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Iceman's rumours posts with other poster's replies to Iceman's rumours posts
26 Aug 2025 17:00:09
Crazy window. At the beginning someone suggested something like 6-8 signings. I said that was too many players in one window. While i still think my point was valid (as i think too much change can bring too much instability) , clearly the club agreed with the other guy (if you're reading this i'm sorry i can't remember your name) .
Is Hincapie seen as primarily a center back or full back? I wonder if he can be the overlapping full back to complete our new left hand side. That's the last kind of profile this squad lacks in my opinion, and it will maximise the impact Eze will have.
{Ed077's Note - CB/LB (kind of like Calafiori, Timber, White, Tomi, etc....)
1.) 26 Aug 2025 17:41:34
Don't forget Mosquera Ed :)
{Ed077's Note - The list just never ends for Arsenal eh ??
2.) 28 Aug 2025 15:45:43
It was me lol.
3.) 29 Aug 2025 05:53:33
Wasn't Tomi primarily an RB?
22 Aug 2014 09:25:48
Hi Ed, what's the situation of Stephan El Shaarawy? I think he'd suit our style. He'd bring some spark to our left wing if he can stay injury-free this season.
{Ed002's Note - Very unlikely he will move this summer, although Arsenal have previously shown interest.}
1.) Okay thanks Ed, I'm really struggling to see who we could sign but luckily we'll find out soon.
04 Jan 2014 09:49:27
ed what's the situation with matthias ginter? I expected him to move last summer and we were definitely interested. are we still interested?
{Ed002's Note - Freiburg will look to hold on to Matthias Ginter until the summer when Borussia Dortmund or Bayern Munich will likely push for the defender.}
31 Jul 2013 14:53:02
ed do you know of any interest in mccarthy or ginter? heard some rumours today. {Ed027's Note - {Ed027's Note - i hear we're looking at Mathias Ginter guys, young Cb from Freiburg, been in talks for a while, Mccarthy is not a target as such, maybe an alternative in the future, if targets fail, we've looked at him}
20 Jul 2013 12:58:15
i must say when I first heard about these suarez rumours I thought no way but now cautiously optimistic. honestly he'd be a perfect fit and I used to think we should sign him but in a million years we won't. now it seems more likely though.
pretty confident 40m would do the trick. liverpool seem to demand more but they're not going to get much more. and the other option for them is to keep him. and keeping a player with suarez's mentality against his own will is, well, a frightening thought!
some are concerned about this "baggage" he has. i'm not. the most concerning part is his ban, but if he signs a 4-5 year contract that ban is really meaningless. imo his reputation doesn't work completely against him. now every defender knows he's not just a fantastic dribbler, a goal scorer and a provider, but he bites too! he makes defender's feel uneasy I can see him starting as a striker, but also as a "winger" (winger like walcott, poldi, ramsey or santi meaning he'll play more centrally than wide) alongside giroud.
1.) To be honest I'm feeling this one aswell just hope it don't go right to the wire and we drop out again last minute
2.) Still think Arsenal will end up with Higuain. This Suarez business is just some sort of mind games with Real Madrid. Selling Higuan to Arsenal will fund Real Madrid's move for Suarez but Arsenal won't pay over the odds for Higuain.
3.) Not really a rumour, but I like this post
4.) I think Wenger and the fans would be equally happy with either. No mind games, Higuain at one price, Suarez (or Rooney) at another. Any of these will do the job!
5.) Suarez interest is very real indeed. Wenger will not pay the asking price for higuain when he can get suarez for a couple million more, anmd who is a much better player in my opinion.
6.) Higuain has had second thoughts about moving to Arsenal. Personally, I don't want Suarez at the gunners. He is obnoxious and a cheat. Don't forget the whole transfer might cost us £70 million
7.) Im not concerned about his baggage either. he's a great player and it outweighs the what-ifs.
Honestly, I prefer Higuain. But i'm happy with either. Both awesome players and will be crucial in the seasons to come.
StarsplashTaiwan
TaiwanGunner
8.) 20 Jul 2013 18:27:25
I would be happy with higuain at £23m however I would not like to see us pay much more for him seeing as he is second choice behind benzima at madrid and they play one up top usually so he is a great second choice striker for them. However I would prefer to have arguably the best striker in the premier league at the moment for an extra £17m, if we got him with the service our midfield can provide he will have a field day for us.
9.) Since when will liverpool become a feeder club to the biggest feeder club in the league? suarez will move to madrid or stay at lfc. there's an outside chance of bayern or psg. not arsenel!
