Now I know this may attract some hate towards RVP as it is a bit of a c***ish move that he has pulled However yous have now brought in Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla.... and apparently want a couple more Them 3 alone are world class signings and correct me if I am wrong but RVP said he would look at the signings made as a statement of intent from the club and then make his decision... Now after those 3 I think it would be difficult for anyone not to think Arsenal want at least a domestic cup next year and seriously mount a title challenge Does this mean then that RVP has just got greedy and wants money? (thats if the stories linking him with Man Utd are true anyway)
I am not sure if any except Podolski can be classed as World Class yet, but certainly Cazorla is a very good player and Giroud has the potential to be very good. That coupled with the statements coming from the club about further signings is certainly going in the right direction. As for RVP, we had already signed Giroud and Podolski when he released his comments, as well as offering to pay him our highest every salary, so I don't think that any Arsenal fans thought he wanted to leave for anything except the money (and on a lesser scale winning trophies easilly). If RVP had any integrity he would retract his statements, kiss the arse of every Arsenal fan beg forgiveness and then sign a new contract.
The statement that RVP put out was clearly written and orchestrated by his agent, basically they were trying to take advantage of the arsenal fans annoyance at the board. They wanted arsenal fans to blame the board, so that RVP would not get so much stick when he left. Anyone who has been on this board regularly will know that a lot of arsenal fans blame the board for our lack of success, personally I blame the players, but that's a different debate, they were basically playing on the fears of the arsenal fans, that it was the boards fault again, and that RVP had no choice but to move (and pick up a large pay rise in the process). So in short, the statement was designed to make arsenal fans think it was the boards fault, and that RVP was essentially a victim of the boards lack of ambition, and therefore had no choice but to move, this would mean the fans would show less hatred towards RVP, indeed some even sympathise with him, and direct their frustration at the board instead of RVP. How can every footballer be so stupid and be brain washed by an agent, it's not just one or two but pretty much every footballer, look at the rooney saga for example. Even RVPs wife and father have basically said that he should stay at arsenal, hence the reason I still think his agent is behind this. It will be interesting to see where he ends up as none of the clubs that are supposedly after him seem that bothered if they get him or not, if I was RVP, that would be setting alarm bells ringing.
Don't get me wrong, they're good signings from the look of things but I can't see them making Arsenal competitive at the very top of the table straight away. World Class? Not likely, although I guess it depends on how you define the term. For me a World Class player is one that could play for nearly any team in the World because they're one of the best in the position. Arsenal are in a good position though with a near complete squad with 24 days of the window to go. Wish we were anything like as prepared
The true reason for his statement was to make his staying with Arsenal untennable, thus ensuring a quick transfer not having to resort to the written transfer request (that would cost him money). I really doubt if he cares about what Arsenal fans will think of him, when he will have left. But AFC responded admirably cool. So RVP is facing this dreaded option to stay with Arsenal for one more year, that is untill he is 30. He knows he must have another extraordinary season to secure a decent deal at 30. And he knows that with Podolski, Giroux and Cazorla the will not play for him only any more. So forget about anothr 30+ vgoals. It is a waiting game now. Arsenal definately have his price in mind, but nobody knows how much. There is also another dreaded option for him - ManU can lower his salary to raise the transfer fee. It is possible is RVP gets desperate. That statement. Was so ill advised, it just beggars belief.
Podolski with 100 caps for one of the best teams in the World by the age of 27, can in my eyes be classed as World Class.
It's how you define world class. There is no way Podolski would make any world team if you asked any football fan. However he is a very good player playing in the top teams for years so if you look at it that way I can see why you would call him that. From a Spurs point of view and it pains me to say it but I've been very impressed with Wenger in the transfer window this year I think you could be in for a very good season. Can you loan us any of your strikers? (except park, chamakh and Bendtner!)
Mertesacker's not far off him in caps and he's not World Class. Koscielny's better than him yet only has a handful of caps for what is arguably a worse team so I'm not sure how much store you can put in international caps. For a winger who's amongst the best handful in the world, he's gone very cheaply and with little competition then. I've not seen a lot of Cazorla but I feel the jump is being made from a quality signing to a World beater without the seasons of top performances to back it up.
He's just come off the back of, possibly, his strongest season yet. I've said this plenty of times, but he would walk into every team bar Real Madrid and Barcelona, and even then he would be pushing hard to get into those teams. I personally think he would get ahead of Di Maria for Real Madrid.
Giroud has had one season in the limelight and Podolski has had no more than two successful seasons at club level, despite his impressive international showings. Both are far from 'World Class'. Cazorla however is a coup for sure.
The Term World Class is thrown around way too much. Personally i feel there are only a few geniune World Class Players in. Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Iniesta. People are too quick to call players world class. The English Media think Rooney is WC but lets face it he not. He's in the level below along with the likes of RVP, Silva, Fabregas ect.
