‘Let’s win it next year’ + Cesc competition 7 May, 2008

Does anyone else feel like the season has finished already? With this great weather and nothing left to play for I keep forgetting we’ve actually got a game this weekend. There’s absolutely no build up to Sunday’s game against Sunderland yet, so news is quite limited.

The big news is Flamini leaving, but I spoke about that last night and we just need to move on from it now. I’m not that upset about it really; the fact that it hasn’t happened suddenly has sort of softened the blow. With the recent departures of Henry and Vieira, I was really upset, but when you look back on it we sold them at the right time. So I’m not going to fuss about this one. Not that I’m saying Flamini is on par with Vieira and Henry…

Wenger had a Q&A yesterday with the shareholders, so there’s a few stories coming off of that: He wants us to bounce back and win trophies next year:

“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’. 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.”

Notice the little dig to Flamini in there? If think this side does have a really good passion and winning spirit in the core. Gallas, Toure, Fabregas, Flamini, Adebayor, van Persie etc, they are all winners and will be big players when it counts. I’m pretty confident about next year but I’ll talk about that in the summer…

I like what Arsene’s saying though, if this side can come back after this season’s disappointments, right their wrongs and go all the way, it will show an enormous amount of character and I think for once we’ll be admired for something by the other clubs and media. Next year, we will still be a relatively young side, so if we could do it, it would be amazing.

This side has to stay together though. Flamini was a really important member of the first 11, so we cannot afford to lose anyone else. That’s why Wenger has said he’ll do everything he can to keep Alex Hleb at the club. It would be great if he stayed, but I’m not too keen on him now that he’s so publicly made us aware he’s not fully focussed on Arsenal. If he goes, meh, not the end of the world. But if he stays he needs to put this summer’s activity behind him and get on with playing.

The other day I told you about a competition to win tickets for the Cesc Fabregas Show. Click that link to see the question. If you haven’t entered already, THEN DO IT. I’m telling you now that a few people have got this one wrong so if you’re feeling lucky (and knowledgeable) then enter the competition. You have to be available next Tuesday evening the 13th May though. It’s being filmed in London, and I know not everyone on here can make that so I haven’t particularly been bombarded with entrants. So if you can make that night, then enter, because the odds are good.

Right, this London sun has worn me out, so I’m off. I will hopefully speak to you tomorrow to announce the winner(s) of the competition but thinking now, I don’t know when I’m going to get the chance. I dunno, I’ll have to try and find some time. I’ll see you when I see you.