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[h=1]Arsenal offer free tickets to fans after Manchester United humiliation[/h] • Arsenal make gesture following 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford
• Arsène Wenger apologises as manager faces growing crisis
• In pictures: which players should Arsenal buy?




  • Katy Murrells
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 29 August 2011 15.53 BST Article history
    Arsenal fans who travelled to Old Trafford saw the club concede eight goals for the first time since 1896. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

    There is at least one positive for Arsenal supporters reeling from the 8-2 defeat at Manchester United: the club has promised to give free tickets to those who attended the humiliation at Old Trafford.
    Around 3,000 fans made the 400-mile trip to Manchester on Sunday, only to see the team suffer their heaviest defeat since 1896. Arsenal will now write to those supporters, offering to cover the cost of a ticket at a future Premier League away game.
    A club statement said: "Sunday's result was obviously disappointing for everyone connected with the club. Our travelling fans were magnificent throughout and we want to recognise their fantastic support. We will be writing to them shortly with the details."
    It is not the first time a football club have taken such action. Wigan players clubbed together to refund the costs of fans who travelled to Tottenham to see their team humbled 9-1 two years ago, while the German side Energie Cottbus reimbursed supporters after a 4-0 defeat at Schalke, a performance the club described as "pitiful".
    In addition to the financial compensation, Arsène Wenger also issued an apology, as the manager faces up to the most testing days of his 15 years at Arsenal.
    "The fans do not want to see their team like that," he said. "We can only apologise and come back in our strength and desire in the next game. Big scores are humiliating and difficult to swallow but I don't think they have a special meaning. They are always under special circumstances."
    For Wenger, those special circumstances were a lengthy injury list, which left him without Jack Wilshere, Thomas Vermaelen and Bacary Sagna among others, plus the suspensions of Alex Song, Gervinho and Emmanuel Frimpong. But Robin van Persie insisted the embarrassment cannot be blamed on a weakened team.
    "It is an honest result if you look at the game," the captain said. "We were simply not good enough. We have to deal with that. I don't think we can hide behind injuries or suspensions. It is no excuse. They had injuries too, this is football."
    Van Persie – who missed a penalty and scored one of the consolation goals – also admitted he felt sorry for the supporters who travelled to Old Trafford, most of whom braved it out until full-time.
    "That is one really positive thing," he said. "They were cheering us up all game for 90 minutes. We really appreciate that. Sometimes you see fans leaving early but I did not see that. When we went to the fans to thank them after the game, it looked like every seat was still full."

 
Sasa wewe hii habari ya Man Utd kushinda 8 nayo ni Tranfer Newz?

Nakushauri pia uediti post yako ya kwanza iwe plain cuz kila tukifungua tunakutana na habari ya Defoe on top ambayo haina mashiko yoyote.
Click to expand...

Soma polepole utaona maendeleo ya matokeo ya kila mechi kuna habari juu ya uhaja wa usajili au makosa ya usajili au mafanikio ya usajili......................habari ya Defoe ina mashiko marefu kwa sababu yahusu usajili.....................kila mechi kuna hoja juu ya jinsi usajili ulivyofanyika na ipo tathmini yake............................keep watching this space for more revelations......................kufungwa kwa Arsenal na ushindi wa Man UTD unahusiano moja kwa moja juu na usajili ulivyofanyika na unavyopaswa kufanyika................
 
[h=1]Arsenal transfer targets – in pictures[/h] With time running out until the transfer window closes how may Arsène Wenger turn around Arsenal's disastrous start to the season? Here we rate the likelihood of moves being successful for nine players mooted to be on the beleagured manager's wishlist




Gary Cahill Bolton

Chance of joining 4/5

A £6m bid for the defender has already been dismissed as derisory by Bolton but given Arsenal's lack of solidity at the back and the 25-year-old's apparent willingness to move on from the Reebok Stadium, a renewed attempt to sign the player is likely. It has been rumoured that Arsène Wenger is willing to double his original offer for the player
 


