Alright you lot, fair bit today, makes a change eh?

This has actually taken ages to write because i think my computer has contracted a very fucking annoying virus. If i ever find anyone that has ever sent me a virus i will actually stick a red hot poker up their anal passage, then insert their penis into a food blender. Anyway,

First up the speculation linking us to French ‘keeper Yoann Pele, this has surfaced due to comments from him saying he would like to play for Laurent Blanc or Arsene Wenger when his contract runs out at the end of the season. His words were;

“Working with Laurent Blanc and Arsene Wenger would be pleasant.”

Cue the headlines ‘PELE SET FOR ARSENAL!’ and the likes, quite humorous actually. For what its worth i don’t think we will be in for him because Almunia is firmly our number one, and i don’t think Fabianski will be given up on yet by Wenger, very, very unlikely in my book.

Ivan Gazidis has spoken with confidence about the club not being affected much by the big fat recession we are in the middle of at the moment, he says that our ‘unbelievable assets’ will see us though comfortably in the next few difficult years and put a very positive spin on all things Arsenal before moving on to the Alisher Usmanov issue, here are a few quotes picked out from the waffle of the actual interview conducted by Reuters.

On the club’s assets and future in the current economic climate:

“I believe we are going to be very successful. We have some unbelievable assets that are going to mean that in the environment that we are heading into, which is challenging for everybody over the next few years, we are going to be very successful,”

This may be a hint at dropping ticket prices?:

“We have an incredibly solid fan base, a long waiting list for season tickets. We’ve got our own stadium that holds 60,000 people, so we are very well positioned in relative terms, but that doesn’t mean that we can sail along as if nothing has changed economically because that’s unrealistic,”

Highlighting that we probably DO need to be in the Champions League next season:

“This club has to be in the Champions League, regardless of the business model. Any year that we are not in it is a major disappointment. There is always this short-term pressure, which is right and is part of being in football — we should want to be champions every single year. I think one of the things we believe is that money isn’t the only driver of success on the field,”

How long before a tabloid picks up on that first nine words?

On the job as a whole he had this to say:

“It is not just a job. You have the hopes and expectations of not only so many people, but also history. I feel that on my shoulders. It is a responsibility I take very seriously. If I can walk away someday, hopefully a long time from now, and say I did not let the club down, then I will feel pretty good about myself.”

After the first month of him being at the club it seems he knows how important his job is, and the importance of doing it right. He has talked the talk, i think he will do well. He does not seem like a bullshitter – so far.

On the Usmanov front he was pretty cagey, he was keen to point out that both on and off field affairs are separate, something you would expect him to say in such a situation. What is worrying is that he did leave the Usmanov takeover subject fairly open, saying;

“It is very important to this club that it is run on a self-sustaining basis,” he said. What that does is release you from the day-to-day pressures of anything that may be happening at board level. The club effectively functions as a club independent of what ownership changes may take place.”

That certainly does not say ‘Usmanov will not be taking over the club anytime soon’ or likewise, ‘Usmanov will take over’. Its an answer open to interpretation and interpret it how you will.

The Arsenal PR team are really working hard at the moment, first there was all that Eboue stuff before the Spurs game during which he succeeded in blowing it all apart, now its Nasri’s turn. In his interview with the Independent he comes across as very positive and firmly believing that The comebacks of our injured players will give the team a ‘new face’;

“I don’t think it is a central midfielder that Arsenal have been lacking. What we have really been missing is the injured players and when they come back you’ll see a different face to this Arsenal team.”

He also talks about his ‘celebrity’ status back in France and the bust up between him and Gallas after he sat in Thierry Henry’s seat on the Euro 2008 team coach. Its a pretty good read and worth a peek.

Adebayor has also been in the media after saying Arsenal need to win something, nothing new there then? We all acknowledge we really do need a trophy and in my opinion, it would be the making of this side. Surprisingly to some of the cynics out there, he also says that team achievement as a whole are far more important than his personal goal tally on what has been a stop start season for him with injuries and that ludicrous suspension he picked up unfairly.

The Mirror have run a NOTW style article on us moving for ‘fed up Real star Huntelaar’. It borders on stupidity, it really does. The guy moved in January and they claim he wants out because he was not in the revised Champions League squad list, the actual reason he is not on the list is because they had to choose between him and Dolphin head.

They then have the cheek to run a ’10 things you need to know about the Arsenal summer target’. Jesus fucking christ! They really are desperate aren’t they? Its based on nothing and is total and utter bollocks, it will remain so until they have some evidence.

Brazillian striker ‘Nene’ has dismissed speculation linking him to us. Nothing new there then?

Right thats your lot.

Take it easy, up the Gunners.