Arsenal Banter Archive March 17 2013

17 Mar 2013 21:01:27
£25million for Adebayor has to be one of the best transfer deals in recent PL history.
Eman.

Along with 20 odd million for Na$ri, 16ish for Toure and 16ish for Song,

In fact taking RVP and Cesc out of the equation we sell very well, just a shame the person doing the selling doesn't do the same job with the buying!

I'd take Song back for 16mil so I don't agree selling for that much was good. Him plus a proper def midfielder would make a really solid midfield.

^^ Are you Songs agent?

Please tell me there is nobody else out there that would want Song back for £16m plus 100k per week?

I would take Song back for £5mil and 50k per week, but he would struggle to get in our midfield now, that is the one area we have plenty of talent in.

Song would not struggle to get back into our midfield. He is better than Diaby and I'd say Arteta too. 16mil would be about a fair price.

Who said anything about 100k a week. I just think 16mil plus whatever he was on before he left would be about right. can't believe so many people think Song if not a good player. Apparently Barcelona go around signing crap players! (and before you say he doesn't play that much - neither does Cesc and we'd all take him back)

17 Mar 2013 19:47:32
In the race for the 4th place trophy, spurs have 4 very tricky fixtures next - Swansea, Everton, Chelsea, Man City. They have two legs v. Basle either side of the Everton game.
Their final 4 fixtures are against 4 teams fighting relegation - Wigan, Southampton, Stoke and Sunderland. Stoke may be safe by then, however they will still give Bale a good kicking.
Our final 8 games are -
Reading, West Brom, Norwich, Everton (home), Fulham, Manchester United (home), QPR, Wigan, Newcastle.
We have some games against relegation battling teams, however we appear to finally be scoring goals whilst keeping clean sheets.
It's looking promising.
Paul

17 Mar 2013 18:55:44
anyone think MCity will regret selling Balotelli?
under the right circumstances he's an amazing forward, his stats (even with terrible discipline) are good, both in Serie A and EPL
reminds me of Ibra (even more so now he's at AC)
worth taking a punt on Balotelli? {Ed027's Note - he's only perfroming becasue he's happy, he dose'nt want to come back anytme soon, he's playing for the club he supports

Ah that's a shame, would have liked to seen him flourish in England, not with MCity though eugh
PdotY

17 Mar 2013 17:32:36
1-0 to fulham so 4 points behind with a game in hand on Spurs still so very much back in the balance.

Not sure if the international break will help us but the defeat will now linger now with Spurs for a couple of weeks. This will really test Spurs and AVB's charcater now as they know what happended last season, I think they will crumble as before.

They are away to Swansea next we are home to Reading another win and loss for them and we can then overtake with our game in hand.

Break may help, we beat Bayern after a break

Spurs need time to rest, but they now go into a long period with the 'will they bottle it' question being asked over and over by the media, and in their own heads.
They will lose their nerve, I just wonder if they'll make it to the last game to make it interesting, or if they'll drop too far behind before then.
I bloody love seeing this happen to them: it's the hope that kills you.
Paul

17 Mar 2013 17:16:50
Hi guys and gals first post and just want to say chin up we will finish top 4 and rebuild next season. I can see us dominating the premier league in a few years.

Why does this have so many diasgrees, are people that short visioned they can't see it happening?

It's obvious what's going on, with paying the stadium off and the like. I envisage that within 2 years we will romp the league and this summer will see a total rebuild.

I don't think we will be 'romping' the league any time soon, a epl title every 3 years in good in this league. with additions of unknown players like song in the past of 1m and players in our team now of jenkinson of 1m again. and constant signings of 10-20m like nasri and cazorla can make us a team that can really compete. we just need depth and get rid of the deadwood! the wage bill of some of our players is horrendous.

17 Mar 2013 17:04:18
In my opinion we should cash in on Wilshire and Cazorla. They don't bring enough to the table for me.

Why isn't gerviniho starting every match he is world class.

Our defence needs reinforcing. Drop kosielny to the bench and Perhaps bring back senderous and start squillaci in mertasackers place.

Wenger has it all wrong. We should sack him and bring in mick McCarthy.

All the above will bring back the good old days.

That is funny. why not bring back george graham and tony adams

This isn't funny in the slightest


Watford gooner

It wasn't mention to be funny lads. I'm deadly serious.

If I was manager we would be atleast 15 points clear of utd.

Clear of Colchester United most likely.

Another person tryin to make himself feel better after ANOTHER loss. 3 out of 3 mate could be 4 at Swansea. FOYS! COYG!

Ha:) jog on! disappointed spud? are you
COYG andi:)

I actually agree with him.

Billy

17 Mar 2013 16:55:30
HA HA HA HA YEEESSSSSSSSS! Well done fulham!

some one give schwatzer a medal. what a save.

. and the goal was from a former spud!

Jensen Hatrick : )

17 Mar 2013 15:21:52
c'mon fulham, bossing the spurs at the moment! 54% possesion!

Jensen Hatrick

17 Mar 2013 12:05:04
I'm quite confused about our defence. We still have issues at GK, RB and CB. Not to mention our lack of a true CDM. Firstly I think Monreal was a quality buy. For £7 - £8 million we got a experienced and well balanced full back who needed virtually no time to adjust to the PL. This has given me confidence Wenger still has the ability to pick out these clever transfers. We are sorted at LB. At RB however I'm unsure if we should buy a experienced first choice and send Jenkinson on loan? Or just keep him as no. 1 and buy another young prodigy as back up. I really like Sagna but 2 minor leg breaks has really taken it out of him. i'm sure he'll leave in summer.