Yann M'Vila Rennes

Chance of joining 4/5

Arsenal have offered £22m for the holding midfielder having had an initial £15m bid rejected by his club Rennes. The France international should provide the team with much required tenacity in the centre of the pitch but Wenger will know he could have got him for a lower price given the 21-year-old only signed a fresh contract at Rennes, until 2015, in May
 


Park Chu-young Monaco

Chance of joining 5/5

The South Korea striker is seemingly on his way to north London having failed to show for the second part of a medical with Lille. Arsenal have offered Monaco £10m for the 26-year-old, who featured for his national team at the most recent World Cup in South Africa, and expect him to arrive at the club by Wednesday
 


Mikel Arteta Everton

Chance of joining 3/5

The Spaniard has long been associated with a move to the Emirates Stadium with the speculation only intensifying following Cesc Fábregas's departure. The 29-year-old appears to have stagnated somewhat at Everton after six years at the club and a move away could suit all involved. Arteta is, however, one of the best paid players at Goodison and is unlikely to receive a similar salary at Arsenal
 
[h=1]Arsenal close to signing Brazilian defender Andre Santos[/h] Page last updated at 22:13 GMT, Monday, 29 August 2011 23:13 UK



By David Ornstein
BBC Sport Andre Santos has won 22 caps for Brazil Arsenal are set to sign Brazilian international left-back Andre Santos from Fenerbahce for £6.2m, BBC Sport understands.
The 28-year-old from Sao Paulo was bought by the Turkish club in 2009 from Corinthians in his homeland.
After Sunday's 8-2 defeat by Manchester United, manager Arsene Wenger said he was chasing new players before the transfer window closes on 31 August.
Wenger is also on the verge of signing striker Park Chu-young from Monaco.
Last season Santos made 25 league appearances for Fenerbahce, scoring five goals.

Santos played for Brazil as they won the Fifa Confederations Cup in 2009, but he did not make the 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup Finals. He did return to play in the 2011 Copa America, but missed a penalty as Brazil lost to Paraguay on spot-kicks in the quarter-finals.
 

Eden Hazard Lille

Chance of joining 3/5

The 20-year-old has just been named Ligue 1's player of the season having inspired Lille to a French league and cup double and while the club's general manager, Frederic Paquet, has insisted that he "will not be leaving", an offer of between £30m-£35m is likely to secure the Belgian's signature. Arsenal want the player but may well baulk at the desired fee
 


Phil Jagielka Everton

Chance of joining 3/5

Arsenal had a £12m bid for the England defender rejected by Everton during the summer having offered an almost identical amount for the 29-year-old last season. A renewed attempt to prise the player away from Merseyside is possible but, given Arsenal's gathering interest in Cahill, increasing unlikely. David Moyes, the Everton manager, is also desperate to hang on to the player
 


Marvin Martin Sochaux

Chance of joining 3/5

The Sochaux midfielder is only 23 but has already been described by some as France's best creative midfielder since Zinedine Zidane. This is partly because, like the World Cup winner, he scored twice on his debut for the France national team (in June's 4-1 win over Ukraine). His talent is undeniable, however, and Arsenal are apparently willing to spend in the region of £12m for the player
 
Marouane Fellaini Everton



Chance of joining 2/5

Another player who could add much-required steel to Arsenal's midfield, not to mention Premier League experience, but the Belgian is deemed a key asset at Goodison and any offer is likely to be rejected by the Merseyside club. The 23-year-old, has, though, recently expressed his desire to play in the Champions League and will feel he has a better chance of achieving that goal at Arsenal
 


Mathieu Valbuena Marseille

Chance of joining 1/5

The France midfielder has won one Ligue 1 title, two league cups and the French Super Cup at Marseille but after five years, is now seemingly willing to move on, with the club also open to a bid for the player. "If you ask him about a big club, we would give him the opportunity to choose," said the Marseille sporting director, José Anigo. Arsenal's long-standing interest in the player appears to have cooled
 
[h=1]Arsène Wenger is safe, say Arsenal amid fears over manager's health[/h] • 'We are right behind the manager,' says Arsenal source
• Reports claim deal agreed for Brazil left-back Andre Santos




