Enough of this - I don't think HotHead has got anything of substance to say and he feels likewise. So best leave it there.
Well, to suggest we could not have bought a full-back is daft. We do not know what players agents are touting around at any given moment. What is certain IMO is that if we wanted to buy, we could have. To attempt to rate our injured or fit fullbacks versus other PL players, or even Championship or foreign ones would keep this thread going for weeks - and still not resolve anything. Best left here.
Sorry BADM, but I just don't think it's as easy as that. We might have been able to go out and buy someone, but that player would have had to have been top quality to improve our squad. We could have bought a fullback, but I'm not sure that anyone was available that would have met our requirements. I'm pretty sure that Wenger was well aware of this issue, so I don't think he simply glossed over it. If the right person was available, I think we would have made a bid. As it was the last thing we would have wanted was just anyone to fill a hole for a few weeks. It could have caused more harm than good.
You're showing a lack of understanding. The fact he was further back playing balls over the top to the forwards means he is not in the penalty box. Song is seen FAR less in the opponents penalty area these days
As I said Piskie - you're question was both stupid (for the reason I gave) and typical of your blinkered defence of any criticism. If you want to believe that no player in world football was available on loan that could have helped us at FB then that's up to you
I've asked you several times for a name - and you can't even come up with one. By all means call my question stupid, but it's a bit stupid to do so without being able to provide an answer with any substance. I'm not criticising you particularly, but I think the fact that you can't even name one player, says it all really. There wasn't really anyone available who could have improved our squad at full back in January - as Drude pointed out, Taiwo was available - but is he really of Arsenal quality ?
How do you know this pray tell - or are you talking **** again? Hope you're smart enough to see the difference with my question compared to yours... you see I cannot possibly know who was available and therefore won't come up with a list of names. You however are saying you KNOW that no one was available... so again - how do you know this???? Even if you wont answer - at least this clears up why your question was stupid.
Does this mean you're also in the know on who was and was not available - where are you getting your information from???
Wenger talked about the full back position before the Jan window, so I think it's quite likely that he was aware of the transfer market, who was available and assessed whether those players would have improved that position. he decided not to bring anyone in, in all likelihood, because nobody of the right quality was available. I was all for us bringing in a full back on loan, but I ask you again - Who was available ? I heard people talking about Wayne Bridge on loan, but to be honest, I think he would have been more of a liability than an asset. Taiwo was the other name mentioned. He had a fairly decent game against us on Saturday, but he was a permanent signing. Would we have played him ahead of Gibbs and Santos ? It's one thing having a wish list, quite another actually applying that to the reality of the January transfer market.
Ah I see - so the answer is you made it up - you have no clue who or who was not available Perhaps it is you who is over simplifying the transfer market in a bid to excuse repeated mistakes by Wenger.
I just gave you two names of players that were available, neither of which would have likely improved our squad. I also told you that Wenger spoke about the fullback position and that he would try and bring in a loan player, so that suggests that he was actively seeking one out. Why didn't he bring one in ? I would suggest that it was because there wasn't one available (or at the right price) who would have improved the squad in January. Do you honestly think that he would have simply passed up the chance to bring someone in if it were the right player ?
And there's the problem with this discussion - whoever is mentioned is 'of course' not good enough for Arsenal because it suits the defence of Wenger for not doing anything. The suggestion that Wenger thought about it and decided against it, and therefore no one was in fact available (at the right loan price who could have helped us), is assuming again that he can never make a mistake - which is something he wouldn't even say himself. As it turns out it we suffered through Jan and early Feb with an unbalanced defence. That point is the only undeniable fact being discussed. The rest, as you often tell us, is highly speculative. By the way - to keep things real - Taiwo was a loan
No, not at all. If someone had mentioned a player like Vertonghen as a likely purchase, then we would have said he was of the right quality. But he wasn't available. Eric Abidal was also mentioned, I think he could have done a job, but he signed a contract extention at Barca. For all intent and purpose, and with Wenger looking for a full back, it looks like there wasn't one available who would have improved the squad. It's not assuming that he never makes mistakes, but I would trust his assessment of the situation over internet speculation on who was available. You criticise him for not bringing anyone in, so what was the alternative ? bring one in just to make up the numbers ? Lord knows how much you and others have been banging on about 'deadwood' and too many average players plundering our wage bill. Seems like another case of damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
Lot's more speculation there from you Piskie (in bold for ease of spotting it) We do not know who was available - only what we heard in the press. We also don't know whether Wenger wanted Taiwo but wouldn't pay the wages which QPR were prepared to do. You are right though, Wenger is damned if he doesn't and damned if he does - if those decisions turn out to be mistakes. By the same token he is praised if he does and praised if he doesnt if those decisions turn out to be correct On this occasion his decision not to find a FB in January was a mistake - as the results and performances show through a crucial period where we had to play either Djourou, TV, or Coquelin at FB.
