Arsenal Banter Archive February 24 2016

 

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24 Feb 2016 22:38:57
After the Barcelona game.

Sanchez needs to play more simply.

Mertesacker's blunder not to clear the ball will cost us.

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25 Feb 2016 01:10:07
Sanchez needs to get into the box more.

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25 Feb 2016 11:28:10
I have had enough of him dags. He is a one season wonder ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป.

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25 Feb 2016 16:26:20
Sanogo,
I wouldn't go that far ๐Ÿ˜.

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25 Feb 2016 17:07:05
Sanchez is a wonderful footballer who needs some guidance of how to use his assets and energy and how to relax and kill when he gets the chance. I also think he's guilty some times of trying too hard to pull the team along. I think the right manager would make him flourish.

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24 Feb 2016 14:58:36
To go to the next level we need a defender to replace mertesacker and a world class striker we need at least 2 world class players to Atleast compete with the likes of barca.

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24 Feb 2016 17:25:25
The next level is becoming a side that can regular get 80+ pts a season and to do that you need players who will perform to high standard for 30+_games of the 38 game season.
IMO we are a CB DM CM RMF and striker short of that standard, create a team where Aaron Olly Theo Danny Gabriel and Ox at their current level can't get even close to the starting 11 and there's your 80+ pionts each season you need before even thinking of challenging in the champions league.

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24 Feb 2016 18:06:43
Gunner you are nearest to my view plus a manager.

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24 Feb 2016 18:11:59
Oh and el lenny. He will be world class next year.

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24 Feb 2016 18:20:46
Wenger will never ever ever win the champions league he couldn't do it when he was current and futuristic in his thinking. He couldn't do it with the invicibles and he will never do it now he is past it. His philosophy now is so dated and lagging behind, he has lost his bottle and his swagger. Even he is saying" why do we do that, we are making the same errors and it is punishing us". Doh!

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24 Feb 2016 18:57:28
The way I see it is
Below 45 pts is a poor premier league team
45 -55pts mid table
55-70 pts top ten/ uafa
70-79 pts champions league qualifying standard
80+ genuine title contenders.
Any side can have a poor season or one where they perform way above their true capacity for that one season (Liverpool 2 seasons back) but if you regually finish in a particular group each season that really is your level whether you like it or not.

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24 Feb 2016 22:27:07
We are way off competing with the cream of Europe, we would need 5/ 6 top class 1st teamers there.

I think even to compete next year in the league we need some real serious investment as you know Man Utd, City and Chelsea will spend big, even Spurs with them making Champs league by the looks of it. Just buying squad and young potential players will juts not cut it as we will fall behind.

To two most urgent positions are CB to replace the Achilles heel in Mertasacker and a proper top class box playing forward that is reliable in front of goal.

Stones would be good but will cost big, whoever it is needs to be more mobile and much better technically than Mert.

Forwards like Caavini I think would do well in the EPL and would be a good option.

The question is can we still attract the kind of players that will take us to the next level? . Under Wenger and with our Tight Board it's is doubtful these days, we need to break of wage structure to do it really and that is unlikely.

We need shot of Mertasaker, Arteta, Flamini and Rosicky and I am starting to have questions over Wilshire as to weather it is worth cashing in considering who injury prone he is. Yes he is Arsenal through and Through but you have to be pragmatic and consider just how many games he will actually play to contribute overall consider his record of staying fit.

Ox is another I have doubts as to weather he will improve his consistency of performance.

The only players I say that are top class we Have are Cech, Kos, Ozil, Cazorla and Sanchez. These players are the few that would not look out of place in any top level side in form.

Then we have some very good players under that in le Coq, Monreal, Bellerin, Ramsey, Elneny, Giroud, Wellbs and Walcott, that are worth keeping.

Then quite a few with serious Question marks over them in Gabriel, Ox, Wilshire (With Injuries) Iowbi, Campbell, Chambers, Gibbs, Ospina and Gnarby.

Then Mert, Flamini Arteta and Rosicky that are defo get rids.

So to really compete on all front we need to replace the get rods with much better and upgrade a few of the question marks.

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24 Feb 2016 22:41:10
Your right guys we are some way off.

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24 Feb 2016 23:24:13
Top sides are made up of a mixturec of top class and very reliable players, we have far to many of our best 11 and 18 who fit into niether category.

