Tuesday 8 July 2008

Gutter press starts up engine

As pre-season training starts there are still several fairly large question marks hanging over a couple of big names in our squad. The Sun has decided to try to stir things up even more by turning a few meaningless Hleb quotes into a 'Gunners blast shocker'. The Sun claims that the following quote is Hleb having a 'pop' at Fabregas:
“When we get scoring opportunities, Fabregas is much more selfish than me. Given a chance to shoot, he always goes for it — unlike me.”

That sounds very much like a compliment to me and it's most certainly not a 'pop' at Fabregas, it's a statement of fact at worst. Hleb's natural tendency to avoid directness at every opportunity has been his downfall at Arsenal resulting in his appalling goalscoring record.

“My view of how I should be playing didn’t coincide with the manager’s. I told him last season I wanted to leave and think he was quite upset about it. But ask him. It may turn out he’s happy to see me go."

I am sure Arsene wanted Hleb to be more direct and at the beginning of last season it looked like Hleb might have turned over a new leaf, alas it didn't last long before the endless fancy turns replaced the snapshots. Hleb is probably telling the truth in that Arsene was upset about one of his players being such a resistant little twerp, and like us fans, he may well end up being happy to see the back of Hleb after such an embarrassing protracted affair.
The Sun's standards of journalism are rather low, they have tried to manipulate a 'Shocker' of a story with some very bland quotes and made themselves look rather foolish in the process. There's no doubt that the club will be very happy to see the back of Alex Hleb, but it's still rather sad that a player with so much ability has ended up engineering a move away from the club in such a fashion having wasted his talent on the pitch.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree 100%. Hleb is good friends with Fabs and has the uttmost respect for Wenger. Wenger has always backed Hleb publicly as he does all players.

This is an example of what Hleb was talking about not liking London life. He cannot give a single interview without the idiotic press we have putting a few quotes out of context and creating havoc.

I personally don't blame him for getting fed up and wantinng to move.

I wish the papers could be held accountable for misrepresentation and sued for damages EVERYTIME they do this. It's be the ONLY way they'd ever stop. Damn vultures!

Ted said...

I'm hoping that the free papers like Metro & London Lite will kill off the gutter press like the Sun.

Obsinho said...

Good article from the Gooner;

http://www.onlinegooner.com/editorial/index.php?id=116

1979gooner said...

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_3793982,00.html

football365 is pretty gutter too

the comments were indeed either made up or manipulated to mean things that they were not intended to mean

so now they've two stories out of none, one making up the shocker and then the other of hleb denying the shocker!

blewlimbs said...

The press runs with the story without checking the facts? I don't think so...the press looks for "attributable" views and comments that make a good story, possibly strangely consistent with the story that the reporter/editor wanted to run with, and then they run the story. They are off the hook for accuracy because their info is "attributable" and as long as they can demonstrate they accurately reported what "they were told" they are in the clear. The press is no longer interested in reporting "the facts", only in running the story that sells the paper....don't bother to read their reports on transfers or on the economy or on politics or current affairs or even the bloody weather...its most likely all to be complete bollocks!!!

Ted said...

I still think Hleb is in big trouble in getting signed this summer. Can't see him going to Barca or Inter. Maybe a move to Germany - Bayern Munich maybe? Otherwise, I think Hleb is screwed.

Ha Ha

Obsinho said...

http://www.goal.com/en/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=769448

Or is he screwed?!

Obviously there is not a single quote within this story, and is therfore is only that (i.e. a fictional story) at this stage.

Still, I don't think Wenger would activel sell anyone (rather than with Flamini where he had no choice) without a replacement lined up.

We shall see. Also, if the "story" is "true" that would mean Barca unveil Hleb on Friday (how gutted will they be!!) and we will then also unveil a player.

At last, a transfer saga may have run its course......

Ted said...

Barca are idiots if this is true. 15m for a player who has consistently been skilful with no end result is great business for us.

I also see that most of the commeents from Barca fans are negative about this. Remember Hleb is being touted as their replacement for Ronaldinho. What a joke.