OK.. Manure has the worst squad in years. But they are still top. .. So it is not about the squad.. So why then do we need a better squad? I can not understand your logic..
It is hard to argue with fans who think that we need to offload some deadwood and buy quality. I think if we could sell Almunia, Denilson, Vela, Squllaci, maybe Arshavin or Chamakh or Park - one of them, possibly even Djourou (although he is home grown) and even Diaby and buy Podolski, McVilla and Vertonghen, bring back Miyachi and possibly Campbell we could have a good chance next season. It will not cost that much on aggregate. But I guess it is easier said than done. The squad balance is a delicate thing and Wenger who sees his players every day knows better than anyone here. Anyway what we need is a GENUINE competition for every starting place. But you have to be a big and truly successful or super rich club to afford it these days.
Bollox that we can't compete with moneybags ! Liverpool spent over £100m in a season, what did we spend but we are competing with them. It isn't how much you spend it is who you buy and had Wenger bought adequate replacements we wouldn't be where we are now, we had a very good team which was eroded to slightly better than average - and had the worst start for 58 years as a result. A couple of choice purchases now and we will have a good team, the season after, we could have a very good team. We don't need marquee signings, Wenger needs to start utilising what he has in the correct way - Walcott as a striker would be a bloody good start and stop playing people out of position ! I'm happy with our back line. If we MUST play with a DM then Wenger needs to buy a bloody DM and stop playing Song there. I'm happy with Arteta, Rosicky and Wilshere, an attacking midfielder would round it off nicely, Ramsey can and will do a job for the squad. Up front, if we get Podolski thats a great step forward, we MUST keep RVP and with Theo hopefully making the transition to proper forward, I'd be happy with that - with Gervinho and OXO providing the bullets in the squad, I wouldn't be unhappy with that. Add to that playing a more direct style rather than tippy tappy football, I'd be a happy Gooner, win or lose because, in my eyes, we would've addressed our obvious flaws.
And that is exactly the transfers everyone, including wenger (imo), wants. It is just a matter of doing it which wont be easy of course. Those signings and maybe a playmaker would make us title challengers for sure next season.
???? I don't have time to do it but if I did I would go through all the clubs in the Premier league and pick out at least a dozen players who all chose clubs other than Man City, Chelsea or Man U who would be of benefit to Arsenal. There are plenty of players out there who could help us, if that wasn't the case how are we able to (hopefully) buy Podolski who certainly is a top player ?
Agree - a top top quality playmaker is needed. But we all know how hard it is to find him. Almost impossible outside some obscene money. And even then.. ManU are struggling to find one too. At least we have Jack coming back.
Rooney, Berbatov, Hernandez, Welbeck - and that's just their front line Same can be said for man city - Balotelli, Tevez, Aguero, Dzeko Ridiculous strength in depth and why closing the gap on the top 2 will be a tough task for the teams 3rd and below especially considering they will both strengthen again in the summer Any club that can topple one of the manchester clubs to the title would have done an outstanding job but it will be tougher now then ever before TBH Man City are only a more competant manager away from dominating the prem for years IMO
It is because ManU and ManCity (and Chelsea) are not interested in Podolski. Just imagine all of a sudden any of these two clubs made a proper offer for Poldi... Are you sure he will still chose us?Remember Mata? "Why would I join Arsenal if there is Chelsea". That was his words. Most players are swayed by money or trophies. Very few are intelligent enough to recognize a properly run club. Do not get me wrong I am not saying that ir is impossible to buy a top player. But to compete for a top player with Manchester clubs is very difficult. if not impossible.
They have a good manager. And nobody is going to dominate like man utd have done imo. Too many big clubs now able to spend big money. Exciting times for the league ahead.... We have a strong squad also. I think we can match them with 2-3 buys and no sales of 1st teamers
Correct. 100% correct. However that is what a scouting network is for. There are top players at low points who we could buy....not sure who but they must exist. Also we can buy top talent who can improve into world class players.
Too much over-complication. It's a simple equation: Keep RVP + Poldi + Goetze + Shift some losers = Great next season + Possible trophies. Simples!
Yes. But to do this Wenger has to change his approach a bit. Basically there are two ways of dealing on a transfer market - the first is opportunistic (which is Harry Redknap way of grabbing a good player while he is on sale and then figure it out how to slot him into the team, and who to get rid of - this is ruthless but it worked well for 'Arry, I must admit) the second is a planned way (which is Wenger way to buy only when there is a "vacant" or really weak position in the squad and make sure that it will not ruin someone's promising progress). I think that Redknapp method works well short term. Wenger way is more frustrating and slow, but it reaps more long term rewards. Possibly. Still think Wenger should sometimes just grab a great player when he is available even if he has a good one in this position. Not always, but sometimes it is worth doing.
This and add keeping his experienced players along side younger players, spending money on proper replacements and not tolerating any poor performing players. Compare what Arsene has done - Super economy drive, not bought proper replacements, got rid/have experienced players and played young/normal players that are not good enough. Now we have a better blend in our side and all it is waiting for our younger players to hit their peak and adding a few players to supplement the squad, to have better squad depth.
You acknowledge my point but don't seem to understand the strength of it. Podolski is by all accounts coming to us. there are at least a dozen players in the Prem recently bought that would benefit Arsenal who chose clubs other than Man City, Man U and Chelsea. Those 3 clubs CANNOT buy every decent player who wants to play in the premier league so there is plenty of scope for us to get good players that will suit Arsenal. So I maintain my point of view that it is nonsense that Arsenal cannot compete because we can't buy the best players. If we buy the right players we CAN compete.
Agreed, there are players out there that that are available and that would love to come to Arsenal. We are one of the most attractive teams to watch out there and a lot of people love the way we play. Add the fact that loads of players would love the opportunity to play under Wenger, we have no problems attracting players. As for Mata, i'm sure we cocked something up during the transfer negotiations. I remember he really wanted to come to us. Also it highlights how our wage stucture is so crap!
You are focusing on one side of the ball. In defence we are stronger than Man Utd or Chelsea. Jones has been a disaster, Vidic may be perma-crocked and Rio is aging... fast. I don't think you will get many people who would argue that Man City have an abundance of riches, but they are stuttering now and lets see how much character the superstars have. I still would rather have 11 people on the pitch playing for each other rather than all these rich galacticos who are only looking out for number 1. It is a team game, you cant look at one player who has skills you like and automatically assume that adding them to a team for another player who doesn't have those skills, is definitely going to make the team better.
