Super Super Quality Transfer Speculation & Shit

[Unai Tea]

Who's talking about spending like Chelsea? Why is it when anybody mentions about us strenghtening our squad folks start saying we can't spend like Chelsea? It's like a standard Arsene Wenger response!

Well, I was responding to the chap suggesting we lack ambition because we don't have a team full of highly priced superstars - a conglameration the like of which can only be put together by teams spending heavily without fear of financial repercussions - like man city, like chelsea.

I think we need to clear out 10 players, as it seems they are doing, and then add 3-4 good first team players on top of Podolski. I think Podolski is a great addition to our team. We will not outspend chelsea. But I'm certainly not suggesting we don't bother doing anything at all.

[selassie]

and yet players seem very interested in signing for them, more so than for us. If you want to better yourself you need better players, signing joe bloggs from the French league all the time isn't really going to work.

That does seem to be the case sadly. It really pisses me off because a couple of years ago players wouldn't think twice about choosing us over them.

[Özim]

Well, I was responding to the chap suggesting we lack ambition because we don't have a team full of highly priced superstars - a conglameration the like of which can only be put together by teams spending heavily without fear of financial repercussions - like man city, like chelsea.

I disagree, you can have top players without spending hundreds of millions, but you need to sign players on the way up in the mould of the Hazards.

[Özim]

Other top teams are more attractive because they can pay more and because they can pay more, they win more. Because they win more they are more attractive. More money, more attractive.

So you ask me, why don't we have more money. That's what it boils down to.




That's a lovely anecdotal statement which doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. Who've they signed so far? Who's desperate to join them because of their unrivalled ambition? Hazard? Tevez? Lavezzi? Falcao? Hulk? Show me quotes please because I missed them.

And if that's not the case, what are you talking about? They clearly lack ambition.

It's not just money I'm afraid, if it was we'd have never signed Pires of Campbell back in the day when up against Barca and Real. Players look for teams who show ambition and want to be the best, they also look at teams who have top players to play alongside (just like they did when Henry was about), in addition style of play counts....to put it down to money alone is narrowmindedness...there are other factors or else everyone would choose Man City.

As for Spurs in a head to head for a player I'm pretty sure they are the more attractive proposition with their style of play and perceived ambition (Van der Vaarts, Bale, Modric etc), they spend money on recognisable players whereas we tend to stick to buying relative unknowns. I've heard many times over the last year or two how a player would love to play for them.

[Niall_Quinn]

I disagree, you can have top players without spending hundreds of millions, but you need to sign players on the way up in the mould of the Hazards.

When players "on the way up" start costing £32mill and demanding £200K a week then you let them sail past and get ready to laugh when you spot them on the way down.

[selassie]

Well, I was responding to the chap suggesting we lack ambition because we don't have a team full of highly priced superstars - a conglameration the like of which can only be put together by teams spending heavily without fear of financial repercussions - like man city, like chelsea.

It's true that we lack ambition. I don't think Zimm was suggesting we load the team with "Hazards", more a case of signing an "elite" talent mixed in with some seasoned pros like Arteta and good quality talent home & abroad. We just seem to lack that extra bit of amibition. I personally think in some ways our transfer policy has gotten worse over the past few years. Last summer clearly highlighted that we don't have a strategy or any kind of vision.

[selassie]

When players "on the way up" start costing £32mill and demanding £200K a week then you let them sail past and get ready to laugh when you spot them on the way down.

You could also argue that spending that extra million or two on Alonso or Mata could have made quite a difference. It works both ways.

[Unai Tea]

I disagree, you can have top players without spending hundreds of millions, but you need to sign players on the way up in the mould of the Hazards.

I completely agree. But players on the way up like Hazard who will cost £32m and crush our pay structure look very similar to players who've arrived. Whether or not we ante'd up to the hazard party I don't know. By all accounts he's a special talent - bit of a dick obviously, but very good by all accounts.

Certainly players like M'vila and kagawa fit the mold of 'players on the way up'. If we manage to get our grubby paws on both of them we'll be well on our way. Throw in an uninjured Wilshere and a growing Ox, as NQ suggests, and we have the makings of a very good and competitive side.

When players "on the way up" start costing £32mill and demanding £200K a week then you let them sail past and get ready to laugh when you spot them on the way down.

Didn't see this before I posted but yes, exactly.

[Özim]

When players "on the way up" start costing £32mill and demanding £200K a week then you let them sail past and get ready to laugh when you spot them on the way down.

I wasn't necessarily suggesting Hazard, there are other examples that exist, they won't be 10 million but at the same time we could afford them if we chose to...sadly we seem hung up on signing players for as little moneyt as possible and have no interest in up and coming potential stars or players who can make the difference.

In addition if we were a more attractive proposition in terms of playing style, team sheet and perceived ambition (i.e signing players that people actually know and can see potential with), players might see us as a team on the way up and may well want to be part of the setup. If you can't pay huge wages you have to have something else on offer, as far as I can see we offer very little.

[Özim]

It's true that we lack ambition. I don't think Zimm was suggesting we load the team with "Hazards", more a case of signing an "elite" talent mixed in with some seasoned pros like Arteta and good quality talent home & abroad. We just seem to lack that extra bit of amibition. I personally think in some ways our transfer policy has gotten worse over the past few years. Last summer clearly highlighted that we don't have a strategy or any kind of vision.

Totally agree, last summer we had an opportunity, we lost two high profile players and we could have gone out and found one or two ambitious buys who may be close to being very special. Instead we signed players who whilst they are decent players are not players who are really going to win you any titles.

You could argue that Ox Chamberlain was in that mould however he was neither established enough or old enough to fit into this category as good a player as he is, in addition he's been scarcely played which suggests he's another "one for the future" a future which never arrives incidentally.