Summer Transfer Speculation and Shit

[Syn]

if Alan Sugar gave a shit about what Tottenham (in general) thought about him, he wouldn't keep praising Wenger at every opportunity. I don't think he particularly cares what Levy thinks of him either. Maybe he's right. Maybe not. I don't know, thought it was interesting anyway.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Because he doesn't have the balls to have a go at Levy. Picked the easy target because otherwise he`d probably be banned from the Shite hart lane

Probably the case. Think he also had some personal beef with Villas Boas as well.




On to other news, we can certainly cross out Javi Martinez from the potential DM/CB targets. Just been stretchered off with what looks like a horrible knee injury.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

If you want to classify the likes of Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar and Muller as out & out strikers then you have to put in Alexis for us.

And the throw Theo in that mix too, because he wants to play up front!

[Japan Shaking All Over]

We're one good CB short. And we're probably going to sign one.

Can't see anyone coming before KO Eagles but I see us doing a little more this wind....people have a point to say no one/CB of quality would want to come and warm the bench but we need to bring in someone because even reserves are short....WUMger loves a loanee and I won't be surprised if we go down that path

[fakeyank]

In other news...we are being linked to Chiek Tiote again. Before you go out to hang yourself.....remember. It may never happen.

Too soon bro.. RW just passed a few days back

[Globalgunner]

Too soon bro.. RW just passed a few days back

More`s the pity. I genuinely loved the guy

[I am invisible]

More`s the pity. I genuinely loved the guy
The curse of Aaron Ramsey strikes again - that's Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall he's taken out now with that Community Shield goal...

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Regardless of how much we have or haven't spent, the failure for us as a top club to secure a top CF is a little farcical left to drag on this long.

Bayern Munich were the exception before signing Lewandowski, but we don't really want to compare ourselves to them do we?....and Muller has had the canny knack of not being quite a forward but still producing the goods of one for some time now.

As so many of us are in agreement that World class players aren't attained easily....I hope fans feel the same when we finally have a world class player....and a team like Manure come sniffing around him and we say NO SALE because players that good aren't attained easily.

Monreal must never cover at CB. Sagna playing CB is one thing, Chambers another, but please never Monreal again.

[selassie]

This summer has gone swimmingly, the only thing I'm bothered about is padding out the defence because we are laughably short there. WUMger is still alive and well despite all the good we've seen so far.

Yep

[Penguin]

people have a point to say no one/CB of quality would want to come and warm the bench
That's why you need to have someone good enough to actually challenge the first choice CBs for a place in the first team. If you have someone who is nowhere near the level of the first two like Vermaelen, he'll know that he will only play if there's an injury and wont keep his place. Obviously nobody's going to be happy to do that. It's different from midfielders and forwards because they'll always get some minutes as a sub but generally managers don't play around with CB subs or even rotate them much because you want a settled back-line.

[Power n Glory]

If we knew it would be hard getting a 3rd choice CB, we shouldn’t have sold Vermaelen, regardless of whatever any on GW thinks of his quality. Monreal shouldn’t be an option as CB and will most likely be needed to fill in for Gibbs whose very injury prone. We’re stretching ourselves thin for no reason and making negotiations harder for ourselves.

[Dein-machine]

With Tommy V's sale our net spend has been approx 48 mill this summer - but have we actually strengthened what should be our starting line up. Sanchez prefers to play in a role that Walcott does, so unless we play him elsewhere it could be argued that we only have a stronger squad. Debauchy is no stronger than Sagna & Chambers is defensive cover.
Most of us on here would agree that the area of improvement for the past few years has been a proper defensive midfielder ( the last one we had was Gilberto ) & since RVP's departure a proper goal scorer. As stubborn as he is, Wumger knew we had to improve up top which is why we made the moves last year for Suarez & Higuin. Those moves didn't happen & we spent a club record on Ozil & it could be argued that this didn't strengthen our starting line up.
I am not asking Wumger to have a world class player in every position, some may agree that someone like Gibbs makes too many errors but he's just about good enough but the real strength of a team is its spine. Our starting spine includes Atreta & Giroud which simply isn't good enough, we know it, Wumger knows it but at the moment it seems another window goes by without doing anything about it.

[Power n Glory]

I think we’ve strengthened in attack and will be stronger in that area compared to last year. I’m still hoping Wenger will play Sanchez through the middle and it’s interesting to see where he plays Walcott once back fully fit. Sanogo will hopefully get his act together, same goes for Giroud, Ox will get a full season, Campbell adds some pace and firepower….Ozil has more targets to aim his passes. I think we’ll be dangerous on attack with or without a traditional 30 goal striker. We have a couple more players that can add something different to the squad so we won’t have to resort to playing midfield players like Jack, Rosicky, Cazorla on the flanks all the time. A top striker would be a bonus though.

My main concern is at the back and our strongest area last season could be at its weakest. We have to pray we keep the starting line up fit through the season. Also, Arteta as captain means we won’t be buying a DM any time soon, which is a disappointment. That’s another weak area we should have addressed. Other than that, we’ve improved. We’ve got a better back up keep as well who will be pushing for the first team.

[Letters]

it could be argued that we only have a stronger squad.
That's exactly what we needed. Our 'starting line up' was top of the league for much of the season last year, it was when we got injuries to key players and the players coming in weren't up to it that we struggled more. A fit Walcott and Ramsey last year and we'd have been much closer IMO - and we were only 7 points off as it was.

[selassie]

If we knew it would be hard getting a 3rd choice CB, we shouldn’t have sold Vermaelen, regardless of whatever any on GW thinks of his quality. Monreal shouldn’t be an option as CB and will most likely be needed to fill in for Gibbs whose very injury prone. We’re stretching ourselves thin for no reason and making negotiations harder for ourselves.

Yeah I find it strange that we have let Vermaelen leave without any replacement in place. I actually thought the move for Vermaelen was delayed because we were searching for a replacement before we sanctioned his sale. I dunno...

Obviously Chambers has given Arsene something to think about with his displays at CB since he has joined, but it is an unnecessary gamble having to rely on him in his first season to cover such an important position.

I am not panicking just yet but hope/expect to see some sort of action in regards to a new CB coming in.

Monreal should be discounted as a legitimate CB option...he would get eaten alive against physical strikers in PL, it's absurd to even suggest he can play there at a high level.

[Dein-machine]

That's exactly what we needed. Our 'starting line up' was top of the league for much of the season last year, it was when we got injuries to key players and the players coming in weren't up to it that we struggled more. A fit Walcott and Ramsey last year and we'd have been much closer IMO - and we were only 7 points off as it was.

Ofcourse its important to strengthen the squad but my point is that we have spent £40+ mill on Ozil & £30+ mill on Sanchez & not improved the areas where we are weakest. When we spend that kind of money it has to be on a top player that is going to start most weeks & greatly improves us as a team. You don't spend that kind of money with the idea " at least we've improved our squad ".
I don't understand why you keep harping an about last year. City started poorly, if they hadn't the 7 point gap would have been larger & they have improved their area's of weakness ie Mangala to partner Kompany at the expense of the suspect Di Michelis.
Chelsea have addressed their striker issue & added the quality of Fabregas in midfield.
With the teams we're up against this year would Arteta & Giroud get anywhere need their stating line-up?

[Dein-machine]

I think we’ve strengthened in attack and will be stronger in that area compared to last year. I’m still hoping Wenger will play Sanchez through the middle and it’s interesting to see where he plays Walcott once back fully fit. Sanogo will hopefully get his act together, same goes for Giroud, Ox will get a full season, Campbell adds some pace and firepower….Ozil has more targets to aim his passes. I think we’ll be dangerous on attack with or without a traditional 30 goal striker. We have a couple more players that can add something different to the squad so we won’t have to resort to playing midfield players like Jack, Rosicky, Cazorla on the flanks all the time. A top striker would be a bonus though.

My main concern is at the back and our strongest area last season could be at its weakest. We have to pray we keep the starting line up fit through the season. Also, Arteta as captain means we won’t be buying a DM any time soon, which is a disappointment. That’s another weak area we should have addressed. Other than that, we’ve improved. We’ve got a better back up keep as well who will be pushing for the first team.

Sonogo, Giroud & Campbell wouldn't get a sniff as strikers in the teams we're competing with. Simply not good enough. We can't rely on "hopefully" Sonogo will get his act together, the guys legs don't react to his brain - not if you want to compete with the teams we're up against.
The Arteta captain is another typical Wumger move. Our lack of leadership on the pitch has not been resolved since Viera left. Are we going to keep naming captains that actually aren't good enough to be in the starting 11 - who else does that?

[GP]

That's exactly what we needed. Our 'starting line up' was top of the league for much of the season last year, it was when we got injuries to key players and the players coming in weren't up to it that we struggled more. A fit Walcott and Ramsey last year and we'd have been much closer IMO - and we were only 7 points off as it was.

You have to believe a fit Ramsey and Walcott would have been worth at least 7 points. And I'm not even talking about the big defeats. We lost to Stoke ffs.

[Letters]

I don't understand why you keep harping an about last year.
I don't understand why you keep moaning your tits off when we've just won the FA Cup, got our highest points total for years and spent well in the summer.
After years of frustration we've finally won a trophy and we've now got the money to improve the squad, which we've done.

[Power n Glory]

Sonogo, Giroud & Campbell wouldn't get a sniff as strikers in the teams we're competing with. Simply not good enough. We can't rely on "hopefully" Sonogo will get his act together, the guys legs don't react to his brain - not if you want to compete with the teams we're up against.
The Arteta captain is another typical Wumger move. Our lack of leadership on the pitch has not been resolved since Viera left. Are we going to keep naming captains that actually aren't good enough to be in the starting 11 - who else does that?

Your comparing the striker position. That’s one man. But you don’t think we have the 3 strongest players playing behind the striker and either side in Cazorla/Ox, Ozil, Sanchez/Walcott? I don’t think we have anything at all to fear when looking at our rivals on attack. In fact, if Wenger finally decides to play Walcott as striker or plays Sanchez as the striker, I think we have no problems at all. It’s the defensive midfield and lack of options at the back that’s really thin. I’d be happy for a beast of a striker to come in but the foundation of our success last season was down to good defending. I think we could be trouble this year with one or two injuries.

[Dein-machine]

Your comparing the striker position. That’s one man. But you don’t think we have the 3 strongest players playing behind the striker and either side in Cazorla/Ox, Ozil, Sanchez/Walcott? I don’t think we have anything at all to fear when looking at our rivals on attack. In fact, if Wenger finally decides to play Walcott as striker or plays Sanchez as the striker, I think we have no problems at all. It’s the defensive midfield and lack of options at the back that’s really thin. I’d be happy for a beast of a striker to come in but the foundation of our success last season was down to good defending. I think we could be trouble this year with one or two injuries.

A lot of the good work the players you have mentioned will do will be wasted by having a Giroud or Sonogo upfront. If we play Sanchez as a striker, he could well be the answer to our problems but nobody knows if thats what Wenger intends to do. Certianly so far in pre-season games that hasn't been the case.
I agree with you defensively, although we looked stronger than previous years we still got spanked by the top teams, embarrassingly at times & we really haven't strengthened. Merts pace is going to cause us problems against fast strikers & we are too reliant on Kos playing every week. For me, the foundation of our success last year was the emergence of Rambo early season with the occasional cameo from Theo. When these 2 got injured our football stopped & we went backwards. Apart from Ches & Kos, no other player stood out for me & that shouldn't be the case when you lose a central midfielder who up until last year had been fairly shite & in injury prone Walcott.

[Dein-machine]

I don't understand why you keep moaning your tits off when we've just won the FA Cup, got our highest points total for years and spent well in the summer.
After years of frustration we've finally won a trophy and we've now got the money to improve the squad, which we've done.

Yes, we won the FA cup with a thrilling 3-2 victory over a near relegated Hull side in extra time, becoming the new name on the trophy after Wigan - it makes the last 10 years of pain all disappear. Fuck the FA cup, I want my team to be competing with the top teams in England & Europe as per the promises made to us by our manager & the board. Our highest points total for years, wonderful & still struggled to finsih 4th. Your excuses of the Manc & Chavs money are blown away by the fact that Liverpool should & could have won it last year.
Why does winning the FA cup give you the idea that its a springboard, when has his previous trophies acted as a springboard?
We WILL NOT compete over a season unless we address the issues we have in the team & that means buying quality players in positions of weakness. No one knows if we've spent well this Summer - that has yet to be proven but we start the season with a defensive midfieder & Captian that shoudn't be anywhere near an Arsenal shirt - again.

[Letters]

http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/scale_small/10/103881/2474808-eeyore.png

[Power n Glory]

A lot of the good work the players you have mentioned will do will be wasted by having a Giroud or Sonogo upfront. If we play Sanchez as a striker, he could well be the answer to our problems but nobody knows if thats what Wenger intends to do. Certianly so far in pre-season games that hasn't been the case.
I agree with you defensively, although we looked stronger than previous years we still got spanked by the top teams, embarrassingly at times & we really haven't strengthened. Merts pace is going to cause us problems against fast strikers & we are too reliant on Kos playing every week. For me, the foundation of our success last year was the emergence of Rambo early season with the occasional cameo from Theo. When these 2 got injured our football stopped & we went backwards. Apart from Ches & Kos, no other player stood out for me & that shouldn't be the case when you lose a central midfielder who up until last year had been fairly shite & in injury prone Walcott.

