Outra pesquisa, realizada pelo jornal Folha de S. Paulo, mostra que até na periferia, nos bairros onde Marta é bem votada, a candidata perdeu significativos votos em relação à eleição de 2004. Bairros como: Capela do Socorro, Santana, Lauzane Paulista, Jaçanã, Vila Sabrina, Tucurvi, Ermelino Matarazo, Cangaíba, Ponte Rasa, Itaquera, Parque do Carmo, Sapopemba, Conjunto Teotônio Vilela, entre outros.

Comemoremos a conscientização do povo paulistano!

Artilheiro do Santos no Brasileirão segue esquecido por Dunga

Neste sábado, após a vitória por 4 a 0 sobre o Atlético Paranaense, com mais um gol do artilheiro Kléber Pereira, de pênalti, o técnico Márcio Fernandes fez um desabafo:

– Falar do Kléber Pereira é chover no molhado. Ele é realmente fantástico. E vamos falar a realidade: faz tempo que ele merece uma chance na Seleção Brasileira.

Que os números do artilheiro na temporada são fantásticos – principalmente, no Brasileiro – até o torcedor mais desinformado do Santos já está cansado de saber. Abrindo dos concorrentes na artilharia do torneio e tirando o Peixe do fundo do poço, fica a pergunta: por que Kléber Pereira não tem uma oportunidade na Seleção?

Levantamento feito pelo PORTAL FUTEBOL! mostra que os artilheiros dos principais campeonatos europeus foram chamados ao menos uma vez para a seleção de seu respectivo país.

Com 33 anos, o artilheiro santista já ouviu de amigos que não é convocado por conta da sua idade. Nas últimas convocações, Dunga chamou os experientes Gilberto Silva, 32, e Josué, 29, Lúcio, 30, Gilberto, 32, e Mineiro, 33. No exterior, a idade não é vista como grande empecilho. Na temporada passada, Del Piero, 34 anos, foi o artilheiro do Campeonato Italiano pela Juventus e voltou a defender sua seleção.

Kléber Pereira evita falar sobre o assunto. Deixa sempre no ar sua insatisfação pelos métodos utilizados nas convocações. Em entrevista recente ao PORTAL FUTEBOL!, disse que os goleadores do Brasileirão, como ele, Keirrison, Alex Mineiro e Washington, poderiam vestir a amarelinha e substituir os atuais selecionáveis. E ainda disparou:

– Se nem o Rodrigo Souto, jogando um bolão e com o Luxemburgo aqui, foi convocado, imagina eu?

Como mostra outro levantamento, mais uma vez o artilheiro do Brasileirão, um dos campeonatos mais disputados do mundo, não passa nem perto da Seleção Brasileira. E aí, Dunga? Olha o artilheiro aí!

"CONSEJOS DE UTILIDAD"

" class="imageWrap person"> " class="nickname person"> Oskicani

"ALMOHADILLA DE SEMILLAS DE MOSTAZA PARA APOYAR LA MUÑECA."

Las semillas de mostaza generan un campo energético natural que se irradia a los músculos y ligamentos, relajándolos, incrementado el flujo sanguíneo y energizando el cuerpo. Es una bio-estimulación natural que nos ayuda en los dolores de las muñecas, reumatismo, migrañas y dolores musculares, además de ayudarnos a neutralizar la radiación de los computadores, televisores.

MATERIALES:

- 30 cms. de tela blanca de algodón
- 30 cms. de tela con diseño
- Aguja
- Hilos
- Tijeras
- 1/4 de semillas de mostaza

PASO A PASO:

1. Realizar una bolsita con la tela blanca de 18 cms. de largo por 7 cms. de ancho.
2. Realizar una bolsita con la tela con diseño de 19 cms. de largo por 8 cms. de ancho.
3. Rellenar la bolsita blanca con las semillas de mostaza.
4. Coser.
5. Meter la bolsita blanca dentro de la bolsa con diseño y coser.

Quiero agradecer a la amiga OSKICANI que amablemente me autorizó para que colocara este articulo en este Blog, ella lo había colocado en el Clan "Ayúdame A Ser Útil" de NETLOG, gracias amiga

1. Jens Lehmann. Kiper nomor satu Jerman ini dilepas ke klub Jerman.
2. Mathieu Flamini. Gelandang Prancis ini dibeli AC Milan secara cuma-cuma, karena memang kontraknya sudah habis.
3. Alexander Hleb. Pemain Belarusia ini dijual ke Barcelona.
4. Gilberto Silva. Kapten Brasil ini dijual ke klub Turki.

Pemain yang datang adalah:

1. Samir Nasri, gelandang Prancis.
2. Mikel Silvestre, pemain belakang Prancis, dibeli dari MU cuma 750 ribu poundsterling.