  • David Hytner
  • The Guardian, Tuesday 30 August 2011 Article history
    Arsène Wenger and his assistant Pat Rice are under increasing pressure to rectify Arsenal's ills. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images

    Arsène Wenger has been reassured that he retains the full support of the Arsenal owner, Stan Kroenke, and the board of directors as he fights to complete new signings before Wednesday's transfer deadline and lift the club from its crisis.
    The mood remained flat and sober after Sunday's 8-2 Premier League humbling at Manchester United, which has intensified the pressure on Wenger. There continues to be concern at the club for the Frenchman's health, given the levels of stress that he is under, while he also faces the question about whether he has anything more to give.
    Kroenke has said nothing in public since he became Arsenal's majority shareholder and he did not want to go on the record with a vote of confidence for Wenger in case it might be misconstrued. The same was true of Ivan Gazidis, the club's chief executive, who is in daily contact with Wenger as they work towards making the signings that would serve as a tonic.
    But an Arsenal source said: "The club is very much behind Arsène Wenger from Stan Kroenke to the board, downwards and sideways. There is absolutely no suggestion of any conversations about his future. We are right behind the manager who has led us to such great success for 15 years."
    Arsenal have been keen to stress that they do not take hasty decisions on the back of a couple of results. In the previous league game Wenger's team had slumped to a 2-0 home defeat by Liverpool. Wenger has faced crises before and has come through them, although there is little argument that he is in the throes of his most trying period.
    The target in the coming days is to strengthen a squad who have come to look thin after a spate of departures, chief among them Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri, and a run of injuries and suspensions.
    Wenger has sanctioned the transfer of Armand Traoré to Queens Park Rangers, despite his only other recognised left-back, Kieran Gibbs, being out with a hamstring injury and having a questionable fitness record. However, reports from Turkey claimed Arsenal had agreed a £6m deal for the Fenerbahce left-back Andre Santos subject to a medical. The 28-year-old Brazilian has been capped 22 times for his country and has valuable Champions League experience.
    Wenger has also said he wants a central defender with Premier League experience and he has moved for Everton's Phil Jagielka and Bolton Wanderers' Gary Cahill among others. Everton's £20m valuation on Jagielka appears to be prohibitive for Wenger.
    There is a stronger possibility that he will close a deal for Cahill, despite sparking an argument with Bolton last week over his opening offer of £6m rising to £10m on performance-related goals. Wanderers described that as "derisory".
    Gazidis has made it clear that Wenger had a "substantial" transfer budget and that was before they raised £59m through the sales of Fábregas and Nasri. But the knowledge that Wenger has so many millions at his disposal has brought its own problems, with rival clubs demanding inflated fees.
    Wenger has offered £22m to Rennes for the France holding midfielder Yann M'Vila but the French club have told him he must pay £30m, which looks to have scuppered any deal.
    Arsenal have also declared an interest in the Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun. In attack, where Wenger has said that he needs another body, Arsenal are poised to announce the £1.8m capture from Monaco of Park Chu-young, the 26-year-old South Korea captain. The fee will rise with add-ons, one of which is dependent on Park being excused his national service. Every Korean must serve for two years before they are 28. Park has completed his medical at Arsenal but he has travelled back to Korea for the international break.
    Arsenal will make the gesture to their supporters who travelled to Old Trafford of covering the cost of a ticket to a Premier League away game, by way of an apology for the performance.
    "Sunday's result was obviously disappointing for everyone connected with the club," they said in a statement. "Our travelling fans were magnificent throughout and we want to recognise their fantastic support. We will be writing to them shortly with the details."

