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Wenger - Club's success is measured over time


Patience is imperative if a football club is to be successful in the long haul, according to Arsène Wenger.

Question marks are being raised over the future of Avram Grant at Chelsea and Sven Goran-Eriksson at Manchester City. Both are less than a year into their respective tenures.

Wenger is among the longest-serving managers in European football, and he believes that longevity has been key to the Club’s good fortune. Even with a third trophyless season looking likely, the future of the manager has never been up for discussion.

“I feel you have to take a distance from immediate results,” said Wenger. “What is important is to make the right decision, have the right philosophy and the decision you make today is the one you still make if you want to be successful in 10 years.

“You must take distance from the immediate game that was won or lost. That can sometimes be down to the decision of the referee and not your skill.

“The only way to show some quality is over the longer distance. We can all win one game and over six months be strong. The manager can show his strengths if he makes stability for eight, 10, 15, 20 years, like [Sir Alex] Ferguson at Manchester United.

“The quality of a club and strength of it is more judged on a longer distance. It is a marathon to lead a club and I believe this particular club has always shown different strengths to other clubs.

“For the rest I am not involved in the politics.”

Match Report
Barclays Premier League



Arsenal
1

Bendtner 77


Everton
0



Arsenal completed an unbeaten home campaign for only the second time in their history with a 1-0 win over Everton at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Last term, Arsène Wenger's side lost only once at their new ground. This season they have been unbeaten in 28 matches in all competitions - something they have only achieved previously in season 1980-81.

To be honest, Arsenal were never in danger of losing this afternoon; Everton only needed a point for Uefa Cup qualification and they played for it. But the home side were little better and the game seemed certain to be goalless before Nicklas Bendtner thundered home a header with 13 minutes left.

The goal had been set up by Armand Traore, who had an excellent cameo after coming off the bench midway through the second half. The Frenchman came on at the same time as Jens Lehmann, who was given a chance to say goodbye to the fans he has served so well for five years. In his pre-match interview, Wenger had confirmed the German was "99 per cent" to leave in the summer.

This was a fitting farewell to an underrated player.

Before kick-off Cesc Fabregas collected his PFA Young Player of the Year award. The Spaniard was also celebrating his 21st birthday. It was a reminder that he may have been the mainstay of the Arsenal midfield but Fabregas is still a young man.

Ironically the former Barca player was omitted this afternoon as Wenger re-instated Gilberto in the centre. Robin van Persie was left out as a precaution after picking up a slight thigh problem at Derby. Adebayor, scorer of a second-half hat-trick at Pride Park, was paired up front with Bendtner. Denilson, Alex Song and Lukasz Fabianski retained their places.

Results on Saturday had taken much of the urgency from this game and it was all too evident early on. Manchester United's win over West Ham had ended Arsenal's faint title hopes while Wigan's win at Aston Villa had left Moyes' men needing a point from either of their last two games to secure qualification for the Uefa Cup.

Theo Walcott's right-foot curler went well past the far post but it was near as either side came in the opening quarter of an hour. Arsenal were territorially on top but had little to show for it. Gilberto sent a header equally wide of the other post as the Everton defence kept firm.

Toffees' backline has been their strength this season. Going into this game they had scored 20 less times than Arsenal but conceded the same amount, 31. It was easy to see why the Gunners' four goals at Goodison Park around Christmas time was as many as they had conceded in a single game all season.

To be honest the game was barely tepid until the 26th minute when Andy Johnson escaped in the right-hand channel. Fabianski kicked away his shot then Song hacked the ball behind when Steven Pienaar followed up. Phil Jagielka met the resulting corner with a firm header and Denilson had to clear off the line.

Seconds later Kolo Toure's raking back from right back was controlled in this stride by Adebayor but Tim Howard saved his prod at goal.

Suddenly we seemed to have a game on our hands.

Emmanuel Eboue appeared on the right of the area but Joseph Yobo did enough to deflect his low cross beyond the far post. Gilberto nodded wide from the corner. A minute from half time, the Brazilian sent another header over the bar.

In injury time Arsenal fashioned perhaps their clearest chance of the half. Eboue curled over an inviting cross from the right and Adebayor got in front of Yobo but steered his header wide.

The second half retained the same pace. Joleon Lescott nearly threaded a low cross into the heart of the Arsenal area then, at the other end, Gallas almost turned in the ball at the far post.

There was a sense that Arsenal would have to push the envelope. Everton knew they needed just a point in order to make sure of fifth. That said, that they were achieving about as much as the home side going forward. Tony Hibbert's low cross was well gathered by Fabianski as the visitors more than held their own as the second half wore on.

In the 68th minute, Wenger brought on Traore and Lehmann. The former needed the experience but the latter certainly did not. This was merely his opportunity to say goodbye. It is the kind of thing that only happens in end-of-season games and, in truth, it only added to the lacklustre feel.

But the introduction of Traore would turn the game. He slotted in on the left-hand side of the midfield and added some much needed urgency.

In the 77th minute, he made the opening goal with a high, hanging cross that was perfect for the head of the onrushing Bendtner. He crashed home his ninth goal of the season.

