By Ian Grant
PLAYERS
Ashley Cole said prior to the Portugal game: “It will be a tough experience playing against him [Ronaldo] because he looks to be playing with a lot of confidence. But I’m looking forward to it. Last season they gave him the ball in the first 10 minutes, he did his tricks and I slipped over a few times. After that, though, I gave him a hard tackle and he was gone, to be honest.”
And added: “He’s difficult to mark because he can go inside, outside. You don’t want to be too close to him because he will do a stepover and go past you.”
And: “I’d like to be attacking a bit more than I am but my first job for England has to be to defend and I have to concentrate on that. Hopefully in the next few games I will be able to do both.”
Henry received 93.8 per cent of the 7,200 votes cast by The Sunday Times readers for the striker’s position in the Premiership Super XI contest. Ruud van Nistelrooy was a distant second.
Robert Pires said: “Thierry is not being used to the best of his ability [for France]. In both games so far Thierry has been unable to find the right rhythm, the right tempo. He needs space and the ball to come alive on the pitch. Unfortunately he’s a caged lion out here.”
Freddie Ljungberg was the most substituted player in last season’s Premiership, the Arsenal midfielder was taken off in 21 of the 27 games in which he started.
Wenger said of Ljungberg: “I do not go along with those who said that Freddie’s form was too erratic last season. But he does need good performances in Portugal to erase any doubts. Injuries have not helped him but I have already seen enough of him in Euro 2004 to believe he is getting back to his best.”
And added:”It was never true that he was for sale but you always need a player to remain at the highest level when you are trying to win the championship. Freddie, like any Arsenal player, has to remain on top of his game.”
Gay fans have voted Thierry Henry the ‘sexiest player’ in the annual Lust List poll by the Gay Football Supporters Network.
TRANSFER TALK
Wenger said of Rooney: “If a team really want him then he could go for £30m. Chelsea could do it but that’s a very high price to pay.”
With the arrival of Manuel Almunia from Celta Vigo, one paper reckons Portsmouth’s Harry Redknapp is after Stuart Taylor – even if it is for a year’s loan.
Arsenal are close to sealing a deal for 16-year-old Dane, Nicklas Bendtner from KB – the same feeder club for FC Copenhagen that produced Sebastian Svard.
Pascal Cygan could go on a free transfer to Parma, according to one paper.
Liverpool have joined the long list of clubs in for Sylvain Wiltord, says the Express, who says Werder Bremen, Monaco and Barcelona also want the forward.
Norwich goalie, Robert Green said of the recent Arsenal speculation; “I don’t know where they got that one from – it’s certainly news to me. I haven’t heard anything official about any supposed interest from Arsenal. And if they were about to make a £4million bid, you would have thought someone would have told me.”
Charlton have denied they are signing Kanu.
OLD BOYS
Former Arsenal striker Kaba Diawara scored both goals to give himself a dream debut for Guinea as they upset African champions Tunisia 2-1 in their World Cup qualifier last Sunday.
MISCELLANEOUS
Vladimir Potanin, the Russian magnate said the move to buy Arsenal some years back was just an “idea” that was not acted on and despite talk about Manchester City in recent weeks he insisted there was nothing in the pipeline.
ARSENAL FC The Gunners’ unbeaten season, tops the DVD charts, according to HMV records.
Arsenal will embark on a three-match pre-season tour of Slovenia and Austria They will play MK Maribor of Slovenia (July 22) and then tackle Austria’s Grazer AK (July 24) and Sturm Graz (July 28).
In the annual Designers Into Schools Week, run by the Design Council, Arsene Wenger, got twice as many votes as Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United manager, in the “best exploiter of ideas” category.