Arsenal Thread

[TheArsenal]

Wenger had nothing to do with the talent of Walcott being discovered. :\

Edited February 2, 2006 by TheArsenal

[supergrass]

I would put Bentley in with a lot of other players that have left Arsenal in the past, much like Steve Sidwell. He's a good player with a fair bit of talent, but he's not an Arsenal player. The same goes for Stack and Taylor in my opinion, Taylor seemed to lose what he had after an injury and Stack had personal problems - whether or not they played into Wenger's choice to sell him I don't know. Pennant had a number of chances and blew them everytime.

I'll be sticking by Sol Campbell though, I still think he should have kept playing and I think he should be in the squad against Birmingham. He's a great defender and he was playing like one a few weeks ago before his latest niggling injury. When somebody as good as he is plays that badly it's bound to affect him and wind him up. He shouldn't have stormed out and he should probably be disciplined for it, but he's still a good defender and a run of 3 or 4 bad games won't change my opinion on that yet. Add to the fact we could be playing Flamini at right back and it convinces me even more Campbell should be playing and looking to be getting past this rather than dwell on it.

Moving on, something I read today about Reyes surprised me. Apparently in the Premiership he's leading the assists chart. I didn't think he'd really been doing that much to be honest, hopefully he'll make a couple more now he's back.

[Turbo Yannis]

"Dear Mr. Wenger

Sol can't play against Birmingham because he is too sad"

[TheArsenal]

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted he is concerned for Sol Campbell's wellbeing - and said he does not know when he will next see the player.

Campbell left Highbury before the end of Wednesday's 3-2 defeat to West Ham after he was substituted at half-time.

Now Wenger has said: "At the moment I am worried about Sol because he is down. The reason? Only he can answer."

Team-mate Robert Pires said earlier on Friday that 31-year-old Campbell had a "big worry" in his private life.

Campbell was taken off after a torrid first-half display in the defeat to West Ham.

Wenger then gave the centre-back time off training and revealed he would not feature against Birmingham on Saturday.

Wenger, speaking to the London Evening Standard newspaper, added: "He was disappointed by his performance on Wednesday. I had not seen any special problem affecting him.

"There is no bad feeling between us. Does he have a future at Arsenal? Of course. I don't know when I will see him - next week, certainly, but I do not know when.

"I will talk with him but at the moment I am more focused on the game at Birmingham.

"I hope that when he comes back he comes back stronger. It is down to the individual. There is no reason he cannot be the same player."

Campbell's representative Sky Andrew told BBC Sport he would be making no comment to the media about the Arsenal star's situation at the moment.

Pires, speaking to a French radio station, said: "He certainly has a big worry on the private side and that is what is upsetting him."

But while Wenger did not seem to know where Campbell was, Pires said he and other players had spoken to the England man.

"We want to tell him and make him understand that we are behind him whatever happens. We all have difficult times in our careers.

"It is hard for him to face up to the situation, but he is not alone. He knows that and we have told him so this morning."

Another player, Kolo Toure, who is away at the African Cup of Nations, said he had tried and failed to contact Campbell.

"I think Sol Campbell is a good player. We all know what he has done for Arsenal and the England national team as well.

"That kind of thing (the West Ham performance) can happen once in your life. For me he is a good player and he will be back definitely. I have tried to phone him but it was hard to get him," Toure told the BBC.

Reports have suggested Campbell might walk away from football, while it has also been said that Football Association officials tried unsuccessfully to contact him when he was absent from a function with Tony Blair on Thursday.

Toure and Emmanuel Eboue are unavailable on Saturday while Kerrea Gilbert and Lauren are injured so Wenger could have done with Campbell being around.

"There is not a lot of choose from," the Arsenal manager admitted. "I don't know what I'll do about it at the moment, I must think.

"Do I put Gilberto there or keep (Mathieu) Flamini at the back? I don't know."

[fineintent]

Is he finally thinking about coming out? 'Big problem' and all that.