Walcott nearly waltzed in a second in the dying minutes and Traore fizzed an effort over the bar.

By now Everton had brought on two strikers, Yakubu and Victor Anchebe. But the closest they came to an equaliser was when Yobo hoiked a hopeless effort over the bar.

At full time captain Gallas cajoled Lehmann into saying his farewells to all four stands. A clean sheet was a fitting send off for him and a 1-0 win was perhaps the traditional way to complete another decent campaign at Emirates Stadium.

Wenger: 'You could see it was an end of season game'

Barclays Premier League
Arsenal 1-0 Everton



on the result...
"The fluency was a bit difficult sometimes. You could see that it was a little bit an end of season game, especially with the fact that they didn't open up at all. They played with Johnson up front, but we were sound at the back. We didn't create as many chances as usual but we scored a great goal and, in the end, I think we just deserved a win today. They didn't create a lot and overall we deserved to win this game."

on the absence of Cesc...
"Cesc wasn't in the side because he was injured. He came in yesterday morning, we made a scan and we couldn't take a chance to play him. On the scan it is a three-week injury. He'll be ready for Spain but not for us."

on Lehmann's final appearance...
"It was a farewell, yes. I wanted him to say goodbye to the fans and to show him that we respect him for what he has done for us. He was a 100 per-cent professional, not always an easy character but you take that if the guys is committed every day."

on Bendtner's progress...
"Bendtner? Fantastic. I think if you look at Bendtner on the August 1 and Bendtner on the May 1 there is a massive difference. He has become a good player, and if you look at the chances he has created, in the time he plays, and the times he has scored, especially the goal he scored today. You need to understand the game because he's on the move, he meets the ball, he finishes well. I'm impressed by him."

on Flamini's contact negotiations...
"Frankly, I don't know more than you. He has an offer on the table that is valid until tomorrow, and then we'll see. I am not confident and not worried. That means the situation is not in my hands, you know? We've done what we had to do, now it is down to him to decide what he wants to do. I wanted to put him on the bench but he had a little recurrance of his ankle."

on Gilberto's future...
"I would like Gilberto to stay. But I have to sit down with him to see what he wants to do. Gilberto is like Jens Lehmann, you can rely on them, they are fantastic professionals. Gilberto is a fantastic guy. We won trophies with Gilberto and Jens because they are special human beings, you know? You do not win with average people."

Lehmann - The farewell will always stay in my heart




Jens Lehmann left Emirates Stadium on Sunday with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.

Before kick-off, Arsène Wenger had said the 38-year-old was "99 per cent" likely to leave at the end of his contract in the summer. Therefore the manager afforded his German keeper the luxury of a 20-minute appearance at the end of the 1-0 win over Everton.

At full time captain William Gallas convinced the former Dortmund stopper to make his own personal farewell. He then joined the rest of the side in a more general thank you to the fans.



Lehmann's name was sung the loudest, proof that his five years had been memorable.

"I had one or two tears in my eyes," he said afterwards. "It was a great farewell for me. This farewell will always stay in my heart.

"The boss told me before that he planned to get me on. It was a very warm welcome on the pitch and I was very fortunate because the team didn't let me down before, just in case it had been 3-0 or 2-0 for Everton, it would have been a different reception."

So how does Lehmann look back on the Arsenal experience?

"It was the right decision from the start to the end, to come here," he said. "Not only in terms of football but as well for my family. My children now are talking, are speaking better English than German, and they don't want to go back.

"My wife and myself, we learnt the language quite well and we learnt about another way of life. A very respectful, very kind way and that's a little bit different to Germany. There are a lot of similarities between English and German people but there are some differences as well.

"As for the football I was part of a team which was playing probably the most attractive game. It was really good.

"In the first two years we won something, unfortunately in the third year we were very close to winning the Champions League, but failed in the end.

"My biggest memory was probably the Real Madrid game at home, when we played 0-0. Then of course the FA Cup Final and then there was the game we became champions at Tottenham.

"I was together with Sol Campbell we were the only players who felt disappointed in the dressing-room because we didn't know we were champions by this time. We had conceded a goal just at the end and it finished 2-2. That was a very, very emotional moment for me.

"But, I said before, there are more memories than only just playing, there is the reception of the supporters. The respectful kindness of the supporters."

And that is what Lehmann saw for one last time on Sunday.

Flamini will complete move to AC Milan this summer

Arsenal can confirm that Mathieu Flamini will join Italian Serie A side AC Milan on 1st July 2008 on a free transfer.

Flamini (24), who joined Arsenal from Olympique Marseille in 2004, made a total of 153 appearances for the Gunners scoring eight times and has been a regular in the first team this season, making 30 appearances in the Premier League.

During his time with the Club, Mathieu won an FA Cup winner’s medal in 2005 and played at full back in the team’s run to the UEFA Champions League Final in 2006.

Everyone at Arsenal Football Club wishes Mathieu the best of luck for the future.

Wenger - Lehmann helped Almunia to improve


Arsène Wenger believes that Jens Lehmann has helped Manuel Almunia become a much better goalkeeper.

