Wenger laments ‘painful’ losses

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits it was “painful” to see big-spending Manchester City raid his squad again last summer.

Wenger ultimately let Samir Nasri, 24, and full-back Gael Clichy, 26, go to Eastlands, following in the footsteps of striker Emmanuel Adebayor and centre-half Kolo Toure, who previously left the Emirates for City. After taking a chance on developing these youngsters with the Gunners, Wenger admits there will always be a sense of frustration at potential lost.

“At the end of the day when you sell a player, you cannot complain after because at some stage you say ‘yes we let him go’ and you have to do the right thing for the club, but it is always painful to lose players at 23 or 24 years old,” he said.

“The financial difference between us and teams like Manchester City has become too big to hope to keep the players for eight, nine or 10 years. Okay, we lost Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, other players before, but they had played for eight or nine years at the club.

“It is the first time now that we lose players at an age where they start to produce, like [Cesc] Fabregas and Nasri, who were both 24 years old. That’s where you start to become a football player.

“You need to be brave as well to put a player in at 18 years of age, and you need to make room for them, which means you not only need to stand up for the players you put in, but as well you have to kick somebody out.”

Meanwhile, ahead of Arsenal’s clash with league-leading City, Wenger refused to rule out a move for former captain Henry, who has been training at the club following the end of the Major League Soccer campaign with the New York Red Bulls.

“I do not always master all my thoughts, so [I guess] it has to come through my brain at some stage – but I haven’t been concrete on the case,” said Wenger.

“I haven’t even investigated that. I cannot tell you even if there is a chance because I haven’t even made any approach, nor to him nor his club.”

Chelsea manager believes Torres will justify transfer fee

Fernando Torres who earlier this week was reported to be made available by Chelsea for a cut price £20 million in January has been told by manager Andre Villas-Boas to up his game and prove he has the right to wear the coveted number 9 jersey at Stamford Bridge.

Villas-Boas came out on Thursday and stated that Torres was not for sale at any price, after mounting media speculation suggested that Chelsea were prepared to cut their losses on their record signing and let him leave next month during the transfer window.

However, speaking to the media before Chelsea’s trip away to Wigan on Saturday in the Premier League, Villas-Boas told the gathered media:

“It’s not true, he is not available at any price. We are pretty sure when Fernando is called up he will respond with the quality and talent he has. We have to make the best decisions for the team.”

Villas-Boas is obviously of the view that Torres is still of the quality that earnt him a £50 million move to Stamford Bridge and is now imploring the Spanish international to live up to his huge price tag and also earn the right to wear the number 9 on his shirt.

This view is also shared by former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez who brought Torres to England from Atletico Madrid whilst Liverpool manager, with Benitez speaking to the BBC saying:

“He has to work hard in the training sessions and be ready. Drogba is playing well now but he will leave. Fernando has to show he is as good as we know he is.”

← Van Persie Set to Break Premier League Goal Scoring Record

Wenger Gives Hint on £16m January Pursuit

Posted on December 16, 2011 by www.soccer - facebook.com

Arsene Wenger has denied that Arsenal are chasing £16 million-rated winger Lukas Podolski, while theGermany international currently considers a move abroad.

Podolski has starred for Cologne since joining the club in 2009, but he has admitted he is not completely satisfied with the side, and would like to leave the Bundesliga completely.

“I find it very difficult to imagine a change to another club in the Bundesliga,’ he said this week.

“If I leave Cologne, joining a foreign club appeals to me. When I look at the inquiries already received, I am looking to see if the club plays international or Champions League football.”

Arsenal were flagged as the club most likely to sign Podolski in January, but today Wenger insisted that he won’t be pursuing the 26 year old in the next window.

When asked in his press conference if the manager would be taking on the star, he replied with an emphatic ‘no’.

Van Persie Set to Break Premier League Goal Scoring Record

The Dutchman needs four goals in the Gunners four remaining matches of 2011 to break Alan Shearer’s record.

Van Persie has said of his form: “I feel I’m a real no. 9 now, I think like a striker. Sometimes I amaze even myself on that.”

Van Persie scored his 33rd goal of the year last weekend and has been averaging 1.03 goals per game, compared to Shearer’s 0.86 in 1995 and Thierry Henry’s 0.87 in 2004. Trips to Manchester City and Aston Villa, followed by home games with Wolves and QPR, provide the captain with a very realistic opportunity to crown his magnificent year by breaking the record.

Shearer, the all time Premier League top goal scorer, firmly believes that the 28-year-old can surpass his tally from 1995: “He will beat my total of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year. Records are there to be broken and I can think of no better striker than the Dutchman to write his name in the history books.”

