Arsenal Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread Summer 2015

symbolic

Soups123 wrote: »

if we fall flat on our arse again know who I will blame!

And if the team starts "clicking"(ha) and they win the premier league, how will you feel then, happy with the win but changes needed?

keano_afc

keano_afc wrote: »

We've needed a top class striker and DMF for a while now, its not just this window Wenger has dropped the ball.

We have needed a dmf, we now have Coquelin. Now people don't think having one decent dmf is enough, now we need two.

How many clubs have more than one decent specialist dmf? Hardly any. Most teams operate with a specialist, and then a few players who can do a job.

Striker is the only real hole in our squad.

wandatowell

Is Welbeck is 2-3 weeks away from fitness?

jonneymendoza

wandatowell wrote: »

Is Welbeck is 2-3 weeks away from fitness?

who knows

Quazzie

jonneymendoza wrote: »

who knows

who cares?

Soups123

symbolic wrote: »

And if the team starts "clicking"(ha) and they win the premier league, how will you feel then, happy with the win but changes needed?

I am a fan I will be over the fcukin moon and calling Wenger a genius.... and trust what ever he does in the next window.

Skylinehead

Quazzie wrote: »

who cares?

Plenty? You don't speak for us all :cool:

Just thinking about transfers in general, and knowing full well some of the strange ones we've made over the last few years....here's some figures that were posted over in the Liverpool thread here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=96844700&postcount=9602

Liverpool

2012 / 13:
Signed 8
Cost £49.3m
Gone 4
3 contributors

2013 / 14:

Signed 7
Cost £48.8
Gone 4
3 Contributors

2014 / 15:

Signed 10
Cost £117
Gone 3
5 Contributors

Signed 25
Gone 11
11 actual additions to the squad.
Cost £215m

====================================

Utd

12-13
Signed 6
Cost £60m
Gone 5
0 Contributors

13-14
Signed 4
Cost £65m
Gone 0
1 contributor

14-15
Signed 9
Cost £145m
Gone 1
4 contributors

Signed 19
Gone 6
5 actual additions to the squad.
Cost £285m

====================================

Chelsea

12-13
Signed 9
Cost £95m
Gone 6
4 Contributors

13-14
Signed 15
Cost £120m
Gone 12
3 contributors

14-15
Signed 6
Cost £105m
Gone 3
3 contributors

Signed 30
Gone 21
5 actual additions to the squad.
Cost £320m

====================================

Arsenal

12-13
Signed 4
Cost £47m
Gone 1
3 Contributors

13-14
Signed 7
Cost £42m
Gone 5
2 contributors

14-15
Signed 10
Cost £85m
Gone 4
6 contributors

Signed 21
Gone 10
11 actual additions to the squad.
Cost £175m

====================================

Spurs

12-13
Signed 8
Cost £60m
Gone 4
3 Contributors

13-14
Signed 7
Cost £105m
Gone 4
2 contributors

14-15
Signed 7
Cost £28m
Gone 2
0-ish contributors

Signed 22
Gone 10
5 actual additions to the squad.
Cost £190m


It's fairly interesting reading from an Arsenal perspective, but what does it say about the club/Arsene?

Is he better at selecting players that will work for the club?
Is he more stubborn than other managers and will hang on to players that aren't working out?
Is he less likely to throw money away on a player?

It's probably a little bit of all of these. It also has to be noted that some of the clubs above have changed managers over the timeframe, so that's always going to influence players in and out.

keano_afc

Basil3 wrote: »

We have needed a dmf, we now have Coquelin. Now people don't think having one decent dmf is enough, now we need two.

How many clubs have more than one decent specialist dmf? Hardly any. Most teams operate with a specialist, and then a few players who can do a job.

Striker is the only real hole in our squad.

I dont agree. Coquelin has been at the club a long time and has had half a season. Pinning hopes on him playing 50 games this season is an oversight. WE quite clearly needed strengthening there.

Soups123

keano_afc wrote: »

I dont agree. Coquelin has been at the club a long time and has had half a season. Pinning hopes on him playing 50 games this season is an oversight. WE quite clearly needed strengthening there.

I would have been the same as you but to be fair to Coq he has started this season as one of our best players, signing a DM risked distracting that. For me he earned the right to be our first choice DM and I think we have enough to cover that if he is out.