[britneyspearsisgod]

Knee injury ends Lauren's season

Lauren adds to Arsenal's injury crisis

Arsenal defender Lauren has been ruled out of action for the rest of the season because of a knee injury.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said on Tuesday that the right-back would be out for around one month.

But the 28-year-old Cameroonian underwent surgery on Thursday where results proved the injury was more serious than first thought.

Lauren joins fellow defenders Pascal Cygan, Ashley Cole, Gael Clichy and Kerrea Gilbert on the injury list.

Sol Campbell is also out, having been given time off by Wenger who said the defender was "down".

Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue are away at the African Cup of Nations, leaving Wenger facing a defensive crisis.

[TheArsenal]

Confirmation from Arsenal.com

Lauren will not play again for Arsenal this season.

The full back missed the defeats against Bolton and West Ham after his knee swelled up. The 29-year-old had been playing with the problem for the past few weeks and tests were conducted yesterday. The results were not good.

“Lauren had surgery last night,” said Arsène Wenger in his pre-game press conference on Friday. “He will be out for the rest of the season.”

[FLiam]

Adebayor and Walcott are in the squad.

Bring on Theo.

[supergrass]

I think Theo should get a run out, at least a good 20-30 minutes. Players with pace, like Michael Owen, were always better as kids when they'd just run at defenders without any fear, Theo looks like he could do that for us. I'd rather he played on the right wing than up front, I can see him being a natrual successor to Ljungberg and how he used to play.

Also read on Arsenal.com that Seb Larsson is set to be the 7th different man to start at left-back this season. If Graham Souness was in charge of us even he'd have been shocked and moaned at that figure. Couldn't we have taken someone on a short-term loan during the transfer window?

[Lord Nibbler]

Also read on Arsenal.com that Seb Larsson is set to be the 7th different man to start at left-back this season. If Graham Souness was in charge of us even he'd have been shocked and moaned at that figure. Couldn't we have taken someone on a short-term loan during the transfer window?

[Liam]

Is he finally thinking about coming out? 'Big problem' and all that.

I was informed by my Dad who got told by a "reliable source" (so take it with a pinch of salt) that the News Of The World had told Campbell they are gonna out him in Sunday's newspapers, along with Jermaine Jenas (I think as in, they have been, or are, together).

The person who mentioned it to my Dad also didn't know who Jermaine Jenas was, so it is not as if someone just went "HAW HAW, CAMPBELL AND JENAS ARE DA GHEYZORZ", so who knows? *shrugs*

Edited February 3, 2006 by rvdwannabe

[TheArsenal]

Is he finally thinking about coming out? 'Big problem' and all that.

I was informed by my Dad who got told by a "reliable source" (so take it with a pinch of salt) that the News Of The World had told Campbell they are gonna out him in Sunday's newspapers, along with Jermaine Jenas (I think as in, they have been, or are, together).

The person who mentioned it to my Dad also didn't know who Jermaine Jenas was, so it is not as if someone just went "HAW HAW, CAMPBELL AND JENAS ARE DA GHEYZORZ", so who knows? *shrugs*

Edited February 4, 2006 by TheArsenal

[Liam]

Is he finally thinking about coming out? 'Big problem' and all that.

I was informed by my Dad who got told by a "reliable source" (so take it with a pinch of salt) that the News Of The World had told Campbell they are gonna out him in Sunday's newspapers, along with Jermaine Jenas (I think as in, they have been, or are, together).

The person who mentioned it to my Dad also didn't know who Jermaine Jenas was, so it is not as if someone just went "HAW HAW, CAMPBELL AND JENAS ARE DA GHEYZORZ", so who knows? *shrugs*

If that's ture....Campbell can fuck off. I wouldn't care how he is sexually orientated, but with a SP*RS player!? There's no excuse for that.....Not even Sporting Chance could help him with THAT problem.....

As I said, take it with a pinch of salt, but considering the rumours over the years about his orientation, it's a possibility. Guess we'll have to wait till Sunday, or till Campbell comes out and says what his problem is.

