Well yes I agree - they do have a better side. Built for cheaper by a more astute manager. They are a good model to follow. Simeone has done a great job but I also think the fact Atheltico keep finding these top quality strikers is also a very impressive. (Torres, Forlan, Sergio Aguero, Falcao, Diego Costa, Mandzukic and Griezmann all in the last few years.)
The annoying thing is Wengers early years he prioritised strikers. Then he just became obsessed with midfielders and started buying guys like Chamakh as an afterthought.
Nonsense. Nicholas Anelka, Thierry Henry, Silvain Wiltord, Kanu, Reyes and Robin Van Persie.. all good to great buys.
But they were still all gambles. Wiltord, Reyes and Kanu were hardly 'great' but yes...useful players with patches of brilliance. He still gambles the whole time and never signs 'top' strikers though. He just used to be a lot more fortunate with his gambles.
Wiltord was a great buy for us, coming off the back of a France world cup winning team and won us the league at OT.
The final knock back before he gives up any hope of gaining either a controlling interest or a seat on the board? I found it odd that he overpaid to the market value at the time, when he bought out his mate Moshiri. I found it even odder when he decided to pay £5m a season to stick the name of his holding company on Everton's training ground.