Premier League - Hleb: Trouble ahead for Arsenal

Eurosport - Thu, 24 Jul 14:55:00 2008

Barcelona new boy Alexander Hleb is predicting a 'difficult time' for his former club Arsenal.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 La Liga Barcelona Hleb - 0

The Belarus international completed his protracted move to the Camp Nou last week for a fee reported to be in the region of 15 million euros (£11.9million).

Hleb joined the Gunners from Stuttgart in 2005 but grew unsettled in north London during the latter stages of his time at the Emirates Stadium.

The 27-year-old, currently with his Barca team-mates on their pre-season tour in Scotland, hailed Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Wednesday, stressing the key role he plays in driving the club forward.

And Hleb has now warned the club that they face testing times when Wenger leaves his post in the future.

"Wenger is everything to Arsenal," he told the Daily Telegraph. "The future for Arsenal, if Wenger stays, is that they will always play at the top.

"But of course it is difficult now because Arsenal have a few political differences. When he leaves, I think this is a difficult time coming for Arsenal."

Hleb also said it would be 'fantastic' if he were joined at Barcelona by Cesc Fabregas and the reportedly unsettled Emmanuel Adebayor, while he also questioned Arsenal's policy over sales.

"These are fantastic players, Adebayor and Cesc," Hleb continued. "Every team would like to keep these players. For me it would be fantastic if they came to Barcelona.

"Those players would bring good energy and power to this club. For Barcelona, it would be fantastic, and for me personally as well, if they leave.

He added: "Sometimes I think that Arsenal do not want to keep this team, not give something more."

Sporting Life / Eurosport

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  1. Well on my opinion. i think he"s a good and fantastic aswell. he can say anything about his former team.and he was not trying to abuse neither the team or the maneger himself. He was just wishing that his team mates [fabrigas and Adebayo] are there with him. and he already knew that Arsenal are going to face a terrible challenges after Arsene"s exit............UP GUNNERS.

    From iamsegun, on Fri 25 Jul 12:53AM
  2. Hleb shut up and emulate Henry who has never said anything bad about arsenal.
    From Toff Siken

    From martazzuwut, on Thu 24 Jul 11:35PM
  3. What a total @#$% Hleb is. all the time at Arsenal,he never said boo to a goose. The man blatantly used Arsenal as a stepping stone, and to see him giving it large, kissing his Barca badge when he hasn't even played a competitive game for them makes me sick.... now all he wants to do is mouth off and comment on Arsenal,and their players. Has a lot to say all of a sudden, he got his move and should be grateful to Arsenal that they graciously gave into his demands to leave. Rumour has it he left cos his new wife wears the pants in their relationship, and its her that suggested he move....As a fan I always thought he was a bit lightweight, now I know he's a wimp.
    He needs to shut up, and concentrate on Barca, their team, and their players, and hope he does better than the majority of ex gunners that failed to shine at Barca. What goes around comes around......

    From kpb, on Thu 24 Jul 11:11PM
  4. I am a Chelsea fan, and I am really surprised that Hleb makes such a comment after he was allowed to leave. I think Hleb is trying to unsettle his ex-team mates by saying things such as, Arsenal have political differences, what will happen if wenger leaves, etc. In simple words, he wants his friends to move out of Arsenal just like himself.

    Thats not the right things to do. His wish was to leave, which was granted. So he really should be happy and should get on with his job. Unless this is part of his job, i.e. alluring more out of Arsenal into Barca.

    And even if there are difference in any club, they will sort it out themselves internally. If he's really concerned about such things, he shouldnt have said all this at this time of the year, especially not when Arsenal have already lost of a few important players and need to rebuild. Which am sure Arsene will do. But such ungrateful behaviour is not acceptable....

    From ItzJustMe, on Thu 24 Jul 10:10PM
  5. Who does this knobhead think he is?
    I can't believe he has the audacity to say some of this stuff. You got your move Hleb, now stfu! I look forward to watching you fade into obscurity at Barca. I hope your goalscoring record is just as sensational there as it was at Arsenal. Ungrateful @#$%. Ugh.

    From julia_adamus, on Thu 24 Jul 8:39PM
  6. Hleb does not have to say anything about Arsenal because during his three years stay he merely played one year.

    From pierredelia, on Thu 24 Jul 7:28PM
  7. why don't you arsie fans get your arses [from out of the gutter] and shut the hell up!!!
    it is really feeble of you.
    Hleb DID NOT abuse Arsenal and did not say anything untoward...he has every right to express his wish that some of the other players will come to his club and he did not disrespect Arsenal but simply point out the obvious as he has seen it!
    i thot arsenal fans had more sense and could read an article properly...well well what can i say. thankfully i support the best team in the world and we have the diadems to prove it...lol

    From ajo_esq, on Thu 24 Jul 7:20PM
  8. All you people complaining are looking from a biased standpoint.

