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Exodus? - Hleb To Move For £3mil To Inter - Adebayor Wants £80k p/week

By Richard Popple

What is going on?

The season is yet to finish, champions are yet to be decided and relegation places are yet to be filled and despite all of this the rumour-mill is not only in full flow, it’s bursting and Arsenal seem to be coping it’s force the most. I still try to dismiss the newspapers and television when they talk of a player exodus. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Unfortunately it doesn’t just seem to be the players, who are seeking a new challenge. Keith Edelman mysteriously left the club saying he wanted a new challenge, however other reports suggested that he was pushed out of the club. There have been other reports that Gary Lewin will leave as well. A man who has been part of the Arsenal staff for a long time. It might all just be a coincidence, but why is the club having such difficulty keeping its staff together.

Obviously a lot of these stories are exactly that: stories, with very little truth and a lot of conjecture. But the fact is that these rumours and departures are happening at the moment and with alarming regularity. The most widespread one at the moment involves Alex Hleb. His agent has stated that the deal is almost done and that Hleb will be an Inter player within a couple of weeks. The player himself has been reported as saying that he is disillusioned at Arsenal and is worried by what he perceives as a lack of ambition by the club. I presume he is talking about the small number of players that have arrived over the last two years, coupled with the dwindling numbers in the squad.

Arsene Wenger has again played down these rumours about Hleb, just like he did in the Flamini situation. But increasingly it seems that events are happening involving players that the manager does not seem to be in complete control of. I think there are two reasons for this:

1) The finances of the club are very well documented, in fact too much so in my opinion. The salary caps are very rigid at the club which they are infrequently prepared to break. Sol Campbell used to earn a lot of money at Arsenal, as did Vieira and most famously Thierry Henry, who earned £130,000 a week, following the move to the Emirates. It seems due to the cost of the stadium, we simply can’t offer players huge wages anymore, which might offer another explanation as to why Arsene never buys established stars – he simply can’t afford it.

2) Faith is being lost in the manager after three seasons without a trophy and an unwillingness to part with money. I personally hope this is not the case, but I’m starting to dread that it is. Flamini moved to Milan for one of two reasons. Either he wanted more money or he felt that the squad would not be sufficiently strengthened at Arsenal to mount a challenge for honours next year. It is very likely that Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Man City and even Newcastle will spend a lot of money in the summer. Depending on the quality and success of these signings, Arsenal without recruiting could face challenges from not only the big three but Spurs and Man City. Hleb also has been reported as saying he is worried by a lack of ambition.

I don’t care if we have another summer of people writing Arsenal off. It happened last year and despite not winning anything, the team have given a very good account of themselves this season. But Arsene Wenger’s philosophies are beginning to go hand in hand with his stubbornness. If he continues to ignore most established players and continues to buy inexperienced foreign players who need time to adapt, then Arsenal could be in danger of falling behind the other clubs, who have more spending power. I don’t envisage that happening next season, but depending on who leaves this summer, certain parts of the team will have to be improved.

Another aspect of this equation is player greed. Flamini might have gone, because he will earn more at Milan, Hleb might follow suit. I am hoping that Adebayor is not really demanding £80,000 per week, and that his agent is speaking out of turn. Quite frankly Ade is not worth that. He has had one good season, in which he has been given a wonderful opportunity by Wenger to prove himself. I think it would be disgraceful from the player if he ignored all of this for money. Wenger can’t reward the players with huge contracts because of the strict wage structure at the club. His rewards are a chance to prove themselves, to establish themselves even if they are 18,19,20 years old. Perhaps this alone, without trophies and money doesn’t appease players anymore…

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Wenger Blind With Eboue / Traore To Play Left Wing?

By Renoogami

It has to be said. A blind man can see it...We can all see it.

Why can’t Arsene?

I am of course referring to the enigma that is Eboue.

The only reason I can think of for Arsene persisting with him for 90 minutes on Sunday is that perhaps he just wants to confirm to himself that our non goal scoring, injury feigning and cheating ‘midfielder’, has no future in the side and should be moved on in the Summer.

We all know that we need a wide left sided attacking midfielder and I have been saying for weeks that we already have a young and exciting one in the reserves – Armand Traore.

Forget his original position as a left back – he has been playing wide left midfield for the reserve for some time now and producing rave performances.

He is young, possesses great ball control with blistering pace, has the ability to beat players, is a great crosser of the ball (just ask Bentner) and has a wonderful shot on him.

What more can you ask of a wide midfielder? Perhaps the experience of having played at full back for a number of years?

So come 1.30pm on Sunday and with the limited number of players available due to injuries we had the perfect opportunity to see how Armand could perform against a side that were always going to be hard to score against.

And instead Arsene picks dear old Eboue at wide right and pushes poor young Theo over to the left. Anyone ever remember Theo doing well there - cos I don’t?

The stats tell us Eboue is hopeless, our eyes tell us Eboue is hopeless, even Alan Smith thinks Eboue is hopeless for goodness sake!

OK so come half time on Sunday and everyone watching the game can see that Eboue is utterly useless so surely Arsene will change things around. But no - Eboue stays on for the full 90 and Traore only has a quarter of an hour or so to show us what he can do. The rest is history as they say.

With the Flamster going to Milan (good luck to him by the way) is anyone else like me in wondering why Alex Song hasn’t had a chance to show what he can do in midfield. He put in a man of the match performance against Everton at centre back but surely that is only a fill-in role. I’m not sure he is tall enough to play in the centre permanently. Remember Everton’s forwards are not tall and playing against them is slightly difference to playing against Drogba, Berbatov, Ronaldo and Co.

