“Wenger confident Reyes will succeed:
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has backed his troubled star Jose Antonio Reyes to fulfil his potential with the Gunners…’For me he is coming back to his best. He shows that in training and he was very mobile and dangerous at Blackburn.’”- culled from Soccernet.com 22 March 2005
This one is for all those out there who say that Reyes should be allowed to leave Arsenal. That he should be sold to Real Madrid.
Arsene Wenger has as good as dashed the hopes of Real Madrid’s formidable PR machine. He has showed that their campaign to make Arsenal feel that the best option was to sell Reyes to them as he had “admitted” that he wanted to leave Arsenal for Real Madrid has failed. They hoaxed the lad once, caught him at a bad moment a second time, and then got busy trumpetting that he wanted to leave Arsenal. Arsene was adamant throughout that the guy was going nowhere.
Real Madrid were hugely interested in Reyes especially after he destroyed them in that match at Seville almost two seasons ago. Reyes became the hottest property in Spain, but no Spanish club bothered going in for him, especially not Real Madrid. Simple reason - had Real Madrid tried to bid for Reyes, Seville would have put their throats on the block. They would have had to pay Seville at least 20 million pounds UP-FRONT. They knew they couldn’t afford it, so they simply sat tight, and wondered when they could make a move for him.
Then one day in January 2004, the rumor mill begins to whisper that a deal is about to be closed between Arsenal and Seville for Spain’s hottest young talent. Virtually before anyone else knows what’s happening, the deal is done, and Wenger (who had previously declared that he was buying nobody) had pulled of another great transfer coup. I know that every Arsenal fan (myself included) shared in Le Boss’ secret smile at the fact that the Real Madrid and Chelsea boardrooms were tearing out their hair at missing out on signing Reyes. It even went on record that Chelsea were aware of Arsenal’s interest and wanted to sign Reyes, but were “reliably” informed that Arsenal couldn’t possibly afford to sign Reyes before the end of the season, so they cooled their jets.
We made a spectacular steal. When he slammed that shot into the roof of the net in the FA Cup match against Chelsea, and followed up with that calm finish later on, we all agreed that here was indeed a fabulous player with more to come.
He started this season brightly before the inevitable dip that hits young players. Granted, it has taken a while for him to recover from the slump, but Arsene Wenger did say that confidence goes quickly and returns slowly.
And now comes the part of the saga that rankles me personally.
Some idiots say Reyes should be sold. That he’s failing to show up at games. That he’s not up to the standard. That he slows down Arsenal’s play. That his mind isn’t on his game. That he should be sold for 10 million pounds.
THAT IS ALL A LOAD OF ABSOLUTE RUBBISH.
Reyes is a player with fantastic potential. When he was signed by Arsenal it was agreed by everybody that his value could only go UP. And we paid 10.5 million pounds for him. Some dunces want us to take a loss to sell a very good player. Which player on earth DOESN’T want to play for Real Madrid? In his heart of hearts, virtually every player on earth wants to pull on the white jersey of Real Madrid, the most famous team on the planet. Reyes only voiced a desire. But he accepts that he is an Arsenal player and wants to make his career at Highbury work. He has said so himself.
Only a fool would allow a talent like Reyes go to a team that has mounted a heavy campaign to unsettle the player. Used radio stations to hoax him. Trumpetted in every Spanish daily that Reyes wants to go to Real Madrid. Had the club president say that even VIEIRA is still on their list. Making it seem like Arsenal must sell either Vieira or Reyes to them. And it’s painful that some Arsenal fans are falling for that nonsense.
At least, I’m confident that Arsene Wenger is no fool. So, a message to all you haters out there- JOSE ANTONIO REYES WILL STAY AT ARSENAL. And there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.
15 Responses to “On Jose Antonio Reyes and The Haters”
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March 22nd, 2005 at 7:03 pm
I dont want Reyes to leave
he has so much talent already and he has not yet reached his potential
when Reyes plays crud, he still surpasses the form his team mates show.
An unhappy Reyes is still better than many Arsenal players
March 22nd, 2005 at 7:26 pm
I don’t want Reyes to leave either, but I think it’s obvious he’s unhappy. Yes he was tricked, but that doesn’t mean he had to say the things he did - he is 21 not 12. If he still wants to stay why hasn’t he come out and said anything?
Wenger can say whatever he likes to the press, we have all seen it before with Petit, Anelka, etc. If Reyes wants out at the end of the season, and I think he does, then Wenger will not stand in his way.
March 22nd, 2005 at 9:28 pm
I’ve never made any secret of the fact that based on form Reyes has no business being anywhere near the Arsenal bench. And I still insist that the only reason keeping him there is his price tag. Most of his games of late he’s been a real drag on the team, losing the ball and spoiling promising moves. At least now he doesn’t go down as easily.
