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Arsenal: Jinx strikes again
Written by Sawyer | 21st August 2006 | 14 Comment(s)
Arsene Wenger may or may not actually possess a ‘magic hat', but dabbling in the occult by the way of voodoo dolls could be something the genial Frenchman may practice.
Ok, in all reality he probably doesn't, but the amount of occasions when a player leaving Arsenal has suffered some sort of setback certainly would appear to back the saying that ‘the grass isn't always greener...'
The latest to befall the injury curse is Robert Pires who has damaged his cruciate ligaments once again.
After spending most of last season pressing for a two year contract instead of the one year deals that Dennis Bergkamp was always happy with, Pires' injury which means he will miss most of the season provides evidence as to why Wenger insists on this particular policy.
At Pires' age no-one can rely on him returning to football and being just as influential a player as he was during much of his time in North London.
We only have to go back to around this time last year when Edu suffered a similar fate upon arrival at Valencia, but at least he is younger and should have time to flourish at his new club.
Ray Parlour's age places him in a similar position to Pires, although niggling injuries rather than a massive one have disrupted his time at Middlesbrough.
Patrick Vieira was a little luckier than his former team-mates in that his ‘injury upon arrival' didn't prevent him from starting the Serie ‘A' season, and although he probably didn't have the best of seasons from a personal point of view he at least ended as a Championship winner: well, until the results of the match-fixing scandal.
Of course there are those who have gone on to achieve success, most notably Giovanni van Bronckhorst who arrived at the right time at Barcelona.
Unfortunately for Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit, they didn't, with the latter left to gaze lovingly at the Arsenal support celebrating their 2002 FA Cup victory over Chelsea with the realisation that he shouldn't have moved.
Whereas Petit couldn't force a regular place at the Nou Camp Overmars was another who suffered the odd injury, although he was a favourite among the Catalans when he did play.
Another who gained a medal following Arsenal's recent defeat in Paris was Silvinho, but he has only gone on to be a bit-part player for Barca after being relegated with Celta Vigo.
Jermaine Pennant will hope for more luck at Liverpool having been at Leeds and Birmingham, only for both to take a divisional drop.
Kanu is another who will hope for better fortune than the relegation he suffered with West Brom last term.
Nicolas Anelka also won Champions League glory with Real Madrid, but he was hardly the main reason for their success and his career since hasn't exactly been littered with silverware.
Considering some of the clubs he has played for are those that should regularly challenge for their domestic titles; Arsenal, Real Madrid, Paris St Germain, Liverpool and Fenerbahce; Anelka shouldn't really have been at more clubs than he has medals.
Paul Merson went on to have reasonable careers with Middlesbrough and Aston Villa, but in truth never really hit the heights of his form at Arsenal.
Ian Wright and David Seaman were spent forces when they left with the former only really hitting the headlines for mimicking referee Paul Alcock following his fall after being pushed by Paulo Di Canio.
It is quite likely that these two players' performances after leaving Arsenal may have influenced Dennis Bergkamp's decision not to degenerate his career by turning out for lesser sides.
Martin Keown and Steve Bould were others who went down that particular route, but at least they both saw the error of their ways and quickly returned to coaching roles at the club.
There are of course others, but let's leave it there, but don't be too surprised if Sol Campbell comes unstuck one way or another at Portsmouth.
Wenger has recently stated that he doesn't know why Ashley Cole's transfer to Chelsea is not completed yet, but maybe even Cole has put the health of his legs over money?
Alright, he obviously hasn't, but there won't be too many Gooners shedding a tear if he did leave and walk straight into an injury problem. Judging by his fitness situation from last season it maybe isn't too surprising that Chelsea is unwilling to raise their bid.
Another looking to allegedly depart is Jose Antonio Reyes whom you may think would be better off in Spain rather than having to face Gary Neville again; but then again Pires and Edu would probably have thought the same.
