Arsenal Banter Archive August 16 2016

16 Aug 2016 23:27:26
Remember the Arsenal players singing hot stuff and the feeling around the club at the time?
What a buzz there was about all things Arsenal back then, miss that feeling but still remember it like yesterday when I hear that song.
Up the Arsenal.

17 Aug 2016 07:28:35
I had that on cassette, now I feel old.

17 Aug 2016 08:15:39
"Good old Arsenal, we're proud to say that name, while we sing that song, we'll win the game".

Ahh, memories :-)

17 Aug 2016 08:28:46
It was a long time ago 1998 MgM mate:-) but it was a fantastic time to an Arsenal fan, long before the invincibles but even then there was a magic in the air around everything to do with the Arsenal and absolutely everything and anything seemed possible for us to achieve.
Its a long long way from where we are today and maybe not this season or in the next decade but the Arsenal will come again, all we need to do is rediscover who we really are and what the Arsenal are really all about.
Up the gunner's.

17 Aug 2016 08:45:23
G62 I was 10 then, I've still got the goalkeeper shirt somewhere from that year with manninger on the back.

17 Aug 2016 09:34:20
Great memories Dags mate and there's more to come for this great club, were in hibernation not gone into extinction, kronke won't always be in control and Arsene won't always be manager
Maybe not the next manager or the one after that but sooner or later someone will come in and recapture the spirit of Highbury and we will again be about football ambition on the field rather than financial gain off it.
MgM I was 36 in 98 mate :-) but still remember being as excited as a kid before games.

16 Aug 2016 20:03:42
People have been discussing the club philosophy a lot over the last few days. I am certainly not anti Wenger. If you look at the premiership, not many managers have a successful transfer policy, including Guardiola (he inherited a lot of his Barcelona and Bayern teams) . When the full team is fit we stand a good chance against any team.

Arsenal have prepared well for the future by improving their youth system and by being sustainable. It is a bit of a catch 22 at the moment Arsenal don't want to over spend and get in to debt like other clubs, but if we don't there are huge risks also. In my opinion it is also a risk for Arsene to leave. Anyway I think at this point I am just going to cheer on Arsenal every game and hope that we beat Spurs.

16 Aug 2016 21:55:17
Arsene has done a lot for AFC.

He deservedly merit's being labelled as Arsenal's greatest manager.

But, he (or the board) won't go the extra mile, like Ferguson use to at Utd.

He (or the board) won't adapt to the ever changing landscape of football.

He (or the board) need to make changes to their transfer policy, or he (or the board) should stand down and let somebody else take us forward.

16 Aug 2016 22:30:03
I think you're right days, though it should read he and the board.

16 Aug 2016 22:30:33
Dags how can the board and Arsene not be 100% on the same page mate? If they weren't he would have walked like Bruce or they would have sacked him long ago.

16 Aug 2016 23:51:46
Maybe he feels with him still there we stand a chance be sure there's no guarantee a new manager means a new direction in terms of policy and how the clubs transfers etc Is run just a thought.

17 Aug 2016 00:45:24
Biggest problem is nobody knows if it's the board not offering the money or Wenger not spending the money.

Hard to play the blame game if you don't know who to blame.

17 Aug 2016 07:12:21
Exactly dags and the club deliberately play on this fact. This is where my anger lies we have been deceived for over 10 years now. none of the promises came to pass and we still don't know who to blame!

17 Aug 2016 07:20:34
Think the truth is fans who want Arsene to stay blame the board those who want him out blame Arsene himself people will always call it as they want it to be to support the views they already hold.
How it can possibly be anything other than both is beyond me, difficult to think they keep renewing thier partnership if they are miles apart on team ambition.

17 Aug 2016 07:27:42
G62 it's a little different, Bruce had to walk away, he's got 13 fit senior players to pick, and each one is for sale, allam has walked away and left his son to deal with it.
Bruce asked for funds, he said no, he's a greedy little f@ (ker who's only after the money.

16 Aug 2016 18:07:20
Hi all,

Haven't posted in a long while but have been reading all the comments.