Jadi skuad lengkap Arsenal 2008-2009 sekarang adalah:

It wasn't a bad home debut was it really. New Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola decided to give fellow Italian David Di Michele a pizza the action and boy did he deliver. Two goals and an assist will take some topping from the striker and so will the 60-point haul he received for his afternoon's work. It saw the 32-year-old, on-loan from Torino, climb 379 places in this week's Actim Index, moving to 63rd overall with an Index score of 57 after two appearances.

He cost a British record transfer fee when he rocked football by joining Manchester City but you get what you pay for as my old nan used to say. Robinho tabled 50 points in City's 6-0 mauling of Portsmouth on Sunday to earn his place alongside Di Michele in the Actim team of the week. The former Real Madrid man steamed 167 places up the Index into 23rd overall, with an overall score of 74 points. He moves within 23 points of City's top-ranked - Shaun Wright-Phillips - who was also named in the team of the week with 44 points. SWP is up to seventh overall.

Unsurprisingly, City dominated the team of the week with defenders Richard Dunne and Javier Garrido earning 32 and 23 points respectively. Sunderland's Nyron Nosworthy (30 points) and Hull's Michael Turner (24) joined them in the Actim back room. Turner is the top-ranked Tiger this term in 58th spot.

Maybe this is a little unfair but who would have guessed Arsenal's top-ranked player this season would be Brazilian youngster Denilson. The 20-year-old is sitting pretty in second place overall with 115 points, averaging 23 points per appearance for Arsene Wenger's side. It certainly explains why Wenger wasn't too put out when Mathieu Flamini upped sticks to AC Milan and Gilberto was allowed to join Panathinaikos. Whether Denilson, like the rest of his teammates can keep the pace going remains to be seen, but he's edged above the likes of an inactive Deco and Chelsea colleague Frank Lampard in the meantime.

Which takes us to the top dog on week five. Take a bow Gabriel Agbonlahor, the Aston Villa hotshot is currently blazing a trail in the Barclays Premier League. The Villa man is averaging 25 points per appearance in the league, splitting his 125-point tally between 71 at Villa Park and 54 away from home. With only two of those games on home soil, the visit of Sunderland on Saturday looks like a mouth-watering prospect for the England Under-21 star.

Talismanic midfielder Steven Gerrard was uncharacteristically out of sorts at Anfield as he failed to inspire his Liverpool side as they drew 0-0 against lowly Stoke. The Reds captain had what would have been his 100th goal for the club chalked off after just two minutes and endured a day to forget thereafter as he hit seven shots - six of which failed to find the target on his way to a miserable score of -14 Actim points. That saw him tumble 196 places down the Index.

At the risk of sounding like a stuck record, Cesc Fabregas was the week's 'pass master' with 33 completed passes in the opposition half, lifting him to fifth in the season's list. He's not had it all his own way this term, Frank Lampard leads the way with 139 passes overall, compared to Fabregas' 106, but the Arsenal man has played just 286 minutes this term, compared to 477 for Lampard.

Em evento realizado na Livraria Martins Fontes Paulista, em 15 de setembro último, o Prof. Marcos Cintra, Vice-Presidente da Fundação Getulio Vargas, fez o lançamento do seu novo livro “Os riscos de SP”, publicado pela Editora CPV.

Na obra, o autor destaca os 4 grandes temas que devem nortear a postura do cidadão no futuro: mobilidade, sustentabilidade,convivência e gestão, os quais são os eixos deste seu trabalho.

Confira as fotos do encontro.

By Don Heckman

Bossa nova at the half century mark?  Can it really be true?  The floating, rhythmic swing that Joao Gilberto extracted from Brazil's visceral samba rhythms, and mixed with the soaring melodies and colorful harmonies of Antonio Carlos Jobim's songs - fifty years old?

But it is true.  The sound that seemed nothing more than the off-center, but amiable product of some hip, beachfront exchanges between jazz-influenced Brazilian players is now celebrating its golden anniversary.  And the Hollywood Bowl acknowledged it Wednesday night with a lavish display of the music's far reaching influence.  Leading the way, guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, who was a teen-age participant in those innovative Ipanema days, assembled a program encompassing bossa nova's capacity for seamless relationships with jazz, pop, classical and beyond.

Castro-Neves opened with an intimate rendering of the song that started it all, "Chega de Saudade" (known in the English language version as "No More Blues"), singing and playing guitar, immediately conjuring up bossa nova's extraordinary blend of romance and rhythm.

Jazz pianist and singer Eliane Elias added new qualities -- the urban intensity of her native Sao Paulo, her honey and whiskey vocals, and her inventive improvisations - to a trio of tunes reaching well beyond the orbit of bossa nova: the jaunty "Chiclete com Banana," the Walter Wanderly hit from the ‘70s, "So Nice (Summer Samba)" and Dorival Caymmi's briskly swinging "Doralice."

