Unlike some of the departures this summer, Gael Clichy’s move from Arsenal to Manchester City was greeted with tacit acceptance, a pat on the back and warm wishes for the future.
A Gunner for eight years, a title-winner, an ‘Invincible’, a consistent presence in the left-back position and a loyal advocate of Arsene Wenger’s playing philosophy, Clichy was everything you could want from a professional.
While his right-foot was more chocolatey than a Cadburys factory and his crossing absolutely abject, he did set up Van Persie for the equaliser against Barcelona on a night which we’ll cherish forever.
Reflecting on his time at Arsenal ahead of a potential return to the Emirates with Manchester City’s Carling Cup team, Clichy told the Independent, “I really hope the fans have memories of me as a player who always gave 100 per cent. I think they’ll be more sad at losing Fabregas than Clichy.
“I always said they will be near the top at the end of the season. They had everything against them at the start of the season – red cards, injuries, own goals.”
Granted he may have said some slightly off-beat stuff about Arsenal in his initial pandering to City’s supporters, but Gael will always be an Arsenal man.
Arseblog News will be giving him a round of applause this evening if he happens to play.
shut up you cunt…….go play for your money….cant get ahead of kolarov …lol….
Come on now, Clichy was a good player for us. He also seems like a good guy. Show some class.
i thought the same ..that he was a good guy ..and that if there is one player in our squad that encompassed wenger ideology and values that it was him! and look how he repaid his manager;s faith and support…by signing for a rival….
I actually think he didn’t play very well in his last season with us as he needed a change of scenery. Yes it’s not great he signed for a rival but that’s life. If you wanted a change of job in your sector, would you find a small independent company who wouldn’t be in competition or sign for a big company despite them being your business rivals? Whoever he went to, would still be our rivals as it would most probably be a team in the champions league anyway.
Good players? lol He was fucking crap. Not just saying that cos he left, was saying that when he was at Arsenal. Arsenal haven’t missed him 1%. Santos aint that good either but definitely an upgrade on Clichy.
James
November 29, 2011 at 12:50 pm
You could have made your point without the words ” he was crap”. How good are you at your job on a daily basis. Not every player is a superstar… some are great journey men and give give 100% of their ability. Clichy was one of these players.
What does it matter really though, he gave 8 years service, played decently, but Clichy was never going to be anything more than what he was doing for us. We’ve got a new left back who has scored as many goals in 15 games than Clichy did in his 8 years… And santos defending is getting better and better.
betraying wenger like that to go to a rival ? after he took you from the gutters and turned you into an international left back? ….spit in his face gunners !!
They’re clearly not our rivals right now because we’re not challenging for the title. We’re challenging for 4th place.
sorry…so arsenal aint challenging for the title just because we paid emphasis in the champions league in august and lost 3 fixtures of a 38 game marathon ?
sorry i cant agree with that …its too black and white with no grey in the middle….all these pretenders are our rivals and city and totnhm and manure and chelsea and liverpool…they all want to top us dont they? get ahead of us…over our dead bodies..we will fuck them all
When Citeh is in the last 16 of the CL for 12 seasons in a row, maybe then they will be our rivals. Not before. They are just a flash in the pan. Soon, their rich sheiks will tire of them, just as the Russian is tiring of the rent boys at the moment. And any enforcement of FFP will have consigned both of them to the ashcan of history long before then anyway. Citeh haven’t earned the right to call themselves “rivals” of ours. Barcalona are ‘rivals’ of ours, Real Madrid are ‘rival’ of ours. Citeh are just a… Read more »
Dave Gooner, i really don’t get your drift. Baca and Real have won the champions league but we haven’t. How could your criteria disqualify City but did not disqualify us from being call their rival? This double-standards make absolutely no sense to me.
He didn’t betray him at all. Wenger was happy for him to run down his contract and was actively looking to sell him a season ago.
Someone (Josh) really does need to remember to take his medicine. Enjoy the bouncy wallpaper!!!
truly, me and many other people thought it was one of those,
“did she dump you?”
“No man, it was mutual”
Well in this case it really was mutual. Clichy is an invincible and always will…you can’t take that away from him, however much your puny little brain tries.
victory through harmony buddy…go waste your time somewhere else.
