William Gallas has said that he believes that Arsenal were wrong to make him the scapegoat and his performances in the Premier League since leaving Arsenal – have proved that they should have kept him. Gallas fell out of favour at Arsenal in November 2008, when he was stripped of the captaincy and fined two weeks wages for publically criticizing his fellow French international teammate Samir Nasri and other Arsenal players. Gallas says that when he was at Arsenal he had a message to share as captain. Gallas said “As the captain at Arsenal I wanted to give them a message, but they didn’t get it. I may have been clumsy with the words I used, but the substance of the message was right.”

Gallas went on to say “I signed for Arsenal from Chelsea where I won titles and wanted to share my experience because I thought we were missing commitment in our work. But unfortunately my message was misunderstood and I am responsible for that.”

Gallas also said “the coach thought I was finished but I have proved him wrong. I had the opportunity to go to Qatar but the Premier League is so stimulating and I wanted to show that I could still compete at the highest level and Tottenham have given me that opportunity.”

It would be difficult to reach any kind of conclusion that would suggest if Gallas was the missing ingredient this season for Arsenal. There is no doubt that Arsenal was missing certain qualities but was Gallas really it?  Arsene Wenger does have an entirely different philosophy to say Sir Alex Ferguson when to comes to players and at what stage they have no use. In general Arsenal prefer to operate a young squad and usually sell players before they reach 30 – but of course there are exceptions to this rule. Manchester United on the other hand feels players still have their uses over 30 and this is shown by the use of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville although the latter two have since retired.

It’s hard to argue with the record that Sir Alex Ferguson has but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Arsene Wenger was wrong to get rid of Gallas. Plenty of people have their ideas about what has gone wrong at Arsenal this season. My personal feeling is that having Gallas around the place would not have made a lot of difference – but I still think the Frenchman has some sort of a point.

What Arsenal do in the summer transfer market isn’t so much about the amount of money they spend or even the quality of players they recruit. After all despite the fact that Stan Kroenke has provided fresh money for Arsene Wenger to play with, the reality is Wenger will want to stick to his transfer policies. So with that in mind I would be surprised if Arsenal started splashing money around left, right and centre. However, there are two key areas to look at and one of those areas seems to be leadership and the other seems to be central defence quality.

Now, many Arsenal fans would point to Thomas Vermaelen and there is little doubt the Belgium international is a quality player and as captain of his national team may be the answer to the leadership problem – especially if current captain Cesc Fabregas moves on. But let’s remember that Vermaelen spent a lot of last season out injured and even if he could stay fit – he needs a quality partner.

So there are certainly problems that Arsenal needs to address in the summer, but do you think that Gallas has a point? Was he really missed last season?

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Like this content? Follow me on Twitter

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

New Chelsea boss, Andre Villas-Boas has promised that it is not a one man show at Stamford Bridge and he will operate very much in a democratic manor during his time. I guess that pours a certain amount of cold water over the claims he is the new ‘Special One’ and there doesn’t appear to be any ego or arrogance with him.

In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include more evidence found against FIFA pair; Manchester City ditch their reserves to play in Euro tournament; Pele tells Neymar to snub Chelsea, while Aston Villa give Liverpool the green light to move for Stewart Downing.

*

Villas–Boas arrives without bravado – Guardian

Evidence found against Fifa pair – Daily Telegraph

Man City ditch Reserve League to play against Euro’s elite – Daily Mail

Gerrard fitness race for new season – Daily Telegraph

Brown: Team GB threatens Scotland – Guardian

United close in on Young – Sky Sports

Pele tells Neymar to snub Chelsea and go to Spain instead – Mirror

Arsenal resume their long-term pursuit of Everton defender Jagielka – Daily Mail

Inter rule out Tevez swoop – Sun

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Berbatov wants showdown talks to decide United future – Mirror

Forlan up for grabs – Sky Sports

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

Alexis Sanchez says he wishes to learn from new Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi to become just as good as the FIFA Ballon d’Or winner.The Chile international has linked up with his new club after the finishing touches to his 27 million-euro deal from Serie A club Udinese were finalised on Monday.

The deal for the forward could rise to 37 million euros based on appearances and other bonuses.

The 22-year-old – who signed a five-year contract at Barca – wants to become a central figure at the La Liga outfit, alongside Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

“I want to learn from Messi, Xavi and Iniesta so I can reach their level,” the forward told Barca TV.