No doubt Reyes is a huge talent, but if he’s unhappy and wants to go, Wenger should let him, for the right price. Of course we’ve read his statement, but the end of the season is a whole other ball game. He may be talented, but so are Van Persie, Quincy and Bentley and they didn’t cost ? 17 Million. It’s a huge gamble to keep a player with such erratic form for the moeny spent. If Real Madrid comes with ? 15 mil., I say we sell him.
And English football may not be for him. These things happen. Look at Crespo back iin Italy, and ManU flop Diego Forlan who is currently the second highest goal scorer in Spain. Hanging on to a Reyes who wants to leave will be a huge mistake, in my opinion.
March 22nd, 2005 at 10:28 pm
Yes, I wholeheartedly agree. You can’t plan fro the individual stressors that a foreign team member may experience, and as annoying or unfortunate as his apparent homesickness is, it’s valid. It DOES happen, the kid is human, and it’s best if we let the lad go if he wants to becuase he won’t be doing himslef and more importantly, AFC, any favors by muddling through at any less than his full commitment and capacity.
…as you say though, for the right price.
Dave
March 23rd, 2005 at 12:14 am
lokolawyer, I think in this case, Real never really made any serious attempt to lure Reyes away. When even Wenger said things like “if they are really interested, they should make a phone call”, you can tell from which side does the true intention for Reyes’ transfer come from.
Before the Blackburn game, or after the Munich game to be exact, Wenger was really disappointed and admitted publicly he was at lost for Reyes’ poor form. Added with Reyes’ comment on Real Madrid, that’s just enough ingredient for the media to create the whole Reyes-Owen swap stories etc.. I don’t think Real is that much interested in Reyes as they were in Vieira. All these are media’s talk.
As for the ‘idiot’ (or haters, whatever) that say Reyes should be sold, I can tell you that none of those ‘idiot’ fail to see the potential in Reyes. Any fan with decent football knowledge can see what you see in Reyes. We all know how good Reyes CAN be, IF he got the right attitude.
But Reyes of late is a player who has lost that something in him. I don’t know whether that is his confidence, passion, or whatever. Only an idiot fail to notice how often he made poor decisions or how often he caused the team’s counter attack to halt. That kind of Reyes, does not deserve to play. And if ever Wenger need to look to sell someone to boost his transfer fund, this kind of player who could only keep talking about how much he missed his homeland, is the first one you got to consider selling.
Of course, Reyes that played in Blackburn game was kinda different player somehow. No fan hate him. How could we? He is no doubt as special as any best young talent on Europe. And all of us would love to see him playing like that for the next and the next next match.
March 23rd, 2005 at 2:35 am
As with any young, exciting player, when you take him out of his element and plunk him into the middle of foreign territory you must be patient. We gooners, being so used to the spectacular, are ready to throw out a diamond in the rough if it doesn’t shine by the next transfer deadline. Any young talent must settle in and adapt, and we have to be patient lest we lose a future superstar. Rarely, as in the case of Fabregas, does a player so green show up to make an immediate impact on the first team.
It has only been 15 months, and he has already showed flashes of brilliance: cracking goals, outrageous footwork, pinpoint passing, etc.. He needs more time, and more tinkering (stay away ranieri!) It’s obvious to me that he is not a true striker, and we don’t need him to be. He seems ill at ease when partnered with Henry. I feel he is best suited as an outside midfielder, making streaking runs on the flank then delivering a cross to the 18′ box. He can even be an attacking center-mid. He has great power and can deliver a thunderbolt from 25-30 yards out to the upper 90.
All this talk about Madrid has made me queasy. I’m sure that any player feels tickled when the Galacticos come calling. REAL-istically, what have they done in the last few years? They are like a talent black hole. They suck up all the stars in sight, and most of them go super-nova. Where is the silverware? Why can’t they keep a manager? Is there really any stability in that organization? Everyone here seems to think that we can get Owen, Casillas, and some cash. ??? Owen has exceeded my expectations in Madrid, maybe the change of scenery did him well. He has scored 10-12 goals thus far for them, and mostly as a sub. Casillas has been and will continue to be one of the best keepers in Europe. Some would argue that he is what keeps them out of a place in mid-table. Consider that Owen’s stock, incredibly, is on the rise after a stagnant last spell in England. Casillas is on top. So we want all that and money too? For a mercurial talent that has yet to demonstrate his full potential?
Words of advice Jose, drop the silly “what did I do?” look, get up off the ground, and take lessons from Pires on how to avoid and/or sell the tackle. Oh yeah, I almost forgot…. head over the laces–stop kicking field goals!
