Arsenal FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 10/11

Smegball

Gary Cahill would be an excellent acquisition for Arsenal imo.

JPA

Gary Cahill is good at clearing his lines, on high balls and in the opposition box but put him man to man against a big striker and he struggles a lot.

Fursttimer

JPA wrote: »

Gary Cahill is good at clearing his lines, on high balls and in the opposition box but put him man to man against a big striker and he struggles a lot.

What you just said reminds me of a certain central defender at United

Vidic

ImpossibleDuck

Frisbee wrote: »

Samba turns like a bus. He will be crucified with the high line we play. Yes he'll be great for defending corners etc, but he will weaken our defence in every other aspect of the game.

As opposed to Djourou, who just backpeddles until he falls on his arse.

keano_afc

Samba would be a great signing. We conceded HALF our goals from set pieces last year. Thats a disgrace. Having him in there would greatly improve that. We dont actually concede that many goals from playing the high line, so I cant see a problem with Samba.

yahoo_moe

If we don't concede goals from the high line, maybe it's because Wenger insists on his players being quick and agile?

Absolutely we need to reduce the amount of goals conceded from set pieces but it can't cause more goals from other ways. We'd only end up cutting down the 50% stat but could still be conceding the same amount in total.

And besides, our biggest issue with conceding goals was the general late-season collapse. Up till March, we were decent defensively from a goals conceded point of view. We should be looking to clear crosses and set pieces better but it's more than just that is needed.

Pepe LeFrits

Why would we want to stop playing a high line?

Honestly, reading some of the posts on here lately you'd think people want us to play like Stoke. That won't win us the league either.

Quazzie

Because if we can't get players that can play a high line then we should stop. Simples.

Pepe LeFrits

No, not simples. As has been pointed out, we play a high line quite well. Set pieces are much more of a problem.

I think people are deluding themselves if they think that throwing any old lump in at CB will cure our defensive ails. They might make us better at set plays but we'll lose in other areas. Senderos was a good example of this.

Without a high line you can't compress the pitch, it leaves huge gaps between the defence, midfield and attack which causes a whole new set of defensive problems, and it means you can't press or exert pressure.

Smegball

Smalling would have been perfect. He's quick, good in the air and importantly for Arsenal has excellent distribution.

Someone like Kjaer would be a very good signing. Gary Cahill like I mentioned earlier would be great, has tremendous potential I feel.

Quazzie

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

No, not simples. As has been pointed out, we play a high line quite well. Set pieces are much more of a problem.

I think people are deluding themselves if they think that throwing any old lump in at CB will cure our defensive ails. They might make us better at set plays but we'll lose in other areas. Senderos was a good example of this.

Without a high line you can't compress the pitch, it leaves huge gaps between the defence, midfield and attack which causes a whole new set of defensive problems, and it means you can't press or exert pressure.

We are much more likely to use the gaps left by not playing the high line that the opposition. We are too condensed on the field and we suffer because of it. We need to spread the game out more IMO and get back to the counter attacking football that won us so much.

Pepe LeFrits

We don't get to control the opposition players so really not playing a high-line won't achieve that all, all it will do is make the team more porous than it already is. The only way to really encourage to teams to come out more is by playing players who are less technically gifted.

Paleface

Didn't Wenger change from being a counter attacking side to how we currently play because thats where football is progressing on the next level?

Barca are setting the standards in how football should be played. United are a counter attacking team and look how badly they were shown up! Arsenal were the only team to beat Barca in the CL this year.

Arsenal just need more experience in their squad. The overall system is the way to go I think.

The only thing that frustrates me most about Arsenal's style of play is that they should shoot from long range a bit more often. This wouldn't change the overall tactics. If the shot is on take it!

Quazzie

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

We don't get to control the opposition players so really not playing a high-line won't achieve that all, all it will do is make the team more porous than it already is. The only way to really encourage to teams to come out more is by playing players who are less technically gifted.

So teams that don't play as far advanced as us are porous and prone to concede more goals?

Quazzie

Paleface wrote: »

The only thing that frustrates me most about Arsenal's style of play is that they should shoot from long range a bit more often. This wouldn't change the overall tactics. If the shot is on take it!

So it doesn't frustrate you to see us take the lead in the 100th minute of a 90 minute game and still not win the game. Our defence is poor and this is should be our main priority.

