I think he'd take a wage cut but from an Arsenal perspective, the main question should be focused on what he brings to the team. Will he be the difference to a Prem title?
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I think he'd take a wage cut but from an Arsenal perspective, the main question should be focused on what he brings to the team. Will he be the difference to a Prem title?
Quite a few sites running this story now, or at least something like it (some are saying it's just the fee that's been agreed) - no doubt most of them are just rehashing the same original story, but at least there seems to be a lot of smoke here...Quote:
Originally Posted by selassie
Aye, I definitely think "we are on his case" so to speak. Would be a great signing if we pull it off.Quote:
Originally Posted by I am invisible
under the right manager, yes he would. unfortunately injuries and mismanagement of the squad will continue to hinder us. we should finish higher than fourth though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
Seems expensive but who cares, it's not my money!
:scarf:
P'n'G, if he can play at the level he was playing at Real pre his ACL injury then he will make us strong challengers for PL and I would expect us to go far in CL.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
Khedira is the finished product, he has great stamina and covers loads of ground, is technically decent, strong and decent tactically. He's like an upgraded version of Flamini when Flamini was in his prime.
Khedira would massively upgrade our Midfield IMO.
If Mourinho wants him, then you know he must be a pretty good fit for DM.
Cracking signing if we pull it off, I just hope his fitness doesn't become a recurring issue.
That’s a massive ‘yes’. That’s all that really matters. We should be putting football and the squad ahead of the balance sheets.Quote:
Originally Posted by selassie
Moruinho is a cock blocking prick. Chelsea really don't need another central midfield player. Glad we've beat them to the punch.
Note they gave Özil a 7 in the match review :faint:Quote:
Originally Posted by Maestro
The worrying part about that article is:Quote:
Originally Posted by Maestro
If that's true I don't think that he's the right player for us. Unless Ramsey and Ozil significantly change the way they play, we basically need a holding midfielder.Quote:
He is reported to have never fully settled in the Spanish capital, where he has been asked to be become more of a holding midfielder - at his best for Germany and Stuttgart he has been a true box-to-box presence.
I've always been of the mind that the best midfielders are box to box nowadays. The Makele role is long dead.
As long as they are disciplined to read the game and be present and aware with developing danger then we don't need someone sitting on the half way line for most of the game.
Khedira is a definite upgrade on Arteta and Flams put together but if i was to choose between him Schneiderlin then id choose the latter everytime. He is a DCM by trade, has loads of experience in the PL, is younger and looks stronger and would probably cost around the same.
Hold on, WTF is going on here?
8 years in the wilderness and all of a sudden we're signing players from Barcelona and Real, seeing off the likes of Juventus and Chelsea?
Anyway, based on last seasons stats from that Squawka comparison tool, Schneiderlin looks by far the strongest option.
Sign him and I think we would pretty much steamroll all of the middle to lower order teams in the league.
Statistically Khedira looks a lot less strong, so he may well be less effective week to week.
Where I think he would shine though, is in those games we struggled last season, the 'big' games.
Khedira's seen it all, World Cup final, CL final, La Liga winner - nothing should phase him.
If football is n% mental, that goes doubly so for big games (2n%).
I also liked the way he leapt from the bench when Schweini caught one in the face last night.
Guy's ready to fight for his team.
:gp:Quote:
Originally Posted by Fist of Lehmann
We don't have to have the same set-up for every game. Why is a defensive midfielder needed when we play Cardiff, Norwich at home or Coventry in the cup? Aren't our defense good enough against pub team attackers?
We can play games with Khedira, Ozil & Rambo playing behind Walcot, Sanchez & Podolski for example ( still refuse to acknowledge Giroud as footballer). However when we play City & Liverpool, we can adopt the Schneiderlin approach, strengthen midfield & use the pace of Walcott & Sanchez on the counter.
We still have the likes of Wheelchair, Cazorla, Ox, Gnabbers to fit in at times but with our usual injury problems we have to have this strength in depth.
Don't see any issues with having two intelligent box to box midfielders alternating duties, we just need to make sure we get it right on the training pitch. Ramsey would be the other half of that partnership and he's more than capable. Vieira wasn't exactly a guy who spent 90 mins sitting in front of the back four.
