Arteta

[piresistible]

Mate you can argue with some justification that flamini did well enough to hold his place that season and I can understand that but there is no way you will convince me that flamini was a better player than diarra

Over the course of time yes i agree with you. Diarra is a bulldog in that midlfield but Flamini was playing like a work horse from heaven during that season and Diarra wanted out as he was playing second fiddle. But as i Said he is highly rated but no one wants - read reports in the summer 2 bungs harry wanted him but said couldnt afford his wages - if he reaklly wanted game time he'd have taken the pay cut and gone to spurs.

[kiwomya]

Mate you can argue with some justification that flamini did well enough to hold his place that season and I can understand that but there is no way you will convince me that flamini was a better player than diarra

I know Diarra has turned in some performances for other clubs since but Flamini was already in the position and playing well, why change it? Diarra may well have been a better option eventually but he didn't have the patience to wait. Had he still been at the club at the end of the season he would have no doubt replaced Flamini when he went to Milan.

Diarra didn't think HE would be the one having to challenge for a position. The comments he made at the time made it sound like he thought it would be the other way round and he would be the starter.

[SteveO 35]

We needed to sign a midfield general like Barton who would scare our precious pampered babies and lead this team.

We got Arteta, who is not that. Now what can we do, this team has zero leaders so we wont win anything anytime soon.

Yeah Barton looked great at WHL when the Spurs midfield were zipping the ball around. Are you seriously suggesting that he would improve this side.

Should never have let Diarra leave. He would have been the perfect CDM - strong, athletic and mobile. But Arseneknows failed to understand that having rescued him from being Chelsea's reserve right back, that he didn't take kindly to being a reserve here. Strange that

Diarra had an attitude and didn't want to fight for his place.

Whether you like it or not, Flamini was flying that season and fully warranted his place in the side.

Well done on today's Most Predictable Response thread. You obviously knew the guy well. Strange that when he went to Portsmouth and drove them to their first trophy before being sold at quadruple the figure we let him go for his attitude seemed fine.

If someone signed you where you were being used as a reserve to start with on the basis that you were going to play...and then whenever you did play you ran the game and played at a tempo that the guy ahead of you could only dream of....how would your attitude be.

Still we've got Song, Coquelin and Frimpong now so why worry eh ?

Calm down mate. Judging by your response you didn't hear or read anything he said when he was at Arsenal. You also didn't pay attention to how good Flamini was.

Diarra went to Pompey because he was guarenteed to play. Arsenal had a more established midfield at the time with Flamini finally showing what he could do.

Not sure about him running anything in the handful of games he played for Arsenal.

No thats right mate, I know nothing. I had my eyes and ears closed all the way through the Carling Cup game at Blackburn when we were down to 10 men and Diarra carried the team through almost single-handedly. Look back at the handful of chances he was given rather than be swayed by all the tabloid bollocks that surfaced about his attutude problem.

Flamini's hardly been pulling up trees since he went to Milan, so much so that after his first year there was talk of him returning to clubs here on loan. I think you'll find in this day and age its slightly more challenging to get into Madrid's side (which Diarra did regularly for a year) than Milan's Dad's Army.

I watched Flamini week in, week out mate. An average plodder who showed up in the final season ahead of his contract renewal. Before that he was fucking useless and I remember watching Chelsea piss all over us at the proper THOF with him in midfield and more than a few fans getting on his case. He fits into the Nasri, Hleb and Adebayor one season wonder category in my book. All anyone chooses to remember is his last year. It's a manager's job to recognise that even if a player is playing well he can be dropped if it improves the team. Wenger came close to treading on the rake with Chesney, but thankfully Flapper got injured and saved us another issue of an infinitely better player leaving because he was frustrated not to play.

Still on the plus side Flamini did take out the odd Spurs player or two last season

[piresistible]

Yeah Barton looked great at WHL when the Spurs midfield were zipping the ball around. Are you seriously suggesting that he would improve this side.

Should never have let Diarra leave. He would have been the perfect CDM - strong, athletic and mobile. But Arseneknows failed to understand that having rescued him from being Chelsea's reserve right back, that he didn't take kindly to being a reserve here. Strange that

Diarra had an attitude and didn't want to fight for his place.

Whether you like it or not, Flamini was flying that season and fully warranted his place in the side.