Pepe LeFrits

Quazzie wrote: »

So teams that don't play as far advanced as us are porous and prone to concede more goals?

Most teams get pressed higher up the pitch than us. Teams stand off us because our players are so gifted at retaining possession and the opposition know that if they come out too much they'll get cut to ribbons.

Telling our defence to sit deep in our half when the entire opposition team tends to sit in its own won't achieve anything.

ImpossibleDuck

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Most teams get pressed higher up the pitch than us. Teams stand off us because our players are so gifted at retaining possession and the opposition know that if they come out too much they'll get cut to ribbons.

Telling our defence to sit deep in our half when the entire opposition team tends to sit in its own won't achieve anything.

Precisely.

Someone said about how we need a high line to push the opposition back? No! They do that anyway because we keep the ball so well and if they don't, they're in for a hammering.

Paleface

Quazzie wrote: »

So it doesn't frustrate you to see us take the lead in the 100th minute of a 90 minute game and still not win the game. Our defence is poor and this is should be our main priority.

That is quite frustrating also but as previously mentioned our defence was up to scratch in terms of total goals conceded until the season collapsed.

Experience would have prevented that collapse with less nerves and dropping of heads etc.

jmayo

Paleface wrote: »

...
Barca are setting the standards in how football should be played. United are a counter attacking team and look how badly they were shown up! Arsenal were the only team to beat Barca in the CL this year.

IMHO united failed because they had a pi** poor midfield and even with a good midfield it is not easy to mark three playmakers as gifted as the Barca boys.
One can only play that type of posssession football if you have the players technically capable and even then what marks them apart is the three guys they have running the show.


Did Barca really take the foot off in that game, because at stages Arsenal couldn't get near the ball ?
I bet 9 out of 10 Barca would beat Arsenal sadly.

Paleface wrote: »

Arsenal just need more experience in their squad. The overall system is the way to go I think.

My argument is it is just not good enough to get experience, players of a tough mental substance are needed.
Gallas had experience and talent, but where was he when a leader was needed ?

Paleface wrote: »

The only thing that frustrates me most about Arsenal's style of play is that they should shoot from long range a bit more often. This wouldn't change the overall tactics. If the shot is on take it!

I call that the Hleb factor.

Just looked up his stats and for an attacking midfielder he only got 7 goals in 89 appearances that is a goal nearly only every 8 matches or so.

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Most teams get pressed higher up the pitch than us. Teams stand off us because our players are so gifted at retaining possession and the opposition know that if they come out too much they'll get cut to ribbons.

I would be interested to know for all the possession what are the number of shots on target ?

KeithAFC

I bet 9 out of 10 Barca would beat Arsenal sadly.

Failed to beat us last season at home, or during the season just finished at home too.

Paleface

jmayo wrote: »

I call that the Hleb factor.

I believe the commonly accepted term is "tippy-tappy"! :P

ImpossibleDuck

Sky sports news app's "today's paper talk" cracked me up today. Arsenal set to buy Odemwingie ??? Lol

And then it went on to describe how bolton need a replacement defender for (and I quote) "Gary Cahill who is off to Arsenal"

Oh English newspapers....

the untitled user

jmayo wrote: »

I call that the Hleb factor.

Just looked up his stats and for an attacking midfielder he only got 7 goals in 89 appearances that is a goal nearly only every 8 matches or so.

To be fair to Hleb, he was involved in a lot of goal scoring moves, more often the player to start them. In his final season he got 11 assists alone, but was involved in almost every move we made.

To make a comparison, Iniesta's goals per game record with Barca isn't much better than Hleb's was for us. Yet I think it's fair to say he's one of the world's best attacking midfielders.

SDTimeout

Bendtner said today that there is a policy in Arsenal where if a player is on a hat trick and a penalty is awarded they get a first refusal!

Pointless, but cool thing to hear i thought.

Sasquatch76

stephendarwin Stephen Darwin by SiClancy

Nasri to French TV: I don't know if I will sign a new contract. Do I want to go to #MUFC? We should see if it's real & if it is concrete

SDTimeout

Seen that there, it's all over twitter.

Wenger has already said Nasri won't be sold to a rival though.

HAZARD.

ImpossibleDuck

SDTimeout wrote: »

Seen that there, it's all over twitter.

Wenger has already said Nasri won't be sold to a rival though.

