Summer Transfer Misery and Recriminations.

[Özim]

Mourinho wouldn't sell him to us and the United fans would be up in arms. They weren't happy over Welbeck

Yeah and Wellbeck could barely score a goal, Man U only sell us the duds, not the players who could turn out to be good.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Yeah and Wellbeck could barely score a goal, Man U only sell us the duds, not the players who could turn out to be good.

Not exactly been that prolific themselves goal scoring wise, I think selling a striker who was a local lad and having hardly any goals in them earnt their ire

[Bergkampwonderland10]

If I'm honest, I think he's overrated, scored a few goals last season but he's not all that, like you said hasn't achieved anything in his career yet.

17 goals in 49 games is OK, I guess he's only 20 which is obviously a plus point, but I'm not a big fan, Man U won't sell him to us anyway, they only let us have sh*t like Silvestre for a laugh.

:rolleyes:he's 20 years old, giroud does a job but is aging...Martial has better potential than anything we currently have in our ranks. Already had a year in the Prem also! He'll be better than Zlatan if given the opportunity. Plus it would be funny if we bought him from Maureen. Class from Maureen taking his shirt number and giving it to God. That would p me off slightly too ;)

[Niall_Quinn]

Mostly tiresome whining about anything we do, don't do, are being rumoured to do. Whatever we do or don't do people moan.

It's not people about disagreeing. It's good to disagree, discussion is based on disagreement. But lazy straw man arguments, endless goalpost shifting, saying that anything which doesn't slag Wenger off is 'sucking his cock', WUMming, those things are what ruin threads and, when overdone as is now happening, ruin the whole message board.

No, it really isn't. Wenger needs to go but that doesn't mean everything he does or says is idiotic. The deeply personal nature of abuse about everything he says or does from some on here is utterly ridiculous. Why does it bother me? Is it because I like sucking his cock? :rolleyes:. No, it's just tiresome and boring and pointless.

No, judge THE TRANSFER WINDOW at the end. Judge Wenger when you like.

You've just done precisely what you are accusing others of doing. Chopping paragraphs so you can create a context that wasn't there and then knock it down. That just demonstrates the two-way nature of the thing, if it's even that. I don't see anti-Wenger posters going around saying they aren't moaning. Plainly there are. But I do see a few rather smug characters who claim to be so reasonable, so balanced, when in fact they aren't anything of the sort. The silliness here isn't coming from people posting anti-Wenger messages, it's coming from those who throw toys when the herd mentality is disrupted. Posters have been banned for it. "WUM" posters, apparently. Yet the "reasonable" crowd, i.e. the pro-Wenger but won't admit it publicly crowd (and you can tell this by the way they dive in with the sarcasm every time Wenger is criticised) are not "WUM" posters. I'm not bothered by that, fuck it,who cares? But what's really tiring is the parties most guilty moaning on about people who are only half as good as themselves at being wind up merchants.

The funniest ones are those who play, lose and then sulk for all eternity. That's a constant source of amusement. I suppose they have found a ledge in the sewer, the higher ground so to speak. That's not you, btw.

[Niall_Quinn]

That would be absolutely insane. :lol:

Obviously will never happen but I'd gladly have him here.

Ibra is already working his magic. Ibra and Maureen. That's going to be the main event this season I'm betting.

[Bergkampwonderland10]

Yeah and Wellbeck could barely score a goal, Man U only sell us the duds, not the players who could turn out to be good.

Welbeck scored some v important goals and lifted us when he came by from injury at the end of last season. Best player on the pitch. Always Closes the space, works hard, CAN finish unlike some. Just needs to stay fit. Story of Arsenal really...players' fitness. Bargain if he can get fit this season.

[Özim]

:rolleyes:he's 20 years old, giroud does a job but is aging...Martial has better potential than anything we currently have in our ranks. Already had a year in the Prem also! He'll be better than Zlatan if given the opportunity. Plus it would be funny if we bought him from Maureen. Class from Maureen taking his shirt number and giving it to God. That would p me off slightly too ;)

I'm not a fan based on what I've seen, but don't waste your time thinking about this as this will not happen in a month of Sundays, Man U have enough money that they don't need to sell, they won't sell to us and the asking price would be too high anyway.

Pipedream signing, but one I wouldn't want anyway.

[Özim]

Welbeck scored some v important goals and lifted us when he came by from injury at the end of last season. Best player on the pitch. Always Closes the space, works hard, CAN finish unlike some. Just needs to stay fit. Story of Arsenal really...players' fitness. Bargain if he can get fit this season.

I think his finishing is average at best, despite the handful of goals last season, he's never going to score the goals we need, never did for Man U either that's why they sold him.

We can rely on players like him or we can go out and sign players who will score goals, I know which option I prefer.

[Kano]

That would be absolutely insane. :lol:

Obviously will never happen but I'd gladly have him here.

Realy garbage but would take Martial in a heartbeat.

[Niall_Quinn]

Welbeck is an OK player. Just that, nothing more. But he looks good by comparison to some of the players we have here.

[fakeyank]

Well, maybe. But they are taking over every sodding thread. I, and others, are getting sick of it.
The Euros was a brief respite although even then the usual suspects took opportunities here and there to snipe where they could.
This is going to go on all season no matter how we do, it seems. It is all getting rather tiresome. And I guess the other point of view is Wenger being here is tiresome. But whatever we think of that he's clearly going to be our manager this season, screaming "Wenger Out!" on a messageboard no-one of any import reads at every opportunity isn't going to change that.

So what do we do? Cheer on a team we know will collapse? Cheer on a manager we know is going to lead the team to a slow moving crash? Or do we just stop posting on here?

There is nothing to debate anymore on here or any Arsenal thread anywhere on the internet. IF people find some purpose to supporting the club by saying the bleeding tiresome obvious, let it happen.. at least on the MB, you feel like someone is listening (when in reality, it makes no difference).

Frankly, I dont even know what to post anymore... I could literally take all my posts from the last 6 years and it'd still be relevant today. Its depressing..

[Power n Glory]

This is the key. Wenger's inaction and crazy view of value in a valueless environment will probably see us end up without the striker we need - AGAIN. However, this time around that's the lesser problem. The big problem will come next season when the value still won't be there, the fees will be even crazier and we won't just need a striker, we'll also need 2 world class players to replace Ozil and Alexis. Probably more. Kos and Bellerin could well walk out the door with them. So that's £300million that will need to be spent. Or we could spend £100mill now and prevent the impending collapse. In terms of Wenger's value judgements, what's better? £100mill now, or £300mill later? Of course he won't spend either amount. In fact it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the club is rather looking forward to the pay day looming that will see us make healthy profits.

Deja vu. It's like ignoring a small crack in the roof. The inactivity will cost us and we've already seen it with Higaun. We should have paid the £30m for him 3/4 years ago.

[Power n Glory]

No, judge THE TRANSFER WINDOW at the end. Judge Wenger when you like.

People are doing just that. Nobody is judging the transfer window.

[selassie]

Deja vu. It's like ignoring a small crack in the roof. The inactivity will cost us and we've already seen it with Higaun. We should have paid the £30m for him 3/4 years ago.

Yep, agree with you and NQ, Wenger is playing a very dangerous game by not adding to the squad and we've seen this kind of thing unfold before.

[LDG]

Yep, agree with you and NQ, Wenger is playing a very dangerous game by not adding to the squad and we've seen this kind of thing unfold before.

There is really no excuse at all.

We're not talking about gaps that didn't need filling three or four years ago. And there have been ample opportunities to rectify that along the way.

But for a £1, we would have had Suarez for just over £40m. And what is he worth now??

[Power n Glory]

There is really no excuse at all.

We're not talking about gaps that didn't need filling three or four years ago. And there have been ample opportunities to rectify that along the way.

But for a £1, we would have had Suarez for just over £40m. And what is he worth now??

Just look at Higauin's valuation as well. We should have paid up the money. We could have possibly won two titles if we had a proven goal scorer.

[LDG]

Just look at Higauin's valuation as well. We should have paid up the money. We could have possibly won two titles if we had a proven goal scorer.

http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_files/scaled/696x392/jul_13/gun__1372692608_sanogo_yaya1.jpg

[Power n Glory]

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/9178541/arsene-wenger-says-yaya-sanogo-can-be-new-nicolas-anelka

Arsene Wenger says Yaya Sanogo can be 'new' Nicolas Anelka
Arsene Wenger believes that Yaya Sanogo could turn out to be his 'new' Nicolas Anelka.


"When I started to play Anelka, everybody said: 'Why are you starting with Anelka, why not buy a striker?'" claims Wenger.

"We won a championship with him. If we feel they are ready, then they play.

"There's a potential there. Sanogo is world champion of the Under-20s, if he was an English centre-forward and was world champion of the Under-20s, you would not ask me these questions. It's as simple as that.

"We look at the quality of the performance of the player, not at the number of minutes he's played.

"If you only looked at that, nobody would ever get a chance. And up front, it's not the experience that decides.

"I have to make my decisions with my conscience and I base it on who can help us win the next game. He did not look out of place in the two games he played."

Sanogo was captured in the summer from Auxerre, with the club paying minimal compensation for the highly-rated forward.

:lol: Nutter.

[Gooner23]

:lol:
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/9178541/arsene-wenger-says-yaya-sanogo-can-be-new-nicolas-anelka

Arsene Wenger says Yaya Sanogo can be 'new' Nicolas Anelka
Arsene Wenger believes that Yaya Sanogo could turn out to be his 'new' Nicolas Anelka.



Nutter.

Fairly sure if he was English I'd still be saying what the actual fuck is this guy doing on a pitch!

[Power n Glory]

:lol:

Fairly sure if he was English I'd still be saying what the actual fuck is this guy doing on a pitch!

He's lost his eye for talent.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/9178541/arsene-wenger-says-yaya-sanogo-can-be-new-nicolas-anelka

Arsene Wenger says Yaya Sanogo can be 'new' Nicolas Anelka
Arsene Wenger believes that Yaya Sanogo could turn out to be his 'new' Nicolas Anelka.



:lol: Nutter.

I thought that article was from today....don't do that ��

[Niall_Quinn]

He's lost his eye for talent.

Or else he's lost whoever was advising him. Seems strange to get worse at talent spotting the more experienced you get.

[Niall_Quinn]

I thought that article was from today....don't do that ��

It wouldn't surprise me at all if he came out with the same today. He believes he can see things that nobody else can see.

I too believe he sees things that aren't there.

[Power n Glory]

I thought that article was from today....don't do that ��

Asano: The new Henry story - due any day now. :lol:

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Asano: The new Henry story - due any day now. :lol:

You may think senility is funny, but it's not...well it is but not when they are in positions of responsibility

It's Ronald Reagan all over again

[Özim]

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/9178541/arsene-wenger-says-yaya-sanogo-can-be-new-nicolas-anelka

Arsene Wenger says Yaya Sanogo can be 'new' Nicolas Anelka
Arsene Wenger believes that Yaya Sanogo could turn out to be his 'new' Nicolas Anelka.



:lol: Nutter.

I think this right here sums up how delusional the man is :lol:

[Özim]

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/9178541/arsene-wenger-says-yaya-sanogo-can-be-new-nicolas-anelka

Arsene Wenger says Yaya Sanogo can be 'new' Nicolas Anelka
Arsene Wenger believes that Yaya Sanogo could turn out to be his 'new' Nicolas Anelka.



:lol: Nutter.

I'd love someone to bring this up with him in an interview, they never seem to ask him the questions or bring up stuff like this, probably because he'd ban them for asking questions that aren't allowed.

[Marc Overmars]

I think this right here sums up how delusional the man is :lol:

Best to leave it and judge him in May.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I'd love someone to bring this up with him in an interview, they never seem to ask him the questions or bring up stuff like this, probably because he'd ban them for asking questions that aren't allowed.

