Editor
Thanks to:
Myles Palmer-
Features
Gary Jacob -
News researcher
Bob Bateman -
Design
Adrian Barker -
Perl and CGI programming
...and to everyone else who sent/sends things in
NEWS REVIEWS
FEATURES
THE ARSENAL AGM - FULL WRITE UP
FIVE REASONS: ARSENAL COULD WIN IN BARCELONA
CARLTON AND ITV UPSET US AGAIN
JEKYLL AND HYDE PLAY THE NOU CAMP
BUBBLE BURSTS - WEST HAM REVIEW
Transfers
Completed In
Oleg Luzhnyi - Dynamo Kiev - Arsenal - £1.5m
Stefan Malz - Munich 1860 - £650,000
Silvinho - Corinthians - £4m
Moritz Volz (M, Schalke 04)- undisclosed
Eric Chukwunyelu (St Etienne) - one year trial
Davor Suker - Real Madrid -£3.5m
Thierry Henry - Juventus -£10.5m
Nicollo Galli - Fiorentina (undisclosed)
Completed Out
David Grondin Arsenal to St Etienne - loan for one year
Jamie Day - Bournemouth
Kaba Diawara - Marseilles £3m
Fabian Cabellero - Atletico Tembetary
Steve Bould - Sunderland -£500,000
Michael Black - Tranmere - free
Jason Crowe - Portsmouth -£1m on appearances
Stephen Hughes - Fulham - three month loan with view to permanent move
Nicolas Anelka - Real Madrid-£23.5m
Probable Out
Alberto Mendez - transfer listed
Christopher Wreh - transfer listed
Possible In
Sophia Kone - Nancy - £4m
Nakarta - Perugia - £3m
Robbie Fowler - Liverpool -£12 -15m
Sergei Rebrov - Dynamo Kiev - £10-£12m
Par Zetterberg - Anderlecht (fee unknown)
Roberto Muzzi - Cagliari -£7m
Joachim Borklund - Valencia -£6m
Jose Cardozo -Toluca
Robbie Keane - Wolves
Alan Stubbs - Celtic
Retired
Remi Garde
ANR has a weekly column in three North London papers
ARSENAL OPEN £10M TRAINING FACILITY
13 OCTOBER
Arsenal 2 Preston 1
The last time Preston North End played at Highbury was in 1960, when they were up with the big boys.
As the last cup encounter showed, they are plucky opponents.
Arsenal fielded an almost international eleven - Henry, Kanu, Silvinho, Parlour, Luzhny and Seaman - affording to leave out Keown, Adams, Suker and Bergkamp. It gave an opportunity for Vernazza and Maltz in midfield.
Arsenal's class told early, when Henry set up Kanu, who rounded a couple of challenges and thumped it home.
But then Knau lost possesion to Mackie, who laid it square to Macken to lob home over Seaman.
It was pretty scrappy stuff. But then Maltz came up from a Silvinho corner, and hit, what looked like a mishit shot, which bounced into the Preston net.
Maltz made a good impression - and could well be needed for forthcoming ties, with Vieira and Grimandi facing suspensions and Petit recovering from injuries. Arsene said he can give the side balance.
Wenger can't have been pleased with the first half performance - he substituted Vernazza for Overmars at half time.
But after the match, he said that experience "had got us through."
Arsenal face a home tie with Middlesbrough or Watford in the next round.
They'll expect more than the 15,000 or so who turned up.
Other news
UEFA disciplinarians were busy yesterday.
Arsenal were fined £2430 for having four players booked in the Fiorentina match, following their 'poor' disciplinary record last season.
The Guardian points out they could face a bigger fine getting five yellows and a red at Barcelona.
Gilles Grimandi was also banned for three Euro matches as expected.
12 OCTOBER
Picture:A distant relative scores the winner for Preston in a pre-war Cup Final, yipee.
Key news to emerge today, besides the opening of the training ground, is that Arsene Wenger is accompanying Patrick Vieira to the disciplinary hearing. And Arsenal will use footage of the West Ham game to emphasise their point.
