Arsenal Banter Archive June 01 2016

01 Jun 2016 13:37:22
Alright gooners?
I'm a Liverpool fan but from North London so am constantly pummelled with Arsenal opinion and reaction but wanted to ask on here for a slightly different view to my 16 year old friends'.
What do you see happening with Arsenal this next year? I would have you as possible title favourites because I think Xhaka is the player you've needed these last ten years, but I also know you're arsenal and will bottle any chance of the title, or do you think you're over that?
Do you see Wenger going next year? Who do you want to replace him?
Would you be overly concerned by Özil or Sanchez leaving? Who would you replace them with?

Thanks guys and I'd say good luck for the season but nothing makes my weekend like an Arsenal capitulation against a Swansea or the like and the outcry that follows haha.

01 Jun 2016 15:14:21
Prepare for a war and peace exert here people, take 5, or 30, get a comfy chair and some coffee

Personally mate, I think it's going to a hell of a season.

Right off the bat, we have probably 3 of the top 5 managers in the world right now (arguably more) .
We're going to see Mourinho, Guardiola, Klopp, Wenger, Pochettino, Koeman, Bilic and Ranieri, just for starters, competing for the top 4 spots.
I know Southampton may be an odd shout to some people, but Koeman's done great and with reinforcements, they could push on.

A lot of people would make City favourites for the title due to pep, but I'm not certain, he's a great manager, but city need more tweaking than any club he's ever managed, even if he does end up spending something silly, the team will need to gel and learn his ways.
We'll see a lot going on at city I think.

Mourinho too, will offer success to Utd (though his track record usually shows 2-3 years of brilliance before leaving you in a pit of despair) but will again, spend big.

Klopp's now building something and with the right changes and reinforcements, Liverpool could challenge for top 4, once again.

Pochettino has a great young squad (pains me to say it, but I'm a realist) and with a bit of tweaking, can almost certainly finish. say.1-2 places below us again.

Arsene has, for me, the biggest window and then season, out of anyone.
A lot of fans have lost faith/ patience with Wenger.
Personally, i can see why people disagree with that, it's kinda petty to be moaning about *only* finishing in the champions league for the last 20 years, whilst clubs like Everton, Spurs, West Ham, Liverpool, would give a leg to have that for 2-3 years running (in Evertons case, they'd probably give you 2 legs, 2 arms and the rest of Omar Niasse) .

Me personally, I'm more frustrated at the lack of effort.
This may only make sense in my twisted mind, but if we'd of gone out last season and got Cech, a striker, a DM and a CB and finished 2nd, I'd of felt at least we gave it a good bash.
But seen as we only bought Cech, I feel we were cocky and ruined a great chance.

Xhaka is, as you say, a good signing (on paper, could be awful in practice) but we need to push on.
We need to do as much buisness as humanly possible before the euro's.

Morata for example, I'm super excited about.
IF it happens, that's a great signing.
People bring up he doesn't score that much, but as someone who watches Serie A a fair amount, Morata doesn't get as many starts as you think, Dybala and Mandzukic are the main choices.
Secondly, Morata brings his all to big games, something our attack often lacks.
Finally, with his Movement, finishing and skill, stick him in front of Özil and I'll wager 15 goals first season and 20+ next, if he stays fit.

The problem for me, lies in us 'Arsenal'ing' it.
Madrid will buy him back for £26m
Ask us to pay £40m
We'll offer £27m and Flamini on a 6 year loan.
They'll ask for £38m
We'll offer £28m and Debuchy on a 4 year loan.
Morata will go to the euro's and have a stormer.
Chelsea buy him for £56m.

Honestly, if we just went balls to the wall, spent big on Morata now and then sorted a CB during/ after the euro's I'd be ecstatic.

Arsene said he wants 3 players during the window, if we count Xhaka as one, a CB and a CF would pretty much do us.
I'd love another winger, but the 3 above would more than do us.

As long as we do buisness and are ruthless about it, I'll be happy.
We need another Cech style purchase, Ospina did little wrong, but Cech's better, so we bought him.
Coquelin/ Elneny/ Cazorla didn't do any wrong, but two of them are losing a starting place to Xhaka and the other one of the 3.
Giroud's done little wrong most seasons (apart from the current one where he didn't score for 15 games before a hatty in a pointless game vs Villa) but we've stuck with him.
This season, even if he goes to the euro's and wins the golden boot, if a striker who's 'better' pops up, then Giroud should lose his place.

01 Jun 2016 19:46:33
Still no red dog lol.

01 Jun 2016 22:35:21
Fantastic reply D_.

01 Jun 2016 22:44:51
I totally agree about only being disappointed about the lack of effort to be the best we could have been, as you say D if we'd bought what we needed and we'd finished second hey ho we'd have done our best but totally ignoring the obvious problems we had last summer that lead to us losing the league is very frustrating.
Its not Arsenes actions that have lead to the split amongst fans its his inaction and failure to even attempt to solve obvious weaknesses that have repeatedly cost us and made so many give up on him.

01 Jun 2016 06:23:19
Really pleased that Wilshere is in the England squad. I believe he will benefit enormously, fitness-wise, from training with the squad and possibly playing. It will also do his confidence good, not that he has ever been lacking in that department.
I was also pleased to learn that Walcott is already in training with John Terry's trainer. One thing all top players have in common is a tremendous attitude towards training. I would like to see the Ox also take on some extra summer training, although I have a fear that we may sell him in the summer.

01 Jun 2016 08:10:58
Good post RG, totally agree.