Because if they questioned every manager on every silly prediction they made, they'd be there all day

Plus saying someone has the potential to be like someone else good doesn't mean they will end up being like them. I don't think there is an argument to be made that journalists placate Wenger.

[Özim]

Because if they questioned every manager on every silly prediction they made, they'd be there all day

Plus saying someone has the potential to be like someone else good doesn't mean they will end up being like them. I don't think there is an argument to be made that journalists placate Wenger.

Trouble is we're not asking them to ask all managers, we're asking them to ask a guy who's been underachiving for over a decade and is still convinced he's right and everyone else is wrong. Wouldn't hurt to push him once in a while, surely his holier than thou attitude must grate.

Moreover not a lot of manager come out with sh*t like this, that was totally ridiculous, which is quite often the case with him, he comes out with some corkers.

After so long without delivering, a few tough questions isn't unreasonable, sick and tired of the same questions noone wants to know the answer to, he's boring as it is so let's raise the bar and ask him so difficult questions to make his interviews seem less mundane at least.

[Power n Glory]

Because if they questioned every manager on every silly prediction they made, they'd be there all day

Plus saying someone has the potential to be like someone else good doesn't mean they will end up being like them. I don't think there is an argument to be made that journalists placate Wenger.

Wouldn't blame them for flipping on him considering the thinly veiled attacks he aims at writers each year. It's right there in that article even.

[Özim]

Wouldn't blame them for flipping on him considering the thinly veiled attacks he aims at writers each year. It's right there in that article even.

Spot on, he deserves a grilling, not least because he thinks he's better than everyone else and like you say he's been quick to snipe in the past, most enjoyable interviews I've seen is where people actually pull him out of his comfort zone by asking him more challenging questions, he gets very defensive.

He's been getting an easy ride from too many people for too long IMO.

[Munchies]

apparently Mertesacker could be out for 5 months!

https://twitter.com/Kike_Marin_/status/757629633550487552

:pray:

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Just look at Higauin's valuation as well. We should have paid up the money. We could have possibly won two titles if we had a proven goal scorer.

Pretty much.

The sad thing as well is that on top of possibly winning two titles (I'm certain we would have won it last year had we had Higuain) it would have been finanically profitable as Higuain's value would have skyrocketed as evidenced so we would have recouped our money back, that's if we were foolish enough to sell him.

The club's just too chicken shit scared to take any gambles.

Worst transfer window ever ......... since the last one.

[selassie]

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/9178541/arsene-wenger-says-yaya-sanogo-can-be-new-nicolas-anelka

Arsene Wenger says Yaya Sanogo can be 'new' Nicolas Anelka
Arsene Wenger believes that Yaya Sanogo could turn out to be his 'new' Nicolas Anelka.



:lol: Nutter.

:haha:

[Marc Overmars]

apparently Mertesacker could be out for 5 months!

https://twitter.com/Kike_Marin_/status/757629633550487552

:pray:

So Holding could possibly start the season. Getting ripped a new one, basically how most young Arsenal players start their careers with the first team.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

apparently Mertesacker could be out for 5 months!

https://twitter.com/Kike_Marin_/status/757629633550487552

:pray:

Wishing for a long term injury? :blink:

[Gooner23]

Kos and Gabriel looked horrible playing together last season so I hope Merts isn't out.

In an ideal world I'd like us to go out and get a new CB anyway, someone that could improve our first team. However with Holding now signed it's unlikely.

[fakeyank]

Who is holding, and when did we sign him? :unsure:

[Niall_Quinn]

Pretty much.

The sad thing as well is that on top of possibly winning two titles (I'm certain we would have won it last year had we had Higuain) it would have been finanically profitable as Higuain's value would have skyrocketed as evidenced so we would have recouped our money back, that's if we were foolish enough to sell him.

The club's just too chicken shit scared to take any gambles.

Worst transfer window ever ......... since the last one.

That's a very generous way of looking at it. There's another way to view it, less charitable. Either way, certain people have made a great deal of money over these barren years.

[Chippy]

apparently Mertesacker could be out for 5 months!

https://twitter.com/Kike_Marin_/status/757629633550487552

:pray:
FFS! Down to the bare bones and the season hasn't even fucking started.

[Niall_Quinn]

Better to happen now that the day after the window closes. There still the faintest glimmer of a hope that Wenger will see we are short here and do something about it. Let's say a 0.01% chance. Then there needs to be a world class CB out there that's available for £1. So a slim chance overall.

[Letters]

So what do we do? Cheer on a team we know will collapse? Cheer on a manager we know is going to lead the team to a slow moving crash? Or do we just stop posting on here?

There is nothing to debate anymore on here or any Arsenal thread anywhere on the internet. IF people find some purpose to supporting the club by saying the bleeding tiresome obvious, let it happen.. at least on the MB, you feel like someone is listening (when in reality, it makes no difference).

Frankly, I dont even know what to post anymore... I could literally take all my posts from the last 6 years and it'd still be relevant today. Its depressing..

Yes, of course cheer on the team. We're Arsenal fans, aren't we? We don't know we'll collapse. I agree there's a pretty clear pattern but if we knew with absolute certainly what would happen then we wouldn't watch. The only reason I can think to not support the team is if you are just generally fed up with football which is fairly understandable the way it's going.

The Groundhog Day at Arsenal is infuriating but so is every thread on here descending into the same topic.

[Munchies]

Wishing for a long term injury? :blink:

Need a new CB.

Hopefully Merts aint badly injured (it's not confirmed)

Wenger is only able to buy players in areas that require strengthening if someone gets injured

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Apparently Rafael Varane has stated he wants out of marketing.......... Seems crazy not to keep an eye on that....

[Niall_Quinn]

Okay, let's be positive.

Name one thing Wenger has got right this summer.

[Munchies]

Okay, let's be positive.

Name one thing Wenger has got right this summer.

For himself or the club?

He worked the Euros and topped up his bank balance

[Munchies]

New striker we're being linked with this morning. Ben Yedder from Ligue 1. Scored 17 goals and 5 assists for a near relegation side.

Would only cost around £10m or so too.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OKeZjFZR-s

[Letters]

Okay, let's be positive.

Name one thing Wenger has got right this summer.

Xhaka looks like a good signing and he got the business done nice and early.
The move for Vardy was positive.
So it started well but now it's turned into the usual frustration.
Ozil was a deadline day signing though so we might yet do something we can get excited about. Not holding my breath though.

[Özim]

New striker we're being linked with this morning. Ben Yedder from Ligue 1. Scored 17 goals and 5 assists for a near relegation side.

Would only cost around £10m or so too.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OKeZjFZR-s

Seems ok has a decent scoring record for a change, this has Wenger all over it, he's so cheap, I'll take this guy though.

[Özim]

For himself or the club?

He worked the Euros and topped up his bank balance

:lol: Pretty much.

[Özim]

Xhaka looks like a good signing and he got the business done nice and early.
The move for Vardy was positive.
So it started well but now it's turned into the usual frustration.
Ozil was a deadline day signing though so we might yet do something we can get excited about. Not holding my breath though.

He looks ok (wasn't particularly impressed with him in the Euros), very uninspiring signing though, a Wengerball type player from what I've seen and for 33 million not sure personally and if we're honest we didn't particularly need him, but we'll see.

Vardy wasn't positive, it was Wenger being cheap, but then he was left with egg on his face when he got turned down by the pubber.

Exciting and Wenger are two words that don't go in the same sentence.

[LDG]

New striker we're being linked with this morning. Ben Yedder from Ligue 1. Scored 17 goals and 5 assists for a near relegation side.

Would only cost around £10m or so too.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OKeZjFZR-s

Looks a very tidy finisher.

[Özim]

Ben Yedder has two caps for France Futsal

Doesn't look too concrete based on this though:

http://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2016/wissam-ben-yedder-between-arsenal-sevilla/

[Kano]

Xhaka looks like a good signing and he got the business done nice and early.
The move for Vardy was positive.
So it started well but now it's turned into the usual frustration.
Ozil was a deadline day signing though so we might yet do something we can get excited about. Not holding my breath though.
One of our biggest problems last year was a horrible lack of fluidity in our midfield, in too many games we looked a mess with no cohesion to our play. Hopefully someone like Xhaka can resolve that, someone to distribute the ball and keep the ball moving around the team, and put his foot in when needs be. When you look at Deeney and even Mahrez being quoted at £40m + after one great season, Xhaka's price makes sense in this market. Everyone knows the clubs over here are cash rich and will not sell cheaply.

Strange transfer window so far, with everything moving at a snails pace. Chelsea have been quiet and spent way over the odds for an unproven striker that will probably play second fiddle to Costa and Kante is the only real first team upgrade. No one has left them yet. City have bought a couple of players but need more than that to improve an ageing team. No one has left them either. And City definitely need another striker too. Utd have been fairly active but the Pogba thing is dragging on and on and is indicative of the pace so far in this window. And Spuds have got in a couple of players but relatively quiet too.

[Power n Glory]

One of our biggest problems last year was a horrible lack of fluidity in our midfield, in too many games we looked a mess with no cohesion to our play. Hopefully someone like Xhaka can resolve that, someone to distribute the ball and keep the ball moving around the team, and put his foot in when needs be.

Once Santi went out injured it was a problem. Playing Ramsey or Flamini in middle just made it worse. But once we bought in Elneny to play alongside Coquelin we looked a lot better and fluidity came back. I think we could have solved that particular problem internally without Xhaka. Elneny is smart and intelligent with his distribution. Was really impressed with how he slotted in. It all depends on how Wenger intends to use Ramsey and Wilshere. I fear we could be looking at the same problem with distribution if Xhaka is given the DM role with Ramsey allowed to play as CM. If play breaks down at the feet of one player then we’re back at square one.

Also, Ozil plays like a CM but in a more advanced AM position. That doesn’t work well if playing with Giroud or if we’re up against teams defending deep. I feel like Wenger needs to shift a few players around the pitch to see if we can something more. I guess Xhaka is a good for the numbers in case have injuries but overall I can’t see him being a game changer just yet. Will be interesting seeing him play.

[Marc Overmars]

New striker we're being linked with this morning. Ben Yedder from Ligue 1. Scored 17 goals and 5 assists for a near relegation side.

Would only cost around £10m or so too.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OKeZjFZR-s

He actually looks like quite good, seems to be very agile and has great foot work, some really composed finishing too. Difficult to completely judge of course from a YouTube compilation but...sign him up.

Yed army!

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

He's 25 and has never scored an average of one goal every two games in a league that is probably worse than the championship

[Kano]

So we're buying Yedder, Icardi, Mahrez, Lacazette and Higuain? Brilliant.

[Letters]

So we're buying Yedder, Icardi, Mahrez, Lacazette and Higuain? Brilliant.

Wenger :bow:

[Marc Overmars]

Ranieri suggested Mahrez would be on the bench for us. Well that's one way to make him jump. :pray:

[Munchies]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CoReHuKUsAAk9-A.jpg

Make it happen Arsene. £30m cheaper!

[Power n Glory]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CoReHuKUsAAk9-A.jpg

Make it happen Arsene. £30m cheaper!

We have Sanogo.

[Munchies]

He's 25 and has never scored an average of one goal every two games in a league that is probably worse than the championship

Tbf Toulouse are shit and they just scraped survival

[Munchies]

Lyon just publicly said they've turned down a £35m bid or Laccazette!

https://twitter.com/OL/status/757883190354776064

[Munchies]

Euros actually but bid the money and get him!

[Bergkampwonderland10]

Reckon Lacazette might privately push for a move to us. We'd be a good fit for him and vice versa...unlike Vardy. He is probably our most realistic striker target in the 40million bracket. Now we've made our interest public or Lyon have...lets close the deal. If he wants to come to us - then hopefully no bidding war will make a difference. Fingerscrossed. And hopefully Mahrez will see that we can sign a half-decent striker for him to assist for and play off of...and join us too. Hopefully soon half our team will feature a z in their name!