Sanogo needs to start finding the back of the net but he doesn't inhibit his surrounding players with static movement in the same way that Giroud does. Giroud needs to play with more energy and movement so he's not so easy to market otherwise I think the surrounding players will find it difficult as seen in the pre season games. Sanchez was far more influential in the 20 minutes he played up front in the Emirates Cup compared to the first half when Giroud was starting. But when playing with Sanogo in the first half of the Community Shield, he seemed more effective. We'll see how it goes and what Wenger decides to do but I think he needs to try something new up front.

[Fist of Lehmann]

Sanogo certainly has something, I'm just not sure what it is.

And tbh, I'm not sure he does either. Sometimes he and his legs seem like 3 strangers.

[Marc Overmars]

Sanogo has the basic ingredients to make it but he needs some serious coaching.

[Harvey Specter]

Sanogo has the basic ingredients to make it but he needs some serious coaching.

Wenger has history of getting players to be the best they can be...

[Munchies]

but we start the season with a defensive midfieder & Captian that shoudn't be anywhere near an Arsenal shirt - again.

:gp:

Rather have Kallstrom :coffee:

[Dein-machine]

http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/scale_small/10/103881/2474808-eeyore.png

Thats s bit harsh - you've never even called Zim a miserable donkey

[Dein-machine]

:gp:

Rather have Kallstrom :coffee:

Agreed - even with a broken spine or whatever he had when we decided he was the guy to kick start our season with the loss of Rambo & Walcott - ok. sorry Letters I'm being miserable again.
Lets look on the positive side, at his age he should qualify to play for us in the Evening Standard 5-a-side alongside Perry Groves & Ray Parlour. What a team we could have, fucking hate it when we get knocked out by Brentford.

[Marc Overmars]

Wenger has history of getting players to be the best they can be...

He did ok with Adebayor tbf, and that's who Sanogo most reminds me of.

[Harvey Specter]

He did ok with Adebayor tbf, and that's who Sanogo most reminds me of.

If he scores 30 odd goals and asks for a pay rise, maybe Wenger will pay it this time.

[Marc Overmars]

If he could do it again, then sure why not. If he were to put in half arsed performances, flirt with other clubs and generally become an all round ****, then nah.

[Ollie the Optimist]

Yes, we won the FA cup with a thrilling 3-2 victory over a near relegated Hull side in extra time, becoming the new name on the trophy after Wigan - it makes the last 10 years of pain all disappear. Fuck the FA cup, I want my team to be competing with the top teams in England & Europe as per the promises made to us by our manager & the board. Our highest points total for years, wonderful & still struggled to finsih 4th. Your excuses of the Manc & Chavs money are blown away by the fact that Liverpool should & could have won it last year.
Why does winning the FA cup give you the idea that its a springboard, when has his previous trophies acted as a springboard?
We WILL NOT compete over a season unless we address the issues we have in the team & that means buying quality players in positions of weakness. No one knows if we've spent well this Summer - that has yet to be proven but we start the season with a defensive midfieder & Captian that shoudn't be anywhere near an Arsenal shirt - again.


A thrilling win over a near relegated Hull? Well true, they weren't exactly the toughest opposition in the final, however you ignore that we had to play spurs (derbies are always tough games), liverpool and everton to get to the final. We would have played city too if they beat wigan, however you can only beat who is in front of you. It was a trophy and it was glorious.

You say the money argument is blown away by the fact liverpool should and could have won it. You choose to ignore the amount they have spent to get there. Since 2010 their spending has totalled over £230 million. So liverpool, city and chelsea all spent millions more then us and so for liverpool to finish above us for the first time in years, it doesn't blow the argument away at all. And they played 42 games last season with no european travelling. We played something like 56 games with european travelling too. The effect of the extra rest liverpool got cannot be underestimated.

Finally, you say to compete we need to address the issues. This summer, to address injury issues, we go and sign a world renowned fitness coach, who helped Germany win the world cup. We saw a problem last season, and we went to fix it. Whether he does or doesn't we won't know but the club actively sort to fix it. With players, we went out to sign Sanchez, a world class player. Thats improvement, we have also replaced two players who left with good replacements who are probably on the same level as the ones who left and signed a young prospect.

[Syn]

I think the Sanogo-Adebayor comparisons are fair but very optimistic. Sanogo seems to pick the right options but can't sort his feet out, and I don't agree he has the basic ingredients. His shooting technique is all over the place.

Ideally he would have a loan spell to get more games but Wenger has said a couple of times that he has worked hard on improving him and he wants to continue with it. It'd be one of his biggest achievements if he got him playing like Adebayor because at the moment he plays as well as he dances.

[Power n Glory]

I think the Sanogo-Adebayor comparisons are fair but very optimistic. Sanogo seems to pick the right options but can't sort his feet out, and I don't agree he has the basic ingredients. His shooting technique is all over the place.

Ideally he would have a loan spell to get more games but Wenger has said a couple of times that he has worked hard on improving him and he wants to continue with it. It'd be one of his biggest achievements if he got him playing like Adebayor because at the moment he plays as well as he dances.

Yes, that’s the main problem with him. He can’t sort his feet out quick enough. Everything else to his game is decent but his shooting lets him down badly and I’m wondering if it’s just rust. I’m going to check out some old vids of him because his goal scoring record at youth level is supposed to be good. But I’ve yet to see him produce a clean, crisp and true shot.

[Master Splinter]

It was only the other season when Ramsey was still producing the most unorthodox of finishes in great positions time and time again. He skied some out of the stadium from two yards out.

The most important thing is that Sanogo is constantly getting in to good positions and has good instincts in the right areas. It will all soon click and then it will be on to the next young player to doubt Wenger over.

I do fear he'll be the striking Diaby though, given his stop-start career so far.

[Dein-machine]

A thrilling win over a near relegated Hull? Well true, they weren't exactly the toughest opposition in the final, however you ignore that we had to play spurs (derbies are always tough games), liverpool and everton to get to the final. We would have played city too if they beat wigan, however you can only beat who is in front of you. It was a trophy and it was glorious.

You say the money argument is blown away by the fact liverpool should and could have won it. You choose to ignore the amount they have spent to get there. Since 2010 their spending has totalled over £230 million. So liverpool, city and chelsea all spent millions more then us and so for liverpool to finish above us for the first time in years, it doesn't blow the argument away at all. And they played 42 games last season with no european travelling. We played something like 56 games with european travelling too. The effect of the extra rest liverpool got cannot be underestimated.

Finally, you say to compete we need to address the issues. This summer, to address injury issues, we go and sign a world renowned fitness coach, who helped Germany win the world cup. We saw a problem last season, and we went to fix it. Whether he does or doesn't we won't know but the club actively sort to fix it. With players, we went out to sign Sanchez, a world class player. Thats improvement, we have also replaced two players who left with good replacements who are probably on the same level as the ones who left and signed a young prospect.

The most aptly named man on GW.

1, Do you honestly think Wenger starts the season worrying about the FA cup. Its not taken very seriously which is why muppet teams get to win it or make finals, semi's. The delusional idiots that think this win covers the cracks of whats been happening for the past decade are simply embarrasing.

2, What on earth are you on about - we have spent £228 million on players since 2010.

3, My point on transfers is that we haven't addressed our weaknesses. I have never said Sanchez is a bad buy or a shit player, he's probably going to be very good but everyone in football bar Wenger knows we need CB cover & a defensive midfielder. Arteta is too slow, too weak & stops us playing. If someone here says "Don't you think Wenger has realised that", I would say "I fucking hope so but then why would you make him captain." - Do you make your captain someone you know you need to replace or someone that's going to sit on the bench for the season? - the obvious answer is ofcourse not, nobody would do that - well Wenger would, its what he did to Tommy V.

[Master Splinter]

Southampton sign Shane Long for £12m. :wacko:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28793761

People keep paying a lot of money for a striker who's almost as allergic to goals as Heskey. "But he runs about loads and is a nuisance!" Yeah, maybe for his first four games.

Southampton were doing OK with their transfers, but their last two have been Bertrand and Long. The descent into relegation-battling fodder has sadly been hastened.

[Dein-machine]

Sanogo has the basic ingredients to make it but he needs some serious coaching.

No - Sonogo has the basic ingredients to be shite.

[Özil's Panoramic View]

Yes, we won the FA cup with a thrilling 3-2 victory over a near relegated Hull side in extra time, becoming the new name on the trophy after Wigan - it makes the last 10 years of pain all disappear. Fuck the FA cup, I want my team to be competing with the top teams in England & Europe as per the promises made to us by our manager & the board. Our highest points total for years, wonderful & still struggled to finsih 4th. Your excuses of the Manc & Chavs money are blown away by the fact that Liverpool should & could have won it last year.
Why does winning the FA cup give you the idea that its a springboard, when has his previous trophies acted as a springboard?
We WILL NOT compete over a season unless we address the issues we have in the team & that means buying quality players in positions of weakness. No one knows if we've spent well this Summer - that has yet to be proven but we start the season with a defensive midfieder & Captian that shoudn't be anywhere near an Arsenal shirt - again.

Quality post.

[Marc Overmars]

No - Sonogo has the basic ingredients to be shite.

He's strong, makes a nuisance of himself and covers a lot of ground with his gangly stride.

I know he can barely kick a ball but still...

[Niall_Quinn]

Man City lost in their final to a definitely relegated Wigan. As the new saying goes, you have to win it to win it. Transfer window not slammed shut yet. It's a far cry from seasons past where we'd be waiting until the last day in the hope of signing anyone bar that free bloke. And lamenting the fact our star player just pissed off. There was always the possibility a total transformation of the club would not be instant.

[Özil's Panoramic View]

Bit laughable that we seem to be heading into the season with a weaker defence than last season, a lightweight Arteta as captain and apparent mainstay CDM, Giroud and an unclassified Sanogo leading the line, and folks are saying we've improved.

If things stay as is, it will be another failed transfer window for Wenger.

Some days left for him to sort shit out, but I'm not getting my hopes up that Wenger will make the necessary signings needed for us to seriously compete for the title over the course of the season and get beyond the knockout stage of the ECL.

[Niall_Quinn]

Forstyhe confirmed. He's flying into London now to tackle the biggest problem in world football, Diaby's fitness. Harry Potter was not available, but this guy comes with a good reputation.

[saintnickle]

I think the Sanogo-Adebayor comparisons are fair but very optimistic. Sanogo seems to pick the right options but can't sort his feet out, and I don't agree he has the basic ingredients. His shooting technique is all over the place.

Ideally he would have a loan spell to get more games but Wenger has said a couple of times that he has worked hard on improving him and he wants to continue with it. It'd be one of his biggest achievements if he got him playing like Adebayor because at the moment he plays as well as he dances.

Adebayor could at least celebrate score without falling over though

[The Emirates Gallactico]

That's why you need to have someone good enough to actually challenge the first choice CBs for a place in the first team. If you have someone who is nowhere near the level of the first two like Vermaelen, he'll know that he will only play if there's an injury and wont keep his place. Obviously nobody's going to be happy to do that. It's different from midfielders and forwards because they'll always get some minutes as a sub but generally managers don't play around with CB subs or even rotate them much because you want a settled back-line.

:gp:

Yeah exactly this. You don't go out to buy a specific "Third/Fourth" choice centreback otherwise you'll just end up with deadwood on the books (see Squillachi). You bring in a top quality first choice CB who will challenge Mertesacker and Koscienly for their spots and who can come in when needed without a drop in quality. See exactly what Wenger has done with Chesney by bringing in Ospina. As good as they've been, there's no reason why Kosicienly and Mertesacker shouldn't face the same level of competition for their spots or assume they're guaranteed to always start.

As much I do think lol Grove talks bollocks at times, I do agree with him regarding Wenger possibly rotating Vermelean in a bit more last seasons, especially against the shit PL teams at home on the rare occasions he was actually fit. Just so he wasn't isolated from the team ...... doubtful but we could have perhaps convinced him to sign a new contract if that happened.


If we knew it would be hard getting a 3rd choice CB, we shouldn’t have sold Vermaelen, regardless of whatever any on GW thinks of his quality. Monreal shouldn’t be an option as CB and will most likely be needed to fill in for Gibbs whose very injury prone. We’re stretching ourselves thin for no reason and making negotiations harder for ourselves.

Tbh given how injury prone he is I'm not sure he could really have been useful this year as well. I mean he's injured right now so it's hardly like he could have provided cover until Mertesacker regained his fitness for the start of the season.

I don't think selling Vermaelen was necessarily wrong, he was a good servant, patient and professional the entire time which I partly suspect was because Wenger promised him that he could leave this summer if he kept his mouth shut. He was in the last year of his contract and we got a good fee for him as well. The problem is that it's happening a bit latter in the window than would have been ideal, mainly because of the WC.