Just wanted to ask, now we have been linked with Jose Fonte from southampton does anyone else think it's a ruse to force the powers that be into accepting our lower than valued offer for Mustafi?

By the way thanks to all the eds for all your hard work.

Keep it up.

16 Aug 2016 18:32:20
These 'leaks' stink of people at the clubs feeding Info to social media in the hope of sorting the price in their favour, as you say.

A few people think that Mark Gonella (potential spelling nightmare, apologies! ) does this often, to David Ornstein and others.

Last night, Soneone at Valencia apparently told some media outlet Mustafi was staying.

All of a sudden we're interested in Kjaer, who only ever really cut the mustard at Palermo and now at Fener and Toprak, who's solid but a walking booking.

I don't doubt we're interested, I doubt the 'leak' of information coming hours after Valencia said things is coincidental.

16 Aug 2016 16:29:02
Is it just me who's not only frustrated by the lack of activity In the market, but worried by the standard of player we're being linked with. Lacazette, Mustafi, Toprak, Kjaer. All good players. But a club with the ambition of Arsenal should surely be trying for a Varane or a Reus.
While I want players to come in its just discouraging knowing we're not going to get a world class player in. And I can't understand why. Our last 2 big money signings have been total successes, barring Xhaka as he obviously needs time. We need another name like Alexis or Mesut. And after the Liverpool game we need something to spark our season.

16 Aug 2016 16:51:20
As wenger tries to tell everyone, you buy the player, not the price tag. My problem is who is our target and why don't we get them. Leaving it late and buying who is left or available seems a bit hit or miss for me. You identify the players you want and get them, we ard haphazrd in that respect, . We didn't target ozil, he became available, not sure about sanchez, we didn't target cech, he became available. While you can get good players still, you don't solve problems like that. If a top team needs a striker, a defender, a midfielder, they target them and get the player for the job, we get the best bargain.

16 Aug 2016 17:22:03
Rumour has it, we got Sanchez because Messi wanted him out of Barca.

Just saying :-)

(But, signing a player of Sanchez's stature takes a lot of effort, so I'm taking nothing away from Arsenal) .

16 Aug 2016 18:02:42
I agree Steve, it seems some players have fallen into our lap to some extent.

16 Aug 2016 17:33:26
Steve we know who our main target was, it was vardy and now Wenger IS trying to get who's left because he wouldn't join us.

16 Aug 2016 20:01:55
Dags - We got Sanchez, because Barcelona needed the funds to pay towards Suarez. We got Ozil, as Real needed funds to pay towards Bale. They were very shrewd moves by Wenger. The problem is that sometimes as a big club, you need to splash out and pay more than the going rate in order to secure quality players. Xhaka seems a good acquisition. However, surely we could have signed a CB and striker before the start of the season if we paid the price.

16 Aug 2016 20:44:07
Crybaby I agree but you don't put your eggs in one basket and if you do you don't stop untill they hatch. If he was eengers only choice, he should not have stopped until we got him.

{Ed025's Note - he was offered a great deal by arsenal steve but decided he wanted to stay at leicester mate, theres nothing you can do about that mate..

16 Aug 2016 20:46:06
Rg I have said before if xhakas signing means we haven't enough money for the important places, it was a poor signing. We should have all bases covered and we obviously didnt.

16 Aug 2016 20:47:49
Rg sunday we were struggling at center back and striker. Xhaka didn't start and we had midfielders on the bench, no striker or center back.

16 Aug 2016 21:11:03
Ed I agree but by all accounts, it was a bit of an half hearted effort to get our number one target convinced he should join the great arsenal. As I understand sounding out had been done and there was originally some sort of understanding he was open to leave leicester. Saying that our striker persuit in the last three years has been laughable.

{Ed025's Note - i cant defend arsene or the club on that score steve, a severe case of shooting onesself in the foot i believe mate, but time yet to make that marquee signing.... you never know in football they say..