[Niall_Quinn]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CoReHuKUsAAk9-A.jpg

Make it happen Arsene. £30m cheaper!

100% shot accuracy? and 95%? That has to be wrong.

[fakeyank]

Yes, of course cheer on the team. We're Arsenal fans, aren't we? We don't know we'll collapse. I agree there's a pretty clear pattern but if we knew with absolute certainly what would happen then we wouldn't watch. The only reason I can think to not support the team is if you are just generally fed up with football which is fairly understandable the way it's going.

The Groundhog Day at Arsenal is infuriating but so is every thread on here descending into the same topic.

I am not as fed up with football as quite a few are. Society in general is going down the drain.. I am enjoying the ride rather than complain about it.

We dont know for certain that we will collapse.. thats because anything can happen. But the probability that we will be competing throughout the season is very very low, and we have not done anything to make our odds better.

Its like putting an obese person to run a 100m race against Usain Bolt and other fit Olympic runners.. there is a slight possibility that all other runners are going to get explosive diarrhea and the obese man will win the race, but what are the chances of that happening? Is it better we prepare to our best for the race and make sure we are competitive? Or do we just say anything is possible and support the obese man?

Dont get me wrong, I'll cheer Arsenal no matter what.. but when you know that we will very likely lose despite having so much potential, it is hard to find the courage to bring any positivity to anything related to the club.

[Letters]

Its like putting an obese person to run a 100m race against Usain Bolt and other fit Olympic runners.. there is a slight possibility that all other runners are going to get explosive diarrhea and the obese man will win the race, but what are the chances of that happening? Is it better we prepare to our best for the race and make sure we are competitive? Or do we just say anything is possible and support the obese man?
:lol: It's not quite like that but I see what you're getting at.
We're not making the most of our resources to give us the best chance of succeeding and that is where people's frustrations lie. I get that.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Higuain goes to Juve for £75.3 mllion.

I can't get my head around that. It's absolutely mental.

[Power n Glory]

Higuain goes to Juve for £75.3 mllion.

I can't get my head around that. It's absolutely mental.

Crazy times in the transfer market. Saying that, I bet when we're forced to sell Ozil and Sanchez we won't get £75m for pair in total.

[Munchies]

Higuain goes to Juve for £75.3 mllion.

I can't get my head around that. It's absolutely mental.

We should've sold Walcott/Oxlade and put £40m towards him

Signing him 3 years ago would've been ideal though

[Munchies]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CoTkvfOWAAAOu6H.jpg

After Xhaka.

[Marc Overmars]

I'm not taking the Higuain fee seriously. It's the Pogba move that is the real insane one.

[Keith]

I would've loved to get Higuain, but lets face it people, he's not worth £32 million. Madrid stalled out and got more than they deserved to get for him.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2375846/Gonzalo-Higuain-signs-Napoli-Real-Madrid-snubbing-Arsenal.html

[Munchies]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2375846/Gonzalo-Higuain-signs-Napoli-Real-Madrid-snubbing-Arsenal.html

http://premfaces.com/images/site/faces/23292299771_30e640a0ca_o.png

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Surprised this is being confirmed before the Pogba deal..........

[Marc Overmars]

Imagine if it fell through. :lol:

From the sounds of it though a deal has been agreed. Surely Juve wouldn't be stupid enough to pay that release clause for Higuain without having some assurances of the deal for Pogba being sorted.

[Kano]

The money is always spread across the length of the contract in terms of how they process it through their yearly accounts, along with the wages, sign-on fee, appearance/goal bonuses and agent fees. So it isn't a case of it all flooding out in one go.

[alexander]

As things stand now, with the latest merts injury, we look woefully under strength and under prepared for this season.

Worrying stuff.

[Gooner23]

What's new?

[Munchies]

As things stand now, with the latest merts injury, we look woefully under strength and under prepared for this season.

Worrying stuff.

CBs to start against Pool: Gabriel, Chambers and Holding
Strikers to start against Pool: Sanogo and Akpom

3 weeks to go for the new season. Ideally our business would've been done before this tour so they'd have a chance getting used to the team. Fucking joke. Year in year out.

[Munchies]

What's new?

Gazidis just said the same shit we've been hearing every year

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CoWq4DtXEAA7vk9.jpg

Oh wait, nothing new sorry

[alexander]

Gazidis just said the same shit we've been hearing every year

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CoWq4DtXEAA7vk9.jpg

Oh wait, nothing new sorry

not even improving I'm concerned about, it's having enough players at at least the same level as last season to start this.
Wenger and the board are a massive hinderance to this club moving forward. Season after season of the same problems. Can't see much going on for a few days with Wenger and the team in America.

[alexander]

CBs to start against Pool: Gabriel, Chambers and Holding
Strikers to start against Pool: Sanogo and Akpom

3 weeks to go for the new season. Ideally our business would've been done before this tour so they'd have a chance getting used to the team. Fucking joke. Year in year out.

Yep, it's EXACTLY the same every year, same situation, same quotes from the board/Wenger. It's so tiresome.

[Power n Glory]

Yep, it's EXACTLY the same every year

"Yet the money keeps rolling in!"

https://nbcprosoccertalk.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/stan-kroenke-e1455124771465.jpeg?w=610&h=343&crop=1

[Özim]

Yep, it's EXACTLY the same every year, same situation, same quotes from the board/Wenger. It's so tiresome.

Yup same quotes re-hashed, loads of injuries before a season even starts every season and not a transfer in sight just endless excuses.

What a joke.

[Özim]

CBs to start against Pool: Gabriel, Chambers and Holding
Strikers to start against Pool: Sanogo and Akpom

3 weeks to go for the new season. Ideally our business would've been done before this tour so they'd have a chance getting used to the team. Fucking joke. Year in year out.

If we don't sign anyone by the start of the season then the only thing which will move things along will be a hammering by Liverpool, which given the current situation isn't entirely unlikely.

Planning and preparation are two thing you can't accuse Arsenal of, sick of the same sh*t season after season, literally nothing changes and that's why this club and everything about it is because such a bore.

[selassie]

Yep, it's EXACTLY the same every year, same situation, same quotes from the board/Wenger. It's so tiresome.

I'm more interested in why the club feels the need to constantly rehash the same statements about our activity in the market, are they being questioned on it by the media?

Yeah, agree with you and others, same as always with us, nothing has changed.

[Özim]

I'm more interested in why the club feels the need to constantly rehash the same statements about our activity in the market, are they being questioned on it by the media?

Yeah, agree with you and others, same as always with us, nothing has changed.

Lazyness and they know that enough fans will buy it to fill the stadium, that's all they care about, Wenger and co are ruining this club IMO.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

My concern is that the statements of Gazidis seem to make it clear that we should not expect massive change in our outlay or the way we do business in general even if Wenger goes

[Özim]

My concern is that the statements of Gazidis seem to make it clear that we should not expect massive change in our outlay or the way we do business in general even if Wenger goes

Wenger isn't going, not in the medium term anyway.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Wenger isn't going, not in the medium term anyway.

Depends what you mean by medium term, even if he doesn't go next season....i don't expect him to be around more than two seasons after that

[Özim]

Depends what you mean by medium term, even if he doesn't go next season....i don't expect him to be around more than two seasons after that

He'll be here for the next 4 years I reckon, could be more now that he's got no life.

[selassie]

Wenger isn't going, not in the medium term anyway.

What scares me just as much is if Wenger moves upstairs once he's gone. Can you imagine him in some kind of DOF role?! :yikes:

[Kano]

Wenger isn't a manager the board can 'touch' given what he's achieved in the past, his standing in the club and given the fact that they rely on him for everything football wise. They couldn't have been luckier to find a manager that thinks about the wider aspects of the club, someone that fits perfectly with how they like to run things.

They won't change their approach at all because they will be able to set the parameters of how the next manager will work from the off and have full control over the situation. There will be little change in our approach until Kroenke and Usmanov leave but that will not happen anytime soon.

[Özim]

What scares me just as much is if Wenger moves upstairs once he's gone. Can you imagine him in some kind of DOF role?! :yikes:

A horrible prospect, he needs to leave and have nothing to do with the club ever again.

[Özim]

Wenger isn't a manager the board can 'touch' given what he's achieved in the past, his standing in the club and given the fact that they rely on him for everything football wise. They couldn't have been luckier to find a manager that thinks about the wider aspects of the club, someone that fits perfectly with how they like to run things.

They won't change their approach at all because they will be able to set the parameters of how the next manager will work from the off and have full control over the situation. There will be little change in our approach until Kroenke and Usmanov leave but that will not happen anytime soon.

That will very much reduce the list of prospective managers because most decent managers want to do things their way, they certainly will want to stamp their authority on the team and move away from the Wenger philosophy so that they can achieve success.

A manager when he comes in also has certain requirements that need to be met.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

He'll be here for the next 4 years I reckon, could be more now that he's got no life.

And you're someone who never lets get negativity get in the way of the facts

The contract offer that was leaked took him up to his 70th year (2019), how many managers realistically go on much past 70?

Ferguson and Bobby Robson were 71, Guy Roux was 69

And i genuinely don't think he has decided whether he stays with us beyond this season. I accept that the ultimate decision is his when that shouldn't be the case...but in reality at 67 a man who doesn't appear to be massively motivated by money is it going to be worth it for him to stay if the atmosphere at the Emirates continues to sour.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

A horrible prospect, he needs to leave and have nothing to do with the club ever again.

Maybe the statue erected of him should get the same treatment as Saddam's and he should be banned from the Emirates?

[Özim]

And you're someone who never lets get negativity get in the way of the facts

The contract offer that was leaked took him up to his 70th year (2019), how many managers realistically go on much past 70?

Ferguson and Bobby Robson were 71, Guy Roux was 69

And i genuinely don't think he has decided whether he stays with us beyond this season. I accept that the ultimate decision is his when that shouldn't be the case...but in reality at 67 a man who doesn't appear to be massively motivated by money is it going to be worth it for him to stay if the atmosphere at the Emirates continues to sour.

This is Wenger he isn't just like some other manager, he's quite stubborn and very different, he'll be here at 70 and could well be here beyond, certainly in some form.

As for not being motivated by money :rolleyes: , do me a favour he gets 8 million plus a year, doesn't sound like someone not motivated by money, they don't just hand the pay rises over, if he wasn't bothered about money he wouldn't be on 8 million because he wouldn't have got the amount of pay rises he has got despite being a failure

[Kano]

That will very much reduce the list of prospective managers because most decent managers want to do things their way, they certainly will want to stamp their authority on the team and move away from the Wenger philosophy so that they can achieve success.

A manager when he comes in also has certain requirements that need to be met.

Which is why the board decide who they employ. Kroenke is using this club as an asset for other projects and that won't change. So we will have a small list of managers to choose from once they find out behind closed doors what the job entails.

[Özim]

Which is why the board decide who they employ. Kroenke is using this club as an asset for other projects and that won't change. So we will have a small list of managers to choose from once they find out behind closed doors what the job entails.

Yes you're right they do decide, but if you're right we'll end up with some unknown manager cherry picked by Wenger like that guy from Japan Dragan Stojković (wasn't unknown as a player admitedly but as a manager he's a nobody).

[Niall_Quinn]

I'm more interested in why the club feels the need to constantly rehash the same statements about our activity in the market, are they being questioned on it by the media?

Yeah, agree with you and others, same as always with us, nothing has changed.

There's still a sizeable proportion of the fan base that not only believes these bastards but think they are doing a great job. The number one impediment to change at Arsenal is not the corporate profiteers who have hijacked the club, not the tired old man who has found a comfy seat posing as a football manager, not the delicate players who know well they can underperform for big money and not a single boot will fly into their faces, but that section of the support that sits there with a flag and a big grin whilst being fucked up the arse. Everyone is laughing at Arsenal now, and it has been like that for years. Except this portion of muppets who start beating their chests and singing Wenger's name. The board can see this. The manager sees this. It encourages them to push on and fill their pockets even faster.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

This is Wenger he isn't just like some other manager, he's quite stubborn and very different, he'll be here at 70 and could well be here beyond, certainly in some form.

