It says Arsenal decided not to put the yellow shirt up for sale as it was hard enough on parents with two shirts.”
Comment – Frank McLintock was amazed, on Sky Sports 2, that Arsenal could bid £8m for the Bolton pair and said they have gone OTT. But if you look at finances they got around £5.7m for Schwartz and Campbell and no longer pay Jimmy Carter (not the ex-US President), and Paul Davies – and Alan Smith has retired. They had a profit of £6m+ last year – which added to transfer sales, nearly pays for Bergkamp and Platt. And they have had £8m in advance season ticket money and that is only half the ground capacity. Shirt sales have been going a packet. They must have earned £.5m from the Inter match, which has to be multiplied by another 3 games. And there is SKY TV money and possibly and European TV deal, so things aren’t as dangerous as Frankie might suggest.
Comment 2 – What happened to alleged bids/interest in Tim Sherwood, John Moncur and Anders Limpar. Where is the playmaker in midfield? David Platt isn’t the creative type. What happened to Grimsby’s Gary Croft, the U21 international or earlier interest in Ben Thatcher of Millwall. If we buy Jason MacAteer where will he play – midfield or right wing? He will no doubt compete for Merson’s place. Why not go for Celtic’s John Collins?