So, whilst we all would like to spend millions in the summer on established stars, I just don’t think it’s going to happen. Yes there will be signings but certainly not overpriced superstars. The last thing we want is to do a Leeds United and get into financial trouble. No, we didn’t win the league nor a cup again this season, but we can still hold our heads high and give all the other clubs in the league hope that you don’t need a fortune to compete with the huge money clubs like Chelsea, ManU, Liverpool and Spurs (11th in the league).

All you need is a great management team and professionally run club – a club with history, tradition, class and dignity.

Kevin Keegan please note.

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Flamini Move To AC Milan Now 100% Official

By Bilal Zaidi

What was reported here a few days ago has been finally confirmed today by AC Milan. Anyone who has read my last few articles on him will know how much I like Flamini, but this isn't the end of the world at all. He is a great player who has covered more ground than any other football player this year in the Premier League. It is quite easy to see what a great deal Milan have got here but who are we to complain. They played to the rules of the game, he saw out his contract and he didn't go and have secret meetings in hotels while his contract still had many years to run on it, or even, icecream-ing before our match against Milan with Inter (Hleb-esq).

At the beginning of the season I was surprised when Flamini chose to stay, he came very close to moving to Birmingham who now look like they are dropping into the Championship. I won't lie, at the beginning of the season I was the first to question why Flamini was holding a place down straight away because from his past performances in central midfield he really didn't look that special. However, some players really need a consistent number of games under their belt to really get the best out of them and that is exactly what has happened with Flamini. Can it still happen for Gilberto who really hasn't had a consistent run for a very long time. This season Gilberto has looked past it but last season he was one of our best players if not the best performer alongside Toure and Fabregas.

We also let go of Diarra who would have been an able replacement if he wasn't so impatient. Yes we made £3 milllion from his sale in only 6 months but we may now be spending a bit more than that to find a replacement for Flamini.

I hope this isn't another summer of frustration of seeing our side weakened by player departures and not enough coming in. For the last five seasons or so I have seen our legendary invincibles side slowly leave, many for free or little money at all. The likes of Lauren, Cole (Wanker), Campbell, Pires, Ljungberg, Wiltord, Reyes, Vieira, Edu, Henry, Bergkamp (retired). We have a VERY SMALL SIDE and we can't afford to let numbers drop any more, since we clearly do not have that much quality in depth within our ranks compared to our rivals.

You can see how different our team play is when our best eleven isn't playing. Our first eleven could beat any side in Europe but after that it starts to become questionable. We have been unlucky that injuries to key players have let us down this season but for any of the top four this should never be an excuse, it is the job of the management staff to ensure our squad is good after the first eleven players.

However it is not all doom and gloom. Looking back on our season we did better than most expected comparative to our spending again compared to our rivals. Players have emerged; Sagna and Clichy are the best full backs in the premiership and potentially Europe going by this year’s performances. We have two solid centre backs who have at times not been at their best but are without a doubt still top defenders. We have the best young central midfielder of his kind in the world in our Mr. Fabregas and a striker who has scored 30 goals at the age of 23, after living legend Henry left the club in Adebayor. We have Van Persie who is known around the world to be one of the most gifted players around to return next year hopefully with full fitness along with Rosicky. Our summer signing Eduardo showed his quality in the short time he had to show what he could do and a few others to look at properly next season in Walcott, Bendtner and Carlos Vela. We now have the European Championships, the Olympics and a Champions League final to look forward to watching in the next few months.

Thank you Flamini for your great season, good luck...God Bless.

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Arsenal vs Everton – PLAYER RATINGS

By Atishay Agarwal

Nothing interesting to say, really, as it was a painfully drab affair at the Grove today, the kind that makes you want the season to get over as soon as possible. It was a game reminiscent of the first few games at the Emirates, when we dominated in patches, hogged possession but rarely created clear cut openings, and looked susceptible on the break. The only difference was that we didn’t concede in the first half, and were able to sneak a victory with our customary second half goal. I don’t think any player on the pitch produced the kind of performance he would remember even a few weeks down the line, but I guess they want the season to end even more than we do. Ratings:

Fabianski – 7 – Looked a tad more comfortable and at ease in goal today, and produced a fine save in the first half to prevent us from doing what we do best, go a goal down at home. And what was more remarkable about him, was that he managed to get smile out of Lehmann!!

Toure – 6 – An efficient performance from our makeshift right back. Defended well and was strong in challenges. Wasn’t very effective going forward though.

Gallas – 6.5 – Both center backs didn’t have anything too drastic to do, but there were a number of tricky situations where a slight mistake could lead to trouble, and he got out of quite a few such situations with relative ease.

Song – 7 – Seems to be quite a revelation at center back. He was tested more today than the last two games, and he was up to the task with some very good interceptions and tackling.

Clichy – 7 – Routine hyper-energetic performance.

Walcott – 5 – He was hardly involved in the game today, except when delivering corners. I would have liked to see him play upfront, but the lack of available wingers led to him starting on the left. I noticed that quite a few team members still don’t show enough confidence in him and pass to other players even when Theo is in more space. Did you too?

Denilson – 5 – Sadly, he’s no Fabregas. In fact he’s more like a Flamini, and it wasn’t surprising that he underperformed today. Was given the wrong role to play in midfield today, but he’d still be disappointed with his outing today. The early promise that he showed at the club seems to be dwindling just a bit, and he’ll need to work hard in the summer to push for a bigger role at the club next season.