The irrepressible Ivan Lins brought his own musical sophistication to the mix. Although he played acoustic piano rather than the keyboard synth that is so directly associated with his inimitable sound, he was, as always, an utterly convincing musical spokesperson for the subtleties of the Brazilian music that has flowed from the bossa nova wellspring.  "Comecar de Nova" was offered in classic fashion; less familiar, but equally compelling, he sang his own "Desesperar Jamais" and "Lua Soberana."

Yet another slant on the five decade influence of bossa nova on Brazil's musical artist was apparent in the presence of Maria Rita, singing "Corcovado" with a feel for phrasing reminiscent of her mother, legendary singer Elis Regina.

Three other participants in this fully packed musical evening were not Brazilian, but their presence added an appropriately eclectic touch to the evening.  Soprano Marisol Montalvo found dramatic qualities in Castro-Neves' "Onde Esta Voce"; pop star Kenny Rankin applied his relaxed touch to "Desafinado" and "The Girl From Ipanema"; and Polish singer Anna Maria Jopek offered a very different slant to Baden Powell's "Apelo."

Arranger/conductor Vince Mendoza led a 40 piece orchestra in several atmospheric settings, and the singers were well served by the all-star backing of pianist Don Grusin, bassist Brian Bromberg, violinist Charlie Bisharat, saxophonist Gary Meek and drummer Alex Acuna.

No, it wasn't all bossa nova, but it was all good.  By evening's end, the influence of this beach-inspired music - even beyond the obvious impact of Gilberto and Jobim - was apparent.  As was the feeling that the bossa nova caravan still has many miles to travel.

I have finally decided to start my blogging on Arsenal and my expectations for the season... So i will recap the transfers, and the last 2 games.

Today I have to admit that once again I am worried about my team... but this I am used to so I am hoping that the tables turn 180 and we see better football from "the" north Londoners. This transfer window so far we have lost the little depth that existed at Arsenal with the departures of Flamini, Hleb, Gilberto, Hoyte and the loan of Traore and Barazite . These were key players in the arsenal ranks(with the exception of Hoyte and Barazite) and sadly the incoming freshmen are not up to the level of the graduating class. The new boys were Nasri, Ramsey, Bischoff and Silvestre (I question Arsene's judgemnt here). So the midfield seems really depleted, and with Toure, Diaby, Rosicky and Fabregas sidelined the seasons opening games were sure to be tough. So said so done.

Now the game against West Brom saw Nasri bag his first goal for the Gunners, Arsenal's top scorer for last season seemed to be below par on the day. Fortunately they held on to the 1-0 lead and took the three points. The positives from the game would be that the team were able to hold out for the win, Denilson looked fit to play in Fab4's spot. However, in the game against Fulham the team looked substandard. Lack-luster would be an understatement as far as I am concerned. Adebayor might have renewed his contract but he needs to renew his goal tally too... I think he depends on feeds from Fabregas to get into the game. Turnovers galore and poor targeting riddled Arsenal's game. Hopefully with the return of Cesc in midweek we will see a better team performance.

My personal opinion is that Arsenal needs a defensive midfielder. I heard speculation that Tore will be converted to that place in the meantime and either Silvestre, D'jourou or Song will play as centre back... hmmm not too sure of Toure in the defensive midfielder's role but one thing i know is that he would do the best he can. And in the preseason  warm ups we saw Wilshire and Vela having some impact so it's a wonder when we will see them on the pitch.

Finally as i said before i usually have these doubts about Arsenal in the earlies but Wenger always seems to calm my nerves.. I know he will ready the Arsenal for the rest of the season.

Peace out Homies!!!

Entrou em vigor no dia 28/07/08 a mudança no tempo de viagem do bilhete único, que era de 2 horas e agora passa a ser de 3 horas. Serão 6 milhões de usuários beneficiados que poderão fazer até quatro viagens, pagando apenas o valor de uma passagem (R$ 2,30). A ampliação só não valerá para os bilhetes de estudantes e do trabalhador (empresas).

A Prefeitura espera uma economia de R$ 120 milhões ao ano com o combate à fraudes, pricipalmente a da "janelinha" (quando um usuário virava a catraca e passava o bilhete pela janela a três outros passageiros, que viajavam de graça. A gestão Kassab alega que a medida não tem propósito eleitoral.

Segunda a Secretaria dos Transportes, a mudança ocorreu devido ao grande números de reclamações com relação ao curto período para as viagens, principalmente entre os bairros mais distantes e a região central da cidade.

Reflexão:

Faltando apenas um pouco mais de 2 meses para as eleições à Prefeitura de São Paulo, ocorre uma mudança que era óbvia, visto que, colocar mais ônibus nas linhas está mais difícil do que ir a Lua, nosso respeitadíssimo prefeito e também candidato, Gilberto Kassab (DEM), consegue "como num passe de mágica" ampliar o horário do bilhete único.

