Guinness And An Arsene Press Conference – Life Is Good
Jul 30th, 2010 by 'holic
A tough week, that one. I needed a proper pint this afternoon, and then enjoyed the added bonus of an eagerly anticipated Arsene press conference. I didn’t realise how much I had missed them. The press conferences, not the pints, obviously!
This was always going to be hugely interesting, entertaining even, and both Arsene and his questioners didn’t disappoint. He toys with the assembled presshounds when the mood takes him. Far too much is read into every single word as ATVo carry the event to the wider public.
“Frankly, we are not close to signing anybody yet,”
A hundred angry posters hit the keyboard. Well what did you expect him to say? Until we have actually signed somebody, or the clock strikes midnight on 31st August, there is nothing else he can say.
“At the moment we are still looking outside to strengthen the squad, if we find the right players we will do it. In what position I cannot tell you.”
The manager confirmed we are looking at other targets whilst stressing, as he has to, that he is also banking on natural progression from his development of a young side in recent seasons. He could possibly have phrased it a little better!
“We are not a team that is at the end of a cycle, we are at the start of a cycle. So our future will be decided not by who we buy or need but as well by how much we improve.”
I’m not sure everybody picked up on the words ‘as well’ in that sentence. Clearly there is an intention, no, a need, to blend any new signings with those already in place.
Those who thirst for the spending of wads of cash are not the only ones to have concerns. I’m not sure he shot down rumours surrounding the signing of Mark Schwarzer with a degree of enthusiasm that would have suggested to me that we are in the market for someone better to guard our goal in the coming months.
The inevitable Cesc questions were dealt with as diplomatically as Le Boss could muster. Can we make it any more plain?
“We do not negotiate. If I want to buy your house and you do not want to sell, you do not negotiate with me, that is completely normal.”
The inquisitors continued inquisiting, and the blusterer continued blustering, and all in all we learned nothing we hadn’t known half an hour earlier.
Nothing happened today that will change any viewpoints. Frankly entrenched views can now only be changed by the performance of whatever team represents us over the coming months. Ever it was thus.
And So Onto The Dubaibury Cup
I wouldn’t go so far as to label the Saturday and Sunday fixtures as friendlies, or training games, but the fact that all four sides face two matches in twenty-four hours means that the infamous handbrake will most definitely be on for much of the weekend.
Arsene confirmed that Diaby, Denilson, Song, and Bendtner, along with Fabregas and van Persie, will be missing. Opportunities therefore present themselves to the likes of Frimpong and Wilshere, both of whom must be playing themselves into contention for a squad berth at the Grove as opposed to a loan spell elsewhere in the first half of the season, at least.
I’ll be watching the clash with Milan on television before heading for the Grove on Sunday. Hopefully I will have a snap or two of the Celtic contest from a new vantage point. We shall see. Even more exciting is the fact that the grandson I am working so hard to educate will also make his bow at the new home of football on the same day.
I’ll be back with my thoughts on the Milan game on Saturday evening, but Sunday promises to be a long drawn out affair. It could be Monday evening before I can share my day with you.
I hope you have a great weekend wherever you are watching the game, ‘holics. Thanks for reading.
Oh, and BtM, I hope you sorted yourself a ticket out for Saturday?