Gilberto – 7 – I think the best word to describe his performance today would be ‘comfortable’, and he really was so. He still has a lot to offer, and his passing seems to have improved considerably.

Eboue – (-5) – Arsene did you watch that? How can you let him start game after game, when he puts in a ‘strictly decent’ performance at best only once in about ten games?? Killed off almost every Arsenal move like no Everton defender could in the first half. Milan wanted this guy?!

Bendtner – 7 – Wasn’t a bright performance as such, but the superb header that won is the game merited the extra point. Really sad to see no one really celebrating with him though (A high five isn’t celebrating). The lad can really head the ball, and not just while scoring. The way he wins long balls or flicks them on with is head is fantastic, and better than Adebayor. The two can form a great combination with Bendtner doing more of the heading, and Ade doing more of the running. I just made it sound so simple didn’t I?

Adebayor – 5 – Not that he didn’t try, but we didn’t click as an attacking unit today, or as the boss would put it, we played ‘with the handbrake on’. He was playing almost alone upfront with Bendtner coming nearer to the midfield to collect the ball, and didn’t get any real service.

SUBS:

Traore – 7 – Now here’s a fullback who could make it as a winger. I’ve always been impressed by the guy’s pace, and now we all know for a fact that he’s a wonderful crosser of the football. Came on and made a clear impression instantly, and produced a sublime cross for Bendtner to head in. Questions have been raised over his defending in the past, and with some more work on his attacking play, he could seriously think of a change in position.

Senderos – NA – It was good to see him recover from the Anfield setback and return on the pitch, and although his defending has cost us dearly in the past, we need to support the young guy at the moment. Had nothing much to do today though.

And maybe for the final time,

Lehmann – 7.5(Overall rating) – That’s my rating for him over the five years that he’s spent with us. You’ve been a great keeper for us Jens, and I’d like to thank you for all those wonderful, spectacular saves, and for all the theatrics that would light up dull periods of play on the pitch. You probably shouldn’t have complained so much this season, but I think we all will forget that, and the few bloopers, and remember you as the man who got us to the Champions League final in ’06 and won us the FA Cup in ’05. Thanks for the so many memories!

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LIVE VIDEO STREAMS: AC Milan v Inter Milan, Liverpool v Manchester City

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Arsenal v Everton
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LIVE VIDEO STREAMS: Arsenal v Everton, AC Milan v Inter Milan, Liverpool v Manchester City

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Arsenal v Everton
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Fla-MONEY Signs For AC Milan - Four Year Contract Worth £4.3 Million A Season

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By Bilal Zaidi

It has been reported on Sky Italia that Flamini has signed for AC Milan the team that Arsenal knocked out of the Champions League this year. The team that may well be playing in the Uefa Cup next season with Kaka, Ronaldinho + Pato.

Here is a quote apparently from "Arsenal Italia" who follow news from that side of Europe, however I would like to also confirm that Arsenal FC have not confirmed it on their site or any official press release:

“After so many doubts, the future of Mathieu Flamini is now a certainty. The French midfielder has chosen AC Milan and has signed with a five-year contract worth 5.6 million per season. The news has already been announced on Sky Sports Italia, so expect an announcement Monday evening.”

It has been expected so no huge surprises. If this news is true that he has signed then I would just like to personally thank Flamini aka Fla-MONEY (acknowledgements to Arsenal Review member "Kaz (Brown Boy)" for the name) for a great season even though I am slightly bitter that he has decided to leave. It once again shows that it is all down to money. At the end of the day that is how the world works sometimes even if I don't like. Thank you for your effort and a decent Arsenal career that could have become world class over the next few seasons...good luck for the future and I hope you enjoy Uefa Cup football next season.

Today our game against Everton could be a chance for Wenger to try somebody there who we may not expect, someone like Kolo Toure. You can watch Arsenal v Everton from our Live Video Streams page.

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Arsenal v Everton - Match Preview, Match Facts + Live Video Stream

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By Paul Dargan

This will be an interesting match-up today, with Everton only requiring a point from their last two fixtures to guarantee UEFA Cup football for next season and Arsenal unable to move out of 3rd position in the Premier League this campaign.

Last season’s theme has been a recurring one this year; the Gunners were very nervy at home and went behind on a number of occasions, before equalising and even overhauling a lead in a few games. But they have recovered in 11 of the games they conceded first in and gained 21 points; six wins and five draws.

Everton were one of the teams that scored the opener and came away from the Emirates Stadium with a draw. That result today would be enough to keep on with David Moyes impressive progress at Goodison Park, but it would be a disappointing end of the campaign for the men from North London, after a season that started so well, but due to the inexperience of some squad players and crucial injuries to key players in Arsene Wenger’s preferred line-up, ended with a trophy-less season for the third season running, although they have reached a Champions League final and also a League Cup Final in that time.

It is over a year (only loss on April 7th 2007) since West Ham became the first and only side to defeat Arsenal in 54 games in all competitions, at their new stadium at Ashburton Grove; only Chelsea can boast a better record in the history of the Premier League. But nothing other than a victory today would please the home fans, who have endured a turbulent season and would like to see a few new faces to the array of talent in Wenger’s ranks.

Everton on the other hand, have a lot to take from this season. Finishing 5th would be a massive achievement after up and down years since Moyes took over in March 2002. This will be the first time in the Premier League the Toffees have ended the season in the top half of the table two seasons running, and also a run to the Last 16 of the UEFA Cup after a prolonged absence from meaningful European competition. When they finished 4th in 2004-05, they made the Champions League Qualifiers, but were knocked out by La Liga side, Villarreal – who in turn reached the last four, only to be beaten by…….Arsenal.

