Arsenal Banter Archive March 17 2016

17 Mar 2016 09:57:03
who would take 5th place if it meant usmanov buys stan out?

17 Mar 2016 22:39:14
Short term failure for long term possible success, than yes.

But, whatever way you spin it, I always want us to finish as high as possible, so no :-)

Good question Derby.

17 Mar 2016 23:11:16
What about if Usmanov gets control gives Arsene a billion to spend but Arsene can't find anyone to improve his squad?
Money not being available may well become a problem but at the moment it isn't because the club summer after summer go to great lengths to state it is very available.
That might not be what people want to think but
from everything I've read and heard that's reality.

17 Mar 2016 23:51:36
G62,
The board always say money is available.

Funny enough, just before season tickets are up for renewal.

18 Mar 2016 06:50:04
I fail to understand the clamour for Usmanov, when Kronke hasn't been the problem, particularly in terms of spending, which is clearly down to Wenger. Incidentally, Usmanov has never promised to bankroll Arsenal personally. What he stated a few seasons back is that he would try and raise funds through an issue, which meant fans could in effect lend the club £100m, which the club would pay back in time. So talks of spending a Billion are complete nonsense, in any event this would breach the FFP rules.
In any event as a major shareholder their is nothing to stop Usmanove handing over funds to the club to spend on players. The fact is that Wenger runs the club from top to bottom and the current model is his, not Kronke's, who has simply left Wenger to get on with things.
I get frustrated with Wenger at times, particularly last summer when Arteta, Flamini and Rosciky should have been replaced and a defensive midfield player or two have been needed for seasons. However, overall, unless a better manager can be employed, Wenger is doing a decent job. I would love to see Dein back on board, as he is a master strategist, who has Wenger's ear.

18 Mar 2016 08:54:13
why would you hand funds over so stan can take the rewards. and yes usmanov has promised funds.

and stan is a problem 100 percent.

17 Mar 2016 21:02:41
Just thinking ahead, next season us Leicester spuds and one from the Manchester clubs and West Ham in the champions league--- our coefficient could take a battering

Wonder if the loss of that 4th place entrant will be enough to wake Kroenke up!?!

17 Mar 2016 21:39:29
We are not in it yet next season sooper. don't count your chicks yet.

17 Mar 2016 22:18:43
I didn't think we had lost the fourth place, I thought Italy were taking it if they did miles better than English teams this year and they havent. Is that definite.

17 Mar 2016 18:39:27
Have a positive feeling about Everton game.

Positive the coach driver will find Goodison Park without much trouble.

Haven't got a clue if we will win, lose or draw.

Nice positive post that.

17 Mar 2016 19:04:14
I also had a very nice feeling in my goolies

Must have been the hash.

17 Mar 2016 19:16:02
I love Goonies.

Good film :-)

17 Mar 2016 19:33:36
Baby roooot ;-)

17 Mar 2016 20:02:55
2 2 or 1 2 win for me.

17 Mar 2016 08:46:25
Sometimes i do wonder whether the players work on their finishing in training sessions. Yes we need a world class striker but they also worked on their finishing to get to where they are. If everyone in the squad finished better, we would have scored about 8 goals having had 20 shots yesterday. I believe everyone can contribute goals and therefore not just rely solely on the striker.
#finishingiskey.

17 Mar 2016 10:07:49
If you look at both legs and the chances we had which Barcelona would have put away then it's a fair enough comment. We were never going to keep them out but if we put half of the absolute sitters we had we would have been in with a shout.

17 Mar 2016 17:51:45
Since we beat Leicester we have played eight games winning one keeping two clean sheets, both stats against championship side hull. Some people are suggesting aguero in there and we would win the league. i'm suggesting it is obviously not that simple. In the space of two weeks we have crashed out of three competitions, due to a lot more than that. Yes our finishing is poor but our defending ratio of attacks against goals let in is up there with the likes of villa.

17 Mar 2016 18:43:25
Agree Steve,
Countless times we have huge possession, lots of chances, all missed and than the other team has one attack and scores.

Than we chase the game, miss numerous chances and concede again from opponents 2nd chance and end up losing.

