Arsenal Banter Archive July 23 2017

23 Jul 2017 19:56:42
Here you go - you have 170m after the sale of Sanchez and can add 4 players while raising further funds to add to the 170m but add no more than the 4 additions.

Who would you add and who would you sell while respecting FFP, home grown rules and also reasonable that player would sign.

Lastly - what formation would you then play?

{Ed002's Note - Keep in mind that you don't have the money all in one go and you will lose perhaps a further 15% on fees etc.. You are a tall, miserable French bugger whose eye-sight has been failing him for 30 years and needs to put a little away. You have £60M.}

23 Jul 2017 21:45:44
Here goes and getting ready to duck the comments already. I may have included two "stretch" signings but here goes:

Formation - 3 4 1 2

Put two disciplined CDM who can also play a little but key is disciplined to protect back 3 but also offer alternatives to feed attack.

Outs- Gibbs, Debuchy. Perez, Jack, Santi ( too injured) Wellbeck and Elneny

Van Dyke
Koke ( if unreasonable then Barkley )
Matuidi
Lewandowski (if unreasonable then Dembele from Celtic )


Good strong spine.

23 Jul 2017 21:14:59
When you spin the replys like that ed I honestly find them amusing.

23 Jul 2017 22:35:17
I would also buy Matuidi but would also get Kondogbia, that's 2 very decent DM.

23 Jul 2017 23:38:01
Cricket spanner we could play 2 at the back with that midfield.

24 Jul 2017 12:08:39
Predictive that should be crikey.

24 Jul 2017 13:26:25
I think offloading Gibbs, le coq, Ospina, and I think we need to move on ox now, if he doesn't want to sign then let him go.
I'd keep Wilshere, Walcott and chambers (although wouldn't mind loaning him out again)

I just think they are better squad players than the alternative. I understand Wilshere is injury prone but he is of age now where that should stop, and Walcott gives an awful lot of goals last season for someone who isn't 'good enough'

Then with the money allocated for transfers, the 4 I'd buy would be.

Van Dijk - £50m people may qualm at the price but it will be one hell of a marker that were not just aiming for top 4 but want to compete

Thomas lemar - need another player for that left hand side, iwobi can't do for a full season.

Ousmane dembele - one of the best talents around and if aubameyang happens to leave I'd offer them Giroud and however much they want.

4th player. If giroud goes then I believe another striker is needed, Welbeck has a lot of injuries so can't rely on solely lacazette so I'd bring in moussa dembele from Celtic

If we keep Giroud which is very likely, then I'd like to see us sign a defensive mid but my choice for that has gone to Chelsea (bakayoko)

So wouldn't mind seeing us thinking ahead and going for Butland, Cech and Lehmann there to bring out the best in him, and Cech isn't going to last forever let's be real, and not wait for another case of almunia.

23 Jul 2017 16:34:00
I will no doubt get shot down with this post but how many other fans are sensing de ja vue going into the new season?

I know the transfer window is still open for another month but all the top 5 bar the spuds have spent and improved their squads while we have a freebie and Al at present with no sign of any other players and Alexis, Ozil and The Ox still not signing on. We fell short last year and it looks like we are going to go into the season with the majority of players who finished the season.

Let the abuse start.

23 Jul 2017 16:56:42
No doubt I will too. Why do you expect different when nothing has changed. It been said enough times, if things are the same (and they are) nothing will change. I don't expect any different next season because it's still the same.

23 Jul 2017 17:36:57
That's to be expected mate and to be fair you would be foolish to be optimistic . The lacazette signing didn't throw me like the Sanchez and ozil as they were already world class. If lewandowski or aubameyang was purchased instead I would have been more excited. But all we can do is see and still reserve my jusmdgement until the window closes.

23 Jul 2017 18:05:13
Glad its not just me, wanna believe with AW signing a new contact things might change but hey ho lol.

23 Jul 2017 18:13:58
What is different to last season is we are likely to be without 2 of our most consistent 3 outfield players in Caz and Sanchez leaving only Kos who is a year older and certainly coming to the end of his prime.
We currently have brought in 2 potentially decent additions who until premier league proven can only be potentially good signings like all new players.
I'd say if Sanchez leaves as is almost certain then currently we are weaker than last season when in the main we were a long way off good enough.

