Arsenal Banter Archive August 27 2015

27 Aug 2015 22:13:58
As it stands, will we win the league?

Simple yes or no.

{Ed025's Note - no

27 Aug 2015 22:27:14
Simple no
(Why do we have to say simple though?)

{Ed007's Note - If you're wrong you can always blame being simple, my wee cousin got off with setting his approved school on fire using that excuse.}

27 Aug 2015 22:32:34
Definitely NO

27 Aug 2015 22:43:33
You had a go at me for saying no last week. Cut me deep dags hahaha

No chance mate Wenger is mugging us all off

27 Aug 2015 22:50:26
That question would be better asked on Tuesday after the window shuts. If we get what we need then I'd say, yes, we have what it takes.

As things stand though, no, we are just short.

27 Aug 2015 22:50:48
I actually do think quite highly of our squad and often defend arsene. However No.

27 Aug 2015 22:57:03
No, but not all gloom and doom, but still a no

27 Aug 2015 23:16:16
As good a chance as any of the others so --- yes.

28 Aug 2015 00:04:26
Do cows quack?

28 Aug 2015 00:10:20
Big fat no

28 Aug 2015 00:38:45
No we're at a minimum a top quality striker short of equaling city & chelsea but realistically we need another defensive player too. Hopefully we can sign a DM who can comfortably cover CB (Javi Martinez would be nice) or a good CB, as Per isn't good for my blood pressure!

28 Aug 2015 01:00:58
No with 2 signings we will be in the running

28 Aug 2015 02:01:46
I can confidently say no if we don't buy a dm and a striker

28 Aug 2015 07:51:07
Exactly Ed, an idiot's disclaimer.

Sorry Derby :-)

28 Aug 2015 11:51:44
I like that we disagree dags and I like to hear different views

I see you as a chilles happy guy if you walked on on your house being robbed you would offer them a hand with the TV and DVD collection

28 Aug 2015 15:47:34
Who has DVDs in this day and age lol

27 Aug 2015 20:44:47
I have no expectations for us in the champions league this season. We'll finish a comfortable second in our group, draw a Barcelona or a Real Madrid in the round of 16, take a beating at home (my money's on 3-1 for the third season running) and then bow out heroically in the away game (probably on away goals again). It's Arsenal all over and it's Wenger all over.

The only thing that will alter my perspective on this is if we make a blinder of a signing... Which I'm convinced that we won't.

Until we get a manager who doesn't go out week after week playing the same predictable tactics, with the same players out of position, and who is ruthless and proactive during the transfer window, top four and first knockout round of the champions league will be as high as my expectations go for this club.

27 Aug 2015 20:55:12
AW the most successful manager that we have had in my time.
AW now the most infuriating manager that we have had in my time.

27 Aug 2015 21:03:32
As high as second??

27 Aug 2015 21:43:00
Not likely mate. Third at a stretch unless United sort out their back line

27 Aug 2015 22:44:17
Agree with CIG,

3rd at best but will be looking over our shoulders at Man Utd.

27 Aug 2015 19:43:19
Welcome Benzema
Welcome Benzem
Welcome Benze
Welcome Benz
Welcome Ben
Welcome Be
Welcome B
Welcome
Welcom
Welco
Welc
Welbeck is back... that's Wenger tactics

27 Aug 2015 17:48:09
Can't wait to play Munich really happy with our group some tuff teams but I think we will go through to next round

27 Aug 2015 18:48:24
Hope we play them as early as possible as I don't won't to go there last match when they've already qualified and hopefully we have too.
Much has been made about us winning there when they've built up a winning lead from the first leg so it would be nice to pit our Witt's against a fully committed Bayern both home and away.

27 Aug 2015 16:32:58
I don't understand why people are so furious about the transfer dealings. There is no real striker option available which would really strengthen us. Benzema and Cavani are the two of the best available. One wouldn't want to shift clubs and other would cost us a lot more than what he's worth. Buying Lacazette or Higuain for the price being quoted is surely absurd. Don't you think?

Arsene sure knows he's short of strikers and when he says there is shortage of strikers he really means it.

