summer '22 transfer craziness and stupidity

[mandela8]

The Spuds, with their squad are coming close to the end of their window in respect of challenging for major honours.

Key players are ageing and the return they can expect from and for them are diminishing.

In particular, Son and Kane. Unless they get lucky with development of their squad, these will be expensive to replace.

I like where we are in squad development relative to the Spuds.

Wishful thinking.

Their best players are 30, not 35, ffs.

We can hate them and be objective at the same time, man.

[Bumble]

we have done some really good business so far. age profile of signings very good 20-25. just need to work on selling a few bodies.

but done enough to finish top 4, certainly ahead of spurs. United as things stands yes but they are capable of pulling a quality signing or two or just bringing in more individualistic duds.

[Globalgunner]

Wishful thinking.

Their best players are 30, not 35, ffs.

We can hate them and be objective at the same time, man.

Exactly: Fortunately they have kept Dier, who is their version of our Xhaka

[mandela8]

There are too many variables to compare and contrast for me.

Complicated moreso for arsenal with players like Zinchenko and Vieira who can play multiple positions.

At the start of the window I wanted a progressive/Creative CM, a striker (possibly 2, tbh) and a winger with end product.

You could argue 1 or 3 of those have been satisfied.

Fuck knows, basically.


Regardless, I think we should also benefit from many players just getting better. Unlike most of the teams we're competing with who are only improving with transfers, we have at least 6 (Saka, Martinelli, Saliba, ESR, Gabriel, White) players we can hopefully expect an improvement from, in terms of development.

So, I don't think we even need to have the 'best' window to improve the most.

[fakeyank]

I am still not comfortable with our striking options. Whats our alternative if Jesus is injured? Telephone Nketiah? I think we need to invest in another player in this position.

Also think our squad has a lot of baggage- Torreira, Reiss, Mari, Tavares, Leno, Pepe... we need to sort out what we are doing with these guys. Personally I'd love to give Torreira a run on the field but we seem to have burnt our bridge there. Also, with Pepe, I think he could be a good option for striker but again, not sure thats what Mikel has in mind.

[Chippy]

Wishful thinking.

Their best players are 30, not 35, ffs.

We can hate them and be objective at the same time, man.

Totally agree.

[Globalgunner]

I am still not comfortable with our striking options. Whats our alternative if Jesus is injured? Telephone Nketiah? I think we need to invest in another player in this position.

Also think our squad has a lot of baggage- Torreira, Reiss, Mari, Tavares, Leno, Pepe... we need to sort out what we are doing with these guys. Personally I'd love to give Torreira a run on the field but we seem to have burnt our bridge there. Also, with Pepe, I think he could be a good option for striker but again, not sure thats what Mikel has in mind.

Striker and a CM needed because Xhaka is a liability and Partey is gonna miss half of each season. We need an experienced, PL ready option.

[mandela8]

I am still not comfortable with our striking options. Whats our alternative if Jesus is injured? Telephone Nketiah? I think we need to invest in another player in this position.

Also think our squad has a lot of baggage- Torreira, Reiss, Mari, Tavares, Leno, Pepe... we need to sort out what we are doing with these guys. Personally I'd love to give Torreira a run on the field but we seem to have burnt our bridge there. Also, with Pepe, I think he could be a good option for striker but again, not sure thats what Mikel has in mind.

Agree with most. I do like Nketiah for some reason but I can't justify. I think with better players around him he'd be ok.

Definitely agree on Pepe...in fact, I'm convinced if he started most games we'd have got 4th last year. He was the only player in the squad who offered a consistent threat.
He's been horribly managed. Clearly a confidence player who Arteta went out his way to destroy his confidence, ffs. Which is bad enough but Arteta also mismanaged Saka in doing so. Overplaying him to the point he knew he was never being dropped and rarely subbed despite some abysmal performances and he was pretty fuckin rubbish the entire run in with absolutely zero consequences. Is it any wonder he just stroll about the pitch thinking he's Messi, doing fuck all for 85 minutes a game? Woeful management.

Agree on Torriera too. Levels above Xhakant and Elnonentity.

[Mac76]

Agree with most. I do like Nketiah for some reason but I can't justify. I think with better players around him he'd be ok.

Definitely agree on Pepe...in fact, I'm convinced if he started most games we'd have got 4th last year. He was the only player in the squad who offered a consistent threat.
He's been horribly managed. Clearly a confidence player who Arteta went out his way to destroy his confidence, ffs. Which is bad enough but Arteta also mismanaged Saka in doing so. Overplaying him to the point he knew he was never being dropped and rarely subbed despite some abysmal performances and he was pretty fuckin rubbish the entire run in with absolutely zero consequences. Is it any wonder he just stroll about the pitch thinking he's Messi, doing fuck all for 85 minutes a game? Woeful management.

Agree on Torriera too. Levels above Xhakant and Elnonentity.

mainly agree but a bit harsh on Elneny

[ed.] good pun though

[I am invisible]

Spurs have done great business. Mon tae fuck.

Richarlison is quality. Even though he's a cunt. A front 3 of Son Kane and Richarlison is absolutely elite.

Bissouma is proven quality.

Looks like they've addressed the biggest issue of RB...and then added some depth.

That's the objective truth.

Yeah, look I wasn't talking about whether they'll turn out to be quality additions for them or not - I was talking more about the footballing world's skewed reaction to whatever it is that us and them do. If we'd signed the exact same players spurs have this summer then you just know they'd all be written off as a giant waste of money and bunch of bums - people would have found some issue with every single one of them. And if spurs had signed the players we've brought in then they'd all be hyped up as future Ballon d'or winners. As it is their players are the shrewdest of shrewd buys and ours are a bunch of bums that don't improve us.

Fwiw I think you're right - I think spurs will be really tough this year, but I'm not really worried about it. As I said a few pages back, us and them are on very different timelines - they need to be achieving success immediately, while Conte is still interested and their key players are at their peak, and I'm not sure they're going to be quite good enough to topple City or Liverpool in the next year or two. Our team, on the other hand, still has another 2-3 years before it hits its peak years, and we're already right up their arses! 2 points between us last season despite them having the world-class manager and the elite forward line, and us having the rookie coach and the youngest, thinnest squad in the league with no strikers. Honestly, I'm happy with where we are and what we're doing.