17 Aug 2016 11:45:34
All we can do is offer a deal! What do I want is to do throw him a party with arsene dressed up and all the players with banners. At the end of the day the size on the club should have been enough but he wanted to stay that's his choice not arsenal or wenger's fault, but I am sure I'll say different in your reply as I don't like other opinions.

16 Aug 2016 15:23:25
ED01 ON BANTER MATE.
I'm speaking to so many Arsenal fans that are now saying that they would like us to finish outside of the top 6 this season in the hope that it will give the club the jolt it needs.
My worries are that if we cannot attract/ sign a decent player finishing 2nd in the EPL what's our chances finishing outside the top 6? .
What do you think Eds. Do you agree with that mode of thinking or reasoning.

{Ed001's Note - I would hate to see that happen, I like Wenger and would hate to see him go out on a low like that. I can understand the thinking though, certainly something needs to change.}

16 Aug 2016 15:33:28
Each to their own but I think it's foolish to wish your own team do poorly. Cannot understand it.

16 Aug 2016 15:40:13
Even though i'm a horrible anti wenger lout, I only want us to finish as high as we can. I would never want us outside the top 4'let alone top 6. Naively i wanted the club or wenger to decide when was the right time, problem is they will stain the legacy. The only way back for wenger was to win the league, his big chance came and went last year, he will never do it again now, the league has now jumped forwards, we haven't.

16 Aug 2016 15:54:14
its not to wish it. its going to happen, you can't escape lucky every year, and last year was lucky we finished 2nd.

the team is poor, ozil and sanchez are not going to assist and score 100 between them.

the team has no spine at the back, no finish in the front, its a great passing team but that's not the objective of the game, and we have seen it way too many times. i'm not wishing them bad, but i feel it will happen.

16 Aug 2016 15:55:39
Anyone that wants us to get worse is a fake fan and shouldn't jump on the bandwagon if we turn it around this season and win some silverware!

16 Aug 2016 16:22:56
You do love a bit of drama, this was on the other posts earlier. I don't know a single gunner who wants Arsenal to finish outside the top four. A genuine gunner that is.

It's our team .

16 Aug 2016 17:08:18
Just a question but do we think utd fans would rather have finished 4th and kept LVG or was a season in the Spursday night worth taking to get Mourinho Pogba and the Ego has landed?
If it was a choice between another 3 years of stagnation or a step back to possibly ( and it is possibly, Wether we're Arsene in or out) take 10 forward what would you chose?
Personally given those choices I'd take the step back rather than continue with this low ambition attitude at the club.

16 Aug 2016 17:43:43
The best thing to happen to our club would be for Kroenke to sell up.

Unlikely to happen though as it would require a bid exceeding actual value. If Usmanov had wanted Arsenal he could of done this a few years ago. Any other interested parties would also have to negotiate buying out Usmanov's shares which could be problematic.

16 Aug 2016 18:07:27
Gunner i respect what you say, there isn't a right or wrong answer in this. But man u are a different animal to us. They don't like losing, i mean don't like it, we don't mind if we are all ok in the bank. i'm not 100% sure even if we finished where chelski did, wether kronke would actually be too concerned, and wouldn't 100% sack wenger anyway.

16 Aug 2016 18:11:44
G62 both clubs have different boards and ambitions man u are accustomed to winning and hence pay whatever they can for who they believe will take them back to the success their used to while our board gave become accustomed to filling the bank balances.

17 Aug 2016 07:08:51
Red Dog.
It's just a question mate!
It's nothing about drama!
I asked the Eds to put it on Banter as I thought more people are likely to read it rather than on the OTHER POSTS site.
I don't want Arsenal and neither do any Arsenal fans want the club to have a bad season.
But if you read the question properly it's about Arsenal getting the wake up call that they need if they finished in that position.
God give me strength.
Talk about jump down someone's throat.