If his season isnt up to scratch then we should replace but for now he is one of our most in form players since he came in.

No doubt Wenger has got lucky here, Coq was never part of the master plan but every now and again in every line of work someone surprises the **** out of you.

My only annoyance this window is that we didnt bring in either a better CF than Giroud, a similar level player but with a different dynamic or an emerging talent. Had we of kept Akpom and said I am putting my trust here I'd have been concerned but I'd have understood and respected it.

keano_afc

keano_afc wrote: »

I dont agree. Coquelin has been at the club a long time and has had half a season. Pinning hopes on him playing 50 games this season is an oversight. WE quite clearly needed strengthening there.

So what you're saying is that this whole time we needed 2 DMF's?

I swear we're the only club who carries on about this position. Do Liverpool even have one? I don't hear their clubs go on about it. Chelsea don't have anyone other than Matic do they? They never seem to be freaking out over cover for him. Maybe they do and I just don't know it.

greendom

keano_afc wrote: »

I dont agree. Coquelin has been at the club a long time and has had half a season. Pinning hopes on him playing 50 games this season is an oversight. WE quite clearly needed strengthening there.

Quite Clearly ? This man has among the best stats for a defensive midfielder in the league. It's not clear at all to me that this is an area that needs strengthening

keano_afc

Basil3 wrote: »

So what you're saying is that this whole time we needed 2 DMF's?

I swear we're the only club who carries on about this position. Do Liverpool even have one? I don't hear their clubs go on about it. Chelsea don't have anyone other than Matic do they? They never seem to be freaking out over cover for him. Maybe they do and I just don't know it.

Our style of play demands one. Last season (but perhaps more evident the previous campaign) we saw on lots of occasions a massive gap between attack and defence as Arteta was caught out upfield leaving the back 4 exposed (the home game against City springs to mind).

Yes, Coq came in and did a great job this year, but I cant see it continuing for a whole season. Form could tail off, and he will inevitably get injured/suspended. We needed another body there. Its extremely risky to leave us with what we have.

Mickeroo

keano_afc wrote: »

Our style of play demands one. Last season (but perhaps more evident the previous campaign) we saw on lots of occasions a massive gap between attack and defence as Arteta was caught out upfield leaving the back 4 exposed (the home game against City springs to mind).

Yes, Coq came in and did a great job this year, but I cant see it continuing for a whole season. Form could tail off, and he will inevitably get injured/suspended. We needed another body there. Its extremely risky to leave us with what we have.

Squads simply aren't big enough to build a team on that kind of logic. At the moment we have one really good DM, a decent back up in Arteta and break glass in case of emergency option in Flamini. Why would we sign a 4th player for one position to sit on the bench?

I genuinely feel the fact that Coq pretty much cost nothing is what makes people so uncomfortable about trusting him to keep doing what he's been doing since January.

A DM would have been a bit of a luxury signing this window imo, striker is where the weakness is.

keano_afc

keano_afc wrote: »

Our style of play demands one. Last season (but perhaps more evident the previous campaign) we saw on lots of occasions a massive gap between attack and defence as Arteta was caught out upfield leaving the back 4 exposed (the home game against City springs to mind).

Yes, Coq came in and did a great job this year, but I cant see it continuing for a whole season. Form could tail off, and he will inevitably get injured/suspended. We needed another body there. Its extremely risky to leave us with what we have.

I don't put this down to needing to sign a player in a certain position. I put this down to team formation and players being aware of what they should be doing.

To me it's the exact same problem as playing Ramsey on the right, but him never actually playing on the right.

Whether it's a problem with Wenger, or with the players just doing whatever they feel like rather than sticking to some kind of plan, I don't know.

Alfred Borden

Any good strikers in our under 21's that could do a Bellerin?

Quazzie

Mickeroo wrote: »

Squads simply aren't big enough to build a team on that kind of logic. At the moment we have one really good DM, a decent back up in Arteta and break glass in case of emergency option in Flamini. Why would we sign a 4th player for one position to sit on the bench?

I genuinely feel the fact that Coq pretty much cost nothing is what makes people so uncomfortable about trusting him to keep doing what he's been doing since January.

