PIRES: I HOPE ARSENE STAYS WITH GUNNERS
CURSED Alex OxladeChamberlain is fighting to lift his FA Cup jinx tomorrow – with no guarantees that he will stay at Arsenal next season. England midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain, named in Three Lions coach Gareth Southgate’s squad for next month’s World Cup qualifier against Scotland, managed only a single walk-on part in the Gunners’ backto-back Cup triumphs in 2014 and 2015. And although he has raced back to fitness in just 16 days since he limped off at Southampton with a hamstring injury, he could miss the cut at Wembley again when manager Arsene Wenger, bidding for a record seventh FA Cup win, names his side to face Chelsea. The Ox, whose existing contract at the Emirates expires next year, refused to discuss the prospects of him signing a new deal this summer.
But the chances of him leaving are likely to increase if Wenger (below, with Ox) leaves him on the bench and he misses out on a third Cup Final start in four seasons.
Oxlade-Chamberlain said: “It’s a bit of a trend, isn’t it? It’s obviously not ideal to pick up injuries close to the end of the season, but it’s what we deal with week in, week out.
“You go to the bottom of the pile and you have to work your way back up.
“When I got this injury, I tried to hit the ground running and attack it as quick as I could, and set out a plan which gave me the best opportunity to put myself in contention for the final.
“I spoke to the manager about my return and he was happy with it. That’s all I can do – team selection is down to him.
“For the 2014 final, I missed out completely and I was really gutted about that because I’d played a big role in helping us get there.
“But once we’d come back from 2-0 down, all feelings of disappointment went out of the window. That ended the club’s trophy drought and I was as excited as if I had scored the winning goal myself.
“And in the 2015 final, I came on for the last five minutes of a game that was already won, which was a nice moment for me after missing out completely the year before.”
Wenger will have to make a late decision on German defender Shkodran Mustafi who suffered concussion against Sunderland. Mustafi is confident he will be fit but strict guidelines on concussion may mean the decision is taken out of his hands. CHELSEA Premier League 2016–17; FA Cup 2011–12; Champions League 2011–12; Europa League 2012–13 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN Ligue 1 2014–15, 2015–16 Coupe de France 2014–15, 2015–16; Coupe de la Ligue 2014–15, 2015–16 BENFICA Primeira Liga: 2009–10; Taca da Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 IT WAS last summer during pre-season that Arsene Wenger let Robert Pires in on his determination not to fail again.
“It was ahead of the first game, against Lens,” said Pires. “I was on the team bus with him.
“I talked with him and he said, ‘You know, Robert, my first objective is to win the Premier League – not the FA Cup, not the Champions League. This is the reality’.”
Wenger ended up not even making the top four. It has left fans wanting him out, insiders at the Emirates wanting change – and Arsenal in the Europa League.
Yet Pires retains his faith in the man who signed him for the club 17 years ago from Marseille.
And whatever happens in the FA Cup Final against Chelsea tomorrow, Pires is hoping Wenger confirms he is staying and returns next season to defy the critics.
“I hope he will extend his contract – this is the man for Arsenal,” insisted Pires.
“I know a lot of Arsenal fans don’t have the same opinion as me.
“And Arsene knows that, if he extends the contract, he needs to change something – spend a lot of money and build a new team.
“He also knows that it will not be that easy.
“Some other managers are critical about Arsene, but he doesn’t care. Because he is very, very strong in his mind. He is still hungry. He loves Arsenal, he loves the team, he loves the players.“
Chelsea will be fresh from winning the title, while Arsenal will be without the suspended Laurent Koscielny and the injured pair of Gabriel and talisman Alexis Sanchez.
Defeat would increase the calls for Wenger, 67, to stand aside.
But Pires said: “Time to retire? No, no. Impossible. The last chance for silverware is the FA Cup.
“Arsenal are in love with it because we have won it 12 times. That’s why the players are very focused.
“Chelsea are the favourites, of course. But, you know football.”
Whatever the outcome of the final tomorrow, Pires, 43 will be captaining and playing for France – alongside Marcel Desailly, Eric Abidal and many more big names – at Star Sixes, a new six-aside world cup for legends staged at The O2, London, from July 13 to 16. “For some players, like Marcel, it’s not so easy now,” added Pires.
“I am 43 whereas he is 48 or 49. So he needs to keep fit again and start a new regime of training.
“But he said yes because he is a professional.”
Also signed up are Deco who will captain Portugal, Michael Ballack, who will skipper Germany, and England’s Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen. Pires, Alessandro Del Piero, Steven Gerrard, Roberto Carlos and Michael Ballack will all be trying to get their hands on the Star Sixes trophy (above) at The O2, July 13-16. are on sale at: www. starsixes.com JAAP STAM insists he wants to remain Reading boss next season regardless of the outcome of Monday’s Championship play-off final.
The Dutchman’s side face Huddersfield at Wembley in a £170million shoot-out for a Premier League place.
He has worked wonders transforming the Royals in his first season in charge and won many admirers.
But Stam, 44, said: “I still have a contract here, I love working with this team and these players.
“It would be great if we could make it to the Premier League, if not we are still in the Championship and still have a good team and a nice club.
“The ambition is there and we will see at the end of the season what they want to do with me.
“Maybe the club wants to have someone else. That’s how it goes in football. But I’m happy with where we are at the moment.”
The former Manchester United and Holland defender added: “I’ve played at the top and as a manager I want to go to the top, hopefully, with Reading.
“Sometimes you need to move on, but I’m enjoying it here. It doesn’t mean I need to be somewhere else next season.”