Nasri's future depends on Barcelona's maturity - Cesc saga

I bet it was that B flat we heard. No wonder why it hurt so much...

     In past seasons, Arsenal have ended their campaigns poorly, year after year without a trophy, imploding in the late months. But last season didn't end on a bad note for Arsenal, it ended on a right shit note. Like an old piano that hadn't been tuned or played for years. The sound that started to ring and pierce our ears in March, finally came to an end in May.
     So as the past season came to an end with a terrible melody of losses and draws, everyone knew the upcoming summer was huge for Arsenal. Some were even calling for Wenger to get the sack, others rightly keeping their sanity and simply asking for Wenger to change his philosophy a bit. While Arsene has always been a smart spender, he's never been a big spender. This summer is the most important of his Arsenal career  in my opinion, because a trophy is desperately needed at the Emirates by the end of next season.
   
     The timing of skepticism over our own players's futures was poorly timed. During a summer when important signings have to be made, the Cesc saga continues, and to a certain level of surprise, Nasri refuses to sign a new contract. This gives Arsenal two options for the Frenchman: sell now, or keep him for another season, but let him go on Bosman. Many would choose to sell Nasri this season to make the £20 million profit while we can, as would I. For now, it looks as if Wenger intends on keeping him, and allowing Nasri to leave next season. However, I have a different take on the situation:
     Right now, Cesc looks more likely to leave than Nasri, but there is still a chance Cesc will stay. If Cesc does indeed stay thanks to Barcelona's lackadaisical bids for him, Wenger may look to offload Nasri in order to make some cash. This cash would be spent immediately on big transfers such as Juan Mata. *crosses fingers*
    Of course, this is pure speculation and may not be the case, but hopefully is. £20 million is quite a sum to let strut out of the club.

     Neither situation looks good, as the two are some of the very best players at the club, and in the world as well. Holding onto both players will be hard, but its possible. Even so, I doubt Wenger will decide to do so. Arsene realizes this is the summer for Cesc to go. Barca Xavi wants him, and Cesc wants to go. However, that won't let Arsenal give in and be held for ransom. Arsenal will not sell Fabregas for less than his value, which is either at 40 million or 45 million.
     It was quite humorous when Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood said to the Daily Star:

     "They have been messing about for a year and a half now and they have got to make up their minds, the ball is in their court. They have made one bid of around £26 million and another rather tentative one."

     Humorous not only because Hill-Wood was giving interviews to the Daily Star, but because of the weight of the bid. It's actually very disrespectful to Arsenal and Cesc especially to offer a measly £26 million pound bid for Cesc, when Javier Pastore was sold to PSG for £45 million pounds. Surely they know that £26 million won't buy you Cesc Fabregas? Hill-Wood then went on to say:

     "If they want to buy the player they are going to have to pay the right price - and when you look at what is being paid elsewhere I don't think what we are asking is at all unreasonable."

     It's simple Barca, "Cough up or Cock off." -as Arseblog puts it. And it appears Arsenal are close to boiling point. When asked if Arsenal would call of negotiations, Hill-Wood said the club is close to doing so.

He certainly looked happy here...

     As was the case with Nasri earlier in the season, we are letting Barcelona and Cesc control the situation. Instead of giving Barcelona a deadline of August 31st, why not give them a deadline of the end of next week? We cannot go into the season and through the beginning of the season worrying about qualifying for the Champions League, going to Old Trafford, and holding onto OUR CLUB CAPTAIN.

     That is another ordeal. Just read these quotes by Wenger regarding Cesc playing in the Emirates Cup, from Friday's press conference:

     "He will not be involved because at the moment he is not settled, he is coming back from an injury and is not settled with us."

     So Cesc isn't settled with us then? Then why is he still our captain? Yes, Cesc has received criticism that his heart hasn't always been in it when he played for us, but that was a load of tosh. However, now it is time for Cesc so lose the captaincy. He has in no way helped lighten or calm this transfer saga down. He (supposedly) said to Xavi that he was suffering at Arsenal. Yes,  it must be a horrid experience being captain of a club like Arsenal, getting paid more money per week playing football than I get in an entire year doing real labor.

Hand that armband over, Cesc.