As for not being motivated by money :rolleyes: , do me a favour he gets 8 million plus a year, doesn't sound like someone not motivated by money, they don't just hand the pay rises over, if he wasn't bothered about money he wouldn't be on 8 million because he wouldn't have got the amount of pay rises he has got despite being a failure

So you've evidence that Wenger has prevaricated over a contract because he hasn't been paid enough?.

Again what's your evidence that Wenger wants to be here past 70?. When in fact he has often stated otherwise. Just because he divorced his tall, plain wife doesn't change this. More than likely it's more to do with his mistress in Paris.

[Özim]

So you've evidence that Wenger has prevaricated over a contract because he hasn't been paid enough?.

Again what's your evidence that Wenger wants to be here past 70?. When in fact he has often stated otherwise. Just because he divorced his tall, plain wife doesn't change this. More than likely it's more to do with his mistress in Paris.

I don't see why else he's getting 8 plus million a year and this has been going up steadily, if money isn't a motivation they needn't have increased his salary at all they could have kept him on a million or two all of his career (or certainly well below what he's currently on), I believe it's a misconception that money isn't a motivator, people believed the sun shone out of his you know what until recently, we're seeing a very different picture of the man now and he's not quite the saint some people claimed he was.

It's obviously not evidence, but frankly he seems to love doing whatever it is he's doing and has never hinted he was anywhere near ready to stop.

[Power n Glory]

My concern is that the statements of Gazidis seem to make it clear that we should not expect massive change in our outlay or the way we do business in general even if Wenger goes

Gazidis is backing Wenger with his policy. But even if we bring a new manager that is working on a tight budget, I can’t imagine him spending £33m on a player that isn’t essential before buying a strike, which is more important. I’ve always said this, but even before the new sponsorship deals we had a situation where our overall wage bill was high but transfer fees were low. If the guys in finance were really putting the pressure on us to reduce our spending, I would have thought they’d look at reducing the wage bill or at least getting more from the budget by shipping out the crap and concentrating on spending on real talent. Seeing around £150k a week spent on Denilson, Diaby and Bendy, players not even good enough for the first team surely would have set alarm bells ringing when we’re claiming we can’t afford the wages of certain top players and losing our key players because of it.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Gazidis is backing Wenger with his policy. But even if we bring a new manager that is working on a tight budget, I can’t imagine him spending £33m on a player that isn’t essential before buying a strike, which is more important. I’ve always said this, but even before the new sponsorship deals we had a situation where our overall wage bill was high but transfer fees were low. If the guys in finance were really putting the pressure on us to reduce our spending, I would have thought they’d look at reducing the wage bill or at least getting more from the budget by shipping out the crap and concentrating on spending on real talent. Seeing around £150k a week spent on Denilson, Diaby and Bendy, players not even good enough for the first team surely would have set alarm bells ringing when we’re claiming we can’t afford the wages of certain top players and losing our key players because of it.

In fairness Denilson, Diaby and Bendtner were all at the club and put on those ridiculous contracts before Kroenke became majority share holder.

It seems to me that a man who wants to use the club as an asset for other financial dealings, it makes sense for him to present how much the club has in terms of cash reserves.

It's not about defending Wenger, it's about saying i don't expect things to improve with a new manager at the helm

[Marc Overmars]

This will go down well...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36901943

[Kano]

I think that might have been rehashed from last week tbf.

Although this from BFG was pretty funny:


"Of course those big clubs will be stronger this time," Mertesacker said. "A lot of transfer business has already been done, and it won't be easy for us this time, especially with all the signings going to the other clubs."

He then seemed to urge his own club to keep up, adding: "So we also need to be stronger, and I am looking forward to seeing how well we compete for the title with not a lot of signings and a lot of young players."

[Power n Glory]

That will very much reduce the list of prospective managers because most decent managers want to do things their way, they certainly will want to stamp their authority on the team and move away from the Wenger philosophy so that they can achieve success.

A manager when he comes in also has certain requirements that need to be met.

That’s how I see things. But even if they brought in a top manager that had to work under strict financial conditions, I can’t imagine them not addressing key areas that have plagued us for years. We've seen managers on less produce more.

[Ralpheroo72]

Wenger wanted Xhaka, didn't fuck about, paid what was needed/required. Our latest bids e.g. Vardy and Lacazette show that he is apathetic towards these deals, shows the fans that he 'tried'. Laughable. I mentioned on page 2 of this thread that we weren't signing anyone else of note, this won't change. So close to the top, we just won't budge. It's just soul destroying, same shit every summer.

[LDG]

I think that might have been rehashed from last week tbf.

Although this from BFG was pretty funny:

Wenger took a hammer to his knee for that.

[selassie]

There's still a sizeable proportion of the fan base that not only believes these bastards but think they are doing a great job. The number one impediment to change at Arsenal is not the corporate profiteers who have hijacked the club, not the tired old man who has found a comfy seat posing as a football manager, not the delicate players who know well they can underperform for big money and not a single boot will fly into their faces, but that section of the support that sits there with a flag and a big grin whilst being fucked up the arse. Everyone is laughing at Arsenal now, and it has been like that for years. Except this portion of muppets who start beating their chests and singing Wenger's name. The board can see this. The manager sees this. It encourages them to push on and fill their pockets even faster.

Aye, sad but true NQ.

[Kano]

Wenger took a hammer to his knee for that.

Sounded like he kneeded a break.

[Power n Glory]

In fairness Denilson, Diaby and Bendtner were all at the club and put on those ridiculous contracts before Kroenke became majority share holder.

It seems to me that a man who wants to use the club as an asset for other financial dealings, it makes sense for him to present how much the club has in terms of cash reserves.

It's not about defending Wenger, it's about saying i don't expect things to improve with a new manager at the helm

We can do an update. I’m not saying you’re defending Wenger either. It just doesn’t make sense how we can be so generous in one area but tight an impractical in others.

Ramsey, Wilshere, Walcott, Gibbs and Ox are on pretty high wages and none of them will be automatic first team starters this season. Theo and Ramsey are on over £100k a week, Wilshere is just under that, Gibbs and Ox are on £50k-£60k I think. It’s all linked to Wenger’s socialist wage structure and keeping each player on around the same sort of wages to keep the harmony. When we signed Ozil and Sanchez, we had to lift the threshold on wages. The idea hasn’t changed even with Stan at the helm. We’re just more generous with contract money. Whatever the financial parameters, we need a manager that will be more efficient with what he’s given and at least kick up a stink if being short changed. Something has to be going on behind the scenes for Wenger to get a green light on generous wages and a green light on a unheard of player like Xhaka.

[LDG]

Sounded like he kneeded a break.

Bit kneejerk tbf.

[Power n Glory]

Wenger wanted Xhaka, didn't fuck about, paid what was needed/required. Our latest bids e.g. Vardy and Lacazette show that he is apathetic towards these deals, shows the fans that he 'tried'. Laughable. I mentioned on page 2 of this thread that we weren't signing anyone else of note, this won't change. So close to the top, we just won't budge. It's just soul destroying, same shit every summer.

Exactly.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Out of interest i did read the chapter Ferguson dedicated to Wenger in his autobiography. He basically says Wenger seems only interested in signing very similar types of players, technically gifted central midfield types

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Out of interest i did read the chapter Ferguson dedicated to Wenger in his autobiography. He basically says Wenger seems only interested in signing very similar types of players, technically gifted central midfield types

Yeah I've read that chapter as well. He also basically outlined the strategy they prepared to beat us: let us hog the ball but then wait for an interception or a miss-pass to then counter quickly ........ something we most memorably witnessed in that CL game. :sick:

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

The thing is Wenger obviously knew United would do that, despite a lot of people on here otherwise he isn't stupid. And that's what makes it more frustrating he is a prisoner of his own bizarre philosophical principles.

[Niall_Quinn]

This will go down well...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36901943

It's just the same old shit as usual. Previously we had a stadium to build, so we couldn't compete. Now we have the largest cash reserves in world football and TV cash coming down like a monsoon, so obviously we still can't compete.

It's code for - we're using the money for something other than football.

[Özim]

The thing is Wenger obviously knew United would do that, despite a lot of people on here otherwise he isn't stupid. And that's what makes it more frustrating he is a prisoner of his own bizarre philosophical principles.

If he knew why didn't he do something about it? I'd say that's a pretty stupid thing to do.

[Niall_Quinn]

Yeah I've read that chapter as well. He also basically outlined the strategy they prepared to beat us: let us hog the ball but then wait for an interception or a miss-pass to then counter quickly ........ something we most memorably witnessed in that CL game. :sick:

And then we signed Giroud to pounce on those lightening counter attacks.

[Niall_Quinn]

The thing is Wenger obviously knew United would do that, despite a lot of people on here otherwise he isn't stupid. And that's what makes it more frustrating he is a prisoner of his own bizarre philosophical principles.

Effectively though, he is stupid. He might be a very intelligent man, he might have a deep understanding of the game. When you take those attributes and apply them to produce the mess he has produced then you can say it is a mistake, learn and make adjustments. Throw out what didn't work, retain what did. Improve by degrees. But when you refuse to learn, when you persist while all the time seeing the same outcome, then what is that if not stupid? I think ultimately he is indeed a stupid man. The record bears it out.

[Özim]

And then we signed Giroud to pounce on those lightening counter attacks.

:lol: Very smart guy Wenger, very smart indeed.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

If he knew why didn't he do something about it? I'd say that's a pretty stupid thing to do.

Intelligent people do stupid things was my point

There is stupidity in not realising what tactics your opponent is using against you

And there is bloody mindedness in sticking to your guns, that's Wenger's problems.

[Özim]

Effectively though, he is stupid. He might be a very intelligent man, he might have a deep understanding of the game. When you take those attributes and apply them to produce the mess he has produced then you can say it is a mistake, learn and make adjustments. Throw out what didn't work, retain what did. Improve by degrees. But when you refuse to learn, when you persist while all the time seeing the same outcome, then what is that if not stupid? I think ultimately he is indeed a stupid man. The record bears it out.

Yeah I agree, being too stubborn and doing things which are counterproductive when it's plain as day is stupidity.

[Özim]

Intelligent people do stupid things was my point

There is stupidity in not realising what tactics your opponent is using against you

And there is bloody mindedness in sticking to your guns, that's Wenger's problems.

He seems to do that a lot, there reaches a point where if someone refuses to learn and doesn't accept what's staring them in the face it kinda has to be considered stupidity, he's intelligent in some ways but not very in others.

[Power n Glory]

Effectively though, he is stupid. He might be a very intelligent man, he might have a deep understanding of the game. When you take those attributes and apply them to produce the mess he has produced then you can say it is a mistake, learn and make adjustments. Throw out what didn't work, retain what did. Improve by degrees. But when you refuse to learn, when you persist while all the time seeing the same outcome, then what is that if not stupid? I think ultimately he is indeed a stupid man. The record bears it out.


Yep. He's not oblivious to what's needed which makes things worse.

[Power n Glory]

Out of interest i did read the chapter Ferguson dedicated to Wenger in his autobiography. He basically says Wenger seems only interested in signing very similar types of players, technically gifted central midfield types

That's not really new news. I'd like to know why he keeps going for these sort of players.

[rodders]

We now admit Arsenal unable to compete financially with the big boys. What a idiot to say such a thing even if true.

[Özim]

We now admit Arsenal unable to compete financially with the big boys. What a idiot to say such a thing even if true.

What he should have said is we don't want to compete, these guys have one goal and one goal only, maximising profit at any cost.

[dostoy]

What he should have said is we don't want to compete, these guys have one goal and one goal only, maximising profit at any cost.

Very true.

Until that changes, which it won't till Wenger leaves, we have no chance of winning the PL or the CL.

