Arsenal Banter Archive June 13 2014

13 Jun 2014 23:16:08
Putting aside our feelings towards him and the circumstance under which he left, you cannot deny the quality Van Persie has, and for me that is what is missing from the arsenal attack. Giroud couldn't have scored any of the goals RVP did or take any of the chances he had. He does more than just score he is a complete player and that is what we need to add, Mandzukic, Remy and Bony can't add anything different to what Giroud has in terms of quality. That is why for me we need to move mountains to get Balotelli, I honestly believe he can give us what RVP did, he can score wonder goals, he has level on skill when on the ball others mentioned don't, he can pick a pass and he's got a turn of pace. He isn't the finished article he needs to up his work rate, but I think Wenger could get the best out of him, he's silly antics are over exaggerated as the press know it will make them money. Martinez and Benzema could also improve our forward line though I think financially they might cost more than they are worth.

Imagine though if Ozil and Ramsey had been playing with Van Persie not Giroud, we could of got a huge number of goals and perhaps taken some of our chances during key games. Robben's performance tonight also highlighted the impact a top winger can have on a team.

Agree we need to replace Van Persie properly, and Remy and Morata aren't good enough to do that. but not sure if Balotelli is the man to do that? Really can't make my mind up if he would be worth it or not.

The only striker in world football with same amount of sheer power, strength and finishing attributes as RVP is Cavani in my opinion.

There is no chance we will pay what PSG would want for him and there is no chance we would match his wage demands.

I'd love to have RVP back. I'm sure we are all still ticked off about how left and who he signed for and the things he said after leaving but if he scored us the goals to bring us the title I'm sure those feelings would begin to fade.

It's hard to disagree with the above. RVP was fantastic, as was Robben and there's a real risk both will be at United next season. The need to replace him is overwhelming. Giroud is a good player but can't be expected to be RVP or an Aguerro.

Sadly I tend to agree that all the logical names we might get don't add anything more than Giroud gives us beyond cover. Our midfield, if we ever sign a new Gilberto or Vieira looks great, but I agree Ozil minus a world class striker, or even Theo, looks a little wasted.

So what can we do? Cavani is a pipe dream madder than Suarez was. Balotelli is talented but feels far too like Anelka for my liking. Morata? Who knows but it would be a major risk, Spain haven't produced a naturally talented striker since Torres and look what happened to him. Benzema flatters to deceive and I don't see him as be in the same class as RVP at his best.

So? Honestly I have no idea. Maybe the reality is we can't address it and we are better off facing up to that and spending our time and effort on major strengthening to other areas. I've said it once and I'll say it again by Carvalho and a world class defender. Campbell (if he gets a permit), a returning Vela, Walcott, and Giroud would be as good as we might get and pretty good all things considered up front.

13 Jun 2014 18:33:33
Ed any chance of a poll on, Do you think Arsene will spend what it takes and deliver the players we need this summer, please?

13 Jun 2014 18:17:48
Cameroon's n'Kolou seems like a quality centreback, any interest Eds?

MOTD fever?

13 Jun 2014 20:36:05
haven't been watching MOTD? I'm assuming from your comment they spoke about him though.

Just seemed like one of those classic:

-Watch a player on tele.
-Like what you see. ('MOTD fever')
-Ask Ed if there is any interest.

If you weren't watching the game then I apologise but asking about interest in a Cameroon player as they are on tele seemed a bit of a coincidence.

14 Jun 2014 10:11:47
Okay you got me, I was watching the game and right now I'm getting slightly over excited by any half decent player I've never heard of before!

I had assumed he was ok until I saw him against Mexico. Like the rest of the very poor Cameroon defence he was immobile and very poor at set pieces. Good grief no. I thought Cameroon were even worse than the poor side they have been through the African qualifiers.

13 Jun 2014 17:57:14
I'm expecting/hoping for us to sign 4 first team squad players for in the region of 60- 70 million
1 x 5 - 10 mil
2 x 10- 15 mil
1 x 30 + mil
There has to be a 30 + player for Arsene to pass on Cesc, surely there has too be, doesn't there!

Well for me we need:

Reina for Fabianski.

Aurier for Sagna.

A defensive midfielder along the lines of Khedira, Bender even Schneiderlin.

A wide attacking midfielder along the lines of Greizmann, Sanchez etc

A world class striker and I'd love Balotelli as he would be brilliant for us.

