he's been playin well for the past 2 months, when we've needed him. which was my point if you even bothered to read the bulk of my post. we didn't need him in the beginning of the campaign when everyone was fit and we were unbeaten in our first 20 matches. he's doing fine. your just bitter like everyone else on here and are looking to criticize every player's performance. if your gonna pick on someone, pick on the defence, or Jens for being completely unprofessional. Oh, sorry he's not progressing the way you want him to. IMO he's fine.
How convenient for you to forget all the injuries to Chelsea and then Mancs the past two years. You play 60 games as a team, and you have a lot internationals, which means they can play another 7-10 games a year, and everyone's going to get a lot of injuries. Seems to me like you've been brainwashed by Wenger. What, you think we developed Clichy, or Cesc or Hleb or Rosicky or Gallas? We've bought all these players, you just seem to think that it is somehow more virtuous to buy them as 17 year olds than as 25 year olds. Me, when I want virtue, I'll go somewhere other than a sports team. I watch Arsenal to see games won. If I want virtue, I'll go to my church's food pantry, the neighborhood service center, watch my husband with his girls' soccer team.
true life, yo has got a point. is it going to be better if we win the EPL with 17 year olds or 25 year olds. it doesn't ********in matter to me, but we arent winnin it with teenagers, so AW you better buy at least one legit professional during the summer.
True, but you don't think we've had more than our share? Especially this year? It's certainly cheaper to by them at 17. Isn't thrift a virtue? Thanks for the sermon on gloryhunting.
I was watching the BPL Review show today when the Blackburn highlights came on, I thought about Santa Cruz and IIRC he came to Blackburn for not too much money, 4m, 5m? He's been having a good season with Blackburn I'd say and has shown to be a class player. Although there was the potential that he would have been out injured a lot due to his history, he turned out to be a great investment. Just curious, would anyone have liked to see him in an Arsenal shirt? I'd say he's similar to Ade and Bendtner in the sense that he's a good option in the air, probably better with his head than both Ade and Nick and is certainly an overall better player than Bendtner.
Yes, because everyone knows that Clichy, Cesc, Hleb, etc...were finished products when they came to us. Obviously, this is their natural progression and the influence of the manager, system, and surrounding players has nothing to do with the way in which they develop. Seriously, you have to be kidding.
In fairness, Hleb and Rosicky were pretty established players before they came to Arsenal. Hleb led the Bundesliga in assists the season before he came to Arsenal. Rosicky previously transferred to Dortmund for £18m.
keep in mind that the three others were certainly not 17 as he suggested, and in fact were over 25. Its a confusing argument to follow; im not sure anyone was ever suggesting that we developed gallas.
I didn't include Gallas for obvious reasons. Rosicky sadly hasn't been on the pitch enough to tell what he's capable of at this point...I'm assuming time with the trainer isn't helping him develop much as a player. I think we've contributed to the evolution/development of Hleb as a player. Certainly he had a generally style of play established, but I think he's become quicker in his movements and passing since arriving at Arsenal. His vision of the field seems to have improved as well...(IMO). Partly due to the pace o fthe English game no doubt, but there's a reason players come to Arsenal to hone their skills and develop themselves as players.
Latest gossip from the BBC. Arsene wants Gomes and Ben Arfa. Bayern, Juve and Milan want Flamini. Inter wants Hleb. Sperz want Modric. Liverpool wants Gareth Barry. Not much new, really. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/7347811.stm
Hleb is a wanted man too, if you believe his agent. "I'm often approached about Hleb," he is quoted in the Daily Express. "I have nothing to hide; Alexander is a world-class player. Real Madrid, Juventus and Barcelona are interested in him. But there are no official offers." http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3425251,00.html
Sounds like his agent is trying to get him out of here. I'd definately watch this space as I think if an offer comes in, he will leave. As for Flamini, if he doesn't sign by today or tomorrow we might as well start looking for a new DM. He can't still use "focusing on football" as an excuse if he has been out injured for a week.
I've got it from a friend of my sister who knows Ribery's 2nd cousin removed that we sent a scout to a Bayern game and that we'll be making a bid for him anytime now...oh and we're also looking at Podolski and Toni.