Well done on today's Most Predictable Response thread. You obviously knew the guy well. Strange that when he went to Portsmouth and drove them to their first trophy before being sold at quadruple the figure we let him go for his attitude seemed fine.

If someone signed you where you were being used as a reserve to start with on the basis that you were going to play...and then whenever you did play you ran the game and played at a tempo that the guy ahead of you could only dream of....how would your attitude be.

Still we've got Song, Coquelin and Frimpong now so why worry eh ?

Calm down mate. Judging by your response you didn't hear or read anything he said when he was at Arsenal. You also didn't pay attention to how good Flamini was.

Diarra went to Pompey because he was guarenteed to play. Arsenal had a more established midfield at the time with Flamini finally showing what he could do.

Not sure about him running anything in the handful of games he played for Arsenal.

No thats right mate, I know nothing. I had my eyes and ears closed all the way through the Carling Cup game at Blackburn when we were down to 10 men and Diarra carried the team through almost single-handedly. Look back at the handful of chances he was given rather than be swayed by all the tabloid bollocks that surfaced about his attutude problem.

Flamini's hardly been pulling up trees since he went to Milan, so much so that after his first year there was talk of him returning to clubs here on loan. I think you'll find in this day and age its slightly more challenging to get into Madrid's side (which Diarra did regularly for a year) than Milan's Dad's Army.

I watched Flamini week in, week out mate. An average plodder who showed up in the final season ahead of his contract renewal. Before that he was fucking useless and I remember watching Chelsea piss all over us at the proper THOF with him in midfield and more than a few fans getting on his case. He fits into the Nasri, Hleb and Adebayor one season wonder category in my book. All anyone chooses to remember is his last year. It's a manager's job to recognise that even if a player is playing well he can be dropped if it improves the team. Wenger came close to treading on the rake with Chesney, but thankfully Flapper got injured and saved us another issue of an infinitely better player leaving because he was frustrated not to play.

Still on the plus side Flamini did take out the odd Spurs player or two last season

Have to disagree slightly - i think it was an attitude problem mate - even at madrid he was slagging of the manager for not gettting a run up in the team (this was when he was getting playing time at madrid). as soon as he gets the chop from madrid 1st team not a whimper to be heard

[kiwomya]

Yeah Barton looked great at WHL when the Spurs midfield were zipping the ball around. Are you seriously suggesting that he would improve this side.

Should never have let Diarra leave. He would have been the perfect CDM - strong, athletic and mobile. But Arseneknows failed to understand that having rescued him from being Chelsea's reserve right back, that he didn't take kindly to being a reserve here. Strange that

Diarra had an attitude and didn't want to fight for his place.

Whether you like it or not, Flamini was flying that season and fully warranted his place in the side.

Well done on today's Most Predictable Response thread. You obviously knew the guy well. Strange that when he went to Portsmouth and drove them to their first trophy before being sold at quadruple the figure we let him go for his attitude seemed fine.

If someone signed you where you were being used as a reserve to start with on the basis that you were going to play...and then whenever you did play you ran the game and played at a tempo that the guy ahead of you could only dream of....how would your attitude be.

Still we've got Song, Coquelin and Frimpong now so why worry eh ?

Calm down mate. Judging by your response you didn't hear or read anything he said when he was at Arsenal. You also didn't pay attention to how good Flamini was.

Diarra went to Pompey because he was guarenteed to play. Arsenal had a more established midfield at the time with Flamini finally showing what he could do.

Not sure about him running anything in the handful of games he played for Arsenal.

No thats right mate, I know nothing. I had my eyes and ears closed all the way through the Carling Cup game at Blackburn when we were down to 10 men and Diarra carried the team through almost single-handedly. Look back at the handful of chances he was given rather than be swayed by all the tabloid bollocks that surfaced about his attutude problem.

Flamini's hardly been pulling up trees since he went to Milan, so much so that after his first year there was talk of him returning to clubs here on loan. I think you'll find in this day and age its slightly more challenging to get into Madrid's side (which Diarra did regularly for a year) than Milan's Dad's Army.