Caros amigos, não se iludam com atitudes como esta, pois era esperado que alguma coisa do tipo fosse feita, já que para sair da Vila Olímpia (área nobre da Zona Sul) e chegar no Campo de Marte (Zona Norte) leva-se mais de 2 horas, e estamos falando de regiões próximas, levando em consideração os bairros que ficam nas periferias, onde precisa-se mais de 2 conduções para chegar, portanto, aumentar o horário para integração foi uma forma de dizer: "Não temos verba para colocar ônibus nas ruas e nem melhorar o trânsito de São paulo, mas olhem que bom, o tempo do bilhete foi ampliado, agora você pode passar a catraca sem se preocupar com o tempo, evitando assim, aquela aglomeração na parte da frente do ônibus. Viu como melhou!"

É amigos...a vida tem dessas coisas...o que você me diz sobre isso?

Por Cinthia Almeida

Wenger would not have sold all these players if he did not have a plan. He sure is hardpressed for money, though that is never declared in public, he would have thought about suitable replacements who would come in before the season starts. One heartening matter is that Rosicky would be ready by September and if he and Van Persie can stay fit for atleast 3/4ths of the season, the team would look strong to challenge a lot of top teams for the league. With Eduardo most likely to return by the end of the year, the team would only get stronger.

Gilberto, a world cup winner with Brazil, played in the Copa America just before the 2007-08 season started and was tired to join the squad for the season starting. This meant that Flamini took his place and put in his best season for the club only to go out on a free transfer. Flamini also was responsible to some extent for Diarra feeling demotivated sitting in the bench. He also left for Portsmouth. So Gilberto who had one of his best seasons in 2006-07, leading the side for most of the season due to Henry's injury, found himself to be the second in line for the holding midfielder role. Well, he did a great job for the team and I wish him all the best for his future.

Thanks also to Flamini the fighter and Hleb the dribbler for their contributions.

After Mathieu Flamini swapped London for Lombardy with his Bosman to AC Milan in early May, Arsenal was left with a gap in midfield. To further complicate the matter Gilberto has now completed a move Panathinaikos and Lassana Diarra, a natural successor to Flamini’s role, “panicked” and left for Portsmouth. With the position still unresolved and the start of the season fast approaching, should Wenger seek to promote from within or bring in a new signing to stabilise the midfield?

There is no denying that Flamini’s departure will come as a disappointment to most Arsenal fans. In his fist full season as a starting player his partnership with Cesc Fabregas created some of the most fluid and intimidating play in the Premier League. Flamini’s countrymen Diarra had both the ability and the vision to slot into Flamini’s place if he was to leave, as predicted from early on. However, this simple transition was not to be and a desperate Diarra sought refuge at Portsmouth.

Frustration lies in the motives behind each of the player’s moves. Flamini’s move appeared to be driven by nothing else but money, an accusation he subsequently denied, although it still remains a mystery to me why any player looking for world class football would move from a team set to play Champions League football to one set to play in the UEFA cup. Diarra’s motives were much easier to stomach as he sought to win a place in the French squad for Euro 2008. The irony came when he failed to appear in any of France’s three games.

With Flamini and Diarra long gone, now comes the time to fill the gap that is left in midfield. From within the squad there are a few players who could fit the bill. One player, that former Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson sees as the possible new Flamini, is Abou Diaby. “He breaks up attacks with his ability to get across the field and get tackles in, but he has also got good ability on the ball. His ball manipulation allows him to change the point of attack. Playing against Everton last year he was outstanding in the holding role.” Robson arguments sound convincing, but last season Diaby became more accustomed to being used on the wings rather than in the role of holding midfielder. It brings up questions about how long Diaby would take to fully adapt to the role.

Denilson is another contender for the position and the young Brazilian has shown promise in midfield during last season’s Carling Cup campaign. Diaby and Denilson are the only realistic replacements from the current squad, and of the two Diaby has to be the favourite. Last season Diaby was unfortunate to spend chunks of the season injured, but when he played he showed the raw passing ability that fully compliments Arsenal’s game. Not only that but Diaby also possesses and eye for goal that would increase the overall offensive threat of the midfield. If Wenger isn’t preparing to sign a new midfielder then I think we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of Abou Diaby. It all comes down to how quickly he can adapt to a new and integral role in the team.

Arsenal’s squad has the depth to fill the void in midfield but it would not come as a surprise at all if Wenger decides to recruit a new player to do the job instead. I feel that there are a few players who would really fit the bill, but the main focus has to be on Gareth Barry. Barry had an excellent season captaining Aston Villa with nine goals and ten assists (7th overall in the Premier league) to his name. Barry has sublime passing ability and superb vision that saw him promoted to the England starting line-up ahead of Frank Lampard, a position he keeps to this day with the blessing of Fabio Capello.