Iceman's banter posts with other poster's replies to Iceman's banter posts
31 May 2026 19:38:37
Whatever you think of our style, yesterday you saw the best defence in action. I found it oddly satisfying watching us constantly readjust to their passing and movement, blocking their passing lines and not giving any extra space through the middle.
It starts with Odegaard and Havertz up front, forcing their defenders to play out wide. There they meet Saka or Trossard helping their fullbacks.
And any ball into the box from these areas gets dealt with.
You look at some other teams. There are players who don't give their all. There are teams that you can walk through from the middle.
Not this team. Everyone 100% committed and playing as a team, together.
Are we boring, set piece fc, "the worst watch" of the season etc? Doesn't matter to me. I'm proud.
1.) 31 May 2026 20:54:35
Great post, Iceman.
2.) 31 May 2026 21:27:15
Great post, Ice mate. Total effort and commitment should be a given from every player of every team in every game once they put on their club's shirt, but we all know this isn't always the case with some players and some teams. People can say whatever they want about this Arsenal team over the past 4 years, but no one can justifiably question the effort and commitment they have always given, and this is what I have always loved and appreciated about them most.
This first big trophy is nothing short of extremely well earned by every player and, of course, our manager.
3.) 31 May 2026 21:51:14
We are an absolutely committed and well-drilled team. It is the antonym of the team we had in the second half of the Wenger era, where we couldn't defend even if our life depended on it.
But now that we have won, we must work on the other aspect of football - scoring goals. We have the players, but for whatever reasons they have been blunt, and we laboured throughout the season (with odd exceptions) to score more than a goal.
Yesterday, we needed at least two goals before we went into defensive mode.
Hope the boys have a good reset and we start scoring freely along with our defensive resilience.
4.) 31 May 2026 23:11:05
Hi Highbury mate, I think most of us have felt the team played within its capabilities for most of the season, entertainment-wise. I genuinely think the fear of coming second for a 4th consecutive season, and the stick, accusations, and pressure that would follow another season of not quite getting over the line, played heavily on Arteta's mind from day one of the season, as well as some fans' minds too, which inevitably transferred to the players.
The nerves of the fans, manager, and players were consistently there for the whole world to see, especially in the second half of the season.
I see no reason for those nerves to exist next season, now the first major trophy has been achieved, and everyone can breathe and be their natural selves again. ?
5.) 31 May 2026 23:35:39
Hoping the same, 62, mate.
20 May 2026 20:39:05
What a great couple of days. I'm so happy for the club, they deserve the trophy. Some say we're the worst champions in a while because of the way the big teams all stumbled at various points this season.
Personally I think that was because the rest of the league has become more competitive than before. There are no easy games, apart from our neighbours perhaps. :)
16 Apr 2026 07:09:37
Before his injury nightmare, Santi Cazorla was playing in my opinion the best football of his life as a central midfielder. Something that has stuck with me is Wenger describing him at the time as our "technical security". For me it meant that however tough spot he was in, you could play the ball to him and he would be able to spin away from his marker and play the ball forward, crucially retaining possession.
I don't see enough of technical security in this team currently. Against Bournemouth we play Gyokeres, Madueke, Martinelli, Rice and Havertz.
I'dn't be comfortable seeing any of these players receiving the ball in a congested midfield.
Odegaard can do that when he's fit. Eze helps a bit (at least compared to Havertz) but still loses the ball a bit too often. Saka and Trossard are an upgrade over Madueke and Martinelli. I hope we get a few more of these players back for the City game. If not, I'd put Havertz up front since he's better suited to the current long ball strategy we're using.
21 Mar 2026 19:40:46
Arsenal have been playing twice a week almost every week now. We've done well to stay in the cups and it's of course exciting to still be in contention to win as many as four trophies.
But I have to confess, this amount of football is a bit too much for me. These are exciting games and I usually watch them with great attention. I usually need a few hours afterwards to cool off and even then might not sleep as well as normally.
Then there's the issue of squad management, fatigue and player welfare. I have always thought that the fixture congestion is a problem clubs should be able to solve by building larger squads (like we did last summer) in order to cope. But bigger squads and constant rotation have a negative impact on the quality of the game (wasn't considering this until Adam Cleary talked about it on his YouTube channel) .
I would also like to see some other matches but feel like Arsenal is more than filling my football appetite right now. ?
I think this schedule is here to stay since more matches means more money. But personally I would welcome a drastic reduction in matches with open arms. I would happily scrap League Cup for prem teams, reduce Premier League to 18 or even 16 teams and reduce Champions League league phase to 5 or 6 games.
