Winter Transfer Speculation and Shit.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I thought the chavs just trumped our Mata bid or offer of wages so I don't hold that against him. It would be a lot of money for a player we seemingly don't need. Very good player though he may be.

If we actually coughed up enough of the treasury for him, we would effectively be signing Chelsea's best player. There's something rather poetic about that even if he isn't a priority.

On Balotteli as Yellow Ribs said Mancini was that father figure to him (as expressed by the both of them) and he still couldn't really handle him.

Berbatov would be a strange one if there was any credibility to it. I thought we should have had a proper look a year or so ago. Not so sure now but he would be better than nothing, although that isn't saying much.

[Power n Glory]

I didn't say Anelka needed to speak English, although clearly the manager and the rest of the French contingent aren't the only persons at a football club, it served him well to speak to. The point I was making was that Anelka was quiet, to himself and hardly any trouble at all.

I don't actually consider players who want to leave a football club as being trouble necessarily. Not on that basis alone and Balotelli was not trouble at City simply because he wanted out of the place.

I do have an idea how RvP, Ade and ANelka would have been at other clubs, even if it is still just an opinion, but it is not based on a mere whim. RvP would have had his injury problems where ever he was at. I think the breadth of his injuries allowed him time to mature and the sheer time that has passed.

I was intimating that Ade became a wally whilst with us, not because of us. His good fortune quickly went to his head (ability wise and money wise)....that is different from being an inherently troublesome player from the off which he wasn't at the time.

Anelka is no real trouble he is just a little dour, private and a journeyman and he probably would have been that way whether he started with us or anyone else.

http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles...t-prima-donnas

Been reading this. Quite a few players on that list Wenger has managed. Who knows if Mario can fit in at Arsenal but I wouldn't hold up Arsene's style as a stumbling block. If anything, Mario needs to avoid managers like Mourinho and Mancini. Egos will clash.

Anelka was quiet whilst with us and no trouble. But why? It seems unfair to not credit Wenger for that.

He was only young when here but Anelka's reputation as a deadly striker is based off what he did here over 10 years. No other club has gotten that sort performance from him. The same goes for Adebayor. They both grew too big for their boots but that has a lot to do with big clubs knocking and us not being a big enough club.

Who knows if Wenger is interested in a character like Balotelli and nobody can say for sure if he'd be able to control him but it's worth a punt. So far he looks like the best striker we know that's available this winter.

[Power n Glory]

I thought the chavs just trumped our Mata bid or offer of wages so I don't hold that against him. It would be a lot of money for a player we seemingly don't need. Very good player though he may be.

If we actually coughed up enough of the treasury for him, we would effectively be signing Chelsea's best player. There's something rather poetic about that even if he isn't a priority.

On Balotteli as Yellow Ribs said Mancini was that father figure to him (as expressed by the both of them) and he still couldn't really handle him.

Berbatov would be a strange one if there was any credibility to it. I thought we should have had a proper look a year or so ago. Not so sure now but he would be better than nothing, although that isn't saying much.

Mancini handled things badly with Joe Hart and Tevez. The City team were constantly fighting and that's the sort of environment he breeded. He was overly critical. He publicly said Nasri was training at 50 per cent and Nasri went to the papers to dispute this and say Wenger was the best coach he worked with. His only regret was not having more talks with him before leaving Arsenal. Wow! How bad is that? As said, nobody leaves Arsenal with a bad word to say about Wenger. The don't agree with the 'if Mancini/Jose' comparisons because those two coaches can really rub players the wrong way. Mancini didn't have a cool head and tried to attack his own player in training. That's why he's been sacked from City. Team spirit was low.

[BOBN]

Are you on crack?!?

He was chavs best player before Jose came back.

And they finished below us. Says it all really.

Hazard is better than him, Oscar is better than him, Willian is better than him. But according to some in the media hes "Chelseas most talented player".

Hes a pass and move player, no real magic. People in Spain know the deal. I remember just before it looked like we were getting him, Sid Lowe described him as "less talented than Reyes". Plus hes lazy and slow. Hes basically benefitted from being Spanish, theyre in fashion right now.

[GP]

Willian

[BOBN]

Willian

At being an effective team player yeah. I want my lazy and slow players to be magicians. Matas sheer talent is C-level.

I remember watching a Mata compilation called "season of genius" so some nonsense and about 2 minutes they ran out of material so started showing him taking corners and laying 5 yard passes to Oscar/Hazard who proceeded to score wondergoals.

Hes not better than Rosicky nevermind the others, dont want

[GP]

2/10

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Mancini lost it at City towards the end but it doesn't change the fact that based on his and Balotelli's own words, their relationship was akin to father and son, yet Mancini still couldn't get a tune out of him consistently. Tevez's behaviour was ridiculous at City so I sympathise with Mancini on him.

The problem with Mario over here is that he is a troubled kid well out of his surroundings and easily provoked on and off the field. I suspect the trouble that follows him will be prevalent wherever he is in his career and particularly outside of Italy and Italy is the only place he seems to be able to make any sense of.....or rather puts up with because after all, it is his home.


I happen to recall Wenger being very complimentary about Balotelli throughout his career and on more than one occasion. However, even if the relationship between him and Wenger is ostensibly pacified in comparison to that he shared with others, I don't see why the other stuff he gets caught up in will cease. The disciplinary issues, the fact he is a loose cannon easily wound up by the opposition, the stuff in the media....It just seems to be one thing after another.

Mancini had the luxury of not having to rely on Mario. In fact he could have sought to sell him much sooner than he did and it is a wonder he didn't considering. Again, I believe it was his personal relationship and sense of responsibility for him that perhaps stopped him from doing so imo. He had rich pickings and had better forwards at his disposal anyway, so Mancini was never going to yield or pander to Balotelli's ego 100%. The Italian style of coaching is generally a little more authoritative. Respect is expected as a matter of course.

If Balotelli were to lose his way, Wenger would simply 'rest' him or he would pick up a suspicious injury before shortly selling him, but that isn't what we really want....a talented player for a brief time, like a flash in the pan who we just quickly sell on because he is unmanageable.

Unlike Mancini's City, Wenger wouldn't have the luxury of not having to rely on Balotelli either, so him going off on one would potentially be catastrophic.

[Ollie the Optimist]

is "willian is a better player then Mata" using the same logic as "Cabaye is a level above any of our midfielders" or is this a completely new type of stupidity?

[Power n Glory]

Citing Mancini's relationship with Balotelli doesn't help at all. He could be a shit father as well as manager for all we know. He fell out with all of his players and there were rumours of a revolt against him. Dzeko, Hart, Nasri, Tevez, Bellamy....it's a long list and you'd never hear about Wenger having such volatile relationships with his players. Never happens. Mancini is a bad example.