There is no doubt in my mind that Barry would be an excellent signing for Arsenal. Barry would provide invaluable experience to a very young squad and add some mental toughness to a team that looked to lacking in that department towards the end of last season. At 27, Barry would be one of the oldest players in the Arsenal first team and as captain of Aston Villa he has proved that he has great leadership skills. With the leadership of William Gallas questioned by just about everyone last season, introducing Barry to the team would provide the team with a possible new captain although more likely is that he would give the younger players another experienced figure to look to for guidance if the leadership of Gallas fails like it did last season.

“Brilliant, let’s sign him right now then!” I hear you all scream. Well, there are a few snags to signing Barry. Liverpool has their heart set on the midfielder and have had a very public battle for his signature with Martin O’Neill and Aston Villa. It is said that Barry signing for Liverpool relied on Xabi Alonso moving to Juventus to raise the funds. With that deal falling through and their new transfer target being Robbie Keane, Barry might not be able to join Steven Gerrard and co.

The major qualm with bringing Barry to the Emirates is the amount of money it would take to make him an Arsenal player. Martin O’Neill has held out for around £18 million, rejecting Liverpool’s £15 million bid. It had been reiterated that Arsenal has the funds to make big signings, but Wenger is the most economical manager the league and he’ll only splash out if he really feels its worth it.

Just look at Arsenal’s record transfer, Sylvain Wiltord for £13 million back in 2000, now let’s put that in perspective: Liverpool – Torres, £20.2m, Man Utd. – Rio Ferdinand, £29.1m, Chelsea – Andriy Shevchenko, £30.8m. Wenger is not about to break the club’s record for a player he deems as surplus to requirement, which Barry might just be. Wenger has to make a decision on whether or not he feels Barry’s price in inflated and with confirmation that the club has already enquired about the midfielder, those thoughts exactly may be on Wenger’s mind as I write this. For me, Barry is a bumper package; you get an excellent passer of the ball, a goal scorer, a leader with a ton of experience.

So, there we have it, the complexity of the situation that is replacing Mathieu Flamini. Within the squad it’s Diaby vs. Denilson, with Wenger hinting that Ramsey may cause an upset. With the fantastic Marcos Senna signing a new 2-year contract at Villareal and talk about Torsten Frings seemingly dying down, signing Gareth Barry looks more and more appealing. Splashing £18m on Barry may slightly damage Wenger’s prudent reputation when it comes to the transfer market, but in today’s football finance climate £18m is not a lot and Arsenal need to compete. If I were Wenger, I’d make the £18m offer and see what happens.

Article by Andrew McPhail For Gooner Talk

Whilst we are all sickened by the (alleged) daily rants of Hleb and Adebayor, the departure of an Arsenal great has almost gone unnoticed. I talk of course about Gilberto.

“Bert”, as the arsenal faithful affectionately knew him, had a languid quality about him that wasn’t completely appreciated by the Highbury family until a back injury kept him out for a number of months. His naturally defensive mind-set proved to be a comfort blanket to our back four, should they ever be embarrassed into needing one. A spoiler? Maybe. A sweeper? Possibly. A proper gooner who never let us down and remained loyal? Definitely. As part of the incredible “Invincible” team, he provided a throw-back to the old George Graham era of “Thou shall not pass!”.

Without the silky skills of Petit, he marshaled the hole between the midfield and defence, allowing Patrick Vieira to forage forward on one of his many runs. Would he have done this as often without Bert’s protection? Doubtful. Up until last season, when admittedly his legs began to go, he provided a similar service to Cesc. He would also pop up with vital goals and has the distinction of scoring the first Arsenal goal at the Emirates.

As a life long Gooner, rapidly approaching his 50’s, there have been many moments that have brought a tear to my eye. Alan Sunderland ’79. Mickey Thomas ’89. Highbury May ’06 and Dennis’ testimonial shortly afterwards. I now have further tears to add to the collection. Thanks for the memories my friend and I, along with 1000’s of others, wish you the very best of times in sunnier climates.

Article Written By M. Champness - Contributor For Gooner Talk

Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva made his move from Arsenal to Panathinaikos official this afternoon, and revealed that 'the new chapter in his career' is going to be his 'most successful' yet.

Gilberto spent six years at Arsenal after signing from Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro following the 2002 World Cup.

Speaking to Pana's official website, 'Gigi' enthused:

"Panathinaikos is the new chapter in my career and I believe that it is going to be most successful. I knew Panathinaikos before coming here but having met the president and the people of the club, I have seen their ambition and believed in it.

"My goals are the goals of my team. I'm fully aware of Panathinaikos' expectations and I' m confident that the club will enter its second century successfully.