The Germany No 1 played his final game at Emirates Stadium on Sunday and is set to leave Arsenal this summer after five years with the Club. Lehmann lost his place to Almunia just three games into the current campaign but, as far as Wenger is concerned, his presence on the training pitches every day forced Almunia to maintain the highest standards.

"Don't forget that for Almunia it was a very difficult year because when you have a guy like Jens Lehmann on your back there is no better school because this guy doesn't give you any room. He always shows he is ready to take your place if you have any weakness," said the Frenchman.

"So I believe that Almunia this year on the mental side, on the toughness, has made a tremendous improvement. What he has done, with the competition like he had with Jens every day, with people expecting him to show a weakness, he has instead become a very strong goalkeeper."

Speaking at a Q&A with Arsenal's shareholders at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, Wenger paid tribute to Lehmann's exemplary attitude to training throughout his five years with the Club.

"I feel he was a real winner, he was ready to die to win," said Wenger. "As I said in front of the players, for the five years he was here, I never caught him once, for one minute in any training session, not giving his best.

"You cannot say that about every player and Jens deserves huge respect because this guy was committed every single day and for every minute of every training session."

Wenger - Players can prove to me that they are winners


Arsène Wenger has challenged his players to stick together and make up for this season's disappointments by eclipsing their rivals next year.

Mathieu Flamini has agreed a move away from Emirates Stadium this summer but Wenger expects a different approach from the rest of his squad as he begins to plot next season's assault on the major trophies.

During a Q&A with Arsenal's shareholders at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, Wenger spoke passionately about his hopes for next season. The Frenchman wants his players to prove that they are 'winners' by coming back stronger than ever.

"We were close this year but we did not win and what I expect from my team is that, if you are a winner, you say 'let's come back next year and win'," said Wenger. "If our players are not capable of doing that and just want to walk out for bigger contracts, for me that would be the biggest disappointment.

"If you are a winner you say 'you beat me now in a game but give me a chance to come back and beat you'. That's what I expect of a team. If they cannot do that then it means I was wrong completely in my whole judgement of this team.

"That would be the biggest disappointment for the Club - not only to not win this year but to not be capable of coming back together."

Flamini's decision to join AC Milan was out of Wenger's hands because the 24-year-old was out of contract. The Arsenal manager accepted that the Serie A club's financial offer tempted Flamini away but he is confident that the French midfielder's former team-mates will not follow suit.

"It is a problem [the salaries on offer] but we did not master this situation [with Flamini] because when a player is out of contract he can sign where he wants," said Wenger. "I must say I am disappointed that he did that but legally he can do it.

"But I hope that 95 per cent of the team, the core of the team, says 'come on, we have only just lost'. And it is 'just' because we were leading at Manchester United, we were leading at Chelsea and we were leading at Liverpool in the Champions League, and every time we just lost a little bit of focus and lost the game.

"Let's come back and show we are winners. That is the real target of the team."

Wenger - Why I am happy with evolution, not revolution


Arsène Wenger has every intention of reinforcing his squad this summer but he believes that the natural development of his current players will be just as important in taking Arsenal to the next level.

The Frenchman has watched his side grow in stature over the last 12 months. Arsenal mustered 68 points in the Premier League last season and, if they beat Sunderland on Sunday, will have racked up 15 more this term - the equivalent of turning five defeats into victories.

Nonetheless, Arsenal's failure to hold on to their lead at the top of the Premier League, plus a cruel Champions League exit at Liverpool, has prompted calls for Wenger to spend lavishly this summer. Those voices have grown louder in the wake of Mathieu Flamini's decision to join AC Milan.

Speaking at the shareholders' Q&A at Emirates Stadium this week, Wenger identified the two areas he will look to strengthen and explained why evolution, not revolution, remains at the heart of his team-building policy.

"I will try to buy, maybe in the defensive area and one on the creative side of the game as well because we had some players, important players, who were out this year," said Wenger. "We want as well to bring new talent in on the creative side of our game.

"When there is a problem in England, people say 'you have to buy'. But you have to consider as well the development of your players internally.

"It isn't just down to money because we have bought players for nothing and they became world stars. It is as well down to the quality of the scouting, the quality of the work in training and the quality of the development in the players.

"I believe much more in that, working in an intelligent way to make a player improve.

"If we lose, people leave the game and say 'Wenger you must buy a centre forward' if we haven't scored, or they want a central defender if someone has made a mistake. But you have to accept that the team can be developed.

"This team made 68 points last year and this year 83. That is 15 points difference and in between we lost Thierry Henry and we lost many, many important players during the season. So you cannot say the team has not developed. Now the target for next season must be to make 90 or 92 points."

Before any of those points are up for grabs, Wenger has a busy summer planned. "How will I spend my summer? On the phone!" he laughed. "On the phone and on the football pitch.

"We are very busy at the moment with [Director] Ken [Friar], he knows that the holidays this year will be shorter than ever. I hope to find a few days but it will be very short."

Wenger to bring in youngsters for Sunderland


Barclays Premier League
Sunderland v Arsenal





Arsène Wenger may draft in yet another youngster for the final game of the season at Sunderland this weekend.

