Stay Or Go?
‘ARSENE Wenger has finally lost patience with Patrick Vieira and the saga of his on-off transfer to Real Madrid.
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| Wenger looks forward to Saturday |
All the papers are in agreement this morning that the Arsenal manager has given his skipper a five-day deadline by when he must decide where his future lies.
The Spanish club has so far offered only £23m for a player that the Gunners value at £30m, but the Express says Real president Florentino Perez will come back today with an improved bid.
We dont need the money, Wenger told a press conference after his sides 3-1 Community Shield victory over Manchester United, but he cant be half with us and half not with us.
He has to clear his mind. Hes got until Saturday to make his mind up. He has to clarify the situation and he has to do that quickly.
On the pitch, Arsenal made Sir Alex Ferguson eat his words after he claimed that the Gunners were not true champions last season because they drew so many games.
Apparently, in Fergusons twisted brain, the sign of a true champion is to lose three or four games in the course of a season rather than go through undefeated as Arsenal did.
In 2002-03, for instance, Manchester United were champions with 83 points, including 25 wins, eight draws and five defeats. This is clearly better than Arsenals record last season, where they got 90 points with 26 wins, 12 draws and no defeats.
Or what about Manchester United in 2000-01 champions with 80 points, including 24 wins, eight draws and six defeats?
But it could be that this is Chelseas year, with Stamford Bridge old boy Gianfranco Zola backing the Blues to end the Arsenal-Manchester United duopoly.
The little Italian was playing in a tribute match in his honour in which a Chelsea side defeated Real Zaragoza 3-0.
The team is good and strong in every department, he told the Star.
The question, of course, is actually whether Chelsea are too strong and will be able to lose enough games to be true champions.’
Posted: 9th, August 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