A win here for the Blues would really signal a total turning of the corner, as they haven’t travelled back to Merseyside from this fixture with maximum points since 1996 – their only win away to Arsenal in the Premier League.

There have been twelve home wins and two draws in the fifteen times this fixture has been played out since the inauguration of the English top echelon.

If the same Arsenal turns out for their final home game of the season to honour the fans, the form book will be true.

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Flamini's Future Hangs In The Balance...New Developments...

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By Bilal Zaidi

I found it a bit odd to hear Wenger’s comments about Flamini's deadline being "Sunday...Monday Latest". It doesn't really give much certainty does it by saying "the latest" since the deadline had already been set for the end of the last month.

Wenger said:

“It will be sorted out over the weekend. Will he stay or not? That is down to him but the deadline is Sunday, Monday latest.

"The deadline moved for negotiation problems. Only he could tell you [whether he will go or not]. For me yes he stays, but does he tell me the complete truth, I don’t know.

"Ideally I want him to stay, but he’s free. That means if you get £2million here, £4 million somewhere else, you can go to the one who gives you four, or you can as well stay to the one who gives you two.

“He is free to make a decision and you have to accept the market. You listen to everybody in Europe and take some time, that’s why the situation has lasted a little bit. But overall he’s free to go where he wants. You have to accept that because he’s not linked by a contract.
"[If he goes] we will find a solution, don’t worry."

It is a difficult decision to make I'm sure but if your manager gives you such a long time to decide and then requests you to decide by a certain deadline, which is then missed, you must really start to think that there doesn't seem much hope in us keeping him. I for one will be very disappointed if he doesn't stay but as the boss says, we will cope without him. If we learned how to cope without Thierry Henry our all time leading goal scorer and living legend...then I'm sure we can move on swiftly without Flamini. I just hope Flamini really knows that the grass REALLY isn't greener on the other side when he is sitting on the bench playing in the Uefa Cup with AC Milan.

Here, at Arsenal, he has a chance to play regular football in the best league in the world. He has his friends around him and an already established successful midfield partnership with Fabregas. I think that if he continues to play as he did this season, if that is at Arsenal, AC Milan or Juventus, he will definitely become a regular in the French first team along with Sagna and Clichy.

However, nobody can be angry at the guy who has always given his best for the club, none more so than this season. In previous seasons he has shown glimpse’s of a "decent player", mainly at left back in our Champions League run. In central midfield however, I never saw much purpose from him apart from the tireless attitude he employed in every game. However, this season he has proved everyone wrong and has been outstanding. He has kept out a world cup winner and one of our best players of last season in Gilberto, made another fantastic young central midfielder in Diarra move away from the club and kept Diaby and Denilson from getting much opportunity in central midfield.

Nobody has minded this though since he has proved to be an outstanding player, outperforming Fabregas, in my opinion, against AC Milan even when taking into account Fabregas's wonder strike. Flamini literally HANDLED Gattuso, Pirlo and Kaka and this was the game that really did it for me in terms of realising this guy Flamini is the real deal. No wonder Milan want him, he made their famous stars in midfield look like reserve team players, continuously intercepting, tackling and blocking out their attempts at doing anything. Flamini didn't allow them to play and consequently didn't allow Milan to flow at all when they lost their first ever game at home to an English side.

The sooner everyone is aware of this decision the better, however I must be honest in saying I find it a bit insulting the way Flamini has missed the deadline in the first place...he is a solid player, but nobody, especially Arsene Wenger, will allow any player to try to make themselves bigger than the club...Respect the manager who has allowed you this chance, the fans that have cheered for you all season and the club as a whole that has allowed you to become player you are today. Sign on Sunday or leave...and have a nice life.

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EPL VIDEO STREAM Manchester United v West Ham,Fulham v Birmingham,Middlesbrough v Portsmouth,Reading v Tottenham,Aston Villa v Wigan,Blackburn v Derby

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Manchester United v West Ham
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Captaincy and Player Of The Season?

By Richard Popple

When Kolo Toure stated his interest to be captain of Arsenal next season, it struck me as rather odd. Why wasn’t Kolo captain this season? He has led Arsenal on rare occasions in the past, mainly young sides in the Carling Cup, but has never been made long term captain. The question is why? Arsene Wenger has said that William Gallas’s reign as captain is under review. I believe this has more to do with his lack of leadership when Arsenal were struggling in March, rather than his infamous sit down at the end of the draw at Birmingham. Gallas tends to come across as quite an abrasive and stubborn man and I don’t think he would take being stripped of the armband too well. It would be interesting to see how he would react and indeed whether he stays at the club if this happens.

So is Kolo a candidate should Wenger feel it’s time for a change? I for one don’t think so. Toure said himself he felt like a leader whenever he plays for Arsenal and that’s exactly what he needs to do: play well for Arsenal. His form dipped alarmingly following his return from the ANC in February. He got injured whilst playing for Ivory Coast and was probably brought back too quickly, but by his very high standards he has not had the best season.

