Arsenal Banter Archive April 29 2014

29 Apr 2014 21:48:50
I'd pay whatever it takes to get Di Maria. Would absolutely own out left hand side!

Jesus I'm so out of touch with European football this season, does maria not play on the right anymore

Isn't that a liqueur made from coffee beans?.

Oopps, that's Tia Maria. Sorry, ma bad.

Can play either flank

Has a telepathic understanding w Ozil

He would be my primary target this summer

A true winger w pace who can score

Bender, Ramsey; Walcott, Ozil, Di Maria.

Wow. That midfield would tear teams apart. Get a couple of top strikers in and we would have the complete attack especially with the Ox, Gnarby, Wilshere, Cazorla to come off the bench!

Bender, Ramsey; Walcott, Ozil, Di Maria.

Wow. That midfield would tear teams apart. Get a couple of top strikers in and we would have the complete attack especially with the Ox, Gnarby, Wilshere, Cazorla to come off the bench!

Can we not be realistic here, AW is not going to replace half the team, with a winger, 2 strikers, a dm, a new right back and a back up cb….

At best we will get 2-3 players - so what is realistic. Bender and striker to start and hopefully hang on to TV5 and Sagna? Or get a winger and live with the strikers hope not because don't think Sanogo will get a goal in 2014.

Knowing we have ozil them most likely scenario should be buy khedira, di maria and benzema spend that 100 odd million and surround ozil with faces he knows and chemistry he is aware of, rather than go in the transfer market looking for gems which don't exist.

i don't expect us to pick any player from madrid. but I do expect di maria and khedira to end up at Manchester United and benzema possibly at psg.

Red,

I agree with what you are saying completely. That's why Wenger, if he isn't prepared to buy the players we need, must go!

Draxler over Di Maria for me. Drax and Ozil will be Germany team mates for years to come and will forge an amazing link up.

Yep Draxler all day for me. Di Maria is a great player but if Draxler and Ozil hit the ground running it could be Bergkamp and Henry *2!

29 Apr 2014 20:58:00
Great comment on one of the other forums.

If Chelsea were playing football in my back garden, I would shut the curtains and turn on the sprinklers.

Love it.

Wouldn't mind if it was a night game as I've been having trouble getting to sleep lately

Lol G62

And I would nt sleep if it was a night game i'm on a water metre.

29 Apr 2014 18:43:39
Great result last night but Jenny did you see the whole of the Newcastle team on your beach! Shocking performance! Really feel positive about next season. Our season as far as I can see was good except 3 really poor performances against Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City. Had we got three nil-nils how close would we have been this season with quite frankly a poor strike force certainly compared to city and Liverpool and a horrific run of injuries. As long as we keep going with our knack of performing against the lesser teams - see the spurs results! - buy a quality strike force and cdm and as long as we replace whoever leaves with like we will challenge again. Plus we need to find a way of fewer injuries - my opinion a deeper squad! (Stating the Bleeding Obvious ) Bring on next season, as FA CUP WINNERS . COYG

29 Apr 2014 19:51:03
I'm not even sure they made it to the beach, it was such a weird game, it was almost like we let ourselves be dragged into their apathy.

I'd actually like to see us get William Carvahlo from sporting, only 22 and been getting some great reviews this season. It was reported we have been looking. An apparent buyout clause at £37 million.

We can only guess who the heck he's looking at to be honest.

Jen 6 ft 2 in built like a brick toilet. Your learning.

29 Apr 2014 17:24:54
Worried that only coming fourth will stop us from spending early in the summer and leaving our business until we have guaranteed qualification to the Champions League. With the world cup this year and possibly a large number of players (GK, RB, CB, CDM and Winger/ Striker by my reckoning) this could potentially be very risky.

That depends on wether we shop in harrods or morrisons. If we shop at harrods we will have to flash the cash. If we shop at morrisons there's lot more bargains, 3 for 2 and buy one get one free.

