Just Arsenal News

Arsene Wenger is more than happy with his last minute signing of the transfer window Mikel Arteta, and says that he is already a key part of the new Arsenal squad.

“Mikel has taken a big importance in our team very quickly,” Wenger said. “Of course I knew about his talent, but he is a winner. He wants to win. He is a perfectionist guy who wants to give his heart to the team to win football games.

“He is absolutely fantastic. He’s a guy who can bring the extra technical ability and works hard for the team as well – offensively and defensively. .......Read the full article here

Bob Wilson has fond memories of Arsene Wenger, not just as a manager, but as a true gentleman who has helped him through some tough times in recent years. He thought he had seen it all at Arsenal when he won the double back in 1971 as a player, but his mind soon changed when Arsene took over in 1996.

Wilson said, “If you’d said when he arrived that I would see the best football Arsenal has ever played and some of the greatest players the world has ever seen, I wouldn’t have believed you. If you had said I would go on to watch us play in the Champions League for the next 15 years, win three titles, five FA Cups, get to three Carling Cup finals and the final of the Champions League, my reply would have ended in ‘off’.” .......Read the full article here

I don’t know what it was like not having Wenger as Arsenal’s manager, probably because I was barely alive when he took over from Bruce Rioch in August 1996. So for me, it is hard to come to grips even with the idea that one day he may leave Arsenal as I couldn’t imagine anyone else in his position. But this season has opened my eyes to the inevitability of him eventually saying goodbye to the club, and even the people supporting him, which includes myself, have to realise that change is drastically needed somewhere in our club. Yet I feel Wenger is not the cog that needs cleaning, and his criticism has been unfounded and unfair. .......Read the full article here

The Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp believes that Arsene Wenger is in pole position to pick up the Premiership title for Arsenal after the Gunners were knocked out of all three cup competitions in the space of a fortnight.

Arsenal still have a game in hand (against Spurs at White Hart Lane), but with Tottenham, Man Utd and Chelsea still in the Champions League Redknapp believes Arsenal will have it easy thanks to the lack of midweek games.

“Arsenal have got an unbelievable chance of winning the championship now,” Redknapp said.

“They are the only team with a clear run at it so you’d have to think they’ve got the best chance they’re ever going to have. .......Read the full article here

The Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is extremely happy to see the way that Aaron Ramsey has recovered from his broken leg, and he is amazed by the progress he has made on the training ground in the last month.

“He is back running and he is back kicking the ball,” Wenger said. “You would be amazed if you saw him in training – he has suddenly in the last month made a huge step forward. If I consider now when I look at him, you see his smile again.

“He has changed since six months ago because he has the feeling that the worst is behind him and everyday he is getting closer to what he wants to be, and that means being a football player. .......Read the full article here

The Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner hasn’t played for the Gunners since April, but he believes that his recovery from the never-ending groin injury has been so successful that he will be able to take part in this weekends game against Birmingham.

“It feels absolutely fantastic,” said Bendtner.

“I am sure that I will be involved in the Arsenal game on Saturday, which I am looking so much forward to that after my long injury break.

“I actually believed that I would have to play a couple of reserve games to be completely match fit, but after training with the Arsenal staff and physical trainer, I am probably in the best physical shape ever. .......Read the full article here

The little Russian maestro Andrei Arshavin scored a goal in Arsenal’s 6-0 rout of Braga last night before being taken off after an hour, but he doesn’t think that the team played any better than usual!

“I wouldn’t say we played a fantastic match. We’ve shown what we can do and that we know how to play football.

“Generally, at home we always play a good match. The main thing is that we won and lead the standings.

“We were able to score early and after this the game opened up and we were on a roll. But the return game will be much more difficult. They have some quality players and in some moves you could see they have high skill. .......Read the full article here