     While the players at Arsenal respect Cesc, this speculation over his future is not the way to lead by example. Even if Cesc doesn't leave the club, the captain's armband should go elsewhere, to a player that is 100% committed, and has no plans on leaving.
     Not only that, Cesc isn't exactly the type of leader we need at Arsenal right now. Lee Dixon said in an interview that one of the reasons Arsenal implodes in the latter part of the season is because of the lack of a dominant leader. When you think of a commander at Arsenal, the only player that comes close is Vermaelen. A monster of a defender, he was clearly missed this past season.
     Dixon went on to say that during tough times, inexperienced players, and also young players, when having a poor match, look to someone for guidance. Reassurance. Cesc does not give that to Arsenal.

 "You can shove my eight goal season up your arse, Evra!"

     There is often debate over the two different types of captains in football - the leaders by example (Cesc) and the shouters (Vidic). Both are good, but Arsenal is in somewhat of an ordeal at the moment, where a commanding shouter needs to grab all the players, get them together, and set them straight. Cesc wouldn't do that. Vermaelen would.

     But here's another thought - Last year Barcelona were after Cesc, but Arsenal managed to have him sign a new contract, worth £110,000 pounds per week. Perhaps (and this isn't out of the realms of possibility) Arsenal included in the contract that Cesc would remain as captain until he left the club. Hopefully not.

     No matter what, this drama has to end now. Either Barcelona makes a serious bid, or Wenger gives them a strict deadline. Arsenal is a club of class (unlike Barcelona) and will not deal with their childish games any longer.

     New post tomorrow reviewing the Boca Juniors friendly. Check back.
     Cheers.

Sick of Barca & Our Next Captain?

     Alright then.
     I'm sick of this drama over Cesc. I'm tired of the papers having a go at him, saying he wasn't playing with all his heart in our matches, while it was clear he was giving a hell of a lot more than other members of the squad, that aren't wanted by the world's best team. I'm sick of Xavi, Pique, Puyol, and others clamoring for Cesc to join them. I'm sick of the lack of class that Barcelona possesses.

     Days before the UEFA Champions League final, Arsenal was kind enough to offer London Colney to the Catalan club, perhaps as a subliminal "peace treaty" per se. 

     Instead, Pique and Puyol had the audacity to do this.

Cunts.

     Quite frankly, I don't think I'm over reacting, or being too protective of Cesc. They have been extremely rude and disrespectful. For being such an outstanding club on the pitch (without the diving and conning of the referee), it's a shame that they're such an ugly club off the pitch and upstairs as well.

     Therefore, despite the fact that Cesc is one of the best midfielders in the world, and has the potential to be the best int he world, I think its time we let him go. He wants to leave the club; he had to be convinced to stay last season, and I'm sure Wenger told him we would win silverware in the past season, and we didn't. He deserves to win silverware.

     One thing I fail to understand is the outrage of Arsenal fans of selling Cesc to Barca. Cesc's price tag is 45 million pounds - so if Barcelona pays the fee, and Cesc is willing to leave, it's fair. It's how football works. I know some will feel the injustice of losing him to Barcelona because of the way they conduct themselves, but when you're a player, a manager, an agent, or a president, football is a business. We are fans - for us its a lifestyle, not a business.

     But - some better news. Sport.es has come out with an intriguing story. The translation isn't the best, but basically it says that Madrid plans on making a 50 million pound bid for Cesc. I don't mind Real, I just hate Barca, and I'd love Cesc to go to Madrid, if they are willing to pay the fee, which apparently they are, give him to Madrid. But then it would be up to Cesc and whether or not he'd want to go to Barca - that's a different story.

Should he be wearing that armband?

     So with the apparent departure of Cesc, a new captain will be needed. And to be honest, I fail to see why Cesc should be our captain either way. At Arsenal, our biggest problem has been our mentality, not our defense. If you look back to the beginning of the year, our defense wasn't that bad at all. It was once our heads dropped after the Carling Cup that killed our season. if you haven't seen this yet, here is our run of form in the league after the Carling Cup final: DDDWDDLWLLD. At that point in time, when things aren't going so well, players need to look up to another player, to instill confidence and reassurance. But we didn't have that type of personality, and we weren't able to pick up our form.
     Also, captains are supposed to set an example for other players. For the past year, their has been so much speculation of Cesc's future, with the fact that such a great player isn't winning trophies. Now look at our squad: Nasri, Clichy, Bendtner, and Denilson are all looking to leave the club. 

     I'm not saying Cesc is the sole reason for this, but it could be. If you look around, you struggle to find a club that has so many players wanting to leave. 

     This also puts the club in a tough position. While Arsenal does want to offload players, the combination of offloading the unwanted players and the players who want to leave would leave us with a lack of depth. 