Just want to hear your opinions.

27 Aug 2015 18:34:35
I'm inclined to agree with you. Although if it goes down to the wire I'd go all out for Cavani or Lewandowski. Rumours are Cavani would be available at the right price so I'd put all my eggs in that basket...If that's the correct term.

27 Aug 2015 18:35:08
What about lacazete or aubameyang. They are at Lyon and Dortmund respectively. I bet if Chelsea, city ,United ,real , Munich and barca wanted them they would get them no questions why can't we get them. So ok wenger might not rate them enough so wenger wants to sign players from huge teams with loads of money and he can't do it. So he waits for the off chance one of them big boys want to cast off some sloppy seconds. It's going to come to a time when we are going to have to pay the money required to go into a season with the players he needs.

Wenger is the biggest critic of transfer windows been open in season time. Yet he waits till were 3/4 games in and rambles on about momentum and cohesion

27 Aug 2015 18:43:38
Wenger needs to understand the price in football has sky rocketed. De bruyne 54mill. We need to start investing or just admit we don't want to compete

27 Aug 2015 19:54:14
You've got to admit it does seem we always have a reason why we can't spend enough to make us ultra competitive.
The stadium was a good reason for many seasons, now when we are when we are desperately short of a certain type of player there's never none available, last season DM this season striker.
I'm not saying its easy to get the quality we want but neither is it for Chelsea or city but they always manage to find what they want while we always seem to find an excuse.

27 Aug 2015 20:05:23
Brown, Lacazette and aubameyang are way overpriced. Those other teams probably would get them with no questions asked but they would pay way over the odds, wenger doesn't get drawn into that and I for one salute him for it. He only pays good money for top bracket players. So he should

27 Aug 2015 21:04:42
Gunner the club is a cash cow. Very sad to see. When the yank took that payment of 3mill it was a kick in the teeth mate. Hate the guy. #usmanovin

27 Aug 2015 21:18:20
What is way over priced? De bruyne one good season 50+ million. Everything is over priced to us yet we have the highest costing ticket price in England no probably the world. So who is world class enough to justify money for top bracket players. Augero? 80 million next bracket down Benzema (so we think) 50 million cavani 50 million lewandoski 50 million. Next bracket down lacazete and aubameyang 30-40 million.

And before you start I agree nearly every player is over priced but the fact is we need a striker and if we don't get one then I'm afraid we will do same again.

27 Aug 2015 22:47:37
Brow, I agree all players are overpriced these days, and if you want a player your more than likely going to have dig deep to get him or you'll lose out. 55 mil for de Bruyne is disgusting, but if Man City want him I understand that's the going rate, but I'd go nuts if Arsenal were to do that because he hasn't done anything to justify even half that value, which is my point.

We need a striker I understand that, but if we were to pay over the odds for the likes of lacazette or aubameyang, I'd prefer it we went all out and paid top dollar for a Cavani or Lewandowski, a top bracket player. If not then I'd rather we didn't part with our money on anything less, what's the point.

If our ambition is to get to the top then we have to look at players who are at the top, spend that bit more for that special player who will get us where we want to be. We are only a couple of players away from having a squad to compete on all fronts, so to me those players need to be the elite ro really make the difference. I don't mind us paying over the odds as long as its a player that will really make a difference.

28 Aug 2015 07:56:25
I do agree on your choice of strikers . But we need someone or we can forget about it this year

27 Aug 2015 14:34:20
Morning All,

I'll be honest... I find it borderline criminal that we refuse to spend money in order to increase our chances of competing for the major trophies (EPL, UCL).

For years we were told that it was because we didn't have the money, now we have the money and it's unfair because the other top 4 teams have more money...

Then it was because we had to wait for Champions League qualification (not the case this year), then it was the World Cup...

When will the excuses end?

We had literally no reason not to go out and improve upon certain key and obvious weaknesses in the squad.

We placed 3rd last season, literally every other team besides us, including the champions and the runners up have strengthened, yet Wenger thinks we can remain as is and win the League?