"I am lost for words trying to thank the fantastic fans that welcomed me so warmly in the airport yesterday. I will respond by giving 100% in the field always with an eye at achieving the club's goals."

Arsenal received around £1.2 million for the sale of Gilberto while the player’s representatives, The Base Soccer Agency, profited £0.8 million from the big-money transfer.

Gilberto joins Flamini, who has signed for AC Milan and Alexander Hleb, who has gone to Barcelona, in leaving Arsenal this summer.

Click here to view a photo of Gilberto signing his new contract under the eyes of Panathinaikos president Nikos Pateras.

A quiet entrance with an ambience few would notice when he held the Jules Rimet Trophy aloft in 2002, and a quiet exit with dignity unlike that of his recent colleagues. Brazilian by personality, yet an anthesis of the stereotypical player. Gilberto Silva was 'Mr Reliable', and no-one will begrudge the Invisible Wall a deserved ending to his career.

His debut, so fresh in the mind on a barmy, pre-season curtain raiser agiasnt Liverpool in the community Shield, was explosive. Cooly despatching Bergkamp's pass, the new boy samba danced his way into Arsenal hearts - however it tookquite a while for that to happen. With Vieira in his prime and forming a shield for the back-four, many doubted another as needed. Many even recognised the hard work Gilberto frequently did; blinded Gooners critised the man for not scoring enough goals. In the midst of the elegant Pires and Ljungberg, Gilberto was far from that. His undoubted ability became so only when he was missed for a 9 month spell on the sidelines. I remember on the first spring-like da in 2005, agiasnt Norwich at Highbury, the Brazilian dutyfully returned to a heroes welcome, like a messiah. Vieira was falling down from his prime, spluttering damp performances whilst Fabregas was still an early bloom, yet to blossom. Gilberto's return heralded a return to form for Arsenal, finished secod with an F.A Cup to add.

The rewards came - Arsenal Skipper, Penalty taker, Assist, Top Goal scorer. Gilberto in the first year at Ashburton Grove (and opening the first match with a cut thrust drive sending the 60,000 relieved) was at his peak. For that season alone, he will never be forgotten. Whilst we were in the mire, fourth and languishing 20 points behind Man.Utd, Gilberto never laid down for a second. Quite considerably, if he had been a front line soilder, the man would be bleeding - but alive.

And bleeding he was, when the captaincy he so eloquently held was 'stripped'. However, no moans or ultimatums for pay-rises came. He simply knuckled down, and bore the brunt.

On a personal level, Gilberto Silva will always be remebered for one thing. At my first ever visit to a football match - Brazil v Portugal in February 2007 - he ran rings around the heckled Ronaldo and made inch perfect tackles. Awe-inspired, I and everyone else knew that were seeing an anchor man at his prime. His downfall since then, has been surprising, but he does not deserve any as such.

Scoring the goal agiasnt Blackburn to seal the unbeaten record, community shield openers, Last Gasp Goals agiasnt Doncaster and penalites agiasnt the Spurs. His best years we're here, and boy don't we know it. Mr Gilberto Silva, we saulte you.

Alex Hleb is officially a Barcelona player. The club is being very professional about this departure and even treating it like it's a sad day by giving him the normal farewell with one of those "looks back at his career" articles; that said, when you read the thing it's almost a backhanded compliment. In three years he scored 11 goals and got voted Belorusian player of the year twice. 11 goals in three years. In the last three years, William Gallas has more goals than Hleb. Because when he gets a chance, HE SHOOTS.

I'm not trying to get down on the kid, but damnit, watching him play for the two years prior to this was insanely frustrating. I only need to say that he averaged 25 shots... a year... in all competitions for the Arsenal fans to shake their head and mutter "shoot. SHOOT!"

So, he took his passing boots to Barcelona, away from the hustle and bustle of his home in Hampstead Heath, and it could be said that Hleb was a Wenger failure. Well, not a complete failure but a sort of half-assed failure. Wenger was never able to work his magic on Hleb and transform him from a central player to a wing player, he never could get Hleb to take chances when he got them, and in the end Arsenal couldn't even really cash in on his transfer.

Afterward the boss had this to say

Yes, it is true that some of the things he said painted him to be a completely coddled, rich, knob. And yes while he was at Arsenal only the Holy Spirit took less shots on goal but Everyone at Arsenal wishes Alex the best of luck for the future.

I may have misheard parts of that quote but I'm pretty sure that's what Wenger said.

And that's the whole of the news. There are rumors that Gilberto will sign for Panathinaikos today but nothing concrete just yet. Honestly? Losing Gilberto will be a much bigger story for me than losing Hleb, but I'll write about that when (if) it happens.