Arsene Wenger has praised the maturity of his top scorer. “When he first joined Arsenal [in 2004] Robin was nervous, he was impatient, like every young player. Now he is completely different. I give the most credit in my job to those who can change,” explained the manager.

Wenger signed Van Persie from Feyenoord for £3m – just a fraction of his value today. And with Arsenal failing to win a trophy in any of the past six seasons, many fear the star striker could look to move elsewhere.

However, Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood is confident that there are no concerns over the striker’s desire to be at the club. “I think Robin wants to stay,” he said. “Nothing has been discussed, though it is obvious we want him stay. He doesn’t want to talk about a contract now and that’s fine with us.”

Despite his obvious goal scoring ability, things haven’t always been easy for the Dutch international. Serious ankle and foot injuries had caused him to miss large chunks of previous campaigns. He was limited to 19 league starts last season and just 14 before that in the 2009/2010 season.

“There have been nagging doubts in the past about his fitness and his ability to play a long spell of games without interruption,” said Shearer. “He has put that right over the last year and proved beyond doubt he is up there with the world’s best.”

Wenger said: “He’s had an outstanding season so let’s hope we can keep him fit.”

Van Persie has scored some spectacular goals in his time, including Saturday’s audacious volley against Everton. “Normally I would have taken a touch to get it right. It was a bit of a gamble but in the end a very nice goal just inside the post. I can’t wish for more,” he explained.

Shearer, the scorer of some exceptional goals himself, said: “Van Persie can score goals any way you like. He puts away headers, tap-ins and rockets.”

With Arsenal in the knockout phases of the Champions League and the Netherlands looking good for Euro 2012 success, while their talisman is in such scintillating form in front of goal, it looks set to be a very happy new year for Robin van Persie.

By Robert Bosworth

Rooney wants Europa triumph

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has set his sights on winning the Europa League.

United will play in Europe’s second-tier competition in the new year after being sent crashing out of the Champions League by Basel last week.

While that came as a shock to a club that has played in three of the past four Champions League finals, Rooney does not want to dwell on that disappointment any longer.

The 26-year-old wants to make the most of the challenges that remain this season and, as well as defending the Premier League title, that includes Europa League success.

When asked if he was looking forward to playing in the Europa League, Rooney said: “Definitely.

“It’s a shame we’re out of the Champions League. That’s what we all want to play in.

“Unfortunately we went out and now we turn our attention to the Premier League and Europa League.

“I don’t think the manager’s won the Europa League, so I’m sure he’ll want to win it.

“Every competition we enter we want to win.

“There are some good teams but we have to believe, keep working and hopefully we can go on and win it.”

Rooney was speaking to the club’s website, www.manutd.com, in a live webchat with supporters.

The United talisman is also not fazed by the prospect of facing arch-rival Manchester City in the FA Cup third round next month.

City won 6-1 last time the sides met and with the teams first and second in the Premier League, the tie was the undoubted highlight of the cup draw.

Rooney said: “I was in my car at the time. I was driving from my house to Liverpool to see my mum and dad.

“When I got in I put the TV on and saw the draw.

“Both teams would probably rather have met each other later on but it’s a great team to play in and if you win it then you know you’ve knocked one of your main competitors out.”

United bounced back from its defeat in Switzerland by beating Wolves 4-1 last weekend but a serious injury toNemanja Vidic and a further enforced absence for Darren Fletcher have dampened spirits.

Defender and captain Vidic will miss the rest of the season with knee ligament damage while midfielder Fletcher is taking an indefinite break to recover from the bowel condition ulcerative colitis.

Rooney said: “The two of them are both important players for us.

“With Nemanja being our captain it’s a shame we’ve lost him for the season as he’s a great defender. But the younger lads have been great.

“It’s a shame for Darren, too – he’s a great player and a great person.

“Hopefully he gets well soon and comes back strongly for us.”

Rooney discussed a number of issues ranging from career highlights and role models to his choice of menu if appearing on a TV cookery programme as he spoke to the website for half an hour.

Rooney infamously threatened to leave United when he submitted a transfer request last year but he backtracked and later admitted he had made a big mistake.

He is now firm in his love of the club and made that clear when asked what he liked most about life at Old Trafford.

“Winning,” said Rooney, who joined United from Everton in 2004. “It’s a successful club and it’s an honour to play here.

“I’m proud to have played here for such a long time. For the players, the fans, the manager… we all play to win and when you do that it’s an amazing feeling.”

Drogba future uncertain, admits Villas-Boas

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas admits Didier Drogba’s Chelsea future remains unresolved — but insists Fernando Torres is going nowhere.