The point is most likely to be one that Vieira came under provocation.
Arsene Wenger is quoted widely as saying that provocation should be punished as well as reaction. Something so sensible, that the FA cannot dismiss it.
Ruddock defends the accusations in the Sun, by saying AW has only been here two minutes, and that PV allegedly kept calling West Ham, a crap team.
The other news is that Emannuel Petit has broken down in training and won't be available for tonight's game against Preston.
Some papers say he'll be out for two, others one. Some say he'll make the Barcelona game, others that he won't.
Jermaine Pennant, if he plays tonight will beat Gerry Ward's record as the youngest ever Arsenal player to play in a first team match. The current holder of that record is one Gerry Ward, who played against Huddersfield in 1953, when he was nearly 17.
11 OCTOBER
Patrick Vieira, interviewed on ITV's On the Ball, highlights an often disguised problem on football pitches - bad language.
Reuters highlighted it recently when it said Patrick V was subjected to racial abuse from fellow professionals. Kick Racism Out of Football should perhaps be turned on the players, as well as the fans.
Patrick said:"it's very difficult regarding bad language. They know what they say and know what they do. That's it"
On his forthcoming suspension, PV said he'll miss the Arsenal fans, and that he'll like to be remembered as a good player, than a bad boy.
There's a growing lobby urging the authorities to give PV a far lesser ban than the six-ten games being talked about in the press.
A couple of French colleagues said it should be one or two and Frank LeBoeuf said he's seen far worst things in the Premiership.
Barry Venison said that some counselling should go down with the ban - along with a type of community service, extolling the virtues of self control. A sensible approach.
So it doesn't help matters when Jaap Stam, on the latest Manchester United News Video says Vieira goes around kicking people, and then gets angry.
The People run a story about staff at William Tyndale school using tickets for the Wembley AIK Solna game instead of 12 kids. It quotes Arsenal as being upset, because they were meant for kids.
Nicolas Anelka tells the Spanish press - gimme time. [Yes the time he gave Arsenal to prepare for the season. Anelka has yet to score since his arrival in Spain.]
Keegan tells the Sky Sports web site that he intends to use Adams and Keown as a key part of the World Cup qualifiers (note, beyond the European Championships).
Freddy Ljungberg has some interviews with the Mirror Group, saying he's pleased for his Arsenal England colleagues, that he set up the goal which beat Poland, and ensured England a play-off place.
In fact out of the majority of Arsenal internationals involved, (excepting Austria) only Davor Suker's Croatia failed to qualify, or get a play off place, after drawing with ten man Yougoslavia.
Emmanuel Petit tells the Mirror that he's a marked man. He's going to play with strapping on his knee, which he says will make him a target.
He sides with Frank LeBoeuf, agreeing there is gratuitous violence in the Premiership.
A few papers take up the Arsenal in for Hesp, story, run last week. But the People are the firmest, saying Seaman is set to leave Arsenal at the end of the season, with a bumper testimonial after ten years service.
[Only two weeks ago, I personally heard Arsene Wenger say that David Seaman is Arsenal's No1, so I know who I believe.]
8 OCTOBER
Good news is Stephen Hughes is ready to step back into the midfield breach - according to the Mirror.
There's an element of a second chance about his comeback, but his Englishness and left foot brings a balance.
With Patrick Vieira set to be banned - our sources say four matches with provocation taken into consideration, and Gilles Grimandi set to be banned for three games in the Champions League, and with Emmanuel Petit only just recovering from injury - there's a place for him in some matches.
The Mail reckons Arsene Wenger may turn to Daniel Andersson, the well built Bari midfielder, who was sold there for £3m. The price quoted of £12 is slightly ridiculous, but AC Milan and Juve are allegedly interested.
It adds any movement isn't likely until January - and even then Juve could have first option. He could well play against Poland at the weekend.
The Sun quotes Neil Ruddock, saying that telling PV he was a French prat, was the "most sensible thing he's said on a football field." [Now if this doesn't get any disciplinary measures - the game's a joke.]