For the past couple of matches, Arsenal have fielded Lukasz Fabianski (23) Denilson (20) and Nicklas Bendtner (20) while Kieran Gibbs (18) was on the bench on Sunday against Everton.

Those four are likely to be included again in the North-East this weekend and Mark Randall (18) may figure as well. Yet again it will be an established international who makes way.

"It should be nearly the same group of players who are available," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online on Thursday. "Nobody is coming back from injury certainly.

"But I could give one or two players an early breather because they go to Euro 2008 or the African qualifiers.

"So Kieran Gibbs, who got on the bench last weekend, could be involved again, so could Mark Randall. But I am really not sure yet."



Arsenal TV Online subscribers will be able to see the full video interview with Arsène Wenger on Friday morning. In it, he talks about: who'll win the title, who'll go down, losing Flamini to Milan this week, the latest on Alex Hleb, the injury situation and his early attitude to the summer transfer market.

Wenger - Eduardo can clear mental hurdles on road back


Arsène Wenger believes the biggest hurdle to Eduardo's recovery could be mental, not physical.

The Arsenal striker suffered a broken leg and a dislocated ankle at Birmingham on February 23 but is expected to return to action before the end of the year. Eduardo is currently in Brazil continuing his rehabilitation.



Wenger was upbeat about the Croatian's future when the topic cropped up at a Q&A with shareholders at Emirates Stadium. The Arsenal manager knows that Eduardo will face psychologicial challenges, like all victims of serious injuries, but Wenger is backing the 25-year-old to overcome them.

"The medical profession say he [will] make a full physical recovery," said the Frenchman. "We don't believe physically there will be a problem afterwards but how much impact it will have in his head when he sees the tackles flying in again, only the future will tell us.

"We believe medically there is no problem, he will play again, but after that how well can he deal with it? He is a tough boy so I am confident he will deal with it.

"At the moment we sent him to Sao Paolo, where he was born, where he can wait before he starts rehabilitation. There is a good physio there in Sao Paolo who he knows, and he is taking care of him. When he is ready to start training at the beginning of the season he will come back of course.

"We expect him to be out completely for six months but to play really at the top, top level, it will be nine months [from when he was injured]."

Wenger - I hope to make signing within weeks



Arsène Wenger intends to start moulding his squad for next season straight away and is looking to bring in a new signing "in the next two or three weeks".

Arsenal ended their season on Sunday with a 1-0 win at Sunderland. It left them on 83 points, some 15 more than last season but still four adrift of champions Manchester United.

Wenger is adamant there is little wrong with his side and talks of making only "one or two" signings this summer. His intention is to seal the first deal sooner rather than later.

“I know what I want and I am very confident," he said. "I hope to turn that around in the next two or three weeks. But the fans should be re-assured by what they see."

Wenger's two major acquisitions last summer, Bacary Sagna and Eduardo, were new to English football. This time around, it seems he'd like someone who has already acclimatised.

“It would be better to buy someone who has played in England because they are less risky," said the manager. "But it costs more money if they are from the Premier League, so maybe I will try to do both."

Wenger - Walcott can now be a regular starter




Theo Walcott is a changed player, according to Arsène Wenger.

The 19-year-old striker has had an excellent end to the season and capped a fine individual display with the winner at Sunderland on Sunday.



Walcott is increasingly influential as a starter these days; a far cry from his role as impact substitute at the beginning of the season.

"I think he started as a promising young player and he finished it as a guy who can fight for a regular place in the side," said Wenger after the win at the Stadium of Light.

"The next step for him is to be a player who can produce regular performances and efficiency. I am very hopeful he can be that.

"Sometimes he can be too much 'in and out' of the game still but we have seen when he is in, he is completely in now."

'We got 83 points and that is respectable'



on the result...
"It was not easy to win here. It is always difficult to play at your best when you don't go for something concrete. It is another victory away from home. This one give us 83 points and I think that is respectable."

on getting that many points...
"I have won titles with less but it highlights the amount of points requested this year. There was very little difference between the three teams who fought for the title. Man United finish with 87, Chelsea 85 and we finished with 83."

on playing out the end of the season ..
"It was an anticlimax. But part of our role is to do the job when it is less presitious and glamorous. We did that well. We scored and we should have scored more. We had a very young side out. The average age was 22.3 without the bench. With the bench that would have gone done to 20."

on seeing another team win the title..
"There is disappointment. We don't fight and work as hard as we did all season to finish third. But there is hope for the future if you can make 83 points with such a young side."

Match Report

Barclays Premier League


Sunderland
0



Arsenal
1

Walcott 24



Arsenal finished their season with a flourish at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.

Theo Walcott's first-half strike ensured Arsène Wenger's side ended up with 83 points. In years gone by that would have been enough to lift the Premier League title. Alas not this term. Arsenal knew before kick-off they would finish third while the top two places would be decided, without their involvement, elsewhere this afternoon.



Still, there have tangible signs of significant progression among Wenger's men during this campaign and performance of the Frenchman's youngsters today gave the impression there is plenty more to come.

Sunderland were always competitive but the moments of class came from Arsenal. Walcott was a fitting match-winner. His goal was nothing special but his recent performances certainly have been.