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25 Feb 2016 05:21:20
Here r the players that I think we need an upgrade on.
Mertesacker- We need a long term replacement for him. John Stones is possible. Per can be backup.
Walcott- Somebody like Mahrez in place of him would be good. I was watching the 2011 Barcelona match, we had Nasri on the right technically he was better. I feel Walcott will leave at the end of the season. Wenger started Ox ahead of him which I feel is an indication.
Another Central Midfielder. Cazorla is in his 30s and Wilshere is forever injured. We need somebody technically as good or better than these 2 in the CM.
CDM and Striker positions, we r good enough I feel. Welbeck gives us good options and still has a long way to go. In CDM, It would be great if we get Kante, but realistically, the whole of Europe will be after him.

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25 Feb 2016 13:51:11
Ryan that's way too harsh including Iwobi in your list. Give him a chance, he is only just breaking through. How can you possibly tell whether he will be good enough in the future based on what you have seen so far? With that attitude we may as well shut down our entire youth set up. For me, Iwobi and Gnarby should replace Rosicky in the squad. We also need a proper right winger who will mirror Sanchez, so will can attack down both flanks instead of being over reliant down the left. Mahrez looks as good as anyone in that position. I would be happy to sacrifice Walcott to get someone who specializes in that position. Also a CF should be our top priority. I think Lukaku would be worth considering, especially as he is already proving himself in the premier league. Also he can hold the ball up, and can play with the ball over the top, so a bit like combining Giroud and Walcott into one player, so his style probably fits. Plus he can still add a bit of physicality to our game.

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26 Feb 2016 08:54:15
Neither Chelsea or united will b in the champions league next season, and who knows if Pep really wants Stones, we have a chance of signing him. Otherwise Howedes it should be.

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24 Feb 2016 14:17:27
man united fan here. very easy to pick on flamini, but merts was fully at fault for the second goal.

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24 Feb 2016 15:26:25
Completely agree Rover

Merts should have smashed that ball into row z if need be, just put your foot through it n get it away form our area instead he tried to be neat n play it out, yes against many other teams that is ok because that's how we play but against a team of barca's class you just cannot do that.

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24 Feb 2016 18:08:36
Didn't see it can't watch it but the radio blamed mert and not flamini.

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25 Feb 2016 12:42:14
Steve, I think he's referring to the fact that Flamini gave away the penalty for the other goal.

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25 Feb 2016 13:41:26
Tpg yes I know that's what i'm on about. I've watched it now and I blame mert for not just clearing the ball.

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24 Feb 2016 04:11:52
Barca are awesome. We played to a plan and unfortunately one lapse allowed them to score the crucial first goal. The second was due to the terrible substitution when Wenger brought on the dire Flamini, who once again was defending too deep, right on top of our centre backs. I hadn't noticed Coquelin tiring, but if he had to be replaced then it had too be for Elneny. Yes, Elneny needs until next season to bed in and be brought up to the physical level required in the PL, but he has already shown enough to convince me that he is a far better player than Flamini.
I was a little disappointed with our passing last night. However, there were several good performances. I never expected to get past Barcelona over 2 legs and our current team simply isn't good enough at this level. We need to weed out the 3 older players that should have gone last summer, if not before and look to bring in 2 or 3 top class players, with the ยฃ200+ million we have in the bank. We now need to concentrate on the 2 domestic competitions and regroup for Sunday's match at United, which we need to win. With United playing on Thursday in a match they have to win and having so many injuries, we have a good chance.

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24 Feb 2016 13:44:47
As a neutral, although Flamini fouled Messi for the penalty, I think Mertesacker was too blame. Terrible attempt at a clearance.

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24 Feb 2016 18:22:20
Rg that money will never be spent on players, it isn't there for that.

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24 Feb 2016 10:16:06
Lads, not having a pop but i actually thought you played well last night. You had chances to go in front a few times and weren't clinical enough up front. Barcelona didn't have many chances but that is the difference when you have class strikers at the club. I think you are crying out for 2 top class finishers in the summer as giroud and wellbeck won't take you to The next level you want to go to.

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24 Feb 2016 11:30:10
Spot on. We played well but once again our finishing was a bit of a let down. It's not just down to the strikers we've got but rather the team as a whole.

A few seasons ago Ramsey could of been blind folded and still put the ball in the back of the net. Theo used to be all about making those runs and slotting the ball past the keeper. Sanchez doesn't want to get into the box this season, he'd rather wait outside to get the ball to feet then cut inside and shoot from 25 yards out.

Your point is still spot on, our current strike force is not up to scratch.

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24 Feb 2016 11:30:18
You having a pop? Lol.

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24 Feb 2016 11:54:08
Why does it take a Spud to point out that for 70 mins we were well and truly in the game with some great chances falling to us.