A DM would have been a bit of a luxury signing this window imo, striker is where the weakness is.

I honestly couldn't give a flying fúck how much he cost. My concern is that he came from nowhere, so how easily could he just return to nowhere. If he can stay consistent to the abilities we've seen then I'm more than happy to stay with Coq.

symbolic

Soups123 wrote: »

I am a fan I will be over the fcukin moon and calling Wenger a genius.... and trust what ever he does in the next window.

Haha that's fair enough! You're opinion of people must be like a yoyo

Soups123

symbolic wrote: »

Haha that's fair enough! You're opinion of people must be like a yoyo

When it comes to football of course it is, people who I know in real life I know so don't make random judgements.....but in football hell yes I'll yoyo to suit how well we are doing

symbolic

Soups123 wrote: »

.....but in football hell yes I'll yoyo to suit how well we are doing

Ah I get ya, thats the but I'm missing I think, so the mood swings in here grate that bit more

Hopefully there'll be no need for the rest of the season!

tayto lover

brianregan09 wrote: »

Look it done now , no point moaning and bitching about it we really should just get behind the team now , Man City for me are really the only ones that strengthened for me

United Liverpool and Chelsea all look a shambles at the moment , Spurs......are spurs

Deja vous.

byrneg28

Alfred Borden wrote: »

Any good strikers in our under 21's that could do a Bellerin?

Only really Akpom, and he's on loan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuGJbOXr-Ko

greendom

tayto lover wrote: »

Deja vous.

Deja moi?

tayto lover

Basil3 wrote: »

So what you're saying is that this whole time we needed 2 DMF's?

I swear we're the only club who carries on about this position. Do Liverpool even have one? I don't hear their clubs go on about it. Chelsea don't have anyone other than Matic do they? They never seem to be freaking out over cover for him. Maybe they do and I just don't know it.

I feel that we need another DM.
Coq has been brilliant. It's cover for him we need. Flamini is well past it. Arteta is good for some games but not for City or Chelsea. He is too slow getting back. We need another big strong player. I'm now hoping Beliak comes through to challenge but he's very young yet.
Also Coq will miss part of the season through suspension or injury. It always happens. he gets lots of yellows. I am hoping it's not when we are playing the big fast teams like City or Chelsea but knowing our luck that is exactly what will happen.
Football is about being prepared for all eventualities. I don't think we are. We have left things to luck again the way we left the CB position to luck last season.
Hopefully i'm wrong and things work out. I don't know who the other teams have as replacement DM's and I don't really care but i would bet a pound to a penny they have contingencies and they're not ageing and slow.

Baggly

tayto lover wrote: »

I feel that we need another DM.
Coq has been brilliant. It's cover for him we need. Flamini is well past it. Arteta is good for some games but not for City or Chelsea. He is too slow getting back. We need another big strong player. I'm now hoping Beliak comes through to challenge but he's very young yet.
Also Coq will miss part of the season through suspension or injury. It always happens. he gets lots of yellows. I am hoping it's not when we are playing the big fast teams like City or Chelsea but knowing our luck that is exactly what will happen.
Football is about being prepared for all eventualities. I don't think we are. We have left things to luck again the way we left the CB position to luck last season.
Hopefully i'm wrong and things work out. I don't know who the other teams have as replacement DM's and I don't really care but i would bet a pound to a penny they have contingencies and they're not ageing and slow.

From the looks of him, Bielek would want to hit the whey protein and weights bench hard for the next couple of years.

Marty McFly

Mickeroo wrote: »

Squads simply aren't big enough to build a team on that kind of logic. At the moment we have one really good DM, a decent back up in Arteta and break glass in case of emergency option in Flamini. Why would we sign a 4th player for one position to sit on the bench?

I genuinely feel the fact that Coq pretty much cost nothing is what makes people so uncomfortable about trusting him to keep doing what he's been doing since January.

A DM would have been a bit of a luxury signing this window imo, striker is where the weakness is.

I'm of the opinion that Flamini and Arteta should have been moved on and another body brought in to compete with Coquelin.

Really thought Flamini would have been moved on during the window suprised he stayed along with Rosicky not that I mind Rosicky staying so much but he was complaining last year about a lack of playing time can't see that improving this season.

