Arsenal

I've been extremely irate the last few weeks as I had heard all the bragging about finances and then watched so many targets slip away because we want to be stingy. We like to pretend we're a big club, yet Tottenham, who does not have the financial turnover we have, has broken our transfer record twice this offseason, vastly improving their team. I believe they now have a better team than we do, which is sad.

To add to that, we have sold all our fringe players so we have no cover for when our players inevitably get injured as they do every single year. Vermaelen, Arteta, and Ox are now all out for a bit. Diaby is pretty much permanently recovering. We really have very little to replace them.

The most annoying part is that, for years, Wenger wants to talk as if the fans are retarded and do not know a thing about the sport. Like when he comes out and says "who do I spend it on?" as if there isn't a single player in the world that he could buy who would improve the team. GTFO. There are plenty available, especially if you did business much earlier. For the money he is offering that piece of shit Suarez, he could have damn near gotten Cavani or even Falcao. The problem is, he wants to wait until the last day of the transfer window so that we can get off to as terrible start as possible and the new signings can have zero chance of gelling before they play. It's the same thing every year which gets us in the same trouble every year and he never fucking learns. Fuck, Julio Cesar is available on the cheap. Improvement. Sakho is supposedly available on the cheap, improvement and depth. Willian is looking to leave. Improvement. Lacina Traore could also be available and he is a rare talent. You don't often find 6'8" strikers with good feet and speed like him and with our new style of crossing a lot, he would be great for it. Wanyama and Capoue would have been great for us but again, wait too long and they sign for Southampton and Tottenham respectively. Neither were for ungodly transfer fees. Go in and snap up Kurt Zouma before someone else beats you to it.

He also said that with this current squad, we could challenge because last year we were over the 70 points mark and anyone over the 70 points mark is challenging. We lost by 16 fucking points. 16!!!!!! Not even close to challenging. Don't tell me that bullshit.

We go in for Cabaye now and he is not really what we need. We have about 5 players that can play his role. The only player I would want to see in that style of a role come in is Hamsik and that is just because he has fire and desire. Him and Wilshere would be a great combo. I would much rather have Kodogbia because of his physical presence. His release clause is not an ungodly fee (20 mil euros) so snap him up before somebody beats you to it. Bender would be an improvement as well.

Again, there are many people available who would really improve the team. Wenger needs to STFU and quit hoarding cash. It is a football club, not a business. Fans do not come to games because they want to see you get richer, they come because they want to see their team win some damn trophies.

It drives me crazy how he still expects to buy players for 2006 market price. It's not 2006 anymore. Since Kaka and Ronaldo went to Madrid, every price is going up. He has to be able to adapt to the market. He also sells players for 2006 market price. He also sells players to rivals like an idiot. Now he is finding out that other teams are smarter and are not going to sell their best players to him. He basically looks like a fool now. Because of the hoarding of cash and selling of big players, we now cannot attract the same caliber of players. We have Gustavo choosing a team who finished 11th in the Bundesliga over our team who is in the Champion's League qualifiers (but will struggle to actually qualify as it stands).

It's frustrating to see so many players linked with us and to see how close we are to signing all of them and then boom, someone else signs them because we want to be cheap. We have missed out on some fantastic players that way who would have more than doubled our profit in the long run. Ronaldo, Bale, Modric to name a few (the last two to our smaller rivals because they actually have testicles). Just grow some balls Wenger or be honest and say you are a pussy.

Todays commentator....

"Tottenham spent all the money, Arsenal scored the goal"

Lmaoooooooooooo

Well said Michael Woodward . Die hard gooner here, need to check in with this thread more often even though I don't play fifa on site anymore.

I, for one, love the idea of getting Ozil. He's world class, and you can't spend enough on a player of his quality. If we fail to secure Demba Ba, a goalkeeper, or a solid center back, I'll be a bit perplexed though. I know Giroud is on a tear, but I'm not sure he's good enough to be "the guy" at target for a full season. While I don't think you can pass on a player like Ozil, I just see bigger holes elsewhere.

What do we do with all these midfielders now? Ramsey has been in great form, Santi is Santi, and I still believe in Jack being the future of this team.

Yeah, I would love to see Ozil. Giroud better score 40 goals with all those creative players passing it his way. I'm getting a bit worried that Man United is going to hijack the deal because Ozil is supposedly publicly keen on joining Man United and stalling the deal in hopes he will be able to. With the Ander Herrera deal falling through, I'm getting a bit worried we will lose out on another guy after getting so excited.

We got the keeper with Viviano. He has ability, hopefully he will show it at Arsenal.

I agree we had more pressing concerns with defense but I think part of the reason Wenger thinned the squad is so he has less pressure to give other's playing time so he can keep a small squad happy while still marching out a great team. It's just worrisome with the injury issues. Sagna has been playing well at CB though so I think he feels fine with not having an extra player to have to worry about playing and just having Sagna come in if it's needed.

