Summer transfer joy and happiness

[I am invisible]

Slightly disagree with that. Because we had Giroud clogging up the middle with little movement up front for Ozil to work with, Ramsey going forward helped our lack of movement in the box. But Ozil didn't need Ramsey. He could play just as well when Sanchez was playing up top as striker or put a skillful CM like Cazorla behind him, it gives Ozil way more time to find space when off the ball. Ramsey bombing forward all the time made it harder for Ozil to pick up the ball in the final third, so he ends up chasing shadows and not really getting on the ball. Plus it helps to weaken our midfield even further because with Ozil in the final third and Ramsey impersonating a striker, we're left with one man in the midfield to defend which would be a problem for the best of players and god help us if that player turns out to be Granit Xhaka. Deer in a headlight effect when a player comes running at him.

The amount of goals Ramsey scores doesn't justify the pain it causes the midfield. He needs to find some discipline and find his way back to winning the ball for us with tackles and just dishing the ball off. If he reins it in a little, he'd be fine. Just needs to cut out the constant goal hunting every second of the game.

Xhaka's passing range doesn't justify his selection either. There is more than one way to skin a cat and I'm sure there are other ways to find Aaron Ramsey. In fact, I wouldn't want a player on the pitch that helps enable that gung ho approach from Ramsey. If we're playing Auba and Laca up top, Xhaka should be looking to for their runs. I'll never forget the video Theirry Henry did where Lacazette was making runs but Xhaka wasn't pulling the trigger. What was all that about? Pointless player if he can't get that right. Brings nothing to the table at all. By far the worst of the players and we need a sharp improvement.

Yes, of course. I was including Ramsey as a general type of player who Özil needs around him - basically players who put in the energy that he often doesn't, and who offer movement and goal-threat, whether that's in front of him (strikers), from the side (wingers / wide atatckers), or on the overlap (attacking midfielders). The general point was that he's a play-maker in the attacking third, so his role is always going to be contingent on having other players around him to actually provide for (in the same way that forwards like Auba and Laca will always be largely reliant on the service they receive to do their jobs) - it would be nice if he could chip in with a few more goals himself, and get involved with the high-press, but the need for a supporting cast kind of goes with the territory with that type of player. If Ramsey has been getting in his way, then adapt their positions slightly so they don't keep ending up on top of each other in the centre.

I kind of take the opposite view with Ramsey: I think we absolutely should be enabling his gung-ho approach... just not in an area of the side that is discipline-critical (i.e. as one half of a two-man base in midfield). I A lot of my problems with him stem from how I view him as a player: as one half of a CM pairing (as we so often play) he's a liability, as he constantly disappears up front, leaving his partner exposed; but viewed as an attacker who frequently drops back as a bonus man in midfield... I think that could be an asset? Finding a way to effectively utilise that marauding style of his is what marks him out as something a bit different (and potentially special) in my eyes, and is the only thing that makes him worth all the effort we're putting in to trying to keep him - if what we're looking for is a more disciplined CM to play at the base of midfield, who can win the ball back and distribute it well, then I kind of feel that we have several better options for that already in AMN, Guendouzi and maybe even Elneny (all of whom would require less coaching for the role, and would cost considerably less in wages). I'd rather just cash in on Ramsey now and reinvest in other areas than spend a lot of time trying to mould him into that kind of midfielder.

You're point about Xhaka I totally agree with - for me, Guendouzi already looks like he'd give us that long-range distribution from the back, with a lot of extras besides, so if it were up to me then I'd be very tempted to chuck him in straightaway alongside Torreira (or AMN, although I haven't quite decided what kind of midfielder I think he is yet). However, what I'd like to see happen and what I think the club will do are two completely different things, and unfortunately I just don't see Xhaka, Ramsey (if he stays) or Özil being dropped - at least not to start with), anyway. Pragmatism is likely to be our best option to begin with: if we're going to be starting the season with these players, then we need to find a way to make them work together, and that's probably going to mean fitting all the supporting players in too. As I said, hopefully the buck stops with a DM (Torreira), where the supporting cast is concerned.

[Power n Glory]

Don't get it Max Meyer is available for free, apparently he wants big wages but Palace are close to signing him so they can't be that big, why aren't we in for him and getting rid of Ramsey with a week to go till the end of the season.

I do find our transfer/contract negotiation poor on the whole, why do things like this keep happening?

Never seen Max play but I’ve heard about him. What is he? I’m checking his background and seen he’s moved all over the shop. He was an attacking midfielder, he’s also played on the wings but spent the majority of last season playing as a DM.

His goal and assist numbers aren’t great so maybe that’s why. Still very young but you have to question why he’s on a free and only wanted by Palace. Remember what you said about Ramsey yesterday? If clubs aren’t moving for him with a year left on his contract, flood gates should open if he’s available on a free.

Have you watched him play? Is he really good?

[Power n Glory]

Truth is having seen Walcott in the flesh for years, if we could go back I wish we'd never signed him, too often he didn't deliver, his goals (the amount which never was anything particularly amazing when you put in context and who he scored against into the mix) just was nowhere near enough, there are loads of better wingers than him, that's why he's at Everton not pulling any trees out and not at another big club. He also feature up front a fair bit in that time.

Name names bro!

I get the frustration with Walcott but not many have his goal scoring record. Always maintained that he should have been developed as a Lacazette type striker from a younger age. A lay a huge part of the blame on Wenger for that. But Walcott and the people around him should have advised him better and told him to leave earlier.

[I am invisible]

Never seen Max play but I’ve heard about him. What is he? I’m checking his background and seen he’s moved all over the shop. He was an attacking midfielder, he’s also played on the wings but spent the majority of last season playing as a DM.

