Whilst Wenger is rightly pursuing additional centre-backs, there is one player on our books who is could do a job for us either this season failing that definitely next season (2012/13), that player is Kyle Bartley.

Bartley is a tall, strong, ball-playing, commanding centre half.  He is 20 years old and 6ft 3” and English. Bartley  joined Arsenal from  Bolton in 2007.

He spent his apprenticeship in the reserves and youth team, but like many of Arsenal’s youngsters he was given an early debut in December 2009 against Olympiakos in the Champions League..



Soon after his debut, Bartley went on loan to Sheffield United and played 14 games.  At the start of the 2010-11 season Bartley once again joined Sheffield United , playing a further 21 games.

In January 2011 Kyle joined Rangers, a move that surprised many, a move that many thought will see Bartley spend the season on the bench. This was not the case, Bartley was involved in Rangers drive for the title and in the European adventure, playing predominantly as a holding midfield player

So impressed were Rangers for Bartley that they have asked for Arsenal to let him go back for another season. Wenger has not yet responded.

Will Wenger take Bartley on the Far East tour and play him in midfield or central defence?  If Arsenal buy Samba and, or Cahill  Bartley’s opportunity to play in defence will be limited this season, but Wenger might have liked what he saw of Bartley in midfield and try him out in that position.



Whatever happens in the transfer market and in pre-season, Arsenal must keep Bartley at any costs.  He will develop next season into a top defender or defensive midfielder, he then needs to be given the opportunity to play, just as we have given Djourou, Denilson and Diaby so too must Bartley be given first team opportunities.  There would be nothing more tragic than to see an archetypal English centre forward leave the club when that is what we have all been crying out for.

Feyenoord technical director Martin van Geel will weigh up all options before deciding whether to sign Arsenal winger Ryo Miyaichi on another loan deal.


The 18-year-old Japanese was bought by the Gunners in January and immediately loaned out to the Eredivisie side, where he quickly became a fans' favourite.


Reports have suggested Miyaichi could head back to Feyenoord next season for another loan spell, but despite making a huge impression there, Van Geel insists such a deal is not as clear-cut as people may think.


"Ryo has definitely been of great value to us," he told Voetbal International.


"The lad has done very well with us, but we also have to look at our own players.


"In Sekou Cisse and Jerson Cabral we have two players able to work just as well as Ryo in the same position. We cannot turn a blind eye to that.


"Therefore we will go through everything and then make a considered decision whether it is wise to bring in Ryo."

The Daily Star is reporting today (Wednesday) that West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie has refused to join Arsenal. Odemwingie has been linked with a move to Arsenal this summer after he prolific season for West Brom where he found the back of the net 15 times for the Baggies.

Now Arsenal were set to make a move for the striker and add him to our squad but it is thought that Odemwingie is not happy with the amount of money Arsenal are set to offer him.

A source close to Odemwingie said: “Peter is not happy that, while the Gunners are willing to meet West Brom’s transfer fee, there will not be much change in his personal terms.

“The club are proposing what he considers to be peanuts for him.”

Arsenal are said to be willing to offer West Brom £4million for the striker. How much does Odemwingie himself want? I am sure since he is 29 years old, this could be the last big contract of his career and thus he wants to milk it for as much as he can. Well he has picked the wrong club if that is what he has in mind as we are very tight on the contracts we offer players.

dak aveti trimiteti-o pls.

Alex McLeish has moved from being manager of Birmingham City (whom he has just seen relegated) to Aston Villa, (who would like to see themselves as challengers to the top four, and who actually were challengers for a while until a previous manager decided to send a reserve team to Russia).


I heard the news that this seemed to be on the cards when Ian sent me a text while I was on holiday in France.  I texted back saying, “I can’t believe it.  The Villa fans will never stand for it.”

I didn’t express that opinion through any specific knowledge of Villa or Birmingham fans, but simply knowing that they are the big rivals.  It is obvious, simple and straightforward: they hate each other.

