Match reaction - Norwich

[Cripps]

What always happens with these young prodigees or aces as they are referred to, he got nowhere. Over the years I've heard so many names banded about as the next big thing, none of them have ever made it, this guy got a couple goals yesterday that's great, now he should be given some game time to see if he is the real deal or just another kid who is not going to make it.

Give him 45 minutes here and there to see what he can do, if he doesn't get any goals he won't make it, if he does maybe we have someone worth keeping hold of, if he's good enough he's old enough, not suggesting he plays every game but at least give him a chance to show what he can do.

Makes me laugh, when Wenger arrived he had a 10 year plan to develop our youth team (he was thinking about it even then), 10 years later he tries to build a team full of youngsters he's poached from other clubs, very few actually from our youth team and fails so miserably it's embarrassing, he carried on with this fruitless dream for years and even now he's always busy snapping up kids from all around the globe who he never seems to give a fair crack of the whip to and don't make it.

In the past kids flocked over here and seemed to believe in his pipe dream (or maybe they just were attracted to big wages we paid) and got nowhere. My advice to young players is if you want to make it don't come to Arsenal because you'll have noone to learn from, no leaders to guide you and won't make it.

I think we're actually quite adept at missing out on all the best young talent out there in favour of players who don't make it, when a top youngster is available we somehow manage to miss the boat, maybe it's so Wenger can build the all time best players anyone nearly signed.


Bale or Walcott - we end up with Walcott
Lupoli or Rossi - we end up with Lupoli

We also found the money for a flop like Sanogo but wouldn't pay up for Mbappe, all horrendous decisions which just show how poor the manager is at judging a players talent.

All those youngsters flopped, but nothing like Wenger, who himself is a flop of epic proportions.

Sanogo

What a useless load of tosh he was.

[Power n Glory]

Bale or Walcott - we end up with Walcott
Lupoli or Rossi - we end up with Lupoli

We also found the money for a flop like Sanogo but wouldn't pay up for Mbappe, all horrendous decisions which just show how poor the manager is at judging a players talent.

I question whether it's bad decisions on players or development. We've bought three players from Southampton and all been flops. I wonder what would have become of Bale and Theo if their paths were switched.

Sir Chseny's recent jab about our development confirmed what I needed to know on our development. We spot raw talent but fail to develop them for the next level.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

On that subject did we almost sign Bale?

[GP]

On that subject did we almost sign Bale?

No.

People can talk about Signing Walcott instead of Bale all they like but it wasn't the case. Bale was a bog standard full-back then anyway.

I'm sure some will remember his early Spurs record. They failed to win a game he started for about 2 years. He was called Gareth Fail for a reason.

[Penguin]

I question whether it's bad decisions on players or development. We've bought three players from Southampton and all been flops. I wonder what would have become of Bale and Theo if their paths were switched.

Sir Chseny's recent jab about our development confirmed what I needed to know on our development. We spot raw talent but fail to develop them for the next level.

The problem with Wenger is that he has nothing he can teach young players other than how to pass in triangles and keep possession. He doesn't give then any direct guidance which is why most of our young players get stuck at a mediocre level for years without progressing. They don't even get taught the basics.

The ones that break through the barrier are the truly talented players who think for themselves and improve themselves. The Henry's and the Cescs. Wenger likes to take credit for developing them but the truth is they developed themselves and would have been great players regardless of what team they joined.

What Keown said was damning, Wenger actually wouldn't let him tell our defenders what they were doing wrong. Apparently helping them improve would affect their confidence. Great job Arsene, I'm sure all that extra confidence helped them defend so much better. Like when we lost 8-2 to United. or 6-0 to Chelsea. Or 10-2 on aggregate to Bayern. Or every other game.

[Özim]

Bale was never "a bog standard full-back" as has been said, he was rated very highly, we chose to go for Walcott and the rest is history.

[Niall_Quinn]

No.

People can talk about Signing Walcott instead of Bale all they like but it wasn't the case. Bale was a bog standard full-back then anyway.

I'm sure some will remember his early Spurs record. They failed to win a game he started for about 2 years. He was called Gareth Fail for a reason.

Signing Theo was a massive coup. He had the choice of us, Utd, Liverpool and Utd thought they had him right up until the last minute. Same deal with Ramsey. Walcott was touted as "the" English star of the future. The papers were full of it when he signed. It was back when Wenger had a reputation for protecting and developing young talent, thoroughly undeserved as it turns out.

[Niall_Quinn]

The problem with Wenger is that he has nothing he can teach young players other than how to pass in triangles and keep possession. He doesn't give then any direct guidance which is why most of our young players get stuck at a mediocre level for years without progressing. They don't even get taught the basics.

The ones that break through the barrier are the truly talented players who think for themselves and improve themselves. The Henry's and the Cescs. Wenger likes to take credit for developing them but the truth is they developed themselves and would have been great players regardless of what team they joined.

What Keown said was damning, Wenger actually wouldn't let him tell our defenders what they were doing wrong. Apparently helping them improve would affect their confidence. Great job Arsene, I'm sure all that extra confidence helped them defend so much better. Like when we lost 8-2 to United. or 6-0 to Chelsea. Or 10-2 on aggregate to Bayern. Or every other game.

Wenger had a mental breakdown of some sort several years back. It's the only logical explanation for the ways he carries on. I don't mean a stroke or Alzheimer's, I mean some sort of bubble induced mental disconnect that causes him to behave in the opposite way a non-afflicted person would behave. The only other explanation is he hates the fans so much he's made it his life's work to piss them off.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Bale was never "a bog standard full-back" as has been said, he was rated very highly, we chose to go for Walcott and the rest is history.

We signed Theo in January 2006? He's right footed? How was it Theo vs Bale as a decision?

[GP]

We signed Theo in January 2006? He's right footed? How was it Theo vs Bale as a decision?

It obviously wasn't.