Summer Transfer Speculation and Shit

[I am invisible]

Yes, they do have a huge advantage being able to assemble a squad quickly and they have depth. They’ve been able to plug gaps quickly. It sure as hell worked to their advantage this year with the strikers on the bench. But they were lucky to win the title this year and we need to ready next year because I think they’ll squabble and complacency will set in. Money is a factor but it doesn’t always work out that way. Just look at Spurs.

Well, at least it looks like we're (finally) in a place where we can tell clubs like City where to go when they come sniffing around our players, so we have a fighting chance now. I suppose the encouraging thing is that we're only 7 points behind them with what we currently have, and have much more scope to improve (both in terms of the team and coaching), whereas they're looking at much smaller potential gains, no matter how crazy they go with the signings this summer?

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Spurs would probably stumble upon a winning team if they sustained last summers spending over several years, which goes some way to rubber stamping invisible's point.

You guys have touched upon one of my biggest gripes if not the biggest gripe in Wenger's tenure....and that purporting the desire to 'keep the team together' and then selling our best players. You simply can't refuse to sign top players when you need them AND sell your best. You can sometimes do one or the other out of absolute necessity and in the interest of doing what is in the overall best interests of the club, but you cannot do both at the same time.

Wenger has dropped the 'keeping the team together' mantra for quite some time, so now that it has been wheeled out....I hope it is sincere. It is only because of Liverpool and to an extent Spuds sticking their heels in that we've seen, making a player stay not to be the doomsday scenario that many gooners would have previously had us believe. If your best players leave you have to royally extort the buying club. You have to charge enough to know you can readily in finance terms replace the departing player and enough for FFP to throw up every red flag they have. That way, clubs will only attempt to buy our best player(s) with extreme caution.

Admittedly this is the big draw of signing/developing top English talent. They usually don't give a scooby doo about swanning off abroad at an arbitrary time.

[GP]

Which players have Spurs kept hold of?

[LDG]

Which players have Spurs kept hold of?

Dawson.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Which players have Spurs kept hold of?

I think Blink is referring to Bale and Modric who were kept an extra season more than many had expected and especially in the latter's case, despite the player protesting and sulking.

Mind you, we did the same thing with Cesc.

[Power n Glory]

I think you guys are overlooking the key part to Blink's post about royally extorting the other club. Spurs and Liverpool made sure transfer records were broken when selling off their star players.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Hmmm I disagree with Tottenham at least, I don't think the way they delayed on selling Bale actually helped their season in any way. Similar to the Cesc and Nasri window for us.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Nasri is a star

yeah a star whom i get no small pleasure in saying won't be playing at the world cup this summer

merci Didier merci

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Greizemaan's been called up to the French squad for the world cup and I've got a strong feeling he's going to be the star of it ahead of the likes of Ribery and Benzema. We need to act now to get him otherwise we could be looking at paying double in a few months!!

[Maestro]

Greizemaan's been called up to the French squad for the world cup and I've got a strong feeling he's going to be the star of it ahead of the likes of Ribery and Benzema. We need to act now to get him otherwise we could be looking at paying double in a few months!!

my thoughts exactly. would love us to sign him, but don't think wenger is even looking in that direction.