I'd value natural ability on the ball as highly as strength and discipline, those rough, tough types who break everything up are all well and good until they hoof the ball and give it away. For me that's only 50% of the job done. Distribution and availability is important to keep the team on the front foot and the opponent under pressure. We are a team that used to excel in retaining possession, we've lost that in recent years. We need it back so for me Khedira is the better option compared to Schneiderlin, regardless of stats. Plus you can't underestimate the declaration of ambition and intent. Khedira is a much bigger signing, he sends out a louder message, he already has a rapport with Ozil, he's a world Cup winner. I don't think there's any real comparison.
It's just amazing we are even talking about signing this guy on the back of another huge signing (fat fuck Samuel's assassination piece notwithstanding). Our rivals have spent a lot of time laughing at us. Sign this guy plus a decent backup GK and add Remy to the mix if he can be persuaded to come down from cloud cuckoo land on the wages and I don't think anyone will be laughing. There will be genuine concern there. Tag on the fact we're running the club properly and our profits are real profits, add the fact we'll expand the fan base internationally by bringing these types of players in. The trend is up. We need to keep it heading in that direction. I wish we'd gone mad and signed Pogba, but Khedira will certainly do.
It's called - from the ridiculous to the sublime.Quote:
Hold on, WTF is going on here?
Whether Podolski was a worthy acquisition or not is not what is in question here but I can see I am about to go round in circles so will respectfully disagree on a few things and leave it be.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpha
I think part of the reason Wenger would be interested is that Khedira offers a bigger physical presence and is good in the air. Sagna fought and won lots of headers. Szczesny lumped it for Sagna from goal kicks and Sagna also cleared a lot of corners. But I'm unsure of a Ramsey-Khedira pairing with no defensive mid. Vieira had Petit and then Gilberto to cover. This wouldn't be a similar thing.
Didn't really believe any of this Sami K stuff till the last few days. Nobody has denied anything and this summer unlike many past, there has been a lot less denial from the manager and club. There is obviously usually a sub plot of poker being played but I tend to believe Wenger on the odd occasions this summer when he has denied things, like with the interest in Balotelli.
I'm just delighted we appear not to be willing to let the window slip without signing some proper players in positions we need them in. If we signed Sami K it would be mental! I would definitely learn how to spell his name then too.
I was thinking of those partnerships you mentioned myself and I do tend to think that Petit was less of a sit and hold type than we tend to remember him as. I think there was a little more sharing and alternating which is seldom seen. They basically did what Gerrard and Lampard couldn't although admittedly it is easier to achieve at club level.Quote:
Originally Posted by Syn
Yes, that’s what I also remember. Two rock solid bastards you’d have to struggle through before getting to Adams and co. Sammy and Rambo…if Ramsey didn’t have an engine and didn’t put in a lot of work on the tackling side, it could be more of a problem. I think they’d work fine together.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blink 1nce Quince 2wice
I don't think the Makelele role is dead really, look at Busquets for Barca, Lahm for Bayern and Alonso for Real. They don't need to be as passive as Makelele or Gilberto were but they do play a very important role in protecting that area in front of the defence and in switching from defence to attack. That doesn't mean they can't venture forward when there's space, but doing that occasionally doesn't make you a box-to-box midfielder. You don't see a rotating midfield pair as often because it's harder to play and to put into practice.
Having two box to box midfielders can sometimes be more restrictive. Ramsey and Yaya Toure were the two best box to box midfielders in the league last season but I doubt they could, or would like to, play next to each other in a two man CM. Both of those players thrive on having the unrestricted freedom to bomb up and down the pitch as often as they can, and they both have the stamina for it too. They don't want to think about when to go forward and when to stay back. You would probably lose something from both players.
Wenger plays Arteta in a holding role so it's safe to assume that he'll expect whoever he brings in to do the same job.
Get Khedira and Schneiderlin/Bender - problem solved. This management lark is a piece of piss...
This idea that he can't be effective with Ramsey is nonsense. Where's the 'proper' DM in Germany's midfield? Khedira and Schweinsteiger done pretty well.
And did Arteta come here as a DM? No. He turned into one (although that's debatable).