As for replacements, unless Miguel proves that his Leicester loan spell wasn't indicative of his quality (Gibbs also had a poor loan) then we certainly need to bring someone. Would take Howedes (who've we been linked to).

[Fist of Lehmann]

News just reaching us Hayley, Jim White has taken to Vine to tell the world that:

"Arsenal will do more business, and a big name as well. Certain"

Jim White has literally never been wrong.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I think the Sanogo-Adebayor comparisons are fair but very optimistic. Sanogo seems to pick the right options but can't sort his feet out, and I don't agree he has the basic ingredients. His shooting technique is all over the place.

Ideally he would have a loan spell to get more games but Wenger has said a couple of times that he has worked hard on improving him and he wants to continue with it. It'd be one of his biggest achievements if he got him playing like Adebayor because at the moment he plays as well as he dances.

Yes I tend to agree...his shooting technique looks a shade better than Chamakh's at times..... but his dancing is definitely more coordinated than his football.....even if he did trip trying to celebrate.

I just hope he can progress far quicker than it looks like he will......and the Adebayor comparison is far less embarrassing than the ones to Anelka.

[Marc Overmars]

Who compared him to Anelka? :lol:

He was electric at this age, Sanogo is electrified.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Sanogo is an anagram of 'Goonas'

[Niall_Quinn]

Sanogo is an anagram of 'Goonas'

finally somebody has come up with a remotely plausible reason why he plays for us. It's thin, but it's better than all the other theories.

[Marc Overmars]

finally somebody has come up with a remotely plausible reason why he plays for us. It's thin, but it's better than all the other theories.

Thought we already established he was a competition winner tbh.

[fakeyank]

I really like Sanogo.. I think he tries very hard for the team and that automatically makes me not dislike him. Add to that the fact that he was injured for a long time and is relatively young. He looked unplayable in the match where he scored the hattrick. I know it was the Emirates cup but if he gets a couple of goals in a few games, I am certain many on here will eat their words.

[fakeyank]

https://vine.co/v/MYrDF9eg3MJ

Looks like Song is coming home :scarf:

[I am invisible]

Well finally, some truth in the papers...

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/498981/Arsenal-Transfer-News-51m-Cavani-bid-in-the-works-as-Khedira-and-Reus-moves-heat-up

So much truth.

Defenders are for cowards, by the way.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

:lol:

I guess we found a spare £100 million down the back of the sofa.

[I am invisible]

I'm still not sure what to make of Sanogo really? I can't see him ever being a brilliant finisher, but then again, if he can keep doing what he did against Benfica (i.e. make the right runs, and be in the right place to bundle the ball over the line, however he can) then he could still be effective for us? It may not be particularly pleasing on the eye, but I could probably make my peace with that if he was getting a respectable number of scrappy goals and tap-ins (and, with the players we have, he'll probably be spoon-fed cut-backs and tap-ins all game long). I'd maybe get him working on his hold-up / link-up play more than his finishing at the moment - as I said, I can't see him ever mastering any great technique in that department, so I'd rather he just stick to trying to pass the ball into the net, and not get himself in a mess trying to arrow it into the corners at 100mph (incidentally, this is where I thought Adebayeeyore used to go wrong - when was fine when he stuck to simple side-foot finishes, but the second his ego took over, and started to believe he was a proper finisher, the ball usually ended up in the stands somewhere)...

[I am invisible]

:lol:

I guess we found a spare £100 million down the back of the sofa.

Hey, why not half a billion, if we're making stuff up? No sense in short-changing ourselves...

[Dein-machine]

Well finally, some truth in the papers...

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/498981/Arsenal-Transfer-News-51m-Cavani-bid-in-the-works-as-Khedira-and-Reus-moves-heat-up

So much truth.

Defenders are for cowards, by the way.

Save £51 mill & just go for Reus & Khedira

[Marc Overmars]

Well finally, some truth in the papers...

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/498981/Arsenal-Transfer-News-51m-Cavani-bid-in-the-works-as-Khedira-and-Reus-moves-heat-up

So much truth.

Defenders are for cowards, by the way.

Amazing how articles like that are given the green light to print!

[I am invisible]

Amazing how articles like that are given the green light to print!

There's enough idiots out there who will respond to it, even if it's rival fans taking the piss.

And then there's the secondary set of articles it will generate in a week's time when we somehow don't manage to sign Cavani, Reus and Khedira in one hit - "Arsenal FAIL in Cavani bid", "Chelsea to BEAT Arsenal to top target", and so forth. I'm just looking forward to the inevitable backlash from our own fans when nothing comes of it...

[Dein-machine]

I'm still not sure what to make of Sanogo really? I can't see him ever being a brilliant finisher, but then again, if he can keep doing what he did against Benfica (i.e. make the right runs, and be in the right place to bundle the ball over the line, however he can) then he could still be effective for us? It may not be particularly pleasing on the eye, but I could probably make my peace with that if he was getting a respectable number of scrappy goals and tap-ins (and, with the players we have, he'll probably be spoon-fed cut-backs and tap-ins all game long). I'd maybe get him working on his hold-up / link-up play more than his finishing at the moment - as I said, I can't see him ever mastering any great technique in that department, so I'd rather he just stick to trying to pass the ball into the net, and not get himself in a mess trying to arrow it into the corners at 100mph (incidentally, this is where I thought Adebayeeyore used to go wrong - when was fine when he stuck to simple side-foot finishes, but the second his ego took over, and started to believe he was a proper finisher, the ball usually ended up in the stands somewhere)...

Sonogo needs to go out on loan to see if he has what it takes. This year we will be competing in the PL with the likes of Sturrigdge, Costa, Aguero, RVP, Rooney, in the CL it could be Messi, Ronaldo, Bale, Suarez, Lewandowski, Neymar etc. We cannot compete using Wumger's philosophy of buying raw talent & making it better - not any more. I'm hoping signings like Ozil & Sanchez show that Wumger now realizes this. Chelsea bought a number of highly rated youngsters & sent them abroad on loan whilst allowing their tried & tested to get the required results every week. They have experienced good football & training and if you look at Courtois, they have saved themselves £20 mill+ trying to buy a replacement for Cech. Joel Campbell shows that we can do it also, playing for us at the moment with the expectations levels where they are could ruin him.

[I am invisible]

Save £51 mill & just go for Reus & Khedira

Hey, I thought you wanted a proper CF? ;)

I agree though - I don't think Cavani is a £50m+ player. A very good striker, yes, but not in that super-elite level (although it would almost be worth doing it and paying the extra money just to f--k Man U over with their move for Di Maria. Man U :pal: )...

[Dein-machine]

Hey, I thought you wanted a proper CF? ;)

I agree though - I don't think Cavani is a £50m+ player. A very good striker, yes, but not in that super-elite level (although it would almost be worth doing it and paying the extra money just to f--k Man U over with their move for Di Maria. Man U :pal: )...

Your right, I do but I'm also realistic about how much money we actually have & there's no way I'd pay £50+ mill for Cavani. If we could start the season with Sanchez up top with Reus & Walcott playing as attacking midfielders backed up by Khedira, Rambo & Ozil I don't think that would be too shabby.

[Ollie the Optimist]

Your right, I do but I'm also realistic about how much money we actually have & there's no way I'd pay £50+ mill for Cavani. If we could start the season with Sanchez up top with Reus & Walcott playing as attacking midfielders backed up by Khedira, Rambo & Ozil I don't think that would be too shabby.

and have the exact same problem as we did last season with no defensive midfielder? Interesting

[Dein-machine]

and have the exact same problem as we did last season with no defensive midfielder? Interesting

khedira is the defensive midfielder

[Ollie the Optimist]

khedira is the defensive midfielder

apart from he isn't a defensive midfielder. He's like Ramsey, box to box. He won't sit back and protect the back four.

[I am invisible]

Sonogo needs to go out on loan to see if he has what it takes. This year we will be competing in the PL with the likes of Sturrigdge, Costa, Aguero, RVP, Rooney, in the CL it could be Messi, Ronaldo, Bale, Suarez, Lewandowski, Neymar etc. We cannot compete using Wumger's philosophy of buying raw talent & making it better - not any more. I'm hoping signings like Ozil & Sanchez show that Wumger now realizes this. Chelsea bought a number of highly rated youngsters & sent them abroad on loan whilst allowing their tried & tested to get the required results every week. They have experienced good football & training and if you look at Courtois, they have saved themselves £20 mill+ trying to buy a replacement for Cech. Joel Campbell shows that we can do it also, playing for us at the moment with the expectations levels where they are could ruin him.

I'm not opposed to that either [sending Sanogo out on loan], if we can bring someone else in - not much point in shedding numbers if we can't find another CF, but I certainly hope we don't use Sanogo as a reason not to even look.

I do agree that we could improve on Giroud (and certainly Sanogo), and it's something we should absolutely try to do if we can find someone good enough, but I don't think it's quite as simple as just comparing our CF options to those of our rivals and saying we're miles behind - as others have said, the attack is made up of more than one position, and we don't all use the same formations and systems, so direct comparisons aren't actually that helpful. Man U, for example, have a lot of more traditional wide players and midfielders who don't really do too much more than supply the CFs, so they kind of need a 30-goal-a-season man in middle to shoulder most of the goal-scoring burden; we, on the other hand, have a bunch of players like Sanchez, Walcott and Ramsey in the areas around the CF who all have the potential to get 20 goals each, so a less prolific target man like Giroud, who is a little bit more about the hold-up and link-up play, is actually more use to us then it would be to them. Sure, it would be great if we had someone who could do that AND be capable of smashing in 30 goals, but I don't think we're as far away from our rivals in an attacking sense as it looks if you only go by the CFs...

[Dein-machine]

apart from he isn't a defensive midfielder. He's like Ramsey, box to box. He won't sit back and protect the back four.

Erm - evey player profile for him shows him as defensive midfielder, every newspaper & web site that has inked him with us has been with regards to him being a defensive midfielder - where have you been - if he was an attacking midfielder everyone would have been slagging us off for going for another similar player.
Defensive midfielders can get forward you know, you'll often find Flamini in & around the box when he's playing but when we don't have the ball their job is to protect the back 4.
Also, you haven't responded on your comments on how Liverpool have spent £230 mill since 2010 & how that is relevant when I told you we have spent £228 mill in the same time.

[Injury Time]

http://www.teamtalk.com/arsenal/9422975/-?
3 year deal!
It's a miracle :faint:

[Dein-machine]

http://www.teamtalk.com/arsenal/9422975/-?

Thank god - just given me the same feeling when you finally have a massive dump after being blocked up for days.

[Fist of Lehmann]

We released him already anyway, he was just floating around.

Guess he just got flushed.

[I am invisible]

A bit of footage of that Greek lad we were being linked with from the WC...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRU63idhLP8

[Ollie the Optimist]

Erm - evey player profile for him shows him as defensive midfielder, every newspaper & web site that has inked him with us has been with regards to him being a defensive midfielder - where have you been - if he was an attacking midfielder everyone would have been slagging us off for going for another similar player.
Defensive midfielders can get forward you know, you'll often find Flamini in & around the box when he's playing but when we don't have the ball their job is to protect the back 4.
Also, you haven't responded on your comments on how Liverpool have spent £230 mill since 2010 & how that is relevant when I told you we have spent £228 mill in the same time.

Well Wenger said the reason he didn't want to sign him was because he was a box to box attacking midfielder and we have plenty of them. You say the media and everyone call him a defensive midfielder, a quick google search and this was the first article and he is a quote from it
From a technical point of view, he is certainly more accomplished than Diarra who is his closest competitor at the Bernabeu while he also possesses a considerable aerial advantage over the Frenchman. He is not a hard tackling midfielder but he has no qualms about tracking back. What he does do that sometimes goes unnoticed is make regular runs forward. He doesn’t sit deep and shield the back four but instead, sees a decent amount of the ball in the final third. His movement into more advanced positions also allows Xabi Alonso the time and space in midfield to spray passes forward and invariably draw the majority of the plaudits.

Sounds to me like he is an attacking midfielder not a defensive midfielder.


About the money, since 2008 we have spent 200 million, the last purchase being Mesut Ozil (this summer's spending not accounted for on the basis that we are talking about last season), in the same period, liverpool spent over 300 million. (using http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premiership-transfers/liverpool-transfers.html )

[Syn]

How are Liverpool the benchmark anyway? If we swapped seasons with them last year I'm willing to bet a lot of money the same posters would be discussing how they managed to win a trophy and we ultimately managed to win nothing.

[Marc Overmars]

TBH by the same token others would say we're in better shape than them because we went closer to winning the league and how anyone can win a cup etc, which is what their fans have leveled at us.

Football fans. :lol:

Awful mentalists.

[Niall_Quinn]

Have we lost yet? Or are we still waiting to kick off? With Walcott missing, Ramsey missing at crucial stages, Ox missing, we went within 7 points of the doping gypos (who have spent £175mill on signings and wage deals this week alone) and we won a cup. We have just beaten the gypos in a meaningless match they let us win, even though their manager tricked everyone beforehand by stating the Community Shield was a meaningful match they wanted to win. So we will soon have Walcott back, Ramsey is fit and firing, Ox looked great towards the end of last season, we have signed a genuine world class player in Alexis, Chambers looks great (he's EASILY old enough, if the shitty logic going around about age was applied to Tony Adams he'd have never made it at Arsenal), Campbell is a new option, Cazorla is staying. The transfer window isn't shut yet and Wenger has expressed the desire to sign another player (almost certainly a CB for cover).