13 Jun 2014 14:10:01
Dissapointed that Sagna went to City, still he's been a great servant to the club and I wish him all the best and hope he enjoys the view from the bench!

13 Jun 2014 13:02:34
My respect for Wenger has gone up a notch. For the simple fact that he thinks with his head and not his heart. Cesc was wanted but not needed. No Arsenal fan knows more about football than Arsene. Let's wait and see what he has in store for us. After all, he could surprise us :)

Arteta is 32 and not getting younger imagine a midfield of Rambo/Cesc
Schneiderlin/Flam Ozil/Jack. Now that would have been a challenge for any team in the world to get close to Cesc should not have been allowed to go to Chelsea!

No rue. just no.

Wenger might know football very well.

wenger knows money more.

wenger doesn't beleive in money = quality.

which is true 100% money doesn't mean quality. but quality USUALLY means money. and he isn't willing to spend pure and simple.

Mate Rambo and Cesc would never play in the same team. None of them can play AM so why waste a good amount of money on Cesc, when we can buy a player in a position we actually need a player.

Over 100 million on cash reserve and our chairman and chief exec saying "we could sign Messi if we wanted to" why no win the league next season by spending our cash reserves on 2 or 3 world class players?

Baz no one from Arsenal have ever said we could sign Messi.

The exact quote was, "Apart from Messi, Ronaldo and Bale, if the manager wanted to sign someone we could compete with anyone financially."

Basically saying we have cash and we can bid for players but other clubs can still outbid us and offer more in wages.

13 Jun 2014 10:27:41
After yesterdays game, was anybody else impressed with the way Luis Gustavo played? I know there was a lot of speculation about him last season, but he could be the man to perhaps really have that holding midfield role for Arsenal and do a decent job

Seems far too lightweight for me.

Not at all. Light weight like G95 says. There was a slow motion replay of him going up for a header with a Croat player and he's turning his back and wincing away. No steel for a centre mid. I'd want a player who goes up for a header, wins the ball and takes the player out (fairly) at the same time.

Playing against croatia who had their two best players playing defensive mid, because they did not have a proper one, he's a good player but I would judge him once he faces a proper team from Europe, England would have beaten brazil I feel after yesterdays display.

13 Jun 2014 10:00:55
Ed, totally random question but how highly do you think Wenger rates Giroud? Assuming previous rumours of him going back to France are all but vanished now.

But say for example Benzema was available and Wenger got him, would you expect to see Giroud on the bench or still our number 1 target man with Benzema playing more on the left?

I am more of a fan of Giroud than a lot of Arsenal fans I think but I don't think he should unquestionably be our number 1 for next year.

{Ed002's Note - I have absolutely no idea. Sorry.}

13 Jun 2014 07:57:05
Are you thinking what I'm thinking your thinking I'm thinking?
That we could go into another season with no real quality players added and our expectations as low as a mourinho compliment but then some how against. The odds get 4th.
Theres a long way to go until August and the window ain't over til the lady sings, but I must admit I woke up to " I've got you babe " on the radio yet again this morning

13 Jun 2014 07:02:21
My joke about us signing Barry, Lescott and co aside, as I replied to Steve.r yesterday I am genuinely excited having passed on Cesc who we may now bring in.

Yes City and Chelsea are looking good but you wouldn't put Chelsea above City's squad even now, well I wouldn't and barring our injuries (Physioroom has us pretty much double the player time out than both of those two over last season) we ran them close.

So as tough as it has been over transfer windows past I'm up for this one with a big smile on my face. :-)

Anyway it could be worse, think of what the Chelsea boys did to Benitez after he said bad things about them, and kill me if I ever wear a Chelsea shirt is worse than waving plastic flags, isn't it, what minute will they start booing Cesc. ;-)

Jenny I think we are all hoping for more Ozil moments this summer and it might just be this time it does really happen but deep down we are all fearing more Chamack and Santos ones.
The longer we go without a big big signing the more that fear will grow, Arsene please do something that will let us have an enjoyable exciting summer rather than another one spent in disbelief as our rivals snap up all the goodies and we watch it happen with heads in our hands afraid to look

Jenny you know I thought it was time for aw to go, well he didn't and he's the manager for at least the first few games at least. I hope he has got the villa game last year firmly implanted in his head and he uses that as a reminder that he has got no lives left, because patience has run thin. I know he was shocked to the core with the feeling against him and I think he has to change his spots, with that fact and the fact we are financially better off than most. Like you I think He will buy BIG!! He has to. The money in the piggy bank won't do him any favours if he doesn't spend it.

