Really should be going all out for Sporting Lisbons William Carvalho....then again. Whats Gareth Barry doing nowadays?
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Really should be going all out for Sporting Lisbons William Carvalho....then again. Whats Gareth Barry doing nowadays?
02 & 03: Consecutive FA Cups
Sign Lehmann (33)
03/04: Undefeated
14 & 15: Consecutive FA Cups
Sign Cech (33)
15/16:
https://scontent-ams3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...19&oe=5620C4F9
4th?Quote:
Originally Posted by AFC Leveller
Also we failed to sign anyone else apart from Gael Clichy and largely the unbeaten team was built around those we already had at the club.Quote:
Originally Posted by AFC Leveller
Also I think we went unbeaten despite Lehmann, I think people have rose tinted spectacles as to what a liability he was....don't get me wrong he was a very good goalkeeper but he also was extremely rash (off the top of my head, winning the title at White hart lane with a 2-2 draw that should have been a 2-1 victory if not for Lehmann being a twat and then the Champions League final he had a moment of insanity after performing fantastically en route to the final).
Yeah, Jens had a very high ceiling which he reached from time to time but he was very capable of undermining that with a moment of madness.
He's certainly a cult hero though because he was a great WUM.
Mad Jens had his moments i agree but he was solid, professional and good at his job.
Telegraph trying to hide the fact they perform zero due diligence and run with any old shit they find on the internet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn
Grabbed the Vidal story from a fake twitter account, then try to tell everyone Arsenal have ENDED their fake interest.
Telegraph, it's just a broadsheet Metro.
According to Philippe Auclair Schneiderlin prefers Arsenal but there is some problem between his agent and the club.
Probably demanding some ridiculous kickback, so I doubt we'll deal.
Agents should be killed.
Excellent point.Quote:
Agents should be killed.
Burned in a wicker man?Quote:
Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn
If Schneiderlin wanted Arsenal, why would he let his agent block the move? More likely is Arsenal were never really interested in a midfielder - which Wenger has told us about 50 times already. He's happy with what he has there. I would've liked Schneiderlin but I think if Wenger wanted him he would've got it done last season.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...-10355221.html
got a good feeling about this boy. Think he'll go far in his new journalism career.
He tweeted 'prefers', it doesn't seem particularly unequivocal. I'm sure last year someone said he preferred Tottnumb because of Pochettino.Quote:
Originally Posted by Syn
Does anybody on here really think that Wenger will sign 3 more players that will mean we will have a good chance in the Premiership and the CL next season ?
We still need a central defender because Mertersacker is not good enough.
We need a defensive midfielder to replace Coquelin when he gets injured, Flamini and Arteta are not good enough.
We need a striker because Giroud and Welbeck are not prolific enough and Theo is injury prone.
I doubt Wenger is going to do all that.
Giroud did score 20 goals last season and he didn't play until novemeber so he's pretty good and largely reliable fitness wise. Came back from a broken leg and don't think missed a game through injury since. I think between Alexis, Giroud, Walcott and Welbeck that should get us 60 goals. We will be ok with that strike force, however if we could get a benzema etc then hopefully wenger will do what he did when Cech came, be ruthless for the sake of the team.Quote:
Originally Posted by dostoy
For now, i would rather focus on replacing Arteta (who i would keep, as he is a good influence ) and flamini. Thats the priority.
Defence is fine, Mertescaker is a very good player, but i think gabriel will come into the team. We also have chambers and monreal in a dire emergency
Good post, good post.
Giroud blows hot and cold too much. In 2013/14 he was brilliant for 8 or 9 games and then he turned into a pub striker for the rest of the season. Same again last season, he went on a very good run and then went seven games without scoring. And it wasn't just about the goals, his performances in general went down the toilet too. No chance of winning the league if our main striker is that inconsistent.
Even if he did get more consistent, he's not in the same class of strikers as our rivals' - Aguero, Costa and RVP(when fit) can win games themselves, whereas most of Giroud's goals are tap ins. When the team plays badly so does he. DM and CB can wait, but we need a striker.
I disagree about Costa winning games on his own, I wouldn't even say he was a world class striker. Costa needs service and Chelsea won the league without a proper or full fit striker for a lot of games.
Unless a real quality player becomes available I don't think we will sign another striker as Welbeck, Giroud, Walcott and Sanchez can all lead the line and unless one of those is sold I cant see us bringing anyone new in. We have also had Ozil, the Ox and Ramsey play in the front three last season too.
I would like to see another CB to usurp Merte and actually another strong midfielder as I think we are getting a little carried away with Coquelin who has only played 6 months of decent football for us and would prefer us to have someone else in place who can either rotate with him to keep both fresh as it is an energetic role or even replace him and have him as 2nd choice.
Having said that I cant see us signing more than one more player.
I'd take Costa over Giroud but I agree, he's a striker that relies on service. Seeing how it gets lost in Spain's tika taka style, I wonder if he'd have the same problems if we signed him.
Unless Ramsey is going to step back up to deity level and assuming we won't stump up the cash for Pogba, we'll be needing to sign Vidal. Window opened today I think so hopefully the deal will be completed by the end of the week. I mean why would we wait around?