He went on and on about cohesion being our main strength this summer, yet so far we look a shambles on the pitch, as if we don't even know each others' names.

I'd like to ask the Eds, is there anything you can tell us about possible reasons behind the lack of spending? We are the sixth richest club in WORLD FOOTBALL yet we behave like we're skint.

I sense a power struggle behind the scenes, and I know Ed002 has touched on major changes taking place at Arsenal over the next couple years, just wondering if you can shed some light on why we don't spend the money available to us.

Thanks and sorry for the rant; keen to hear what others think.

27 Aug 2015 17:06:14
Are we refusing to spend money or are top players unavalible? People have to relize that we are not Real Madrid. We can't just pin point a target and suddenly he is an Arsenal player.

What people seem to forget why would they want to join Arsenal? We are not the biggest club in England let alone Europe and why would the likes of Benzema, Pogba and Lewondonski swap Real, Juve or Bayern for us?

The reality is we are we below in term of resoures and financial muscle to the rest of Europe. Yes we have signed Ozil and Sanchez but we signed them because Real and Barca wanted to get rid of them rather then being a elite club in Europe. If the top clubs want to sell thier players we will always have a chance but if they don't we as a club are not big enough to dictate terms to them.

People thought look our is stadium built we can sign so many great players. In reality all the stadium has done is made sure that the gap between us and the elite clubs isn't getting bigger by huge amount. It is just slowing the rate down.

Some people are too over ambitious with the transfer. And when we don't sign them they get the hump. Football isn't a level playing field. Money rules and the reality is there are clubs with more money than us.

27 Aug 2015 13:58:44
tough call to make, but we miss Ramsey and his goals and workrate in CM. We need to drop Ozil/Cazorla or rotate the 2 in the starting team, and have pace on the wings. Painfully slow on Monday in build up.

Sanchez left, Walcott/Chamberlain on the right. Just need the mythical centre forward and we are all set.

27 Aug 2015 14:53:01
Couldn't agree more. Ramsey provides a high workrate as well as providing late runs into the box, and we lack players willing to run behind when walcott is not playing.

It's also painfully obvious one of either walcott or ox needs, to play because without them we lack any kind of width needed to stretch teams.

27 Aug 2015 16:10:19
On point mate. More pace, more flow, more creativity. A Team without pace and movement isn't good enough. Fusing all midfielders into the starting lineup won't work

27 Aug 2015 16:45:15
That's a bingo! G1, couldn't agree more

27 Aug 2015 12:20:38
Why does Wenger always leave it late to sign someone? Just read his comments at the press conference. Isn't scouting meant to identify players we may need? So why must Arsenal almost always wait till deadline day before signing someone after the best players have been mopped up by other teams on most occasions? And then we expect the player after signing for us on deadline day to start performing when he hasn't got any cohesion with his team mates. It really saddens me.
Well, I still would love us to sign a dm and a striker anyway

27 Aug 2015 19:09:55
Took the words out my mouth mate.

27 Aug 2015 11:00:26
amidst all the disappointed and pessimism of the arsenal fans on this site at the moment there's one silver lining.... at least we can't draw dortmund again today :p

27 Aug 2015 15:13:19
Or Monaco

27 Aug 2015 09:11:50
So according to a French Hack, Benzema talks have been taking place-yeah right!
Back up plan is to buy Higuain in January-fabulous idea-lets wait FIVE months to find a goal scorer!
An earlier post asked WHY we are not competing with Chelsea and CIty for the top players? Ok we know about Arsenal's strict wage policy but whilst it's good to have values and try to keep wages sensible it isn't winning us the title is it?
The top players know they won't earn the big wages at the Emirates, so what's the incentive to come?
We could all accuse them of being greedy but let's not forget one bad tackle can end a career so it's natural that they want to do the best they can for themselves financially, whilst they still can.
I think we'd all love to go back to the days where the game WASN'T all about the money but we live in a different age now and we are in real danger of getting left behind.

27 Aug 2015 09:39:33
Swings and roundabouts mate.

I'm as frustrated as the next guy and the fact our big plan is now to either sign Kokorin or wait till jan isn't helping.

