Fair one, been saying the same for months, right winger, centre forward, and a centre mid and we will be there. Phase 1 of the rebuild was clearing dead wood and bulking out the squad. Phase 2 needs to be adding world class players. Your Cavanni's and Hazzards....
Rumours are you slashed the wage bill which was fine. And I would imagine carroll is on alot less than torres was. So overall your sale of torres more than makes up for the carrol buy. I think without he downing and carroll mistakes you would be very very well positioned now. They were such bizzare buys.
I dont think you are far away now. You have a capable squad. You just need to add to the first team. If you could get cavani (I think its not possible - he is too highly rated now) then I think you would transform into title contenders provided kenny doesnt make tactical mistakes like I think he has this year.
Disagree with them being mistakes, the net spend is something like £5 mil and the wage bill has been slashed. We will spend big in the summer and players like Carroll and Downing will become squad players who will need to be bang on form to force there way into first team. That's what you need to be competing in all competitions, big squads and competition for places. They will both improve, Carroll was MOTM against Brighton and is still a very exciting prospect.
They will be squad players but you shouldnt of spent so much buying them. Regardless though you are right, people always overestimate buying fees and underestimate wages nowadays.
It is now the case that top players are getting £200k a week. Which is £10m a year. If carroll is on 75k a week or something then thats probably £6m a year less than what torres is on at the chavs.
So if you did cut your wage bill then you did well (I havent actually seen evidence for this though just going from scouser comments on here).
Its just a matter of if (like us) you can get it done in the xfer market this summer. I think both our clubs will find it harder to attract the calibre of player we need with cl football. Although we both still have a chance being big clubs with big fan bases.
It's an absolute fact, there is a great article somewhere, will try and dig it out. The new owners seem incredibly shrewd. They have been voted best owners by fans in america for many seasons.

The thing is the strategy is clearly brilliant. And exactly what we at arsenal have been calling for. Cut the dead wood and support top players with our exceptional youth system. Its how arsenal should of been run and how we should be the dominant force in football in england.
However your execution has been less correct. You have slashed wages which is awesome but you also failed to make the top signing you needed. You still need to do this that summer. Your rebuilding process is 1 season ahead of ours and they have overall done a good job. However the downing signing and the carrol ones were wierd. Better to save that money. Espicially the downing money this summer when you needn't be rushed. The owners kind of had to spedn the torres money to keep the fans onside int he winter I expect.
The thing is the strategy is clearly brilliant. And exactly what we at arsenal have been calling for. Cut the dead wood and support top players with our exceptional youth system. Its how arsenal should of been run and how we should be the dominant force in football in england.
However your execution has been less correct. You have slashed wages which is awesome but you also failed to make the top signing you needed. You still need to do this that summer. Your rebuilding process is 1 season ahead of ours and they have overall done a good job. However the downing signing and the carrol ones were wierd. Better to save that money. Espicially the downing money this summer when you needn't be rushed. The owners kind of had to spedn the torres money to keep the fans onside int he winter I expect.
To be fair, your club does brilliantly, Selling players like Fabregas for massive profits and replacing them with excellent youth. Wenger is the master, John Henry said months ago we can copy / learn from Arsenal they are an example of how a club should be run. Makes me laugh when I see Arsenal fans critisising Wenger, clueless.
I guess what I am trying to say is that in terms of selling players I would give kenny/henry 9/10. To shift the deadwood they have is remarkable. However some of those you claim to of shifted you havent yet. Cole and Aqulani for example are just on loan. I doubt selling cole will be easy. Just like us with bendtnar and denilsen and almunia. We want to sell but had to loan them out due to wages.
However I just dont rate downing, adam or caroll. They just arent good. So whatever their wages I suspect they are on too much and that the lads cost you xfer fees too. So on buying players I would give you 4/10
But selling the deadwood is the hard part. So you have done very well in this respect.
Wenger knows we have to sell our deadwood too. He tried last summer with limited success. I suspect he will do the same again this summer and have more succers this time as the deadwood players contracts run down.
Well only time will tell with Carroll, I like him, same as I liked Lucas and Skrtel, said years ago on 606 Skrtel will be the best centre half in the Prem. Got loads of stick for that, but does not seem so mad now.
But lucas and skrtel have the attributes needed. Carrol is slow with a poor touch. I dont see it.
I actually rate spearing. Seems a good passer of the ball too. But time will tell if he has enough smartness to play that holding role effectively.
His first touch has been a pass to one of our own players, so I don't see that. Also outstanding in the air, strong physical presence. Will continue to improve until he peaks at 28.
If we beat Liverpool next week, we will be 10 points ahead of them with 11 games to go, albeit having played a game more. Just a thought.