    All he said was that he thinks Arsenal will have a hard time adapting when the day comes that Wegner is no longer there. Which is probably true.

    And he said he thinks they may not want to "keep the team together", which is also probably true. They don't keep him, Flamini, may get rid of Adebayor, etc during the summer.

    He did also said "Arsenal will always be at the top as long as Wenger is there".

    As for the guy who said he ripped Fabregas, did you not read that Hleb said he would love to have Cesc with him at Barca! Did you actually read the article or just post a bunch of jibberish?

    Keep in mind I just read this article, and haven't kept up on what he said in the past. But based on THIS article, he is not really saying anything that he doesn't believe to be true, or is really offensive at all..

    From Burt H, on Thu 24 Jul 7:14PM
  9. Mr Hleb you should concetrate on your football and not talk about others.Leave Adebayor and Cesc alone.Play your football at Barcelona and forget about Arsenal. We have already forgotten about you.How many goals have you scored for Arsenal last season? Its only 3 in the premiership, one of them against relagated Reading.There are so many players who want to play for Arsenal.Arsenal will live on without you.Leave Arsenal alone

    From ftkandengwa, on Thu 24 Jul 7:11PM
  10. to hell wt u hleb, how dare u talk ill of my boy fabregas. that was to cruel of u and as for u switching sides, u hv betrayed mr arsene and u will surely pay for it . bet it . illluck, no goals

    From austenadesina, on Thu 24 Jul 6:40PM
  11. its not ur fault,u must feel very luck to be playing pro football,unlike ur mates doing construction jobs on the street of london,shame on clubs that tolerate traitors and players who throw stone at their former employer.FOOTBALL AS LOST ITS BEAUTY.

    From gboyega o, on Thu 24 Jul 5:48PM
  12. hleb is good riddance to bad rubbish. he is frustrated and full of regrets. please hold your agent liable. infact fire him for deciving you for his greed.

    From chima w, on Thu 24 Jul 5:47PM
  13. Hleb should better shut his trap and sbetter concentrate to help an average barca team to reclaim No 1 in spain
    lets hope the manager there let him play his favourite position or he might start moaning again about the terrible weather and the stress in the catalans capital LOL

    From gunnerious, on Thu 24 Jul 5:35PM
  14. he will get a very warm welcoming if Barcelona have a match on the emirates

    From vittori0, on Thu 24 Jul 5:29PM
  15. i hope helb has a horrible injury plagued season for barca,if he does not shut his trap and concentrate on his new job,stupid boy

    From adebayo p, on Thu 24 Jul 5:17PM
  16. You shut-up you deserter! Take your baby, feeble shots to Barca.... you will never make it at Barca. Soccer is played on the pitch and not on the internet. Mind your own business. I bet you within no time you will be on the road again!

    From gideonaswani, on Thu 24 Jul 5:16PM
  17. Hlep, i liked you before as a player, even moreso when at Arsenal, but latest smearing comments credited to you about Arsenal, my club, has condemned you to a mere stupid player and as a person. I didn't know you are this ungrateful. You better shut your dirty trap up and think of how to win a regular and starting shirt in Barca. You disliked Csec Fabregas when at Arsenal but now you wish he follows you to Barca, to do what? That is how you pay back your former employer who sharpened your footballing. It is a pity that players nowdays attack their former clubs when they move on. Arsenal WILL NOT fall because you are no longer there, or etc. We will rise the more. Remember Thiery Henry does not like your (goal-shy) pattern of play and you are now in Barca with him. I wonder what you will get this season. I hope you don't give another excuse of a lousy Barcelona city.

    From Luxy, on Thu 24 Jul 5:13PM
  18. I think Arsenals future are more secured than that of Hleb himself, i don't know why he can't just keep quit and face his job at Barca. What he should be worried about now is how to pull Barca out of the mess they are in. Barca has more problems than Arsenal those have to say the list. I also know that he will come to appreciate that fans are, even if you are not playing alright in Arsenal the fans will still be behind you, i don't think that is the same in Barca, so watch it Hleb you have to be at 100% all of the time to please your new fans. You have more to think than Arsenal have to think, you better start thinking now.

    From agodirin, on Thu 24 Jul 4:49PM
  19. who the f#@k Hleb think he is, acting like he is some guru or elite player. He should shut up and concentrate on his new club.

    From arsene_al2000, on Thu 24 Jul 4:32PM
  20. somebody should tell that scare crow to shut the hell up ,for sure he has all the skill
    but no goal sense. he has tha eyes like an eagel but a leg like a walking stick

    From yettykeji, on Thu 24 Jul 4:30PM
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