The England international was the brightest spark in an entertaining but ultimately meaningless game.

Next season, you sense Arsenal will feel the full benefit.

There was a familiar unfamiliarity about the visitors' line-up this afternoon. Wenger had sent out a much-changed side over the past few weeks in order to give the younger elements a little more top-flight experience. The likes of Lukas Fabianski, Denilson, Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner all retained their places this afternoon. A slight hamstring injury meant Kolo Toure was absent so Johann Djourou came in.

If it was a young side then the bench were babies - Armand Traore (18), Havard Nordviet (17), Mark Randall (18), Vito Mannone (20) and Nacer Barazite (17)

This was a rare pressure-free game for Arsenal. Chelsea and Manchester United were vying for the Premier League title, Wenger's men were safe but slightly disappointed in third.
Sunderland had achieved their season's aim - staying up - some weeks ago. Therefore they felt at liberty to attack the visitors in the opening stages.

Carlos Edwards' drive tested Fabianski with the first 20 seconds then, after Eboue had received lengthy treatment, the Arsenal keeper had to hurriedly collect a knockdown from Kenwyne Jones before Chris Leadbitter slid in.

Eboue nearly put in Adebayor but, in the 15th minute, Dwight Yorke fizzed an effort just over the bar. Overall the home side had started much the better.

However Arsenal gradually regained their composure with their best player over recent weeks, Walcott, to the fore once more.

In the 24th minute the youngster put Arsenal ahead somewhat against the run of play. The goal was simplicity itself. Gilberto clipped a ball forward between the Sunderland centre half and full back, Walcott raced through and slotted home.

Sunderland responded with even more energy. But the closest they came to a reply was when Danny Collins nodded over from a corner eight minutes before the break. Before that Senderos had sent a rasping drive over the bar from fully 40 yards.

Jones, the Sunderland spearhead, had hurt his hand a few minutes before the break blocking a shot from Gilberto. He failed to re-appear after the restart so Roy O'Donovan came on.
The substitute steered over an early header but once again the home pressure did not last.

In the 58th minute, Arsenal should have secured the three points when Leadbitter passed straight back to keeper Marton Fulop from Walcott's dangerous cross.

The referee gave an indirect free-kick eight yards and the home side pulled back everybody on the line. Adebayor took the kick and tapped the ball sideways to Gilberto who inexplicably sliced wide.

O'Donovan might have made Arsenal pay but, after Song slipped, the striker missed his kick at the far post.

Bendtner, Adebayor and Walcott combined wonderfully in the 68th minute but the England striker's cut back just failed to find a team-mate.

However Sunderland were still going for the equaliser and when Eboue gave the ball away O'Donovan dragged his shot wide from a dangerous position.

Wenger brought on Mark Randall in the closing stages and the young Englishman had the ball in the net with four minutes left only for the effort to be flagged offside. In the final minute he forced a super save from Fulop. Arsenal were ending the season strongly.

But in injury time Sunderland nearly salvaged a draw when O'Donovan met Leadbitter's low cross. However Fabianski held on to the ball as Arsenal held on to their victory.

Rosicky erfolgreich operiert



Die Kniesehnen-Operation vom tschechischen Teamspieler Tomas Rosicky ist erfolgreich verlaufen.

Der 27-jährige Mittelfeldspieler von Arsenal London hatte sich die Sehnenverletzung beim FA-Cup-Spiel seines Vereins Arsenal gegen Newcastle Ende Jänner zugezogen.

"Ich bin froh, dass der Ursprung meiner Probleme entdeckt wurde und hoffe, dass ich das Training bald wieder aufnehmen kann", meint der 27-Jährige, der rund zehn Wochen ausfällt.

Rosicky verpasst damit auch die EURO.

Adebayor - I love Arsenal and I will be here next season

Reports in Spain on Wednesday linked Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor with a move to Barcelona. Here’s his response:


“I don’t know why people want to put words in my mouth. As I said on Friday, I love Arsenal and I will be here next season.



"I am off to Togo tomorrow but will return to Arsenal for pre-season training in July.”

Arsène Wenger - A big player is better than a big name



Arsenal's summer spending will not be driven by reputation, according to Arsène Wenger.

The manager intends to bring in "two or three" players over the close season to bolster a squad that went so close to silverware on two fronts last term. As ever the Frenchman is disinterested in the fanfare surrounding certain stars, his concern is solely a player's ability to add that extra edge to his side.

"I think a huge player is better than a huge name," said Wenger speaking last weekend. "You have huge names who produce very little at the moment.

"There is plenty of demand from players who want to join us and what we need next year is two or three maybe."

Given the youth of his side and the fact they let leads slip in some big games last season, it is natural to suggest the former Monaco manager may go for experience. But when one questioner asked him whether he needed to add that quality to his squad over the summer, Wenger's reply was telling.

"We just need talent," he said.

Yaya Touro denkt an Arsenal!

Ob Yaya Toure auch in der kommenden Saison das Trikot der "Blaugrana" trägt?