I now realize my folly.
santos all the way. the 10 of left backs..not a headless chicken like you gael…
Don’t worry about his sensitive over-reaction. He’s just Joshing.
there is an ongoing attitude that players like cesc clichy and even the great henry should not receive any abuse….why? henry abandoned his manager and the club that made him so that he joins a group where they will win the champions league for him, instead of staying and making ammends for the disgraceful 3 one on ones he missed with valdez…and then he signed for them…in fact sulked till he got his transfer. on to cesc…a player were wenger and arsenal had invested their FUTURE and the little ungreatful shit wanted to play with messi and xavi cause they… Read more »
So player are NEVER allowed to leave Arsenal?!?
they can leave …if the manager decides so cause they are utterly useless…or after they have repaid the manager;s faith with trophies….
if they do these things then yes they can fuck off wherever they want ..but not before repaying the manager …note i say the manager …it is him who made them..
and ot be honest with you ….if the vieiras henrys and the rest REALLY loved arsenal and wanted to stay and help wenger with guiding the future generations they would accept what the club offered them with no fuss liek scholes did for united like giggs did for them and like other legends have done for their clubs ( zanetti for inter etc etc) . instead they all looked at it “professionally”…….and then we had wankers in the stands complaining to arsene for dismantling the invincibles so quick…they never wanted to stay them pricks….they didnt want to go through what… Read more »
buffon ffs..went to serie b …he never left juve nor del piero …are they wankers? or not ambitious footballers? no ..they were just loyal.
So Josh,
It’s ok for AW to say ‘over 30, 1 year deal or you can go’ but it’s not alright fora platyer to move on.
Get over yourself douchebag
So somehow, the Doubles and the Premier League trophies Henry and Vieira won don’t count for shit? They’re nullified by your mighty logic? Really?
Cool story jackass.
I didn’t realise Wenger ran all transfers through you Josh. Can you let us know what Henry said to Wenger to force his transfer through? I always thought he wanted to go as it was a transitional period and he felt it best to leave for the good of the team… But then going with your explaination i’m clearly wrong. Cesc, as stated time and time again, would always be able to leave for Barcelona but Wenger was ale to convince him to stay for one more season. It was never a shock him going.
I think what Josh is trying to say is that the timing of them leaving was REALLY REALLY REALLY bad cause that was the time we needed them most & they abandoned the team to find easier routes to trophies etc. Vermaelan would not approve.
You serious?
Henry leaving the “traditional” “Invincible” Arsenal so that Wenger may be better albe to develop his new style of a Cescuesque Arsenal was Henry deserting Arsenal in a time of need?
Seriously guys?
How the fuck do you guys know so much? Are you Arsene Wengers? Is the Pope catholic? Do bears shit in the woods?
No, fucking apparently.
This vitriol is starting to get a bit old. Of all the people who have left in the last few years Clichy is probably the LEAST deserving of it, as well as Kolo. He left quietly, didn’t make a fuss, and was a servant for the club. Let’s also remember how much power player agents wield in influencing these decisions. We now have Santos who brings a bit of flair and excitement to left back so I am thankful for that. Clichy was pretty solid all round, but Santos is just great to watch. I think the most disappointing thing… Read more »
the fact he left quietly doesnt change the fact he abandoned the manager the club and the fans without first repaying us in trophies ….his and cesc;s and nasris first priority should be to win things with the club that made them before wanting to do anything else… sadly that wasnt the case …they didnt have the heart to stick around and fight for arsenal.
no player can ‘repay’ a manager with trophies all on his own. it’s about the team.
if a player in a team consistently in the lower half of the table stays with them for life but they never win a trophy is it his fault? maybe clichy and others just did the best they could for the time they were with us and then the manager allowed them to leave for the good of the team?
if them three felt even 1% of the fans dissapointment ..they would have stayed to make ammends……but no they prefered to go elsewhere and have others win stuff for them instead of doing it here on their own and repaying the manager;s faith and the fans support all them years. if they see things in hard cold realism and that they did the professional thing then we will also look at teh hard cold logic and treat them accordingly.. no snetiment form their side so why should we show any ?
go on clichy win something with city
Must say I really enjoy Santos playing for us, even for his dodgyness he still looks Brazilian when he messes up. Which can’t be said for Denilson.. wait who?
You really feel there’s some type of expectation everytime Santos is on the ball and goes forward. Like he’ll provide something and it’s usually a very good delivery or interplay.