23 Jul 2017 18:30:11
with him in charge no chance of the title but it is what it is. I expected to be going into the season with allegri and usmanov. il continue to dream.

23 Jul 2017 18:23:38
I know I'm repeating myself but I am sure if we do lose Sanchez, we are in trouble.

23 Jul 2017 18:35:56
Unfortunately mate it's a product of what's gone on before as everyone has said, I'm certain even if we added Lemar and Goreztka there would still be an amount of trepidation.

For me with those two and keeping Sanchez there would be more than enough talent to win the league but it's then down to Wengers two most used words throughout the season, "Mental strength"

We finally get that right then we'll see a positive season.

23 Jul 2017 18:53:46
Agree Stoner a new mentality would be our absolute best signing but it ain't for sale and can only be achieved unfortunately.

23 Jul 2017 19:20:19
I don't want to judge too early as there is still time to improve the team, the two players stoner mentioned as well as keeping sanchez even if we lose him for free next year will be a massive improvement and a good year to look forward too.
However having said that if Wenger keep faith in the same players didn't live to thier potential which is more likely to happen we have a very frustrating season ahead.
I hope we are all proved wrong and we get rid of the dead wood including the ox if replaced by Mehriz or lemar.

23 Jul 2017 19:56:08
Agree with all the comments, let's hope we are all proved wrong.

COYG.

23 Jul 2017 20:27:07
Personally and it's to each thier own but I have suspended my aspirations for us to be contenders for the foreseeable future.
Instead I've got my mind focused on what I think is achievable from our current set up rather than carry on getting wound up each season about things we should but simply don't achieve each season.
For me the 3 cups are within our range and Europa league qualification if we fail in that competition this season, more would be a very nice bonus but I'm not expecting or even thinking in terms of any kind of sustainable title for a while and for me that makes the season that much easier to cope with and enjoy. I've been driving my self nuts the last few seasons because we don't do all we could to be the best we can be and for now I'm happy to accept what is rather than worry about what could be or even should anymore.
It is what it at Arsenal right now and nothing is going to change that so I had to change my own mind set and aspirations for a while.

23 Jul 2017 07:33:10
A wc central midfielder is critical for us. For a team playing possession football, we lack a top class central midfielder who is essential for playing this way. Other teams are just bossing the midfield against us like Chelsea, bayern. We need someone like Turan or veratti type, even Fabregas would do.
Cazorla- Good enough, but not playing.
Xhaka- needs a better midfielder alongside him.
Elneny, Ramsey, Coquelin, Ox when playing there, Wilshere are all not good enough in the center.
All top teams have better options than us.
Chelsea-Kante, Fabregas, Matic and now Bakayoku.
Spurs-Dembele
Liverpool-Coutinho
City-Toure, Fernandinho
United-Carrick, Harrera, Pogba.

All of these players, every single one of them is, better than what we have. This is where we are losing.

23 Jul 2017 09:45:55
Xhaka Xhaka Xhaka will someone tell me what's so great about Xhaka please?
Le Coq has had far more good games than Xhaka and did so last season too even when Le Coq was poor, Ramsey had at least as many good games last season as Xhaka and Ramsey was awful last season.
Can someone please make me understand why it's all about Xhaka :-) what am I missing?

23 Jul 2017 10:09:19
For me gunner one of the reasons we dropped out of top four and will be again next if Wenger relies on him.

23 Jul 2017 10:12:14
Was Xhaka bought to replace Jack? Not as a player but as an untouchable by most Arsenal fans because they eventually gave up on Jack :-)
Forget the price tag paid and judge every player on the performances they deliver, it's what all the best teams do.
Torres cost Chelsea 50 million years ago when it was a record fee but it didn't get him picked over those who performed better and cost less.

23 Jul 2017 10:24:46
Steve mate if Xhaka was a Chelsea Liverpool Spurs Utd or City player thier fans would be debating was it worth keeping him or getting rid after last seasons showing, only Arsenal fans could want to build a team around him mate :-)
I get he had a bad season and might get come good and is worth another season but I really don't get all this automatic choice over the proven Le Coq let alone build around him business.

