Summer Transfer Shit and Everything Else

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Martinelli was an over-charged box of chaos and randomness with a head that exploded at the critical moment. All that energy and directness had to be focused and disciplined. Who or how is not something we'll know. But Arteta must have had some hand in it.

At a bit of a loss here. It's very strange. For years I moaned on about transfers and the lack of ambition and the soul sapping style of play, the lack of a serious challenge, etc, etc. Others did too.

In the last few years, sadly after I finally lost interest, mostly due to the horrific cynicism and corruption running through the game, we finally see a shift in the play, we see some ambition, we see the shoots of a potential title challenge. We see the club wake up and smell the bullshit that is the modern PL and finally get stuck in with a shovel. We're part of the process again, rather than nailed-on also-rans.

So we are supposed to conclude this has happened despite the manager? Does that make much sense?

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If it was always obvious to me Martinelli was quality from the get go, in Emery’s last few months he was by far our most impressive player. That development stopped when Captain Black came in.

I do agree that it’s good that KSE have decided they want to invest in the club, but it’s tempered by the amount of money that has been wasted and will continue to be wasted on dud players. Fabio Vieira, Zinchenko….that’s almost 70 million we will never see again for players in positions we didn’t need and could have been spent on players in positions we did.

If we succeed it will be despite Arteta not because of him, I still stick by my belief that he should have been fired two and a half years ago.

https://www.skysports.com/football/n...and-midfielder


I can genuinely see this deal falling through. Might have to treat myself to a bottle of Macallan if that happens

Whilst Caicedo is my preference, I’ve seen us linked with Tchouameni…and I’d be immensely satisfied with that

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Might have to treat myself to a bottle of Macallan if that happens

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Explains a lot. Why not go the whole way and have a nice sherry with a slice of cake?

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Explains a lot. Why not go the whole way and have a nice sherry with a slice of cake?

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Let me guess Chivas Regal whilst pretending to yourself that you’re Hunter S Thompson

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

Let me guess Chivas Regal whilst pretending to yourself that you’re Hunter S Thompson

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No dude. Captain Morgan and Captain Jack Sparrow.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

No dude. Captain Morgan and Captain Jack Sparrow.

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Could be worse, could be white rum. I’d have to start talking to you in pidgin

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Originally Posted by Mac76

So bored of seeing mindless criticism of Elneny, he is very clear about the type of player he is and what he can do for the team, he's a tidy, well-organised player who very rarely goves the ball away (are you watching Zinchenko) and also has a good shot on him. He's very useful for the squad and as every informed football watcher knows, it's important to have players like that

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It's not mindless at all though, man.

Elneny is just utterly pointless as a player. He offers literally nothing. You can argue he rarely gives the ball away but that actually largely the issue with him. He takes the ball from A and plays the easiest pass to C. A could just pass directly to C and save us all some time, ffs. He never attempts anything progressive and never offers any option other than a backwards or sideways pass.

That said, I've no issue with him as a squad player. Having played my entire life, still do, players like him and Holding are great to have in the squad. Players aren't machines and despite being paid incredibly well they need the right environment to optimize in. Players like Elneny and Holding help with that, so are worth their place. But let's not pretend they offer anything on the field.

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Originally Posted by mandela8

It's not mindless at all though, man.

Elneny is just utterly pointless as a player. He offers literally nothing. You can argue he rarely gives the ball away but that actually largely the issue with him. He takes the ball from A and plays the easiest pass to C. A could just pass directly to C and save us all some time, ffs. He never attempts anything progressive and never offers any option other than a backwards or sideways pass.

That said, I've no issue with him as a squad player. Having played my entire life, still do, players like him and Holding are great to have in the squad. Players aren't machines and despite being paid incredibly well they need the right environment to optimize in. Players like Elneny and Holding help with that, so are worth their place. But let's not pretend they offer anything on the field.

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I wasn't pretending that, I just get bored with people saying 'Elneny is s**t' becasue they're essentially projecting onto him entirely false expectations regarding the type of player is or the job he can do for us

It's like complaining that a VW Golf (or pick another example if you don't like the Golf) - which is a perfectly good everyday car that does what it's supposed to do - isn't a Ferrari

That doesn't make the Golf a bad car - it just isn't a Ferrari

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

If it was always obvious to me Martinelli was quality from the get go, in Emery’s last few months he was by far our most impressive player. That development stopped when Captain Black came in.

I do agree that it’s good that KSE have decided they want to invest in the club, but it’s tempered by the amount of money that has been wasted and will continue to be wasted on dud players. Fabio Vieira, Zinchenko….that’s almost 70 million we will never see again for players in positions we didn’t need and could have been spent on players in positions we did.

If we succeed it will be despite Arteta not because of him, I still stick by my belief that he should have been fired two and a half years ago.

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NQ is correct about Martinelli and one can attribute his improvement directly to Arteta, because Arteta has talked of how he told Martinelli that he 'needed to have gears' - i.e. not be overcharged all the time as NQ puts it, but change pace and use his energy in controlled bursts.

I just wish Arteta would coach more of our players like that instead of starving them of game time and not placing any trust in them

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Originally Posted by Mac76

I wasn't pretending that, I just get bored with people saying 'Elneny is s**t' becasue they're essentially projecting onto him entirely false expectations regarding the type of player is or the job he can do for us

It's like complaining that a VW Golf (or pick another example if you don't like the Golf) - which is a perfectly good everyday car that does what it's supposed to do - isn't a Ferrari

That doesn't make the Golf a bad car - it just isn't a Ferrari

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No I don’t expect him to be top quality, that’s why I was ok with us signing Jorginho who is old and slow because he can do a job. Elneny can’t, I don’t know where you’re getting not easily dispossessed from….he gives away the ball like someone dropping a scalding rock under the tiniest of pressure.