Dagens Arsenal - 1 April 2009
Klubben
Som tidigare rapporterat så har Stan Kroenke under veckan utökat sin ägandeprocent i Arsenal holdings PLC till ungefär 20,5 %. Arsenals Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis berättar nu att han är säker på att klubben rör sig i rätt riktning och att Stan Kroenke har mycket gott att tillföra Arsenal FC: "Stan really is a model owner. I think the fact that Danny has felt comfortable selling his shares to Stan speaks volumes. Stan is a long-term holder in everything that he does. In the sports arena he has never sold a share in any team he has had an interest in. I have spoken to Stan and he has a long-term interest in Arsenal and, as I have said, believes in the philosophy of the Club.”
Det har också rådit spekulation king vad den förra styrelsemedlemmen Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith tänker göra med sina aktier i klubben. Väljer hon att sälja dem kommer hursomhelst de nuvarande styrelsemedlemmarna vara villiga att göra affärer: "We don't know what Lady Nina's intentions are with her shares but, certainly, if she were to say she was a seller of those shares, I'm sure there would be interest from among the current board."
Spelarna
Emmanuel Adebayor hävdar att Arsenals skadebekymmer har stått dem dyrt den här säsongen. Hade laget haft mer tur med skadorna så hade man kunnat utmana om ligatiteln enligt togolesen: "Most of our players have been injured. We have missed Eduardo for several months, Tomas Rosicky for about a year, Theo Walcott for three or four months, Cesc Fabregas for almost six months and I have also been injured for two or three weeks. If Manchester United had to do without Ronaldo, Rooney, Giggs, Berbatov and Nani, they would not have the same team as they have now - they would not be winning every game. When we get those players back, we will have a chance of winning something." Gällande Adebayors framtid så säger han att han trivs i Arsenal och inte har några tankar på att lämna klubben: "I am very happy. I never regret anything. I want to stay and it is my desire to win the Premier League with Arsenal."
Kierran Gibbs hoppas på att Arsenal ska kunna utmana på allvar om någon titel redan denna säsong. Nu när lagen kliver in på slutspurten har Arsenal fortfarande en chans att vinna två troféer och engelsmannen är optimistisk: “At the start of the season I set myself the target of a Premier League debut. But now I have done that I think, hopefully, we have got a chance to win something this season. We are still in big competitions, we’ve got a good chance and a very good squad. We’ve just picked up form again and I don’t see why we can’t go on and win something this year. So I would say that is my target.” Gällande Gibbs chanser att i framtiden spela mer A-lagsfotboll svarade han: “I am sure - like I have been given the chance before - I will get it again. Hopefully I have shown in my last few games what I can do there. I am just looking to carry on really”
En spelare som ännu inte skrivit på nytt kontrakt med Arsenal är Robin van Persie. Holländaren, som varit enormt viktig för Arsenals offensiv sedan Cesc Fabregas gick sönder, säger att han är nöjd med den finansiella biten av kontraktet men han vill att klubben ska matcha holländarens sportsliga ambition: "I'm still in negotiations with Arsenal, and it's going well - in a very positive atmosphere. Financially Arsenal's last offer is fine, but that isn't everything for me. It's about my ambitions and how they can be fulfilled. The club and I want the same, and it's our intention to achieve that. We have all the other factors in place - fantastic stadium, dedicated support and money in the bank. Now it's about making that final push. In the last four years, I've only won one prize, the FA Cup - and that is too little. I want to push through to achieve more.” Slutligen så talar van Persie om den Bad-boy image han tidigare hade som van Persie inte längre stämmer överens med vem han är nu: "I believe the wild days are behind you when you reach 25. From this age on, you should be reaping the rewards of what you've learned. After seven years in professional football, I now have what I need to go further. I've heard and seen enough - it's as if I've crossed a barrier. I see players between 25 and 30 having their best years.”
En annan spelare vars framtid det råder spekulation kring är Arsenals lagkapten Cesc Fabregas. Den spanske ynglingen erkänner nu att han haft kontakt med den förre detta presidenten i Real Madrid, Ramon Calderon. Något som eldar på de rykten om att katalanen snart kommer återvända till Spanien: "It's true the president of Real Madrid called me personally - we spoke on the phone. But I never gave him my word that I was going to sign for Real Madrid. He asked about my progress and that was it. It is an incredible compliment that two of the most important clubs in the world are interested in you, but I am an Arsenal player and have a contract with them until 2014." Fabregas hävdar dock att han är lycklig i London och ser ingen anledning att lämna Arsenal: "I am a person of my work and I can assure you that I have never given any club reason to believe that I would leave Arsenal. I have not given him nor anyone else the expectation that I will join them. The same goes for anyone who represents me.” Och trotts de rykten som cirkulerar så är Ivan Gazidis övertygad om att Fabergas kommer stanna i Arsenal: "I can't marry the stories that I read with the reality, which is that Cesc is extremely happy at Arsenal and totally committed to the club, and that's every message that manager Arsene Wenger or I have ever received from him or his representatives. I am very confident that Cesc is committed to the club. You never relax about any situation but we are very confident that this team will stay together, progress together and achieve success together.”
Skadeläget
Ännu en Arsenal spelare ska ha skadat sig på landslagsuppdrag. Abou Diaby ska ha fått en smäll och kommer därför inte delta i Frankrikes match mot Litauen. Sedan tidigare har både Robin van Persie och Nicklas Bendtner återvänt till London efter att ha skadat sig. Ännu har det inte kommit någon bekräftelse om hur lång tid det kommer ta för spelarna att återhämta sig, men det är knappast troligt att någon av dessa kommer medverka mot Manchester City på lördag. Woho för landslagsfotboll!
Inget officiellt uttalande har heller kommit om Theo Walcotts knä. Men ryktet går att Engelsmannen ska ha en chans att kunna delta mot City då han nu är åter i träning. Även Cesc Fabregas ska vara tillbaka till matchen på Emirates, men om spanjoren får starta återstår att se. Tomas Rosicky har "ungefär" tre veckor kvar.
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