The Daily Star said Arsenal have bid for Ruud Hesp, the Barca keeper, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
The piece says that three clubs have bid - and Arsenal are one of them [ code for the others are the liklier to get him.]
In other news, Premiership head honcho, Richards says he wants the Premiership reduced to 18 clubs.
And finally an article in the Independent yesterday outlined that New Labour policy is to encourage supporters to buy shares in their own clubs, and will help set up infrastructures to do this.
More information is available on a site Soccer Investor which I and a couple of colleagues set up for a publishing company last week.
6 OCTOBER
Patrick Vieira is unlucky that there aren't any Premiership matches to take away the incessant media coverage of the Upton Park incidents.
Even Kate Hoey got in on the spittle debate, saying that players spitting on the touchlines, forget about each other - should be banned.
This has brought some howls of derision from players and the PFA. Andy Impey was quoted in the Guardian, saying it is necessary for athletes. And the PFA's Gordon Taylor said footballers have to clear their breathing passages to function effectively.
In an interview with 'well in' Arsenal journalist Steve Stammers, he says he isn't going to quit English football; that he'll take his punishment. But that he wants to put his side of the story - about the physical confrontations off the ball - particularly by Neil Ruddock, who allegedly called him a French Prat. (So much for European Union.)
The ES runs some stats which show PV tops the worst offender in the Premiership table for 1999-2000 with 29 fouls, 3 yellows, one red and 44 pts. He was fourth worst in the Premiership last season with 85 fouls, 7 yellows, one red and 112 points.
Arsenal are currently fourth in the indiscipline league, with 166 fouls, 21 yellows, 1 red and 235 points.
Lucky then that Emmanuel Petit steps back into fully competitive football after missing ten matches, following a crunching tackle by Alex Rae at Sunderland.
He's back for the Preston Worthington Cup tie at Highbury on Tuesday.
He says he still needs to go into tackles - and that will be a worrying thing.
Seems like the encounter at West Ham had more damaging effects on Arsenal. Tony Adams is being treated for an achilles problem, while Martin Keown has an ankle injury. Both are in the England squad to play Belgium at the weekend. Parlour and Seaman are also with the squad.
Other players in action are likely to include Patrick Vieira, Oleg Luzhny, Fred Ljungberg and Alex Manninger.
5 OCTOBER
Patrick Vieira has apologised to the FA - and everyone else for his 'inexcusable' behaviour at Upton Park.
Arsenal have said they will deal with the matter internally as well as the FA.
The FA is looking at the incidents on Sunday - and Vieira has been charged with "improper behaviour and alleged spitting".
The police are sending a report to the FA on what happened in the tunnel on Sunday.
Some papers moot he will be lucky to escape a seven match ban and a £50,000 fine - some say six.
Some focus on Arsene Wenger's disciplinary record in three years - 297 yellows and 24 reds.
And some refer to the Sheffield Wednesday PV incidents where he was fined £20,000 for a V sign.
1 OCTOBER
Most press focus on Tony Adams' Agincourt type speech at half-time in the Nou Camp.
Stirring words included:" Is that all you can give me."And: "there's no place to hide out there."
Combined with Wenger's tactical switch of playing Dennis Bergkamp further forward, playing higher up the pitch, cutting of the defence's supply to Guardiola, and the three substitutions - it gained the point.
Kanu adds that Arsenal have the most team spirit of any team he's played in - and just don't give up until the final whistle.
It emerges in some papers that the Barcelona team watched Arsenal training at the Nou Camp, and there was some jeering, when Grimandi scored in training.
Van Gaal said that Arsenal aren't the best team in the group. And added they were physically and mentally stronger "than us" in the second half.
Cocu said that if the referee had given Arsenal players yellow cards earlier, then they could not have played in such a physical style.
Adams explains that playing in Europe is less physical, but needs more concentration. He said Premiership teams use the channels and and get more crosses in.
In other news, it appears David Dein has secured a meeting with the Premier League to discuss agents, following the Anelkagate tapes.
On the agenda that only FIFA licenced agents can deal in players; and commission is spread over the length of the player's contract; and destabilising the player is 'illegal'.
