Maguire is used to English football, that is a fact.Quote:
Originally Posted by Unai Tea
He is also far better than Sokratis.
Pepe IS very slight, that is a fact.
72 million is far too much as well.
Hardly nonsense.
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Maguire is used to English football, that is a fact.Quote:
Originally Posted by Unai Tea
He is also far better than Sokratis.
Pepe IS very slight, that is a fact.
72 million is far too much as well.
Hardly nonsense.
He doesn't look slight to me, not saying he is built like Kolasinac but he doesn't look slight, as in weak.
Such a weird comparison though that reeks of you wanting to believe all the worst in Arsenal and all the best in everybody else.
Being used to English football is such an irrelevance also. Playing in a different environment where a team has different expectations on them - playing for Leicester is not the same as playing for Manchester United.
If we go by stats, Maguire is slightly better than Sokratis. If we go by a subjective perspective, I think Maguire is only slightly better individually than Sokratis. Van Dijk and Laporte are, in fact, 'far better' than Sokratis - but then they are also a good deal better than Maguire. Different level altogether (Let's call it the excellent to world class level). Sokratis and Maguire are operating at a level below that (the above average to pretty good level). Beneath that group are the run of the mill, average group. 'Far better' is hyperbole.Quote:
Originally Posted by dostoy
Pepe is not 'very slight'. He's 6'0, 160 lbs (literally right in the middle of appropriate height/weight ratio for 'normal'). By comparison, Aubamayang is 6'2, 175 lbs. Someone who IS 'very slight' in my view is Mahrez, who is 5'10.5 and 134lbs. That's hugging the bottom rung of what is 'normal' height/weight. So you're being hyperbolic.
In today's transfer market, considering age, production, potential, £72m for Pepe is about right. In the normal world most of us inhabit, it's ridiculous. But however ridiculous it might be, compared to £80m for Maguire, it's cheap as chips.
It’s because he’s not an Arsenal fan. He said it himself some while ago. That’s why he’s upset we signed someone who might turn out to be very good.Quote:
Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...
As you say, the adaptation thing is garbage - it used to be a thing, but hasn’t been for a long time. Players know what to expect when they come to the PL now, especially French players who mostly aspire to get a chance to play here. Various French football media experts have said he’s aggressive and doesn’t get pushed off the ball easily. Think it’s fair to say they know quite a bit more than a random dude on the internet. Whether Pepe can continue to develop his talent is one thing, but it will have very little to do with adjusting to the league.
Courinho rumours are bollocks, but we apparently want to take Umtiti on loan for a season with a view to buying next season.
Better get the best cutlery out Raul.
I have NEVER said I'm not an Arsenal fan, that is 100% incorrect.Quote:
Originally Posted by SMatthews
This is coming from someone who HAS said that he does NOT want Stan to spend his own money on bringing in new players for Arsenal.
HE is the one who is not an Arsenal fan.
I am a realist and I do not get carried away unlike some.
I'm not upset Arsenal signed Pepe but I think he is very slight and will spend a lot of time on the ground.
Arsenal need a CB and a left back before the transfer window ends, it is strange that they have not got either by now.
Surely the likes of Eden hazard have proven that if you’re good enough the slight thing (although I think you’re overstating it) doesn’t matter in the premier league?
This is not the the 70s....
Tierney could be out for at least 8 weeks hindering the deal (think we've enough injured defenders without signing another)
He's 22 though, so although granted I have had my doubts on his injury record - he isn't just being bought for this season.
Well atm we're top of the league until the season starts see if we can stay there for at least 90 minutes :)
I fear the day Aardvark United make it to the PL :(Quote:
Originally Posted by dazthegooner
I don't think you should bother with his comments, he's easily one of the most dishonest people to have a football argument with on this forum.Quote:
Originally Posted by dostoy
This is the same poster that was one of the last AW apologist, spent half of last season slating Lacazette for lack of productivity and the other half canvassing we sell him off because he's productive and could fetch a good price. His ignorance about our finances is exposed time after time by actions and financial results, yet he always uses his " broke Arsenal" myth to support the board or whoever the manger is for our underperforming years. Look at him celebrating a 70million signning that addresses no obvious weakness that his "experts" have identified, the same bloke who told us to be "realistic" and bet on "Team Youth" again!
He's already cuddling the new man in charge and blaming all other teams for why we are not in the CL, yet he's the first to say we shouldn't change anything and we'll never fall out if the top 6. Talk about feeling entitled without putting in the graft.