Arsene needs to sort the situation out quickly, so that he can see which players should be brought in for the bench (we already have a sufficient starting XI), which players will be put out on loan, etc.

Will we see him in an Arsenal shirt in 2012-2013?

     A quick update of the Clichy situation, and Wenger said: "We have started talks with Gael Clichy and want him to stay.”
     To be honest, I doubt this will happen. It seems as if Clichy isn't sick of the club or wants a higher wage, I think he simply wants a change. A new challenge. Hence I doubt we will see Clichy again next season. 


     Another update on the Bendtner situation, and as I and many others said before, Nicklas's father said that the club received offers from clubs, such as Borussia Dortmund. Funnily enough (I find it humorous) Dortmund has come out to say that it has no interest in Bendtner and didn't make a bid. Not the best situation for the Dane now, after he has said he does not wish to play in Portugal or Italy. It seems more and more likely that he'll just go out on loan. We'll have to wait and see what happens with him.


      The Denilson situation seems to be the same as last time - a move to Shaktar with Willian included in a player swap and cash as well bla bla bla. Who cares. I want him out, but a sum of cash and a decent prospect like Willian wouldn't go amiss. 


     Lastly, Nasri. It does seem as if he will stay, news coming from various sources that he has seen that Arsene is being active in the transfer market and that there will be change. The problem is, if he doesn''t sign a new contract next year, he's a free agent and we get nothing for the youngster we bought from Marseille for 12.5 million. Lovely. Also to reassure you, a birthday cake was made for him, and look!

He's wearing an Arsenal shirt on the cake!!!

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     Now then, on to the main problem at hand - next season's captain.

     I've picked four of the most likely candidates to get the armband. But this isn't necessarily who will get it, because Gallas caught many by surprise. 

     The player's have been numbered in a certain order; an order in which I would like to see them be captain, from greatest to least. 

He wears the armband for Belgium - should he wear it for Arsenal?

1. Vermaelen - You just need to look at the Verminator to understand why I've chosen him. He's a rock in the back. Not only can he lead by example, he is a shouter too, and by being captain he can really help sort out the defense. He's easily the best center back we have at the club, and his absence this past season really showed. I find he is very similar to Vidic - they're both fantastic defenders, strong, and true leaders. For Arsene not to pick Vermaelen could be a big mistake.
2. Sagna - Easily the best right back in the Premier League last season. His crossing improved from last year, his runs were better timed, and his tackling was near perfect. The only consistent defender we had. It's clear that Sagna loves Arsenal, and wants to win a trophy with this club. Whether or not he'd be a shouter is another thing - he seems to be fairly shy. Either way, I think he'd do well in the role, giving his 110%, and leading by example. If it wasn't for the astounding form of Jack this past season, I feel Sagna would be our player of the year. Not five months, consistently, For the entire year. 
3. Wilshere - On that note I present to you Jack Wilshere. Just 19, and I along with others are considering him to possibly become the next captain of Arsenal. At only nineteen, you've got to be pretty damn good to achieve something like that. There's no doubting how much he loves the club; he once tweeted: "People asking if im going city? I dont kiss the Arsenal badge then leave <3 this club in my heart!". We know that Jack gives his all every match, and sometimes too much with his tackles! The saddest moment was when Jack cried after the Carling Cup. It just shows how much Arsenal means to him. This is something we need at club - someone who cares about the football and the club more than their paycheck. There is no doubt Jack will become the captain of this club some day, but he is still a little bit too young I feel. That's why he's my third pick. 
4. van Persie - Some of you may be surprised that van Persie is this low on my list. I love him, but I don't think he's quite what he need in a captain. He's not a shouter, and when he has been captain, I haven't seen him "leading" the squad at all. He's a player that would lead by example, like Cesc. Cesc is great, but not the kind of captain we need at Arsenal, like van Persie. Not only that, let's not forget how often van Persie gets injured. We don't need a captain that will sit for months on the sideline.

     While this is what I think would be best for us,  I doubt this is how Arsene would pick his captain. In my opinion, van Persie is the most likely to get the armband, then Vermaelen, then Wilshere, then Sagna. And I'd hate to see it happen, because RvP isn't the type of captain we need at this club, no matter how many goals he scores.

     That's that for now. Be sure to check back, bla bla bla, and leave comments. And for those of you that have asked, you DO NOT need to have a Google account or sign in to anything to comment. You can simply choose the option of Anonymous.
     Cheers, enjoy your Tuesday.