Get Wanyama in January and bin off Arteta & Flamini (despite his Tottenham heroics) at end of season.
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Get Wanyama in January and bin off Arteta & Flamini (despite his Tottenham heroics) at end of season.
It really hasn't. Are you new here? Agreed that more people have become disillusioned with him as time has gone by but after a couple of years people were whining on here, certainly after 3 and we never had a season anything like as bad as Dortmund did last year. As you say, at worst we were touch and go for top 4, we never flirted with relegation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
Agreed, but a lot of that time was when we were financially hamstrung by the new stadium move, the billionaires were running amok and our top players were being poached too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
It is difficult to compare Wenger and Klopp, different leagues, different situations. But I still maintain that if we'd ever had a season like Dortmund had last year I don't think anyone on here would be defending Wenger ("You would, Letter's" - just thought I'd type that to save you doing so), even if it was only a few years after our last major trophy. Players poached or not, they were in the relegation zone in February. Can you imagine this place if that happened to us?!
There are plenty of players who would improve the squad and allow further rotation without undermining the first team level.
Sturridge probably better striker than Walcott but is crocked, Lukaku/Benteke better options than Giroud. Stones could replace Merts but not Kos. Coleman good right back but Bellerin has impressed and cant think of an occasion he has played badly after his debut. Barkley instead of Ramsey.
I think Wenget should have been all over Cabaye but that ship has sailed now. Still can't believe he's playing for Palace.
There are a few players outside the top 4 who we'd be naive to think wouldn't be able to provide us with quality, but I don't think there are many guys who I could catergoricially say would dislodge members of our best 11.
I just don't get the thing about Barkley.Quote:
Barkley instead of Ramsey.
Too much bluster. Can't pick a pass for shit. Might comb a shot in once a month though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn
People were unhappy with the lack of spending and wondering what was going on behind the scenes. 3 years after our last trophy we were close to winning the league and it was the project youth era. People had faith in his youth development skills back then and his eye for talent. He was never a strong tactician but people weren't questioning that so heavily. There would have been heavy criticism of the players, board and manager if we'd have been close to relegation but over the years, the scapegoating and talk of individual players have decreased, the talk of the Board and owners not supporting the club has quietened down as well. Because of the extended run of bad form and different Arsenal players and teams showing the same hallmarks of mental fragility and weakness, the focus is firmly on Wenger.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters
If he'd have gone after 3 years having a season like Klopp's, I don't think he'd get the sort of hammering he's getting now. He'd get some but not concentrated. The Board would be in the firing line and so would the players that let him down. Opinions would be divided on how we've fallen and who's most to blame. With such a steep and sharp decline, it's hard to pinpoint where exactly things have gone wrong. But because it's been a long run, because we've changed players and had brand new teams with the same problems, that same lapse in concentration and frailty and because we now know we have money in the bank without question and Wenger didn't spend on any outfield player, he's bearing the brunt. I've said this before, but if we had sudden decline and swift Wenger exit, the flaws as a manager wouldn't have been so obvious. It's taken years to spot the patterns.
I think Barkley is a genuine talent...but he needs time to hone his skills and is still learning. As is Chamberlain who many on here were saying would have a breakthrough / POTS campaign.
Barkley isn't half the player Ramsey is.
Ramsey is an exceptional talent. He'd be a starter for any team in this league.
I'd say Barkley and Ox were pretty much analogous, both head down dribblers who don't contribute enough defensively.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blink 1nce Quince 2wice
Barkley has the advantage of playing every week as a central attacking midfielder - parachute Ox into that exact situation and I suspect he would outshine Barkley by some distance.