17 Mar 2016 19:19:41
Steve we have been absolute rubbish since the turn of the year both offensively and defensively but had we purchased a striker worthy of the name in the summer who could actually finish the countless chances Ozil and others have created then I have little doubt we'd be winning this league.

Our problems outside of that are clear but the striking position is a massive miss.

We could easily have scored in countless games and had no need to chase and then leave ourselves open to the counter.

Yes we need to cover other areas, yes Wenger needed to up his game and failed but a striker would have made a huge difference as a stand alone addition. That I have no doubt mate.

17 Mar 2016 20:26:54
This season just a good natural goal scorer would have been enough to make the difference IMO but obviously this is not by a long way an average premier league season.

17 Mar 2016 20:43:16
Stoner gunner, while I do see where you are coming from I don't think its just that simplistic. Major deficiencies in the way we play and mind set would still have been our downfall. But it all about opinions.

17 Mar 2016 20:52:38
I totally agree Steve a top striker alone would only have been able to cover the other problems not eradicate them.

17 Mar 2016 21:22:16
Gunner we signed the missing piece of the jigsaw in defence a world class goalie, we have been screaming for one since lehman. Would save us 15 goals a year make us more solid, not let goals in, has it been that way, no. I think that would be the same with just a worldy striker, it would be another sticking plaster, we would find some way to sabotage it.

17 Mar 2016 21:45:47
The way we have played Steve in failing to covert numerous early chances has been the cause of this poor mindset with us conceding stupid goals and losing games.

The frustration shown by Ozil at times says it all. Can you imagine how Henry would have fared on the end of his creativity.

To take a lead and consolidate it makes a huge difference, that does not detract from the fact we need other players because we clearly do.

Next season will be harder again and then the acquisition of just a striker will be nothing like enough.

17 Mar 2016 07:23:56
I am proud of the boys yesterday, I know it seems silly after losing three one, but we actually went toe to toe with the marauding Roman army and didn't get as badly hurt as people thought. If we had a potent striker, I feel we might have snatched a draw as the Barcelona defence is awful

Where to from here? Well, I think our performance yesterday is exactly how we should play. Defend deep, and go hard with pace at the opposition. We should reduce our sideways passing and shoot at goal like we did yesterday.

I like the team selection, let's use it in the EPL. Giroud and Walcot have no business being in the starting 11 right now and Iwobi I think will be a very good player in future

Well done to Elneney, stand out performer for me. I wouldn't be surprised if Wenger drops him in the next match for shooting from that range rather than passing :)

17 Mar 2016 07:49:46
Have to agree with most of that, I'm not to sure why Gabriel is being critisised, not by you, defensively I thought he did well, others were equally guilty of losing or giving away possession, Coquelin and Kos, surprisingly and Giroud and Walcott unsurprisingly.

When you think Walcott is 27 it's incredible that he hasn't really improved one iota since he burst onto the scene 10 years ago. What he did then he can do now and that's it.

I Like Iwobi, still not a fan of Welbeck and it shows how bad are striking options are when he is currently the most threatening one whilst even managing to fall over his own feet for that first effort. Guess that's why he got the nick name of Bambi on Ice at United.

I live in hope that Wenger cannot of had a more perfect example of what a difference a top drawer striker would make to this team. Albeit that it may be to late for him personally to change that.

17 Mar 2016 08:59:05
Stoner, Welbeck is only 23 years and he's doing well especially having been sidelined for months only to return with impressive performances. He looks hungry as a striker and i bet if he's to better his finishing, he'll be a great weapon as he has all the attritubes of a world class striker.

17 Mar 2016 09:16:16
Wenger had an opportunity to sign Suarez and yet he pulled out in a cunning way. He's the perfect complete striker for me. He makes scoring looks easy and fun. Bad we missed out on such a player under our noses.

17 Mar 2016 10:08:16
I know willy and maybe if he gets a run up front in all the remaining games he'll show some of us we've under rated him.

I'll be the first to eat some humble pie. :-)

17 Mar 2016 16:49:38
Willy welbeck never will be world class. The next manager sells him. He needs to be starting for a lesser team.