Stupid international break not giving any distractions to a disastrous window bar watching the equivalent of paint dry when Ireland play

Mickeroo

Far as I can see United are the only other team with the more strength in depth to us at DM in that they have Carrick, Blind, Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin . Chelsea have Matic and Mikel, City only have Fernandinho afaik, Liverpool have Lucas and Can, Spurs have a footballer of some description.

Marty McFly wrote: »

I'm of the opinion that Flamini and Arteta should have been moved on and another body brought in to compete with Coquelin.

Really thought Flamini would have been moved on during the window suprised he stayed along with Rosicky not that I mind Rosicky staying so much but he was complaining last year about a lack of playing time can't see that improving this season.

Stupid international break not giving any distractions to a disastrous window bar watching the equivalent of paint dry when Ireland play

Yeah ideally that would have happened though I'd have wanted Arteta still kept, it's not something I'll lose sleep over though. If things get really bad Wilshire and Ramsey can also do a job.

Wonda-Boy

TBH lads I would not be so down hearted about lack of signings if the current squad were performing to the best of their ability. It doesn't matter if the other big clubs are not performing that well either thats a cope out for me, or that its only the start of the season. I think the fact we won the CS against Chelsea brought a little bit of complacency into the squad. Just my thinking....I hope we really get a backbone against the big teams and push on in the CL aswell, I really do.

Kirby

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

TBH lads I would not be so down hearted about lack of signings if the current squad were performing to the best of their ability. It doesn't matter if the other big clubs are not performing that well either or that its only the start of the season. The manner in which we dropped points so far is shocking.....

It does matter. If Chelsea, United, Liverpool and Spurs had won all their games instead of losing them, Arsenals stuttering start would be a lot more impactful. They have all dropped point in a "shocking manner". As it stands, everyone has been mediocre apart from City. That matters.

Are you honestly trying to say that if everyone was already 10 points ahead of Arsenal it wouldnt make a difference to the fans reaction and mood? And more importantly, the players reaction and mood?

Wonda-Boy

Kirby wrote: »

It does matter. If Chelsea, United, Liverpool and Spurs had won all their games instead of losing them, Arsenals stuttering start would be a lot more impactful. They have all dropped point in a "shocking manner". As it stands, everyone has been mediocre apart from City. That matters.

Are you honestly trying to say that if everyone was already 10 points ahead of Arsenal it wouldnt make a difference to the fans reaction and mood? And more importantly, the players reaction and mood?

I understand what you are saying,...but look at it from the other angle. If we DID perform to that standard that we are capable off with the current squad it would have instilled alot more confidence in the team and any points gained now while the others are floundering would have been very welcome towards the end of the season when we usually finish very strongly.

Even in other seasons when we did not start well there was a different feeling about the team, a more positive one. I just dont see the drive from the current squad even in this early part of the season, the mood as you put it is terrible this year....just my 2 cents.

farna_boy

Kirby wrote: »

It does matter. If Chelsea, United, Liverpool and Spurs had won all their games instead of losing them, Arsenals stuttering start would be a lot more impactful. They have all dropped point in a "shocking manner". As it stands, everyone has been mediocre apart from City. That matters.

Are you honestly trying to say that if everyone was already 10 points ahead of Arsenal it wouldnt make a difference to the fans reaction and mood? And more importantly, the players reaction and mood?

FFS, what are you on about?

You could equally have said:

It does matter. If Chelsea, United, Liverpool and Spurs Arsenal had won all their games instead of losing them, their stuttering start would be a lot more impactful. We have dropped point in a "shocking manner". As it stands, everyone has been mediocre apart from Arsenal. That matters.

Are you honestly trying to say that if we were already 10 points ahead of them it wouldnt make a difference to the fans reaction and mood? And more importantly, the players reaction and mood?

and it would still make no difference. We dropped points but so did they. There is no point in bringing up imaginary situations. We are bad enough worrying about the reality without dreaming up the worse case scenarios!

greendom

One of those outfield players that we didn't buy during the latest transfer window has been included in the Champions League squad for this season

symbolic

greendom wrote: »

One of those outfield players that we didn't buy during the latest transfer window has been included in the Champions League squad for this season

Jeff looked good though didn't he! Hopefully he does well.

