According to Wikipedia Stan Collymore “is widely regarded as one of the best football analysts for his work on radio,television and in print.”
There can be few Arsenal supporters who would agree with this after Collymore’s ludicrous and bizarre outburst on Radio 5 on the evening of 26 May 2008. Collymore, part of a discussion programme which focussed on Manchester Bankrupt and Chelsea Bankrupt claimed that Man U are the only team with stability. Liverpool, he “argued” are in turmoil with their owners at war, Chelsea don’t have a manager, and Arsenal have turned into a selling club – they have already lost two players and as a result of that more will follow.
It is hard to find much that relates this wild outburst to Arsenal.
Flamini left because his contract had run out. Arsenal could have renewed the contract one year earlier – but there was no certainty whether Flamini would come good in the 2007/8 season, and had Wenger signed Flamini on a five year contract, only to have him playing little more than a handful of games a year, everyone would have criticized Wenger.
Hleb’s agent is trying to get a better deal for another player who has suddenly come good. Hleb has two years left on his contract, and it is up to Wenger if he wishes to sign the player on a longer contract at higher rates.
So, one out of contract player has gone, one wants a better contract and the rest….
Quite what Collymore – or come to that whoever wrote the Wiki piece – was thinking about is anyone’s guess, but what is clear is that if you find his statements on 26 May ludicrous and nonsensical you too might like to change the Wiki piece. It is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Collymore and you don’t have to log in or give your name to make a change.
