The interviewer is someone neutral with questions about issues in football.
The pundit is an Arsenal fan
I : Arsenal has completed the signing of Samir Nasri , do you think he was brought in to replace Hleb?
P :According to reports, Hleb has planned his exit since before the season ended. From meeting officials who claim they were looking for "ice -cream"and saying London is too noisy. It's totally ridiculous. I am very sure he is Barca bound. I actually do think he was brought in for Hleb. He can play centre or the right wing.
I: Are you excited by the prospects he would be able to bring to the club?
P: Of course I am. I've seen a couple videos of him. He seems quite good on the ball, he is quick and has an eye for goal too. But as always, first seasons for players abroad are always the toughest, so I am not really expecting him to do anything extraordinary this season. But I really hope he contributes more goals from the midfield.
I: Can I have your take on the Adebayor saga?
P: I am actually quite disappointed on how this has took place. I never thought it could come from a player like him. Money does play a big part today. We have seen Ashley Cole and then Flamini leave for the money although they deny it. We all know the truth. Now we have Ade doing the same, and it's very disappointing he may leave after his best season in an Arsenal shirt.Reading the comments, you know it's all about the money. 60k a week is all Arsenal can offer, and some reports even suggested he wants a pay like Thierry before. Thierry's salary was a very unique case, he may be the best player Arsenal had and they were trying to show their appreciation for his pledging to stay at the club. At least it actually did last for a season. I do hope he stays but it seems more unlikely by the day. We'll just have to wait.
I: Speaking of money, Arsenal's wage structure is one of the lowest among the top clubs, is this a problem for keeping their biggest players?
P: Like Winterburn said the other day, Arsenal were never a top paying club. Thierry's 120k a week was a special case and a few years back Sol Campbell had a 100k a week due to his Bossman(free) transfer. Currently William Gallas is a top earner at 80k a week and the rest would be ranging from 30 k onwards. Arsenal definitely can't compete with the wage structures with Manchester United and Chelsea because both teams has got external funding and they lack the commitment of a new stadium which makes a tremendous difference. The players are by all means still very well paid, but you just can't compare with the other teams. It was never a huge problem as it was a few years ago. Abramovich has to take some of the blame, he pushed wage structures off the roof to record levels when he took over. Paying amounts never seen in football. Crespo's value is 1mil a game, Sheva's value is close to 2mil a goal and many others who were just tempted for the cash. Drogba did admit months ago he was tempted by Russian money and he felt embarrassed. Hence, it is a problem these days for clubs going through the traditional way of growing on their own without external funds.
I: There has been a plan by Michel Platini to propose the 6+5 rule . There's obviously plenty of objection by the clubs. But do you think this will help national teams?
P: Firstly, I think it would take a lot of convincing to get the representatives to approve this rule. There's already a rule of a minimum of 4 homegrown players at every club and there's been talk of raising this figure every year. This rule I feel is sufficient at the moment. Obviously homegrown players may not necessarily have the same nationality as the club. For example, Fabregas is a homegrown Arsenal player. The serious objections would be coming from people who feel that the move would be discriminating because of clubs needing to favour local players. It would be one of the biggest barriers to this proposal as it would be again EU laws. I don't think this rule would have much direct impact on the national team. If the rule comes through, we could see top teams forced to field at least 5 English players on the starting line up. But the worst thing is there would be more talented players which are left on the bench or the stands because of this rule . I don't think it is a solution to improving national teams.
I : Sepp Blatter had comments that players are being slaves today. How ridiculous is that?
P: There's definitely no place for this in football. The term slavery refers to people who work for nothing and it is such a sensitive word that should not be even mentioned. I wonder whether he has a dictionary. Players today are paid a fortune today not just because they are attract a global audience, their lifespan as a footballer is relatively short. But in no way this could relate to players being slaves for a club. The Club owns the player and has a huge say at what the player does and that is exactly what should happen, not the player doing what he wants.
I: Jose Mourinho has taken his first job after Chelsea. What things can we expect by the so called "Special One"?
P : I would say I have huge respect for what he has done at Chelsea. Virtually out of nowhere ending the dominance of a two-horse race in the league. He will deliver trophies at the San Siro but when it comes to the ultimate prize (CL), it is a different opinion. I have always analyzed that there are at least 10 teams capable of winning the competition, which means the odds are always stacked. On many occasions the team with Lady Luck on their side are the ones who get through. He will achieve great things in Inter. He has a good team and he is capable of building a very strong team. My dream job for him is manager of the England national team though. 42 years since the last World Cup victory would be a daunting but perfect task for a person like him.
I : There's been quite a few players brought in Premier League clubs this summer, which are the particular few that you are looking forward to?
P:There's quite a few I am really looking forward to see. Particularly Dos Santos of Spurs from Barcelona. I have seen him play for Barca and he is really a very talented player. I never expected Barca to sell him. Is he going to do something big at Spurs? Maybe not at the moment.Before I forget, there's also Luka Modric who also arrived at White Hart Lane. He seemed to be a very creative playmaker for Croatia. He was targeted by Arsene before last season. I do think he is gonna make a big impact. Jo from Man City is also another acquisition I am looking at. He has been linked City for such a long time and after going through many weeks of negotiation and a 18mil price tag, he must be something special. The others are Deco and Bosingwa from Chelsea. They have proven they can play good football abroad, but are they able to adapt in the BPL. It's a very exciting prospect for all fans.
I : Let's move to the Arsenal questions since you are a big fan. What kind of signings do you expect Arsenal to make apart from the current ones?
P: I would like to see a center back because I losing patience on Gallas by the day. I'll keep it simple, if Hleb leaves, sign a replacement and if Ade leaves, find another replacement. I think that should be how it works. This is one funny summer where there has been more links of signings at Arsenal than ever. There are just so many rumours out there.
I : Any particular player linked you would be interested in?
P: Well, there has been talk about Arshavin, Bischoff , Aguerro and some others. Some are plain rumours. A holding midfielder required and Amaury Bischoff has come out and said he would join the club. I don't know much about him or the situation, but if the manager think it suits the team, I'll have no doubts. There has been talks of bids from English clubs for Arshavin and Aguerro. But honestly , these two players are too expensive for Arsenal to compete for.
I: Arsenal has been playing great football over the last few seasons but are always coming up empty-handed. Who are the players that need to step up?
P: Thats a very good question actually. There are quite some players who have underperformed. Van Persie and Rosicky are very influential players for the team but injuries are constantly getting them out of the game. Is this the season they "finally" excel? I hope so. Gallas makes some huge mistakes at times, he has to step up. I am very disappointed by Eboue's contribution last season, and this could be his last straw at the club. Walcott is a name that definitely needs a huge mention because it's about time he delivers his first big season. Bendtner too needs a huge improvement in his game.
I: And lastly,prediction for Chelsea against the Malaysian National Team?
P: Haha. Thank god it's not a competitive match. 7-1 to Chelsea.
~deyao~