HAZARD.

Receive 20 million for the lad and he goes to United or let him leave on a free and United will probably snap him up anyway.

Which would you choose?

This is why footballers contracts are ridiculous, they have FAR TOO MUCH POWER.

Remember the Rooney fiasco last year?

EDIT: He won't be sold to a rival? Apart from United, the only team that are winning (which is what Nasri wants) are Barca. There's no point in him going to Liverpool or Chelsea or whatever cos it's just the same as staying here. And if Barca don't want him, that only leaves United who he will sign for.

L'prof

We'll give him the money he wants, promise a few signings in order to bring in the silverware and he'll sign a 4 year extension to his contract keeping him here until 2016. Wenger would never sell an important player to United, especially one that would significantly improve their title winning squad, so we can rest assured there!

Royale with Cheese

It shows the contract situation at Arsenal in particular is a mess. Players like Nasri allowed to run down their contract to 1 year left (should never ever happen), and other players like Denilson given huge wages in the hopes that they'll come good.

On the one hand you're paying huge money for a player with potential that turns out to be shít. On the other hand you're reluctant to give the player huge wages because although he has potential, he's not completely fulfilled it yet. He ends up running down his contract and can go almost anywhere he wants for very little money. Basically they got it the wrong way round.

ImpossibleDuck

L'prof wrote: »

We'll give him the money he wants, promise a few signings in order to bring in the silverware and he'll sign a 4 year extension to his contract keeping him here until 2016. Wenger would never sell an important player to United, especially one that would significantly improve their title winning squad, so we can rest assured there!

This is the problem. It is not his choice. If Nasri wants to go to them, Wenger has the choice to sell him or to let him go for free.

And money is not the problem. Silverware is.

L'prof

ImpossibleDuck wrote: »

This is the problem. It is not his choice. If Nasri wants to go to them, Wenger has the choice to sell him or to let him go for free.

And money is not the problem. Silverware is.

So you think it'll happen?

sonic85

has shades of the cesc situation doesnt it. i think he will end up going there - why not? hes obviously already had a chat with evra about it so id imagine hes thinking hard about jumping ship. fcuking modern footballers - all mercenarys

OPENROAD

Hope we have a big clear out


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1394545/Nicklas-Bendtner-confirms-Arsenal-departure.html

ClareVisitor

I doubt Nasri will end up going anywhere, this is classic stuff by him and his agent looking for a better deal. I can see him and Fabregas being around next year, but several of the squad players like Bendtner, Denilson and Rosicky being let go.

sonic85

ClareVisitor wrote: »

I doubt Nasri will end up going anywhere, this is classic stuff by him and his agent looking for a better deal. I can see him and Fabregas being around next year, but several of the squad players like Bendtner, Denilson and Rosicky being let go.

rumour is hes looking for 120k or thereabouts. my question is what has he done to deserve that kind of money? half a good season? if he ends up getting what he wants its a farce. no player should be able to back a club into a corner - like has been said above though its the clubs fault for letting his contract run down

ClareVisitor

sonic85 wrote: »

rumour is hes looking for 120k or thereabouts. my question is what has he done to deserve that kind of money? half a good season? if he ends up getting what he wants its a farce. no player should be able to back a club into a corner - like has been said above though its the clubs fault for letting his contract run down

I would agree to a point, but the question of what he's worth comes down to what someone else is willing to pay him. If he can run down his contract and someone else is willing to pay that £120k per week then that's what he's worth. If we're not willing to pay it then he'll go.

There is a failing here on the club's behalf definitely, in this day and age contracts should be renewed two years out minimum. At least you're guaranteed to get good value for a player if they insist on leaving that way.

sonic85

another club may be willing to pay him 120k but he most certainly isnt worth that. proof once again that the value of players is spiralling out of control. i have no problem whatsoever giving a player a payrise but they have to earn it. nasri has done nothing to deserve that kind of money

Galvasean

If he truly is demanding 120k per week we should cut our losses and sell him for £20million. I'm glad we don't play the ridiculous wages game. ith the fair play rules coming in shortly, we'd be mad to start it now of all times!

amiable

Galvasean wrote: »

If he truly is demanding 120k per week we should cut our losses and sell him for £20million. I'm glad we don't play the ridiculous wages game. ith the fair play rules coming in shortly, we'd be mad to start it now of all times!