13 Jun 2014 13:12:48
That's exactly how I feel Steve and I'm feeling confident he'll do it. :-)

13 Jun 2014 06:05:31
Peirs Morgan states arsenal refused to buy cesc because of his wage demands. Cesc his not a true gunner. (I could list numerous reasons) Everyone needs to stop blaming Wenger and get behind arsenal. Give the man till the end of the transfer window, he often does business later on. We was very close last year and are only a 3 signings away from been able to compete also a bit of luck in the injury department wouldn't go a miss.

Thank you Catdog. Cesc is in the same bracket as RVP, Nasri, Cole, Song etc who left when the fans were literally pleading for them to stay. Cesc wanted to have the best of both worlds. Arsenal loved him but he broke all our hearts by joining Barca. And I just love the scathing attack on the Barcelona site. He is not the player that he used to be! So he must get what's coming to him.

13 Jun 2014 05:15:00
Hope we didn't miss out on signing a world class player in cesc to sign likes of vela and remy I will be furius if that is the case

G1I think dispite the jokes and the bravado of Arsene knows what he's doing we're all a bit worried mate.
What can we do but sit and hope that come August we will all be lik excited puppies and not depressed toads going into 2014/15 season.

13 Jun 2014 01:15:36
I recently posted about how, to me, the banter page is turning in to Groundhog day, so my apologies for bringing up Cesc. I, like many of you, am pretty saddened by Cesc's move to Chelsea, but be honest with yourself, would you rather have a £40million striker and a £30million cdm or another CM, a £25million striker and a £15million CDM? That could be the difference between Benzema and Kedhira or Manzukic and Schneiderlin. I know who I'd rather have. (Please note that the players and prices were plucked from the sky!).

Rather than concerning ourselves with the next chapter in Cesc's story, we should (as many of us have) be questioning why we are nowhere closer to signing our own players! Chelsea now have two new world class signings, City could very soon have three, Liverpool four and lord knows how many players Utd will bring in. There has been no news of fees being agreed for any players; usually there's at least a bit of juicy gossip a week or two before a signing, please note Costa and Fabregas. I know the window is still open for two months, but it's soul destroying seeing our rivals getting stronger while we stand by and do nothing. Anyway, I'm sure AW has a few cheeky signings up his sleeve!

13 Jun 2014 01:50:23
You've articulated what I may have struggled in saying, on other bumbling post replies. You are spot on.

13 Jun 2014 07:08:38
NE. It's always been Groundhog Day at Arsenal this time of year until the end of August. I try not to get immersed in it as it starts getting your head. Last year it was Higuain and Mattinez non stop! For at least a month it's been Fabregas. I'm expecting it to be Vela, Martinez, Khedira, Greizmann, Di Maria, Aurier, take your pick and we will probably end up with F all again like we normally do.
Oh sorry that wasn't completely true we did get that wizard of a player Sanogo I forgot him I do apologise.

13 Jun 2014 07:13:04
I don't know whether Arsenal have started to look at the Season ticket sales for next season yet but when they do and if they are a bit down then we will be linked with every quality player in the World. That normally boosts the sales up mate. That's how it works at Arsenal,

They say our love won't pay the rent and although got it our money's never spent, although we already have a lot we still continue to top up our pot, we've got 4th babe, WEVE GOT 4 TH BABE

The season ticket "poor sales" excuse is poor. Renewal has passed and the waiting list is long enough that anyone who doesn't renew makes way and it gets taken up immediately. Season ticket capacity is therefore a garantee.

12 Jun 2014 23:59:03
Few things are for sure now Cesc has gone to Chelsea, in my mind anyway.
1) We will not sign an attacking midfielder, no shock there.
2) Wenger has something massive planned in attacking areas - or he would of took Cesc back, I'm sure of that
3) If I'm wrong about 2, I will be so p***ed.

13 Jun 2014 04:48:36
agree. Surely Wenger would have moved for Cesc due to his very good relationship with Cesc. The only reason Wenger wouldn't have would be because he saw he was unneeded, which could also mean that he's saving for another big player. I hope for a big player + Khedira