Dear Ian Wright...

You may have read in yesterdays me noting that Ian Wright had written a garbage article not even worthy of linking... well thanks to fellow writer Mario I have now got a reason to... have a read of this article, and then read Mario's response. I'm sure you will find it an agreeable response.

Hi Ian,

1st of all, I would just like to say as a lifelong Gooner, you were always a great player for us and thanks for the memories. But my reason for emailing you is in response to your latest piece regarding Arsenal. You wrote us off last year without much merit in my opinion, and you are doing so again.

"Bergkamp was the catalyst for so many good things at Arsenal.
His immense presence helped to attract the likes of Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires — the list is endless."

Well, Vieira and Ljungberg were unknowns before they came to Arsenal, and Thierry was struggling at Juve. Wenger was the reason why they joined, at least with the French guys. We didn’t sign them as established world class players, so what you say is pretty irrelevant seeing as we are still snapping up some of the best young talent from Britain and beyond. Maybe one day they will be immortalised like some of those Invincibles, but when they joined, who were they really? Two flops at their Italian clubs, an unknown from Sweden and someone from the French league. Bergkamp’s presence helped us sign some potentially good young, foreign talent. I wish we still signed potentially good young, foreign talent...

"If any Arsenal fan told me they expected the club to finish in the top four this season, I reckon they would be optimistic rather than realistic."

This is such nonsense. We finished 4 points off the top last season, a season in which at the start you wrote us off. So who will overtake us? Will Spurs bridge the 30 points difference? Will Pompey or Villa sustain a challenge all the way through with their even smaller squads (and whose squads are not even in the same league)? Why will we lose out on all those points that we gained last season, this season? We got 83 points last season, the 5th placed team got 65. If we lose out on 20 points this season and finish outside the top 4, then I’m a Chinaman. Remember last season we played most of the season without Rosicky and RVP, then Eduardo, who knows what would have happened if we kept them fit. And every Arsenal fan I have spoken to, from the young to the old, season ticket holders or those from abroad, all believe we will finish at least in the top 4, and many believe we will sustain a Premiership challenge. If we held on to the lead at Old Trafford towards the end of last season, we would have been champions.

"So when you read that they have £70million or so to spend, you know it’s for real. But their transfer dealings have been overshadowed by Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool."

We have £70M in operating cash, but wouldn't it be foolish if we spent all our cash on players? Then what happens in case of an emergency? Not good business sense that. There's a reason why Leeds are where they are. And our deals overshadowed by United? They haven't bought anyone! We bought a player they wanted in Ramsey. Them trying to buy Berbatov doesn’t mean squat if they don't get the deal done. We could make a £20M bid for Messi but we would have no chance, would that be signalling intent? We don’t do our transfer dealings in public, we should all know that by now. It's good business. Other teams don't know about it, we don't get caught up in auctions, we quietly go about our business. Might not be good for the tabloids, that's why it seems so many try and stir up a load of nonsense regarding Arsenal. It's pretty tiresome really.

"Liverpool are refusing to stand still and have flexed their muscles in the transfer market with Spurs striker Robbie Keane.

Chelsea have landed Deco and Jose Bosingwa and are on a high-profile tour of the Far East and Russia. "

Well, Liverpool are refusing to stand still because they finished in 4th spot. Wouldn't be clever of them to stand still, they need to vastly improve. They were never in the title race last year and lost at home to Barnsley in the cup. And spending £20M on Robbie Keane is stupid. He's a good player, but is worth £12M tops. Credit crunch is hitting, fans are struggling to pay their bills, and football clubs are wasting money like it's going out of business. I'm so glad Arsenal don't throw money like that for 28 year olds. Besides, we have 3 better forwards at the club already. As for Chelsea, they needed a right back, and they got one. £16M, mind... As for their "high profile" tour, who gives a crap? It’s totally irrelevant. But for the sake of argument, what will they get out of making their players travel to the other side of the world for money spinning trips? Probably some tired players and preparation not as good as we get in our pre-season. If you don't believe this, ask the players themselves. Barcelona players complained about it last season. Rumours are the Chelsea boys have said the same. You should ask Shaun. We have gone to Austria under Wenger for 8 years or so now. Seems to me that it's been a success. A few titles and cups during that period, not bad really. Then we have the Emirates and Amsterdam Cups. Seems pretty good to me, and high profile enough. I hear Real Madrid, Juventus and Ajax are quite decent clubs. Not a patch on Guangzhou Pharmaceutical's though.

"Top-class players are bought not only for what they bring to the team but for the ‘wow’ factor too."

Maybe we should buy Shevchenko? That was some 'wow' factor. All I can hear now from Chelsea fans is, "Wow, what a waste of money that cripple is". Give me an Eduardo or Sagna type signing anytime. It's what can be added to the team and what improves it, not a big name. This isn't Football Manager, it's real life.

"Everyone knows the foundations at Arsenal ARE strong but everything else looks a bit shaky.

Emmanuel Adebayor answered all questions last season but even he appears to be trying to get away. "

The same way Ronaldo has been trying to get away at United all summer? The way their assistant manager has already left? The way Lampard and Drogba are trying to get away from Chelsea? Why not mention any of these? You're just trying to find an easy way out. 'Arsenal haven't spent £50M on players they won’t win nothing'. That's not any insight into football, just a cop out because if you say anything else, you may be left with egg on your face. But writing Arsenal off (which seems to be the tabloid thing to do) leaves you with a bit of wiggle room if you're wrong (which you have been many a time), because you could turn around and say "I’m so glad I was wrong, I’m so happy we won etc".

“MY old Arsenal team-mate David Rocastle would be turning in his grave right now if he looked at what is happening with the Gunners.

Rocky’s life was tragically cut short when in its prime. “

The lowest of the low. No need to mention Rocky in this article. You cannot speak for a dead man’s perspective on anything. I have no idea why you mentioned this.

"You want to give fans a sense of anticipation for the upcoming season, a feeling that they can’t wait for the first ball to be kicked.

I’ll have to be brutal here and say that I sadly don’t feel that way about Arsenal with the new campaign just about to start. "

All this is, is pessimism at its worse. It's just designed to get people worked up and worried over nothing. Which is not surprising seeing as you work for one of the worst in the business at stirring emotions like that in The Sun. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but what you have said has no basis. You sound like a Spurs fan after one too many Stellas. Hyperbolic ramblings from an ex player might sell papers, but it doesn't wash with the majority of Arsenal fans who just happen to use their brains and not listen to TalkSport or read the Sun message boards. The transfer window still has 5 weeks to go, why are you writing up the obituary now? Gallas, Baptista, Diarra, Denilson - 4 players bought on the 31st of August in the last 2 seasons. Chill out, defeatist mentalities do not help anyone. All it does is give leverage for rival fans to spout more shit our way when one of our legends talks like this.

Thanks,
Mario Leontiou