“I cannot wait to get onto the pitch and to receive the ball so I can show my talents. I know that the best players in the world play here and I am aware of how they play.”

Hearts can signal their title ambitions when they take on champions Rangers in the Scottish Premier League season-opener on Saturday.The SPL has regularly been a two-horse between Glasgow rivals Rangers and Celtic, with the blue half of the city celebrating last season when Walter Smith’s side won the title.

Rangers, with Ally McCoist now in charge, and Celtic are again expected to be battling it out for the top prize, but Hearts manager Jim Jeffries has made a number of solid inclusions to his squad and looks to have a team capable of testing the top two.

That assertion will be put to the test on Saturday by the defending champions, who have brought in just one player during the off-season despite an injection of cash from new owner Craig Whyte.

Spaniard Juan Manuel Ortiz is the only new face at Ibrox this season, with El-Hadji Diouf, Richard Foster, Vladimir Weiss, and Kyle Bartley all departing.

However, McCoist’s side head into the season in good form following a 2-0 friendly victory over English Championship outfit Blackpool on Tuesday, and Hearts will need to be switched on from the outset if they are to cause an upset.

Elsewhere on the opening day of the season, Aberdeen host St Johnstone while Inverness travel to Hibernian.

Aberdeen boss Craig Brown will be hoping his side can continue to build on the improvements made since he took over in December 2010, and the hosts will be expecting a first-up win against a St Johnstone side which had the worst goal-scoring record in the SPL last season.

Celtic begin their campaign on Sunday with a trip to Edinburgh to face Hibernian.

Last season’s runners up have returned from a successful pre-season tour of Australia and manager Neil Lennon should have new signings Adam Matthews, Kelvin Wilson and Victor Wanyama to call on at the weekend.

Lennon’s side lost the title to Rangers on the final day of the season in May, and will be desperate to snap their rivals’ run of three straight championships.

On Monday, Dundee United kick off their campaign with a home match against Kilmarnock.

Peter Houston’s side finished just two points shy of third-placed Hearts last term, and the inclusion of experienced pair Willo Flood and John Rankin in midfield will have the Tannadice faithful confident they can build on their strong display last term.

Newly promoted Dunfermline host St Mirren in the final game of the round on Monday.

Forget all the Wesley Sniejder/Luka Modric/Samir Nasri rumours and transfer sagas, they’ve merely distracted from the real problem at the heart of the United side: the lack of a tough midfield enforcer.

Anyone who watched Barcelona run riot against us in the centre of the park for the second time in three seasons will know that buying another ‘creative’ type isn’t gonna fix the dilemma which led to a second successive Champions League final defeat. What United need is someone to “get hold of the ball and give it to a red shirt” as Roy Keane wrote when speaking about the instructions Brian Clough gave him at Nottingham Forest.

So with that in mind who are the players Sir Alex should be looking at? Well here’s five men who I feel could be ideal for breaking down the opposition and adding a bit of steel to United’s silk in central midfield.

1. Lassana Diarra .

Real Madrid’s French international is one of the more underrated players in Spain -not least of all by Jose Mourinho who at times doesn’t seem to rate him all that highly. Diarra knows the Premier League having played for Arsenal, Chelsea and Portsmouth and obviously has European experience. The only problem could be his on/off relationship with Mourinho who could either give him away for nothing, or refuse to sell him altogether, depending on what day you ask the Special One about ‘Lass’ such is the fickle nature of their relationship.

2. Daniel De Rossi .

Yes I know he isn’t a DM as such and has even been touted as a possible successor to Paul Scholes such is his attacking play, but the sheer box to box capabilty of De Rossi means that if Fergie did take a chance then there’s no reason he couldn’t give United the edge we’re lacking in the centre of the park.

At aged 28 he’s coming into his best years although it may still take a large transfer fee to wrestle him from Roma where he’s something of a fan’s favourite having spent his entire career there.

If he were available I’d love to see him at Old Trafford but the likelihood is he may be unobtainable regardless of the money we offered.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

3. Scott Parker

Don’t laugh, just ask yourself the simple question ‘this season could he do a job for United?’ Personally I think he could, after all he’s got Premier League experience, is pretty fearless, can tackle, runs his heart out and would no doubt love the chance to play alongside the likes of Nani and Wayne Rooney, rather than Carlton Cole and Mark Noble.

