thenodrog

And there's the rub! Henry stated frequently that he was fit to play...... Wenger stated frequently that Henry was not! Bound to end in tears. Both knew that he was leaving imo.

That is not speaking ill of the dead, that is simply a statement of fact. Nobody before or since has matched that single act. God only knows why he did it, and what he hoped to gain.

My father despised him for that selfish, treacherous and utimately destructive act. Funny thing is looking at the dates that Dougan stayed for another 12 months! I realise that in those days the clubs held a players registration and the players could do nothing whatsoever about it but it still seems odd that they would keep such a disruptive influence within the squad. The only reason imo being to put him in his place and break both him and his resolve, purely as an example to the other players not to step out of line.

Imo Wenger knew Henry was leaving last Autumn and has been planning for this event ever since. Remember that people thought Arsenal would weaken when Anelka upped sticks and left but Wenger replaced him with Henry for less money. Henry has been a great asset for Arsenal and is a great player without doubt but he is a Vampire centre forward! He has performed to his ultimate because Wenger built a team and a style around Anelka first and then him later. Footballers careers are short and there are no better 'cullers' of fading superstars than Wenger and Ferguson. If Wenger is staying at Arsenal then he will replace Thierry Henry without a doubt.

You advocated continuity and stability within a squad but it's well known that we were in pole position to sign Zidane and Dugarry in the summer of 95, but it was blocked by Jack Walker himself and they ended up at Juve. Apparently JW wanted to display loyalty to the players that won the Prem the season before. If we had bought those two I'd guess Wilcox and Atkins would have been shown the exit door pdq. People would have railed against that decision but we all know that it would have been the way forward big time. Rem also the summer that we were promoted many people criticised KMD for replacing the excellent David Speedie with some raw kid from Soton called Alan Shearer! If you stand still in football you invariably go backwards.

How did you know that? I was actually, but I've got to admit defeat ...... you have just trumped me by miles! Still never mind Doc you wont be in first place for long ........ Paul Mellelieu is no doubt waiting in the wings with his ultimate weapon, more sightings of a new master race. Thousands of gun toting, coke sniffing, intellectually superior beings that apparently inhabit the suburbs of the City of Manchester!

Wrong John. That was a mistake made in the summer of '95. Probably our biggest of the entire Walker years. No doubt you would have thought the same last year when Bellamy left, but you must admit that Benni's performance would have meant that you would have been wrong to. If Bellers had stayed I'm sure that we would not have signed Benni.

Some odd attitudes on here. I dont want to see Benni McCarthy leave at all BUT to make 500% plus profit on a player in one season is superb business. We would have done the same with Bellamy but for allowing THAT clause to be written in to his contract. For goodness sake the money made on McCarthy should we sell could virtually equal all last years TV money! Sparky has done brilliantly and Benni will never be more valuable. What would we do if he picked up a serious injury? Sell and do it again with another misfiring superstar.... it carries risk but they ARE out there. Such a move would enhance our reputation even further as the place to be for out of form players with good potential and the agents will all know it too and be falling over themselves to place their charges with us. The fortunes of the agents of Bellamy and McCarthy will have been noted by other agents thats for sure as will the emergence into top players along the likes of Nelsen, Samba, Bentley, Warnock Ped, Derbyshire etc. It IS why I've suggested in the past that Sparky and his team should be on big bonus's for performing as they have, and I still stand by my opinion.

I cant believe that...... After Old Trafford 95 it's quite obvious that Alex Ferguson has Paul Durkin for all that lewd stuff! Or am I just 'biased'?

Whats wrong with them?

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I think the former would cancel out the latter. But it really is up to him. If he improves half as much next season as he did this season England and the ranks of the press and media (the England squads REAL selectors it seems these days ) will be demanding he play....... and demanding that he sign for a top club too!

Be a professional footballer for the summer? I would most certainly. It'd be brilliant! Apart from that I do believe that although his words re: Richards / Bentley were contradictory that Pearce is basically a decent bloke. Rem he'd lost 3 of his best players and was bound to be a taj p1ssed off.

... for an undisclosed fee! In reallity Arsenal let us have him for next to sod-all waggy which just shows how much he was valued by them and how far away he was from the 1st team. Your point would be more valid if you had said Bentleys first mistake was SIGNING for Arsenal! If he had come to us first off Becks might still be sunbathing in Madrid when England play.

For which we are truly thankfull.

Merson.... Hardly the man to influence and / or castigate any professional footballer is he?

right. In a similar vein to this subject I rem Woy Hodgson and Eire seriously overplaying Duff in his first proper season. It took him a season to get over it too.

A point I made yesterday. btw what happened to GoldenBoy Walcott?

Quote Stuart Pearce..... "I had an inkling when Mark Hughes spoke to me on Wednesday and said he wanted to pull the boy out, but I said 'no' as I didn't find that acceptable," Pearce revealed to Sky Sports News". God I'm good. Sky news may as well save time, trouble and fees and instead of interviewing these people simply ask me. I must say Hughes really is a chip off the old block. The old RFW never let players play minor internationals or for minor international teams for that matter (and in the case of Wales particularly) if he could help it.

Life really is a bitch eh? Just had a horrible thought.... Hope he's not planning a holiday in Rome!

.... cue a mini Sutton saga? Good decision imo and especially I suspect if it's been made in conjunction with his agent and his club manager. I would like to imagine a conversation along the lines of "Dyer and Jenas in front of you..... twice! They are taking the p1ss son, tell em to eff off."

Be absolutely brilliant with no negative aspects in playing terms. btw Not that it matters but I wonder why he didn't mention Nolan?

I cannot decide which would be the best / worst news....... 1. England qualifying, thereby keeping the inept plonker and the people who chose him in a job. 2. England bombing out and seeing the inept plonker etc carrying the can and being booted out pdq. ......... I think '2' would serve us best in both the short and long term. Delaying the inevitable never does any good.

Eh? What are you on about? btw 5 angry smileys in two short posts?!? I think you may need to consider counselling.

Just a pity that the original phone link with Sav got allegedly 'cut off' for 10 mins just after the above quote and just as James was about to explode big time. He'd composed himself somewhat by the time the link was 'restored'.