Arsenal playing only once a week would probably mean I would savour every corner kick and throw in even more :) and who knows maybe the open play football would be better as well.
Less is more for me. Anyone else feeling the same?
1.) 22 Mar 2026 08:14:42
Well said, mate, it's just too much. You see players like Rice and Timber just stretched to their absolute limit over a period of a few months. then there's no break. Straight into the next cup game, straight into the World Cup, etc.
I want to see our best players lining up, ready to play their best every week. You just don't see it anymore. I think FIFA has really cocked it up, and the players should strike.
2.) 22 Mar 2026 13:36:45
Players are played until they break down. Do we really want to see that? I'd rather give the teams proper time to work on their fitness, skills, and team play. And then, like you say, Wire, give us a proper football show where you can be at your absolute best.
15 Mar 2026 18:37:00
Congratulations to Spurs for your 3rd point in 2026. I have to admit they and Liverpool are more entertaining than us as neither of them can defend. Spurs' goal was comedy football at its finest.
If Spurs get relegated that would be very funny. However I would terribly miss them, so would hope for a swift promotion.
26 Aug 2025 17:41:34
Don't forget Mosquera Ed :)
{Ed077's Note - The list just never ends for Arsenal eh ??
28 Apr 2024 07:49:16
I think the dutch market has a lot of value in it. The level is probably better than most people realize, the big clubs aren't as able (or perhaps willing) to hold onto their best players and i think the dutch football philosophy in general suits our style very well. So my pick for midfield would be Mats Wieffer from Feyenoord. Add in Ollie Watkins and we're all set imo. I see Jesus as a utility forward who can cover both wings and striker.
01 Mar 2024 15:36:08
I think he has great potential but he needs lots of coaching to maximise it. I'd agree he's not needed here because of Martinelli.
04 May 2018 07:46:32
Why would we give the new manager/ head coach any transfer budget at all given the appointment of SM and RS?
As for the candidates who see the lack of champions league football next season as a problem, i think it's better to overlook those coaches anyway. I'd rather like a coach who plans for long term instead of one season success.
As for the salary, i don't know of any details but would imagine it's just natural the new guy wouldn't earn quite as much as Wenger since he wouldn't have as many responsibilities as Wenger had (like transfers for example) . I'm sure we can still offer competitive wages.
I would also like to point out one reason why i think we will be an attractive option for any coach, and that is the way the club has handled Wenger. We are known as a club with patience and the board won't make any rash decisions based on short term results. I personally would like to see the new coach get at least two seasons time to improve our performances (unless the first season is a total disaster) .
Okay thanks Ed, I'm really struggling to see who we could sign but luckily we'll find out soon.
29 May 2026 18:55:48
We have two or three players for each position. Gyokeres, Havertz and Jesus for ST. Martinelli and Trossard for LW. Saka and Madueke for RW. In addition to a few attacking midfielders, some of which can also play in the front line.
So, any incomings are dependent on departures. I think two senior players per position is a must, since we will probably play twice a week for most of the season again.
I like Kroupi for versatility and finishing ability (which we lack currently) . We're also lacking a young developing talent in the forward line (Dowman may end up as AM, I think) . Not sure about any other targets, to be honest. If we're going to add a 25+ player, he needs to be of a superstar quality like Kvara. Otherwise, no point in replacing what we currently have.
23 Apr 2026 10:01:18
The way I think about our attack is that we definitely need a top LW, but we may not need a top striker if our new LW complements Havertz. But if we sign both a top LW and a ST I won't be complaining either.
23 Apr 2026 04:51:37
SY, he's not a finisher. He does, however, give us great link-up and hold-up play, in addition to being excellent at pressing. Could be our Firmino if we find a compatible LW. I think Saka is better when Havertz plays as ST rather than Gyokeres as well.
22 Apr 2026 16:47:47
Rodrygo suffered an ACL injury recently, so I doubt he will move. I still like Havertz as CF, but we need to pair him with a goal-scoring wide forward. Off the top of my head, could Eli Kroupi Junior as LW work?
20 Apr 2026 10:17:03
For a while now, I've felt that this should be Arteta's last season here, regardless of what happens in the rest of the games.
There are different coaches for different jobs. Iraola can improve teams, working with limited resources. Pep can engineer a trophy-winning team when given enough funds.
Arteta got us back to a position from which we can challenge. To me, that's his forte. He awoke a sleeping giant. We don't need that kind of a manager anymore. We need a Pep.
Arteta at Man U would be interesting.