Well if he is unable to bring in the right replacements, it may be time to go because he now leaves us with a very under-strength squad. The first XI are really most of what we have since the subs bench, Arshavin and perhaps Bendtner apart are mainly youngsters who should not have to take on these responsibilities while they are developing. I wouldn't want a midfielder who does the dirty work as in the frame of one we encountered recently. Your other option, one who can dictate the play is good but will Arsene spend to get such a player. On the evidence so far, I very much doubt it. Not doing anything remotely adequate could have a lot of ramifications and they do not bear thinking about. This is make or break time for us and our manager. Arsene has to get the job done and that means providing the club with the team that can go out to win. What would be the point otherwise? He is being paid to get the job done, not for what he has achieved and he has achieved much. The job at hand is still to do. His choice is very simply really. Trouble is we do not have a board or owner who can say these things to Arsene. So he does almost as he pleases.
I may be deluded, but i'm still holding out hope tyhat Nasri will still be at the club this season. If he is still at the club then we don't have to worry about the creative position. We just give Nasri the Cesc role in the middle. That way our squad looks alot stronger already. It's funny that everyone assumes Nasri is 100% gone depsite no real reports. (Not saying he won't go just that people have jumped to conclusions). Then if we signed Vertonghen and a Top Striker we would have a quality squad.
I don't know who is available but we rely only on Wenger as the only one around at our peril. No one should be relied on that way. I think we all agree the club needs to bring in replacements.......to spend. If Nasri stays, he has to sign a contract. No way should be be allowed to leave next summer for nothing. Absolutely no way. Why are we even debating this today? Because the manager hasn't done his job. One could say but how was he to know of Nasri's intentions. Sure it is out of his control. He would have known that Nasri was not responding to persuasion to extend his stay. At that point he should have a plan. Arsene probably had none. Oh I forgot, there was the far eastern tour, the holidays, the Emirates Cup which was given away. It's Arsene's job to field the squad for each season. That job is not done. What more can one say?
That was a sad day for all of us who stood on that terrace But it would have been worse if we were standing on it when the bulldozers did their work
That was a sad day for all of us who stood on that terrace But it would have been worse if we were standing on it when the bulldozers did their work
I think your manager is hamstrung by his own transfer policy. He doesn't buy the best players that become available. He buys those that are "culturally correct", to appeal to the liberal middle class element of your support. Your team lacks a spine because a "spine" is too white working class.
Don't be so bloody riciulous. Our transfer policy has nothing to do with a hatred for the working class. Get over yourself you fool. And white as well? So Arsenal have a problem with white people and working class people do they? ./sigh
Yup you are deluded, to think Nasri will be here next season......He is as good as gone, Wenger himself accepted today on Sky news that some of this transfers go into extra time..... The player's head has already been turned, I just hope this is a lesson and our key players are on long term contracts, and start negotiating 2.5 years left on the contract.
I'm not for am inute trying to say Nasri will be staying but i just get irritated with everyone jumping on the bandwagon. It always happens that the media hype up our players leaving and very rarely does it actually happen, or happen as the media have said it will. I think he most probably will be gone within the next week, but i'm yet to see any solid evidence that he is already 100% going to city.
Last year for example almost everyone on 606 was certain that Fabregas would not be playing for us last season, i repeatedly disagreed as there was literally no evidence it woudl actually happen - and it didn't happen. Nasri is a little different but i'm still not completely convinced a deal has been agreed.
I think our wages structure has to change as well. Currently it allows for youngsters who are developing to earn a higher level than they would receive elsewhere but maintains a ceiling of £90K per week for our top earners. I cannot fault Samir Nasri for being tempted by a 180K per week carrot. If this policy is maintained, you risk all our developing youngsters disappearing when they reach an age and level where they could contribute to the continued success of the club. This wages policy also gives us the third highest wages bill in the entire EPL. Not much return for that, wouldn't you say? And it is because it's wrong. All wrong. Why Arsene should get involved in formulating this is beyond me. Like his more recent initiatives, they either fire blanks or backfire. Arsene called for trust in his transfer policy today. Of recent transfers, it has shown up to be woefully short. Don't get me on to Squillaci!!!
I agree the issue isn't with starting negotiations too late (Nasri has been stalling on this contract for ages). The real issue is that the wage structure does not allow for world class players to take salaries similar to those they would get at other clubs. We need teh ability to offer oru top players up to 150k a week. But this would be reserved for the very, very best players.
Well the question we should perhaps ask is why the delay? Each day, each week of delay means we narrow the window through which we can bring in replacements and for them to work with our current players. Has Arsene not checked to see that the season has begun? There is no point keeping Nasri. At worst we would be £20m+ out of pocket next summer and he is not likely to add much to our squad if his mind is elsewhere. I would ask where he has been since the start of the calendar year. No disrespect to Samir but things come to an end and it appears he has decided when he refused to extend his contract. I'm astounded Wenger keeps going in circles and has done so all year.
If he will remain commited until the end of the season i'd happily keep him on under the understanding that he would sign a new contract if we succeed this season in winning some silverware. We could really use him this season and i'd love to see us find a way to keep him at the club. I assume Wenger has already looked at potential replacements if Nasri should leave the club.
Knowing Arsene Wenger it could be a case of window shopping. He seems pretty good at that. Don't have to get the club's chequebook out .....
It makes me laugh - some fans act as if Wenger actualy hates Arsenal and is doing everything he can to make sure we don't sign any players and fail in the league this year. Come off it guys - he is clearly doing everything he can - it just depends if that will be enough this season. great Manager and imo he is trying to bring in new players. I'll be very shocked if we don't see atleast 1, most probably 2 new faces this transfer window.
No one is saying he is deliberately destructive towards the club nor that he is not trying. What is patently obvious is that he is so entrenched in his views that he cannot see beyond their limitations. Now perhaps there are reasons for his lack of activity in this transfer window to replace key players, Perhaps it is money. Perhaps this great grand plan of his actually has a small print that says that we could drop out of the Top 4 and out of the CL together for a couple of years because of the plan's parsimonious approach. We have been it for 15 straight seasons and only Utd can claim that so perhaps there is a downside about which we are not told. Whatever it is the bare facts are that we need cover if we are to stay in contention and thus far there has been none brought in. The season has begun and we and our young players have been thrown into the deep end. It irks me that we knew about the fixtures well before and had enough time and presumably money to do something about it. How many points and opportunities lost do we have to go through before it is realised that we could avoid the heartaches that await us. It's the things that Wenger says too that are incongruous. That up till the very week in which Cesc was due to leave that he wasn't. The man seems to be in denial about everything. It is not just fans who are calling to question his methods. Current and past players and seasoned observers of the game have as well or perhaps they too are all wrong?