Myles Palmer writes:
The Anelka Tapes was a good story in The Mirror.
But who recorded the tapes?And how did The Mirror get the tapes?
It was a punchy little item on Tonight with Trevor McDonald at 10.15. A neatly self-damning interview with greedy Claude Anelka.
Arsenal came out of it looking whiter than white. But McDonald said the tapes came into our possession.
How? Who recorded the tapes? Who gave the tapes to The Mirror? Who gave the tapes to ITN ?
Did David Dein give the tapes to ITN, then give a copy to The Mirror to publicise the programme?
I THINK WE SHOULD BE TOLD!
30 SEPTEMBER
Trevor McDonald's expose on the Anelka transfer on ITV last night, including hitherto secretly recorded tapes, didn't really tell us anything we didn't already know.
But perhaps it brought into focus the obscene sums involved - £4m signing on fee, and £2m each for the Anelka clan agents.
And perhaps it emphasised what sort of people the agents were.
Claude Anelka said that " life's a jungle"; admitted that he could well be a "parasite" and that he "didn't care about anyone else".
In conclusion, it re-affirmed that Arsenal are better off without the Franchman, who would have always been connected to these elements.
Besides, Arsenal would not be able to bring on players like Suker to turn matches.
The international football authorities said they would only investigate if Arsenal put in a formal complaint.
PRESS SCAN - 29 SEPTEMBER
Most go with the almost symbiotic relationship between Barcelona and Arsenal.
The list appears endless. Van Gaal was within a whisker of getting Patrick Vieira; Marc Overmars nearly went to Barcelona; Kluivert was within minutes of coming to Highbury (but as AW confirmed on Saturday, AC Milan upped th eprice at the last minute; Nano was very nearly on his way to Arsenal - but for a last minute intervention package from Barca, getting round some rules.
Van Gaal risks Bergkamp's ire by suggesting he isn't the player he was at Ajax - where he used to create and score 25 goals a season. Dennis incidentally arrived OK in Barcelona, following a car ride from Montpellier.
There are 11 ex-Ajax players potentially involved in this match. Barca have eight, plus the former manager, leading witty Catalans to re-name side Barcajax.
Dave Seaman and John Lukic are on standby - a late decision is to be made on Alex Manninger.
ITV
Ironies of ironies is that although ITV isn't showing the Arsenal v Barca match on the terrestrial network, it is showing an investigation of the Anelka transfer, including tapes which dish the dirt on the Anelka crew - at 10.15.
For a preview - the D.Mirror runs two and a half pages of the sordid revalations.
ARSENAL 1 WATFORD 0
[Saturday 19.35pm]
-Euro, Paul Durkin, and gritty Watford - not the ideal mix for an exciting game of football.
And like the Solna game, Arsenal had around 70% of the posession, but couldn't break down the defensive shield - until the last few minutes.
Here again - the key to unlocking those dogged defences is give the ball to Kanu in the area late in the game - and anything can happen.
This time, Watford who were visibly tiring, on 87, allowed Kanu to take a ball, and one touch to the side and a sidefoot did the trick. The previous 22 Arsenal efforts had failed.
Arsene Wenger gambled with five changes from the midweek Champions League side - Luzhny and Silvinho for Dixon and Winterburn, Parlour for Grimandi. And Kanu and Henry starting instead of Suker and Bergkamp.
The first half was bread and butter stuff.
Watford are well organised. They know how to break up the rhythm of a game with fouls. They know that if they knock the ball high enough, then there's time to harry and close down the opposition.
Arsenal were in getting to know you mode in the first half.
Tony Adams had a good chance but headed straight at Chamberlain.
The first real threat came on 23, when Kanu flashed a shot wide.
Ray Parlour burst through once or twice. Marc Overmars sent several chances wide or over.
The half ended as it started. Adams had the ball in the goal, but was judged to have fouled Chamberlain.
Arsenal upped the pace in the second half, and consequently looked more dangerous.
But a slip by Silvinho gave Allan Smart a chance to run on to - but for smart and very brave goalkeeping by Manninger who took a bad knock in the process.
