Taken off sports.com

After five years at Arsenal, Gilles Grimandi has revealed that he will leave North London at the end of the season.

First-team opportunities have been few and far between for the Frenchman, who has found himself consigned to a place on the bench at Highbury. Grimandi will try help Arsenal win the Double (Allsport) Grimandi admits that after five successful seasons with the Gunners, the decision was not easy, but he will leave in a bid for regular football elsewhere.

"It's not been an easy decision, but I feel it is the right one," he told his official site.

"I need to play regularly and with the strength of the squad here I have had to be realistic about my chances. “

After a tricky start to his Arsenal career, Grimandi established himself as a tough tackling midfielder, but with the likes of Manu Petit, Gio van Bronckhorst, Patrick Vieira, Ray Parlour and Freddie Ljungberg playing in central midfield since Grimandi’s arrival, it would always be tough for him to force his way into Wenger’s starting XI.

In recent seasons Grimandi has been used to good tactical effect by Wenger, with the French coach bringing the combative midfielder on to close games, though now his future lies away from Arsenal.

"I had a tough start and I don't feel at first I had the respect of the fans,” continued Grimandi, who helped Arsenal win the Double during his first season with the club.

"I'm the first to admit that I don't have the skill of people like Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires.

“But I always give 100 per cent when I take to the field and I feel that the fans now respect me.

"I think I have about two years left of my career. I can't spend it sitting on the bench.

"All I can hope is that I finish my career as started it – with Arsenal winning the double.”

-- Anonymous, April 11, 2002

Answers

Worth a shot? He's 31, but he has put in some pretty impressive performance for Arsenal, and could be just the sort of player we need as a playmaker.

Obviously at 31 he's not one for the future, but we need strength in depth, and he is canny strong a player to have in your squad.

-- Anonymous, April 11, 2002

But he is French.

-- Anonymous, April 11, 2002

Also on the sports.com site, there is a little piece on St. James' Park. It begins:

"St James' Park truly is a landmark of the North East, and the Toon Army have every right to be proud of such a mighty erection."

I am indeed proud of our mighty erection (can you have a collective erection?)

-- Anonymous, April 11, 2002

Not before the 9 o'clock watershed...

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2002

I would hope no water would be shed if we had a collective erection. It would be embarrasing.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2002