 

[h=1]Chelsea cash plus player bid for Liverpool's Raul Meireles rejected[/h] • Anfield club offered £7m plus Yossi Benayoun back
• Chelsea still hope to sign Luka Modric and Alvaro Pereira




  • David Hytner
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 29 August 2011 23.48 BST Article history
    Liverpool's Raul Meireles, right, celebrates after scoring the only goal in his side's win at Chelsea in February. Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

    Chelsea have had an offer rejected for the Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles of £7m plus Yossi Benayoun as a makeweight.
    The London club will continue to talk to Liverpool in the hope of making progress for Meireles, as they look to close the transfer window with a flourish, but Benayoun is unlikely to be part of any deal – Liverpool sold the midfielder to Chelsea last summer for £5m and they have the first option on him but they do not appear to want him back.
    Benayoun sees no future for himself at Stamford Bridge and he wants to leave, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Lille having shown an interest in him. Chelsea remain determined to sign Luka Modric from Tottenham, meaning that Benayoun has found himself advanced in a makeweight in those negotiations.
    Chelsea also hope to take the left-sided player Alvaro Pereira from Porto before Wednesday's deadline. They failed with a bid of €20m (£17.7m) last week, which fell short of the €30m buy-out clause in the Uruguayan's contract, but they are encouraged by the player's desire to complete the move.

 
[h=1]Arsène Wenger safe from sack but only urgent action can save Arsenal[/h] Arsenal have to accept they can no longer avoid paying the asking price in transfer deals



  • Arsenal's Arsène Wenger has balked at paying top money for players but that stance cannot be maintained. Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters

    It is generally accepted in professional football that straight after a six-goal defeat the dressing room becomes a kangaroo court and the inquest can feature flying fists and people pinned against walls.
    Arsenal's 8-2 humiliation at Manchester United on Sunday was followed by no such ructions. Arsène Wenger, the manager, said nothing and neither did his players. There were special circumstances to the defeat, he believed, chief among them the selection issues that had denied him 10 players. One or two of the squad shared a laugh and a joke.
    The picture was of a leader who had been ground into the floor and no longer had the answers and of players – numbed and bewildered by the 90 minutes and, more broadly, the events since the end of last season – who had lost faith or no longer cared.
    The good thing, perhaps, to come out of Old Trafford was that the result was so terrible that it ought to focus minds at the club on the need for urgent action which, in the final days of this month, means adding the established players on the transfer market who are so desperately needed. Had Arsenal lost narrowly to United, the cracks might merely have been papered over.
    But as Sir Alex Ferguson offered his sympathy and plenty of supporters lined up to kick Wenger while he was down it was possible to see the beginning of the end for the man who has given everything to the club.
    Arsenal will not sack Wenger. That would feel wrong to them and understandably so, given all he has done. He has credit in the bank (metaphorically and literally) and the hope is that he can fight his way out of the crisis. Even before the trip to United there was the suggestion that "the season starts at home to Swansea City" on Saturday week. Qualification for the Champions League group stage has been secured and the transfer window will have closed by then, removing another tranche of uncertainty.
    Yet Arsenal find themselves in this depressing position because of issues that have bubbled for a couple of years and Wenger has been undermined by his inability or unwillingness to address them.
    The club's shortcomings in the transfer market have been laid bare this summer but the tendency to procrastinate and the refusal to pay what is required to make signings happen is not new. The examples are hardly isolated but one serves to sum up the frustration.
    In the search for a centre-half in January Arsenal offered £8m to Blackburn Rovers for Phil Jones, at around the same time as they offered £10m to Everton for Phil Jagielka. Blackburn said that Jones was as valuable to them as Jagielka was to Everton and so Arsenal would need to pay £10m. They refused.
    Jones went on to finish the season strongly, sign a new contract at Ewood Park and find all of England's leading clubs pursuing him in June. United offered £16.5m, which Arsenal offered to match, but Jones chose Old Trafford. Inside five months Arsenal had more than doubled their bid but the refusal to stretch only slightly further in January had cost them.
    Arsenal enraged Bolton Wanderers last week with their opening offer for Gary Cahill – £6m rising to £10m on performance-related targets – and Wenger was asked whether he had decided the figure. "Of course I am involved in that but you do not know the real number," he replied. It is a curiosity that Wenger does not furnish the chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, with his list of targets and allow him to get on with it. Wenger's control over all areas at the club is total.
    Gazidis and Dick Law, the football operations consultant, have not emerged with great credit during the summer. When selling key players it is vital to negotiate the best price early and, just before completing the deal, bring in the replacement. Instead, the Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri transfers were allowed to rumble on, sapping dressing-room morale, and, when they were allowed to go, the club had no one to step in.
    Consequently, with millions in their pockets, Arsenal now find themselves held to ransom. It is unclear whether the money they made by holding out over Fábregas and Nasri has been worth it.
    The issue of new contracts has also been moot. Nasri was allowed to enter the final year of his deal but, at the other end of the scale, Henri Lansbury, the England under-21 midfielder, has done likewise, after terms that were promised at the beginning of the summer failed to materialise. Some of the club's leading players have begun the final two years on their contracts, including Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott. In the current climate there is no chance of them re-signing.
    Wenger's capacity to inspire his players is under scrutiny as never before. He continues to take training but the slimness of his veteran coaching staff, in the shape of Pat Rice and Boro Primorac, begs the question about where the innovation can come from.
    Gloom and a certain helplessness have stalked Arsenal in recent months. It feels terminal. Wenger's challenge is to prove that his powers are not spent and he can conjure fresh direction.