I watched Flamini week in, week out mate. An average plodder who showed up in the final season ahead of his contract renewal. Before that he was fucking useless and I remember watching Chelsea piss all over us at the proper THOF with him in midfield and more than a few fans getting on his case. He fits into the Nasri, Hleb and Adebayor one season wonder category in my book. All anyone chooses to remember is his last year. It's a manager's job to recognise that even if a player is playing well he can be dropped if it improves the team. Wenger came close to treading on the rake with Chesney, but thankfully Flapper got injured and saved us another issue of an infinitely better player leaving because he was frustrated not to play.

Still on the plus side Flamini did take out the odd Spurs player or two last season

I remember us putting out a team of squad players for that game but fail to remember his performance. He didn't fancy fighting for his place so he left. For Portsmouth.

What Flamini has done since has nothing to do with how good he was in the season that Diarra was with the club.

The one season wonder thing can't be proven because how do you know he wouldn't have been just as good the following season?

[augie]

Mate you can argue with some justification that flamini did well enough to hold his place that season and I can understand that but there is no way you will convince me that flamini was a better player than diarra

I know Diarra has turned in some performances for other clubs since but Flamini was already in the position and playing well, why change it? Diarra may well have been a better option eventually but he didn't have the patience to wait. Had he still been at the club at the end of the season he would have no doubt replaced Flamini when he went to Milan.

Diarra didn't think HE would be the one having to challenge for a position. The comments he made at the time made it sound like he thought it would be the other way round and he would be the starter.

You might argue that it is easy for me to say this in hindsight but my belief has and always will be that a player that has less than 12 months left on his deal and who refuses to renew should not be playing for the club under any circumstances. What kind of message does it send to your other players if you are willing to shaft them (not in a sexual way of course) by playing a player who is not committed to the club, his team-mates or you as his manager ahead of players who are committed ? It is the same type of scenario that should have seen flamini hold his place in the team when cashly was caught bending over for moaninho and kenyon in the hotel that time Flamini should have been given a final contract offer and told to sign it or benchwarm for the season and see then how many big clubs would show an interest in signing them - mind you in flamini's case he has since shown that being a benchwarmer is totally ok with him

[SteveO 35]

Well, it's all about opinions. I still think Diarra is the one that got away really. We signed him for £2m and I saw enough, and clearly other teams did too, that valued him much higher.

Perhaps Flamini would have gone on to great things with us, who knows. Instead he did what Nasri has been slated for and saw his contract out whilst lining up suitors in the background. Hardly a fantastic attitude either really when you think about it.

Footballers usually get shitty when they don't play. I don't see Diarra as much different to a whole host of them. FFS, we've got people on here longing to see Tevez join; a bigger mercenary with a more stinking attitude money couldn't buy !

Anyway, its all confined to history. In the end Flamini, Diarra and Gilberto all left anyway - three international central midfielders that Wenger replaced with an 18 year old Ramsey and Coquelin at the time, and so began another replacement cycle (funny how history keeps repeating itself as we lost three international footballers this Summer too).

Oh well, it's the weekend (almost). I love you all really

[Babatunde]

We needed to sign a midfield general like Barton who would scare our precious pampered babies and lead this team.

We got Arteta, who is not that. Now what can we do, this team has zero leaders so we wont win anything anytime soon.

Yeah Barton looked great at WHL when the Spurs midfield were zipping the ball around. Are you seriously suggesting that he would improve this side.

Should never have let Diarra leave. He would have been the perfect CDM - strong, athletic and mobile. But Arseneknows failed to understand that having rescued him from being Chelsea's reserve right back, that he didn't take kindly to being a reserve here. Strange that

Diarra had an attitude and didn't want to fight for his place.

Whether you like it or not, Flamini was flying that season and fully warranted his place in the side.

LMFAO

Kiwomya you've written some Wenger-loving corkers in your time, but this one is Olympic comedy genius! Flamini deserved his place ahead of Diarra eh? Great decision that turned out to be LOL. That would be Diarra who's good enough to play for Jose's Madrid vs Flamini who can't get a game ahead of geriatric Gattuso ha ha ha ha.

Flamini was in awesome form for us that season, but Diarra was played out of position at right-back. Flamini hadn't signed an extension and should have been bombed out with Diarra kept. It ain't revisionism, everyone saw it. He wasn't gonna stay, he was always going to leave. If Flamini 'deserved his place so much' then why did Wenger almost flog him to Birmingham that same January? Absolute nonsense.

