By Myles Palmer
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SUMMER is always agony for neurotic Gooners.
It’s always angst and grief – with Anelka leaving, Vieira leaving, Cole leaving.
And it’s double agony because every Gooner has a wish-list and every Gooner thinks AFC can afford to spend millions more than the club can actually afford.
I too have a wish-list.
And Hleb is NOT on my wish-list.
Hleb may be a great player. Haven’t seen him, so I don’t know.
If I’d seen him play, Hleb might be on my wish-list.
Born Minsk, May 1st 1981, Alexander Hleb has played under Felix Magath and Matthias Sammer at Stuttgart, and been coached by ace midfielder Krassimir Balakov, the Bulgarian maestro who told George Graham “I’m on eight at Sporting.”
GG had offered Balakov 5 grand a week to come to Arsenal from Lisbon.
TONIGHT I’m told that Arsenal will sign the 24-year old Belarussian right winger.
My German is nil, but I think Hleb has been at Stuttgart five years and scored 13 goals in 137 appearances.
Wenger knows that Arsenal’s right side needs to be faster, stronger, more creative.
His team has been a one-sided team for too long.
Hleb should improve the right side.
IF he plays on the right side – Hleb may be aware that Arsene has a habit of playing footballers in positions they didn’t know they could play in.
I don’t do angst. I don’t do transfer stress.
But if this Hleb news is true, I may publish my wish-list.
June 7th 2005.
PS
Hleb is expected to play against Scotland tonight(Wednesday) in Minsk.
Probable teams :
BELARUS :(4-4-2): Zhevnov; Omeltanchuk, Yaskovich, Shtantuk, Gurenko; Hleb, Kouba, Kulchy, Belkevich; Buleya, Kutuzov.
SCOTLAND (4-4-2): Gordon (Hearts); Caldwell (Hibernian), Pressley (Hearts), Weir (Everton), Alexander (Preston); Dailly (West Ham), Fletcher (Man Utd), Ferguson (Rangers), McFadden (Everton); McCulloch (Wigan), Miller (Wolves).