How awful is it really? Yes we know Sanogo is a bit of a joke but he's far from our only option. Who do people want instead, Torres or an OAP Drogba? Eto'o? The chavs have as many problems as we do in that department from what I can see. Liverpool has lost Suarez and replaced him with Lambert. That's got to hurt. They are considerably weaker than last season. Utd has done fuck all of note except spend £11mill more than us to acquire a comparatively weaker player. All the van Gaal genius bullshit is just that, bullshit. He's done nothing yet. The gypos are strong, of course. Why wouldn't they be with cheat mode on full blast, not just buying up more playa but now whole teams so they can do their dodgy loan deals. What did we expect? Wenger to go and outspend them? When players like Cavani are being touted for £50mill then it is clear demonstration that things aren't nearly as easy in the transfer market as some would have us believe.

We're have a better squad with more depth than last season. Who could seriously argue otherwise? One game played, one win. Next match up tomorrow. So far so good. If we collapse then let's moan. But maybe we won't. And if we don't all the sterling moaning will have been wasted. Better to keep your powder dry. Something, somewhere will go wrong this season. It's just a matter of being optimistic and waiting patiently.

[Master Splinter]

I do find it strange that the signing of Costa instantly remedies the fact that Chelsea's back-up options are dismal. Hazard is actually their only reliable forward player. If Costa flops like every other big-money striker they've signed not named Drogba, they'll be relying on Frankcesc Lampregas to post Lampard numbers for a full season. And he always seems to wilt in the second half of every campaign. Also, Chelsea's biggest problem last year was breaking through stubborn, well-marshalled defences. It's still only Hazard really that has the ability to produce the unexpected against that type of opposition.

It's also strange that United have struggled to bolster a squad that finished seventh, have lost massive personalities in Vidic, Evra and Ferdinand, yet many are tipping them to easily finish in the top four ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool because Van Gaal.

It proves that moronic pundits only look at names when attempting to assess anything.

Costa, Fabregas, Mourinho are big names = Chelsea domination 4eva.

Van Gaal is a big name = instant return to the elite.

[Dein-machine]

Have we lost yet? Or are we still waiting to kick off? With Walcott missing, Ramsey missing at crucial stages, Ox missing, we went within 7 points of the doping gypos (who have spent £175mill on signings and wage deals this week alone) and we won a cup. We have just beaten the gypos in a meaningless match they let us win, even though their manager tricked everyone beforehand by stating the Community Shield was a meaningful match they wanted to win. So we will soon have Walcott back, Ramsey is fit and firing, Ox looked great towards the end of last season, we have signed a genuine world class player in Alexis, Chambers looks great (he's EASILY old enough, if the shitty logic going around about age was applied to Tony Adams he'd have never made it at Arsenal), Campbell is a new option, Cazorla is staying. The transfer window isn't shut yet and Wenger has expressed the desire to sign another player (almost certainly a CB for cover).

How awful is it really? Yes we know Sanogo is a bit of a joke but he's far from our only option. Who do people want instead, Torres or an OAP Drogba? Eto'o? The chavs have as many problems as we do in that department from what I can see. Liverpool has lost Suarez and replaced him with Lambert. That's got to hurt. They are considerably weaker than last season. Utd has done fuck all of note except spend £11mill more than us to acquire a comparatively weaker player. All the van Gaal genius bullshit is just that, bullshit. He's done nothing yet. The gypos are strong, of course. Why wouldn't they be with cheat mode on full blast, not just buying up more playa but now whole teams so they can do their dodgy loan deals. What did we expect? Wenger to go and outspend them? When players like Cavani are being touted for £50mill then it is clear demonstration that things aren't nearly as easy in the transfer market as some would have us believe.

We're have a better squad with more depth than last season. Who could seriously argue otherwise? One game played, one win. Next match up tomorrow. So far so good. If we collapse then let's moan. But maybe we won't. And if we don't all the sterling moaning will have been wasted. Better to keep your powder dry. Something, somewhere will go wrong this season. It's just a matter of being optimistic and waiting patiently.

no ones expecting us to outspend City - what I expect is to strengthen in the very obvious areas where we are weak. In the all important spine of the team this means Arteta as DM & Giroud as CF. None of these 2 woudl get anywhere near the teams we're competing with in the P.L or in Europe because they are not up to it. If Sanchez is a success as a CF then ofcourse that's a plus but they way Wenger has set the team up so far it doesn't look like it. Therefore we get into the situation I was discussing yesterday where Sanchez is playing wide right with Walcott on the bench or vice versa, Yes it gives us a stronger squad incase of injuries but it actually doesn't improve our starting line up because we still have Arteta & Giroud in it. Its all very well having better quality on the bench but in the games agianst the top teams & bearing in mind Wenger reluctance to ever make a sub before the 64 minute - sometimes these games will be lost by then.

[Dein-machine]

Well Wenger said the reason he didn't want to sign him was because he was a box to box attacking midfielder and we have plenty of them. You say the media and everyone call him a defensive midfielder, a quick google search and this was the first article and he is a quote from it

Sounds to me like he is an attacking midfielder not a defensive midfielder.


About the money, since 2008 we have spent 200 million, the last purchase being Mesut Ozil (this summer's spending not accounted for on the basis that we are talking about last season), in the same period, liverpool spent over 300 million. (using http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premiership-transfers/liverpool-transfers.html )

Khedira holds behind Schweinstieger & Kroos for Germany but they way they play, he & Schweinstieger can take it turns to drop a bit deep. It doesn't matter he is not an attacking midfielder otherwise he would never have been linked with us. Arteta wasn't a DM either when we bought him but thats where we've played him & Khedira has far more about his game in this area than Arteta.

See your changing the dates now for you Liverpool example, bearing in mind £50 mill of that was to sign Andy Caroll which should be wiped from the records for the sake of humanity, they are not in the same league financially as Chelsea or City & never have been. They did most of their damage with 4 Englishmen in their midfield/attack ( 2 coming through the club ), the others not costing silly money & with Suarez who they got for nothing in the scheme of things.

[AKBapologist]

Ollies probably right about the khaderia bit tbh.
http://bit.ly/1qcDEVY

[Marc Overmars]

Liverpool linked with Song. :lol:

[Dein-machine]

Ollies probably right about the khaderia bit tbh.
http://bit.ly/1qcDEVY

google sami khedira player profile - very 1st link is www.transfermarkt.com/sami-khedira/profil/spieler/29401 & have a look at his position.
During the months of Khedira speculation was any one else on here apart from Ollie expecting him to replace someone other than Arteta?

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I do agree with the premise of what Dmachine is saying in that we should sign a DM and the jury is out on how Alexis will do at CF....IF he even plays there.

A DM should not take seasons on end to sign and that's in spite of the fact I rate Arteta more than most and certainly more than Dein Machine.

I hope Wenger is a little more astute setting us up for the big games this season.

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

Liverpool linked with Song. :lol:
http://25.media.tumblr.com/08d0da71cd98e9b3e048a46fc5a05dc5/tumblr_mn3b8oZ3281rr7t27o1_400.gif

Sums up my feelings really.

Apparently he's gone and injured Barca's new keeper for a few weeks as well :lol:

[I am invisible]

If all else fails, I still think we can afford to drop Rosicky back into more of a holding role. Now we've padded out the wide options a bit, we don't necessarily have to play one of Özil and Cazorla there, and can use them as competition for the same central playmaker role, which lessens the need to have Rosicky so far forward. I'm sure I remember him saying once that his favoured position was actually deeper in centre mid, and it's where I always remember him playing for the Czechs at his peak? Would give us a little bit of Arteta and Flamini in one player...

[Syn]

Song to Liverpool would annoy me a bit. I never rated him as highly as some others but he's a solid player next to a more defensive minded CM like Can or Henderson. Rumours he had an attitude problem when he was sold though.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

If all else fails, I still think we can afford to drop Rosicky back into more of a holding role. Now we've padded out the wide options a bit, we don't necessarily have to play one of Özil and Cazorla there, and can use them as competition for the same central playmaker role, which lessens the need to have Rosicky so far forward. I'm sure I remember him saying once that his favoured position was actually deeper in centre mid, and it's where I always remember him playing for the Czechs at his peak? Would give us a little bit of Arteta and Flamini in one player...

Yes I always forget that..... Rosicky can certainly play there even if it isn't ideal. I quite like the idea.

[fakeyank]

http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/15/sami-khediras-asking-price-slashed-by-real-madrid-in-bid-to-reignite-arsenal-interest-4834307/

Make it happen Arsene :pray:

[Injury Time]

http://www.teamtalk.com/arsenal/9422975/-?
3 year deal!
It's a miracle :faint:
http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/15/wolfsburg-sign-ex-arsenal-striker-nicklas-bendtner-after-lowering-their-standards-4833862/ :haha:

'We dared to touch the top shelf of players. It's empty now so we need to look further down' :cold:

[Penguin]

:haha:

[Japan Shaking All Over]

http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/15/sami-khediras-asking-price-slashed-by-real-madrid-in-bid-to-reignite-arsenal-interest-4834307/

Make it happen Arsene :pray:

As long as his wages do something similar I say bring it on but no way we should be paying 100k+, Wumger poker face :bow:

This has 11th hour written all over it!

[Master Splinter]

Moses to Stoke on loan. :lol:

PSG to buy him for £40m in January?

[fakeyank]

As long as his wages do something similar I say bring it on but no way we should be paying 100k+, Wumger poker face :bow:

This has 11th hour written all over it!

I would take him for 8 million and 100K wages. I know he wants to get closer to 150K and I say add that additional 50K to the 100K as add-ons for appearance and performance. 8 million is a steal for a player like him!

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I'm with TeamAmerica. 8 million on 100k wages is fine by me. Podolski is on that himself and we forget he even plays for us..... incidentally he would have been a decent option from the bench today!

[cheesy bites]

Khedira is a fantastic player, but he's not the DM we need.

[Mr. Lahey]

reading that we are in talks with Rabiot - havent heard of him myself, anyone else know of him?

[Penguin]

Khedira is a fantastic player, but he's not the DM we need.
Yep, Wenger said a few weeks ago that he isn't interested in Khedira because "we have enough attacking box-to-box midfielders".

Not sure who Rabiot is but I'm pretty sure we aren't in the market for a DM now that Arteta has been made the captain, unfortunately.

[I am invisible]

reading that we are in talks with Rabiot - havent heard of him myself, anyone else know of him?
Only what I've read and seen of him over the last couple of weeks since we started being linked with him - very highly-rated, young CM, either defensive or creative, depending on who you read? From the few bits I've seen of him he looks like he has a bit of both sides to his game, but I personally think he looks far more of a deeper / defensive midfielder than someone you'd put in the more advanced positions - yes, he joins the attack a lot, but it looks like it's usually after winning the ball deep and bursting forward with it. Dare I say it... on first impression, he looks a bit like the player that we wanted Diaby to be (the good Diaby that he shows us teasing glimpses of once or twice a year before he turns average again, or gets injured)? I've also seen it suggested that he's a bit like Petit in terms of his passing range from that deeper area, which also looks a fair shout.

The trouble is though, these are all thoughts based around a couple of highlight clips, and they don't really tell you whether he's consistently like that over 90 minutes, every game, or whether what you're seeing is a few one-off good bits, here and there? I'm sure Diaby would look like the player we want Diaby to be in a highlight clip.

What are they talking about, £5.5m, or something like that? Could be tempting - potential bargain at a price that represents no great risk (financially speaking, anyway)?

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Probably right. Wenger wouldn't tell Song to sit and hold so he probably won't tell Khedira too.....although I do find it peculiar why players can be converted from full backs to midfielders and vice versa, but it almost seems strange to some that one might go from a box to box midfielder to a DM.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Yep, Wenger said a few weeks ago that he isn't interested in Khedira because "we have enough attacking box-to-box midfielders".

Not sure who Rabiot is but I'm pretty sure we aren't in the market for a DM now that Arteta has been made the captain, unfortunately.

Wenger showed last year that being captain (TV5) does not guarantee starting 11.....If we brought in a better player to play where he does then he would have to sit out......it could be case of him bring the club can't and BFG the on pitch one!

[Niall_Quinn]

Less injuries and more rotation and everyone will get a game. If the chavs don't fancy buying Khedira so they can send him out on loan, no harm snapping him up for a job share role with Arteta. Arteta was fine yesterday, did his job well. There will be plenty of games where the opposition come to defend and we don't see those pesky, pacey forwards darting in behind the midfield, Arteta can handle all of that. In games where we need to stamp on Sterling's throat, bring in some help.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Mirror has an article to talk about.....

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-transfer-news-rumours-kostas-4063539

Can see Kostas coming in and would be welcome

The Khedira story will drag on and Wumger is coming to play it out till last minute, not sure how serious Chavs are but there seems to some movement.....would be a quality addition but we will quibble over price and wages

If both these guys come in then business is over for summer and that means no striker....I personally think we have enough fire power but would a free Eto be so bad? Wages huh?