[Babatunde]

Mate you can argue with some justification that flamini did well enough to hold his place that season and I can understand that but there is no way you will convince me that flamini was a better player than diarra

I know Diarra has turned in some performances for other clubs since but Flamini was already in the position and playing well, why change it? Diarra may well have been a better option eventually but he didn't have the patience to wait. Had he still been at the club at the end of the season he would have no doubt replaced Flamini when he went to Milan.

Diarra didn't think HE would be the one having to challenge for a position. The comments he made at the time made it sound like he thought it would be the other way round and he would be the starter.

You might argue that it is easy for me to say this in hindsight but my belief has and always will be that a player that has less than 12 months left on his deal and who refuses to renew should not be playing for the club under any circumstances. What kind of message does it send to your other players if you are willing to shaft them (not in a sexual way of course) by playing a player who is not committed to the club, his team-mates or you as his manager ahead of players who are committed ? It is the same type of scenario that should have seen flamini hold his place in the team when cashly was caught bending over for moaninho and kenyon in the hotel that time Flamini should have been given a final contract offer and told to sign it or benchwarm for the season and see then how many big clubs would show an interest in signing them - mind you in flamini's case he has since shown that being a benchwarmer is totally ok with him

Augie mate it's like Nasri all over again almost: 'how was Arsene to know the player would leave'. LOL. He tried to flog Flamini to Birmingham FFS, a fee was agreed and the deal feel through. Just as when Rafa tried to flog Alonso to us so he could sign Barry, do you think Alonso/Flamini would ever forget that??!

Do you remember when Edu had a few months left on his deal and wouldn't sign? What did Wenger say about it then? If memory serves me correctly, he said that players who hadn't signed on the dotted line within the final six months could not be considered for selection, since their minds could not be fuly focused on the club they were representing. I agreed 100% with AW then and that's why Edu hardly got picked for us in the last 6 months.

Then Wenger turns round and plays Flamini every game for 6 months when we have Diarra, an infinitely better player.

I am genuinely stunned that anyone could ever ever try and convince themselves that Flamini was a better player than Diarra. That is frankly laughable.

[kiwomya]

Mate you can argue with some justification that flamini did well enough to hold his place that season and I can understand that but there is no way you will convince me that flamini was a better player than diarra

I know Diarra has turned in some performances for other clubs since but Flamini was already in the position and playing well, why change it? Diarra may well have been a better option eventually but he didn't have the patience to wait. Had he still been at the club at the end of the season he would have no doubt replaced Flamini when he went to Milan.

Diarra didn't think HE would be the one having to challenge for a position. The comments he made at the time made it sound like he thought it would be the other way round and he would be the starter.

You might argue that it is easy for me to say this in hindsight but my belief has and always will be that a player that has less than 12 months left on his deal and who refuses to renew should not be playing for the club under any circumstances. What kind of message does it send to your other players if you are willing to shaft them (not in a sexual way of course) by playing a player who is not committed to the club, his team-mates or you as his manager ahead of players who are committed ? It is the same type of scenario that should have seen flamini hold his place in the team when cashly was caught bending over for moaninho and kenyon in the hotel that time Flamini should have been given a final contract offer and told to sign it or benchwarm for the season and see then how many big clubs would show an interest in signing them - mind you in flamini's case he has since shown that being a benchwarmer is totally ok with him

Yeah the thing with his contract blew up in Wengers face. I honestly think that Wenger was certain Flamini would stay. He was best pals with Fabregas and the rest of the them. He started to finally show his potential but decided to slip out the back at the first sign of a pay rise.

I, like everyone else wished Wenger had remembered this when dealing with Nasri....

[Babatunde]

Well, it's all about opinions. I still think Diarra is the one that got away really. We signed him for £2m and I saw enough, and clearly other teams did too, that valued him much higher.

Perhaps Flamini would have gone on to great things with us, who knows. Instead he did what Nasri has been slated for and saw his contract out whilst lining up suitors in the background. Hardly a fantastic attitude either really when you think about it.

Footballers usually get shitty when they don't play. I don't see Diarra as much different to a whole host of them. FFS, we've got people on here longing to see Tevez join; a bigger mercenary with a more stinking attitude money couldn't buy !