I think Giroud will be just fine as long as he keeps his confidence. I think that was his problem last year. Every goal will give him more confidence though so I think he could score close to 30 this year barring an injury which makes him lose confidence. You can't understate his other attributes though. Even if he isn't always scoring, his hold up play, target man ability for long balls, and work rate have been superb and vital in the wins. I'd still like to see Lacina be bought just to strike fear in opposing defenders if you put both of them in at once. Also, the link with Abel Hernandez was one I liked because he's a very good, young player and he plays for a team that was relegated which means he should be available for cheap but I have heard nothing about that today. I have only heard Ba. So it doesn't seem likely.

As far as Cazorla and Ramsey, Cazorla has been playing out wide with the freedom to roam in the latest games. I think the person who will have to make room is Rosicky. He has been quality but at his age, he doesn't have much time left. I have heard that he is the most gifted guy on the team, but I'd rather piss a guy off who is close to retirement and injury prone than hinder development of starlets and also piss them off.

It doesn't sound like we have much more in the offing other than Vivano and Ozil. Hopefully we will be surprised last minute with a few more and that Ozil will finally sign the contract.

PS I would have loved if we snuck in and offered a wod of cash for Leighton Baines and stole him from United. One analyst said that statistically, no one creates more chances in English football than Baines. Imagine him, Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey, Wilshere all in creating chances for Walcott and Giroud. Good gosh. That would really make a statement though if we signed someone that Man U couldn't.

Ozil official

I'm really, really high on Baines as well.

Man United's business has been:


As long as we can stay focused and healthy throughout the year, we will be very dangerous.

Should be interesting.. Loved watching them this past sunday!!

Do not really care about this move. Need something to happen. Man U has not looked like they should of. Missing Sir Alex Ferguson already....

Not to mention he had a release clause earlier for less that they let expire only to panic buy for more later. I didn't forget that they won the league by 11 points with the same team but if you are banking on that, you are forgetting that Alex Ferguson is a once in a generation manager and Moyes is not the manager that he is. Sir Alex probably earned those 11 points with his genius.

Of course it won't help. It's poor business that you could have signed him for much cheaper earlier but waited until the last second and ended up paying well more. And yes, Baines is way more important than Fellaini.

Baines really? 27 mil and you would be ok with that? Fuuuck that. Baines will never play over Pat. No way in fuck would anyone pay that for a backup.

United this summer may have looked bad. Well..... who am I shutting, they embarrassed themselves today. However, for all the horrible that was done, it wasnt all bad. Kept Wazza, kept Nani, got Wilf, and got a very average but useful CM. That to a team that won by double digits. I'll take it.

As for Arse. I have not hated you lot for a while. Not since you stopped being a serious title threat. But today I can proudly say again. I hate you. You have purchased the most under appreciated player in the world. He is that good. So good on you, now, I'll hate you less when you blow some lead to a shit team at home or something tho...... And all will be normal....

I don't know that he would sit. Evra is now 32 which is widely regarded as the age where you start to lose your physical attributes. Evra did not play too fantastically vs Liverpool. As I said earlier, nobody creates more chances in England than Leighton Baines. There is a reason they tried signing him and then tried loaning Coentrao. And again, the team won by double digits because of Sir Alex, which you no longer have. It's going to be a lot closer this time.

We can agree to disagree then. Not saying Baines is bad. He is ok. But Baines would never move Pat out. And last season Pat was Fantastic. And that price for a player to come in as a sub ain't worth it not to mention Baines ain't too young either. Baines is damn near 30 himself. And Conentrao also plays DM. That's what the loan was about. But they fucked that up too. Lol

Again, not sure what part you aren't understanding but Baines created the most goal scoring chances in the entire Premier League hahaha.....And that's with Jelavic....Think if he's crossing to someone like RVP. Yes Baines isn't young but he's several years younger than Evra, who again, is going to start to lose a step. Of course he was good last year but again, another year older at the age where speed starts to drop.

I have never seen Coentrao play DM and I highly doubt they would go after a LB in Baines and a LB in Coentrao to play Coentrao at DM when they could just sign a full time DM and when they just signed Fellaini. Your logic doesn't make sense. I understand if you are a big fan of Evra and that is fine, Evra is great. But clearly, someone sees something that makes them want a replacement there with starter quality. If they wanted a back up, they would have just kept Buttner hoping that Evra would stay healthy like last year.

Long responses are not necessary for this debate. Its quite simple. Baines is not NEEDED FOR THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. Baines is very good yes. But Baines last season was only slightly better then Pat. Both had 5 goals and 5 assist. And the defending was just about equal. 27 Mil. Too much for not enough difference. Fabio, Blackett, Buttner for me can do the job this season giving Pat games off.

And Coentrao started his career in the midfield. Has played there lots. Its clear that Uniteds needs were CM CM and CM. Its also much more clear that United had no fucking clue what they were doing this summer. So what that weak ass loan move was i have no clue.

Leighton Baines - class, class, class.

Wonder goals by Baines today. Great player. Sucks for him that Gibbo is going to surpass him for England's LB after Ca$hley

Manchester United looks like they will be having a long season!!! Can we get Alex Ferguson back yet???

Or you could start a ManU thread for all the whiny bandwagon united fans around here This thread is for us proud Gunner fans only

Oh well...... Not any bandwagoners here..Been a fan since I was a squirt..

Thoughts on the Napoli match? Going to be a real tough one.