Should Flamini play / Keith Edelman

The big question is still whether Mathieu Flamini will sign his contract extension or take the money and un and go to AC Milan. I think many of us have seen the figures being banded about. Apparently The Arsenal have offered £55K a week, whilst AC Milan have offered Flamini a bumper signing on fee, £65K a week (after tax!), a luxury house on Lake Como with his own butler and a date with Italian Rosaria Cannavò. We should all know later today after Wenger’s Friday press conference what the future holds regarding Flamini. Of course the deadline set by Arsène Wenger for The Flamster to sign before April has now passed, so the saga continues or does it? Anyone remember the Paddy or even Thierry Henry’s transfer shenanigans? Well this ‘will he, wont he?’ seems to be eclipsing those times. Today I think Wenger should just tell us all what the story is. It’s been reported that Flamini has already told all the players at the club he has decided to join Milan by a ’source’ inside the club - yup one those. Probably the same source who said Thierry Henry (him again?) had cleared his locker and was spotted Googling ‘Barcelona hot spots’ after the Champions League Final in 2006. 

So the big question is, IF Flamini has decided to go to sunnier climes, should he be playing the last two games of the season for us? He is reported to be over his ankle injury sustained against northern monkeys Liverpool in that heart breaking Champions League quarter final at Anfield and is ready to play. OK when a player is fit, which in The Arsenal’s case this season has been a battle in itself, they should be made available. However when a player under contract, albeit for the next three weeks hasn’t put pen to paper and is openly in discussions with another team should we really be playing them? I wont blame Flamini when he does decide to go to Milan. As the silence from Flamini is deafening I have come to the conclusion that he is gone already. The lure of the lira (OK Euro’s, I know), playing for a club steeped in history both European and domestically and playing with the likes of Kaka, Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf you couldn’t fault him, especially when you throw in a shitload of money into the bargain. But why should we play him, we don’t ‘owe Flamini anything. Also if he is gone, why not give someone else a go? 

This situation reminds a bit of when we got to the final of the Champions League in 2006 and just so happens to involve Flamini as well. Remember Flamini got injured prior to the final and C*ntley C*nt was coming back from injury? It was the same time all the stories were coming out when C*ntley C*nt swerved his car because he was only offered £55K a week (that figure again), he was bad mouthing The Arsenal, the players and the board left, right and centre. What I couldn’t believe was Wenger put that c*nt in the team for the Final when Flamini played admirably at left back and deserved to get his spot back after injury. It was like Wenger thought some sense of loyalty was owed to Cashley Cole (like he would even know what that word meant) and played him instead, even in the midst of C*ntley C*nt’s backdoor meetings with CSKA Chelsea officials. I would of made a statement of intent if I were Wenger, I would of played Flamini, not out of spite but because we know he could do a job and a good one at that at left back and because C*ntley C*nt hadn’t had much action for most of the season as he spent it out through injury. However I still think Wenger played Cole in the belief that if he played C*ntley C*nt in a final that the c*nt would stay. Well that didn’t work out did it?

So this time round my statement of intent would be, Flamini I’ll play you when you show commitment by signing that extension or I’ll just bench you, actually I wouldn’t even put him on the bench if he’s not going to be there next season, why bother? Anyway Gooners we’ll know later today what the story is once Wenger makes his press conference, well we can hope because this saga is dragging like a fat birds arse. 

What would you do, would you play Flamini given the uncertainty of the situation or would you leave him out all together? We’ll talk about possible replacements when the Frenchman officially announces he’s off, no point doing it yet as I’m still hoping that the midfield grafter decides to stay with this team as he believes in it (his words, not mine)