Arsenal as a club and their supporters have had to put up with a whole year of Barcelona players trying to poach Cesc Fabregas, and their statements have been getting more and more outlandish. Well now I think that every Arsenal fan should become a fully paid-up supporter of Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid, as well as wishing that we get drawn against Barcelona in the Group Stages of the Champions League, as we are now officially at war!

Now that Arsene Wenger has won the opening skirmishes in the war to keep Fabregas, Barcelona have stooped even lower, with Xavi being the first to spit his dummy out at losing his little playmate for next season. He said: “We’ve given up on the idea of him arriving now, but maybe he’ll come in January when Arsenal are out of the Premier League title race. Their team are just not competitive.”

“Arsenal are wrong to have forced him to remain there, they can’t just hold him against his will,”

After that childish statement, I can’t wait for Barcelona to come to the Emirates this season. Not only will they get booed as soon as the plane lands, but I hope that Koscielny and Vermaelen break a few legs while Arsenal are murdering them 5-0 to knock the Spanish whingers out of the Champions League.

And as for Fabregas, he has signed a five year contract at Arsenal and Wenger must make sure he honours it, even if he has to put his DNA in the reserves, rather than let Barcelona get their grubby hands on him……

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp believes the likes of Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere have no business lurking around the England squad, with regards to their recent call up to the national team.

Speaking to the Daily Mail old Harry wasted no time in sending his message across, as can be imagined our controversial fellow asked questions that begged for answers - in fact, he preferred a swipe aimed at Capello and his somewhat weak squad to advise on what must be done to avoid a similar World Cup occurence in the near future.

"It is a strange old squad.

"Suddenly players not good enough for the World Cup are in the England squad. It's unusual that players not in their club's team are in the England squad.

"Jack Wilshere is a good prospect but I thought England were supposed to do better than any club side. Maybe Arsenal are better than England."

Flattering isn't it? Or maybe Harry for once is right. England is a country blessed with a lot of young and talented players who play regularly for their respective clubs, little wonder he isn't a fan of the Italian's stringent squad selection policy. Fabio
Capello dropped players that were not opportuned to taste action at the just concluded Mundial much to the chagrin of many keen observers, and retained players that have failed to live up to the lofty expectations of the England faithful. It can be argued that some of the players Harry referred to as 'not good enough' for the England team, are actually struggling for a major break at their respective clubs with an exception of a meagre few.

Well, for the sake of The Arsenal, Harry is wrong; first of all, for insulting and undermining the capability of our young Wilshere, and secondly for failing to acknowlege the boy's importance to the Gunners as well as, the rapidity at which he's improved over the last season.

Arsenal will face Liverpool this Sunday at Anfield knowing that key players like Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie could miss the game.

With Nicklas Bendtner already ruled out with no date set for his return, manager Arsene Wenger knows that the two World Cup Finalists have only just joined the rest of the squad for pre-season training and mid-week International friendlies will make the task of having the two available for the Premiership game even more difficult.

Besides, the Spaniard – together with striker Carlo Vela – will have to take on an uncomfortable journey to Mexico for the game which will commemorate the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence which could leave Marouane Chamakh as the only regular available striker for Sunday.

The Frenchman concluded by indeed saying how both the Spaniard and the Dutchman will be short of fitness as he added how they will both be assessed on Friday.

Ahead of Liverpool, Wenger said:

Quote:

They are a lot behind. Cesc goes to Mexico so he will not be able to practice. I will have to see how both are on Friday. But they are both short. Cesc comes back on Thursday night or Friday, so we’ll have to see. I hope Van Persie will have a good week of preparation, but I think he will be short as well.