Summer Transfer Misery and Recriminations.

[Power n Glory]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...al/3086187.stm

The 29-year-old is said to be unhappy at being consistently played out of position on the right-wing by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

"I made my name as a striker with Rennes and Bordeaux and over six years with the two clubs I was used to being a first-choice in that position," Wiltord was reported as saying.

"Here I have not played as regularly and when I have played up front it's been when Thierry Henry has been injured."

I remember he was making a name for himself in France and at International level as a striker but we played him as winger. Similar hallmarks to Theo Walcott's development.

[Kano]

I have a feeling Wenger will have looked at the two and decided that he already has a similar(ish) skill set in a forward in Welbeck. I'm only going off stats on shitty old Squawka here, but if they're accurate then there doesn't look to be a whole lot in it per 90 minutes - not £50m+ worth of difference anyway...


Giroud - Welbeck - Lukaku stats >

By far the biggest thing that Lukaku has in his favour there is that very first stat: he's been available for over 3000 minutes of football whereas Welbeck has barely clocked 500! But it doesn't really matter much how we read it - the important thing here is how Wenger will see it, and I can already hear him saying "I already have Danny Welbeck - what would I do with them all when he's fit?"

Fair points. Lukaku is definitely heading somewhere going by this:

“In my head I know where I want to go but I’m keeping that to myself,” he said. “You will know when it is concluded. I have to make a good choice but in my head that has happened already. I have played [in England] for five years now, it’s my league. But there are other nice clubs. I follow Spanish and German football and I also have something for the Italian league.

“Wherever I go I want to win prizes,” he added. “During Leicester’s title ceremony I was standing just 10 metres from the trophy. I just stared at it for two minutes, forgetting to get on with the warm-up. I thought to myself, I want that.”

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...al/3086187.stm


I remember he was making a name for himself in France and at International level as a striker but we played him as winger. Similar hallmarks to Theo Walcott's development.

That was like you say because of Ljungberg's injury, and the point was that he angry because he was hardly playing full stop and frankly he wasn't deserving of a start.

Definitely played more as a striker than Walcott did...though yes granted less often than Welbeck

Was playing as a striker when he scored both times at Old Trafford.

Positionally very similar to Sado Mane

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Fair points. Lukaku is definitely heading somewhere going by this:

Back to Chelsea i'd imagine

[I am invisible]

Fair points. Lukaku is definitely heading somewhere going by this:

Oooooh, interesting! Likely enough it won't be to us, but it might be one of those moves that starts a domino effect of other moves?

[I am invisible]

Back to Chelsea i'd imagine

Or Manure? I'm sure he's said that he fancies another shot at working with Mouron, and the timing looks a little too coincidental...

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Or Manure? I'm sure he's said that he fancies another shot at working with Mouron, and the timing looks a little too coincidental...

When Mourinho was Chelsea manager he was sent on loan to and then eventually sold to Everton

[I am invisible]

When Mourinho was Chelsea manager he was sent on loan to and then eventually sold to Everton

I wouldn't rule it out - he does love a battering ram of a striker, and there's a shortage of strikers of any kind around at the moment...

[Power n Glory]

That was like you say because of Ljungberg's injury, and the point was that he angry because he was hardly playing full stop and frankly he wasn't deserving of a start.

Definitely played more as a striker than Walcott did...though yes granted less often than Welbeck

Was playing as a striker when he scored both times at Old Trafford.

Positionally very similar to Sado Mane

He specifically mentioned being played out of position. Is there a need to debate this? At Old Trafford, Henry wasn't playing.

"I made my name as a striker with Rennes and Bordeaux and over six years with the two clubs I was used to being a first-choice in that position," Wiltord was reported as saying.

"Here I have not played as regularly and when I have played up front it's been when Thierry Henry has been injured."

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

My point is that yes he was played as a winger, but there were times and not once in a blue moon where he played as a second striker behind Thierry Henry

And that Ljungberg's injury caused him to play in a winger position more often than he might otherwise have done.

But yes we know Wenger's disregard for players preferred positions...that's why Cazorla played on the wing far more often than he should, even played Ozil on the wing.....only in the last season or so has actually started playing more traditional wide players.

Ferguson said of Wenger in his autobiography that he too often bought too many similar type of players, small central midfielders who were good on the ball.