I really don't see how it's luck. Sure, you have stretches where your entire team is healthy and then ones when it feels like more are hurt, but that's just the way it goes. There's only so prepared you can be without being Chelsea. Benitez has been there for a few years and done no better with each passing year. I have no reason to believe he'll magically figure out how his rotation policy should work. I realize that other teams will improve - I just happen to think that we'll improve at a higher rate. Remember, '06 was probably the zenith of our rebuilding project. We've gotten much better since then. Arsene's been investing in the club - what were Eduardo and Sagna. They were experienced players that came in and contributed off the bat. I don't see anyone around here saying we should not bring in another player. What I'm advocating is bringing in one (perhaps 2) experienced player and trusting the rest of the team to get back on track.
In your world, I guess there is. I watch sports to see the competition, and ultimately, that is about winning. I'm a youth coach, that is about playing the game, having fun, and making friends. Professional sports are about winning. We have a team on the cusp of greatness, but we're looking thin and ragged while Man Utd and Chelsea are rounding into form with stocked deep teams. Finishing third, playing pretty football until we get tired, is not what I'm interested in seeing.
Drogba, Essien, Lampard, Terry, Cech, Cudiccini. I don't think we've been hit harder than anyone else. Eduardo's injury was certainly horrific, but should not have been as demoralizing as Cech's was last year. Thrift's a virtue if you're the Pittsburg Pirates and heading toward a record 16th straight losing campaign. Having the goal of winning the Premiership or the Champions League, well, no.
But that's not what's being suggested. What is being suggested is first and foremost more depth is needed. Secondly, more quality is needed is osme of those positions, and sometimes well, you get what you pay for really, and that's that, In some cases we have to be willing to spend more to actually strengthen a position. Helb has been here three years now. He is what he is. He is not just going to become a goal scorer now in all likelihood and you seem willing to throw away another season finding that out. If we are not on-song, especially our goal scorers Hleb is a luxury we can't afford. Meaning either let him go to Inter or improve the goal-scoring around him. The only prospect for real improved goal-scoring in the team now is VanPersie being healthy full-time. Which means we are riding our luck again. The same applies to a lesser extent with Theo whose fitness record isn't awesome, and he's not a proven goal-scorer - yet. We need a proven two-footed winger who is a goal threat and more consistent striker than Adebayor who has done a yeoman's job but is not the striker to lead a Premiership-winning side himself. At the back we need at least one commanding Aerial defender, and Djourou appears to have moved backwards and Senderos appears incapable of doing anything quality opponents(he can't even mark SAMI HYPPIA over four steps). He would be fine as fifth choice in the middle dealing with the likes of the lower half of the table teams without quality strikers. But we need a player who can deal with the aerial threat and not get lost completely when dealing with the ball on the deck. We also need cover for Traore I feel to let Clichy who was wonderful most of the year get some rest early on so he is as sharp at the business end of the season as he was from August to January. What I would say is the better teams are building from strength-to-strength, while weaker teams are strengthening weak spots. Liverpool's inconsistency was down to their discomfort with the rotation system early on. If they are more comfortable with that next year they figure to be more consistent playing that next year and thus more dangerous. And again you fall back on luck. The fact is Liverpool figure to be far stronger next year because of the investment they made this year(and will make next summer), and we could have had both Babel(Who publically stated he would be an Arsenal player - and would be had we bid for him seriously)and even ESPN was reporting Torres could "so easily have been an Arsenal player" after his goal against us. And they cost 30 million TOTAL - not per man. Barely more per man than Wiltord or Theo. If anything you should rue our luck that we were unwilling to invest in them. But these aren't all 18- and 19-year-olds these are mostly solid veterans you are referring to - players who are what they are - they aren't just going to become better goal-strikers, or more focused defenders now. Its like suggesting a player will just become taller or faster because he should. That's why some quality additions - two or three(unless Flamini is allowed to leave)at most are needed. Then add in Vela and Song on a regular basis to what is here and I agree fully with your last sentence.
I think you make some valid points, and for the most part, I agree, but it is certainly not AW's style to fill all of those needs in the transfer market unfortunately.