Parker may be 30 but there’s no reason why he couldn’t do an enforcer type job for United, for at least one season or even two while the likes of Ryan Tunnicliffe and Paul Pogba develop.

4. Mathieu Flamini

Although tempting Milan to part with one of their most influential players last season may be difficult, if there was a price they were willing to sell him for then I’d say go for it. Flamini has Premier League experience from his time at Arsenal, is at the age of 27 nearing his prime and has undoubted talent.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

One could argue that Arsenal have never looked the same since he left and if he were in United’s side then I feel he could add that bit of defensive class that’s missing from our midfield men.

5. Owen Hargreaves.

Yes I realised we’ve just released him but hear me out. If Hargreaves goes to West Brom -or anywhere else -on a pay as you play deal and excels then is it such a bad idea to get him back for the remainder of the season?

We know what he can do when fit and if he proved his fitness then he could be the player he was for us in 2008 when incidentally we happened to win the double beating Barcelona en route to the final.

Read more of Justin’s articles at Red Flag Flying High

Striker Nicklas Bendtner is just one of many Arsenal names linked with an exit from the Emirates this summer. Bendtner has joined a number of Arsenal’s stars in expressing his desire to leave the club but just why has the far from prolific frontman been attracting so much attention in England when he has failed to live up to the hype at Arsenal?

The 23-year-old Danish international is clearly a gifted talent with the statue and pedigree that should have meant he could make an impact in the Premier League but frustratingly for Arsenal fans they have failed to see the best of Bendtner since he joined the club back in 2004. Bendtner endured another frustrating season last year when he was limited to 17 league starts, only scoring twice in the Premier League.

Despite his failure to live up to expectations Bendtner has an ego that often greatly surpasses his achievements on the pitch. Claiming you are one of the best strikers in the world is a perplexing claim from a striker who has often been limited to a peripheral role in the team under Arsene Wenger.

The obvious need for change at Arsenal has meant Bendtner has been pinpointed as one of the squad players to depart this summer. Whilst Bendtner would obviously attract attention from other clubs, reports of a three-way battle for a striker that has never set the league alight is surprising. Stoke, Sunderland and Newcastle are reportedly interested in the striker whilst there has been reported interest from a number of European teams. But what would the English clubs gain by taking a risk on Bendtner?

A fee of around £8million would represent not a huge spend in today’s transfer market whilst despite his failings, Bendtner would arrive with plenty of Premier League and European experience whilst only still being 23 years old. In defence of the Dane you could also claim that his progress at Arsenal has been hampered by Wenger’s desire to put him out wide rather than in the heart of the attack where arguably Bendtner would be a greater goal threat.

But in search of a regular goalscorer I think the likes of Stoke, Sunderland and Newcastle would be better to look elsewhere. Bendtner has spent enough time at Arsenal to make his mark whilst his attitude means he rarely enamors himself to fans in this country. European clubs Sporting Lisbon and Borussia Dortmund have also been linked with the striker so Bendtner may soon be leaving England for a fresh start in Europe.

Despite looking for a move, another option for Bendtner staying in England is remaining with the Gunners and fighting for his place in the attack. Wenger has responded to speculation about his striker’s future by insisting he could still stay but Arsenal may be better off letting Bendtner go. In what has been a turbulent summer for the Gunners, they desperately need team players. Bringing in replacements for stars like Fabregas and possibly Nasri would also require trimming the squad of unwanted squad players, a list that should include Bendtner.

Bendtner’s future in England remains uncertain and whilst talks of tugs of war between a number of Premier League clubs for a far from prolific striker are surprising, Bendtner may still get the chance to get prove he is a good (but probably not the best) Premier League striker.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Do you think Premier League teams should try and sign Bendtner? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

AC Milan and Rubin Kazan are set to battle Tottenham for the signature of Sevilla hit man Alvaro Negredo in January talkSPORT understands.

The Spaniard has had storming start to the season at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán scoring three goals in five games with his form alerting Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri who is in the market for a new striker.

According to reports coming from Italy the Rossoneri are prepared to submit a £12 million bid for the 26-year-old when the transfer window reopens in January.

That could thwart Spurs boss Harry Redknapp’s plans to sign the in-form frontman after failing to secure his services in the summer eventually loaning Emmanuel Adebayor from Manchester City.