[selassie]

What he should have said is we don't want to compete, these guys have one goal and one goal only, maximising profit at any cost.

Yep, he might as well have said that because that what we have been effectively doing. None of what they say makes any sense from a financial point of view, the whole thing is a complete scam.

[Özim]

Interesting we signed Xhaka around season ticket renewal, as if to get people to buy season tickets, now they are bought we're not bothered about transfers anymore.

[rodders]

We would quite like to stay in Premier league and finishing in top three would be nice .However as long as Stan makes a tidy profit that is what matters most.

[Niall_Quinn]

Interesting we signed Xhaka around season ticket renewal, as if to get people to buy season tickets, now they are bought we're not bothered about transfers anymore.

That may be one of the reasons. But a key reason we signed him is because he plays like Arteta on steroids. A very good player. But unfortunately that talent will be used to further promote the horrible brand of tip tap football we inflict on the game. I watched Xhaka carefully during the Euros. He's horrendously disciplined, except maybe in the tackle. He will do precisely what Wenger wants him to do and he'll do it like a Terminator, never stopping, never tiring, relentless. Normally that would be tremendous news. But of course Wenger will have him tipping it left, tapping it right, playing it back, slowing it down, building those pointless possession stats even higher. Everything Wenger loves, everything he believes the game to be about. A heartless, ruthless assault on entertainment. A stultifying, crushing, soul sapping boredom. This is what we have signed for £35mil. Money that should have been spent on the striker we have desperately needed since 2012.

[fakeyank]

So if we cant even compete with the big boys now that we have moved to the Emirates, what was the fucking point of moving to the new stadium then? :rolleyes:

[AFC Leveller]

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13680253_10154010465153580_1460307713189700532_o.j pg

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

The Meme Generation

Although we have no reason to be making these excuses, I genuinely think Gazidis really thought FFP would stick

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

That's not really new news. I'd like to know why he keeps going for these sort of players.

I'll bring it up at our next Bridge evening. The best time to catch him is half way through the evening, when he's had a few gin and vermouths but not quite enough to start making vulgar sexual allusions in French.

[Power n Glory]

I'll bring it up at our next Bridge evening. The best time to catch him is half way through the evening, when he's had a few gin and vermouths but not quite enough to start making vulgar sexual allusions in French.

:lol:

You know what I mean. We've seen Wenger do the same thing for years now. If he ever does right that book it will be an interesting read.

[Özim]

Guardiola not wasting any time, he's buying players like he's in the £1 shop, he's after Stones now. All whilst we have to watch and put up with BS rumours that never come to fruition, this club wouldn't know about entertainment of fan satisfaction if it bit them in the arse.

[Kano]

Well of course we can't compete with Madrid, Barca, Bayern, Utd, City and PSG. They have infinitely much more money at their disposal, either from owners, local assistance or sponsorship advantages.

But no one is asking we compete pound for pound in terms of transfer spend. You don't need to in order to be competitive.

I think he fucked up saying that last week which is why the following day part of the Rob Holding statement contradicted alluded to more transfers, something we never do in the way it was phrased.

[Özim]

So if we cant even compete with the big boys now that we have moved to the Emirates, what was the fucking point of moving to the new stadium then? :rolleyes:

Simple it's money, they had no intention of ever turning us into a top club, just collecting the cash and lining their pockets with it (this goes from the top down).

Honestly they stuff they come out with and have come out with in the last decade is a p*ss take, they take fans for mugs.

[Kano]

Guardiola not wasting any time, he's buying players like he's in the £1 shop, he's after Stones now. All whilst we have to watch and put up with BS rumours that never come to fruition, this club wouldn't know about entertainment of fan satisfaction if it bit them in the arse.

Yesterday it was three players, earlier Aubameyang was certified as coming, Bonucci could also be on the list and Stones - see how many of those actually turn up.

[Kano]

Simple it's money, they had no intention of ever turning us into a top club, just collecting the cash and lining their pockets with it (this goes from the top down).

Honestly they stuff they come out with and have come out with in the last decade is a p*ss take, they take fans for mugs.

The money isn't going into their pockets, it's sitting there in a bank being used as an asset to secure Kroenke's other projects.

[Özim]

The money isn't going into their pockets, it's sitting there in a bank being used as an asset to secure Kroenke's other projects.

It is kinda going in their pockets, Stan wasn't around when the stadum was dreamt up, all those involved made a killing out of their shares when they sold, Wenger also made a killing in terms of pay and all those involved since have also made a packet, the only ones who really have seen very little benefit are those that fund the club, yup you guessed it the fans.

Now we've gone a new stadium but a sh*t, stingy football club to go with it, what a great result.

[Kano]

The pay is a few million here and there compared to what other execs and managers earn yearly, so it's small change in the larger scheme of things. The valuation of the shares was based on the clubs market value, with the largest being the asset of the tadium itself, so the money they made didn't come from the fans but Kroenke and Usmanov. The real money, the £200m in the bank, has come off the backs of the fans though. Kroenke saw an investment opportunity and he's sure as hell made the most out of it.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

You know what the absolute foolish thing about all this is? You know what appreciates the most in value in football? Players. A typical 20 - 24 year old player today has nearly doubled in value from 5 years ago. You have average pub team strikers like Troy Deeney being touted for 25 million minimum when 5 years ago even half of that would have been ridiculous.

Even from a pure economic "running the business" point of view, hording cash in the bank is absolutely asinine. You get little return on it considering current interest rates. Remember that 70 million warchest we used to have stored away? Now that doesn't even buy you Higuain. Not only does it make football sense, but it also makes financial sense to spend some money on youngish talented players.

[Kano]

No but when you are trying to build a multi-billion dollar stadium across the Atlantic, it sure as hell adds to the value of the assets you own so you can borrow the money you need.

[Niall_Quinn]

So if we cant even compete with the big boys now that we have moved to the Emirates, what was the fucking point of moving to the new stadium then? :rolleyes:

The valuation of the club has more than doubled. The revenues have shot through the roof. The owners are sitting on a gold mine. All great news. This is what success looks like in modern football.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Why such little discussion about Varane?

...And don't you quite fancy Lacazette Ozim? Are you at all enthused / heartened by the bid?

[Marc Overmars]

Chelsea bid 38m for Koulibaly.

Was thinking he'd be suitable for us but if that's the kind of money it will take to get him, there's no chance in hell Wenger would ever spend that much on a defender.

[Niall_Quinn]

The money isn't going into their pockets, it's sitting there in a bank being used as an asset to secure Kroenke's other projects.

Money makes money. You don't need to put one stash of money in your pocket to generate cash off the back of it. Just provided the original pot doesn't dwindle - and they are bloody experts at making sure that never happens.

Legalised thieves. Not because they robbed the money but because they robbed the club of it's true purpose.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

...And don't you quite fancy Lacazette Ozim? Are you at all enthused / heartened by the bid?

:lol:

[Özim]

Why such little discussion about Varane?

...And don't you quite fancy Lacazette Ozim? Are you at all enthused / heartened by the bid?

I'd love Varane, quality centre back, won't happen though.

Yes I would like Lacazette, but the bid was way below their valuation and was a while back, so it appears this deal is dead.

[Munchies]

Coquelin said on the Arsenal snapchat that he was training as a CB today

:haha:

Internal solutions :bow:

That's our CB done

[Munchies]

Video of him saying it : https://twitter.com/UberAFC/status/758393300525150208

:lol:

[Niall_Quinn]

Well I suppose, on the offchancecertainty we don't sign a CB, we need to have a "can also play there" option.

[Munchies]

Arsene Wenger says the Club are 'active' in the transfer market as he seeks a 'special' player
https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/241171601054380033

2:52 PM - 30 Aug 2012

:haha:

mirror quote of what he's saying now

[Niall_Quinn]

Wenger's version of "special" scares me.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Depends what you mean by medium term, even if he doesn't go next season....i don't expect him to be around more than two seasons after that

He will be around forever.

Not really.

It will just feel that way.

[Xhaka Can’t]

And you're someone who never lets get negativity get in the way of the facts

The contract offer that was leaked took him up to his 70th year (2019), how many managers realistically go on much past 70?

Ferguson and Bobby Robson were 71, Guy Roux was 69

And i genuinely don't think he has decided whether he stays with us beyond this season. I accept that the ultimate decision is his when that shouldn't be the case...but in reality at 67 a man who doesn't appear to be massively motivated by money is it going to be worth it for him to stay if the atmosphere at the Emirates continues to sour.

I imagine it is fairly easy to say you're not motivated by money when you're on £8m a year.

I don't know that for certain, but I'd sure as fuck like to try it out.

[selassie]

Wenger's version of "special" scares me.

:lol: me too!

[Munchies]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/27/22/36A5C6A700000578-3711597-image-a-49_1469655036459.jpg

Wonder if we could sign Ljungberg again. Better than Walcott/Oxlade right now surely

[Marc Overmars]

City in talks with Everton over Stones. He is valued at £50m. :lol:

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I imagine it is fairly easy to say you're not motivated by money when you're on £8m a year.

I don't know that for certain, but I'd sure as fuck like to try it out.

My point is that isn't the guiding motivation for him remaining at the club, i don't know exactly what he's doing but this is the guy whose first in at the training ground of a morning and the last to leave of a night.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

But i think regardless i think we finally have the answer to whether things will get better when he goes, it won't...and i think the board want to keep him as much as anything because he's a useful lightning rod.

[Ralpheroo72]

Every time Gazidis opens his mouth, I just want to punch Wenger in the face.

[selassie]

Coquelin said on the Arsenal snapchat that he was training as a CB today

:haha:

Internal solutions :bow:

That's our CB done

You can just imagine Wenger if we don't buy a CB and he is questioned on it.

"Look, I must say Coquelin really impressed me when filling in at Centre Back, he will surprise a lot of you, the solution is not always to buy buy buy, we have lots of quality in Central Defence, we have Koscielny, Gabriel, Chambers, Holding, Coquelin, Monreal and don't forget we have Mertesacker coming back too".

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Nahhhh

He will be more creative with his excuses, he will blame the pound's value in relation to the Euro as the excuse.

Question though...who would you buy?


My choice would be Ogbonna from West Ham, have wanted him ever since he was at Torino.

[Marc Overmars]

But i think regardless i think we finally have the answer to whether things will get better when he goes, it won't...and i think the board want to keep him as much as anything because he's a useful lightning rod.

Not sure. Just because the board are happy with the bare minimum, it doesn't have to mean a new manager won't feel he has something to prove and that the players wouldn't respond to him. Clearly Wenger doesn't illicit a reaction from his players anymore and I think that's the biggest problem with him continuing on.

The best managers don't pride themselves on top 4 finishes, so even if that's the only thing the board are interested in don't be so sure the next manager won't be more ambitious himself.

[selassie]

Nahhhh

He will be more creative with his excuses, he will blame the pound's value in relation to the Euro as the excuse.

Question though...who would you buy?


My choice would be Ogbonna from West Ham, have wanted him ever since he was at Torino.

:lol: You are probably right.

I'd quite like that German guy at Valencia, Mustafi. He played in the Euros. We've been quite heavily linked with him and he's apparently available for 25mill Euros. He's quite a rugged CB but can pass and do most things at a fairly decent level.

Yeah Ogbonna is a decent CB, I quite like him. I like Winston Reid of West Ham too but I'm not sure he's good enough to be a bonafide starter for us.

A couple of wishlist type signings would be Varane of Real or Marquinhos of PSG, both young with world class potential.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Not sure. Just because the board are happy with the bare minimum, it doesn't have to mean a new manager won't feel he has something to prove and that the players wouldn't respond to him. Clearly Wenger doesn't illicit a reaction from his players anymore and I think that's the biggest problem with him continuing on.

The best managers don't pride themselves on top 4 finishes, so even if that's the only thing the board are interested in don't be so sure the next manager won't be more ambitious himself.

I was specifically talking about us spending more, I don't doubt a different manager could be a better man manager and tactical innovator than AW.