 
[h=1]Arsène Wenger safe from sack but only urgent action can save Arsenal[/h] Arsenal have to accept they can no longer avoid paying the asking price in transfer deals



  • Arsenal's Arsène Wenger has balked at paying top money for players but that stance cannot be maintained. Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters

    It is generally accepted in professional football that straight after a six-goal defeat the dressing room becomes a kangaroo court and the inquest can feature flying fists and people pinned against walls.
    Arsenal's 8-2 humiliation at Manchester United on Sunday was followed by no such ructions. Arsène Wenger, the manager, said nothing and neither did his players. There were special circumstances to the defeat, he believed, chief among them the selection issues that had denied him 10 players. One or two of the squad shared a laugh and a joke.
    The picture was of a leader who had been ground into the floor and no longer had the answers and of players – numbed and bewildered by the 90 minutes and, more broadly, the events since the end of last season – who had lost faith or no longer cared.
    The good thing, perhaps, to come out of Old Trafford was that the result was so terrible that it ought to focus minds at the club on the need for urgent action which, in the final days of this month, means adding the established players on the transfer market who are so desperately needed. Had Arsenal lost narrowly to United, the cracks might merely have been papered over.
    But as Sir Alex Ferguson offered his sympathy and plenty of supporters lined up to kick Wenger while he was down it was possible to see the beginning of the end for the man who has given everything to the club.
    Arsenal will not sack Wenger. That would feel wrong to them and understandably so, given all he has done. He has credit in the bank (metaphorically and literally) and the hope is that he can fight his way out of the crisis. Even before the trip to United there was the suggestion that "the season starts at home to Swansea City" on Saturday week. Qualification for the Champions League group stage has been secured and the transfer window will have closed by then, removing another tranche of uncertainty.
    Yet Arsenal find themselves in this depressing position because of issues that have bubbled for a couple of years and Wenger has been undermined by his inability or unwillingness to address them.
    The club's shortcomings in the transfer market have been laid bare this summer but the tendency to procrastinate and the refusal to pay what is required to make signings happen is not new. The examples are hardly isolated but one serves to sum up the frustration.
    In the search for a centre-half in January Arsenal offered £8m to Blackburn Rovers for Phil Jones, at around the same time as they offered £10m to Everton for Phil Jagielka. Blackburn said that Jones was as valuable to them as Jagielka was to Everton and so Arsenal would need to pay £10m. They refused.
    Jones went on to finish the season strongly, sign a new contract at Ewood Park and find all of England's leading clubs pursuing him in June. United offered £16.5m, which Arsenal offered to match, but Jones chose Old Trafford. Inside five months Arsenal had more than doubled their bid but the refusal to stretch only slightly further in January had cost them.
    Arsenal enraged Bolton Wanderers last week with their opening offer for Gary Cahill – £6m rising to £10m on performance-related targets – and Wenger was asked whether he had decided the figure. "Of course I am involved in that but you do not know the real number," he replied. It is a curiosity that Wenger does not furnish the chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, with his list of targets and allow him to get on with it. Wenger's control over all areas at the club is total.
    Gazidis and Dick Law, the football operations consultant, have not emerged with great credit during the summer. When selling key players it is vital to negotiate the best price early and, just before completing the deal, bring in the replacement. Instead, the Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri transfers were allowed to rumble on, sapping dressing-room morale, and, when they were allowed to go, the club had no one to step in.
    Consequently, with millions in their pockets, Arsenal now find themselves held to ransom. It is unclear whether the money they made by holding out over Fábregas and Nasri has been worth it.
    The issue of new contracts has also been moot. Nasri was allowed to enter the final year of his deal but, at the other end of the scale, Henri Lansbury, the England under-21 midfielder, has done likewise, after terms that were promised at the beginning of the summer failed to materialise. Some of the club's leading players have begun the final two years on their contracts, including Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott. In the current climate there is no chance of them re-signing.
    Wenger's capacity to inspire his players is under scrutiny as never before. He continues to take training but the slimness of his veteran coaching staff, in the shape of Pat Rice and Boro Primorac, begs the question about where the innovation can come from.
    Gloom and a certain helplessness have stalked Arsenal in recent months. It feels terminal. Wenger's challenge is to prove that his powers are not spent and he can conjure fresh direction.