23 Jul 2017 10:30:50
Strong physically and a leader.
Positionally disciplined.
Can pick out an excellent pass.
Can and does shoot from distance when its on.

Yes he might not have shown it at all times last season was too eager and rash in the challenge, but it was his first season, he's still young, was a lot of pressure especially from us lot, was coming from the bench or partner in midfield being rotated and only given the chance to settle near the end.

He showed his quality at international level and for his old club hence being thr captain there at such a young age.

23 Jul 2017 10:39:46
Gunner I hear fans of other teams calling him rubbish and that to me says it all. Not one would want him in their team. He may come good but until then he should never be spoken of as a shoe in, that's for sure.

23 Jul 2017 11:20:35
Steve being an Arsenal fan sometimes reminds me of the film Jaws and the scene at the beginning of the film where all locals set out to catch the shark.
Me and are Richard Dreyfuss and some fans are the the 4 blokes in the little rowing boat with their little carp rods.
" Your going to need a bigger boat ' we cry out but they just reassure us they will be home fur tea with the Great White safely in tow :-)

23 Jul 2017 14:38:16
Xhaka is an excellent passer, better than coquelin and Ramsey at that, doesn't give the ball away or get caught out of position like ramsey often does, can keep the ball better than coquelin and Ramsey and is stronger than them both, has a good shot on him as well. He was one of the best deep lying midfielders in bundesliga. He can be rash at times and doesn't seem to be the best at tackling, but I see tremendous potential. This is the season to judge him though. As for coquelin and Ramsey they are high quality, but not good enough against the big teams. They should be squad players if we have any ambitions on winning things. As for wilshere, the injury situation doesn't make him reliable and it's a doubt he will ever reach the potential that he was touted to have.

23 Jul 2017 16:08:50
Wesley Jim you can talk about potential for as long as you like but we've been doing that for over a decade now with Theo and for years with Wilshere Gibbs and Ramsey too surely at some point we have to start talking about what is reality right here right now rather than what might or might not happen some time some day at some point.
While we've been waiting for all this potential to materialize Kos and Caz have aged and we are no further forward than we were when they had years left at the top.
As we stand out CMF looks a real problem area and up till now Xhaka has proven to be and looked every inch part of that problem and most certainly not the proven solution to it.

23 Jul 2017 16:24:20
Jim and Wes I'm 100% certain if he played for a rival you would not be describing him like you are. You would be calling him a waste of money. You are both ever so slightly exaggerating his strengths and forgetting his weaknesses. Lol
He for me is a slightly taller arteta, he was limited too, too slow and couldn't tackle, create or score goals either. He isn't the presence we need or the clever player either.

23 Jul 2017 16:27:59
Coq and Santi were our best partnership since vierra and petit but even they were limited in the power stakes. If we can't have them together next season we need to buy to strengthen.

23 Jul 2017 16:43:14
But we do need to buy one player at least for that position, that is for sure.

23 Jul 2017 16:58:33
Wes we need a presence and a work horse in there.

23 Jul 2017 17:39:02
If Santi and Le Coq are our best paring then why wouldn't a Santi replacement and Le Coq also be?
The Le Caz partnership and the team was doing ok up until Caz injury.
Sign a Caz replacement partner for Le Coq then let Xhaka try to displace when his chance came through Le Coq poor form injury or suspension and all of a sudden the picture looks more rosy already, nit picture perfect like PREMIER LEAGUE champions or anything but suddenly finishing above one of Spurs Chelsea Utd or City doesn't look completely out of the question, then sign Lemar and Mahrez or a similar paring and all of a sudden top 4 is really worthy of serious debate because when I could see how it might happen with 3 more good quality additions.

23 Jul 2017 18:03:45
It's not easy gunner to make a partnership, Coq hasn't played the same with other players next to him. His partnership was working before it got split up. Arguably it was also the best Santi played too.

23 Jul 2017 18:29:54
Without a doubt Cazs game improved no end next to Le Coq and to be fair to Le Coq who have his other partners been?