Now it is true (as we are all painfully aware) that McLeish has brought Birmingham a cup.  But given that he has also brought relegation he can’t actually be seen to be a big success at Birmingham.  More like an abject failure.

And this issue of success matters because it affects the way fans see transfers between rivals.  When Sol came from the Evil Empire to Arsenal I believe he was widely welcomed because it was a slap around the face for the Tinies.  Sol was their best player, and he had reached the end of his contract and so was a free agent.  He chose us.  Ha ha ha.  Well I laughed and so did my pal Roger.  And as Sol began to take control of the defence we laughed even more.

But McLeish to Villa is a matter of a different colour.  He’s a lesser being, a little man, a person of minor significance, who did one great thing as far as a Villa fan sees it – he got the BlueNoses sent down to their spiritual home in the second division.  He was also manager of Scotland, and you don’t get much lower than that.

Now the Villa mob are up in arms and burning their season tickets (so I am told).  And what has this man got to say about it all.  He has “expressed surprise at the level of anger he has provoked”.

Surprise???????

That is like saying “when the 10 ton lorry hit my leg I was surprised at the pain I felt.”

What sort of moron do you have to be to be surprised at Villa fans’ anger?  10,000 Brums have joined a Facebook campaign calling on Villa’s owner, Randy Lerner, not to hire the McLeish.  He has received death threats and the graffiti everywhere is what we might call “offensive”.  That is not surprising.

To which the new man responds:

“Moving across the city has stirred some emotions, which I did not anticipate.”

Then Mr McLeish, your knowledge of football is somewhat lower than my ability to play defensive midfield for the Benelux Supporters Club in the recent five a side tournament on the Emirates pitch.  You are a dolt, Mr McLeish because football is about tribalism, passion, the heart, one’s club, one’s values, one’s origins.  Which bit of “it is all about emotions” do you not get?

Here’s another reason why people might get angry.  He resigned from Birmingham via an email sent to the club’s acting chairman.  Does that give Villa fans the confidence that this is a man of upstanding probity who will stay in his job?

So now what is this turnip talking about?  He is talking about winning Villa fans over!!!!!!!!!
But that’s not enough.  He is now saying to the media that the Villa job is less of a footballing job than managing in Scotland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Here’s the quote…
“I took criticism at Rangers, and it doesn’t come tougher than up there.”  Oh thank you for that Mr Stupid.  That may or may not be true but it certainly didn’t make any of the Birmingham situation a lot better.  It might help Villa fans forget that the Birmingham style of play was about as boring as it is possible to get.  37 goals last year.  Very good.  But it won’t stop them thinking, “this man is a maniac.  He comes to Villa and tells us that managing in Scotland is bigger than managing our club”.

Of course you might think that having put both feet right in it he might move to the Seychelles for a while, but no.  Here he is again:  “I wouldn’t say Birmingham played bad football.”  Oh right.  Another nice one for his new found friends at Villa.

Birmingham are of course laughing at having got rid of such a failure, having annoyed their neighbours, and having the chance of picking up some much needed money (they want £5.4m in compensation).  Villa are believed to have told Birmingham that given that the manager got them relegated 5.4p would be a more realistic amount.

By and large, looking at McLeish’s track record in fan management, they are probably right.

WTTGT can exclusively reveal the Arsenal defender, Gael Clichy has left the club and signed for French Ligue 1 side, Paris St. Germain. The French international has endured a mixed season, and many fans will not be suprised to learn the Frenchman has left the club.

Clichy, who was seen as the long-term successor to Ashley Cole, has been linked with several clubs including Inter Milan, Roma and Liverpool in recent weeks but a move back to his homeland seems to have enticed the full-back to the French capital.

A WTTGT source said: "Clichy has signed for PSG for £10m. I would expect an announcement from the club in the next few days."

Paris St. Germain have recently been taken over by a Qatar Investment Authority and have a hefty transfer budget to play with this summer. Their £10m deal for Clichy is not expected to be their last as they chase four more big signings this summer.