But as far as competing for top players go, there's common sense.

De Bruyne, cracking player, should do well for city, years ahead of him.
We currently have Cazorla, Wilshere, Özil, Oxlade-Chamberlain(?) after the number 10 spot and Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain(?), Alexis and Welbeck vying for a place in the wing.
We can't afford to spend £30-50m on a player who's going to be a rotation option and were certainly not going to drop Alexis or Özil.
De Bruyne wants to play in the No10 role, but at City he's going to be forced wide for Silva in all likelihood.
We already have Cazorla, Wilshere, Ramsey, Welbeck and Rosicky being played in positions they don't really choose, just to accommodate them.


Pedro, 1: he's had 1 good game. 2: I still think he's overrated 3: he's too similar to what we currently have.
If we actually played our wingers instead of playing centre mids there, we'd have much more success.


We don't have oil money (well, Usmanov does but they've really forced him out) so if we're going to spend big, we have to pick and choose.
If we need a striker, which we really, really do, we need to go for someone big.
There's no point competing for say Pedro for £25m, cutting say 1/3 of our budget and then finding that Benzema is in fact available but we can't afford him now because when decided to sign Pedro.

Risk and reward, sometimes it bites us in the backside, other times we get Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez.

27 Aug 2015 10:46:00
That's where we'll agree to disagree D....highest ticket prices in the country and stadium already paid for....we've spent a FRACTION on players that clubs around us have one again. You mention Ozil but again we disagree as I can count the number of really good games he's had on two hands...my opinion.
As another post said, we DO for the most part pick up players who can no longer command a place in their teams.
Wilshere spends more time on the treatment table than most, and you say we'd have more success playing our wingers...REALLY? Who's going to tuck them away-Welbeck?
I think the seSon ticket holders have a right to see their hard earned money being used on top class players and those who claim you "can't buy them" should maybe look to the clubs who regularly finish above us!

27 Aug 2015 11:02:54
Yes we have Ozil, Cazorla and Wilshere for the No.10 spot, but it is important to have two good players for every position. Even though we meet this criteria for the no. 10 role, Wilshere is injured far too much to be a reliable option and Cazorla is aging, wants to go back to Spain at some point and for all his technical brilliance, he just doesn't seem to have any shooting boots anymore it's strange. A couple of seasons ago he'd be putting away most of the chances you see him have these days (in or out of the box) - no complaints with his overall game though he's a great player.

27 Aug 2015 11:21:49
Here's a thought and only a thought, Madrid have yet to sign a big big player. Ozil stated he was happy at Madrid.

Pogba is, probably along with Aguero one of the two biggest players they could want. With City having countless millions would the let Aguero go?

Juventus on the other hand, not so much money. Would if the option arose Pogba choose Chelsea above Madrid.

Will Madrid need about £45 million or so to help with the purchase. Do Arsenal have a spare £45 million or so lying around?

All this leads me to believe Charlie Austin in on his way to the Emirates. ;-)

27 Aug 2015 11:52:23
Well played D

27 Aug 2015 12:43:30
De bruyne will play wide and his final ball accross is immense. If he plays on the right. Kolorov on the left. Goals on a plate for aguero.

27 Aug 2015 08:11:51
So chelsea are looking to get pogba in for £70m

why are we not at least competing for his signature?

Let me guess we can't afford his wages / transfer fee?

Why can't we?

We have the highest ticket prices in the country and sell out every home game
The tv deal means we have pots of money to change the wage structure at the club if we had to increase other players in line with the top earners
we are slowly bringing in world class talent but its like we have to sneak them quietly in the back door before Chelsea, city or united get wind of us signing anyone

this has been a really frustrating window. Cech is a great addition but why can't we break the bank for elite players that will justify our elite ticket prices?

I hope I eat my words but imagine pogba and zlatan signing before deadline day?