 
[h=1]Arsenal find that money talks in battle to keep pace with the jet set[/h] Arsène Wenger is in danger of being swept aside in the spate of cash unleashed by Chelsea and Manchester City



  • Arsène Wenger has the backing of Arsenal fans but he needs to repay their faith by keeping up with the big spenders. Photograph: Jon Super/AP

    Arsenal have been swallowed up by the long shadow of that 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford. In addition to the immediate agony, the result raised questions as to whether the club can maintain its membership of the Premier League elite. The fees are exorbitant and Arsenal have come no higher than third since they were runners-up in 2005. Property development around the Emirates should be a boon eventually, but a sluggish economy causes delays.
    Manchester United have no such worries and means could even be found for a splurge if necessary. The sport is usually dominated by the wealthy. If United's commercial operations are formidable, Chelsea and Manchester City, the expected challengers, are funded by indulgent proprietors. The public's mind is often taken off financial anxieties by the extravagance that still persists in football.
    Only a curmudgeon could complain when City have David Silva and Sergio Agüero in the lineup as well as Edin Dzeko, scorer of four goals in the 5-1 rout at White Hart Lane. It was just last season that Tottenham Hotspur were in the Champions League, where they got to the quarter-finals before going out to Real Madrid.
    Fans might look back on that campaign with disbelief. Access to the tournament appears, after all, as if it will be even more restricted in future. Money has often been critical to success in football but the materialism is unusually pronounced among most of England's elite at the present. The Glazers, proprietors of United, are exceptions of a sort since there is no requirement to subsidise the club from their own funds.
    Elsewhere, owners bear regular losses. Since the start of 2011, Roman Abramovich, right, has approved outlay at Chelsea of well over £100m, in total, for Fernando Torres, David Luiz, Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku, with the desire to sign Luka Modric still intense. The Stamford Bridge club, however, cannot face quite so many charges of gross materialism when indignation has to be kept in store for City.
    While a club such as Liverpool have made great efforts to improve their squad, the arrival of Luis Suárez, Andy Carroll and others has been financed to a notable extent by the Torres sale. Cash is generated more easily by those who are already wealthy.
    Sir Alex Ferguson's impact at Old Trafford has intensified the allure the club has held for generations. The craving of businesses to be associated with United verged on self-parody when DHL chose to sponsor the training kit for £10m a year.
    Liverpool, aiming to achieve a better financial footing, have long contemplated a new stadium to be built in Stanley Park but such a project is taxing even to contemplate. Indeed the club has been pondering the scheme and striving to advance it since 2001.
    Elsewhere these matters can barely be a consideration. While City may not own the ground at which they play, the naming rights to what is now the Etihad Stadium still brought them £400m, over a 10-year period, from the airline. City, of course, are owned by Sheikh Mansour, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family.
    There are dilemmas in all this. Efforts by individuals to spend their way to domination of football are nothing new and there is often comic effect when projects go badly wrong. No one in the public at large minds a fiasco of that sort, but money can obtain success, especially when it is spent with the sort of finesse that made Jack Walker's Blackburn Rovers champions of England in 1995.
    There was a romance to that, all the more so since the club were not to repeat the achievement. The present-day situation is rather different, with owners aiming to put their club in a permanent elite dependent on means that others will never enjoy.
    Manchester United cannot be put in that category and would most likely by overjoyed if financial fair play regulations encumbered their challengers. As it is, the spate of cash unleashed by City and Chelsea in particular sweeps the game along excitingly, despite the misgivings among the authorities.
    Michel Platini, the president of Uefa, presses on with his financial fair play initiative and many clubs would be grateful if they were saved from their extravagant selves and forced to be prudent. A dilemma lies at the heart of all this. The spectacle of astonishing footballers holds us in thrall to such an extent that we avoid thinking of the way in which wealth warps the sport as a whole.
    Ultimately, however, there would be an increased diversity and a greater element of surprise if clubs were denied "financial doping" and made to play clean. The perspective of an oligarch is one the rest of us can barely imagine but perhaps even they might come to value the element of surprise that is critical to sport.