There may be a doubt over him for the Nou Camp, meaning David Seaman will be in contention for a premature comeback.
But as the chances came and went, the same feeling of frustration built up. This, after all, was Watford, who in their 118 year history have only had seven years in the top flight.
Arsenal missed Dennis Bergkamp. At times it was like an engine without an axle. The boys in red missed those clinical, probing angled passes. Basically, they missed the offensive fulcrum which he so classily provides.
So it was a welcome sight when he entered the fray on 74.
When Suker, who had come on earlier, missed a couple, you began to think of spells and witch doctors (Watford entertained a tribal war dance when the Nigerian Iroha arrived).
But Kanu had some magic of his own left in his boots. The goal will wash away those painful Florentine memories.
Graham Taylor said:"We defended well and had moments of good fortune. It was disappointing as we came so close."
Taylor said Arsenal players are either six foot two or go like whippets - and said from day one Arsene Wenger had assembled a squad of very athletic but talented players.
Arsene Wenger said:"It was a real test of the squad system. The spirit was high and the motivation to win was very strong."
On Kanu, Wenger said:"if you give him the ball in the box, he can always kill you. He's tall but turns quickly, and he's creative in his decisions."
ARSENAL 3 AIK SOLNA 1
[Wednesday 22.59 pm:]
All's well that ends well. It did for Arsenal in general and Theirry Henry in particular tonight.
The Frenchman turned a match at the end, which was going badly wrong.
In injury time, with the score at 1-1 he was put through delightfully with a Suker backheel. With only the goalkeeper to beat and a glaring goal, he contrived to bend it round the post - the wrong way.
A few agaonising minutes later, the long legs of Kanu held the ball on the six yard line, and grounded, he squirmed it to Henry in space, who fired it into the left hand corner past a ruck of players. Had he not scored, the previous miss could have wrecked his confidence for a long time.
This was a game of two halves. Arsenal started the sprightlier.
They could have been two up in five minutes, as first Suker made space from an Overmars cross but headed wide. And then headed over.
Bergkamp was through after a one-two but fired straight at the goalkeeper. Overmars had about five efforts - all off target. He wasn't on his game tonight.
As the misses mounted, the nagging doubts rose. Would it be a 0-0? The Swedes, at times could have been mistaken for a black wall, often with ten behind the ball.
Until Bergkamp threaded a ball to meet Ljungberg's run. The Swede carried it forward and poked it in the right corner. Suker made a wise old run taking players out.
Arsenal were cruising. Grimandi was seeing a lot of the ball, sitting behind the back four. Ljungberg was making those awkward runs which characterise his national game. Vieira was majestic. All they had to do was to pass into the wide open spaces.
But they came out sluggish after the break. They were caught out whether to go for another goal, or defend a 1-0. Complacency crept in.
And the Swedes transformed their game - and became dangerous.
A sloppy ball, out of defence, was punished by Andersson who threaded the ball to Nordin, who beat Nigel Winterburn's attempt to catch him offide, and lifted the ball over the advancing Manninger.
Tension started entering Arsenal's play. Tension of their own making.
Silvinho replaced Grimandi, who took a knock on the thigh. And Kanu and Henry came on around 65, for wide players Ljungberg and Overmars.
Suker used all his foxy craft to create a free kick on the edge of the area. And Dennis Bergkamp produced a fast curler, just wide.
Martin Keown rose - and headed against the bar, from a Bergkamp cross.
It was getting desperate - and Arsenal were losing their shape. The Wembley hoodoo was alive and kicking.
It was only luck which stopped Arsenal concede a penalty, as Winterburn lunged in, ball hitting arm, to stop a shot. And both Anderssons had chances to score.
In the end, Henry showed his value to the side, when fed by Bergkamp, he broke away, feeding Suker, at the end of his run, for a simple tap in.
Arsene Wenger said:"We never gave up. There were lots of missed chances. Most of these games are decided in the last five or ten minutes when players tire. We needed experience and luck."