All news has gone dead over the Adebayor transfer saga. Yesterday, Galliani was quoted saying that AC Milan was done buying after landing Ronadinho and today Barca signed Hleb, so where Ade would go at this point is only left up to the wild imaginations of the football press corps. Maybe they'll link him to Chelsea. Oh I know, Adebayor is going to Man U! You heard it here first! Tell everyone. I have the inside scoop: my brother's cousin's sister's fiance saw Adebayor pass out at the Manchester Baskin Robins, it's very serious.

What happens to Adebayor when he doesn't get a transfer? After all that's been said and done I have to wonder how he scampers back to the club with his tail between his legs? An understanding manager might take a look at this whole situation and see that here was a young man, who grew up very poor, fresh off a great season, who had his agent telling him things, other agents telling him things, clubs promising him things, and basically everyone in his inner circle convincing him of a bunch of stuff that was completely false. They did all that in order to unsettle the player so that they could get him for a bargain. AC Milan paid a mere £16m for Ronaldinho. Now, I know he's fat, but this is a guy that Chelsea reportedly offered eleventy billion pounds for just last year -- no, they were bargain hunting and they figured if they unsettled Adebayor enough, Arsenal might let him go for a similar amount. Meanwhile Barcelona smelled the blood in the water and let it be known that they too would buy Adebayor, if the price is going to be stupidly low, like £16m.

An understanding manager might put a crazy valuation on the player (say £35m) in order to let everyone know that he's not only not interested in selling but also that he understands that you all are up to your old tricks and that it's not going to work this time. Because once you put a huge value on the player, there's no way that you can sell him for half the price and still save face.

That same understanding manager would probably have a clear-the-air meeting with the player before the begining of the season, to make sure the guy was still on board and to let him know that he understands. And then he'd re-introduce the player to the team as if he was a new signing. Which is what he'll be because there's no way that you can go through something like this without it being a transformative event.

Anyway, that's what I imagine will happen. And when Adebayor steps out onto the pitch in an Arsenal shirt, we should all give him a warm, understanding, welcome back.

Just don't do it again, Ade.

My Obsession With Robbie Savage

It looks like it's time to hang up my Robbie Savage kicking boots because there's no kick I could deliver that would bite nearly as much as the fact that he was dropped by Derby County. I expect Tottenham to sign him for £16m any moment now.

And Finally...

In at number 2 of the Gunner's all time greats is Denis Bergkamp. I couldn't possibly write a more fitting tribute to the man so, please go read it. The only thing I would add is "grit:" Bergkamp had it whenever Arsenal needed it, and the club could use a man like that right now.

Until tomorrow

Update:

Gilberto has officially left for Panathinaikos.  Far more so than Hleb, Gilberto will be missed.  His leadership (he was club captain 2 years ago) on and off the pitch, his skill as a midfield stopper, and his knack for scoring a goal at just the right moment all made him an important player for Arsenal during his 6 years with the club.

But possibly the most important quality that Arsenal need to replace, especially now when the likes of Adebayor threaten to throw the club into turmoil, was his quiet professionalism.  The way he went about playing, practicing, and coming on when asked (in whatever position the boss asked him to) after he had been stripped of his starting position and his captaincy at the start of the season speaks volumes about the class and character of the man.  It is fitting that the first we all heard that Gilberto wanted to move on was just the other day, when the deal was nearly done.  Not a peep to the press about it.  No agent angling for a better deal.  No complaints about "mistreatment" or "slavery" by his former employers.  Just a "hey thanks I had fun, I'm going to finish my career in Greece if you don't mind."

Arsenal need more men like that, especially now.

Good luck, Gio, your class will be nearly impossible to replace.

3 Defensive midfielders allowed to leave the club in the last 6 months, Lets hope Arsene has something up his sleeve as this now leaves us short of players in this key department. As i said a few days ago I would like Diaby to get a chance in the middle, But we still need cover and going into the season with only Cesc, Denilson Song and Diaby plus the addition of Ramsey our Midfield is lacking experience.We seem to be blessed with Attacking midfielder at the club but not that many who are willing to do the donkey work.

Diarra must be kicking himself knowing that if he was still at the club he would now be a one of the first names on the team sheet.

So who might Arsene sign as our new holding midfielder?

Yaya Toure ( Would be perfect )

Xabi Alonso ( is more of a Deep-lying playmaker then holding midfielder )

Gareth Barry ( I would not pay £18m plus £80k a week for Barry )

All linked with a move to Arsenal plus the unknown Amaury Bischoff, But Personally I would love Wenger to go out and sign Daniele De Rossi.

We need a tough tackling ball winner next to Cesc in midfield and Wenger would need to address this if we stand a chance of winning anything this forthcoming season.

Join the forum to chat to more gooners about this and more www.goonerforum.com

It's a morning of players "set" to do stuff.

Hleb is set to get a medical today and be revealed as a Barcelona player tomorrow.