I also say go for the French kid for the price....but that is more based on French mates opinion of the guy more than anything I have seen, papers report favourably and he could be one if Wengers future plans ie Chambers

[GP]

If both these guys come in then business is over for summer and that means no striker....

Yeah...

Well, apart from Alexis and Campbell, I suppose.

[Master Splinter]

Sanogo is about to go mental soon too tbf.

It's happening. Honest.

[Niall_Quinn]

Wrong thread but...

Long! WTF?

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Anyone reckon Everton would have taken 15 million for Stones or a similar deal to the Chambers one?

What happened to the Carvalho talk too. I was starting to really like the sound of him joining.

[saintnickle]

Yeah...

Well, apart from Alexis and Campbell, I suppose.
No he said striker.Do you honestly think if wenger sees them 2 as strikers he would of started with sanogo up front.MMM

[Penguin]

Probably right. Wenger wouldn't tell Song to sit and hold so he probably won't tell Khedira too.....although I do find it peculiar why players can be converted from full backs to midfielders and vice versa, but it almost seems strange to some that one might go from a box to box midfielder to a DM.
It's not a question of whether he is able to play as a DM, it's more about whether he would want to play as one. Apparently he didn't like being told to sit in front of the defence for Real, so I'm not sure he'd want to move to us only to be asked the same thing. Khedira is similar to Ramsey, Yaya Toure and Rooney in that he likes to get around the pitch and get involved in everything. Those types of players usually don't like getting boxed into specific, 'tactical' roles even if they have the abilities to excel in them.

I might be wrong, l would have put Gerrard in that same category but he made the switch. But then again, he only plays his current role because he hasn't got the legs to play box to box anymore.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Yeah...

Well, apart from Alexis and Campbell, I suppose.

To be fair to me.....I think I did mention that we can think we have enough firepower to go without the out and out front man that many seem to desire.....I am happy to go with Giroud plus Sanchez, Theo, Ramsey chipping in.....but we still need to shore up those other areas and provide the team with a decent spine

[selassie]

reading that we are in talks with Rabiot - havent heard of him myself, anyone else know of him?

Very good young prospect, he's only 19 but he is pretty much a classic CM, he's not DM or really Box to Box either. I think he could definitely be moulded into a DM, but he's going to be a "Project", though a very good one to work on like say Chambers.

He has a great reputation, just can't quite get enough starts for PSG, they do have a strong midfield TBF so it's no surprise.

I am not entirely sure he will get that many games here...but if developed properly should be first choice here in the next few years.

I would like us to sign him.

[selassie]

Looks like Manolas our new CB is as good as done...

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/kostas-manolas-to-arsenal-latest-8m-olympiakos-defender-undergoes-medical-with-the-gunners--reports-9675612.html




Greek defender Kostas Manolas is on the brink of an £8m move to Arsenal after undergoing a medical with the north London club, according to reports.

The Olympiakos centre-back is seen as a replacement for Thomas Vermaelen, who joined Barcelona for £15m last month.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger revealed earlier this month that the Gunners were still looking to add another defender to their ranks before the transfer window closes on 1 September.

"Vermaelen behaved outstandingly last year - I am grateful for him and I wish him very well,” Wenger had said.

“If I can find another centre-back I will do it."

[I am invisible]

Looks like Manolas our new CB is as good as done...

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/kostas-manolas-to-arsenal-latest-8m-olympiakos-defender-undergoes-medical-with-the-gunners--reports-9675612.html

It's probably worth mentioning that those "reports" originated from goal.com, but to be fair there does seem to be a fair bit of smoke around this one - apparently he was left out of Olympiakos's squad for a second pre-season friendly in a row (Bilbao and now Fenerbache), so it seems increasingly likely that he's going somewhere? Don't suppose we have any Greek football experts here, do we?

[I am invisible]

Very good young prospect, he's only 19 but he is pretty much a classic CM, he's not DM or really Box to Box either. I think he could definitely be moulded into a DM, but he's going to be a "Project", though a very good one to work on like say Chambers.

He has a great reputation, just can't quite get enough starts for PSG, they do have a strong midfield TBF so it's no surprise.

I am not entirely sure he will get that many games here...but if developed properly should be first choice here in the next few years.

I would like us to sign him.

If we're going to take a punt on promising young players, then at least this feels more like the kind of player we should be going for - players who have already proved enough to make it into the first team squads of some of the best clubs in Europe, rather just raiding rival academies for players who are completely untried at the top / senior level...

[Dein-machine]

Sanogo is about to go mental soon too tbf.

It's happening. Honest.

What do you mean "he's about to go mental" - with the ball at he's feet he's as mental as its gets.

[Dein-machine]

Lots of spec this morning about a loan deal for Vargas ( another Chilean forward ) - I don't remember him from the World Cup - any good?

[Syn]

Don't remember much of him either. Don't really see the point in signing another short, versatile, attacking player unless he's absolutely top notch, really. This is probably just agent talk.

[I am invisible]

I just remember being constantly annoyed with Vargas for not being Alexis, and for selfishly being passed to when the ball could have gone to our man instead...

[selassie]

It's probably worth mentioning that those "reports" originated from goal.com, but to be fair there does seem to be a fair bit of smoke around this one - apparently he was left out of Olympiakos's squad for a second pre-season friendly in a row (Bilbao and now Fenerbache), so it seems increasingly likely that he's going somewhere? Don't suppose we have any Greek football experts here, do we?

Ah didn't realise that those reports originated from Goal.Com, though like you say we have been strongly linked with him so there must be something in it. He seems like a classic "Wenger" type signing.

[Niall_Quinn]

Liked Vargas a lot but homo stuff aside, he's not a bad footballer either and he already has a rapport with Alexis. It also opens up the way for a stream of headlines focused on hot chillies, spicy performances, too hot to handle and so on. Sign him up.

[Marc Overmars]

The Khedria link won't go away, some rags still saying it's us or Chelsea.

It doesn't seem likely he'll extend his contract at Madrid so maybe there's no smoke without fire for this one. Only 14 days left.

[Syn]

It's looking like Wenger will definitely sign Manolas. Then he'll play his favourite deadline day dominos game and hope a top quality CM/DM is freed up.

Still waiting for Man Utd's big move to set things off. Have a feeling they're going to snare a biggun.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Looks like Manolas our new CB is as good as done...

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/kostas-manolas-to-arsenal-latest-8m-olympiakos-defender-undergoes-medical-with-the-gunners--reports-9675612.html

Good stuff. Looks like he won't Kostas very much .................



:getcoat::getcoat:

[I am invisible]

Good stuff. Looks like he won't Kostas very much .................



:getcoat::getcoat:

Boo! Booooooo!

[I am invisible]

Ah didn't realise that those reports originated from Goal.Com, though like you say we have been strongly linked with him so there must be something in it. He seems like a classic "Wenger" type signing.
I have no problem with this kind of signing - I may not know much about him, but at least it looks like there's some kind of pedigree there to justify our interest, and the interest from other top clubs is encouraging. The fact that we have serious money to spend now (and, more to the point, have shown that we're actually prepared to spend it) gives me a little more faith in these kind of moves - in recent years, there was always that nagging doubt that we were going for cheap players and unknowns because that was all we could afford, but now, even if it turns out we are just being cheap for the sake of it, at least it feels like there's a choice there, and that we're picking these guys over other potential options?

Re: the player, I saw this earlier...

http://www.squawka.com/news/how-would-kostas-manolas-fare-at-arsenal/160188?

...which might shed a bit more light on what we could expect from him? I also posted a YT link a few pages back, of highlights from his WC games, but I can't be arsed clicking back to find it. It's there somewhere though...

[I am invisible]

Ooh! Ooh! We should totally send Sanogo the other way, if this Manolas deal goes through! Olympiakos love training our forwards for us... love it! I are a genius.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

It's looking like Wenger will definitely sign Manolas. Then he'll play his favourite deadline day dominos game and hope a top quality CM/DM is freed up.

Still waiting for Man Utd's big move to set things off. Have a feeling they're going to snare a biggun.

Yeah We still haven't had our transfer windowly dose of WengerWUM at deadline time so expect more from the master

[Niall_Quinn]

Yeah We still haven't had our transfer windowly dose of WengerWUM at deadline time so expect more from the master

This time we can laugh along though, instead of being the victims of the joke. Nice to have quality signings already tucked away, everything else (bar Kalou) is a bonus.

[Dein-machine]

The Khedria link won't go away, some rags still saying it's us or Chelsea.

It doesn't seem likely he'll extend his contract at Madrid so maybe there's no smoke without fire for this one. Only 14 days left.

If we or the Chavs don't act on Khedira I wouldn't mind a little bet on Utd getting him.
I think I read that RM were willing to drop their asking price for him by £8 mill. If he has agreed to drop his wage demands then I think it would be a great move for us. Just to add quality & strength to our midfield.

[selassie]

Good stuff. Looks like he won't Kostas very much .................



:getcoat::getcoat:

:d

[I am invisible]

If we or the Chavs don't act on Khedira I wouldn't mind a little bet on Utd getting him.
I think I read that RM were willing to drop their asking price for him by £8 mill. If he has agreed to drop his wage demands then I think it would be a great move for us. Just to add quality & strength to our midfield.

I was about to say, I'm shocked that Man U haven't been linked with his so far?! Their need for a central midfielder seems far more pressing than ours or Chelsea's right now...

[Marc Overmars]

Still waiting for Man Utd's big move to set things off. Have a feeling they're going to snare a biggun.

Agree with that, they seem to be under a lot of pressure to make a big signing, their chief exec is public enemy number one at the moment.

Wouldn't be shocked if Di Maria ended up there.

[Niall_Quinn]

Supposedly it will cost them £100mill over 5 years to snag Di Maria and I really hope they do it. Rooney and his ridiculous wages, coupled with paying a stupid amount to Shaw (some say £200k), van Cash is on big money, Mata. Bring Di Maria in on £200k+ and they are still 5 players short but they have hyper-inflated the wage bill without having CL football to back it up. One more top 4 failure and they'll take another step down and that'll be them done until the the next big cycle. In van Gaal they have precisely the right man to fuck it all up spectacularly. This guy is already letting his team take the heat while he makes excuses. Between the wages and the "genius" they are teetering on the brink. A couple of big signings could have the exact opposite effect they are looking to achieve.

[Dein-machine]

Some of us on GW ( including me ) have dismissed certain players going to Man Utd due to lack of C.L. football. I'm wondering if we have any deals already agreed in principle but pending our qualification - if we get knocked out by Besiktas we are no longer any more favorable than Utd & they seem willinng to play O.T.T wages.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

It's not a question of whether he is able to play as a DM, it's more about whether he would want to play as one. Apparently he didn't like being told to sit in front of the defence for Real, so I'm not sure he'd want to move to us only to be asked the same thing. Khedira is similar to Ramsey, Yaya Toure and Rooney in that he likes to get around the pitch and get involved in everything. Those types of players usually don't like getting boxed into specific, 'tactical' roles even if they have the abilities to excel in them.

I might be wrong, l would have put Gerrard in that same category but he made the switch. But then again, he only plays his current role because he hasn't got the legs to play box to box anymore.


Why is it? Why on earth are we negotiating with a player unwilling to play anywhere but in midfield as a box to box midfielder in whatever starting position that is. Is he just going to dictate to Wenger where he is played?

It would be pretty naive to expect to displace Ozil or Ramsey, so I would would tend to wonder where he expects to play precisely if he wants to be first team.

I suspect his precise more salient issue right now is getting into their 1st team all together. If he was actually annoyed about his manager doing his job and telling him where to play, then his focus should have switched by now....

[Niall_Quinn]

Why is it? Why on earth are we negotiating with a player unwilling to play anywhere but in midfield as a box to box midfielder in whatever starting position that is. Is he just going to dictate to Wenger where he is played?

It would be pretty naive to expect to displace Ozil or Ramsey, so I would would tend to wonder where he expects to play precisely if he wants to be first team.

I suspect his precise more salient issue right now is getting into their 1st team all together. If he was actually annoyed about his manager doing his job and telling him where to play, then his focus should have switched by now....

I think he just wants a huge wad of cash tbf, that seems to be his main ambition.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I would tend to agree.... haven't really seen the usual taking exception to the suggestions of greed from him or his camp either although perhaps it is German not to??

[Penguin]

I'm not even sure if we were ever actually in for Khedira...


Wenger showed last year that being captain (TV5) does not guarantee starting 11.....If we brought in a better player to play where he does then he would have to sit out......it could be case of him bring the club can't and BFG the on pitch one!
Vermaelen was a nailed on starter when we made him captain, Wenger wouldn't have made him captain if he knew he wasn't going to play. I doubt Wenger would make Arteta captain if he was planning on signing a replacement player two weeks later. It looks more likely now that we'll either sign nobody, or we'll sign a long term project like Rabiot who wont be an immediate starter but will be gradually phased in.