Arsenal ist auf der Suche nach einem Mittelfeldspieler. Laut "Sky Sports" könnte Yaya Toure, der bereits 2002 ein Probetraining bei den Londonern absolviert hat, der gesuchte Mann sein.
Der Ivorer steht zwar noch beim FC Barcelona unter Vertrag, dort soll aber nach dem Abgang von Frank Rijkaard kein Stein auf dem anderen bleiben.
"Es wäre großartig, könnte ich mit meinem Bruder in einem Team spielen", so der 25-Jährige, dessen großer Bruder Kolo bei den "Gunners" unter Vertrag steht.

Peyton - Jens Lehmann leaves on a high


Arsenal goalkeeping coach Gerry Peyton has paid tribute to Jens Lehmann, who will leave the Club in the summer when his contract expires.



The pair both arrived in North London in July 2003 and took over from a couple of established Highbury legends. Lehmann would go on to win the Premier League title and the FA Cup during five fine seasons.

The German ended up with 198 starts for Arsenal and one substitute appearance. That came against Everton in the final home game of this season when his 14-minute cameo was designed to give the 38-year-old a chance to say goodbye to the Arsenal fans.

"I am sorry to see him go," Peyton told Arsenal.com. "We both came at the same time and found ourselves at a big club. David Seaman had just left having been a great keeper for Arsenal and Bob Wilson had just retired having been a great goalkeeping coach. So we sort of looked at each and thought 'hang on we'd better win some trophies'.

"The first season could not have gone any better with the unbeaten run. The second season was very good and Jens had a great display as we won the FA Cup.

"In the third season we went to the Champions League Final and he was voted the best keeper in that. And remember he also took the German keeper's jersey from a legend, Oliver Kahn.

"For me Jens is a total professional and he is a character. He is a lovely man off the field and on the field he has an edge that means he demands the best of everyone alongside him.

"He is driven and, at 38, there will be teams ringing him up asking if he'll play for them. So I think he can leave Arsenal with his head held high."

Walcott nets in England Under-21s friendly


Wales Under-21 0-2 England Under-21, May 15

Theo Walcott transferred his superb club form to the international stage with a match- winning performance for England Under-21s against Wales on Thursday night. The Arsenal forward struck midway through the first half after a tidy exchange of passes with Tom Huddlestone; the goal-maker having earlier converted from the penalty spot. The reason for the friendly fixture was to celebrate Wales U21's 100th match since their first game - against England in 1976. Nevertheless the presence of senior managers, Fabio Capello and John Toshack, made for an exciting match.

Season Review: Wenger - I'd love to start title race now

It’s Season Review Week and, over the next five days, a host of Arsenal characters past and present will be giving their verdict on the 2007/08 campaign.

We kick off with Arsène Wenger himself. The Arsenal manager discusses:

* exceeding expectations
* the narrow margin for error
* why his team will get better
* what he wants to add to his squad
* the late set-back at Birmingham
* why he won't adapt his philosophy
* the competition for trophies
* why he'd love to cancel the summer

Subscribers can see this exclusive interview now. If you don't subscribe to TV Online, click on the red button in the gold panel opposite.

Season Review: Stats show big step in the right direction




Points-wise, this season has only been surpassed twice by Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal.

Although disappointment was the underlying feeling among many by the time the final ball was kicked, a look down the years actually makes for healthy reading.

To begin with, the improvement on the previous Premier League campaign was palpable. The Gunners accumulated 15 more points in 2007/08 than they did one season earlier, had a higher goals-per-game average and scored a further 11 goals (finishing one place higher in the standings too). The Club’s top scorer, Emmanuel Adebayor, plundered 24 goals compared with the 11 that Robin van Persie had topped the list with the year before. In fact, since the inception of the Premier League, only Thierry Henry has scored more League goals in a season for the Club.

Arsenal also conceded on four fewer occasions, 31, and kept three more clean sheets; moving up that particular Premier League table from 10th to fifth. All this was achieved in a fairer way too — Wenger’s side moved up two places in the disciplinary table, ending the season in seventh.

The Gunners' improvement away from Emirates Stadium was particularly impressive. Last season the Club accumulated 26 points on their travels, 16 worse than Champions Manchester United. This term, though, they earned 36, one more than the fierce rivals.


Fabregas - 19 assists this season
Adebayor - 30 goals this season
Adebayor - 24 League goals this term


The status quo was maintained in one respect: Cesc Fabregas remains the Premier League’s leading goal-maker. Even then, his tally of assists shot up from 13 to 19. Fabregas’ emergence as the country’s leading 'assistant' is good news for the Gunners because, since the turn of the century, only Henry has managed more in one season — in 2002/03 the Frenchman set-up a staggering 23 goals for his team-mates.

Glancing back even further, it’s clear that the positives of this domestic campaign outweigh the negatives. Arsenal surpassed their points total of the 1997/98 ‘double’ season by five, and eclipsed the ‘goals scored’ tally from the famous Invincibles season.


Of the Gunners’ title-winning seasons, only the 2003/04 side conceded fewer goals than the class of 2008. It’s also worth mentioning that the only campaign to wield more clean sheets was Wenger’s first full season in 1997/98.



