Arsenal Banter Archive February 26 2016

 

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26 Feb 2016 23:44:55
Well at least we don't need to listen to the 200m cash balance story anymore

Balance is £135.9 million (2014 - £138.8 million) down 3m. We have 45m still owing on player purchases plus investment required on training facilities.

Everyone gets carried away with the overstated year end balance.

Still a fair bit of cash but it won't go too far.

We need to shed some players to reduce wage bill and size of squad to make room for contract improvements plus new signings.

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27 Feb 2016 05:33:46
The latest figures are interesting. What has been a major concern is that we have kept ageing players on top wages for longer than we should, imagine the wages saved on Arteta, Flamini and Rosicky over the last couple of seasons. In addition, we haven't had many young players coming through recently and our transfers out have been poor. I can't, off the top of my head, recall a decent ransfer fee received since selling the likes of Nasri and RVP. When you consider what we have spent when signing the likes of Ozil, Sanchez and Welbeck, this is. Worrying.
I believe that since the days of Dein and Fiszman, we haven't has decent negotiators at the club and it shows. You only have to look at Tottenham to see the difference, with the huge sales of the likes of Bale and Modric, whilst making some very astute signings, such as Alderweireld (spelling? ) , Alli, etc.
The lack of movement in and out of the club has made the team stale, hence the lack of goals we are seeing. It was once said that a team needs to change 3 or 4 players a season or the manager every 3 seasons. This season has been a bit of strange one, with the likes of Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool performing poorly and as a result it has allowed the likes of Leicester and Tottenham to fill the top two places. I do not believe either team is particularly good, they have just taken advantage of the big four or five underperforming. Next season, with Chelsea having replaced Mourinho, Guardiola coming into Man C, Klopp starting to form his own team and Mourinho possibly arriving at Man U, things will be much tougher at the top and Leicester and Tottenham will drop down the pecking order. We need a good finish to the season, starting with a win at depleted Man U tomorrow. For next season we need to dispense with Arteta, Flamini, Rosicky and a few others and make 3 or 4 top signings.
One last point, Chambers at a reported £14.

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27 Feb 2016 05:40:08
Chambers signed for a reported £16m, plus agents fees, etc.
Arteta wages for last two season - say £8m
Flamini wages for last two seasons - say £6m
Rosicky wages for last two seasons - say £6m
Someone needs to be held to account
Sales out since Nasri and RVP are very low
We miss the negotiating skills of Dein and Fiszman
The first team is looking very stale, hence so few goals and needs an overhaul this summer.

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27 Feb 2016 08:39:04
Fantastic post RG69.
Respect.

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27 Feb 2016 09:32:12
RG69,

Negotiators have nothing to do with it, if we sold our last major asset as in RVP who was no spring chicken with a year left on his contract for £24 million how much more did you expect to get for him.

Beyond that what Bale, Modric, Saurez or Ronaldo type player have we had to sell for massive money. Absolutely none will be the answer so where have we failed to capitalise?

How can the additions of Ozil, Sanchez, Gabriel, Chambers, Cech and Elneny along with the introduction of Coquelin and the emergence of Campbell made the team stale.

For me our simple biggest fault is a top quality striker. If we had just had say Aguero leading our line against Barcelona last week what do you think the result would have been. Yes we can improve other areas because every club can but that one area is our real Achilles heal.

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27 Feb 2016 12:29:40
Can't see the wage bill going down. Sanchez ozil will sign improved deals. Hopefully new signings will be world class.

We got top money for nasri and rvp. With a year left on there deals.

Transfer fees are not paid out right most of then time.

To sign a top striker surely one has to leave. If so who would that be thoughts?

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27 Feb 2016 13:54:05
Ashley Cole a proven top quality player wanted 5k a week to stay but was allowed to leave where Theo at 26 still only potentially a top player is given a huge payrise to stay.
To me this along with the points made by 69 doesn't encourage a need to achieve mentality running through the club, just my view of course.

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27 Feb 2016 14:40:30
It has to be Theo Derby for his and our good if he's ever going to make it he needs a club that demands much more from him to get into the team rather than simply take it in turns with us and we need a striker who delivers regaulally and much like a Sanchez mentality of not being happy to be left out to keep others happy.

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27 Feb 2016 15:02:42
It stems from the very top 62, unfortunately we are stuck with Mr Kroenke who I think when he sanctioned the sale of RVP showed what a spineless plank he is and where his thoughts on winning titles are. I still have a thought that if we'd made a stand like Liverpool did with Saurez it's quite possible that us and not United would have been champions that year.

Who or when we'll ever get new owners and owners that have a passion for football god only knows but I'm not holding my breath. Usmanov made it clear not so long ago he just sees his shares as an investment with no real intent to own the club himself.

City despite the fact they are seen as a club that has simply paid their way to trophies, the owners have a passion for football and have done an immense amount not just for the club but for the area too. As Klopp said yesterday, they now have TV's in Manchester. ;-)

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27 Feb 2016 15:29:58
Thats the best post you have written red dog. So true.

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27 Feb 2016 15:32:21
Our biggest problem is we are not developing youth that bring big money in and we have too many players who are worthless or have no sell on value.

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27 Feb 2016 16:52:13
Unfortunately Steve we have had to hang on to players longer than necessary because of bloody finances.

Only the last few years have we been able to offload players at the end of their careers or the so called deadwood like Bendtner who were worth nowt.

In essence if we produce quality youth we'd like to keep it and it's only last year that that set up has had a big overhaul.

I know you are done with Wenger mate but with owners like those at City providing the quality of player we and he would have won a lot more.