[Power n Glory]

But i think regardless i think we finally have the answer to whether things will get better when he goes, it won't...and i think the board want to keep him as much as anything because he's a useful lightning rod.

We don’t have that answer. There are managers out there able to get more out of a smaller budget compared to what Wenger is given. Also, as said yesterday, the board have given Wenger the greenlight to spend £33m on an unknown player at a small club and seem to have no problem dishing out big wages for players that haven’t proven themselves to be worthy of that amount. Why? It’s a no brainer that we can’t spend £70m - £100m on a player like some other clubs. But I wouldn’t be so quick to draw conclusions about what’s really going on.

During 2013/14 season when we bought Ozil, we clearly needed a striker but bought Kimi with the broken back for cheap during the January transfer window. You came to the conclusions that we had no money left to spend. Apparently, we had spent everything on Ozil and couldn’t afford a striker during the winter window. It seemed like the logical conclusion since Wenger didn’t spend in an area we clearly needed the help. The next window arrives and we spend big. Was it close to £100m? Sanchez, Chambers, Ospina, Welbeck, Debuchy…so the conclusion you drew back then went out the window. So we’re at a similar point again and we just have to wait to see what happens. The window hasn’t closed and we certainly don’t know what this club would look like under a new manager. We don't know if the Board have tightened their belt or they're just backing the manager in public and playing down expectations a little.

[Marc Overmars]

I was specifically talking about us spending more, I don't doubt a different manager could be a better man manager and tactical innovator than AW.

I think we will certainly spend more (within reason), for example I can't imagine another manger in the world with the cash we have doing what Wenger did last summer. That was proof if ever we needed it that Wenger is risk averse and will favour his philosophy even if it's to the detriment of his squad. Other top managers are nowhere near as obsessed with getting value for money because they put the needs of the team first. Plus, in this day and age getting value for money has never felt more low on the agenda.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

We don’t have that answer. There are managers out there able to get more out of a smaller budget compared to what Wenger is given. Also, as said yesterday, the board have given Wenger the greenlight to spend £33m on an unknown player at a small club and seem to have no problem dishing out big wages for players that haven’t proven themselves to be worthy of that amount. Why? It’s a no brainer that we can’t spend £70m - £100m on a player like some other clubs. But I wouldn’t be so quick to draw conclusions about what’s really going on.

During 2013/14 season when we bought Ozil, we clearly needed a striker but bought Kimi with the broken back for cheap during the January transfer window. You came to the conclusions that we had no money left to spend. Apparently, we had spent everything on Ozil and couldn’t afford a striker during the winter window. It seemed like the logical conclusion since Wenger didn’t spend in an area we clearly needed the help. The next window arrives and we spend big. Was it close to £100m? Sanchez, Chambers, Ospina, Welbeck, Debuchy…so the conclusion you drew back then went out the window. So we’re at a similar point again and we just have to wait to see what happens. The window hasn’t closed and we certainly don’t know what this club would look like under a new manager. We don't know if the Board have tightened their belt or they're just backing the manager in public and playing down expectations a little.


I think in fairness i think what i've said has been misconstrued. All this nonsense about us not being able to compete financially means that whoever is manager the purse strings will be tight. I think there is an argument now to be made that us not matching the selling club's valuation for players we have wanted, is not entirerly evidence of Wenger prevaricating....but the club as a whole being tight.
I'm not trying to exonerate Wenger's poor squad and match planning and his inability to motivate his players during difficult periods.

[Power n Glory]

I think in fairness i think what i've said has been misconstrued. All this nonsense about us not being able to compete financially means that whoever is manager the purse strings will be tight. I think there is an argument now to be made that us not matching the selling club's valuation for players we have wanted, is not entirerly evidence of Wenger prevaricating....but the club as a whole being tight.
I'm not trying to exonerate Wenger's poor squad and match planning and his inability to motivate his players during difficult periods.

If the club are tight overall, how was a fee agreed for Xhaka at that amount for an unknown player?

[selassie]

We don’t have that answer. There are managers out there able to get more out of a smaller budget compared to what Wenger is given. Also, as said yesterday, the board have given Wenger the greenlight to spend £33m on an unknown player at a small club and seem to have no problem dishing out big wages for players that haven’t proven themselves to be worthy of that amount. Why? It’s a no brainer that we can’t spend £70m - £100m on a player like some other clubs. But I wouldn’t be so quick to draw conclusions about what’s really going on.

During 2013/14 season when we bought Ozil, we clearly needed a striker but bought Kimi with the broken back for cheap during the January transfer window. You came to the conclusions that we had no money left to spend. Apparently, we had spent everything on Ozil and couldn’t afford a striker during the winter window. It seemed like the logical conclusion since Wenger didn’t spend in an area we clearly needed the help. The next window arrives and we spend big. Was it close to £100m? Sanchez, Chambers, Ospina, Welbeck, Debuchy…so the conclusion you drew back then went out the window. So we’re at a similar point again and we just have to wait to see what happens. The window hasn’t closed and we certainly don’t know what this club would look like under a new manager. We don't know if the Board have tightened their belt or they're just backing the manager in public and playing down expectations a little.

Yeah I'm with you on this PnG. I personally think our budget and muscle or lack of it in the transfer market is somewhat blurred and difficult to work out due to the way we operate and conduct ourselves in the market. I think we operate this way deliberately and I believe the likes of Wenger and Gazidis fully know what they are doing when sending out the mixed messages about our financial status.

Wenger operates in the market very much in the way he wants to set his team out, he's not pragmatic and doesn't recruit for the needs of the team IMO. As you have stated, he's happy to throw down 35million on a deep lying playmaker yet seems reluctant to spend the big money in the real areas of need, CB and/or Striker. He knows what he's doing, he's buying players that he want who he believes will fit into his philosophy, possession based tiki

I can't claim to have any knowledge of our budget and accept we can't spend like the dopers but I've thought for some time now that Wenger is mismanaging the squad in terms of what it needs and where it needs investment.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

If the club are tight overall, how was a fee agreed for Xhaka at that amount for an unknown player?

I don't think he's as unknown as we are making out.....plus they seem to operate under the idea that we make one marquee signing per summer of about 30-40 million and then fish around for the rest.

Plus I know it's a different board, but the club has always been tight it's like tradition. George Graham often found it was like getting blood out of a stone getting transfer funds, in hindsight the board was probably correct not to trust him with their money when he using it for bungs.

I do hold the view that the board and the manager share equal responsibility for what goes on at the club, and giving Wenger the responsibility they do is to disassociate themselves from him when it suits them

[Özim]

I don't think he's as unknown as we are making out.

Quite the opposite, some people are making out he's better known than he is, barely one person had heard of him on here, sure people may have known about him in Germany but it's to be expected as he plays there, he's not an International name and on that basis 33 million is a lot, especially for a position we weren't desperate fill and not being a marquee player in that the position he plays in isn't one of those considered to be the most valuable in the transfer market.

If Xhaka is worth 33 million then the prices we're seeing for other players isn't unreasonable at all. IMO price doesn't matter, he's a minor signing in anything but price, so so far we've only really made minor signings.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Quite the opposite, some people are making out he's better known than he is, barely one person had heard of him on here, sure people may have known about him in Germany but it's to be expected as he plays there, he's not an International name and on that basis 33 million is a lot, especially for a position we weren't desperate fill and not being a marquee player in that the position he plays in isn't one of those considered to be the most valuable in the transfer market.

If Xhaka is worth 33 million then the prices we're seeing for other players isn't unreasonable at all. IMO price doesn't matter, he's a minor signing in anything but price, so so far we've only really made minor signings.

a defensive midfielder? I think we've needed that as long as we've needed a striker. Elneny was only ever a stop gap measure especially with both Arteta and Flamini now gone (thank god).

In your opinion......that allows for the parameters to be shifted constantly to suit whatever point you want to make. I'd heard of Xhaka for at least two years both for Switzerland in the world cup and being pivotal in Moechengladbach qualifying for the Champions League. Just because he doesn't appear in your monthly copy of Match it's utterly daft to claim he is a minor signing.

Plus I haven't stated that the price tags for other players is unreasonable, I'm just saying the club is hesitant to shell out any kind of substantial money more than once in a summer transfer period regardless of the club's needs and Gazidis' ridiculous back tracking comments only reinforce that.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Honestly i think you all suffer from cognitive dissonance, you all believe that we are being cheated by the board and the majority shareholder especially. And yet me trying to reinforce that by saying even when Wenger goes we've still got this big problem seems to be a big issue for people here.

[Power n Glory]

I don't think he's as unknown as we are making out.....plus they seem to operate under the idea that we make one marquee signing per summer of about 30-40 million and then fish around for the rest.

Plus I know it's a different board, but the club has always been tight it's like tradition. George Graham often found it was like getting blood out of a stone getting transfer funds, in hindsight the board was probably correct not to trust him with their money when he using it for bungs.

I do hold the view that the board and the manager share equal responsibility for what goes on at the club, and giving Wenger the responsibility they do is to disassociate themselves from him when it suits them

Very few had heard of him before we signed him and I doubt they'd have valued him above £20m before we signed him. Who do you think makes that final call on what the final fee is?

[Niall_Quinn]

We can and should be spending £70 - £100mill on a single player. We have the money, we just don't have the will. Other clubs speculate to accumulate. Utd spend money like water but they also claw in back at ever increasing rates. They are strengthening their brand despite dropping down the table. They know that Utd is a huge brand and if they drift into a small time mentality their brand will suffer as a result. So their thinking is simple. Drifting down the table due to shit managerial choices? Spend big. Do what is required to fix those problems. Yes, they are mired in debt. So what? It doesn't seem to affect them in any adverse way, does it? They can carry the debt because the future revenues support it and if it all comes crashing down tomorrow it will mean the whole system has gone down, not just them. So they are taking risks but balancing those risks. And despite their dodgy form over the last few seasons their fans are sitting there once again realistically imagining they can compete at the highest level. It's not pretty, but that's how football works these days.

Now look at us. A club that prides itself on zero risk, like a blue chip investment (which is precisely what the club has been turned into for the benefit of one man, btw). You have the CFO boasting about how we won't do what it takes to compete. How we won't be taking risks. He's like a bureaucrat from a grey city industry, far removed from the world of sport and entertainment. Supposedly he's an expert in both these latter fields. Well it doesn't show. And we have a manager who watches the market evolve around him and decides he doesn't like it - as if that will somehow change how things are. He won't play. So what does that mean for the club in relation to everyone else out there who plays and plays hard? We are sliding backwards. A nice fat balance sheet, sustainability bullshit coming out of our ears, but no prospects in terms of the supposed purpose of the business, being a competitive football team. That's negligence whichever way you dice it. Football is a form of monopoly, with a captive and almost endlessly inelastic demand. That's how they get away with it. In a normal industry these negligent incompetents would be out the door because you can't sustain a business for long if you pride yourself in making hugely expensive, minimal quality, cheapo component products that don't function as advertised and randomly blow up in your face.

In the end this is Wenger's fault. His lack of pride an ambition in an industry that is supposed to be driven by pride and ambition is shocking and it's all the fuel the owners need to keep their factory churning out overpriced tat. I can't envisage any other manager who would come here and tolerate it. Which is why Wenger has been around so long past his sell-by date. He's the only weirdo in football who is suited to the agenda of the owners. It's a match made in hell and I can't see it ending any time soon. We'll know he's on the way out when the world's next biggest no pride, no ambition loser is being linked with us. Maybe Nick Clegg could do the job.

[Niall_Quinn]

Quite the opposite, some people are making out he's better known than he is, barely one person had heard of him on here, sure people may have known about him in Germany but it's to be expected as he plays there, he's not an International name and on that basis 33 million is a lot, especially for a position we weren't desperate fill and not being a marquee player in that the position he plays in isn't one of those considered to be the most valuable in the transfer market.

