The world according to David B*ntley

Thanks to all of you who pointed out David B*ntley's ever-changing comments on his football heroes. For the rest of you, here are a few of his quotations from over the years:

On Eric Cantona: "I just love the way he Cantona would scare people into giving him room to play. And he played like he enjoyed his football."

On Dennis Bergkamp: "Everyone has been labelling me with Dennis Bergkamp because that goal against Middlesbrough I scored was his trademark - and still is. It is always a compliment for that to happen because I have been watching him since I joined the club as a 12-year-old. Dennis is the one I learn off the most. It is always good for me to be put in the same bracket as him."

On Paul Gascoigne, today: "Gazza [Paul Gascoigne] was my favourite player, all my mates are Tottenham fans and there's a piece of my heart at this club."

On being at Arsenal: "I don't want to play perfect football. I don't want a cross of mine to be a statistic. Everything I thought football should be wasn't happening at Arsenal. So, six months after signing a five-year contract, I decided to go. I just wanted to play. But there was no banter there, it was boring."

To which Gunners legend Paul Merson responded: "If he wants laughs he should be a comedian."

And to Theo Walcott, who made 39 appearances in all for Arsenal last season, including NINE in the Champions League: "If he (Walcott) is not getting the minutes at Arsenal, he's going to have to look elsewhere. Your career doesn't start and end at Arsenal. It can flourish somewhere else. At the end of the day you want to make a career for yourself." Think he's doing that actually, Dave.

And to show how bright the lad is, he responded to criticism after quitting the England Under-21s by saying: "I think it is for the betterment of my career."

So thanks again B*ntley - you weren't good enough for us, but you've still made us a £7m windfall!

Thanks, I’d rather have a Reliable Robin than a Bentley

When David Bentley scored that fabulous chip against Middlesbrough a few years ago, I wondered whether we had one of those rarities – a talented attacking player who was coming through the ranks.

Not since Niall Quinn and Rocky Rocastle had we had a homegrown forward player of real potential that has genuinely come through the ranks.

When he went off to Norwich on loan, I thought that he would finish his education and then return to stake his claim. A few months later and he was off to Blackburn.

Was this a case of Arsene being wary of the professionalism of English players? Maybe. Let’s be honest, Franny Jeffers, Richard Wright, Jermaine Pennant and Cashley Cole all caused off-field problems and maybe Wenger saw that potential in Bentley.

Let’s look at the Bentley evidence since he left the Gunners:
• He refused to play for England, citing fatigue (not that I care about the national team)
• He claimed training at Arsenal was ‘boring’ and that there was no banter
• He admitted he was never an Arsenal fan and that most of his mates support T*ttenh*m
• He told Theo Walcott that he would never get chances at Arsenal

So maybe it was predictable that Bentley, whose opinions and actions seem to go against the grain, should choose to join T*ttenh*m. How funny that he claimed he wanted to play Champions League football – and he ends up at a club who have never been in that competition.

I can already imagine the welcome when he comes to Emirates next season – and the rubbish he’ll come out with ahead of the game.

What irony that Wenger’s wily sell-on clause policy means some of T*ttenh*m’s inflated Bentley fee will fatten our coffers even more.

T*ttenh*m and David Bentley – the perfect match.

Who will Arsenal want to avoid in Champions League qualifier?

Arsenal will find out tomorrow morning who they will face in the third qualifying rounds of the Champions League in a couple of weeks time.

The Gunners are scheduled to play the qualifying round on 12/13 August and 26/27 August before the lucrative group stages for the competition are drawn on August 28th.

There are 18 clubs, including Arsenal that finished high enough in their leagues to merit entry into the third round. These include: Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Juventus, Fiorentina, Olympique Marseille, FC Schalke, Vitoria, Steaua Bucharest, FC Twente, Spartak Moscow, Shakhtar Donetsk, Standard Liege, Slavia Prague, Galatasaray, Oympiakos and Levski Sofia.

Fortunately the Gunners are seeded in the competition, so we'll definitely involve the likes of Barcelona, FC Schalke and Juventus, as well as Liverpool. That still leaves Atletico Madrid, Marseille, Galatasaray, Olympiakos and Fiorentina in the fold as tough opposition for third round qualifiers.

Then there are the participants of 14 second round qualifying ties being played this week and next, meaning that there are a further 28 possible alternatives for the Gunners when the draw is made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon tomorrow.

The biggest names currently involved in the second round matches are Fenerbahce, Glasgow Rangers and Gilberto’s new club Panathinaikos.

However, other potential opposition includes Dynamo Kiev, Partizan Belgrade, Anderlecht, Rapid Vienna, Dinamo Zagreb, Sparta Prague and IFK Goteborg.

I don’t think I can stress enough how important it is to Arsenal that the club qualifies for the group stage of the Champions League, and the prospect of meeting some of the bigger clubs in the qualifying round always turns me into a quivering wreck of a pessimist, fearing for the equivalent of the proverbial footballing banana skin.

The full list of teams fighting for a place in the third qualifying round are:

Drogheda Utd, Dynamo Kiev, Inter Baku, Partizan Belgrade, SK Brann, FK Ventspils, AaB, Modrica, Anderlecht, BATE, Anorthosis Famagusta, Rapid Vienna, Beitar Jerusalem, Wisla Krakow, Domzale, Dinamo Zagreb, FC Sheriff, Sparta Prague, Fenerbahce, MTK Budapest, IFK Goteborg, Basle, Panathinaikos, Dinamo Tbilisi, Rangers, FBK Kaunas, Tampere United and Artmedia Petrzalka.

So is there any team in particular you’d like to see Arsenal avoid? Or are you confident that Arsene Wenger’s squad can handle whatever UEFA throw at the Gunners? Share your thoughts on Arsenal’s qualification for the Champions League here.