The other candidates are Fabregas and Flamini. Fabregas in my opinion is too young and has enough responsibilities in this team without the armband. He makes Arsenal tick and when he is playing well, Arsenal generally do. Cesc should be left alone to concentrate on playing for a couple more years, so that he can mature and improve even further. That leaves Flamini. Wenger is always a very cool customer when it comes to rumours and possible transfers. He has however outdone himself with the Flamini – Milan saga. Today he has again re-affirmed his confidence that Flamini will stay and it may well be, that his confidence is backed up by his knowing something that we don’t. Perhaps he has offered Flamini the captaincy in a bid to keep the midfielder? I would love Flamini to stay and I think he would be an excellent choice. He is dynamic, verbal in his encouragement and always behaves in a professional way.

This leads me onto the player of the season. Four members of the Arsenal side were included in the Premiership team of the year. One however who was not is Flamini, who in my opinion was the best player this year. He has transformed himself from being nothing more than a fringe player on the verge of leaving, to being one of our most prized assets. His form has been consistent over the whole season, unlike Ade or Hleb who’s performances have ebbed and flowed slightly. He has also scored a few important goals as well as working tirelessly. He has helped change the dynamic of the team from last season and has definitely made Arsenal more combative and less of the pushovers that they were becoming – especially away from home. But of course the ‘player of the season’ award is very subjective. Please give your opinions in the comments section….

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UEFA CUP LIVE VIDEO STREAM: AC Fiorentina v Rangers FC

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AC Fiorentina v Rangers FC

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LIVE VIDEO STREAM: Chelsea v Liverpool

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Chelsea v Liverpool

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LIVE VIDEO STREAM: Manchester United v Barcelona

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Manchester United v Barcelona

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Derby County vs Arsenal – PLAYER RATINGS

By Atishay Agarwal

Well, i was expecting four, and we went two better, but also let in two goals. But i guess you can’t fault them too much for not taking this game too seriously, considering our title challenge is over and the fact that we were playing the worst team to have ever played in the premier league. The second half saw us play some scintillating football, and a few young lads put up a good show. The ratings:

Fabianski – 6 – Overall, his performance was decent, with two decent stops in the second half. He showed a bit of indecision on their first goal by not coming out to punch clear, and could have stayed tall instead of falling to his knees when the shot was taken. Promising in patches, he still isn’t a ready no.2 keeper.

Toure – 7 – Had an indifferent start to the game, but grew into it slowly, and came up with a delightful little chip for the second goal. Got forward much more thereafter, and could have scored with a couple of opportunities himself.

Gallas – 6 – He had a very shaky first half for me, and could have done better for their second goal. The second half, overall, saw an improved willy, but then they hardly had the ball post half time.

Song – 6.5 – Like Gallas, looked less solid than he did against reading, but improved as the match wore on, and i just love the way he gets forward and tries to provide impetus to our attacks.

Clichy – 7 – You don’t get picked in the PFA team of the year for nothing (Except if you’re Steven Gerrard) and he showed everyone just that. Signed off his performance with a great run and cross for the 5th goal. Its absolutely amazing what he produces on the pitch, for 90 minutes, week after week. Our most consistent player of the season, and my player of the season.
Walcott – 7 – I would have liked to see him start up front, but nevertheless he had a good game. He was in and out of it in the first half, but much more effective in the second, and finished beautifully in a Henry-esque manner for our fourth goal.

Fabregas – 7.5 – Controlled the game well, more in the second half, and looked dangerous whenever he got forward. Evaded tackles almost with an air of indifference, and the only thing missing from the performance was a goal. Hopefully he’ll get that scoring touch back by the time next season starts.

Denilson – 7.5 – His performance belied the fact that he’s been out for a long time, and he got in some very good tackles and won the ball back on a number off occasions. And now that Flamini seems to have agreed terms with Milan, we need him to step up to the plate quickly.
Eboue – 7 – I think he had one his best games as a right winger last night. Provided us with a lot of width, and got in several dangerous crosses. He’s really talented and good technically, but I still can’t stop wishing he leaves in the summer.

Van Persie – 8 - The RVP of old is back, and he was in full flow last night. Finished well for his goal, but his overall play was more impressive, with an assist for Bendtner’s goal as well. I don’t know why he was substituted at half time, but it worked for Ade nevertheless!

Bendtner – 9 – One could probably choose one from Fab, Theo, RVP, Ade for the man of the
match and it wouldn’t be the wrong choice, but my vote would go to St. Nicklas. In my view,that was his best performance of this season. He was dangerous throughout, and always got into wonderful positions between the midfield and Adebayor, and was the driving force behind many attacks. He scored too. 

SUBS:

Adebayor – 9 – Wasn’t wasteful today, and played like a true centre forward throughout the second half. His finishing hasn’t quite been upto the mark lately, but it was quite the opposite last night, and he deservedly went home with the match ball. We need him to be as efficient as he was yesterday for the whole season, and only then will he be considered a truly world class striker.

Gilberto – 7 – I think we should try to persuade him to stay, as he still has a lot to offer and adds a lot of value and experience to our squad. Atleast he understands what being at Arsenal means and isn’t tempted by better offers, and could make a very useful squad player and a competent first eleven player.

Djourou – NA – I was shocked when i saw him on the pitch! It was almost out of the blue. It’s been a tough second half of the season for him, and is good to see him back.

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Things Fall Apart – Are Arsenal Set To Unravel?

It’s that time of year again. The off-season has not begun officially, but Gooners worldwide have already been playing fantasy manager with the Arsenal squad. But putting dream signings aside for the time being, Arsene Wenger has argued that the most important ingredient in the recipe for success is retaining the current squad. After a season that promised so much, I am inclined to agree.

