The Catalan Press Beckons You

I am in the process of catching up with Lost on DVD, but I'm only about a third of the way through Season 2. (Seriously, don't tell me what happens!) You remember way back in 2005, when Jose Mourinho brought Chelsea its first title in fifty years, Patrick Vieira left for Juventus, and a fresh-faced (ha!) Wayne Rooney left Everton for Man U. 2005 was also the season of the Others. (Don't tell me what happens after Season 2 please!)

Much like the Others, there are currently specters haunting Ashburton Grove these days. They are called the Catalan press, and yet again these Others are lurking around Arsenal's campsite, attempting to steal a few more warm bodies to Barcelona. This week, the latest "target" of a nonsensical rumor is Arsene Wenger. And of course Cesc Fabregas will be leaving for the Spanish coast, even though he continues to deny such rumors.

As my beloved Arseblogger has pointed out on numerous occasions, Barcelona FC is basically full of shit for espousing their "More Than a Team" philosophy while engaging in non-stop tapping-up. The Catalan press seems to have a symbiotic relationship with Barca's management, with both floating out a constant stream of scurrilous rumors and admiration. The fact that most of that admiration is pointed toward pilfering Arsenal's prized talent is beyond irritating. I know Chelsea have reasons to feel aggrieved as well, but at least Drogba has stated his desire to play for Barcelona. Wenger and Fabregas have been nothing if not consistent in their commitment to Arsenal FC. Yet the rumors still persist, floating out on slow news days, only to be picked up by the U.K. press.

In the end, you have to wonder if maybe Wenger got the upper-hand yet again by dealing a gimpy TH14. The results of that move have so far worked out better for Arsenal than for Barcelona. But, it also means that Barca's revenge will be yet more rumors and pining over our players and manager. Flattery? Perhaps, but we all know what happens to Others who don't play nice:

(SERIOUSLY DON'T TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SEASON 2!)