Do you really believe anyone will pay 20 mill for him with him in the last year of his contract?
I honestly don't think so.

emergingstar

He didnt do enough to earn them wages. Was only consistent for 6 months, i like Nasri but if he keeps playing hardball i would sell him

ImpossibleDuck

L'prof wrote: »

So you think it'll happen?

It happened with Ashley Cole, who was, at the time, maybe the best left back in the world.

Only this time, the player is not after money but glory.

Frankly, I am absolutely disgusted by his behaviour and hope he goes. How can you expect team solidity when you have cúnts like this on the team?

Ok I mean pondering a move is one thing, but making it public that he wants to go to our biggest rivals, and moreover, he's willing to fúck the club in the arsé and go for free?

Does that sound like a player who is dedicated to his club? Fúck Nasri.

Galvasean

Reminds me a bit of Adebayor. Says he wants to leave. Signs lucrative new contract. says he never wanted to leabe and the media just made it up. Leaves as soon as a big offer comes in.

Although I would have more sympathy for Nasri in that he seems fuelled by a will for success. Not like we play him in his favoured position either..

ClareVisitor

Galvasean wrote: »

If he truly is demanding 120k per week we should cut our losses and sell him for £20million. I'm glad we don't play the ridiculous wages game. ith the fair play rules coming in shortly, we'd be mad to start it now of all times!

That's all well and good, but that is the point where winning trophies and developing players (As our friend Evra might say) starts to split. If we're not willing to pay top wages then players can come to Arsenal young, knowing they'll get chances in the first team and then once they've made a reputation for themsleves like Nasri has they can go off somewhere else to earn the money. If we allow them to do this with only a year left on their contracts then we get a a small(ish) tranfer fee and lose their best years to someone else.

The new stadium was meant to allow us to compete better financially, but the poor performance of the commercial department and the (necessarily) undervalued sponsorship contracts we entered into to build it are holding us back. It appears that someone has put their foot down with the tour to Asia to start to generate more money that way, once the sponsorship contracts run out I'm sure we can double or treble their value to allow us to compete on a more even footing. Hopefully the UEFA financial fair play rules will help also, but I'll be amazed if the armies of accountants at Eastlands, Stamford Bridge and The Bernabeu etc. aren't already devising plans to circumvent them.

KeithAFC

Sell Nasri for 20 million.
Sell Fabregas for 50 million.

70 million to add onto our current transfer budget. Spend it all on new players. Change it up a bit. Get a new striker, some one with rapid pace and has some proper footballing ability. A new defender, a new midfielder, a new left back.

Winger
Striker
Midfielder
Central defender
Left back

Some one with rapid pace to partnet Van Persie, Van persie plays the Bergkamp role, a combative midfield, with technical players like Wilshere and Ramsay, get a proper experienced player in the middle of that park, some one similar to De Jong. A central defender to partner Thomas Vermaelen. A left back to replace Clichy. Some one who is a better defender than Clichy and when going forward, is more penetrative.

A creative winger to replace Nasri who has the ability to get quality crosses into the box and can assist our two strikers.

KeithAFC

JamieDalton82
@MarcoSilva11 says Gervinho has rejected Newcastle and will be announced as an Arsenal player on Wednesday.

ImpossibleDuck

KeithAFC wrote: »

JamieDalton82
@MarcoSilva11 says Gervinho has rejected Newcastle and will be announced as an Arsenal player on Wednesday.

HA...sorry don't believe it.

I've heard little about this, and now suddenly it's a done deal?

Andre80Johnson

ImpossibleDuck wrote: »

HA...sorry don't believe it.

I've heard little about this, and now suddenly it's a done deal?

If it's true, it does fit into Wenger's way of doing transfers, keeping it on the down low till it's ready to be announced.

ImpossibleDuck

Andre80Johnson wrote: »

If it's true, it does fit into Wenger's way of doing transfers, keeping it on the down low till it's ready to be announced.

Very true

I hope it is true though, it gives Bendtner even more incentive to leave.

I will REJOICE the day he leaves.

Andre80Johnson

ImpossibleDuck wrote: »

Very true

I hope it is true though, it gives Bendtner even more incentive to leave.

I will REJOICE the day he leaves.

And his bud Denilson.

KeithAFC

And Clichy.

Don't forget Squillaci either. Oh and Carlos Vela.