Another day, another dry spell in terms of news for Arsenal for me to delve into, ploughing head-first into stories and tearing at them with an over analytical eye, as well as an emotional infused pair of red and white tinted spectacles.
Even the transfer gossip on Arsenal is slow. I guess there are only a few ways you can say ‘Arsenal want M’Villa’ and so even the press are turning themselves to other sagas. Which to my mind is a great thing. This Eden Hazard circus that is going on is something that, had Arsene really been interested in, he’s surely now diverting his own all-seeing eye elsewhere for other hobbits to chase after. To me, the fact that the young Belgian has fluttered his eyelids at about half a dozen teams makes me think he is playing the wages game very well and trying very hard to extrapolate as much as he possibly can for his next move. Which I find quite amazing really given that he is in his early twenties. At that age, even commanding £100k per week would be an amazing sum. Why does it matter if there’s an extra £75k on top? It’s not as if most Premier League superstars are paid in solid gold bars and therefore enjoy having a big vault in their house so they can count all their coins and riches like a rapacious king. So why do they concern themselves? I’m sure that when he looks at his balance at the end of the season and it shows the millions, that’s all that matters, isn’t it?
Of course I’m not naive to believe that Eden Hazard would be contented with just the prospect of winning things. And I’m not naive to think that many footballers think as I’ve described above. For me what it all boils down to is knowing that you command the highest wage at the club. For many of these mercenaries this is about having another status symbol to go with the cars and houses. Walking into work as one of the top earners makes them feel special.
Eden Hazard would fit in perfectly for City. And if they get him and he stays for a few years before fluttering his eyelids at Real Madrid they’ll know all about the situation; their Carlos Tevez experiences will stand them in good stead.
Anyway, back to Arsenal, where Joel Campbell has said that his loan spell at Lorient has done him the world of good. He’s interviewed on the official site talking about the importance of getting that experience at the French team and I totally agree with the sentiment. Coquelin walked a similar path previously and he has blossomed into a fine young player, so hopefully we can see Joel Campbell follow the same path. Whether or not he’s ready for the first team will depend entirely on Le Boss’ thoughts on whether he’s ready, coupled as well I think, with the outgoings in the summer. If we see Bendtner, Chamakh and Park shifted on, I could see a spot being offered to the youngster. But if like last summer it proves difficult I think we might see him sent out of one more season, possibly to a Premier League team, to ply his trade. Either way the potential hype that could be surrounding this kid will not see him break into the first team next year I don’t think.
Finally for today, a little bit of light reading for you to make you chuckle. A Daily Mirror article by Darren Lewis on how fantastic Spurs are, how they might win the Premier League, and how there is a massive shift in the balance of power in London.
It was written two days before the 5-2 win. Enjoy.
Have a good day y’all.