If Xhaka is worth 33 million then the prices we're seeing for other players isn't unreasonable at all. IMO price doesn't matter, he's a minor signing in anything but price, so so far we've only really made minor signings.

Don't know about anyone else but I heard us being linked with him for almost 3 years. Certainly a player that Wenger has wanted for some time. Unfortunately I can guess why.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Very few had heard of him before we signed him and I doubt they'd have valued him above £20m before we signed him. Who do you think makes that final call on what the final fee is?

The fee for Xhaka is irrelevant, the overall transfer budget he is allocated to spend is not decided upon by Wenger. Are you suggesting we should have haggled with Moechengladbach for Xhaka?.....

[dostoy]

Why do we all bother when we know nothing will change ?

I do not live in London and have never been to any Arsenal game and I never will but if I was a season ticket holder I would be very pissed off and would not bother buying another season ticket until Wenger leaves.

We want to win cheaply which is impossible, I know Leicester did it last season but we can't because Wenger cannot motivate players, basically we don't want to win the PL enough so we won't win it and as for the CL, if we get through the group stages it will be a miracle and a certain exit in the last 16.

I am very near to the stage of not caring at all and becoming completely neutral.

[selassie]

Honestly i think you all suffer from cognitive dissonance, you all believe that we are being cheated by the board and the majority shareholder especially. And yet me trying to reinforce that by saying even when Wenger goes we've still got this big problem seems to be a big issue for people here.

I personally don't think we will splurge like the dopers once Wenger has gone but I do believe a more pragmatic manager would correctly identify the areas of issue and spend in those areas to improve them.

I don't think we need to spend 100million to compete but I do think we need a strong spine to the team and feel we need to be a lot more logical with our squad management in terms of recruitment.

Wenger has had an element of money to spend over the past three or four seasons and he's mismanaged it.

[Marc Overmars]

Mustafi is apparently available for less than £20m. Surely a no brainer of a signing given our situation at CB? Possible long term successor to Merts.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I personally don't think we will splurge like the dopers once Wenger has gone but I do believe a more pragmatic manager would correctly identify the areas of issue and spend in those areas to improve them.

I don't think we need to spend 100million to compete but I do think we need a strong spine to the team and feel we need to be a lot more logical with our squad management in terms of recruitment.

Wenger has had an element of money to spend over the past three or four seasons and he's mismanaged it.

Again i think prevaricating over transfer prices is as much about the club not being prepared to spend what it can to make us competitive as it is about Wenger's parsimonious nature, at the end of the day from their point of view when there is no guarantee of winning major trophies with greater investment and the money is coming in with top 4 finishes why would they?.

The bottom line is even with a new manager, is that have a board that wants to take a hands off approach with the football aspect of the club. And a manager can only be successful in an atmosphere where he is more accountable (no we don't want the hire and fire policy of Chelsea either) as well as given the full resources to acquire major trophies.

A new manager might be better in terms of tactics and man management, but unless the club takes a bigger hand in the day to day running operations of the club i suspect we will be in the same place with transfers even when the only vestige of Wenger at the club will be the bronze trophy outside the Emirates

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Mustafi is apparently available for less than £20m. Surely a no brainier of a signing given our situation at CB? Possible long term successor to Merts.

Coquelin at Centre Back, internal option

Centre back is not a technically gifted midfielder, so there is no question of spending substantial money on fixing an issue caused by injury

[Power n Glory]

The fee for Xhaka is irrelevant, the overall transfer budget he is allocated to spend is not decided upon by Wenger. Are you suggesting we should have haggled with Moechengladbach for Xhaka?.....

Of course it's relevant. The overall budget isn’t decided by Wenger but if Wenger is told we have £60m - £70m to spend (hypothetical) do you think Dick Law just agrees to spending a good chunk out of the budget without consulting Wenger? Dick can’t estimate what a player is worth to Wenger and this team. There had to be a discussion to say Xhaka is an essential signing for the season ahead. There had to be a discussion of how many players we need and that had to go through Wenger. I’m not suggesting we should have haggled. What I think is that Wenger is they guy with the football knowledge and only he can determine what a player is worth to this team. That’s what I think is going on in football right now with these massive transfer fees. I think managers telling their club that they can’t win without players A, B and C.

So I’m confused by the Xhaka signing. Maybe we but all our eggs into one basket with Vardy and getting him for £20m. Maybe. But then why and how did we let Vardy slip away when it came to offering a contract? Why not offer more money and a longer contract so it was too good to turn down if that’s what he thought the team needed? The final say has to come from the manager and especially during this critical moment where it’s his final contract. Yes, it looks as though the Board are happy with Wenger but I don’t think they dictate to him. They back him up and support him.

[Power n Glory]

I personally don't think we will splurge like the dopers once Wenger has gone but I do believe a more pragmatic manager would correctly identify the areas of issue and spend in those areas to improve them.

I don't think we need to spend 100million to compete but I do think we need a strong spine to the team and feel we need to be a lot more logical with our squad management in terms of recruitment.

Wenger has had an element of money to spend over the past three or four seasons and he's mismanaged it.

Yep. Wenger has had money to spend for donkey's and he's mislead the fans for years. Last season should have been enough for all to see.

[Power n Glory]

Again i think prevaricating over transfer prices is as much about the club not being prepared to spend what it can to make us competitive as it is about Wenger's parsimonious nature, at the end of the day from their point of view when there is no guarantee of winning major trophies with greater investment and the money is coming in with top 4 finishes why would they?.

The bottom line is even with a new manager, is that have a board that wants to take a hands off approach with the football aspect of the club. And a manager can only be successful in an atmosphere where he is more accountable (no we don't want the hire and fire policy of Chelsea either) as well as given the full resources to acquire major trophies.

A new manager might be better in terms of tactics and man management, but unless the club takes a bigger hand in the day to day running operations of the club i suspect we will be in the same place with transfers even when the only vestige of Wenger at the club will be the bronze trophy outside the Emirates

I doubt it because if we have manager that puts forward the case that a new striker is the difference between 4th and 1st, I'm sure they'd listen. But we have a manager that believes Giroud is one of the best strikers in the world and also thought Sanogo was the new Anelka. Vieira did say what his greatest strength and greatest weakness was. Buying Xhaka and Elneny may just be indication that he's given up on Wilshere, Ramsey and maybe Coquelin. But he may hold hope for Theo as striker or playing a big part for us next season, Sanchez staying fit and Giroud bouncing back stronger....this it what it boils down to if he doesn't buy anyone for up front this season. It indicates that he still believes these guys have something to offer.

[selassie]

Mustafi is apparently available for less than £20m. Surely a no brainer of a signing given our situation at CB? Possible long term successor to Merts.

Yep we should wrap this one up quickly. In the current market he's more or less being given away, 20m is a steal for him, he's a very good player and still young.

[fakeyank]

Mustafi is apparently available for less than £20m. Surely a no brainer of a signing given our situation at CB? Possible long term successor to Merts.

It is a no-brainer but our manager has no brains. So, Coquelin it is..

[Özim]

a defensive midfielder? I think we've needed that as long as we've needed a striker. Elneny was only ever a stop gap measure especially with both Arteta and Flamini now gone (thank god).

In your opinion......that allows for the parameters to be shifted constantly to suit whatever point you want to make. I'd heard of Xhaka for at least two years both for Switzerland in the world cup and being pivotal in Moechengladbach qualifying for the Champions League. Just because he doesn't appear in your monthly copy of Match it's utterly daft to claim he is a minor signing.

Plus I haven't stated that the price tags for other players is unreasonable, I'm just saying the club is hesitant to shell out any kind of substantial money more than once in a summer transfer period regardless of the club's needs and Gazidis' ridiculous back tracking comments only reinforce that.

Elneny a stop gap, why bother buying him then? For me Elneny was enough as we have Coquelin as well, I don't mind an extra DM but it certainly isn't a priority, a striker and CB were a far more pressing requirement, I would even list an out and out winger above the requirement for a DM.

Yes IMO, because he wasn't a household name whether you accept it or not and 33 million is a lot of money for a player of that kind, especially given we have more pressing needs in other positions and could have used that money to bring in a top player (and now our budget is more limited). Xhaka is worth no more than 20 million in out current state because we weren't desperate for a player in his position.

As for shelling out, well of course now we've spent 33 million shelling out another 40-50 million would be very unlikely because the club don't really want to spend a lot.

At the end of the day I don't trust Wengers' judgement in the transfer market, so fo me 33 million spent on some guy I don't know isn't good business.

[Kano]

They spent over £100m a couple of seasons back when we got in Sanchez, so it's feasible that can happen again.

Xhaka's price makes sense in this current market. Clubs know UK football is stuffed full of money and won't sell players with years left on their contracts cheaply.

If Troy Deeney is being valued at £30m+, Xhaka sounds like a bargain.

[Kano]

Sounding very likely that the Pogba thing is going to be done and dusted very soon.

£93m plus add-ons :haha:

The title or bust for Maureen

[bignev]

It is a no-brainer but our manager has no brains. So, Coquelin it is..

Coquelin has been playing at CB in training. That doesn't mean he'll play there during the season.

Wenger has already said he wants to sign an experienced CB so this is just social media reading way too much into this.

[Globalgunner]

Coquelin has been playing at CB in training. That doesn't mean he'll play there during the season.

Wenger has already said he wants to sign an experienced CB so this is just social media reading way too much into this.

Why is he playing there in training?. He is all of 5' 8". We have seen this crap before. Monreal, Sagna at CB. He does it because he knows he can still sneak 4th with all his BS.

[Munchies]

http://gianlucadimarzio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Schermata-2016-07-28-alle-17.46.24.png

Milik in Napoli

replacement done!

That was fast eh

[Özim]

Coquelin has been playing at CB in training. That doesn't mean he'll play there during the season.

Wenger has already said he wants to sign an experienced CB so this is just social media reading way too much into this.

Wenger is a BS merchant tbh.

[Özim]

http://gianlucadimarzio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Schermata-2016-07-28-alle-17.46.24.png

Milik in Napoli

replacement done!

That was fast eh

Can't be right, the market is in a waiting period at the moment, everyone knows it takes 3 months to sign players and that signings should generally happen on the 31st August.

[Özim]

Why is he playing there in training?. He is all of 5' 8". We have seen this crap before. Monreal, Sagna at CB. He does it because he knows he can still sneak 4th with all his BS.

Yeah time and time again, one thing LeClown can't be accused of is unpredictability, he does the same every single season.

[fakeyank]

Coquelin has been playing at CB in training. That doesn't mean he'll play there during the season.

Wenger has already said he wants to sign an experienced CB so this is just social media reading way too much into this.

I think you forget who our manager is... that man is the biggest WUM in human history. Frankly, I can see him playing Sanchez as CB just to fuck with the fans.

And please dont go by what he has to say.. an 80 year old dementia patient makes more sense than him.

[bignev]

Why is he playing there in training?. He is all of 5' 8". We have seen this crap before. Monreal, Sagna at CB. He does it because he knows he can still sneak 4th with all his BS.

Kos, Mert and Gabriel are all out for various reasons. Holden has literally just joined the club. We have to play someone in that position for training to partner Chambers.

You're getting carried away by the media hype.

BTW I'm not defending Wenger or the board here. They are definitely making a mess of transfers this summer, as they have done in previous summers. I just don't think this specific thing is something to read too much into.

[Power n Glory]

What happened to Monreal playing as CB? I wouldn't put it past Wenger to play Coquelin as CB. He was a first team starter last season but with Xhaka arriving, I think Wenger will play Xhaka as DM instead of CM.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

No talk about the transfer rumours actually filtering round I notice.

Mahrez is on his way according to some Algerian website that nobody has ever heard of.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/1516010/arsenal-set-to-bag-riyad-mahrez-for-37m-in-the-next-few-days-according-to-reports/

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

No talk about the transfer rumours actually filtering round I notice.