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27 Feb 2016 19:56:13
Great post red dog. I still think usmanov wants In tho. If stan sold he would buy. Didn't the board quickly change the rules to stop him buying in too?

Rvp going was about ambition in the end and I'm glad we never kept him for the final year like Dortmund with lewandowski and in the end he gave them one good season. All be it he joined thinking fergie would be there during his time.

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26 Feb 2016 14:56:25
Would be nice if we went for James Rodriguez, fits perfectly for us on the right.

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26 Feb 2016 17:20:49
I don't know WES, don't get me wrong having a player of his calibre in our team would be a big plus. but I find he's to slow to be on the wing, he's a CAM naturally and we have plenty of them, it would be buying a player to play outa position but I guess that's the way arsene likes it ;)

He wouldn't get in the team infront of ozil n he wouldn't be happy on the bench (hence why he's unhappy in Madrid) so it would be a waste. I do like the boy though. incredible shot on him.

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26 Feb 2016 17:41:55
Janez is quality he is a very different player to Ozil but he's quality and I wouldn't mind him.

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26 Feb 2016 15:42:45
I think we missed the boat with draxler tbh gutted he never signed. I do see a few being shipped out sooner or later to make room.

Joel Campbell I would sell.

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26 Feb 2016 19:22:39
There's a good profit to be made on Joel Campbell . I like him but he is not of world quality yet.

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26 Feb 2016 19:31:57
Yeah I think draxler is a very talented boy too.

Derby do you think Theo n ox are better than Campbell?
Or is it the homegrown thing?

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26 Feb 2016 23:40:27
Yes, he's a bit on the slower side.

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26 Feb 2016 20:56:42
I'm don't think any of them are the final piece for us. But I reckon Joel Campbell will join vela in leaving for la liga at some point. He'll do a job there.

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27 Feb 2016 15:58:11
Your probably right Derby but out of the three of them Joel would be my 1st to keep, he looks like he wants that position more than anyone. I thought vela was a very talented lad with a bright future with us but unfortunately wenger thought otherwise, the next season he had a blinder with sociedad. Would he be an upgrade on what we have already?

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26 Feb 2016 11:09:46
Has anyone seen the two-yr old girl singing Arsenal songs? It's on a few media websites.

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26 Feb 2016 14:38:14
Good on her, it takes a 2 year old to start bringing noise to the emirates says it all about arsenal fans.

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26 Feb 2016 19:51:58
I think that some Arsenal fans are complaining that she is drowning them out lol.

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26 Feb 2016 08:36:52
Reading news of Pires' retirmement got me thinking. Is Sanchez better than him during his pomp? During the Barcelona game it felt like Sanchez was carrying most of, if not all of the pressure to lead the team to glory. All eyes looked to him to 'make something happen'. I liken Sanchez to Pires, but cannot remember him facing the same pressure? Maybe that's because Henry shared this pressure, which adds to the many, many points fans are making with their desire for a world class centre forward once again. Sanchez cannot do it all alone, just like Pires was never expected to, Henry was never expected to etc. If we get that worldy up top, this team is going to fly! don't get me wrong, i'm a massive Giroud fan, but when I think of Pires and Henry linking up and destroying, Sanchez and Giroud don't have the same effect.

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26 Feb 2016 10:18:53
Sanchez is a lot better than pires, yes pires was a top player but look at the players he was playing with henry, viera, bergkamp etc plus one the best French squad ever. Sanchez has had to carry this average arsenal team on his own many times and pires never had to do that with the class squad he played with.

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26 Feb 2016 14:54:19
Dont forget we were also well balanced back in those days with pires on the left and Freddie on the right. Being able to attach down both wings is something i think we really need now as it will help take some pressure off Sanchez.

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26 Feb 2016 14:49:47
Sanchez is better i'd have pires in a heart beat tho right now. play them both.

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26 Feb 2016 18:02:01
I love sanchez he has loads of ability but pirez delivered the goods more often and was more reliable. Love them both though and sanchez is one of those players who gives his all.

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26 Feb 2016 18:27:15
Two great wingers, although fairly different. People always underestimate how many goals Pires used to get from the left though, he wasn't that far behind Henry in terms of goals during the invincible season i'm sure.

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26 Feb 2016 22:48:55
Pires over Sanchez every day - better ball retention, goals and chances created.

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27 Feb 2016 09:15:05
Pires - huge fan - but still he had the advantage of Henry taking all the attention. And Lundberg etc just seemed we had a lot more options then.

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26 Feb 2016 03:28:16
If, as Wenger states, we only have a 5% chance of beating Barcalona, then surely we must rest players in the return leg. I believe 5% is generous and I would look to play the likes of: Ospina, Chambers, Gibbs, Campbell, Iwobi, Elneny, Arteta and Flamini.
We need our top players fit for a very testing run in.

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26 Feb 2016 09:07:58
Totally agree,
I'm not one to advocate 'throwing' a game, but if we play our full team and lose and than subsequently don't win the league, no doubt Wenger will use it as an excuse as to why we didn't win the league.

As you say, play the above players and concentrate on Prem League and FA Cup.

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26 Feb 2016 10:47:54
We'll get thrashed if we don't play our full team. If at half time we r trailing, it would be good to bring Elneny n Iwobi on, let them experience genuine world-class opposition n learn what's required at this club.

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27 Feb 2016 16:03:09
I suppose the point is, if we are in the title race still, then a certain amount of prioritising is required, maybe. But if we have shot ourselves in the foot, then we have nothing to lose by going for it in barca. Not sure i'm into all this resting for big games, lesser games yes but big teams should want to beat big teams. Otherwise you aren't a big team.

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