Anyway, its all confined to history. In the end Flamini, Diarra and Gilberto all left anyway - three international central midfielders that Wenger replaced with an 18 year old Ramsey and Coquelin at the time, and so began another replacement cycle (funny how history keeps repeating itself as we lost three international footballers this Summer too).

Oh well, it's the weekend (almost). I love you all really

Steve. Flamini totally screwed Marseille to join us. Marseille had made massive efforts for him and he totally done them over, broke promises and took the money on offer with us. He'd promised them he'd sign, and did a runner - sound familiar?

So if he could do that to the club that developed him at Marseille (hello Nasri!) why on earth would he not do the same to us?

In any case. Have a good weekend!!!

[kiwomya]

We needed to sign a midfield general like Barton who would scare our precious pampered babies and lead this team.

We got Arteta, who is not that. Now what can we do, this team has zero leaders so we wont win anything anytime soon.

Yeah Barton looked great at WHL when the Spurs midfield were zipping the ball around. Are you seriously suggesting that he would improve this side.

Should never have let Diarra leave. He would have been the perfect CDM - strong, athletic and mobile. But Arseneknows failed to understand that having rescued him from being Chelsea's reserve right back, that he didn't take kindly to being a reserve here. Strange that

Diarra had an attitude and didn't want to fight for his place.

Whether you like it or not, Flamini was flying that season and fully warranted his place in the side.

LMFAO

Kiwomya you've written some Wenger-loving corkers in your time, but this one is Olympic comedy genius! Flamini deserved his place ahead of Diarra eh? Great decision that turned out to be LOL. That would be Diarra who's good enough to play for Jose's Madrid vs Flamini who can't get a game ahead of geriatric Gattuso ha ha ha ha.

Flamini was in awesome form for us that season, but Diarra was played out of position at right-back. Flamini hadn't signed an extension and should have been bombed out with Diarra kept. It ain't revisionism, everyone saw it. He wasn't gonna stay, he was always going to leave. If Flamini 'deserved his place so much' then why did Wenger almost flog him to Birmingham that same January? Absolute nonsense.

But you are taking that opinion after looking at where the players ended up about 3 or 4 years later.

Everyone saw it? you should calm down with your over-the-top claims. It doesn't help put your point across.

[SteveO 35]

Well, it's all about opinions. I still think Diarra is the one that got away really. We signed him for £2m and I saw enough, and clearly other teams did too, that valued him much higher.

Perhaps Flamini would have gone on to great things with us, who knows. Instead he did what Nasri has been slated for and saw his contract out whilst lining up suitors in the background. Hardly a fantastic attitude either really when you think about it.

Footballers usually get shitty when they don't play. I don't see Diarra as much different to a whole host of them. FFS, we've got people on here longing to see Tevez join; a bigger mercenary with a more stinking attitude money couldn't buy !

Anyway, its all confined to history. In the end Flamini, Diarra and Gilberto all left anyway - three international central midfielders that Wenger replaced with an 18 year old Ramsey and Coquelin at the time, and so began another replacement cycle (funny how history keeps repeating itself as we lost three international footballers this Summer too).

Oh well, it's the weekend (almost). I love you all really

Steve. Flamini totally screwed Marseille to join us. Marseille had made massive efforts for him and he totally done them over, broke promises and took the money on offer with us. He'd promised them he'd sign, and did a runner - sound familiar?

So if he could do that to the club that developed him at Marseille (hello Nasri!) why on earth would he not do the same to us?

In any case. Have a good weekend!!!

We're in violent agreement Baba. I was highlighting the point that his attitude was actually really no worse than Diarra's. Everyone gives Diarra short shrift round here, but actually Flamini screwed us over worse. At least we got £5.5m for Diarra (well negotiated that one Exec team ), where as Flamoney sailed off for now't

[kg1794]

We're in violent agreement Baba. I was highlighting the point that his attitude was actually really no worse than Diarra's. Everyone gives Diarra short shrift round here, but actually Flamini screwed us over worse. At least we got £5.5m for Diarra (well negotiated that one Exec team ), where as Flamoney sailed off for now't

We got a fair whack for him in sell-on when Madrid bought him from Pompey.

[hugh jardon]

Flamini also joined us on a free but I'm yet to see anyone on this forum criticise him walking out on Marseille for us.