Totally agree. Found a great article on fullbacks in Brazil compared to England. It a worthwhile read.
http://www.zapkam.com/blog/index.php/2011/11/andre-santos-exposes-an-english-blind-spot/
Interesting read. Cheers.
As long as the midfield and wide players are prepared to continue to work their nuts off in their defensive work, Andre definitely gives us an extra attacking threat.
the last memmory we have of you gael is allowing barca to score in the 43rd fkn minute in our second game of champions league at camp nou last year. before cesc;s backheel barca is on a counter and ball hits clichy on the nuts….the headless chicken instead of staying down and killing the time ..got up like an idiot hero and started running forward while holding his balls in pain and allowed their right extrem ( villa/pedro) to get onside to receive the mistake from cesc…. had gael done what he was supposed to do…STAY DOWN AND RUN THE… Read more »
please go away and stop spamming the interwebs with your opinion..
Josh is the guy who’s got a lot of issues. Seriously most of us couldn’t be bothered to store so much hate for these guys. They came, did their best for the club, moved on. Why can’t you do the same? Just because they migrated to pastures new, does that mean that all they did for The Arsenal meant nothing?
Henry is a legend, so was Cesc, Clichy was a good player. Let’s leave it at that.
and what did they do for arsenal then? nothing…they left without accomplishing anything ….just to have others to win stuff for them …deep inside they are pussies ..not champions…
i mean the htree young ones…obviously not titi..even though his departure to barca pi55ed me off alot…
Hate to think what would happen to you if RVP departed. Complete meltdown?
I think Vieira’s role is for him, quite tragic.
He sold out in the most obvious way he could.
His time at Arsenal will always be the highlight of his career. But rather than becoming an Arsenal legend, he’ll fade into oscurity and be one without legacy.
That shit you just can’t buy…..
Folks, please ignore josh, professional troll at work.
Probably the only work he has got… Who has the time to post that much?
why dont you wield your axe and kick him out…
or would that be too despotic? maybe we can have a community vote to kick him out, oh wait we’re already doing that by voting him down.
Out with Josh!
haha one more hour to kill before the game!
COYG!!
Josh, did Gael insult your mother or something?
I will be giving him a warm welcome home. Anybody who has had to play a defensive position behind Andrei deserves at least that.
Let some forgetful gunners be reminded that the money grabber was the first to head for the exit doors that open the flood gate for Cesc and Nasri. So can he be forgiven that easily?
Anyway, in his playing days, he was always making opponent onside. So if he says he is giving his best, i would like to ell him then your best is just that good enough. Go and beg for your cash in Manchester.
My feeling towards Clichy is a difficult one to describe as there’s a lot of conflict. I can understand why there should be positive feelings towards him as he was with us for a number of years, never publicly kicked up a fuss and quietly moved on. On the other hand, we put a lot of faith into him when he first joined, despite being injured the whole time; he seemed to stagnate in his development and never learned how to cross or how to stay switched on at the back; and from what I understand, was trying to move… Read more »
I like Clichy but im happy we left, I wouldnt trade him for any of our new options. And much said about our defense, im happier to look at a lad like Jenkinson or Santos or Gibbs than to look at Clichy.
He’s a gunner, served us for 8 years, we owe him respect and gratitude and a warm welcome.
AND – our players, like walcott should know how to get pass clichy by now…no? hehe
On your own on that one then Arseblog. I wont be applauding Clichy for playing against us! Another one who thinks the grass is greener on the other side! I wont boo Gael but I wont clap him onto the pitch… Nasri meanwhile will hopefully get both barrells from all the gooners tonight and will feel the passion that he said he lacked when he signed for shitty. The little cuntfuck
He had his time at Arsenal. There were clear problems in his game. The freezing in dangerous situations, poor crosses etc. I liked the guy’s attitude when he was an Arsenal player, always gave 100%, even if he did somewhat end up looking a bit of a hypocrite: “I really believe if you are a player who thinks only about money then you could end up at Manchester City”. There were fans begging for him to go in the summer, so you can’t really blame him for going somewhere like City. Not our best ever player, not our worst either.… Read more »
Aww people, stop crying about losing Clichy. We have Santos now and what’s more, he can dance!
cesc, clichy tried hard nd gave everything when playing for ARSENAL thats what fans appreciate not like nasri or adeybawhore who v knw was scoring for one season started thinking like the guy in pink boots never chased the ball and comes out saying he needs pay package like HENRY .if you try hard on the pitch the fans will recognise tats what seperates cesc and clichy from nasri . Adey .