You shouldn't take him seriously, he's repeatedly proven wrong and now has started making things up. Oh....... and he luvvvvvs Xhaka, that alone should end any sensible argument you may want to have with him.
Oh and as for my feelings on the Pepe signing, in case "someone" wants to come out and twist it... I'm not that enthused, and thats because it doesn't deal with the weakest spots of team, the positions most serious people have identified as our weaknesses.
And again, I'm going back to the past, anytime we've made these kind of signings they weren't really in our weakest spots in the team, it's almost like we make these signings to deflect or something... and I hope we're not going back to those dark day of deflecting and not addressing weaknesses.
This team is crying out for at least 2 really good defenders and a real capable deep lying midfielder that can work with Torrierra or even take over when he's not there.
I can still recall how Mourinho predicted that Man City would be difficult for anyone to compete with because Pep was allowed a free hand to spend disturbing money on defenders (something he claimed he wasn't allowed). Liverpool made a record signing that we laughed off this time last year, and now people are even canvassing he gets a FIfa best player award.
An annoying poster here says Man U would be midtable without De Gea, one of the few things he might be right about.
In short we need to make serious changes about how we defend and take defending as a whole in yhis club; and though I'm certain we are not "broke", the more we spend and deflect with signings like Pepe and now Coutinho, the more I distrust the ability of the people running this club to address footballing issues properly and get us competitive again.
I'm a bit confused here.Quote:
Originally Posted by 21_GOONER_SALUTE
Who are you talking about because I never did any of what you are saying.
I was talking about 'SMatthews', he is the one that said he did not want Stan to spend any of his own money.
I'm not excited about Pepe yet although I might be when he starts playing and I would not have called Hazard slight in any way at all.
Arsenal need a CB and a left back and to get rid of so many players like Elneny, Jenks, Kos, Mustafi, Ozil and maybe Monreal who is too old.
I got the wrong end of the stick.Quote:
Originally Posted by dostoy
http://www.goonersweb.co.uk/forum/sh...t=4011&page=16
Yes you did.Quote:
Originally Posted by SMatthews
Why do you NOT want Stan to spend his own money ?
Arsenal cannot compete with Man City and Liverpool unless he does.
Neverton have tied up the Kean deal for £29m to start with.
United are close to signing Mandzukic apparently. Random.
Given up on Dybala already?
Sarri hates strikers. :lol:
Man Utd end talks with Dybala.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49230085
That's the way BBC paint it anyway, sounds like Dybala didn't want to go there.
I don't think he was talking about you, he was talking about the poster you replied to.Quote:
Originally Posted by dostoy
Can you blame him?Quote:
Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...
I'm very happy with the Pepe signing personally, looks a very good player, perhaps he's not quite as prolific from open play as his goals suggest as 9 were penalties apparently but he'll still score a few and create and give us a decent option on the wing at last.
Have to say tho until Koscielny kicked up a fuss it didn't look like we wanted a centre back (and we still haven't got one with the season approaching) which IMO would have been a massive oversight. When you concede as many goals as we did last season (and have done for the last few seasons), clearly defence is a priority and I'm confused why it didn't seem so for us, I would have expected to have signed some defenders by now, a top team starts with a very good defence, without that you'll never challenge so I don't understand why all we've signed is attack minded players so far.
i guess a problem is simply that in theory we have loads of CBs on the books - Sokratis, Kos, Holding, Chambers, Mustafi (if you can call him a defender but apparently some do...), even Medley and until recently Bielek
i note we've offloaded Takuma Asano and one or two others so we're reducing the wage bill and hopefully the £10m for Bielik will be channelled back into getting a decent CB - but time's running out...
Not gonna lie - I'm starting to panic about the defence now!
It's unlikely that much will change as far as I'm concerned, unless Pepe gels with Auba and Laca to form an attacking trio as good as the one Liverpool have, then maybe we will be able to blow teams away before the defence can undermine everything. Having Holding and Bellerin back soon will help but lets not pretend we were rock solid before their injuries. We need at least 2 new faces at the back IMO but I accept it's not just about bringing in defenders, the midfield also needs to protect them rather than getting overrun. Looking at a certain Swiss CM...
If we can at least get Tierney done then I'd say it's been a good use of our limited funds this summer. On paper anyway. How that plays out on the pitch god knows.
