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One Man’s Meat…..

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After the comings and goings of the past few weeks, one thing that has come to light is that stark contrasts between the ways in which Arsenal and Chelsea are run.

I don’t want to drag this situation on for any longer than necessary, but I find Arsenal chairman, Peter Hill-Wood’s statement to the Sun to be a very good lesson in diplomacy.

After everything that has happened with Ashley Cole, Arsene Wenger and the board have remained tight-lipped about the whole sordid situation, and they even wished Cole all the best upon his departure. It’s obvious to everyone with half a brain that the kind of publicity that will be drawn from a public slanging match is not one that will hold the club’s reputation in good stead, and as such we seem happy to let the situation die a death so we can move on to the business of football.

Across London however, the powers that be seem perfectly happy to drag their clubs name through the mud (can it get any dirtier?) in the pursuit of one-upmanship.

As far as I can see Chelsea had absolutely nothing to gain from issuing this statement other than filling Chelsea fans with rage towards the player and thus making him a much hated figure amongst the Stamford Bridge faithful. Nothing more.

Fortunately for we Gooners, our club appears to be much more graceful in their dealing, and as the chairman says, it’s time to let it lie.

Hill-Wood said, ‘I have no idea why Chelsea issued that statement. That is something you will have to ask them. It’s certainly not something I or anyone at Arsenal would have done.

‘After 18 months of headlines generated by Chelsea’s move for Ashley Cole, we hoped that last week’s transfer would finally have been the end of it all.

‘But I don’t see why we should make a complaint to the FA or the Premier League about this latest episode. I really think it’s best just to leave the matter alone.’

One man’s meat…..

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