Hate to say it but their strike force is worth how much ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ

Tell me I have rose tinted glasses or that Barcelona would have raised their game - BS! They broke us down because we lacked discipline chasing the game. Why would we chase at 1 Nil.

Personally, I thought we had a great first half. We needed better options on the bench once we were down by one but let's not over react and let's push on now for the league. That performance in the first half was spot on and if we had more confidence of late in front of goal, it could have been very different.

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25 Feb 2016 05:27:09
At half time, Barcelona didn't have a shot on target. That was for the first time since October 2013, all matches included.

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24 Feb 2016 09:20:36
Little bit dejected after last nights game but in all honesty it went exactly how we knew it would. I think the way the game panned out and the substitutions made by AW demonstrate that the priority is the league and FA cup - even had we gotten past Barcelona would we get past a Real or a Bayern? No.

Time to man up and get ready for the weekend, the attacking prowess needs to improve - since the turn of the year we've not scored enough goals. I'd play Theo up top at the weekend and give Giroud a rest/ reality check.

Also got to say, Elneny. what's he got to do to get in the squad ahead of Flamini? Appreciate he's only played a few games but he looks much more composed, controlled and capable than our alternatives!

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24 Feb 2016 09:48:40
Spot on about Elneny he had to be a better bet for what 15 mins, he's used to European Football as well didn't get that at all.

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24 Feb 2016 11:24:08
It's the same old story coming back to haunt us. We've had the same problem since about 2008, we are always 2 players short of having a top squad capable of winning. When we had a top striker we were in desperate need of a DM, now we have a DM we're in desperate need of a striker.

I thought we played well overall but a few players let us down, one being our captain! He was Mr Indecisive last night. Their first goal he was caught in no man's land and either had to get back or press and make a challange, any kind of challenge, instead he just stood there like the ginormous donkey he is. If there was a time to take a yellow for the team it was then. You can also spread the blame between him and flamini for the second goal. He should of shouted 'av it and blasted that ball so high and far that it took up it's own orbit around the sun. Instead he decided to try control it/ pass it out (who knows which) in his own area, he's like bambi on ice at the best of times so what in the world was he thinking!

Bringing flamini on was also a massive mistake, yes he has passion and yes he works hard but he's hardly the karma sutra when it comes to positioning and he has a habit of losing concentration.

Our pressing last night was a little disjointed too, we closed down well but routinely let busquets keep hold of the ball for far too long when both giroud and ozil were close enough to press him without any risk.

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24 Feb 2016 09:30:37
it feels to me like chasing a carrot that we are years away from eating.
you can't improve at the rate we are while other teams go one better and expect to progress.

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24 Feb 2016 07:12:24
Last night went as predicted, as soon as the draw was made we all knew that's that .

I just hope we leave some players at home for the 2nd leg, surely AW doesn't think we will win 3-0.

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24 Feb 2016 18:25:05
2-0 and pens and jobs a good un.

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24 Feb 2016 03:04:40
I'm with Dags and steve on this

A different class to us were barca.
Question is . Is this as good as our owners will allow us to get? Or will we keep improving to gradually get us to this level? Is that the goal of the owners? If so we surley need to buy more world class. Every single player bar Alexis ร–ZIL cech Koss are NOT up to the elite level. That's 4 players! You can argue for a few more many but not many more. That plus our youth system. Why is it we cannot improve our youth system to one as good as Barcas?

The last 11 years it's been that hope of gradual improvement that's kept me so hooked on supporting Arsenal. I try to be understanding about the whole stadium debt issue and now I worry our spending/ youth development/ ambition have come to a plateau. I fear the board are happy with the profit and will be happy with a couple of stars to sell shirts.

Where is the pride? It makes me sick the thought of the Barcelona fans walking out of there with the same feeling for the third time in a decade.

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24 Feb 2016 04:25:48
Just I wrote a piece a few weeks ago with similar fears. Kronke hasn't once been seen saying he wants this club to be the biggest and best. If you look at his record all his sports francises are profitable but do not win anything. He doesn't spend money to make them big, just more money. For me his hunger isn't trophies, his hunger is wealth and personal fortune. We won't be a big fish while he's the man up top.

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24 Feb 2016 08:21:38
Belle run was great too!

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24 Feb 2016 06:59:31
Iv said since he joined. The american is not the answer. Can't stand him.

The yank saw the stadium build and thought il have some of that. Not selling to usmanov was a mistake. A big one.

Wenger is also to blame for not spending tho he is still using. 2004 pricing structure. One top top player last summer would of kept fans happy.

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