I think we really needed CB,, the ones we have just won't fix the issues we have, Tierney would be great but he'll be out for 7-8 weeks now so the defence will be exactly the same as before which is a real worry considering it was our achilles heel, it's obviously exciting to get a winger and we did need one for sure but the defence was definitely the priority.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
I agree about the protection for the defence, Xhaka just isn't up to it, a substandard player who will always be a liability for us and isn't going to help us improve our defending.
Also one injured to Leno and we're relying on Martinez and he's been pretty error prone in pre-season.
We all know it's a problem - even with new faces in no-one will have faith until we see it played out on the pitch.Quote:
Originally Posted by I am invisible
Even if we got Tierney, we'd have to wait until September to see him, Holding and Bellerin in our back line - so the start of the season could be fun.
- so the start of the season could be fun.[/QUOTE]
Sadist... ;)
Don't understand why we're persisting with AMN at right back, he can't play there, why has noone spotted this, we should have got a backup for Bellerin, AMN isn't an option there, not sure why Emery can't see it.
I'm feeling more upbeat about the midfield than I am the defence. The big issue for me there wasn't so much the lack of defensive protection that the CMs were providing, but all the easily forced errors they've been making. It's been waaaaaaaaaay too easy to pressure them into make stupid mistakes or suicidal / hospital passes right in front of the defence, and we haven't really had anyone in there who could carry the ball away from danger either - if a comfortable pass wasn't on then we looked like we were in trouble straightaway! Someone like Cazorla or Rosicky would have been ideal for countering a high-press, and I'm hoping we might have added that kind of skillset with Ceballos. Willock has also looked surprisingly comfortable as a 6 or an 8 in preseason and, it might just be me, but I also think Guendouzi's decision-making has looked less rash?Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Hopefully the additions of Pepe, Martinelli, Nelson, Nketiah and Saka to the wings and attack should give our opponents a little more to worry about on the counter, so maybe that will take a little bit of pressure off of the defence and midfield too?
We'll have to see, but pre-season hasn't been great defensively and we haven't changed anything there, to be honest I just don't understand the thinking in not having signed any defenders with a few days to go until the season starts, even if someone comes in, it would have been better for them to play pre-season to build up a bit of an understanding with the other defenders.
Other than Tierney we've shown no interested in defenders, this despite having an issue at CB, left back and also right back where AMN is incapable of being cover for Bellerin who won't be back for the start of the season and even when he does come back will take time to get back up to speed, I just don't understand the thinking, has Emery not seen the state of the defence, people said it was his first season and he just wants to give people a change and that's fair enough, but he should have then noticed the defence isn't up to scratch and done something about it.
Our attack will be great, no doubt about that so we'll score plenty and it will be exciting to see Pepe, Auba and Laca and also hopefully the likes of Nelso etc but anytime they're misfiring we'll struggle to get a result.
If we can find a couple of defenders of course, then all that may change.
Malcolm made his debut at Zenit yesterday and was greeted by signs from the ultra's saying "don't sign black players"
They are apparently trying to sell him 3 days after he was signed. Pretty sickening.
I think you'll find Zim is the saddestQuote:
Originally Posted by dazthegooner
(dostoy running him close though)
We are realists not sad.
If Sokratis or Chambers get injured, what happens then ?
Mustafi plays I presume and Monreal will play as there is no-one else.
Its unbelievable the defence has not been strengthened.
Emery says that might be the end of Arsenal spending this summer.
Am I wrong with any of that ?
Right. I don't disagree with that.Quote:
Originally Posted by dostoy
But you keep saying you're a "realist", wasn't it you who said it would be a "miracle" if we finish in the top 4 or won a trophy this season.
We literally finished 2 points off the top 4 last season and got to a major Cup Final.
No, we didn't achieve either of those things but we were close enough to suggest that it wouldn't be a "miracle" if we achieved either this year.
Saying it would be isn't "realism", it's just wallowing in your own misery for reasons best known to yourself.
6 of those pens he actually won himself, which I think is encouraging.Quote:
Originally Posted by Özim
Mustafi may actually start the season regardless of any injuries I'm afraid. Wouldn't surprise me one bit.
I think it would be a miracle to finish in the top 4 as Arsenal seem to mess it up even when its on a plate for them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters
As the defence has not been strengthened and Mustafi and Monreal will be playing far more than they should, it does not inspire confidence at all.
I am not miserable, I just don't get carried away like a some people on here.