I'm baffled at why Wenger didn't make Mertesacker or Koscielny captain as surely those two are the only guaranteed starters in our squad.

[Dicks and chicks]

I'm not even sure if we were ever actually in for Khedira...


Vermaelen was a nailed on starter when we made him captain, Wenger wouldn't have made him captain if he knew he wasn't going to play. I doubt Wenger would make Arteta captain if he was planning on signing a replacement player two weeks later. It looks more likely now that we'll either sign nobody, or we'll sign a long term project like Rabiot who wont be an immediate starter but will be gradually phased in.

I'm baffled at why Wenger didn't make Mertesacker or Koscielny captain as surely those two are the only guaranteed starters in our squad.

Sangogo deserved the captaincy , he's more immune than mert or kos

[AKBapologist]

Chelsea have just offered £35mill for carvalho.

:(

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Post a link, if there is one.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Chelsea have just offered £35mill for carvalho.

:(

FFS. Don't they already have Matic, Ramires and Obi Mikel for that spot? Why do they need him?


If Chelsea are seriously interested I can't see us getting him considering he's meant to have the same super agent that Mourinho and Costa have, Jorge Mendes.

[Syn]

FFS. Don't they already have Matic, Ramires and Obi Mikel for that spot? Why do they need him?

Please, don't even try to understand that level of ambition.

[I am invisible]

I thought Mouron said they were done witht heir business, back in July?

[I am invisible]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/9387257/premier-league-no-more-signings-says-chelsea-boss-jose-mourinho

[Dein-machine]

Things like this don't bother me about the Chavs. He will be aware of the other players in his position but at £35 mill will think he is NO 1 & will ask for a guaranteed 1st team start in his contract. This will cause unrest with other players. Carvalho doesn't necessarily improve their starting line-up or even their squad because he is unproven in the premier league. They will probably use him & Matic to try & win the C.L by parking the bus again & play 4-2-3-1 but that then means he will be leaving our quality midfielders to have joined Chelsea to play C.L. football.
If he chose to come to us he is virtually guaranteed a 1st team start if he can adapt to the P.L because unlike Chelsea we have no defensive midfielders of any quality. Sometimes you wonder if Maureen just does these things to stop us from threatening. Maybe we should have taken the same view about Cesc - the difference in his passing abililty last night compared to what our CM trio showed against Palace was amazing & we have allowed one of our own to improve one of our title rivals - again.

[AKBapologist]

Chelsea are cash neutral on transfers this summer and could easily afford it tbh.

[Özim]

Saw a stat about Cesc the other day, he's still in the top 3 PL greatest assisters (still playing) despite not playing since 2011 in the PL, that's pretty impressive it has to be said.

[Niall_Quinn]

Sometimes you wonder if Maureen just does these things to stop us from threatening. Maybe we should have taken the same view about Cesc - the difference in his passing abililty last night compared to what our CM trio showed against Palace was amazing & we have allowed one of our own to improve one of our title rivals - again.

The chavs are £800mill in the hole, net over the gangster years. Eight hundred fucking million quid. Without a doubt they buy so others can't. They have just shy of 100 players out on loan. It's doping of the highest order but Abramovich is to be admired and his "special one" quoted with reverence. You're right on Cesc, under no circumstances should he have been allowed to go there. And yes, we should have spent the money bringing him here - even if we didn't need him. Just to stop them getting him. Of course a true Gooner would have hung up his boots rather than pull on a chav shirt, but there you go.

The chavs are the enemy of football. Their manager is the enemy of football. It is not just me, and Internet poster, who says that - the big names in football say it. For a reason.

[Niall_Quinn]

Chelsea are cash neutral on transfers this summer and could easily afford it tbh.

Only because of that outrageously suspicious Luiz deal. That should have been investigated by every authority and agency available.

[Gooner23]

Corruption at it's finest.

[Özim]

Only because of that outrageously suspicious Luiz deal. That should have been investigated by every authority and agency available.

What is there to investigate?

PSG money man: I'll give you 50 million quid for David Luiz
Chelsea money man: I'll ask Roman

Chelsea money man: PSG have offered 50 million for Luiz, do you want to take it and run?
Abhramovic: Sell him he's shit.

Chelsea money man: Yeah we'll do the deal
PSG money man: Great, I'll transfer the money over now, just send me your bank details
Chelsea money man: Already have
PSG money man: Thanks you're a gent
Chelsea money man: Thanks and don't let anybody tell you different, you've got yourself a real gem at a bargain price there, I had to really twist Roman's arm to get you this deal, I only did it because I like you.

[selassie]

Im not convinced that we are really after William Carvalho. Of course it has been reported that Sporting rejected a 24million offer from us for him but we've not been back since and are continually linked with other Midfielders.

I would have thought if we were really keen on him we would have pressed on and increased our bids....

[I am invisible]

Chelsea are cash neutral on transfers this summer and could easily afford it tbh.

What about their January business - was that included in the book-balancing?

[AKBapologist]

What about their January business - was that included in the book-balancing?
The one where they sold Mata to United?

[Injury Time]

Vargas has joined QPR on loan with view to €10m purchase :blink:

[The Emirates Gallactico]

What about their January business - was that included in the book-balancing?

They managed to extort nearly 40 million from Man Utd for Mata so I think they would be ultimately cash neutral/profitable in that window as well.

It's been observed already but they exploit the loan system loophole to sign the best young players, perpetually loan them out to semi decent teams where they become integral and then sell to said club (who are desperate not to lose them) for a massive profit. See Lukaku and De Bruyne.

It needs to cracked down upon but ultimately I don't think the FA/UEFA/FIFA have the balls to do it. The loan system wasn't designed as a revenue generator for clubs.

[I am invisible]

The one where they sold Mata to United?

:good:

I forget Mata even exists these days...

[Syn]

£37m for Mata is such a stupid deal. The sort of player only Maccy thinks is top notch, while the rest of us want some passion, grit, determination and physical presence from the likes of AC.

Btw Ramsey said in the interview with John Hartson (look it up on BBC sport wales) that Scott Parker has been the most difficult player he has played against.

[Dein-machine]

Chelsea's starting midfield/attack yesterday cost £160 mill at an average of £27 mill per player. If we put Giroud in for Sonogo & Ozil in for Wiltshire ( which is what I think we may have done if fit ) our starting midfield/attack against Palace cost £125 mill at an average of £21 mill per player. The trouble is that Ozil & Sanchez make up £77 mill of our £125 which would show our ability to spend is finally helping us catch up. Would imagine our starting midfield/attack for the previous few years would have been about £60 mill. The big difference is that the Chavs also have this kind of quality to bring off the bench which means this will start & finish most games with this level of quality on the pitch.
Yesterday, every one of their players looked comfortable on the ball whereas we had Wheelchair running into opponents as usual ending up on the floor & Sanchez, Cazorla & Rambo giving away possession so many times - don't even get me started on Sonogo. His advisers must make sure that he never buys a house with a balcony outside his bedroom otherwise the poor fucker will fall to his death. His legs move in the opposite way to his brain.
So another couple of £30 mill signings in midfield & attack would bring us even closer quality wise in an attacking sense - I'm afraid you get what you pay for in life ( unless you've bought Andy Caroll or David Luiz ofcourse ).

[Niall_Quinn]

Or Torres. Or any number of forwards the gypos have wasted a fortune on.

90 minutes into the new season and too many people are reading too much into too many things. It's said our game against the gypos was meaningless. Meaningless in terms of 3 points maybe, but the only meaningful aspect of the chavs win over the non-entity Burnley was the 3 points. Nothing can be determined from a match up like that. There were very few moments of quality over the weekend. The two that stand out was the inevitability of Aguero scoring when he went through on goal and the control demonstrated by Ramsey to set up his goal. This was real quality and both these players would command much higher fees than listed from their last moves. £5mill for Ramsey. Quadruple that at least. If Walcott fires then we have as good as one of those £30mill signings. And if Ox improves this season we probably have another. But it'll take a long season to see it all wind out. The big changes haven't come from just the transfer budgets. Just as important was the new and strong possibility we'd grab a result vs Palace (rather than blow it in the last minutes) as opposed to the almost zero chance of Utd doing the same. That's a big shift.

[Syn]

At least quadruple the £5m he says.

imagine accepting a £25m bid for Ramsey. :haha: Unreal banter. #nomakeupselfie

[Niall_Quinn]

:herbtea: #likereallygivigashit.bitch.com

[Niall_Quinn]

Plus I don't know the word for 8x

[Dein-machine]

Or Torres. Or any number of forwards the gypos have wasted a fortune on.

90 minutes into the new season and too many people are reading too much into too many things. It's said our game against the gypos was meaningless. Meaningless in terms of 3 points maybe, but the only meaningful aspect of the chavs win over the non-entity Burnley was the 3 points. Nothing can be determined from a match up like that. There were very few moments of quality over the weekend. The two that stand out was the inevitability of Aguero scoring when he went through on goal and the control demonstrated by Ramsey to set up his goal. This was real quality and both these players would command much higher fees than listed from their last moves. £5mill for Ramsey. Quadruple that at least. If Walcott fires then we have as good as one of those £30mill signings. And if Ox improves this season we probably have another. But it'll take a long season to see it all wind out. The big changes haven't come from just the transfer budgets. Just as important was the new and strong possibility we'd grab a result vs Palace (rather than blow it in the last minutes) as opposed to the almost zero chance of Utd doing the same. That's a big shift.

Have to agree with Syn - £20+ mill valuation of Ramsey:wwf:

I agree that Walcot could be seen as a 30 mill player but if Wenger wants to continue with his "big lazy forward" routine then where do you play him. If you say Sanchez can go wide left then your thoughts on OX improving this year will be affected with lack of game time. This was the point I was making a few days ago, if we're going to spend big ( which we don't do often ) then it needs to be in areas that improve our starting line up, not just to strengthen the squad. Last year Chelsea fans were concerned about the lack of creativity in midfield & no centre forward. Fabregas & Costa represents a huge improvement for Chelsea in 2 key areas in their starting line up. At the back end of last year most Arsenal fans would have agreed that in midfield & attack the two areas most in need of improvement was a defensive midfielder & a natural goal-scorer. We have done nothing in these area's. In Sanchez we may have simply bought another Walcot. The fact that Theo loves a hospital bed probably means that this is still a good move but if we can't spend big on a DM or a CF because of the Sanchez move then we have a problem. Many people on here said the same thing last year when we bought Ozil.

You may not be worried about the Palace game but I saw too much of last yeat

[Niall_Quinn]

And what I'm saying is let the season unwind a bit and the ground will change. Last year we were all saying, "Is that Ramsey?!!! The same Ramsey?" Who knows how things will pan out? Some of these big time chavs may end up flops, some of our lads that are under the radar might take a leap forward. I think we absorb improvement too easily and are too eager to make the next demand. Five players already brought in, not all of them in the ideal positions but we know what our injury record is like - all those new bodies will help even if we do have four players for one position in some cases.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Chavs have done well with their signings but it's not all doom and gloom for us just because we didn't take up the Cesc option.....Wenger is giving Jack his chance to prove that what we saw a couple if years ago was not a fluke, it happened with Ramsey it can happen with him. With Sanchez around then maybe Ox needs to up his game to play out wide but I reckon Wenger had CM penciled out for Ox and Jack could be the one that misses out if he doesn't take the first stab chance he has been given....in fact was Jack first preference anyhow? Us Ox back to fully fit after WC?

[Niall_Quinn]

I really hope we're not planning to use Ox as a DM. That would be a criminal waste.

[Maestro]

So we are all still with okay for not taking up the Cesc option?

......????????

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Not DM, CM

[adzzzbatch]

So we are all still with okay for not taking up the Cesc option?

......????????

I'm not, we should've had him back.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

Ozil unfit, Ramsey suspended. We don't need Cesc.













































:haha: :haha: :haha:

[Niall_Quinn]

So we are all still with okay for not taking up the Cesc option?

......????????

Was never okay with it, but water under the bridge, all we can do now is hate him for being a chav.

[Injury Time]

Was never okay with it, but water under the bridge, all we can do now is hate him for being a chav.

This.

[Marc Overmars]

Was never okay with it, but water under the bridge, all we can do now is hate him for being a chav.

Yep.

Should have signed him but fuck it, hopefully there's a Flamini special coming his way soon.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

At least quadruple the £5m he says.

imagine accepting a £25m bid for Ramsey. :haha: Unreal banter. #nomakeupselfie

I thought it was an NQ punchline to a joke I didn't get.

Imagine spending 60 mill on Pogba and selling Rambo for 20! :d

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

If they do get Carvalho, I will be very bitter. I don't care how many chopper Ramires they have!

[Ralpheroo72]

Wumger says we arent close to signing anyone, and I believe him. I think our window is already closed, and we have to make do with no strikers, and unfit/incapable midfielders.

[Master Splinter]

So we are all still with okay for not taking up the Cesc option?

......????????

Arsenal are not a football club that can afford to pay £unlimitedmillions for bench warmers or luxury players.

Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla, Rosicky and Wilshere are Arsenal players. If they play well, why would you care about a really ancient-looking 27 year-old at Chelsea who has nothing at all to do with Arsenal?