07/08 earned more points than 97/98..
..and scored more than the Invincibles


On the European stage, Arsenal progressed one round further than they did the previous year, reaching the Quarter-Finals for the fourth time.

Wenger’s team also surpassed the previous season’s goals tally of seven. The Club notched double that figure in the group stage alone, including the 7-0 romp at home to Slavia Prague.


Arsenal thrash Slavia Prague 7-0...
...Arsenal exit against PSV Eindhoven

Arsenal holt Jungstar Nasri von Olympique Marseille

Arsenal hat am Mittwoch mit der Verpflichtung von Samir Nasri für Aufsehen gesorgt. Die "Gunners" überweisen für den 20-jährigen Jungstar 15 Millionen Euro an Olympique Marseille.

Auch Real Madrid soll an Nasri, der im vorläufigen EM-Kader von Vizeweltmeister Frankreich steht, interessiert gewesen sein. In der abgelaufenen Saison hatte Nasri jedoch mit gesundheitlichen Problemen zu kämpfen. Unter anderem hatte er an einer Virusinfektion laboriert.



SEHR GEIL

Fiszman - We will fully support Arsène's transfer plans

Danny Fiszman spoke exclusively to Arsenal.com last week.

In a candid interview the Arsenal director discussed a number of hot topics including the departure of Keith Edelman, how he will be replaced, Arsène Wenger's transfer budget, the Club's wage structure, the Board's 'lock-down agreement' on shares and how the 'credit crunch' affects Arsenal. Read the full Q&A now.

How do you assess the season both on and off the pitch?

On the pitch it was disappointing the way we finished, obviously, but I think it has to be seen as a successful season even though we didn’t win any trophies. I think if you had asked any fans at the start of the season if they would have been happy to finish fourth, qualify for Champions League football and finish within 15 points of Manchester United, they would have taken it. The football we played through the year created expectations, and the fact we had a five-point lead created even greater expectations so I think everybody is sad and deflated. But I think we need to balance that and remember where we were the previous year so as long as we are seeing continuous improvement we have to be satisfied. We don’t want to be a flash in the pan.

Are you pleased with the progress the team has made this season?

Yes, I am pleased. If we look back where we were last year and what the fans would have settled for we have taken great strides. The critics wrote us off and gave us no chance of qualifying for the Champions League but the team proved itself competitive. Four points is a lot but in the context of the season we came very close and we are disappointed we didn’t win it but we have made a constant improvement and that is what we seek always.

Are you disappointed that we did not win any silverware?

In the end that is what we all strive for. We can’t win every year and hopefully it will be our turn next year and for many years to come.

There have been a number of matches where the team have played beautifully, is there a particular highlight for you this season?

The big highlight was beating Milan. It is one game that got our players to believe they were a team to be proud of, a team who could beat anybody and I was sure, having beaten Milan, that would see us through to beat Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool to win the Premier League. I think, very much in the way we beat Real Madrid, it reinforced the belief the youngsters had in themselves.

Are you confident for next season? What are your hopes?

To win four competitions, for the Ladies to win four and for the youth team to win too. We have great belief in our manager and his methods. There is great belief in the boys that we have. No doubt the manager will strengthen the team and we will improve again.

Now we are in the close season, there is much speculation about player signings. Has the manager sufficient funds to bring in the players he requires to enable us to challenge for trophies next season?

We have never said no to Arsène so I am sure that, whoever he wishes to bring in, he will be fully supported.

Does the manager have a specific budget available? Is there a set amount?

There is no set amount. But as I said we have always supported Arsène, we have never said no to him and have no intention of saying no to him.

Do you think that we need to sign 'big name' players to take us to the next level?

I think Arsène answered that question when he said it is not a big name, it is a big talent we are after. I think it is about big talents and committed
players.

Equally, do you think we should have increased the offer to Flamini in order for him to stay?

We made a substantial offer to Mathieu. It was considerable and in line with our wage structure but he chose to go elsewhere. We wish him luck, thank him for what he has done for the club and wish him all the best.

There are continual references in the media about the Club’s 'wage structure’ and the Club not paying the same wages as the other top four sides. Can you explain the 'wage structure’ and also how we compare with the other top four sides?

Well let’s just go back. You say 'we don’t pay the wages that other teams do’. If you look at our total wage costs you will see they are virtually the same as Manchester United and substantially more than Liverpool. Of course we are all a little less than Chelsea who are in a world of their own. But compared to Man United and Liverpool we are good payers. We believe it is a team sport and we do well but we don’t want the disparity between the top and bottom earner being too big. It takes 11 people on the pitch to deliver.

Keith Edelman left the Club a few weeks ago. To clear something up, there have been suggestions his departure was linked with disagreements with the manager over players’ wages, transfer budgets and the like. Was this the case?

Absolutely not. Keith was not involved with Arsène in any way. As I have said before we supported Arsène with everything he wanted. Keith Edelman was in no way involved with the discussions with Flamini or Arsène. That was Ken Friar’s responsibility. So the speculation is absolutely incorrect.

How would you rate his contribution to our success over the last eight years?