16 Aug 2016 09:29:54
There has been a few financial questions (sorry eds) about what Gazidis said about money available. Is there a connection between our operating profit being 34 million (2015 books) and Xhaka being our only major signing? Surely that would mean we have to sell before we buy? The freed up wages of Arteta, Rosicky and Flamini were spent in the younger players coming in and Xhaka's wages by the look of the report. So the next concern would be is retaining Sanchez, Kos and Ozil, to do that and remain with a comfortable margin we won't be able to buy any more players. New Tv money aside, I am just looking at the report released.

16 Aug 2016 13:23:43
I do think that we are stuck with some players, I think the club would have liked to have sold or released by now and for varying reasons we cat offload. Its the same for most clubs you often can't buy until you sell. We have said before, most teams don't want average performers or underperformers on big wages and players don't want pay cuts. Our budget seems restricted every year, which for me needs more care in buying the right player. We aren't producing profits from young players or established ones to allow us to free up our spending capability. We have wasted vast amounts of money in the last few years on injured and underperformers, who don't contribute to this team and drain it in one way or another.

16 Aug 2016 13:44:22
We will soon go back to being a selling club again.

The board will be even happier.

16 Aug 2016 19:37:55
Thanks for the explanation Steve and Dags.

16 Aug 2016 19:24:34
We run the club sensibly and profitably, which can't be said for many clubs. Wenger insists that a football club is a business and must be well run and profitable. Hence, why we don't spend, which is down to Wenger. The message that Gazidis sends out is that we do have the fund to buy players. I believe he is enticing Wenger to loosen the purse strings. The thing that worries me, is that for some time now, we haven't been receiving much income from player sales.

16 Aug 2016 21:18:10
Rg all clubs have the same framework that they have to work in. Sugar daddys can't fund big moves anymore. You have to follow financial guide lines, tell me how many clubs are on the breadline. Our problem as you say and I have said is the wastage and lack of return from transfers of used players. And our terrible wages structure.

16 Aug 2016 22:39:44
Steve - I don't mean to pick on you but you just said that sugar daddies can't fund big moves. Chelsea and City - who funds their big moves. Come on. Mega money in China, at PSG. Seriously?

17 Aug 2016 03:26:20
Sy every team has to abide by ffp, if they don't they get sanctions or transfer bans etc. Sugar daddys are not allowed to fund transfers, not me saying it, its a fact. What the hell has china got to do with eufa or the prem.

16 Aug 2016 06:22:26
It took Wenger 10 years since Jens Lehman left to realize we needed a Goal Keeper, Its already taken 4 years since RVP left for him to realize that we need a striker , It will take him another decade to get a Defender. Handing Captains armband to Per Mertesaker what the heck is he thinking they.

16 Aug 2016 08:05:01
Harsh, but true mate.

16 Aug 2016 09:30:29
I guess he is thinking he knows the players on a daily basis better than we do. he obviously feels that within the club mert is the man to guide the younger players, give them the confidence and steel to win trophys as he has done this in his career. this rubbish that he is not going to play means nothing as there will obvs be a captain on the field every week and this will be the leader of the team.
but why were are even moaning about this is beyond me, who cares who the bloody captian is, everyone on that pitch knows their job, these are international players and are not suddenly going to improve if mert is not the club captian.
yes we did not have the best start, yes the window SO FAR has not been great but is seems that we really are just looking for anything to vent about now.

16 Aug 2016 12:15:38
Some would argue the majority of a club captain's workload is done off the pitch on the training ground. I don't think it's wholly necessary for them to be on the pitch to wear the armband. I'd say the captains role is more about influencing the players attitude and mindset, which if reinforced on the training ground should be transferred on to the pitch without the need for him to be playing. Looking at last season i think Per's desire, morals, outspokenness and positivity earns him the armband!

16 Aug 2016 13:26:15
Hard to say who should be the captain, unless you are training with the team and in the locker room to be fair. Haven't seen any ex-players that we respect comment. sure Roy Keane would comment if you put a mic in his face.

16 Aug 2016 13:59:46
Awrawa, I have to agree with what you are saying there mate. But (always a but I know) its hard to lead in training when the guy is in the treatment room. For me Kos should be captain but I respect the fact that its merts as he has a lot of experience so I can see why he was chosen as captain also.