Pudders

We are one injury away from a crisis.
Giroud gets injured what do we do?

Coq gets injured what do we do?


I am a bigger fan of these two than most on here (maybe not as much as efb and giroud) but the lack of cover is shocking. Flamini and/or Arteta should have been moved on with cover for the Coq. Not surprised by Flamini - he has always ran down his contracts and gone on a free.

As for Giroud, we don't have acceptable back-up.
I'd have taken Charlie bloody Austin for £15m or Chicarito for £7m. Not good enough to replace Giroud but cheap insurance.

It is unacceptable.

But it's done. However if any of the Wenger apologists claim injuries affecting us later, I will be getting one of the pies from Piebury corner, sit in a dark corner and slowly eat it muttering to myself I told you so....

The orcs next up. We could have half the team injured by that lot.

Pudders

Pudders wrote: »

We are one injury away from a crisis.
Giroud gets injured what do we do?

Coq gets injured what do we do?

If we can't play our second striker who is on £140k a week up top, then we still have other options.

Arteta has looked good when I've seen him play this year, and I don't think we will see him charging forward like in the past.

It's really not worth worrying about these things.

brianregan09

I hate that the bloody internationals are always on after the window so we have to wallow in this ****e for another 10 days ....or like the Ozil signing we'd to wait ages to see him play

Muirshin Durkin

brianregan09 wrote: »

I hate that the bloody internationals are always on after the window so we have to wallow in this ****e for another 10 days ....or like the Ozil signing we'd to wait ages to see him play

At least we don't have to wait to see any new signings.

symbolic

Is there anything to be said for banning the use of the words..

Apologist
Criminal
Ambition

Like we have people sitting on boards, accusing people who have hit the highest levels, to be lacking ambition.... That in my mind is criminal

People who have built 60000 seater stadiums..

Alfred Borden

Wenger is happy with his squad and must believe they can challenge. And the fans should now expect nothing less. No more excuses this year.

tayto lover

symbolic wrote: »

Is there anything to be said for banning the use of the words..

Apologist
Criminal
Ambition

Like we have people sitting on boards, accusing people who have hit the highest levels, to be lacking ambition.... That in my mind is criminal

People who have built 60000 seater stadiums..

Who?
Mc Alpine?

Kirby

farna_boy wrote: »

FFS, what are you on about?

You could equally have said:



and it would still make no difference. We dropped points but so did they. There is no point in bringing up imaginary situations. We are bad enough worrying about the reality without dreaming up the worse case scenarios!

Er, I think you are confused. Have another read of the conversation. His post and then mine.

You actually agree with me and are making my point for me....so it's bizarre for you to act like we are on opposite sides of this. You just repeated what I said and acted like "you showed me!" :P

This is what happens when you only half read something or just jump into the thread and respond.

gosplan

I get the need for more goals but I think the backup DMF isn't really much to worry about.

Coq/Arteta/Wilshire

Yes if Coq is out, we worry against the big teams but we're fine there really.

symbolic

tayto lover wrote: »

Who?
Mc Alpine?

Deja nous

tayto lover

symbolic wrote: »

Deja nous

Deja toi.

symbolic

tayto lover wrote: »

Deja toi.

I don't get ya?

tayto lover

symbolic wrote: »

I don't get ya?

Don't worry, I didn't get you either :pac:

symbolic

tayto lover wrote: »

Don't worry, I didn't get you either :pac:

Ah cool

I meant people who have hit the highest levels, being accused of lacking ambition, should be stopped..

tayto lover

symbolic wrote: »

Ah cool

I meant people who have hit the highest levels, being accused of lacking ambition, should be stopped..

They have been stopped. We haven't won the EPL in years.

symbolic

tayto lover wrote: »

They have been stopped. We haven't won the EPL in years.

Ah such a shame.. I'm back into not understanding you again.. Anyway enjoy the season buddy. Hope you get what you want out of it. Come on you gunners etc!

Maybe meet ya at the Emirates for a beer?

Alfred Borden

Kroenkes ambition is definitely questionable, very little to no sporting ambition (his teams in the US are losers). His sole ambition is financial gain which is fair enough for him but none of the fans have to like it.