Unfortunately, the joy of playing for arguably Europe’s most attractive football side will never be enough for some, and two of our key players over the last season have been strongly linked to a move to Italy. Alex Hleb and Mathieu Flamini have experienced mixed careers at Arsenal, but have emerged as world class talents over the last twelve months. Their development has inevitably led to some of the world’s biggest clubs attempting to add further impetus to Arsenal’s burgeoning reputation as a feeder club for Europe’s elite.

The ongoing saga of Flamini’s contract negotiations took a worrying development today, as according to the Independent, Flamini has been offered a five year contract worth 4 million Euro’s a year by AC Milan, and will join the Rossoneri on July 1st. Juventus, who had assured Wenger one month ago that they had no plans to sign Flamini, have had a change of heart, but their offer is rumoured to be trumped by Milan’s by 1 million Euro’s.

Flamini has a track record in negotiations that provides little hope. At Marseille, despite verbally agreeing to the club’s long-term contract offer, he signed for Arsenal, leading the Marseille manager José Anigo to state: "This is a beautiful treason. He used me." But after four years fighting for his position at Arsenal, would he really walk away from a central role in the most exciting young team in Europe to join a crumbling giant that has been long delaying the necessary rebuilding?

Milan’s offer amounts to just over £60,000 a week. Arsenal, meanwhile, are rumoured to be offering closer to £50,000 a week. Flamini has long felt undervalued at Arsenal, and under the new contract offer, will still be earning roughly £25,000 a week less than Cesc Fabregas, who is three years his junior. Flamini deserves a wage on a par with Arsenal’s higher earners. Although he has had only one great season, the consistency, commitment and leadership that he has displayed over the course of this campaign justifies a significant wage increase, not the water-carrier earnings presented by Arsenal. However, this would set a precedent that would seriously disrupt Arsenal’s wage structure, a structure Wenger, with his master’s degree in economics, has great respect for. But compromising this wage structure is a necessary concession. The wage difference between Milan and Arsenal’s offers amounts to just over £500,000 per year. When you bear in mind that the only holding midfielder in the Premiership on a level with Flamini, Javier Mascherano, cost Liverpool £17 million, the wage increase Flamini desires would save us mountains of cash in comparison to the price of a potential replacement. Gareth Barry, who may be on his way out of Villa Park this summer, will demand a transfer fee of up to £15 million, but we all know Wenger is too canny/stingy to pay the exorbitant fees demanded for English players. Milan’s contract also includes a significant signing-on fee, but as Thierry Henry’s final contract at Arsenal was rumoured to include a £5 million pound signing-on fee, surely we could grant Flamini the bonus he deserves.

The alternatives of promoting from within are all flawed. Diaby and Denilson are attack-minded players, who lack the discipline and defensive positioning to replace Flaimini. Alex Song shone on loan at Charlton as a holding midfielder, while he was in the team the team of the tournament at the African Cup of Nations as an attacking midfielder. Wenger, therefore, naturally see’s his future at centre-half. Johann Djourou has claimed that defensive midfield is his best position, but he lacks experience in this role at the top level. Gilberto will likely leave this summer, and the obvious decline in tempo of the teams play has been evident every time he has replaced Flamini. Diarra would have been a perfect replacement, but unfortunately Arsene had to let him go. With the dubious potential of replacements both within the club and outside considered, the importance of Flamini staying is amplified. There is an ongoing debate over the captaincy for next season, and Flamini, with his obvious leadership skills, is my ideal candidate, and awarding him the armband would surely go some way to convincing him to stay.

My sympathy for Flamini’s cause leads me to accept his desire to leave for a contract he deserves, but I hold no such compassion for the plight of Alex Hleb. Flamini could have left last season, but has waited for his chance and shone when he received it. In Hleb’s case, however, we have been the ones waiting, with the Belarusian needing two seasons to demonstrate his influence on the team. And in return for our patience, Hleb goes on a date with Inter at the first sniff of gelato. Arsenal haven’t won anything in 3 tears, and if Hleb isn’t happy that he hasn’t kissed a trophy in his entire career at Arsenal, perhaps he should look a bit more closely at his own performances before this season . This has been the first season in which he has truly shone at the club, and his form has dropped alarmingly since January. At over £10 million, Hleb did not come cheap, and he has scored a rather pitiful 7 goals in 89 games for Arsenal, but Inter’s interest suggests that Arsenal are not the only club that could embrace an attacking midfielder who refuses to shoot.

Hleb seems more likely to stay than Flamini, but if he does go, I would love to see Arsene break the bank for the Bundesliga’s reigning player of the year, Diego, a playmaker who scores goals, and is a joy to watch, but seems set on a move to Spain. Ideally, both can be convinced to stay. If two of the foundations for our achievements this season are removed, the whole structure could collapse. Arsenal are in the midst of building something very special, but all our progress could be dismantled if the board refuses to compete financially with the established hierarchy or European football.

Edited: Because of mistakes earlier.

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Thierry Henry WANTS TO BE "HOME" - 25 Minute Full Interview With The Legend

By Bilal Zaidi

I don't really want to comment on this. Please just watch the full interview and tell me Henry doesn't want to be at Arsenal. He says what I say to people; “I don’t regret things”...but that is just out of default...he might not regret it but I bet he wishes he was still here, there is a difference. He talks of England being his "home" since he has lived in England longer than he even lived in France.

It just reminds me of what I have always loved about him...as the reporter asked about coming back to England...he blushed, covered his face and said "there is only one team for me".

I wrote on here the other day about my opinions on Henry coming back but I can't help but reminisce like an emotional lover over an ex-girlfriend. Yes that sounds rather extreme but since I have grown up, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry have been my Arsenal legends just like many that may be reading this...to see Thierry rotting away on the left wing at Barcelona is painful.