 
[h=1]EXCLUSIVE: Wenger said nothing after Arsenal hammering[/h] Published 23:02 29/08/11 By John Cross

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...er-United-exclusive-story-article793072.html#


Stunned Arsenal players were further shocked after being humilia8ed by Manchester United - when manager Arsene Wenger failed to say a word to them following the game.
Wenger stayed silent in the dressing room after one of the worst days in the club's 125-year history - a 90 minutes so bad that the Gunners have since offered a public apology as well as free tickets to another away game to the travelling fans who had to endure it.
Senior players expected the 'hairdryer' treatment from Wenger over the manner of their 8-2 defeat, but the Frenchman was lost for words.
Despite the fall-out from the defeat, however, Arsenal's support of their under-pressure manager remains "rock solid."

A club source said: "The board and everyone at the club is 100 per cent behind the manager who has brought us unprecedented success."
Arsenal have taken the unprecedented step of announcing they will write to all their fans at the match and offer to cover the cost of a future away game.
"Sunday's result was obviously disappointing for everyone connected with the Club," said a club statement. "Our travelling fans were magnificent throughout and we want to recognise their fantastic support."
These steps were designed to head off fan unrest and any protests against Wenger, but several internet and public campaigns have been launched to call for his sacking.
Wenger is now under major pressure to buy before the transfer window shuts.
Arsenal have snapped up South Korea forward Park chu-young from Monaco, but the £1.8million deal is unlikely to satisfy the supporters.
The club are still hopeful of completing a deal for Bolton defender Gary Cahill, even though they had a £6m plus add-ons bid rejected last week. If they move closer to paying £12m up front, the deal could go through.
Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila has topped the midfield wish-list, but the Gunners' £22m bid is short of the French club's £30m valuation.
They have also made checks on free agent ex-England international Owen Hargreaves' fitness and on Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun and are being linked with Fenerbahce and Brazil defender Andre Santos .
Sochaux playmaker Martin Martin is back on the agenda too, and Arsenal are hopeful of making at least two more signings besides Park before the window shuts at 11pm on Wednesday.
Park, who snubbed French champions Lille at the last minute to join Arsenal, has completed his medical but has now flown off to the Far East on international duty.
Meanwhile, defender Armand Traore is set to be sold to QPR , while Wolves are the latest club to come in for young midfielder Henri Lansbury.
Arsenal legend admits: This could be the end for Wenger
Mark Lawrenson on Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal: No fight, no spirit... Arsene's lads were embarrassing
Martin Lipton on Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal: Eight things Wenger must do to get the Gunners firing again
What are the odds Arsenal are Gunner finish in the top four? Derek McGovern's Bets of the Day
Tweeting Arsenal fans goad Wenger - and call for his head
 
[h=1]Seven-goals-in-four-games Dzeko: I fear City axe[/h] Published 23:01 29/08/11 By David McDonnell

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...se-squad-is-now-so-strong-article793051.html#


Edin Dzeko has admitted Manchester City's star-studded squad is so formidable that his place in the team is not safe - despite his early-season goal-scoring heroics.
Dzeko bagged four goals in City's 5-1 thumping of Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday, to take his tally for the season to seven in only four games.
After scoring in the Community Shield against Manchester United, Dzeko also netted against Swansea and Bolton, before his quadruple haul at White Hart Lane.
The £27million striker's form is such that he is keeping Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli out of City's first-team, but he reckons even he cannot be sure of his place because of the deep pool of quality at manager Roberto Mancini's disposal.

