Arsenal

[gunnertrev]

I think with sanchez he should play 4-4-2 because girouds main strength is his hold up play and with sanchez running off him should be a serious threat ,Redgun you may not think he is worth the money but i have to disagree when you see Shaw,Lallana,Costa,Lukaka all cost 25m plus i think we have done well ,also i taught Dubuchy was one off the better right backs during the world cup maybe 12m was a little much but he is proven in the EPL and should settle quickly,i agree we need a DM as arteta and flamini will struggle again but i dont expect wenger to sign one as i think that is the role he sees for chambers in the near future so he will persist with the other two and wilshere for the time being altough i prefer the ox in a central role,also dont know why he would'nt try Vermalaen as a DM.Team i would like to see start the season would be Szczesny,debuchy,kos,mert,gibbs ozil,ramsey,wilk,cazorla,giroud,sanchez

 

[Mick]

,also dont know why he would'nt try Vermalaen as a DM.

I have been saying to my mates for ages give Vermalean a try in defensive midfield... however I feel he does not have enough discipline maybe, he is the biggest culprit for goals coming against us in the run of play... thinks he is a striker far too often!

Mick

 

[Redgun71]

you may not think he is worth the money but i have to disagree when you see Shaw,Lallana,Costa,Lukaka all cost 25m plus i think we have done well ,also i taught Dubuchy was one off the better right backs during the world cup maybe 12m was a little much but he is proven in the EPL and should settle quickly,[/URL]

Shaw & Lallana are both English, have played in the EPL for 2 or more seasons proving ability and one of Wenger favorite words consistency, Lukaku has been at Chelsea 3-4 years now but has proven himself on loan at West Brom & Everton that's why their transfer price was so high.

Costa at Atletico over the past 3 seasons has improved as a forward/striker, 1st partnering Falcao (who I think he is better than Costa) in the 2011/12 & 12/13 season and then playing up front on his own last season but supported by good attacking midfielders like Koke & Turan, but when a club is supposedly not wanting to sell their players and the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea, Madrid, Man C, Man U, Monaco or PSG are fighting each other and willing to break the bank then these transfer fees will always be high. Arsenal unlike Tottenham fold very easily when negotiating for a player, sometimes it benefits you and sometimes it don't (money changes hands and replacements can be bought early but wait until the last day of the window and then players are not available or need time to gel with the new team).

AFAIK Liverpool was the only club after Sanchez but he wanted to come to us and Barcelona wanted to recoup as much money as they could for the purchase of Suarez, just like Madrid for Ozil and Bale, that's why IMO he was sold at such a high price, Arsenal always seem desperate for a player or pay over the odds i.e. Bergkamp & Henry both had bad/average seasons at their previous club both were sold for more than the buying price.
Madrid are doing the same as last season looking to off load Khedira for 2 reasons, A) They have just bought Rodriguez from Monaco; and clubs like Arsenal aren't really put off by Khedira wages demands they don't want to pay £30 million for B) A player with 1 year on his contract. I can't see Khedira being sold for such a high price yet because there has been not many clubs showing an interest and there is still over 3 weeks before the transfer window closes.

Debuchy has only been at Newcastle for 1.5 seasons and for me nothing special either for Newcastle or France, technically better than Sagna but I would have prefer the Belgium or Dutch RB. Again we pay over the odds because we were desperate for a RB and we let it be known that we wanted Debuchy instead of Serge Aurier.

If Vermaelen stays I would prefer him as a DM rather than CH, his 1st season was great because of the goals he scored but he left Gallas exposed just like Song did to Arteta in 2011/12. Vermaelen needs games but that's not going to happen thanks to Koscieiny & BFG partnership, I personally would rather sell him to Barcelona than Man U, also if we keep Arteta, Diaby, Rosicky keep them on the bench.