I actually love Reyes, but I tire of speculation. Let’s figure out what to do with him and make the most of his talents so that we may regain our perch as top England club. We’ll conquer Europe when the time is right!
March 23rd, 2005 at 2:57 am
There is no doubt that Reyes is very talented.However his performances of late have been below par,especially by the high arsenal standards.
On many occassions he has lost possession at crucial moments,not to mention his lack of fighting spirit.My position is that he should stay but should be behind ,the tried and tested Bobby Pires in the pecking order.
March 23rd, 2005 at 7:07 am
well, i havent seen two worst arsenal performances in my life than the two reyes served up against bayern munich. he was dreadful.
again wenger seems a bit slow here. he says reyes is back to his best, but he seems to forget that reyes played very well against newcastle at highbury, played well against crystal palace at highbury. these good performances came BEFORE his european disasters.
reyes played well against bolton and against blackburn, but frankly its too damn late. the damage has been done.
alot of our players only seem to do the business when there nothing to play for(f.a cup is nothing in my book). i guarantee if we played bayern next week reyes would fall apart again.
he has got talent, not a great amount, but he’s got it. but his fragile mentality will mean he will never produce it on a consistent basis. sell him. his public statements also give me the impression he’s got the mentality of 10 year old.
March 23rd, 2005 at 8:33 am
well, Mazza, if you believe the damage is already done, then I’m glad you’re not the Arsenal manager. Wenger is slow? Have you forgotten how long it took a young Thierry Henry to settle down at Highbury? Titi showed up in 1999, at the age of 21! He took time to adapt to the English game and to score his first goal. Even longer than Reyes. And at that time there were those who said Henry was a waste of money at 10 million pounds. But Wenger stuck with him, and now, 6 years down the road, Henry is the most dangerous striker on earth. It’s all because Wenger PERSEVERED with him and refused to give up. He will do the same with Reyes. In two seasons, you wont recognise the guy.
March 23rd, 2005 at 9:40 am
REYES FOR REAL and OWEN A GUNNER
March 23, 2005
MADRID (AFP) - Arsenal striker Jose Antonio Reyes already has one foot in Real Madrid’s door, according to press reports which say the unsettled Gunner could join the Madrid giants at the end of June.
According to Spanish sports daily Marca an agreement is in the pipeline after Reyes’ agent, Jesus Rodriguez de Moya, held separate talks with Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein and with Real president Florentino Perez.
Marca also insisted that England striker Michael Owen could become a factor in any deal involving Reyes’ departure from Highbury, although that suggestion has already been denied by Real in mid February.
“Real Madrid do not envisage an exchange between Michael Owen and Jose Antonio Reyes,” said a statement on the Real website on February 12.
“Real Madrid are satisfied with the work of the English player. There have been no contacts from agents nor Arsenal with Real Madrid.”
Spanish first division side Sevilla sold Reyes to Arsenal for 35 million euros in January 2004, but just over a year into his four and a half year contract the player is believed to be homesick in London.
Owen joined Real from Liverpool for 12 million euros last summer but has struggled to become a regular starter at the Bernabeu.
March 23rd, 2005 at 10:52 am
Great post. Spot on. Well done.
March 23rd, 2005 at 11:33 am
much appreciated!
March 23rd, 2005 at 1:23 pm
I don’t see the point of this discussion. OK, a few people on this site have been slagging off Reyes (a bit mindlessly in my view) but the majority think he’s a fantastically promising player. I’m a huge Reyes fan but if he puts in a transfer request and we’re offered the right sort of money, we’ve no choice but to let him go. I assume this is going to happen given his unhappiness here and his family’s pressure (i.e. a mum who says on the radio that she’d rather live in a cardboard box in Spain than the delux suburban mansion they’ve got here). I love Ashley as well; he’s my favourite player; I’ll be gutted when he goes, but if he wants to badly enough there’s no way we can keep him against his will. The players aren’t slaves who can be bought and sold without consulting them,for heaven’s sake; they’re human beings with likes and dislikes, resentments, ambitions, hopes and fears, like the rest of us. Would you stay in a job or a country you disliked?
March 24th, 2005 at 2:10 am
definately REYES is a hot item and I would kill Arsenal 2 lose such quality. Considering the fact that he’s still only 21 there’s still more to come. Every player has dips in form, even TH14 our best and most proven player of world class was disliked after a period of under-rated performances. Reyes is better of than that and maye be thet level of expectaion is tooo high. This guy will hit the peak next term. He’s Stayin.
March 24th, 2005 at 6:57 am
What makes you think Reyes wants to stay? Or are his feelings about where he lives and plays completely irrelevant? Mightn’t they affect his performance just a little?