Asked if he felt he was now City's main striker after his superb start to the season, Dzeko said: "No-one is guaranteed a start - that is why we are so strong.
"We don't have only 11 good players, it's 22 - or even more.
"It was a fantastic feeling [to score four goals]. I feel very happy. We played like a team.
"To win 5-1 against Tottenham is unbelievable. To score four goals is amazing.
"I watched the 0-0 draw between Spurs and City last year. I was still in Germany [playing for Wolfsburg]. City had a lot of chances but this was different. We played amazingly. When you score five goals away - against a team like Tottenham - I think it's amazing.
"We can play even better and we want to improve every game, including myself."
After the blistering way in which he has begun the season, Dzeko already has a headstart on his rivals for the Premier League's golden boot - awarded to the leading scorer at the end of the campaign.
But the 25-year-old, who struggled to make an impact last season following his January move from Wolfsburg, said team success with City - who have their sights on the title - was his priority.
"Every striker dreams about the golden boot, but the first thing is for my team try to win every game," said Dzeko. "After that, if I am first [in the goalscoring stakes], we will see.
"We showed [against Spurs] how well we can play. People only speak about how much Manchester City spend. Of course, we have spent, but other teams have done so as well.
"When you play football like that, it's amazing and everyone wants to play."
City's newest recruit, £24m former Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri, played a key role in three of their goals against Spurs.
Dzeko paid tribute to the France international for the immediate impact he made following his protracted move.
"Samir showed that he will be fantastic for us," said the striker. "He's a great player - the first assist for me was amazing."
Dzeko also praised City boss Mancini for sticking with him after he initially struggled to adapt to the unique demands of the Premier League.
"The most important thing is for the coach and the players around you to believe in you," he said. "At the beginning it was hard for me. But I wanted a pre-season and everything, and now I know the Premier League much better. I feel much stronger and better than last season.
"From the beginning it felt right, because we won the FA Cup. It was amazing for me and the club."
Dzeko revealed he had his hat-trick ball signed by his team-mates and intends to send it back home to his family.
"I got the ball signed and I will send it home to Bosnia with my other things," said Dzeko. "This will be my first match-ball [for a hat-trick].
"I scored a hat-trick before, in Germany, but I don't know why I didn't take the ball."
Mancini tells rivals: Hands off my Johnson
 
[h=1]Arsenal linked with Fenerbahce and Brazil defender[/h] Published 23:01 29/08/11 By John Cross

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...eran-Gibbs-is-out-injured-article793050.html#


Arsenal are selling Armand Tarore to QPR - and have been offered Brazilian Andre Santos as replacement.
Traore, 21, had a medical at Premier League new boys Rangers on Monday and a £2m deal has been agreed, even though that leaves Arsenal short of cover at left-back.
Fenerbahce are ready to sell Brazil international Santos, 28, for around £6m and, even though Arsenal have resisted signing a new left-back, that could appeal.
Gael Clichy has been sold to Manchester City, Kieran Gibbs has been out with a hamstring injury and Traore's departure means there currently is not a senior-left back at the club.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is ready to use Thomas Vermaelen in that position away from home, even though the Belgian centre half does not want to play there.
There are also concerns about Vermaelen's Achilles injury, after another flare-up which forced him to miss the weekend's horrific defeat at Manchester United.
Arsenal scouted Everton and England left-back Leighton Baines last season and have also watched Southampton youngster Luke Shaw and Le Havre teenager Benjamin Mendy.
But Traore's impending move has meant their original insistence they would not buy a replacement may be reviewed.



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