[mastermind84]

So we are all still with okay for not taking up the Cesc option?

......????????
Have Stockholm Syndrome, m8s

Be a bigger Cesc fan -- a player that lead this club to nothing -- than an Arsenal fan, m8s

Don't realize that Aaron Ramsey is a better player than Cesc is, m8s.

[Penguin]

We still need at least one more CF, DM and CB. Let's focus on that instead of asking why we didn't spend the rest of our budget on a CM even though we already have Ramsey and Ozil there. :rolleyes:


Ozil unfit, Ramsey suspended. We don't need Cesc.
Ozil will play against Everton this weekend so he will be fit to play in the second leg. We also still have Santi, Rosicky and Wilshere in the squad, but yeah let's just buy a £30m player to cover instead :haha:

[Zerlathon]

We still need at least one more CF, DM and CB. Let's focus on that instead of asking why we didn't spend the rest of our budget on a CM even though we already have Ramsey and Ozil there :rolleyes:

Yeah there is still alot of work to do, and as much as I would have liked Fabs to return the position he plays is is the 1 position that we are spoilt for choice.

The CB and DM are the 2 positions that I feel MUST be address this TW. I wouldn't be surprised if Wenger intends to turn Walcott into a CF rather than Alexis.

[I am invisible]

Agree with Penguin - in an ideal world I would have loved to have brought Cesc back to the home of football, but there's at least 3 other areas that we need to invest in before we start getting side-tracked by big-money creative midfielders (maybe even 4 if you chuck LB into the mix), and we all know we'll be lucky if we get even 2 of them at this point. I'm 100% not OK with him joining Chelsea, but that's not the same thing as being OK with us not making a move for him (or at least accepting the reasoning behind why we didn't)...

[pakgunner]

Giroud sucks, we need a top striker more than any other position.

[saintnickle]

Arsenal are not a football club that can afford to pay £unlimitedmillions for bench warmers or luxury players.

Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla, Rosicky and Wilshere are Arsenal players. If they play well, why would you care about a really ancient-looking 27 year-old at Chelsea who has nothing at all to do with Arsenal?

No but wether you like it or not the truth is that arsenal can afford to have 60m sitting in the bank whilst we are short of a central defender a cdm and a striker.That my friend is neglect and not the way to go about trying to win serious silverware and in that i mean the premier league and champions league.
For as much as we hate the chavs and morinhio he has targeted players he needed for the positions where they are short and gone out and bought them.
Wenger cant hide behind the money excuse any longer.

[Niall_Quinn]

Giroud's and Sanogo's recent performances have bumped the striker position to the new #1 emergency priority. At this point I'd settle for Kalou, just somebody who has the basic skills to trap a ball, lay off a 2 yard pass, compete for a header.

[Gooner23]

As it stands we're probably good for 3rd or 4th again. Upgrade on Giroud and Arteta and we might actually be able to kick on.

[I am invisible]

It's not just Giroud and Sanogo's general suckiness - I'm also having second thoughts about whether we should try to move Alexis to CF? And that's not a snap judgment because he's lacked a little bit of sharpness in his first couple of games - it's more because I've been impressed by his work rate and all-round contribution down the flanks. When was the last time we had a winger / wide forward who is capable of getting 20 goals a season and a double-figure assists, but who also relentlessly presses opponents and tracks back in the way Alexis does? I'm not sure if it would be in our best interests to give that up, if there's the option of bringing another CF in, even if it means an additional spend?

[Niall_Quinn]

Ox can do that job too, which is why it would be a loss to see him in the middle. In both Ox and Alexis we have players who will push the ball and try to beat their man, instead of advancing 5 yards and then playing it backwards 10. Both occupy defenders, frighten them, open up opportunities for others. This is where Giroud is killing us - Ox and Alexis do the work, Giroud watches from 30 yards away and absolutely refuses to get in the box. Last season Giroud at least could hold the ball and lay it off, now everything that goes near him breaks down. Even if Alexis isn't the best finisher in the world (so the story goes, but he looked okay to me at Barca), at least he can retain possession in the danger area and bring others into the game. We can't be doing with strikers that actually nullify all threats to the opposition and that's what we have in Sanogo and Giroud right now.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

We still need at least one more CF, DM and CB. Let's focus on that instead of asking why we didn't spend the rest of our budget on a CM even though we already have Ramsey and Ozil there. :rolleyes:


Ozil will play against Everton this weekend so he will be fit to play in the second leg. We also still have Santi, Rosicky and Wilshere in the squad, but yeah let's just buy a £30m player to cover instead :haha:

Cesc shits on Santi, Rosicky and Wilshere in every department, so having him in our team would significantly enhance our chances of winning the league or champions league. But yeah let's just ignore that :haha:

[GP]

Cesc forced his way out of the club and now plays for a cunt.

Can we all just move on please?

[Özil's Panoramic View]

Cesc forced his way out of the club and now plays for a cunt.

Can we all just move on please?

This bit really ^

[Niall_Quinn]

Everyone was raving about Mata when he arrived, but chavball killed him in the end. After one game, everyone is raving about Cesc. Let's see what the ultimate effect of chavball has on him.

[Dein-machine]

Giroud's and Sanogo's recent performances have bumped the striker position to the new #1 emergency priority. At this point I'd settle for Kalou, just somebody who has the basic skills to trap a ball, lay off a 2 yard pass, compete for a header.

Agree with you 100% but you were suggesting yesterday that we should relax & see how the season pans out. Since RVP's departure we have a massive need for a proven goalscorer, Wumger has bought in the likes of Chamakh, Giorud & Sonogo because he won't spend what a top striker costs. Wenger is relaxing & seeing how the season pans out & he's been doing it for years. Get your fucking cheque book out, we've got £60 mill+ sat in the bank & buy a proper forward. Not some shit french bloke who can score goals in a shit league. Serioulsy, Wenger scouting on Chamakh, Giroud & Sonogo - what part of his brain decided they were ever good enough.
If anyone recorded the game last night just count how many times Giroud's poor touch, poor pass & lack of ability broke our moves down, 4 of these resulting in dangerous counter attacks from Besiktas - he is no better than Bendtner, can you imagine the stick King Nic would have got last night. It was the worst performance from an Arsenal player against shit opposition that I can remember for a very long time, Eboue was probably the last one that springs to mind. A non-league player would have not been that bad. Yet, we don't sub at half time & he stays on all game.
To not see that Giroud is simply never going the be a top striker is a worrying condemnation of Wenger - he only sticks by these players because of personal pride that won't allow others to tell him that the player he has bought is shit.
You will never see a game like yesterday for a very long time, they gave away the ball so many times to us in & around their box & we did fuck all. A quality forward line would have taken 3 or 4 of those chances.
For the sake of this season, we need to replace Giroud.

[Niall_Quinn]

I was saying before we decide who's a star or a flop or worth £30mill or who's going to win the league, let's see a bit more of the season unwind. But we don't need to wait to know that Sanogo is not up to this level. And if Bif is going to play like that then we need an alternative sharpish. We know he's better than that because we have seen him play well. Trouble is, when he's on form he's above average at best, but when he's off form he's awful. Maybe he needs a long rest. In which case I can't see why we don't play Ox wide and move Alexis into the centre while we wait for Walcott to come back. We don't see the players train every day so there may be reasons why that can't be tried right now, but whatever happens we can't survive many more performances like the ones Giroud and Sanogo have been putting in. Something will have to change or we'll start losing games. Wenger talks about consistency, our strikers are consistently poor at the moment. I assume that's not the sort of consistency he's looking for.

[Niall_Quinn]

Some reports saying Balotelli wants £150k pw week wages. NET! That's laughable. No wonder his fee is dropping like a stone.

[Dein-machine]

I was saying before we decide who's a star or a flop or worth £30mill or who's going to win the league, let's see a bit more of the season unwind. But we don't need to wait to know that Sanogo is not up to this level. And if Bif is going to play like that then we need an alternative sharpish. We know he's better than that because we have seen him play well. Trouble is, when he's on form he's above average at best, but when he's off form he's awful. Maybe he needs a long rest. In which case I can't see why we don't play Ox wide and move Alexis into the centre while we wait for Walcott to come back. We don't see the players train every day so there may be reasons why that can't be tried right now, but whatever happens we can't survive many more performances like the ones Giroud and Sanogo have been putting in. Something will have to change or we'll start losing games. Wenger talks about consistency, our strikers are consistently poor at the moment. I assume that's not the sort of consistency he's looking for.

Again I agree with you but if we all know that BIf is at best "above average" then he shouldn't be there. Unless Wenger is trying to produce an above average team we need to buy quality to compete with the teams we're up against. We seem to keep faith with average players for far too long under Wenger. I agree that Sanchez is a potential solution especially when Theo's back but that's not till late Sept/Oct - but unless Wenger see's what everyone else seems to see, we could already be out of the C.L & have lost ground on the Chavs & Mancs by then. With Rambo out, I am already concerned with how we will score in the 2ng leg, 3 hours of football against Palace & Besiktas and we can't score from open play.

[Marc Overmars]

United are paying 100% of Nani's wages while he's on loan to Sporting Lisbon. :lol:

Why not just keep him?

[Injury Time]

http://www.thebottomcorner.com/2014/08/20/the-man-responsible-for-arsenals-170m-puma-deal-set-to-join-aston-villa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-man-responsible-for-arsenals-170m-puma-deal-set-to-join-aston-villa
Probably get paid more at Villans...

[Munchies]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BvgGI38CcAAHunh.jpg

[Niall_Quinn]

Never heard of him. Will be a flop under the ultra hyped van Gaal.

[Niall_Quinn]

Rojo's row with City ace Aguero which could explode at the next Manchester derby... and it was all over this pop star

Welcome to England and the most trivial and vile media in the world.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

What I find concerning is Wenger's comments when asked by that female reporter....'can you win the league if you don't make any more signings?'

A very simple question to which Wenger answered..... 'Only God knows that and I'm experienced enough to know that I am not God'.....

She didn't ask him whether or not we WILL...she simply asked if we CAN. Wenger should be able to answer that question with firm YES after the window closes, So if we go into the season from that point on, without reinforcing the squad then you'd have to really question why he is not going into a campaign believing his team can win the league.

Thinking his team is not capable of winning the league and going into the season with it anyway does not look good.

On Cesc I think if we're going to give Cesc that much stick about it, then you have to give the manager a little stick for not taking the option up. It has long since been taboo for an ex Arse player to go to a rival and we partly aided the erection of that beast. Pun taken or left aside.

CF though, has been the main area for improvement for some time now, not just this summer and I am far from convinced that Wenger is as keen on Sanchez playing CF as we seem to be on here.

[Injury Time]

Wenger gonna put Theo up top behind the holding post/Giroud /Sonogo...

[fakeyank]

I really think we only need a CDM/CB to be good for the season. I also think that our playing style needs to drastically change to win anything. We are probably one of the most boring sides to watch in the premier league. Tedious sideways BS passing all day. Sanchez seems like the only player who wants to close the opposition down and run with pace. The teams motto is to bore the fuck out of the opposition and also the fans, then go for the kill!

Hopefully Arteta's injury will mean getting a player who will actually pass the ball forward at least 20% of the time! :banghead:

[Niall_Quinn]

What I find concerning is Wenger's comments when asked by that female reporter....'can you win the league if you don't make any more signings?'

A very simple question to which Wenger answered..... 'Only God knows that and I'm experienced enough to know that I am not God'.....

She didn't ask him whether or not we WILL...she simply asked if we CAN. Wenger should be able to answer that question with firm YES after the window closes, So if we go into the season from that point on, without reinforcing the squad then you'd have to really question why he is not going into a campaign believing his team can win the league.

Thinking his team is not capable of winning the league and going into the season with it anyway does not look good.

On Cesc I think if we're going to give Cesc that much stick about it, then you have to give the manager a little stick for not taking the option up. It has long since been taboo for an ex Arse player to go to a rival and we partly aided the erection of that beast. Pun taken or left aside.

CF though, has been the main area for improvement for some time now, not just this summer and I am far from convinced that Wenger is as keen on Sanchez playing CF as we seem to be on here.

At least he didn't say Allah.

[Power n Glory]

I really think we only need a CDM/CB to be good for the season. I also think that our playing style needs to drastically change to win anything. We are probably one of the most boring sides to watch in the premier league. Tedious sideways BS passing all day. Sanchez seems like the only player who wants to close the opposition down and run with pace. The teams motto is to bore the fuck out of the opposition and also the fans, then go for the kill!

Hopefully Arteta's injury will mean getting a player who will actually pass the ball forward at least 20% of the time! :banghead:

A few more months in training with us and let's see if Sanchez continues to take on players or starts looking for the easy options with one twos. Someone in the camp is bound to dig up take on/turnover stats and advise him to pass more.

[Özim]

Liverpool in talks with Balotelli, sh*t:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28878088

[GP]

At least he didn't say Allah.

It's pronounced Alan.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Liverpool in talks with Balotelli, sh*t:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28878088

Massive risk for them tbh. He certainly ain't no Suarez, on the pitch, but he might end up with the same disciplinary record

[BOBN]

Arsenal have reportedly told Galatasaray they will sell them forward Lukas Podolski, but not Joel Campbell.