I don't think having too play a qualifier is the problem it once was, finances ment we had to certain of the money before we could spend but that isn't an issue this season.
No player who is seriously think of joining us is going to be put off by an extra round in which we have never failed to get through.
4th or 3rd will have no bearing on who we do or don't sign Wages and fee's on the other hand!

29 Apr 2014 13:07:53
Read an interesting fans view this morning. Was based on various changes that are happening within the club.
One point was the Ozil transfer. A position that wasn't really on our "shopping list" but the point was about the fee. We failed with bids for strikers ( higuain and Suarez ) because Wenger wouldn't spend anymore due to his valuation. Something we are all too familiar with.
So the question is, who agreed the fee of 42mill for Ozil? Because it doesn't make sense that Wenger would have.
A point was made that maybe after failing to get either striker, powers a over Wenger took control of the transfer negotiation of Ozil. Kind of all makes sense.
If this is so will this have a positive effect on the next window?

Hey RockyVII,

I'm not in-the-know or anything, but my gut tells me that Ozil was indeed Wenger's signing; it's just that he wasn't really on our "shopping list" as you say. But according to Wenger, when a player like that becomes available, you cannot pass it up.

Wenger has always had a hard-on for attacking midfielders, perhaps he thought Ozil was worth that price but Higuain was not. All I know is, this summer there are NO excuses to not spend on quality players. We shall see, good post though.

Peace,
Trinidad-Gooner

I think Ozil was 100% a Wenger signing. In the current climate for a player like Ozil to be available for ~£40M is a no brainer.

Yes he's perhaps not had the best season by his own standards but as a commercial draw and a focal point to build a team around the investment was more than prudent.

Remember the outrage of the Madrid players, the fans and even some of the board. Ozil was a bargain and will hopefully go on to be a legend.

Bear in mind this was the same summer that Bale went for £89M - is he twice the player, I think not.

Im with sad face on this, and I would also like to add If rumours are to be true then it wasn't wenger but kroenke/gazidis who had valuations put on the players.
I remember reading about some statistician being brought in by 1 of them 2 to base value of players on certain statistics. this is why no 2nd bid was made for any of the targets. if this is true then I hope they don't apply the same this year.

I'm not debating how well Ozil has done as I'm a fan of the player and I don't judge him on this one season.
All I'm saying is from making 1st AND FINAL bids on higuain and Suarez to go and spend 42 million on a position that wasn't priority (in my opinion ) doesn't seem very Wenger-like.
The board obviously want Wenger in charge hence a new deal offered (only 2 years mind you not exactly long term ) but have the board taken more responsibility with the money, a bit like how David Dein would have done when he dealt with player negotiation.

@RockyVII Appreciate what you're saying mate but IMO no, I don't think anyone else was pulling the strings on the Ozil bid. I think this was Wenger pure and simple. Bear in mind the deal took 2/3 days to close which is very Wenger like.

The £40M+£1 offer though, that is another question.

Wenger runs the club from top to bottom. He decides who to buy and at what price. The sad thing is we have approx £150m in reserves, which spent wisely would have given us a stronger squad, which could be rotated and the injuries avoided.

29 Apr 2014 10:23:44
Based on my absolutely zero football inside knowledge: the more I hear laws bender and lacquered for the summer the more I think it makes sense. Both available for under 30 mil and both as promising as you get. Great man I can't see happening unless he's ridiculously cheap as we have the, ox, rosiky, sati, gnarbry who all can play his position.

If vermarlen (sp? ) leaves I expect a bargain bucket centre half to turn up from somewhere in France or Germany for Cover.

Arteta to be sold/released.

My humble guestimation based on what we get is typically like and what we need.