What goes around comes around. Vieira was also accused of clashing with police in the tunnel after the infamous Sheffield Wednesday game, which also saw Di Canio sent off for pushing a referee to the ground. That action led to the Italian's long ban from English soccer and the move to West Ham.
Reuters said that the manager has frequently defended his player [Vieira] in the past, arguing that he has become a marked man and faced regular racial abuse at away matches.
The Mirror reckons you get two varieties of opera at Upton Park these days - Italian and soap.
David Dein is one of the leaders of the fight against FIFA to scrap the transfer system. FIFA's guidelines say clubs will receive compensation depending on the wages left on the players contracts."FIFA cannot do it just like that because clubs currently have players on long-term contracts. All this would have to be discussed by the relevant committees at FIFA," said Dein.
Alex Manninger has been called up to the Austrian squad to play Cyprus on Sunday. And Oleg Luzhny is set to play against Russia.
Arsenal take note: Newcastle United have set up a scheme to raise cash against future ticket sales, based on having a much bigger demand for tickets that its 36,000 capacity stadium allows. A £55m issue was sold, via private placement, via a bond valid until 2016. £40m will be used to finance a15,000 stadium expansion.
Manchester United announced it will have a ground capacity of 67,400 from August 2000.
Fiorentina crashed to their first home defeat since January 1998, against Roma. Cafu scored twice and Batistuta pulled one back.
Barcelona have troubles of their own before
Real Madrid. Reiziger, injured against Arsenal is joined
by Frank De Boer, who will miss the Wembley match with
pulled knee ligaments. Bogarde got a red card against
Valladolid at
the weekend.
As the senior team lost at Upton Park, the women's team went down 1-0 at Croydon - the first time the South London side has beaten Arsenal for three years.
Manchester United said they supported the reduction of the Premier League to 16 teams. They will be backed up by UEFA in this, who also want Spain to reduce the number of teams in the top league. It will meet stiff resistance from a fair number of Premiership clubs, who fear lost revenue.
1 October
Arsenal youth star, Graham Barrett has been called up for the Ireland u-18 team against Germany this week.
"Chim chiminy, chim chiminy, chim chim cheroo, who needs Anelka when we've got Kanu?," seems to have gone down better amongst the well heeled than "He's big, he's black, He's had a heart attack, Nwanko Kanu, Nwanko, Kanu."
"He has such great character and will always fight to the very last minute, even when everything seems to be against him," said Arsene Wenger on Saturday.
Asked about Allan Smart's injury on Saturday, Graham Taylor said:"I always worry when there's a swelling."
Stuart Taylor, Arsenal's young goalie has joined Bristol Rovers on a month's loan. He plays in the same team as David Hillier, who was sick before the match against Notts County.
There are worries from the West Ham camp
that UEFA commitments - they are in Croatia this week -
combined with a reduced squad - Ferdinand and the
two Pearces - are making the side tired.
Predictions about Anelka not making it in Spain seem to be accurate, to date. He was substituted to jeers from the crowd after 55 minutes last week and did not impress coach John Toshack either, saying he had to think of the team. "Anelka does not look comfortable at the moment and after that performance he is probably lacking even more confidence," Toshack said.
However Vitor Baia of next opponents Porto is delighted he won't be lining up against the Frenchman."It doesn't matter if Anelka isn't in form. He's the type of player who can turn a game if you leave him free even for a second."
Early leavers have missed six Arsenal goals this season.
Arsene Wenger gave some insight into the striking conundrum:"The players know we have so many options offensively when we can't score, and that helps us," Wenger said. "It encourages the belief and keeps the frustration levels lower."
One paper said Arsenal and Chelsea are still watching Dutch scoring sensation Van Nistelrooij.
Middlesbrough's new young Argentinian signing Carlos Marinelli, is drawing paralels with Peter Marinello - who arrived at Highbury in the sixties in a blaze of publicity, only for his career to peter out. Will he be a Maradona or a Marinello, asks one paper? (Guardian)
Ian Wright claims Kevin Muscat `broke the unwritten code of gentleman's conduct between players' when he mimicked a colleague by calling for the ball.