Redknapp is still keen to bolster his frontline with Adebayor unlikely to remain at White Hart Lane beyond the length of his temporary deal and will move for the former Real Madrid man in the summer.

Sevilla aren’t keen on selling Negredo during the current campaign which will give Spurs hope of signing him at the end of the season and thwart Milan’s plans to capture him in the new year.

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

FREE football app that pays you to view ads

[ad_pod id=’qs-2′ align=’left’]

It’s a simple question and one had I asked at the very beginning of the season, would have seemed like a no-brainer in favour of the Mexican.

Last season Chicharito was arguably the biggest positive in United’s entire campaign bursting onto the scene with a series of memorable and important goals that quickly established him as one of the world’s most lethal young strikers.

While Chicharito was bagging goals with aplomb for United, Danny Welbeck was busy impressing, albeit to a lesser degree at Sunderland. The Mancunian may not have set the scoring charts alight but he did bag some important strikes and proved he could hack it in the Premier League, a lesson United took heed of.

This season, Welbeck has stepped it up a gear, scoring freely and linking up with the likes of Cleverley, Anderson, Nani and Rooney to give United the sort of football that’s often been missing these past couple of seasons. Meanwhile Chicharito, recovering from a head injury picked up in pre-season, hasn’t been able to enjoy a real run in the side yet, although he’s still managed to bag a brace of goals at the Reebok.

Welbeck’s actually played one less league game than Chicharito- mainly due to a hamstring picked up against Arsenal, but has shone since his return bagging two goals against Basel and a late nerve calmer in the last league game versus Norwich.

The question then is who should start against Liverpool at Anfield a week on Saturday? Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez , who took the Premier League by storm last season or Danny Welbeck, who’s done something not too dissimilar this season?

Personally, I think you should start the form player in a game that should United win, would give us the boost to make our start to the season almost unreal. Welbeck couldn’t have done much better this season and while Chicharito is definitely a big game player, I feel he’d be more useful coming off the bench should he be needed than Welbeck would.

It’s a great problem for Sir Alex to have to wrestle and either way there’s no real wrong answer, tell us which young striker you’d start against Liverpool?

Read more of Justin’s articles at Red Flag Flying High

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Win VIP tickets to the titanic clash at Anfield

Liverpool attacker Luis Suarez has stated that it will be very difficult for his side to win the Premier League title due to the strength of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City.

The Uruguay international has had a scintillating time at Anfield since moving from Ajax in January, but despite his form, and a 2-0 win over Everton at the weekend, he feels Liverpool cannot finish top of the pile.

“We have no limit and want to stay in the top four. But winning the Premier League is now very difficult. The main reason why it is so difficult is because the two Manchesters and Chelsea are unreachable. But we can win the cups,” he told Mirror Football.

Suarez scored one of the goals in the Merseyside derby victory on Saturday, and is quickly becoming a fans favourite, similar to others who have wore the number seven jersey for The Reds.

“I didn’t know the history of my No.7 shirt at Liverpool. I picked it because it was one of the few numbers available.

“Now that I know the story I am proud to wear the ‘7’ and I try not to feel the burden of its heritage,” he concluded.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Liverpool’s pedigree will be put to the test in their next game, as they host champions Manchester United at Anfield after the international break.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has admitted that his side are building a winning mentality, and admitted that they want to be as good as European champions Barcelona.

Roberto Mancini’s men have been in impressive form, recording seven straight victories in all competitions by beating Villarreal 3-0 on Wednesday night, and Toure has compared the Etihad Stadium outfit to his former employers.

“That’s what we want – to have the same mentality as Barcelona. And everybody is getting that winning mentality,” he told Mirror Football.

“The mentality we have in the squad is fantastic and if you want to win things, you need that.

“We had it at Barcelona and as players you need to be able to work, concentrate for 90 minutes in each game and then recover quickly to play again in three days.

“Every game we go out to play, we have to put pressure on ourselves to be winners. With the team we have now, everybody has that and everyone is improving.

“The team is evolving. Everyone enjoys themselves on the pitch and if we continue like this, it will be a fantastic year for us,” he concluded.

City hold a five point lead at the top of the Premier League, and will hope to keep this gap by maintaining their winning form against QPR at Loftus Road on Saturday.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’writer-1′ align=’right’]