Gav we never seem to end up with the players we're linked with as some else always seems to out bid or out pay us, so whenever we are heavily linked to a player I think ok that's him not joining us then, .
Ozil no one saw coming and we even kept Sanogo below the radar some how :-)

29 Apr 2014 00:39:48
I'm about as far from in the know as can be. But, based on the paper talk I read, plus past experience with Wenger, I'm going to make an educated guess on who we'll sign this window.
1. An underpriced striker 25m, Wenger knows we need one. I reckon Lacazzette. He's young, French and Lyon may have to sell for economic reasons. Wenger written all over it.Or Benzema, if available at the right price.

2. Bender 25m. I reckon Wenger knows we need him, and knows we'll have to pay the asking price.

3. Greizmann 25m. See reasons @ 1.

4. Sanga is gone, I reckon Aurier will take his spot, unsure of his price, let's say 10m.

5. Vermaelen is also gone. Not sure who we may target as replacement CB. I reckon we may even get 2 young ones to be understudies to Kos & BFG.

Thoughts? I just don't see Wenger forking the required sum for a Cavani etc. However, a few quality additions in the required places, I think, will really see us kick on next season, around 100m in total.

I would be shocked if Wenger were to spend anything like £100m, unless we sell.
I believe he will sign:
1) a keeper on a free or low cost
2) a right back - max £10m
3) a centre back - what we receive for Vermaelen
4) a midfield player - £15-20m max
5) a striker - £20m max
6) a wide player - if Podolski goes.
So a net spend of £50m absolute max, more realistically £40m
We may sell - Vermaelen £10-15m, Podolski £10-15m. Joel Campbell will either return to the club or be sold for £5m? Djourou £2m?

I'm not sure who but expect about 80 million of the 100 will be spent .
I have a feeling Micah Richards will be an Arsenal player next season but apart from that no real idea who might come in

{Ed025's Note - micah is a very good player G62, but do you really think arsenal need another sick note in the ranks?..

If Diarby and Kallstrom leave this summer we will be desperately short in that area Ed :-).
I just think he can cover so many positions and at 12 mil or so is an Arsene type bargain who could turn out like Sturridge and really excel given a decent chance

{Ed025's Note - i dont doubt his ability mate, its his physical well being that bothers me, your treatment table already has a waiting list, and you can ill afford another crock..

I know he was injured at the start of the season but wasn't sure how much of his absence from the team was down to fitness or managers preference this season?
Obviously we'd need to see him do a lap at least mostly unaided before we gave him a long term contract :-)

A striker for 20mill max? so we sign girouds brother tolliver?

I guess I'm just convincing myself that Wenger may finally make the moves we need this period, given our financial situation now. I reckon being top for so long, only to collapse, again, May convince him to spend the money made available to him. Bender, Lacazette, Greizmann and Aurier should all be available, and the prices quoted, are value, for the class of player. It seems logical, and I just hope/pray/wish/voodoo chant for the old, innovative Wenger, not the stubborn inflexible stick in the mud we've seen in the last few seasons.

Lakerville - Wenger will only spend £20m max on a striker, probably less. He tried to get Kalou for a couple of million. The sole high priced recent signing was Ozil, but that was on the back of sales of RVP £23m, Fab £30-35m, Song £16m, Nasri £23m. Remember Wenger believes the club must make a profit and if you start spending £100m, its not possible, unless we sell. We have Giroud & Sanogo, so he isn't going to bring in a 3rd striker for over £20m.

If wenger thinks he can sign chumps and expect the fans to get behind him, he is sadly mistaken, any minor slip up and they will be asking for his head, surely he should learn, or know the mood, or is he getting paid soo much caviar he is diconnected from reality.

29 Apr 2014 00:19:39
Not football related but I would just like to wish David Moyes good luck in his new job.

(Think about it)

Ok I've thought about it but can't see it happening,
You can't replace a postman like ours with 40 years experience with an ex football manager, sorry DG I think your wide of the mark there mate

Could work in a call centre I can never understand those people. He'd fit right in

Good point Saint but how long before he was told OUT OUT OUT by Nev

Sorry mate that ones over my head