If you put Vieira (in his prime) into the midfield of our current squad we'd win the title. A player who can dominate and distribute (forwards) or go and do the job himself if the lads up top are having a day off. Cazorla did it a couple of times last season but come on, we can hardly pin that role full time on a guy who's 5 feet tall in heels and made of straw. If only Diaby was made of the same stuff as Paddy. I can see what Wenger was trying to do there. There's a chance to put that plan back on track by signing Vidal.
Chec - Kos - Vidal - ???
Isn't it about time Theo Walcott delivered on all that potential and grabbed that spot?
We're supposedly interested in both the Bender twins. :lol:
https://38.media.tumblr.com/1ae80f94...4p4so4_400.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
We need to get rid of midfielders first
Arteta and Flamini, and arguably one of Cazorla, Wilshere and Ramsey just to accommodate one holding midfielder
Players we absolutely don't need. Same as Sterling, why would we sign dupes?Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Why would we even contemplate doing that? It's a long season and you go into it hoping you'll end up playing the maximum number of matches possible. All three of the players are top quality and would cost fortunes to replace/ upgrade.Quote:
and arguably one of Cazorla, Wilshere and Ramsey
Arteta and Flamini, hard to see what role they will play on the pitch next season, except as emergency cover.
Diaby has gone, that opens up a slot. Podolski will likely follow so there's another one.
Podolski is a striker played as a winger because he can only play as part of a front two
At the moment we have Cazorla, Ozil, Rosicky, Wilshere, Ramsey, Coquelin, Arteta and Flamini
That's eight players to fill three positions....If you count out the foolish option of playing any of these players on the wing
Cazorla is 30 now and inconsistent he has as many bad games as he does good games...I honestly think if a club were to offer decent money for him we should accept it, Ramsey is too slow for the type of game we should be looking to play....plus his passing under no pressure is suspect. Wilshere should be kept but arguably only as cover for Ozil who is a far superior ball distributor.
Then you bring in someone like Vidal as a destroyer
Then all we really need is a striker, we have Sanchez, Welbeck, Walcott and Ox on the wings
It comes down to picking the right team for the occasion, depending on the opponent, the significance of the match and a whole host of other factors. Squad rotation over what will hopefully be a very long season packed with games. That's what we are shit at right now and that's what has to improve. We'll need all those players, bar maybe Arteta and Flamini, if we want to mount a serious challenge on several fronts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie
Vidal as a destroyer would be a complete waste. He's a high energy, high tempo, box to box midfielder who provides an attacking threat and he's surprisingly good in the air.
To provide the balancing act of squad rotation and giving players enough game time you arguably want a squad of no more than 23, that way you provide cover for each position and can rotate based as you say on the opposition and importance of the fixture.
Eight players is too much for three positions, especially as so many of them are not up to scratch.....Arteta and Flamini going should be a no brainier, and then arguably if you need to bring in a strong midfield presence be it a destroyer or a box to box midfielder, but someone who can win the ball and offer protection.....then someone else perhaps needs to go. I have thought for ages we have too many attack minded central midfielders....and we only seem to accommodate them all by shoe horning them into positions they aren't suited to.
Walcott will be our new striker, with the amount of midfielders we have and Wenger's comments about Coquelin then I can't see us buying a new guy there. Maybe a defender but that will be that.
We should buy before we sell and no way should we be selling Cazorla. Can't see us buying a central midfield anyway.
:lol:Quote:
Sky Sports News HQ @SkySportsNewsHQ · 1h1 hour ago
BREAKING: Sky Italia sources: @stokecity agree fee of £12million with @Inter for Xherdan Shaqiri. #SSNHQ
First Bojan, now Shaqiri. Stoke is the new proving ground for failed wonder kids.
Woulsn't say Shaquiri is a failed wonder kid, he's a very good player.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
If he had signed him, you'd have probably said "he is nothing special, didnt even make it at Inter".Quote:
Originally Posted by Özim
No always rated, him very talented natural winger.Quote:
Originally Posted by AFC Leveller
:haha:Quote:
Originally Posted by AFC Leveller
So we have a new keeper, definitely a good thing as we needed to replace the ones we had, what's happening next are we going to be signing any other players we actually need or is this going to be the usual summer where we fail to add the players we need.
A consistent goalscorer would be top of the list, and someone tough in midfield would be good.
:console:Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters
You're so predictable :yawn:
That makes two of us :coffee:Quote:
Originally Posted by Özim
The next most important position to strengthen is someone to cover for Coquelin.
He cannot play every game and when he gets injured then who.
Flam and Art are not good enough.
Why did we not get Kondogbia or Schniederlin I don't know.
Is it because they are French and Coquelin is French ?
It's because it doesn't make sense to spend £20-£25m on someone that's going to warm the bench just for emergency. Arteta is good enough for cover and if he wants to get into the best shape and form of his life, no better way than having someone like Coquelin ahead of him. I also think Rosicky can cover if things get really bad or even Chambers. DM cover shouldn't be a priority.Quote:
Originally Posted by dostoy
We need an attacker. Either a striker or right winger than can score goals. We need to decide on what we're doing about Giroud, Welbeck, Ox and Walcott. We can't go into a season uncertain about whose starting ahead of who and if we'll get anymore out of them. Personally, I think Walcott should be starting up front. We know what we're going to get from Giroud. He'll never offer that relentless attack where we're just blitzing a team and he's banging in hattricks. We could potentially get that from Walcott.