Alan Smith Interview

“With the Cahill thing, we don’t know exactly how it happened but we do know Arsenal made a bid which Bolton rejected, so why not go a bit higher, pay the asking price and get the player?”

Because the asking price was ~15m, and Arsenal could get Mertesacker for ~8m. A positionally better defender with more experience at a similar age.

“Now he’s gone to Chelsea and he’s a good signing for them, and he would have been a good one for Arsenal, and better than Per Mertesacker, in my opinion.

That's just your opinion. This season, the way he's played for Bolton suggests otherwise.

“Cahill knows the league, he’s an England player and he could be an England player for the next few years and would have had a good re-sale value even at 30.

Mertesacker has played in a difficult league, against great players, and plays for a far better national team than Cahill. Merts may not have the resale value, but that's because he didn't come with the "England Premium Tax" when he was bought.

“Sometimes Wenger thinks clubs are asking too much and that he wouldn’t get a return. It’s almost like it’s his money and he’s careful how he spends it."

True. He is too sparing with the cash.

“Then there is the wages of course, and Arsenal don’t pay £150,000 a week, but Cahill wouldn’t have wanted that and I think they could have got him.”

Apparently the stalling with Chelsea was over personal terms because he wanted 120k - far too much for a player of his abilities in my opinion.

“Once it became clear Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri were both going, that’s when you’re looking for the manager to make adequate replacements, to get some quality in and not have to do something at the last minute as he ended up doing. They did seem like panic buys at the 11th hour. Arteta is 29 with an injury record, something Wenger looks at; Benayoun is 31 and won’t make a huge difference to the first XI at the Emirates; Mertesacker has 80 caps for his country but doesn’t look a player who has that."

Arteta has been one of the best players this season. Benayoun brings experience and doesn't expect to play every game, but can help the youngsters, and Merts is settling in and looking better and better. I'd say all 3 were smart buys. Too late when they were brought in, but smart buys.

“Ask him to run and he looks slow and it’s worrying . He’s a good solid character, but that’s not always enough."

But positionally he's fantastic, and he got back quick enough to clear the ball off the line on Sunday

“Getting into the top four this season would arguably be Wenger’s greatest achievement. They’ve got players coming back [from injury] who will make a difference, but if they keep defending like they are at the moment they will be going nowhere.”

Agree with this. The squad as a whole isn't strong enough to challenge for the title, and top4 is looking very very shaky. Personally I think having Ramsey shoulder the creative responsibility was a bad move. Someone else is needed for that role, he isn't ready yet. This is the biggest blunder of the season so far for me.

 

what about a Jayram interview?

 

Is Radio Free Europe still in existence?

 

That's the trouble with most pundits these days; they play to the gallery and seldom show any true insight. What Winterburn and Keown said about Arshavin for Utd 2nd goal was far more balanced than Neville's rant. And yet again, they didn't even pass comment on Theo's abyssmal showing and Ramsey's frequent careless cluelessness yet were straight on Arshavin's back.

I'm not saying Arshavin didn't deserve stick (he does) but everyone who is costing the team should get it. Some of Theo's play in the first half is all too familiar to the fans at the Emirates, but seldom commented on by Sky/BBC commentators.

Alan Smith is a chief culprit of this selective heckling, and it leaves me to believe that we shouldn't pay tooo much attaention to what he says, and nor should Wenger.

 

It becomes cool to have a go at certain players, but they usually only answer the questions they're asked by the media.
At the Man Utd game, Oxo was pretty poor during the first half - made bad runs, bad decisions etc. but he was praised because of his second half display as if he had an incredible game. Theo was poor all game, Ramsey too, yet they escape criticism while Arshavin, who at least made an attempt to track back, is lambasted.

That's the media for you

 

A very good article Bonstar.

Also the defense will get better when we have some full backs.

Ramsay can be rested when Wilshere is back, but I'd like to see Rosicky given a run.

 

Not sure about Cahill. He looked dire this year and Bolton looked better defensively against Liverpool without him.

 

I'd have Mertesacker over Cahill, but I would have Cahill over our 4th choices in Djoure and Squilachi, but doubt Cahill would like to be 4th choice.