I doubt if any other player in my lifetime will ever make me feel like that after they leave the club. I was a great fan of Vieira, Pires and Ljungberg too...but for some reason it really isn't the same as when I see Henry playing for another team. Sorry to be taking a trip down memory lane but...Thierry Henry is and will always be the Don of Arsenal for me.

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EPL: Live Video Streams: Portsmouth v Blackburn, Everton v Aston Villa, Arsenal v Derby County

See ALL of todays games live from our LIVE VIDEO STREAMS PAGE.

Portsmouth v Blackburn
Everton v Aston Villa
Arsenal v Derby County (Monday)

Follow the link and choose which match you would like to view. Open in internet explorer for live stream through the webpage. Download sopcast if you haven't already.

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LIVE VIDEO STREAMS: Birmingham v Liverpool,Manchester City v Fulham,Sunderland v Middlesbrough,West Ham v Newcastle,Tottenham v Bolton,Wigan v Reading

See ALL of todays games live from our LIVE VIDEO STREAMS PAGE.

Chelsea v Manchester United
Birmingham v Liverpool
Manchester City v Fulham
Sunderland v Middlesbrough
West Ham v Newcastle
Tottenham v Bolton
Wigan v Reading

Follow the link and choose which match you would like to view. Open in internet explorer for live stream through the webpage. Download sopcast if you haven't already.

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Chelsea v Manchester United - Preview + Live Video Stream

By Paul Dargan

See todays matches live from our LIVE VIDEO STREAMS PAGE. Follow the link and choose which match you would like to view. Open in internet explorer for live stream through the webpage. Download sopcast if you haven't already.

Stamford Bridge will be the focus of most eyes in World Football later today, as the top two in the Premiership clash, in what should decide who will walk off with the title this season.

What has turned out to be the most crucial game of the season has coincided with both sides reaching the last four of the Champions League and both sides came away from their First Leg’s with encouraging results; Chelsea even bagging an away goal – thanks to the generosity of John Arne Riise.

The Londoners are determined to gain a result which will keep their slender hopes of a third title in four years alive, and manager Avram Grant is hoping for a win to turn the tide and go on level points with the champions.

"We don't want them to take the title here, or to become champions at all," said Grant at Friday’s Press Conference.

Anything other than a home win would leave the visitors virtually assured of sealing a 10th Premiership title but Grant says his team have not given up hope of overtaking their rivals.

"We are happy that we're still in the race for the championship," said Grant.

"The players are highly motivated. We are at home and we want to win. We did what we needed to do in Liverpool. It was a Champions League semi-final away from home at Anfield.

"We did what we needed to do. The game was good for us. United also played away from home on Wednesday, but this game will not be the same.

"They are a proud team and in first place, and they will come to Stamford Bridge knowing that we're still in the fight.

"But we are a team that's come from fifth to second place, showed a lot of spirit and mounted a good recovery from a sometimes difficult situation.

"It is difficult to beat us and we have shown a lot. The pressure's good. I hope I have weeks like this all my life. It's an exciting week. We've worked hard to come to this situation. We want to enjoy it now."

"There is a great incentive for us," said United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Scot is hoping his players can recover enough following a difficult trip to the Continent in midweek but feels confident they will be in good order for the visit to Chelsea.

United returned to Manchester with the aggregate score at 0-0 following the Nou Camp meeting, in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final – the night after Chelsea drew their match-up with Liverpool.

"What we have to do first is get the players recovered from Barcelona. Hopefully we will be all right," Ferguson added.

"We have the disadvantage of a day's less rest than Chelsea and then there is the travelling of course.

"The game takes care of itself in terms of focus; we just have to make sure we are properly rested and prepared.”

If there is any hope for Chelsea to get a positive result, it lies in their fantastic home form. It is 65 games since they were last defeated at Stamford Bridge – a 1-2 reverse to Manchester United’s European opponents, Barcelona on 22nd February 2006. They have an even more astonishing league record; Arsenal were the last team to come away with three points, with a 2-1 win, strangely enough almost 2 years to the day before on 21st February 2004.

Their last defeat in the league this season came at the Emirates, in December – their only loss in 28.

Manchester United’s top-flight away form though, means that they will be formidable opponents today. They themselves are unbeaten in the last 16 home and away in all competitions, which was the FA Cup Quarter-Final against Portsmouth, 0-1. They also without defeat on their travels this calendar year, with four wins and three draws; the last ground they failed to take points from was Upton Park on 29th December, losing 1-2.

This Premiership campaign, they are imperious. They have the most wins (25), the least amount of dropped points (24), most goals scored (73), and least goals conceded (19).

If there was any key stat though, it is that United’s form against the ‘Big Four’ this season is the most impressive – 100% record at home, beating Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, and away winning at Anfield and drawing at the Emirates.

Early team news suggests that following the passing of Frank Lampard’s mother, he will not be present in the Chelsea squad. But Michael Essien does return following his suspension for Wednesday’s clash at Anfield.

Manchester United are hoping that Nemanja Vidic will be fit to start at Stamford Bridge, after his missed the Barcelona game with a stomach complaint. Ferguson has also hinted that he may make a few changes and Ryan Giggs is expected to feature.