Gilberto is set to get a medical today and be revealed as a Panathinaikos player tomorrow.

Arsenal are set to make a bid for Xabi Alonso [record scratch] wait, whut?  Hey! Back in May I made a joke about Xabi coming to Arsenal in order to point out the silliness of speculating and now it looks like that joke has come full circle.  Don't get me wrong: Xabi Alonso is a very good player and would be the perfect replacement for Flamini -- he's one of the best passers in the EPL, he's got a great engine, and he's won the Champions League.  BUT! As much as I would love to see Xabi in an Arsenal shirt this story is thinner than Nichole Ritchie.  First, the death of the Alonso to Juve deal is being touted as the reason why Liverpool can't sign Keane/Barry.  Second, Arsenal have been linked to Barry.  Third, why would Arsenal give Liverpool the money they need to sign a player that Arsenal also want?  Fourth, does Arsenal really want to give Liverpool the money to sign Keane?  And finally, would that really be a good deal for the Arsenal?

No.

The smart move is to go for Barry because that gives Villa the money to go for Bentley, which upsets Tottenham's attempts to land the player, and it pips Liverpool to a player, and it gives Arsenal an Englishman that they can use to festoon all their advertisements and make Sepp Blatter/Michel Platini/Xenophobic Nationalists happy.

But that's all blogger speculation, right?  What does the club actually say about all this?  Peter Hill-Wood wades in to the debate.

Maybe people need to wake up to the realities of the world and that the days of easy money have come to a pretty sudden end. There is an awful lot of talk about big transfers and major demands of players, but you will find throughout the UK and Europe that money is not quite as easy to obtain as it used to be. So I feel a lot of these stories emanating from agents may not actually come to fruition. There is a lot of talk but no action. It disappoints me because a lot of people don’t seem to realise that, in the long run, you must run a football club on a sensible commercial basis.

A solid reminder that Arsenal aren't buying anyone this summer and to look closely at the stories and see who's saying what.  In the case of the Alonso story it's a "his agent said" so I'm putting that at 0.00% chance of being true.  The Barry story is closer to true but the only thing we know for sure is that Arsenal want to be kept "in the loop." This could mean that they are anywhere from actively looking at the guy to waiting around in case there's a chance to get a great deal, with the latter the most likely scenario.

It's that last part of the PHW quote that makes me so confident that Arsenal aren't buying any more players even if they do get £30m for Adebayor.  Add up the transfers: Arsenal are pretty much even in the transfer market.  Assuming that the Hleb story is true and Arsenal are getting £15m for him, now subtract Nasri's £11m and Ramsey's £5m: pretty much break even.

Now look at PHW and Wenger's comments, they keep using words like "stability" and describing last season as "unfortunate" and we keep hearing how the Boss would much rather take young players and turn them into big stars.  These aren't hints, folks, they are straight up telling us that unless there's some kind of incredibly great deal this is the team we will see on the pitch next season. Any other money generated from player sales will be saved in case of an emergency and players need to be bought during the January transfer window.  That's my word.

Finally, Tony Adams is #3 on the all time greats list, which means that Bergkamp and Henry have to be #2 and #1 respectively.  As for Adams, I don't think Arsenal will ever see another player like him, check out the story on the dot com (linked above).

The England international made his way into Villa's Bodymoor Heath training complex this morning following a two-week exile for declaring his desire to join Liverpool this summer.

Time to say goodbye? Barry's future remains up in the air

Barry's fitness levels are reported to have dropped during his two-week absence. He has done little work since being banned from pre-season training, a problem which could delay his inevitable Villa departure as Liverpool will not want to be potentially buying an unfit player.

The 27-year-old is expected to sit down with Villa manager Martin O'Neill at some point today. It will be his first face-to-face meeting with the Northern Irishman after Barry criticised him in a Sunday newspaper.

"There's no going back, it's time for me to move on," he said.

"I'm desperate to play Champions League football and that's why I have to leave Villa."

O'Neill responded to Barry's comments, saying: "The chairman and I were surprised at Gareth's comments.

"Contrary to what he said, we desperately wanted to keep him and he knows that. Why on earth would we not want to keep our very top player at the football club when we're trying to improve?"

Barry was upset with O'Neill's handling of his likely £18million move to Anfield and since then the clubs have been at loggerheads over the situation. Liverpool are unwilling to match O'Neill's asking price, a problem which has not been helped by the collapse of Xabi Alonso's £16m move to Juventus.

Alonso has said he wants to fight for his future at Liverpool, although Arsenal are reported to have expressed an interest in bringing the Spaniard to the Emirates to compensate for the loss of Mathieu Flamini this summer.

Arsenal have been keeping a close check on the Barry saga but may decide to turn their interest towards Alonso who could team-up with compatriot Cesc Fabregas in central midfield.

arsenalnews.co.nr