[TheArsenal]

Is he finally thinking about coming out? 'Big problem' and all that.

I was informed by my Dad who got told by a "reliable source" (so take it with a pinch of salt) that the News Of The World had told Campbell they are gonna out him in Sunday's newspapers, along with Jermaine Jenas (I think as in, they have been, or are, together).

The person who mentioned it to my Dad also didn't know who Jermaine Jenas was, so it is not as if someone just went "HAW HAW, CAMPBELL AND JENAS ARE DA GHEYZORZ", so who knows? *shrugs*

If that's ture....Campbell can fuck off. I wouldn't care how he is sexually orientated, but with a SP*RS player!? There's no excuse for that.....Not even Sporting Chance could help him with THAT problem.....

[supergrass]

Why would anybody care if that was the case? Well, the woman Campbell was on/off dating for a good few months might be curious.

I'll go with the simpler explanation that Campbell has been rocked after a few bad games and has been finding it hard to come to terms with not being able to do the things his body used to in the past. I think he'll be back soon, or at least hope he will.

[Liam]

Why would anybody care if that was the case? Well, the woman Campbell was on/off dating for a good few months might be curious.

I'll go with the simpler explanation that Campbell has been rocked after a few bad games and has been finding it hard to come to terms with not being able to do the things his body used to in the past. I think he'll be back soon, or at least hope he will.

Most of the women he has "gone out with" have fallen under the heading of "marginally suspicious", for various reasons. If you've gone so far to cover something up as to date women for show (which it appears he may have done), and then a paper decide to take a big decision out of your hands (maybe his friends and family don't know?), then that's a pretty big deal.

And that Jenas and Campbell thing has been repeated on another forum I go to....well, not them two, but that two EPL players are said to be outed in the Sunday News Of The World.

[supergrass]

Still I add who cares? I don't see where these 'rumours' come from or what proof there is other than some people have said it now and again. Regardless I don't think it's the reason Sol is going through a rough patch whether it's true or not.

[Liam]

Still I add who cares? I don't see where these 'rumours' come from or what proof there is other than some people have said it now and again. Regardless I don't think it's the reason Sol is going through a rough patch whether it's true or not.

No-one cares really, but maybe he does?

If his mind is on his personal life, and the potentially large change that may occur, of course he won't be 100% on the ball with regards to the football. Add to this a lack of fitness recently.

And the rumours come from where all rumours come from....they get leaked, generally. Just like how everyone knew which Newcastle players allegedly raped that girl a while before the papers had officially printed anything.

[supergrass]

Something I meant to ask before, genuinely out of curiousity, who are these "suspicious" women Campbell was seen with? Are they suspicious for any reason other than going out with Sol?

Again, I'll put his form (or lack of) down to nothing but football itself. He was rushed back to fitness do to our defensive crisis, even against Everton he clearly wasn't fit and wouldn't have played if Toure was still about. Since then his confidence has dipped further and further.

[Liam]

Something I meant to ask before, genuinely out of curiousity, who are these "suspicious" women Campbell was seen with? Are they suspicious for any reason other than going out with Sol?

Again, I'll put his form (or lack of) down to nothing but football itself. He was rushed back to fitness do to our defensive crisis, even against Everton he clearly wasn't fit and wouldn't have played if Toure was still about. Since then his confidence has dipped further and further.

The nature of the relationships, irregularity of the relationships and the people he chose to go out with were all factors as to why they seemed a little on the "suspicious" side, especially as he seemed to be with someone whenever the gay rumours where at thier biggest, and single again when they subsided (which could be a coincedence, of course).

And I don't doubt his problems stem from football as much as anything, but why would the club then say he had a "personal" problem to deal with?

And going back to the "who cares?" comment....to believe that 100% of people who watch football are non-homophobic is a massive stretch, and I can imagine the abuse he'd get would be pretty huge, whether in jest or in a nastier tone.