Blog # 12

Well, Vieira is linked with a move back home, I’d bet my house this won’t happen. Eboue looks set to leave, which is a bad idea. We’re strongly connected with Matuide or whatever his name is. I’ve never seen him play, I’ve done no research on him and I doubt we’ll sign him anyway. I doubt we’ll be signing anyone else this summer. We’ve done good business the other way, having made a 16m pound player profit this year.

Nothing else doing really, my girl is planning her birthday out on the computer, I played some casino poker last night and am feeling the filth this morning, as I’m covered in cigarette smoke and old man burps.

I’ve been reading different Arsenal blogs lately, without much to else to do, and I read on ArsenalAnalysis.blogspot.com that our old boy Edu has recovered from a series of injuries, which limited him to 44 appearances in 4 years at Valencia after they took him on a Bosman, to sign for his old club Corinthians on a 2 year deal. I’m super happy for him and wish him all the best. He left after an improved deal was offered too late and he no longer felt wanted at the club. Aries over at ArsenalAnalysis goes on to write:

“If only Edu was convinced by Arsene Wenger to sign a new contract instead of going to Spain’s Valencia. I believe Arsenal would have gone on to dominate the Premier League for years to come.”

I was sad when he left and I don’t doubt that he would have gone on to do very well for us, but I don’t know about dominating the league for years to come. The very next season Viera and Gilberto were our first choice in the middle and between the injuries to them both a teenage Fabregas was asked to step in and take over. He was 16 or maybe 17, the season before that he became the youngest ever Arsenal player to score a senior goal when he came on as a sub (I think) and scored against … don’t remember now, maybe Derby, they were lower league and in white on the night. He was very much part of the reserves and was moved up to the senior squad and then thrust into the team. He came through and we now have the world class player you see today.

Had Edu stayed it would have given Wenger the left footed/right footed central midfield combo he had with Petit and Viera, a near identical pairing, arguably not quite as good, but you certainly weren’t loosing all that much. Fabregas’ chances to make it into the first team would have been more limited and perhaps we wouldn’t have the captain we have now. But who knows.