One More Season For Hoyte? Big Phil Gets Felt Up by Old Lady

As the dust begins to settle on the Ljungberg transfer the papers…aren’t really stirring it up. So I thought I would. See if I can’t get my story nicked and splashed all over the back pages.

I was watching Sky Sports News last night after a spot of Pro Evo, which I am finding difficult to play these days as most of the squad have left (I like to keep it real. Man), only to have my beef with Ljungberg exacerbated by hearing him accuse Arsene of telling him that we would make big signings and not living up to his promise.

Freddie said, “Arsenal claimed that despite building a new stadium, we were going to stay on top. For me that hasn’t happened. “Two years ago, when I signed my last contract, we talked a lot about whether we were going to be bringing in a lot of big players. It was a difficult decision but when Thierry Henry left, it felt like the end. It’s all a bit sad. I wanted to stay loyal but I felt it was time to go. We have let a lot of players leave”

It’s sad that Freddie felt the need to say that as he’s normally a nice lad, but I guess he felt a little pissed at his role being reduced to that of a squad player and couldn’t resist a swipe at the club. Nevertheless, if someone’s going to pay you £60, 000 a week and give you regular first team football then it can be a tempting offer for a 30 year old.

However, Wenger didn’t so much as hit back, as deftly nudge it through the slips. He said, “I’m just looking to develop the players we have here. Just in central midfield, we have Abou Diaby, Denilson, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini and Gilberto. On the wings, we can play Aleksandr Hleb, Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky and Emmanuel Eboue. So we have plenty. All these players are on the way up, getting better and better. They are not over the hill. Their level is still rising. And it is not necessarily the case that because a club spends £50m they are any better”.

I’m sure Arsene is smugly reassured to know that I agree. All it takes is a couple of class acts and some solid team players to make a title winning team, and in this young Arsenal team Wenger has some beauties. And just because it’s not cost a lot to do doesn’t mean it can’t prove highly successful. But what is interesting is that Arsene mentions Emmanuel Eboue as a winger.

Now there was some speculation about why sign Bacary Sagna so soon after both Eboue and Justin Hoyte had just signed new deals. Perhaps Le Boss’ plan is to play Eboue more as a wide midfielder, with Sagna playing at right back or in a Grimandi style defensive midfield role. With Eboue off to the ACoN, Hoyte is a good man to have around, but how will he fare after the tournament and there is competition from not one, but two good right backs? Now, this is where the stirring starts; hacks get ready on the old Ctrl+C. Arsene Wenger will give Hoyte a season to prove himself a worthy player, or he will probably find himself in the shop window. Reading have been linked in a £2million deal already this summer, but that really is the papers stirring. Hoyte needs to at least have a good run in the side again (20+ games last season), and be assessed against the other two before Wenger decides whether to let him see out his contract.

One player who is being linked with a move away from Ashburton Grove is Phillipe Senderos. The Mirror reckon he’s bummed out at being fourth choice for a centre back birth and Juve are interested. I’d have to say that although I rate Big Phil, I think he’s not progressed as much as he should have and that he could find himself on the move if the right offer comes in.

That’s your lot for tonight.  Easy folks