The odds are that Davor Suker will score in the two games against Barcelona. His record is played 12 scored seven. His overall record is six goals in 14 Champions' League matches.
Even after his long Euro excursions, the Champions Cup is not Dennis Bergkamp's personal priority:"I think everyone wants me to say Champions' Cup, but personally I still feel the FA Cup's something I'd like to experience - it would be great."
Arsene Wenger revealed in Living Music Magazine, that Faure's Pavane is one of his favourite classical pieces.
The People reckon Arsenal are tracking Mansfield Town's striker, Lee Peacock.
So which Arsenal player was Celtic's director of football operations, Kenny Dalglish after at Wembley? None, as it transpired; Solna's left-back Thomas Gustafsson.
Four Gooners made it to the Sunday Times most powerful people in sport - Chris Smith was in the top ten, Frank Warren (12th), David Dein (14th), and Kate Hoey (19th)
The Sunday Times pointed out that Spansih team, Alaves beat Barcelona by shrinking the size of their pitch, pressing the midfield and man marking Rivaldo.
Johan Cruyff describes the early stages of the expanded European Champions League as "decaffeinated".
Alex Manninger said:"But I badaly want to play against Barcelona next week because they were the team of my dreams as a boy. I wanted to play for them but instead I had the chance to come here and I have learned so much from David and other people.
Arsene Wenger denied press reports that David Seaman's reign as Arsenal's No 1 goalie is over.
Graham Taylor took a swipe at Arsenal's policy of recruiting young foreigners at Academy level. In the last 19 years, Watford have signed 125 YTS trainees on professional forms and 25 of them have gone on to play for one of the Home Countries at Under-21 level or higher. But then reality struck. He warned his side could have its bottom spanked at Highbury!
ANR has received a 'full bag' of emails complaining the ITV has opted to show the Manchester United match on the prime slot for the second week running.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Dennis Bergkamp wants to stay at Arsenal for the rest of his career:"I'm playing for one of the best teams in Europe who can help me fulfill all my ambitions and I have a lifestyle that gives me the privacy I never had in Italy. It's a perfect combination."
The D.Telegraph points out that Dennis Bergkamp has played more times for Arsenal than Charlie George.
The Guardian reckons Arsenal are worth a small spread bet for the Champions League on the IG Index at 16.
Angus Loughran said I expect Barcelona to beat the Gunners in the Nou Camp, with 2-1 the recommended scoreline.
Ex-Arsenal footballer Russell Milton fulfils a dream this week when he makes his Football League debut for Cheltenham Town at Brighton and Hove Albion at the age of 30 years and nine months. He's been unlucky with injuries. He was on Arsenal's books for four years.
Thierry Henry has an explanation for that miss at Wembley:""When Suker fed the ball through to me in the box, I thought I was offside. I looked up at the referee and in that moment the chance was gone."
He added:"I've spent the last four years playing on the left wing now I'm coming on on the right side. I'm learning to make runs from different angles.But I will have to work very hard on the training ground even more to get where I want to be."
Freddie Ljungberg explains the fight for places at Arsenal: "It has been hard to break into the side and once you're in, it's even harder to stay there."
"Having played both Arsenal and Barcelona, Solna manager Stuart Baxter said:"Arsenal are better than Barcelona. The Spaniards have a wonderful passing game but at times they are cosmetic. Arsenal hurt you more. Having played against both teams my feeling is that Arsenal are potentially the best in the group."
One paper notes the power of Premiership merchandising by counting the number of Manchester United and Arsenal shirts on the streets of East Timor.
Blood Rain, the latest novel by Michael Dibdin (Faber and Faber, (£9.99) features English tourists in Arsenal shirts.
Female football agent Rachel Anderson said this week:"I had a player who was offered a chance with Arsenal, but I knew that he would always be in the reserves, and what was the point of that? I got him a place in a side in the second division and now he's a star."
Silvinho was top of the Carling Opta Defenders League with 1357 points last week; Nigel Winterburn was 6th with 1046; Marc Overmars was 10th in attacking midfielders section with 1002.