I don't get why Arteta gets so much stick. He's been reliable year after year, for those who go by statistics he's one of the best rated in Europe, he never has a bad word to say about the club, doesn't whinge, is a consummate professional, several times he's had the bottle to score crucial goals including pressure laden pens. He's been asked to play a new role at Arsenal and he's done it without complaint. He's getting on a bit now, bit slower, not as dynamic as he was. But the stick he gets is totally unreasonable. We're possibly bringing in better players, all that really remains if that happens is to thank Arteta for helping bring us to this point and acknowledge the role he's played. Some on here say they've never seen a worse DM, or that he's a useless player in general, the weak link. That's total bullshit. I can understand fucks like Bendtner getting flak, but not Arteta.
I couldn't agree more.
Also as Yellow rib pointed out Germany won a world cup without an obvious, discernible or well established holding midfielder and without the services of Bender.
Alternating between the 'sitter' and the venturer is not the relentless task it once was. What was once a midfield 2 is now usually a midfield 3 and you have strength in numbers. A percentage of that defensive work is implicit and perhaps more subtle in that teams win the ball back by their greater numbers and close proximity to each other in midfield squeezing the space. That is different to a time when 1 bloke would frantically chase anything that moved in the opposition shirt.
I don't think it is hard to imagine that Ramsey and Khedira might work quite nicely.
I'd rather us sign Khedira and then buy a cheaper holding player like Mavuba or M'vila who won't cost the bucks Bender will.
Exactly. If anything the trend seems to be moving away from playing a dedicated 'DM' in the Makelele/Gilberto kind of mould.Quote:
Originally Posted by She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
Germany didn't have one, Bayern don't really have one, Martinez is the deepest lying of their Midfielders but he gets about the pitch. Real Madrid don't have, Alonso is more defensively minded but he also gets about the pitch.
As stated, I think if Khedira is brought in, Wenger will work on him and Ramsey covering for each other, Ramsey may be the more advanced of the pairing but I would imagine Khedira will get about the pitch too.
I get what you guys are saying but what this team needs is a solid DCM who can dominate that area and do what Arteta is supposed to do. Khedira was the more advanced of the 3 in the world cup and Schwein was the one sitting deep and doing the DCM job.
The move has reportedly stalled over his huge wage demand.
Finally, at least somebody could see it. And completely agree. In any case if we believe Arsenal's interest is real then I suppose we also believe that Khedira's wage demands are too high for Arsenal.Quote:
Originally Posted by AFC Leveller
How much is he on at Real?
Not that much, apparently (I've read 50-60k in pounds) but he won't sign a new contract (only has a year left) because he wants too much money. So Real Madrid are willing to sell him. From Arsenal's perspective, the transfer fee of £20m isn't the problem but the wages are.
150k or so.Quote:
Originally Posted by Penguin
Yeah I read that too and I read that his wage demands to come here are 150k per week. Not sure I believe that but if it's true then he'll be Chelsea bound.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Schneiderlin would be the better option for us anyway. Would really like us to sign him up.
Said we should have signed Scheweinsteiger three years ago, and two years ago, and last year and I say it again this year. Shame though because the years are ticking on. Even so, the guy remain the best at what he does. We'd still get 3-4 years out of him, enough time to put our Pogba bid together. But the dedicated DCM thing is a bit of a red herring in terms of Arsenal. Vieira was the best we ever had, but he wasn't a DCM in the true sense. If we could find a carbon copy nobody would have any problems with sticking him in the team with Ramsey. Adding all the other reasons I mentioned in an earlier post, Khedira is the right move and I hope we pull it off. But I've seen the same reports, apparently his demands are a bit silly. Some say imminent, it looks to be more like 50/50. But that's a huge improvement on the 100% no chance made up fantasy bullshit we've seen in prior seasons.Quote:
Originally Posted by AFC Leveller
Well if the reports are to be believed we've cooled our interest in Schneiderlin because Southampton want 20mill + for him. To be fair to Southampton they are well within their rights to demand big money for him, they have already milked Man United & Liverpool for 2 of their talents.Quote:
Originally Posted by AFC Leveller
Whoever we buy is going to cost a fair bit, If it isn't Khedira or Schneiderlin then it's going to be Lars Bender and he won't come cheap.