Match reaction: Sunderland v Arsenal - FA Cup

[Flavs]

they're about 2 shrewd signings away from us.

Sadly Pele and Maradonna aren't available for transfer

[Syn]

That Auclair bloke also reckons we pretty much had the Mata signing in the bag but pissed around and delayed things...maybe trying to save a bit more money. Sometimes it's better to pay a premium of a couple of million and get the guy in a month early. Maybe that's a naive way of thinking in business terms but I think the gain in footballing terms beats that.

I don't think Wenger planned on going into the season having sold Nasri and Fabregas and not having any replacements lined up. He made those "you cannot sell both Nasri and Fabregas and tell people you're a big club" comments a month before the sales. Not sure what happened there - but it wasn't decisive management in any case. Same story off-the-pitch as on it.

[Flavs]

That Auclair bloke also reckons we pretty much had the Mata signing in the bag but pissed around and delayed things...maybe trying to save a bit more money. Sometimes it's better to pay a premium of a couple of million and get the guy in a month early. Maybe that's a naive way of thinking in business terms but I think the gain in footballing terms beats that.

I don't think Wenger planned on going into the season having sold Nasri and Fabregas and not having any replacements lined up. He made those "you cannot sell both Nasri and Fabregas and tell people you're a big club" comments a month before the sales. Not sure what happened there - but it wasn't decisive management in any case. Same story off-the-pitch as on it.

The Gazidis effect

[Olivier's xmas twist]

I think after the change in ownership in clubs like Man City/Chelsea etc, Wenger seems to be resigned to the fact that we can't win trophies competing against these teams with such resources. Therefore, he has convinced himself that the next target (which is attainable) is simply to get 4th. However, this sort of reasoning is BS, because even if winning the league is difficult, we can at least properly compete for the cups, rather than treating them with disrespect. Moreover, I don't actually think it was impossible for us to win the league in the last 5 years. We were there or thereabouts until about March/April in 2007-2008, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, but because Wenger has failed to create a strong enough squad in terms of quality, a few injuries and our whole challenge disintegrated. This isn't City's or Chelsea's fault. There have been players available who would have made the difference over the last 5 years, and needn't have cost the earth (like VDV, Parker, Alonso back in 08, etc) Wenger has to take the blame for that. I think he's lowered his ambition, and found City's resurgence as an excuse for concentrating purely on financial matters.

This should stem to some of the fans too, i mean too many were happy for us not to win the CC pr the fa cup, because they were "micky mouse cups", "let the spuds win them" etc.

Its only now were desperate e everyone wants a cup, The fa cup deafeat show me won thing, it don't matter about the teams we have had in the last 6 years the mentality seems to be if its not the league or the CL then their not motivated to win anything else.

Wenger has to take the blame instead of coming out with all thi 4th is king nonsense. he should have won the CC ages ago when project youth started to give them somthing to feel like winners.

The 1st day you walk in to old trafford as a new signing. you feel like a winner, you get excited because you know a medal is on the way even if you have to wait a year. (this has happend for a long time now)

Where as with us (Its Yep they play nice football have nice players, but your not sure when you will win that medal). Cesc said it best last season the club needs to know whether it wants to win cups or devleop kids and it still needs too.

Ambromvic may be a corrupt **** who has bad morals but he is ambitious and knows what he wants. Not saying he is right in sacking every manager who fails to win the cl thats silly but at least its win something or go.

Who on the board has even thought "you know what we have given AW too much run off the field and need to take some off him, no one their happy to let him do every thing but take the flack at the same time.

Danny Fizman must be turning in his grave seeing what is happening to the club.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

That Auclair bloke also reckons we pretty much had the Mata signing in the bag but pissed around and delayed things...maybe trying to save a bit more money. Sometimes it's better to pay a premium of a couple of million and get the guy in a month early. Maybe that's a naive way of thinking in business terms but I think the gain in footballing terms beats that.

I don't think Wenger planned on going into the season having sold Nasri and Fabregas and not having any replacements lined up. He made those "you cannot sell both Nasri and Fabregas and tell people you're a big club" comments a month before the sales. Not sure what happened there - but it wasn't decisive management in any case. Same story off-the-pitch as on it.

Winterburn said the same thing yesterday on TS, That Wenger lined up a deal and the money was not released in time, thats why he tried to panic bu Gotze on the last day of the window but it got rejected.

Wenger thought he'd keep cesc all in all, i Think he knew the board would never have accpeted Nasri staying and going on a free, so i think he tried to convince cesc to stay when he knew he could not he caved in to pressure (being their friend not their manager mode) and gave in.