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Comments
Comment by hunter on Tuesday 22 August 2006 @ 4:03pm
Comment by Wenger's Magic Hat on Tuesday 22 August 2006 @ 4:40pm
As long as I'm in Arsene's cupboard or on his head, the gunners need not fear....one game does not a season make. Remember last season...chelski narrowly beat newly promoted Wigan
Comment by Ballster on Tuesday 22 August 2006 @ 3:11pm
Such bitterness from the Arsenal fans. I know it's hard to understand for you because the boot's normally on the other foot and you're pinching players from other clubs but god forbid that one of your players should want to better himself !! The cheek of it really....
Comment by normski on Tuesday 22 August 2006 @ 1:05pm
The only players I hope and wish success is Edu and Pires. The rest can rot in hell. I hope Cole goes to Chelsea and Wayne Bridge keeps him on the bench and then Chelsea can sell the little bitch to Fulham for 5 quid!
Comment by Tony K on Tuesday 22 August 2006 @ 9:39am
Wenger's judgement is rarely faulty. He may make the dodgy buy (remember Diawarra from Bordeaux - who couldn't hit a barn door with a laser-guided missile! Or Caballero, the Paraguayan assassin!) but he always knows when time is up on a player. It's funny, but it appears that the more a player protests at being offered only a one year contract, the more likely they are to be injured into retirement when they move on - as Victor illustrated with Dave Seaman's illustrious Man City career of barely half a season! As far as those Arsenal players who DID amount to something after leaving Highbury, may I suggest both Liam Brady and Ray Kennedy. And just as Arsene knows when to release a player who's hurtling towards the end of their shelf-life, so he knows when to unleash his super stars of the future - such as Walcott, Fabregas, Eboue and the soon-to-be-all-conquering Merida! Some may think the future is blue (for now), but the not-too-distant future is definitely red and white, playing in the Emirates!!
Comment by BLINGBLONG on Tuesday 22 August 2006 @ 8:02am
excellent blog.... we were only discussing that the other day and the only name we came up with , that actually improved as a player Frank Stapleton, now thats time and a half ago. With those who go abroad, but when someone turns out for Arsenal and other UK Clubs, each player will be assigned a theme tune as such..... and i haven't noticed that with foreign clubs. What cud the italian equivalent of viera's tune be? you can see why he wouldnt be as happy.. somethings money can't buy... We all know what the ashley cole.. tune at stamford will be..... "aaaassssley cooooole....... is f........g ar........hole.... is a f....g ar....hole..!
Comment by adam on Tuesday 22 August 2006 @ 6:03am
sell him to chelsea and hope the arsenal curse hits them not just him! abrahmovich liquidated by putin 2 weeks after buying ashley, sounds good to me
Comment by AntiRacist Movement on Tuesday 22 August 2006 @ 6:59am
Nobody deserves to be racially abused
Comment by Anon on Tuesday 22 August 2006 @ 12:47am
No one deserves to be racially abused ClockEndGooner u retard. Have you had that same job trying on womens clothes all you life?! Doubt it, everyone has to change their job eventually. Bobby is a Legend in the majority of people's eyes, that can't be changed.
Comment by Gooner_101 on Tuesday 22 August 2006 @ 12:40am
Ballster, you are obviously either not an Arsenal fan, or one who has forgotten what bobby did for us, most notably winning the league in 2002 and the whole Arsenal squad bowing down to him as if he was the king (including Henry).
Comment by path finder on Monday 21 August 2006 @ 10:13pm
Let that be a lesson to cashley Cole
Comment by ClockEnd Gooner on Monday 21 August 2006 @ 9:50pm
WELL SAID! I've been saying that for years now! I personally would love Cole to go to Madrid, win f**k all & get racially abused, week in, week out, so he knows exactly what it's like to "strung up", as he says we have done to him!!
Comment by Ballster on Monday 21 August 2006 @ 9:51pm
Shame about Pires, must have done it attempting one of those swallow dives of his. I knew he'd get his one day the vain, snivelling gallic c**t.
Comment by DaveS on Monday 21 August 2006 @ 9:43pm
Campbell has been a roaring success for Pompey. He even came out for the second half on Saturday! He’ll probably be injured in a few weeks though.
matthew upson is a success... he got into the england team after leaving arsenal... apart from upson and van bronhorst, i consider the rest failure