Mahrez is on his way according to some Algerian website that nobody has ever heard of.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/1516010/arsenal-set-to-bag-riyad-mahrez-for-37m-in-the-next-few-days-according-to-reports/

how many Algerian websites are you aware of?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

http://www.algeria.com/

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Sky Sports reckons we have opened negotiations with Valenica over Mustafi

[Munchies]

Heavy D is on Big Brother in unrelated news :haha:

BOOOOM!

Can he play CB?

[Marc Overmars]

Sky Sports reckons we have opened negotiations with Valenica over Mustafi

Good bit of business if it happens. I'm not entirely convinced about Gabriel, seems a bit gung ho at times, I prefer centre backs with composure.

Merts is probably going to take up Arteta's role of nice guy in the background over the coming years.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Not being funny but who the hell is this Mustafi? Why are we so damn pleased with ourselves that we're going to get him for 20-25 mill....

[Marc Overmars]

It's difficult to really care about the money involved in transfers anymore, you just have to take it with a pinch of salt.

He seems to be regarded well in Valencia and Germany deemed him worthy of their last 2 tournament squads.

[Gooner23]

Don't remember him in the euros but 25 year old CB with German caps is definitely the right profile we should be looking at.

The Mahrez rumours are getting more spurious every time. It's on!

In other news, anyone else see that Nasri has been called out publicly by Pep for being over-weight :lol:

[Marc Overmars]

Atleti and Sevilla linked with Robson-Kanu. :lol:

Amazing what a good tournament can do. Well, one goal.

[Niall_Quinn]

Don't remember him in the euros but 25 year old CB with German caps is definitely the right profile we should be looking at.

The Mahrez rumours are getting more spurious every time. It's on!

In other news, anyone else see that Nasri has been called out publicly by Pep for being over-weight :lol:

I think he said fat, ugly lesbian didn't he?

[Niall_Quinn]

We're being linked with that useless lump Manduzic, or whatever his name is.

[Özim]

Not being funny but who the hell is this Mustafi? Why are we so damn pleased with ourselves that we're going to get him for 20-25 mill....

He'd cost closer to 34 million with add ons. Don't know much about him as didn't pay much attention to him at the Euros but he used to play for Everton, spent some time at Sampdoria and has been with Valencia since 2014.

Apparently we've made no bid for him, I find this odd, surely the first thing you do is make an offer to the club and if they accept it you move on from there?

[Özim]

We're being linked with that useless lump Manduzic, or whatever his name is.

Oh god please no, an awful forward, would be just like Wenger to sign a guy like that, he's done it so many times before, the king of disappointment is Wenger, just when you think he can't disappoint you any more he pulls another dud out of the bag.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I think he said fat, ugly lesbian didn't he?

He's not Luis Aragones :lol:

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

He'd cost closer to 34 million with add ons. Don't know much about him as didn't pay much attention to him at the Euros but he used to play for Everton, spent some time at Sampdoria and has been with Valencia since 2014.

Apparently we've made no bid for him, I find this odd, surely the first thing you do is make an offer to the club and if they accept it you move on from there?

I tend to think most clubs actually speak to the player's agent first, sound out interest....agree in principle on personal terms and then approach the club. It's massively underhand but that's modern football.

[selassie]

He'd cost closer to 34 million with add ons. Don't know much about him as didn't pay much attention to him at the Euros but he used to play for Everton, spent some time at Sampdoria and has been with Valencia since 2014.

Apparently we've made no bid for him, I find this odd, surely the first thing you do is make an offer to the club and if they accept it you move on from there?

Sounds like we've sounded out Mustafi and his agent and will negotiate with Valencia shortly. I dunno...can see this one dragging on like most of our deals...

I also read Valencia are in a bit of financial trouble so no doubt we'll spend most of the time in the negotiations trying to drive the price down!

[selassie]

No talk about the transfer rumours actually filtering round I notice.

Mahrez is on his way according to some Algerian website that nobody has ever heard of.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/1516010/arsenal-set-to-bag-riyad-mahrez-for-37m-in-the-next-few-days-according-to-reports/

Can't say I believe this, fee seems too low. Mind you I thought he would have had more suitors so it may have an element of truth in it.

[Özim]

I tend to think most clubs actually speak to the player's agent first, sound out interest....agree in principle on personal terms and then approach the club. It's massively underhand but that's modern football.

Is that not considered tapping up though?

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Is that not considered tapping up though?

Why yes....yes it is

[Özim]

Why yes....yes it is

Risky game then, always thought they clamped down on tapping up if they caught you out.

[Marc Overmars]

I tend to think most clubs actually speak to the player's agent first, sound out interest....agree in principle on personal terms and then approach the club. It's massively underhand but that's modern football.

Player power.

Kind of admire Liverpool for their stance on Suarez, even though we were the ones who missed out.

[Özim]

Player power.

Kind of admire Liverpool for their stance on Suarez, even though we were the ones who missed out.

Had to be us didn't it, every other club manages to get their player and we somehow manage not to, I agree though but in the end we just didn't want to pay the money, he's now worth 3 times that amount.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Player power.

Kind of admire Liverpool for their stance on Suarez, even though we were the ones who missed out.

When it comes to release fee clauses it's one of those few times where we actually engage with the club before the player. I am fairly sure we never spoke to Suarez or his representatives. Although the £40m and 1 pound bid was an embarassment, it was largely irrelevant in that had we bid 50million we still wouldn't have got him.....i don't think Suarez ever wanted to come to Arsenal, he joined Barcelona a year later that was the move he was holding out for (and in all honesty who can blame the horrible cannibalistic racist)

Same with Vardy clause, we met the minimum release fee in his contract before establishing whether Vardy wanted to join us or not.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Risky game then, always thought they clamped down on tapping up if they caught you out.

Well probably not going to be as brazen about it as Chelsea were over Ashley Cole

[Letters]

every other club manages to get their player and we somehow manage not to
Yes. Every other club always manages to get their transfer targets.
We never do.

That is definitely a fact.

[Niall_Quinn]

It's a fact when it comes to the striker we've needed for 4 years, going on 5. It will be hard to believe if we go into another season without solving that problem.

[Letters]

We got Giroud :sulk:
And Welbeck.

Hmm
The level of striker who would really improve us doesn't grow on trees but I agree it's a problem, one we've not solved. Not for the want of trying but we've not landed any of our big targets in that area and it'll cost us again if we don't sort that out.

[Özim]

We got Giroud :sulk:
And Welbeck.

Hmm
The level of striker who would really improve us doesn't grow on trees but I agree it's a problem, one we've not solved. Not for the want of trying but we've not landed any of our big targets in that area and it'll cost us again if we don't sort that out.

Here we go, always an excuse, I completely disagree, we haven't tried hard enough and haven't wanted to enough, as I said every other club manages to land players they need, it doesn't take 4 friggin years to sign a decent striker if you're genuinely after one FFS and no goal shy bambi isn't one of those!!!

If you believe any of the rumours and most of them are just that rumours, then you'll understand that if we are trying to sign players we go in with lowball offers which are never going to succeed and then don't follow up, moreover we never seem to have more than 1 target on our list, what kind of club is this FFS, well we know actually because as it says in the article NQ


Scott Rosner, a sports business professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, divides the sports tycoons into two categories, between ‘win maximisers’ in it for ego or reflected business benefits, and ‘profit maximisers’ in it for the money.

Roman Abramovich and Sheik Mansour would fall into the first group. Kroenke definitely sits in the second category.

Oh and so is the manager btw, football always comes a distant 2nd to money.

[Niall_Quinn]

We got Giroud :sulk:
And Welbeck.

Hmm
The level of striker who would really improve us doesn't grow on trees but I agree it's a problem, one we've not solved. Not for the want of trying but we've not landed any of our big targets in that area and it'll cost us again if we don't sort that out.

All our competitors landed their targets, and not all of them are moneybags clubs. Where they haven't bought they've promoted from within. We go for cast-offs and misfits because they are relatively cheap. It's not the availability, enough money will shake anyone loose. It's the will to get the job done and accept the market has moved on since the days we were signing hidden potential comparatively cheaply. Those days are gone, regardless of how desperately Wenger wants it to be otherwise. What has the real cost been since RvC left? One title? Two? For want of a striker who can stick the ball in the net on a regular basis. It's one of the fundamentals of the game, like defending, and Wenger leaves us short. But we know this, it's a situation that has been going on forever, or at least it seems like that. There's no excuse for it either. Gazidis' bullshit doesn't hide the fact we have a pile of loot in the bank and more money than we can handle pouring down from Sky and BT. We can afford to spend, in fact we can't afford not to. But try explaining this to the greedy bastards in charge and the prehistoric manager.

[Özim]

It's a fact when it comes to the striker we've needed for 4 years, going on 5. It will be hard to believe if we go into another season without solving that problem.

Yeah but it's not for a lack of trying, we're just unlucky, every other club is just unreasonable and we can't compete with the big clubs :coffee:

[Özim]

All our competitors landed their targets, and not all of them are moneybags clubs. Where they haven't bought they've promoted from within. We go for cast-offs and misfits because they are relatively cheap. It's not the availability, enough money will shake anyone loose. It's the will to get the job done and accept the market has moved on since the days we were signing hidden potential comparatively cheaply. Those days are gone, regardless of how desperately Wenger wants it to be otherwise. What has the real cost been since RvC left? One title? Two? For want of a striker who can stick the ball in the net on a regular basis. It's one of the fundamentals of the game, like defending, and Wenger leaves us short. But we know this, it's a situation that has been going on forever, or at least it seems like that. There's no excuse for it either. Gazidis' bullshit doesn't hide the fact we have a pile of loot in the bank and more money than we can handle pouring down from Sky and BT. We can afford to spend, in fact we can't afford not to. But try explaining this to the greedy bastards in charge and the prehistoric manager.

:goodpost: Absolutely spot on, a few years back we could have signed Suarez or Higuain for a fraction of what they cost now, sadly we were too dum and too greedy to do so, now we have to pay more and if we don't we won't get a decent striker, Arsenal doesn't set the market prices, you either go with it or accept being also rans, I'd say we're more than happy being also rans as long as the money pot remains full to the brim.

If trying is, going in with a lowball offer for one player, an offer than is never going to be accepted in a month of sundays, or going after players who have publicly stated they arent leaving the club or just sitting there and waiting for the waiting period to end and having one target on your trasnfer list, then yes I guess we have tried.

[Özim]

Yes. Every other club always manages to get their transfer targets.
We never do.

That is definitely a fact.

If you look at what happens in the market yes clubs looking for a striker or a specific position generally get one. Once again though you find excuses for things that can't be excused, you need to wake up and smell the coffee tbh, it's long overdue.

[Kano]

Inter president Erick Thohir told Inter Channel: "We're not going to sell Icardi. We've received offers - from Napoli too - but we're not going to sell him. We extended his contract a year ago."
It would take another ridiculous bid to prise him away. Wonder how creative the shit bag writers can get with this one for people to swallow again.

[selassie]

We got Giroud :sulk:
And Welbeck.

Hmm
The level of striker who would really improve us doesn't grow on trees but I agree it's a problem, one we've not solved. Not for the want of trying but we've not landed any of our big targets in that area and it'll cost us again if we don't sort that out.

Come on Letters, they are out there, we just don't want to spend the money to acquire them, it's as simple as that. As said by NQ & Ozim, it's not like we've only recently found a need for a new striker, we've been passively trying for about 4 seasons now.

[Ralpheroo72]

Is it the waiting period yet?

[Letters]

Is it the whining period yet?
Always.

Always...

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Come on Letters, they are out there, we just don't want to spend the money to acquire them, it's as simple as that. As said by NQ & Ozim, it's not like we've only recently found a need for a new striker, we've been passively trying for about 4 seasons now.

I'm not convinced they are, and it's not even necessarily about money. Assuming we were prepared to spend 60million on Lewandowski or Aubemeyang.....would they want to join us, or would they want to wait until a bigger club comes calling.