Center half is also confusing. Koscielny and Mertersacker seem to be our best pairing but its problematic dropping our Captain. Has Vermaelen really had a falling out with Wenger? I would hate to see him leave, but its essential he goes abroad. With Djourou and Squillaci halfway out the door who will come in. I'd like to see Mert and Kos stay 1st choice with Ameorbieta and a younger CB brought in. Maybe have Miquel promoted, he's seemed solid when drafted into the first team.

As I said about the GK situation the other day, keep Fabianski and Szeszecncy. If Woijech wants to leave cash in and buy a proper first choice. Cesar, Begovic or Valdes seem very unlikely. Mingolet or Steklenburg are possibile. I highly rate them both. If Vermaelen could be moved to CDM then great, but this isn't FIFA and it'll never happen. Capoue or Wanyama are names being thrown about, but I think Wenger will go for an intelligent reader of the game rather than a dench 6'4" CDM. Lars Bender perhaps.

So to summarise,

Szeszecncy out - £15m
Vermaelen out - £12m
Sagna out - £6m
Djourou out - £4m
Squillaci out - Free

Steklenburg in - £12m
Amoerbieta in - Free
Young RB and CB in - £10m
Bender - £12m

Prices may be slightly off so please don't leave loads of comments correcting me. Attack I think we're fine. Podolski and Giroud will only get better. Ox, Eisfeld and Myiachi still to come through and grow. Maybe a couple of replacenents for Chamahk and Arshavin.

Detroit Gooner

You clearly haven't seen Carl Jenkinson play recently, he's out performed Sagna this season big time.

Johnny

Agree with johnny, jenko has been pretty good. should be starting every time
COYG andi

Keep Chesney and bring in a proper experienced backup (Cesar, Schwazer etc. )

Dont mind selling Sagna as long as we bring someone else good in, preferably experienced to compete with Jenks (who is rapidly becoming first choice). don't mind keeping Sagna though.

I think our CBs are fine and its our lack of ball winner in midfield that is the issue, so I'd like to see Capoue or similar come in. If a great CB is available (or Verm or Mert leave) then that would be a bonus.

All this won't cost much at all. We should try and sign one world class attacker though too.

17 Mar 2013 10:59:48
There are so many players that we get linked with, but so often they aren't the type of player we actually need.

Isco, gotze and jovetic are all terrific players and would upgrade our team, but not in the areas that need significant improvement. We have silky technical players (wilshere, santi, rosicky, ox, eisfeld, even arshavin if he were ever given a chance in his proper position).

What we don't have is instinctive wingers making th runs to receive passes from those mids. Not saying he's an option but someone in the di maria mould is what's needed; any posters got some suggestions for options? (dont say ben arfa, he's not of the required standard and is injury-prone).

Also think williams would be a really intelligent signing; a commanding strong and intelligent defender - would make a perfect partner for koscielny.

Cheers guys and gals, stay positive!
PWR gooner

Erm I think gotze can play the same role as di maria, and just as good.

17 Mar 2013 10:28:05
gotze or isco

Gotze for sure. He will contribute more to our attack. He has a better ability to get goals and create goals plus he is only 20.

Not sure we can afford him though and he is unlikely to come if we cannot get champions league football next year.

Shaygooner

Isco, love that lad.

kev88

Gotze I think. but Isco reminds me of a wonderful Fabregas/Cazorla hybrid.

17 Mar 2013 09:27:08
Think a big reason mert and kos works better is that they both have their obvious strengths as a partnership. mert is obviously better at attacking high balls and positioning the defence while kos is clearly the one who stays back because of his recovery speed to mop up so as a partnership they work well. thing is tv likes to attack the ball as mert is doing now and lacks the recovery speed to mop up that kos has and mert defo doesn't have the recovery speed so we end up getting caught in a right 2 and 8 at the back and look about as solid as a damp fish. its a difficult one as I like tv as a player and he has real good qualities but he needs the right partner. a campbell or toure in their prime would have been ideal. defence is mainly about organisation and getting two right cbs together in a system that works
Kcider

Totally disagree about mert being strong for high balls, but his postional sense is good, KOS attacks the ball gets in front of tha attacker to intercept whereas mert drops and acts more as the sweeper, that is how they compliment each other better.

Shaneyd

How about playing tv5, as a dm, in front of the back 4? I am sure someone mentioned it before a while back, to me, is not a bad idea.
coyg andi

Yeah a few people have mentioned it and there an article online too. I for one am up for the idea of a trial game with it

17 Mar 2013 01:35:24
I do not understand the habitual criticism of Ramsey.

This guy is still young, constantly plays with conviction and is versatile (every position in mf and right back recently).

Lets also not forget maybe the most noteworthy bit- he sustained one of, if not THE worst injuries in recent years in this league.

His dedication and focus to recover fully and regain his place in the first team is comendable.

Give him a break. His potential is great, but we need to support him.

Also, I posted earlier that Gervinho deserved a start (bc of that turn v Bayern).

His neat finish today reinforces my belief that Gervinho has the potential to become an absolutely lethal winger. he's so tricky, just needs his confidence.

Agree for Ramsey
Disagree for Gerv

Ramsey looses possession and slows down every attack. As for Gervinho he's got pace, and can loose his man, but can't pass the ball, he does that catastrophically.

I agree about Ramsey. All his recent problems are Wengers fault. When players are playing badly or off form, drop them. It does them or the team no favours to continually play them. Something that in the last couple of games he seems to finally be addressing.
GG