Good to see! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2102267/Theo-Walcott-faces-chop-mass-Arsenal-clear-Robin-van-Persie-wavers-new-deal.html Maybe he ****ing understands now.
About time and its needed in the case of a few players. The second link is an article by Jeremy Wilson. He has better links with the club. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/feb/16/arsene-wenger-arsenal-squad-tirade? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...er-San-Siro-Champions-League-humiliation.html
That's very unlike Wenger, who's famous for sticking by our players. Good to see the old boy still has some fire in his belly. EDIT: Also, as this news comes from multiple sources, one must assume it to be true. Time to draw up a fantasy transfer list then.
I think Petit is right, we need to sign players with a never say die attitude, we need leadership (everyone knows that), but the problem is players with leadership qualities aren't so hot technically. We'd gain a leader, but we'd lose a player.
I'm glad this has happened. We were never going to win the champions league anyway (Madrid and Barca are a class apart) so this works well.
Walcott is not your worst player by a long shot. If there is a clearout and Wenger signs replacements of the standard you bought in the summer window, you are no better off. What he needs to do is sign some seasoned pros as well as some real class. The potential of your youngsters for the most part is obvious, they just need a kick up the arse/pat on the back when they have crossed that white line and they need players to look up to, both on the training ground and during matches. To be perfectly honest though, the problem now is not the players, so much as AW himself, but who would replace him?
Agreed, Walcott is far from one of our worst players. There are many other players that need to go and have little effect on us winning. But im glad that Wenger is finally fuming at the players. That display was a disgrace. For all the trust shown by the gaffer over the years and they repay him like this? They have to remember that bar RVP and a few other, most of these players are LUCKY to play for Arsenal and have a manager like Wenger. They would be nobodies when they leave. Case in point are Bendnter, Denilson, Flamini, Hleb, Vela etc. Nowhere to be heard of again.....
Hallelujah, Walcott can **** right off. We need a proper footballer who performs regularly, not just occasionally when it suits him. Time for Wenger to grow some balls or **** off too!!
Sorry there are much worse players in our squad that need to go. Unless we can remove those then Walcott stays put for me! Also with RVP's uncertainty, i definately wouldn't let Walcott go. It would be a BIG mistake!
** Almunia - On 1st choice Keeper wages (60kish) ** Arshavin - On 1st team superstar wages (70kish) ** Bendtner - Reportedly 52k ** Chamakh - Presumably decent wages (40kish) ** Denilson - Reportedly on first team wages (50kish) ** Squillaci - Brought in to partner Vermaelen as 1st choice (60kish) ** Vela - Shouldn't be on too much (20kish) Players that I want shot of. That's by my very very rough guessing...352k per week saveable from players that don't actually contribute to the team. From that, you can bump up RvP by 50k/wk and stil have space for 3 good players being paid 100k. I also think that a lot of the guys on loan need to either make the step-up or be cut loose: Frimpong - Keep Ryo - Keep Bendtner - Doesn't want to come back, sell Mannone - Sell if he isn't better than Fabianski Lansbury - Promote or sell Aneke - Season Loan Murthy - Promote or sell Watt - Sell Boateng - Promote or sell Hajrovic - Promote or sell Hoyte - Sell 3 years ago Bartley - Keep Campbell - Keep Vela - Sell Botelho - Promote or sell Wellington - Promote or loan Gallindo - Promote or loan Denilson - Sell
Good points Chirpy 1. What he needs to do is sign some seasoned pros as well as some real class. 2. The potential of your youngsters for the most part is obvious 3. the problem now is not the players, so much as AW himself, but who would replace him? No 1 is anyone's guess, isn't it? In the Telegraph article, it is reported that with key signings unavailable we chose to keep the money in the pot. The problem is in actually spending it or will we allow ourselves to be outbid yet again? In that event we will never make those key signings and have yet again to rely on growing success as our egghead CEO continually expounds. What I fear is that this board are more likely to play the long game. No 2 - while the potential is there it really is a question of whether this will be realised. In Oxo, it's obvious. In others like Walcott, more work is required or are we nearing the end of the road? Additionally, is being played out of position, hampering Walcott's progress as a player? No 3 - I believe Arsene can be his own worse enemy. The constant insistence on having things done his way when it is apparent they do not work. There is an obvious lack of an alternative strategy or tactic. A Plan B that is oft spoken if you like. He as much as some of the players needed that wakeup call. Indeed our board needs that jolt too. How they respond to it is another matter. Onto the Telegraph article For what one can believe in a press article, sympathy from the majority and other directors at Wenger's difficult job is really lip service, isn't it? They required Nasri to be sold and presumably countenanced in the departure of Fabregas for the 40m or whatever the sum was. The player himself was for me a grave disappointment. As captain I felt we deserved more from him than a need to go home to Spain. His job was not done. The hope to secure 4th place is obvious. What else is there to go for? A cup competition is a sudden death scenario. You can throw eveything at it and come away with nothing and then run the risk of picking up more injuries. As for additions of comparable quality to Fabregas or Nasri, well I think we have been there before. The jury is definitely out on that count........ sadly. All we can hope for now is a change of approach by our manager, a boost of confidence and purpose on the part of the players and a change of heart by our majority shareholder and board. That and the other deficiencies that we know of on the pitch such as lack of finishing, an absence of defensive strategy, Oh I could go on but it seems we've been there too. Back to the Telegraph again While it really is about time that the club feel uncertain over retaining Arshavin, Rosicky and others, I think losing RvP will leave a massive gap in the side and leave Arsenal a weaker team in the coming season. I don't see that an adequate and comparable substitute can be brought in. Then again the year after Henry left, Adebayor scored 30 goals and the other members of the team stepped up too. That they did falter from March onwards raises that perennial question about Arsenal as a club with ambition. A tad harsh perhaps but at times it seems a make do approach suffices at the club. 4th place being regarded as a trophy amounts very much to make do. What a far cry from the sides of '98, 2001 and the Invincibles. Far cry from George Graham's twice-league winning side too. I recall that side coming back after a home defeat by Derby to win the league in '89. I struggle to see this side staging a season remaining recovery of that scale. Like everyone else I'd really love to see it though. Rant over
Bon Your list just shows how much deadwood we have and all down to our buying/growing success strategy. The decision-makers of our club need someone to take a decision on them. Preferably the fans.....
Well isnt it interesting that Wenger seems to have woken up at last. Its a shame that he took so long and was so stubborn about things that were obvious three years ago. If he truly shakes it up and gets rid of ALL the deadwood and players who have no bottle or fight then bravo. At the end of this season we will have close to £200m cash in the bank before selling any players Major major overhaul needed in the summer with at least 7 new first team players. Szczesny Mertesacker Wilshere RVP Are the only 1st team players we currently have that deserve to stay there - the rest either dont have the talent or dont have the heart to play at the top level or are not ready yet. Players like OXO shoud be kept to develop further. Its scandalous that an 18 year old with a few games is one of our best players. Oh and begin making the changes on the FIRST day of the transfer window please.
So no Arteta, Kos or TV then Jayram? I think there is place for them. TBH I personally would keep your friend Ramsey as well. I think he has played too many games. In fact Arsene has placed too much reliance on a small handful of players as far as I can see this year and while I wonder how it is that tennis players can go through two or three hours on court under a blazing sun and do that again less than 24 hours later and footballers need longer to recover, it remains that this is what it is. As it is I think we could keep a few more names. To your four keepers and 7 incoming we could easily add these 4 and still remain within the prescribed limit for number of players. What is important though is that we bring in the new players who will make a difference in both the ability and desire to win on the pitch. Whether we do that of course remains to be seen. At the end of the last season Arsene spoke of the need to bring in defenders. Until TV's injuries were known to be continuing beyond August, it seems Arsene had forgotten entirely that we needed new defenders. I think he has a short memory. Just as when we go through a short spell of winning games. Arsene miraculously forgets himself and thinks all is well when in reality everyone else knows it is anything but.
Arteta is a good player but not good enough for the top level. Koscielny is a good player but is prone to error - and too often is caught out of position. He recovers well but overall I believe he is a number 3 (first back up) Vermaelen has actually regressed since his first season and is injury prone. He has some major flaws in his game that show up in big games - particularly the continual rush of blood to the head that sends him rushing into tackles he cant win and leaving space behind that good teams can exploit. (keep him as the 4th centre back - or sell him if he doesnt like it) All three are not good enough for a starting spot. As for Ramsey - dont get me started. He's played enough now to find his form. He isnt good enough. Overall I think we need a lot more than small tweaks to turn the club around. I agree with you that Wenger seems to 'relax' as soon as we win a couple of games. The team do too, and go back to the awful malaise characteristic of the performnance we saw in Milan.
I see you've chosen not to comment on Ramsey.... TV seems to have regressed but I wonder if it could be a case of injury being hampered by overkill. He used to be so reliable. Still, we'll see what happens. I fear though that given the history and style of our management, our hopes may be sown on stone. We really need a different owner. One who enjoys football and loves the club. Unlike someone who stays silent while watching his 3.2bn empire grow. It will make all the difference.
I edited my post for you! A new owner would be ideal, but not sure we'll get that. I do hope that Kroenke sell up though.