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Video: Striker With Goal Every 1.6 Games, Pace, Power, Heading Ability, Cheeky Dance + Best Interview EVER

By Bilal Zaidi

Yes he has been frustrating at times but at the same time he has produced some fantastic football this season. Those that want Adebayor out of the club...here is a reminder of what he has done this season:

38 Starts, 7 Sub = 27 goals

That is a goal every 1.6 games. Only 3 less than Torres...some amazing strikes including that famous goal against Tottenham (shown in video below).

I understand why some don't like him but 27 goals in any team, in any league is a great achievement. There have been so many negative comments about him in the last few months and at times this included me; influenced like a young delinquent by my cousin shouting out "DONKEY! DONKEY! OFFSIDE DONKEY"...to the TV when we played Liverpool in the second leg.

But looking back in hindsight, I would like to say well done Ade...you have been one of the players of the season without a doubt in my mind.

Everyone has their own opinion on him, which is fair enough, but this is mine; where would we be without his 27 goals this season? Where do you think these goals would have come from? Again it is all down to opinion...feel free to share yours in the comments section.

If you still don't like him after seeing some of the goals he has contributed this season (vs Tottenham & Newcastle probably the pick of the bunch) in the first video, then perhaps the second video might just do it for you. If not, then perhaps the third an amazing interview that hs to go down in history. What a legend.

Watch tomorrows games live from our "live video streams page" if you haven't already bookmarked it. Early kick off between Chelsea and Manchester United. Until then. Blessings all.

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ArsenalReview.co.uk Poll: Who Should Be Arsenal Captain Next Season - Vote and Reasons Why

Good day all.

Just a quick one, we have a new poll on the side bar to the right which asks; Who should be Arsenal Captain Next Season? Please just take a quick minute to have your say because it will be interesting to see what people think.

Feel free to vote right now, voting will end in just over a week (4th May) so we can announce the results. Vote now and write a little comment here to say who you voted for and the reasons why.

More later, blessings all.

BilZ.

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Henry Could Return To Arsenal?

By Bilal Zaidi

Reports suggest that Henry may be looking to leave Barcelona this summer after things haven’t gone as well as he would have wished. He has not played as regularly as he would have likes, especially in his favoured position up front since Barcelona play a central striker with two “wing forwards” if you would like to call them that. Playing on the left is not where he is at his best and Henry recently said he would only move back to Arsenal if he returned to the Premier League.

To add to this speculation, Arsene Wenger said:

"In our situation you can never say never," said Wenger.

"He only left last year and I think Thierry is disappointed because things haven't gone as well as
he would have liked them to go.

"I still feel he is a world-class player."

I still find it very difficult to believe that he would return back to Arsenal and Wenger would even consider brign him back after only one year away. Arsenal have moved on, the team has learned how to cope without him, new players have emerged and the team is built around Fabregas rather than Henry as it was in the past.

However, as Wenger says, you can never say never but my personal opinion is that this is all speculation. Comments always welcome.

We should have a preview for our match and the “big” match between Chelsea & Manchester United including a new betting preview for any of you punters. You can catch both matches on our live streams page

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PART 2 : Villa/Huntelaar/Joaquin/Benzema/Ben Arfa/Vela/Sell Van Persie?/Adebayor...£25 Million Available NOT £40-70 Million

Arsenal ONLY HAVE £25mil Available, Not £70mil or £45 – Wengers “Youthful Kaizen Continuity Model”

By Bilal Zaidi

Good day all. Since the last post on our finances there have been many comments saying that I’m both perhaps right and wrong in my judgements. The available £70 million cash balances figure that has been passed around in conversation amongst other websites and fans needs to be clarified as it does not mean we have £70 million that has been assigned to spending on transfers.

Arsene Wenger will not change his mind over night since his mentality of building this current football team is based on a “youthful kaizen continuity model” which I like to call it.

Let me break that phrase down:

Youthful: This obviously means he aims to bring in youth instead of old veterans especially over the age of 28-30. He likes to mould them into players that he needs to fit HIS TEAM not the other way round.

Kaizen: This is a Japanese term used to describe “continuous incremental improvement” often used in business or economics. He does not want to drop 15 players and bring in another 16, his priority is to keep this set of players together.

Continuity: This ties in with Kaizen since the key word is “continuous improvement”, not simply a drastic Chelsea approach to team building.

As I said in the last article, it seems like many delusional Arsenal fans think building a football team is like it is in “championship manager”. I will admit to being an addict to that game in the past also but that is just a bit of fun, not real life. These players in the games are simple binary numbers in a database, with values attached to certain attributes. IN REAL LIFE, a manager is managing a group of MEN not a set of values such as “finishing, positioning, off the ball, heading” etc.

Men or human beings, have emotions, wants of self fulfilments (money or otherwise), desires and other needs apart from getting the highest player rating on a game, like on championship manager. They have families, problems, and friends that all contribute to wanting to work in a specific place just like anybody else. Thierry Henry’s transfer to Barcelona apparently was a lot more down to personal problems as his marriage broke down than what was first thought out. He seemed to want a new start, away from Arsenal where his life was running so smoothly for many years. Obviously there were other issues perhaps including Wenger feeling the time was right to cash in on his prized asset but it all contributed.

Flamini, Hleb, Cesc and Rosicky are apparently all great friends so for Flamini to want to leave will mean he is leaving the players and friends he has been close to in recent years. Even though in recent times money seems to be driving most transfers as with most things in life, we have to step back and realise that it isn’t just simple values on a players profile that make them good players.

Players have to be compatible with a country, with a culture, with a particular French speaking team and not all great players do well in England let alone at Arsenal. Chelsea show on countless occasions of players that have come in and not really kept to