I know I'll be told to get real but the money is there I just think an attitude change is needed at the club now to bring us true domestic and euopean success

Fingers crossed we do some big business over the next few days

27 Aug 2015 09:44:02
Many circumstances.
Wenger's loyalty to players, signing Pogba would further limit Wilshere and Ramsey's playing time (Ramsey having that stellar 13/14 season was one of the worst things to happen for us in team selection terms, it means Wenger's sticking with him was justified and now he won't drop him, just shoehorn him into the wing)

Wages, Pogba won't come cheap and when it comes to wages, we try to.

It'd be a British transfer record and by some way.

Pogba has a bit of an attitude at times.

Not to mention he might not think we're strong enough to achieve what he wants from a club.

He might just not want to play for Arsenal.

I think we'd be interested if pogba was truly available, problem is, so would most elite teams in Europe.

27 Aug 2015 12:34:12
That's the problem D_

We now have the revenue to compete but we seem to have the mentality that we can't get these players

Yes we spent £40m on ozil and £30+ on Sanchez because we can afford it now

We seem happy to pay our manager £40 million over 5 years - in the top 3 in Europe why not pay the players who are arguably a much bigger commodity

We are not in the position we were a few seasons ago where we simply couldn't afford it. Wenger can't say there are no players every player has a price and we need ready made world class talent to compete

That's what the teams above us last season have done and we are in danger of being left behind....

Then we will lose the talent we have got as we are not competing

It's time to start competing with the big boys for the top top players if we are to progress.

Happy to eat humble pie in May though!

27 Aug 2015 07:10:16
If Chelsea land pogba we are in trouble. :( massive statement if they pull that off.

27 Aug 2015 07:35:50
Derby I think we're in trouble regardless of Chelseas signings

27 Aug 2015 07:41:43
It's a shame that Wenger is unwilling to go the extra mile and try to sign the likes of Pogba & Lewandowski, which would enable us to compete with the best teams.
We appear to be buying the top teams cast offs, such as Cech, Sanchez & Ozil, who became fringe players at their teams, being replaced by better players.
I can't imagine any top team having Arteta, Flamini & Rosicky in their squads.
We all knew at the end of the season that we needed a minimum of three top qulaity signings; a keeper, a defensive midfiled player & a top forward. So far we have only signed Cech. It could also be argued that we need a left back, as neither of ours are top quality and another defensive midfield player.
As I have stated previously we have too many offensive central midfield players, who are played out of their best positions to include them in the team. Against Liverpool, we had Ramsey on the right wing and Santi playing a deep role. Whilst Ox & Walcott were left on the bench. Once Ox came on, Liverpool took Coutinho off and replaced him with another left back Moreno and we pushed Liverpool back.
Against Newcastle, we should play Arteta next to Coquelin, play Santi in the central midfield role, with Walcott starting on the right. Yes, I know it means not playing Ramsey & Ozil, but the shape will be better, even though I am no fan of Arteta. You could play Ramsey next to Coquelin, insetad of Arteta, but all this is doing is highlighting the need for one, if not two defensive midfield signings.

27 Aug 2015 08:02:21
you talk a lot of sense robbie.

27 Aug 2015 10:55:30
Lewandoski would be great! Wouldn't change the shape except ox or theo not the right and pick em between Ozil and Ramsey at 10.

27 Aug 2015 11:58:18
It's hard to imagine Cech, Sanchez and Ozil as being cast offs. I prefer to see it as other managers knowing who their best 11 is and knowing who they could cash in on. We could do the same and cash in on Wilshere, Walcott and the Ox seeing as they never start - all great players, they just don't fit into the managers plans.

Also, every team has a bombscare or two in them, look at Chelsea with Moses and Mikel, both terrible. If you scratch beneath the surface of Citeh's starting 11 there's not much back up! Wait till December and the injuries hit, they will collapse as usual. I won't even start on Utd or Liverpool's squads!

We have a lot to be optimistic about, we have our strongest squad in ages, are developing a winning mentality after back to back cup wins, we almost have a fully fit team and finally have cash to spend.....on the right players. Any issues with/for Arsenal are related to the Managers strategy and that isn't going to change any time soon.

{Ed001's Note - Sanchez was let go because him and Messi did not get on. It is not about his ability.}