I think Keith Edelman was absolutely fundamental to the change that Arsenal have undergone in the last eight years. The process started a little before that but nonetheless he was absolutely fundamental from the infrastructure point of view. Not the football side, but the stadium, training ground and all the developments around. While Ken Friar and I took the lead in site acquisition, planning etc, it was Keith who kept the ship going and made sure the financing was there to keep us going.

Keith was responsible for a number of key decisions at the club during his time as managing director. What will his legacy be?

If I have to pick one specific thing I think it is the re-financing of Emirates Stadium. What that gave us was 25 years to repay the loan totally protected from the point of view of interest rates - what we pay out every year, what is going on outside, the credit crunch or any changes in the views of banks on financing. So I think that has given us the safety to work comfortably. Remember the increase in gate income over Highbury is in excess of three times our repayments. So for that we have to be eternally grateful to Keith.

Ken Friar is Acting Managing Director at the moment with a wealth of experience but are you taking a more hands-on approach whilst we search for a new managing director?

My role continues very much as it has. I am always available, always on-hand. Ken is managing well, obviously it is greater responsibility for him but he has broad shoulders and is carrying it well. There is also a very good team around that will continue to do the job as Keith had hoped.

We have appointed head-hunters to identify possible candidates for the role of Managing Director. How does this process work and what criteria must a successful candidate meet?

The head-hunters are presently interviewing people within the Club, the Board and others, to get each person’s view on what it is we need exactly. Keith’s role will probably be split in that we will be looking for a CFO to look after all the financial aspects of the club to allow the CEO to include within his role the footballing side. That was not part of Keith’s remit and I am sure we will be looking for somebody who can work well with the manager, be able to negotiate at times in difficult situations, player purchases, player sales and wage contracts. That will be a big part of the CEO’s responsibilities as well as managing the business of course.

Ken Friar is also responsible for player contracts and transfer negotiations. In the long term, will the new appointment also fulfil the role of Director of Football?

I think it will but 'Director of Football’ is not the term we look at. That looks to require knowledge of players, a scouting role and that is not at all the role we envisage. So no, there won’t be a 'Director of Football’ as such but the CEO will take over from Ken in due course all of the player negotiations.

Can you update the supporters on where we are with any ownership issues? Are you and the Board fully committed to the lock-down agreement?

Yes we are. It was a five-year agreement when we signed it and obviously there are various phases of it. We are fully committed. There are no changes as far as we are concerned. The ship is steady and we will carry on.

I know that our stance is to work within our natural resources, are those resources sufficient to fund a trophy-winning side or do we need a 'benefactor’ to inject some cash?

We don’t believe in the benefactor model. It is not a question of a one-time infusion of cash to buy player x or player y. You actually then have salaries that are connected to the players. What if they don’t work out? Do you go and buy another two or three players? Is there any end to it? So I think everybody, including Chelsea, knows there are limits. Chelsea were not big spenders last summer certainly - they got our old player Steven Sidwell on a free transfer. We believe in the end the self-sustaining model is the right one, the one we have adopted and will continue adopting.

Given the 'credit crunch’ climate, what impact does this have on repaying our current debt? Have costs increased as a result?

As I said this is something Keith got through for us. We are at fixed interest rates which happened to be very low interest rates and it is a fixed repayment schedule over the 25 years of the loan.

Looking forward, now that the Emirates has been successfully operating for the last two seasons, what new revenue-making projects is the Club involved with at present?

I think our expansion abroad is where we’ll see the main increase. That is with sponsorships, affiliations that we have made in Thailand and Vietnam. We are looking for a variety of sponsors in the Far East that want to align themselves with Arsenal.

How is the Highbury Square development shaping up?

It is going well and as you know has sold exceedingly well. Sir Robert McAlpine who built Emirates Stadium on time and on budget are doing it again. They are on two to four weeks early and on budget so I think it is going exceedingly well.

And what about Queensland Road?

We have just gone into planning on that for a mixed-use residential area. There will be cinemas, a lot of restaurants, a mix of affordable and private housing. We have a design that fits well with the stadium and will finish off the setting for the stadium.

We now have the International fixtures, the Emirates Cup and events such as Bruce Springsteen's concerts being hosted at Emirates. Are these fruitful and are there any plans for other non-football activities?

They are fruitful. The Emirates Cup we intend to have as an annual event and we intend to bring in some top teams as we are this year and last year. The Springsteen concerts are our first concerts and it will be interesting to see just how well that goes. It certainly sold very well. Within a few days all the tickets were gone. But we will see how we handle a concert and how it sits within the environment. If that works we intend to have a few more in the years to come.

Hleb möglicherweise nach Spanien


Die Gerüchte um einen Wechsel von Alexander Hleb reißen nicht ab.

Der Weißrusse steht laut spanischen Medienberichten vor einem Transfer zum FC Barcelona. Hleb soll sich am Rande des Länderspiels gegen Deutschland mit "Barcas"-Sportdirektor Txixi Beguiristain getroffen haben.



Der Arsenal-Star soll bei den Katalanen einen Vier-Jahres-Vertrag unterschreiben. "Barca" bietet Arsenal angeblich 15 Millionen Euro.

Nach Keita und Pique könnte er der dritte Neuzugang bei Barcelona werden.