His goal and assist numbers aren’t great so maybe that’s why. Still very young but you have to question why he’s on a free and only wanted by Palace. Remember what you said about Ramsey yesterday? If clubs aren’t moving for him with a year left on his contract, flood gates should open if he’s available on a free.

Have you watched him play? Is he really good?

Until recently, just another small, nippy attacking midfielder.

However, he's now one of a growing number of that type of AM who has made the switch to a deeper, DLP / DM role at the base of midfield, and is proving to be bloody good at it! (As former AMs, I guess they come with the perfect skill set to beat a high press, either through dribbling ability or creative passing?)

The next Alonso...?

The next Cazorla...?

(If you look for any YT clips, don't bother looking beyond this season because they won't tell you much about his reinvention as a deep midfielder.)

I like the sound of him - sticking point might be the money he's asking for though? It's not that we can't comfortably afford it - it's that he's only 22, and I dread to think how high his wages could end up a few years down the line (esp. as he now has a history of running down his contract and forcing an exit).

[Özim]

Never seen Max play but I’ve heard about him. What is he? I’m checking his background and seen he’s moved all over the shop. He was an attacking midfielder, he’s also played on the wings but spent the majority of last season playing as a DM.

His goal and assist numbers aren’t great so maybe that’s why. Still very young but you have to question why he’s on a free and only wanted by Palace. Remember what you said about Ramsey yesterday? If clubs aren’t moving for him with a year left on his contract, flood gates should open if he’s available on a free.

Have you watched him play? Is he really good?

Didn't want to re-sign for Schalke apparently, allegedly the next German young hope, think he's creative but can play DM, seems very versatile.

Apparently his wage demands were too high initially which put clubs off, seem Palace have negotiated with him tho.

[Marc Overmars]

Walcott was limited but he did manage to score goals for us when Wenger felt generous enough to give him a run in the team. What you see is what you get with players like him, he's got one strength and if he can't express that he's rendered useless. He suffered one too many injuries and a lot of those came at times when he was enjoying a spell in the team but it was obvious Wenger never really fancied him.

He wasted his career here but of course there's no sympathy. He was on a huge contract and he clearly chose the easy option by staying for so long.

[Özim]

Name names bro!

I get the frustration with Walcott but not many have his goal scoring record. Always maintained that he should have been developed as a Lacazette type striker from a younger age. A lay a huge part of the blame on Wenger for that. But Walcott and the people around him should have advised him better and told him to leave earlier.

There's Martins, Perisic, Douglas Costa, Lemar, Di Maria, Draxler, Malcolm, Guedes, Pulisic all of these could have been signed (albeit some more expensive than others).

[Power n Glory]

There's Martins, Perisic, Douglas Costa, Lemar, Di Maria, Draxler, Malcolm, Guedes, Pulisic all of these could have been signed (albeit some more expensive than others).

Dude. Thomas Lemar has a career total of 27 goals. Single digits for all seasons besides once where he scored 14. I said to name players that have a better goal scoring record.

Draxler has career total of 53! Most he's scored in a season is 13. Another season he scored 10. Single digits every other season.

Douglas Costa...single digits for every season and he's 27 years old. Has never scored more than 7 in a season.

Gelson Martins - 13 goals is his highest. Career total of 31 goals. Single digits in every other season.


Do some research on all the players. I'm not saying they're not better players but not one player has better goal scoring record than Walcott. Not one player has had a better goal scoring season than Walcott. Only Di Maria matches the 21 goals he's scored.

[Özim]

Dude. Thomas Lemar has a career total of 27 goals. Single digits for all seasons besides once where he scored 14. I said to name players that have a better goal scoring record.

Draxler has career total of 53! Most he's scored in a season is 13. Another season he scored 10. Single digits every other season.

Douglas Costa...single digits for every season and he's 27 years old. Has never scored more than 7 in a season.

Gelson Martins - 13 goals is his highest. Career total of 31 goals. Single digits in every other season.


Do some research on all the players. I'm not saying they're not better players but not one player has better goal scoring record than Walcott. Not one player has had a better goal scoring season than Walcott. Only Di Maria matches the 21 goals he's scored.

Goals are too simplistic a method to judge a wingers' talent on, we've seen with Walcott that he's never excelled, despite the odd half decent goalscoring season, you also have to look at who his goals came against to give that stat context.

A winger is there more to create than score at the end of the day, goals are a bonus, Walcott added very little in that respect, having watched him for years and never really been impressed (and many others would say the same) I can say he wasn't very good for us and that we're better off without him.

If we found a creative winger with some dribbling skills I'd be more than happy, we don't need lots of goals from a winger, we need them to offer penetration and creativity for us.

[Power n Glory]

Goals are too simplistic a method to judge someones' talent, we've seen with Walcott that he's never excelled, despite the odd half decen goalscoring season, you also have to look at who his goals came against to give that stat context.

A winger is there more to create than score at the end of the day, goals are a bonus, Walcott added very little.

But I asked you a specific question about his goal scoring record and to find players with a better record. I already know what you think of his ability. Now you're switching goal posts.

As the original point Blink was making, it's not that easy to find goal scoring wingers, even those with much more talent than Walcott, they're not banging in that many goals yet you criticise Walcott's goal record. It's silly and shows ignorance and unnecessary bias.

Walcott lacked the creativity of most wingers but he's up there in terms of his goal record. That's why he's an enigma. I've always felt he'd be appreciated more if developed as a striker because you can get away with a strikers that are just goal machines and poachers. They're appreciated more in the game.