Galatasaray wanted to sign both players in a £22m deal, but the Gunners are reportedly only prepared to let Podolski go.

Arsenal have told the Turkish giants they are willing to offload the 29-year-old Germany international before the transfer deadline, the Sun reports.

Podolski has become a fans' favourite since arriving at the Emirates from Cologne for £11m in 2011.


Inter Milan and AC Milan are also reportedly interested in Podolski, who is said the earn £100,000-a-week.
Bye.

Total flop. Not talented and probably the laziest German ive ever clapped eyes on.

We do have some odd "fans favourites".

[KSE Comedy Club]

Lol, Alan smith just called Brendan Rodgers 'Bernard Rodgers' on SSN :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Bye.

Total flop. Not talented and probably the laziest German ive ever clapped eyes on.

We do have some odd "fans favourites".

Post a link please. I know it comes from The Sun originally but links do help to establish who is promoting this stuff.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Wenger has just said he is open to strengthening our defensive areas before the window closes & that we have had no offers for any players.

SSN

[Niall_Quinn]

Liverpool in talks with Balotelli, sh*t:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28878088

Excellent news. I hope they sign him AND Eto'o. We could do with their firepower being reduced dramatically and their wage bill going into orbit. Stupid decisions like this have very bad long term consequences, as every team to be infected with Balotelli has discovered.

[Niall_Quinn]

It's pronounced Alan.

He's got a job in a call centre? :yikes:

[Özim]

Excellent news. I hope they sign him AND Eto'o. We could do with their firepower being reduced dramatically and their wage bill going into orbit. Stupid decisions like this have very bad long term consequences, as every team to be infected with Balotelli has discovered.

I know you don't like Balotelli but he's still a World Class talent and matchwinner who can score plenty of goals. It's not good news when our rivals are strenghtening their forward line with players like him, especially when we're crying out for a goalscorer.

He could easily come in do amazingly and be their next 60-70 million pound sale, Liverpool seem to be able to pluck these strikers out and turn them into huge assets.

[Niall_Quinn]

I know you don't like Balotelli but he's still a World Class talent and matchwinner who can score plenty of goals. It's not good news when our rivals are strenghtening their forward line with players like him, especially when we're crying out for a goalscorer.

He could easily come in do amazingly and be their next 60-70 million pound sale, Liverpool seem to be able to pluck these strikers out and turn them into huge assets.

It's a loan deal they are talking about, so no £60mill sale. And Balotelli is occasionally world class, for the other 99% of the time he's nothing. But he's a dickhead 100% of the time. His wages are ridiculous for what he brings, they are welcome to him.

We need a goal scorer, that's true, but not one who could blow up the team with his stupid antics.

[BOBN]

Post a link please. I know it comes from The Sun originally but links do help to establish who is promoting this stuff.
You got it

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-happy-sell-lukas-podolski-4081959

[BOBN]

@FabrizioRomano: Mario Balotelli confirmed he'll join Liverpool arriving in sport center: "This one is my last day as Milan player". He'll play for #LFC
Fack.

Liverpool in the title race again.

Wenger will regret the day he didnt sign him. No brainer signing for under £20m. World class potential and even at his worse still better than Giroud. Maybe Wenger is too old to have the stomach to mould a player like Balotelli like he did Anelka. Hes only about good little French boys now. If we're missing out on deals like this then maybe its time for a new young manager with bottle.

[selassie]

Liverpool in talks with Balotelli, sh*t:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28878088

I personally felt we should have gone for him earlier in the Summer, he is an upgrade on Giroud and if anybody can straighten him out then it's Arsene.

I know many on here don't rate Balotelli and think he is a liability but the raw talent is there. The boy can be developed into a World Class star IMO.

It irritates me that we are loaded yet can't seem to find an upgrade on Giroud...it's ridiculous...

[Marc Overmars]

Think he's banking on Sanchez now to be a bona fide striker, all will become clearer when Theo is back.

I do think it's a poor show that in 3 transfer windows, 2 of them summer, the only striker we've signed is Sanogo...

[Özim]

I personally felt we should have gone for him earlier in the Summer, he is an upgrade on Giroud and if anybody can straighten him out then it's Arsene.

I know many on here don't rate Balotelli and think he is a liability but the raw talent is there. The boy can be developed into a World Class star IMO.

It irritates me that we are loaded yet can't seem to find an upgrade on Giroud...it's ridiculous...

He's definitely an upgrade on Giroud and I agree he's raw but has huge potential and thus in relative terms would be good value.

I'd be disappointed if Liverpool got him.

[Niall_Quinn]

Window is not closed yet guys. Unless it's all smoke and no fire it looks like we have been trying to sign more players, but horrendous levels of greed have been the stumbling block. Good luck to Liverpool if they want to pay Balotelli £150k NET! That's a crazy gamble and speaks more about Rodgers and desperation than Wenger and ambition. Remy would already be here if the toe rag hadn't demanded £100k a week. For what? What has he done so far to warrant that? If we're selling Pods then that will free up a big chunk on the wage bill and we'll see some action. I hope.

[BOBN]

Financially its a no brainer for £16m.

Goes badly: Sell him for £11m to Turkey or QPR.

Goes well: Sell him for £60m to Real Madrid/Barca

Wenger lost.

[selassie]

Window is not closed yet guys. Unless it's all smoke and no fire it looks like we have been trying to sign more players, but horrendous levels of greed have been the stumbling block. Good luck to Liverpool if they want to pay Balotelli £150k NET! That's a crazy gamble and speaks more about Rodgers and desperation than Wenger and ambition. Remy would already be here if the toe rag hadn't demanded £100k a week. For what? What has he done so far to warrant that? If we're selling Pods then that will free up a big chunk on the wage bill and we'll see some action. I hope.

Sure. FWIW I think the business we have done so far this window has been very good but we still have a few holes in the squad to fill.

It could be as MO has stated that Wenger is banking on Sanchez to become our starting striker once Theo returns, that is an acceptable solution. If he has no plans to do that then he absolutely needs to go out and buy an upgrade on Giroud now. We certainly don't have the time to wait for Sanogo to develop and it's clear for all to see that whilst Giroud is a good player he is not good enough to be a starting striker at a club with ambitions to win CL and PL.

If Balotelli is really demanding 150K net which I find it hard to believe then of course we should stick well clear.

Remy was only ever a backup option for me, I think Arsene would have liked him here as a Squad option, not as a starting striker, hence why we walked away from his crazy wage demands.

Whilst there is still time there is hope ;)

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Financially its a no brainer for £16m.

Goes badly: Sell him for £11m to Turkey or QPR.

Goes well: Sell him for £60m to Real Madrid/Barca

Wenger lost.

Add in 8 million per year in wages, the disruption and cancer he would cause to the dressing room, the red cards, the sheer laziness on the pitch, Wenger's time wasted with dealing with solely him rather than the rest of the squad, the unwanted media attention everytime he does something retarded etc etc etc

Wenger won easily.



Interested to know how Bibbles feels about this but I really am surprised that Rodgers felt desperate enough to go for Ballotelli.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

I told my Liverpool supporting colleague at work that they're in talks to sign Balotelli. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad, literally just stared at me like this


http://media.tumblr.com/74051d5f73090cb413b96b80539c431b/tumblr_inline_n9395sUcAI1r1sk08.gif

[Özim]

Di Maria wants out from Real, he was exceptional last year, virtually unplayable at time, what a signing he would be for someone:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28883329

[Niall_Quinn]

I told my Liverpool supporting colleague at work that they're in talks to sign Balotelli. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad, literally just stared at me like this


http://media.tumblr.com/74051d5f73090cb413b96b80539c431b/tumblr_inline_n9395sUcAI1r1sk08.gif

What an ugly bitch - she looks like a bloke

[I am invisible]

Di Maria wants out from Real, he was exceptional last year, virtually unplayable at time, what a signing he would be for someone:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28883329

It won't be us, but depending on who he goes to, he could spark a late flurry of big-name moves, and that could be interesting for us?

[Niall_Quinn]

Doubt he'll go to Utd either, can't see him agreeing to miss out on CL footie unless they pile another crazy amount onto the wage bill. Chavs and gypos don't need him, they already have 380 players for each position (although the gypos didn't have any players available for the Community Shield and let us win it - they really missed Sagna and Lampard, two of their key players last season).

[GP]

PSG wanted him, didn't they?

[Niall_Quinn]

PSG wanted him, didn't they?

Yes, their arabs need him for their sticker book. Got, got, got, need, got...

[Niall_Quinn]

Vidal not going to Utd and Khedira moaning louder about wanting out - apparently. The latter wants more money than Ozil - LOL.

[Niall_Quinn]

Balotelli to Liverpool done - apparently. The only player they could have signed who would give them more trouble than Suarez. Out of the frying pan, into the nuclear apocalypse.

[Injury Time]

Balotelli to Liverpool done - apparently. The only player they could have signed who would give them more trouble than Suarez. Out of the frying pan, into the nuclear apocalypse.

No worries he'll be in Monreals' pocket :crying:

[I am invisible]

Vidal not going to Utd and Khedira moaning louder about wanting out - apparently. The latter wants more money than Ozil - LOL.

Yeah, good luck with that.

Although I do wonder whether some of these wage demands that we read about are what the players would actually be looking for from another club, or whether they're just some random, outrageous sum that they've chucked at their current club to kill any talk of contract extensions and force through the move they want?

[Niall_Quinn]

No worries he'll be in Monreals' pocket :crying:

We already have a better striker than Balotelli - without all the baggage:

http://www.squawka.com/comparison-matrix#premier_league/2013/2014/olivier_giroud/126/64/115/0/p|serie_a/2013/2014/mario_balotelli/137/76/176/0/p|la_liga/2013/2014/alexis_sánchez/69/69/1581/0/p#goals_scored/total_shots/shot_accuracy/pass_completion/aerial_duels_won_%/yellow_cards/red_cards/attack_score/possession_score/total_score#total

[Niall_Quinn]

Yeah, good luck with that.

Although I do wonder whether some of these wage demands that we read about are what the players would actually be looking for from another club, or whether they're just some random, outrageous sum that they've chucked at their current club to kill any talk of contract extensions and force through the move they want?

There will be an element of that I suppose. The grubby agents will go as high as they can so they can leech the biggest commission.

[Özim]

Balotelli for 16 million, wow what a snip, that's nothing in today's market.

Really think we missed a trick there.

We've needed a striker for quite a while now and somehow always manage to miss out signing them, as much as I rate Sanchez, he's not a striker and won't negate our need for one.

[Dein-machine]

We already have a better striker than Balotelli - without all the baggage:

http://www.squawka.com/comparison-matrix#premier_league/2013/2014/olivier_giroud/126/64/115/0/p|serie_a/2013/2014/mario_balotelli/137/76/176/0/p|la_liga/2013/2014/alexis_sánchez/69/69/1581/0/p#goals_scored/total_shots/shot_accuracy/pass_completion/aerial_duels_won_%/yellow_cards/red_cards/attack_score/possession_score/total_score#total

problem is - the bloke that our manager see's as our striker is the other one in your comparison & look at his rating.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Balotelli for 16 million, wow what a snip, that's nothing in today's market.

Really think we missed a trick there.


There's a reason he's 16 million.

[Niall_Quinn]

And there's a reason why he's been pimped so ferociously by Milan. They have been desperate to get rid of him all summer. Looks like the have a bite.

[Niall_Quinn]

problem is - the bloke that our manager see's as our striker is the other one in your comparison & look at his rating.

It shows Giroud is, on average, a competent striker but certainly nothing special. I suspect just about any striker bar Sanogo would do okay playing up top for us with the likes of Ramsey and Ozil providing the bullets. We can get 4th again with a competent striker such as Giroud, or we can push on if we make a signing or commit to playing Alexis in the role. Still a risk either way, a new signing may take time to settle, Alexis may not like having his kneecaps hacked off and his head caved in by connoisseurs like Terry and Shawcross. We can get relegated with Sanogo playing, that's another option.

[Özim]

There's a reason he's 16 million.

He hasn't caused many problems at Milan to be fair, yes he comes with baggage but so does Suarez and look how much he went for.

This guy has got superstar potential, based on that 16 million is a snip and a risk worth taking IMO, for 16 million you wont find a player anywhere near as good as him elsewhere.

[Niall_Quinn]

He hasn't caused many problems at Milan to be fair, yes he comes with baggage but so does Suarez and look how much he went for.

This guy has got superstar potential, based on that 16 million is a snip and a risk worth taking IMO, for 16 million you wont find a player anywhere near as good as him elsewhere.

This year, Chambers - better, twice as good. Previously (so allow a bit of inflation), Sturridge, £12mill, twice as good, none of the problems. Ironically it will be Sturridge most likely to suffer now this lunatic has signed. But good news for us of course.

[Marc Overmars]

Unfortunately I think he could be quite explosive in Liverpool's set up.

Hopefully he's still mad as fuck though.

[I am invisible]

Well however good he is for them, I doubt he'll be as good as Suarez was...