We can all agree that he was an importan player, but ever since his injury a few seasons back he was never the same. We were expecting him back as the ashley cole replacement. I remember quite vividly a celta Vigo champions league match, not once was his area intruded and he stamped out everything. The past 2 seasons he has not been the world beater we expected. Constantly out of position, terrible crossing, and someone for arshavin to pass the buck to on the overlap. He was never going to improve at arsenal, thanks and good luck
I wish people (josh) would stop moaning – Clichy leaving was good for Arsenal and good for player…Clichy was great one game, average the next – he served well for 8 years, covered when Gibbs was injured…now the mighty Arse have dancing Santos – Arsenal won, Clichy won (in his eyes) – no hard feelings, get over it!
The last couple of seasons Clichy did make some crucial mistakes and cost us a game or two. Also Arsenal’s terrible form towards the end of last season, he as did the others who left had to take responsibilty in lacking the mental strength to get us through those tight games.
I do not think he will be missed that much.
josh
November 29, 2011 at 11:43 am
Everyone is due a “15 minute of fame” Josh just had his above. Wow Mate…. lazy day or night at the office.
I have to be honest I really didn’t like Clichy as a player for us, for as long as I can remember. I do remember him having one great season. And I also remember his individual error at Birmingham City (where Eduardo got broken in two by Stuart Taylor) that lead to an opposition goal, and a draw, and from there we pissed away nine points when we really SHOULD have won the title with Fabregas and Flamini at the helm. Since then, there have been TONS of individual errors, several of them costing us matches. I really didn’t think… Read more »
Exactly. Except for this:
I like Clichy and I think he served the team well, even if he didn’t contribute much DIRECTLY to our attacking game, he really helped the transition from defence to attack with his interceptions and lighnting acceleration; unfortunately he seemed to stagnate and his brainfarts just didn’t go away. I’m glad to have someone there who doesn’t get pushed off the ball and can match Clichy’s attacking threat even if he doesn’t get up and down the flank quite as much.
I meant Martin Taylor, not Stuart Taylor … those sleeping pills have made me dozy.
I feel the same way about Clichy leaving for Citeh as I do with Nasri going there: he’s a mercenary prick, and was clearly influenced by his agent’s love of money, not his desire for playing time.
All these whiny players who left us during the summer are the same: little selfish assholes that I’m glad to see the back of. We’re a better team without them. As the man said: the name on the front of the shirt is always more important that the one on the back.
Liked it when he made Gallas cried and made a fool of himself but Clichy’s mistakes cost us so much.wish him well though
Clichy-not bothered one way or the other.
Kolo-loved him at Arsenal,a class act & good luck to him except against us…
Na$ri…I hope Frimpong rips him a new one & 50,000 gooners point and laugh at the horse faced mercenary gobshite.
That is all.
100% maybe…but his 100% was never good enough. We are much better without him and I can’t wait to see Clichy’s stupidity cost City results in the near future.
Look the players that deserve crap are the Nasris, Hleb,Flammini’s
Henry, Kolo and Clychy played a big enough part in the club and its previous success to be left alone and welcomed back.
Cesc im on the fence with …infairness his situation while it doesnt sit well with me was understandable.
Nasri deserves crap, Hleb a lot of pity and Flamini, well you can point and laugh at him.
Even I have to agree with what you just said.
Josh,
Kindly fuck off
Regards,
Everyone.
Clichy may not have been a great left-back, but he always gave 100%. Always. And when he made his mistakes, as he often did, he was devastated. I have nothing against him as a person, nor as a professional in terms of his work ethic, but really, I found him so frustrating to watch as a player. I was relieved when we sold him and bought an upgrade.
How the fuck does this moron josh get thumbs up?
used to think Clichy was part of the Invincibles that won the premiership? Sorry, my bad, the premiership does not count as a trophy.
All hail Josh the genius!
I use to think Clichy was part of the Invincibles that won the premiership? Sorry, my bad, the premiership does not count as a trophy.
All hail Josh the genius!
this reply ought to be up there. Let’s see if it can be sent up.