The prospect of both strikers remaining at the club has been thrown into doubt with Drogba tipped to follow Nicolas Anelka to China while there has been mounting speculation the Blues could be ready to cut their losses on Torres.

But Villas-Boas — whose side will attempt to secure a fourth successive Premier League win at Wigan this weekend — insists he is anxious to keep both forwards at Stamford Bridge.

Drogba, 33, has emerged as Villas-Boas’s first choice striker during Chelsea’s recent upturn in form but is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

Speaking before the trip to Wigan, the manager admitted the length of any new deal was proving to be a sticking point — but is hopeful terms can be agreed.

“It’s between a two-year and a one-year and we’re waiting to make the best decision possible,” Villas-Boas said.

“The situation is on-going and we hope to solve it. Whatever the outcome or agreement, or non-agreement,there will be no question of his professionalism and integrity and he will keep on representing Chelsea this season.

“Didier’s importance is straightforward, it’s not just because he is performing now. The conversation has been on-going since the beginning and we’ll continue to push for that.

“It’s not up to me to speak about what is in Didier’s mind at the moment regarding his future.

“What I think is clear is that he is pretty much involved with Chelsea and his mindset is on competing with his colleagues for this club. That’s the most gratifying thing, the commitment from the player. His professionalism is not in question.”

Chelsea’s season has been revived in the last two weeks with victory over Valencia securing a place in the last 16 of the Champions League before the 2-1 win over Manchester City left Villas-Boas’s side just seven points off the pace in the Premier League.

Torres, though, has been forced to watch from the substitutes’ bench, triggering reports the Spaniard might be offloaded for a cut-price £20 million, just 12 months after he arrived from Liverpool in a £50 million record deal.

Villas-Boas remains adamant the Spain international is not for sale, however. “It’s not true. I’m sorry,” he said. “He is not available at any price, for sure.”

Victory at the DW Stadium will reduce the gap on leaders Manchester City to just four points with Roberto Mancini’s side due to face Arsenal the following day.

And while Villas-Boas has no new injuries to contend with, he conceded Michael Essien, absent all season with a knee injury, is still a month away from full fitness and expects the Ghana international to miss the African Cup of Nations.

“We’re looking at mid-January, that’s the best we can think about. There was a setback at the beginning of December if I’m not wrong which took him back 10 days and that’s extended into January, so I don’t think he will go to the African Cup of Nations,” the manager said.

Wigan have been lifted by the victory at West Bromwich Albion that moved them out of the bottom three and revived hopes they can escape relegation.

Like Villas-Boas, Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has also been forced to deny reports his main striker could quit the club in January.

Hugo Rodallega is also out of contract next summer but Martinez said: “Hugo Rodallega is a professional and has been a very important member of this football club. He still is.

“He has had a stop-start season and we were fortunate his injury at Everton was not as bad as we feared.

“Now it is a matter of getting back to his best. There is no hidden agenda or anything complicated.”

INIESTA: “WE PLAYED WITH THE SAME RESPECT IN THE FIELD OF L’HOSPITALET IN SAN SIRO”

A Iniesta not only asked about the Al Sadd, rival on Thursday, but the manchego also had to answer some questions about the classic Saturday. ”It’s nice that people are euphoric, happy with us and the party of Bernabéu. From the distance we noticed the euphoria of the people,” he said. Although nuanced: “There is much league yet. Not decide anything in December.” 

“I was convinced that the team could do well against Real Madrid. When you win a game like this gives you a bonus for all that lies ahead. I do not know how it will affect the defeat to Madrid,” he added. 

And said: “I do not think it costs us more to us when facing the away games. Where do we go ready to play the games. If we have not achieved positive results in areas more ‘modest’ is for other reasons. We played with the same respect in the field of Hospitalet in San Siro. ” 

In relation to adaptation to the Asian country and their schedules, Iniesta said: “We are able. It is not easy to adapt to something new, a new schedule. Everything is different toSpain, to which live there. These days we are trying to sleep well adapted to the schedule here. compete well. There are very excited that everything goes well. ” 

On his way when, after good football recital he gave at the Bernabeu, Iniesta said he is “either way, at a time is good as the equipment. Every little bit helps. When the team works well, the players as well. It is a logical relationship. Eager to make a good world, ending the year with a title. That’s what’s important. ” 

On Al Sadd, said that the Blaugrana have seen several videos on the Asian champions and highlighted three players: Niang, Belhadj and Keita. 

Finally, Iniesta expressed his desire to reach the final of ‘Mundialito’: “Beyond the motivation of getting back in the Club World Cup, a couple of years I had many problems with injuries and could not play the final . Now, hopefully come and win the title to finish the year very happy. ”