From your lips to the Football Gods’ ears, Laurie. I will throw several loud tantrums if Malouda goes to Chelsea!

As for Wenger….I don’t believe this at all. IF Wenger leaves, it will be when his contract ends next season. Something to know about Wenger: every single time he re-negotiates his contract with the club, he leaves it to the last minute and never comes out and says to the press “I’m signing a new contract, I’m staying on.” He keeps it close, always.

That said, he has been saying for some time now that he can’t keep going on forever, that he won’t be at Arsenal as long as Fergie’s been at Man United, that his family has put up with him being away from them for so long, that he’s getting older, etc. The David Dein thing might just be the final incentive for him to go (or decide to move upstairs at the club). Dein’s sudden departure has definitely affected the club’s internal situtation.

But I’d think it more likely that he would just retire (tho maybe not permanently). Wenger’s life has been at Arsenal for so long that I can’t see him suddenly adopting a new club. He’s committed so much time and energy toward re-building the squad, scouting and bringing in new players, letting old ones go. This young squad is entirely his creation, he’s passionately committed to see them develop.

Anything’s possible, of course. But Wenger’s not like other managers who flit and fly between clubs and countries after a few years. It’s not his style.