News Roundup 8/9/10 - The Idiots Keep Talking Edition

Twitchy, one of his forwards, and some a-hole from Barça all have things to say today. Pic via The Sun.

• We'll start with news though: A Daily Mirror exclusive links the Gunners with a possible loan move for Manchester City's Shay Given, since the Irishman is about to lose the #1 job at Eastlands to Joe Hart. While amazing if it happens, and slightly more plausible than the Pepe Reina rumor on Saturday, I honestly don't think City is stupid enough to give a rival one of their two talented keepers. But who knows, they could be... [Daily Mirror]
• Jermain Defoe honestly thinks Tottenham Hotspur can do better than Arsenal in European competition. Look, I don't want to get into the whole UEFA coefficient thing in detail, but Spurs are pretty much guaranteed to have a more difficult path to get out of the group stage than Arsenal will. [ESPN Soccernet]
• Harry Redknapp is totally flabbergasted that Fabio Capello called up three Arsenal players for England's friendly with Hungary on Wednesday who were not originally chosen for South Africa. He jokes that since Jack Wilshere was called up without a Premier League start in his career, Arsenal must be better than the English team. Despite his intentions, he's right. [Daily Mail]
• Did you think that the Cesc Fabregas saga was over? You're wrong! Because the media is still talking to Xavi! Today's gem: "Maybe he'll come in January when Arsenal are out of the Premier League title race. Their team is just not competitive." Hilarious delusion: appearing daily out of the Nou Camp. [The Sun]
• Blond-braided right back Bacary Sagna likes the idea of signing Emir Spahic for cover at center back. At least someone does. [Daily Mail]
• Reports are that Hull City has won the race to sign "excess to requirements" forward Jay Simpson. I'll never forget that brace he had against Barnet last month. [Daily Mirror]
• Did you like all of those goals on Saturday? Well, the Arsenal Ladies won their friendly yesterday 14-0. No mercy! [Arsenal.com]
• An idiotic round of useless international friendlies which is sure to set back Arsenal's training about three weeks or so begins tomorrow.
• Programming notes: We'll talk about those friendlies a bit tomorrow, have a last look back at last season on Wednesday, a look forward to this season as a whole on Thursday, and our preview of the first match at Liverpool on Friday.

News Roundup 1/12/10 - The Return of Sol Edition

Campbell scores against F.C. Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League Final to give Arsenal a 1-0 lead. Let's pretend the rest of that game didn't happen. Pic via Gunners Today.

• Leading with this hilariousness, Harry Redknapp would basically prefer Arsenal's squad to his own at Tottenham, saying his squad has only one world-class player, while Arsenal has at least two. [Daily Mail]
• Arsenal's site conveniently posted a feature on their #15 greatest player of all-time, Sol Campbell... [Arsenal.com]
• ...though the Daily Mail reports that the site also accidentally announced his return to the squad prematurely. Arsene Wenger has spoken highly of the aging defender's fitness, so one hopes he doesn't have to borrow Patrick Vieira's mobility scooter any time soon. [Daily Mail]
• He's expected to play for the Reserves squad against West Ham tonight at Upton Park [Sky Sports]
  
• Fixture at home against Bolton has been rescheduled for Wednesday, January 20 at 7:45 p.m. GMT, 2:45 p.m. EST. Any guesses on why it'll be postponed this time? My money is on "unexplained power outage." [Arsenal.com]
  
• Injury updates: Gael Clichy should be back to training by next week, Nicklas Bendtner could be back in two weeks (best case is the FA Cup tie at Stoke City, I would think) so he should be fit for Arsenal's hellish stretch against Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool. No real update on Denilson, though it still stands that he and Cesc Fabregas will be fit for Sunday at Bolton. [Arsenal.com]
• Such continued disappointment... Arsene Wenger has again expressed his concerns over weather-related fixture postponements, with an inevitable pile-up coming for teams still involved in European tournaments. EVERYBODY PANIC!!! [Guardian]
• No Africa Cup updates today as both Arsenal players involved (Eboue for the Ivory Coast and Song for Cameroon) are off.
• Speaking of transfers, is Arsenal after Everton's Louis Saha? This makes two 30+ year old players the Gunners have been rumored to be close to signing. [Daily Mail, Guardian]