ELP, Champions League & FA Cup
Szcznesy
Debuchy BFG(c) Kos Gibbs
Ramsey Flamini
Sanchez Ozil Podolski
Giroud
Subs - Ospina, Bellerin, (Callum or Vermaelen), Monreal, (Wilshere, Arteta, Diaby or Rosicky), (Walcott, Ox, Carzola or Campbell), Sanogo

League Cup
Ospina
Bellerin Callum(c) Miquel Monreal
Coquelin Diaby
Ox Wilshere Campbell
Sanogo
Subs - Martinez, Ajayi, Hayden, Ormonde-Ottewill, (Gnarby or Myachi), Zelalem, Akpom

 

[Redgun71]

Don't get me wrong I think Sanchez is a very good player, a versatile player.
For club teams he's usual position is a winger (which I believe Wenger is going to use him as), his country use him as a forward/striker.
Wenger favours 4-3-3 which in reality is 4-5-1, with Giroud up front on his own with the 2 or 3 attacking midfielders supporting him (mainly last season Ozil, Ramsey & Walcott/Carzola), he is not going to take Giroud place week in week out mainly because of his physique. Although Aguero and Suarez have similar physique Man C & Liverpool play more often than not 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1, I can't see Wenger playing that formation due to Carzola/Ozil/Podolski/Walcott defensively lacking i.e. not tracking back regularly.

There only has been 2 forwards/strikers coming close to Henry since he left, Adebayor & Van Persie.
Adebayor played in a 4-4-2 & 4-4-1-1 formation with Henry, Van Persie & Fabregas before Man C turned his head.
Adebayor was at Arsenal for 3.5 seasons, his best 2 seasons was in 2008/09 48 games 30 goals & 2009/10 37 games 16 goals.
Van Persie when fit was playing in a 4-4-1-1 with Henry or Adebayor, once Adebawhore left RVP played in a 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation in 09/10 the same season where Adebawhore stamped on RVP head, as usual RVP got injured during the season and I think was not playing for 4 or 5 months.
RVP was at Arsenal for 8 seasons, his best 3 seasons was 2008/09 44 games 20 goals, 2010/11 33 games 22 goals & 2011/12 48 games 37 goals.
I can't see Giroud or Sanchez hitting those dizzy heights unless Wenger plays 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1.
We should of won the League in 2007/08 but having a small squad and having injuries to key players was our downfall yet again, RVP was out for 2 months, then Eduardo got that broken leg at Birmingham and it all went down hill from there.

I am optimistic for this season as on paper we are a stronger team but having a World cup with us having 3 players from Germany, the season starting so soon afterwards and with the Community Shield (it is more competitive than other pre-season games) and Champions League qualifier to come, I see a good but steady start, a mid to late season drought/slump and the end of season games at home against Chelsea & away to Man U will decide where we will finish, win and we will finish anywhere in the top 3, lose and we will finish 4th.

 

[Redgun71]

My previous line manager was a big Leeds United support, always happy when there is a new start like having a honeymoon period but like any honeymoon period it doesn't last long!!!
You have been bought by millionaires unfortunately they are either asset strippers or crooks like most team owners/board members.

 

[gunnertrev]

ffs guess who's injured again.

 

[Redgun71]

ffs guess who's injured again.

Diaby or Sanogo.

 

[gunnertrev]

Diaby or Sanogo.

yep you got it Diaby

 

[hatab]

Sh*t i cant remember the amount of times over the last 45 years that i have followed Arsenal when we play a team and they have just sacked their manager and we play them the next match and loose.

The players rise to the occasion and either play for the memory of the previous manager or are trying to impress the new man.

Pulis has gone from Palace aaarrrrgggghhhhh

 

[Redgun71]

Sh*t i cant remember the amount of times over the last 45 years that i have followed Arsenal when we play a team and they have just sacked their manager and we play them the next match and loose.

The players rise to the occasion and either play for the memory of the previous manager or are trying to impress the new man.

Pulis has gone from Palace aaarrrrgggghhhhh

I've put a £5 bet that Arsenal will score 5 or more goals against Palace @9/1, I don't know what the odds were before Pulis left.

 

[gunnertrev]

Have to say that was awful,two poor performances on the trot and Besiktas will be happier having not conceded an away goal,we need 3 more in to realisticly challange this season Giroud and Sonogo will mnot score enough and we are still weak through the centre,hopefully wenger thinks the same.

 

[alimac]

very poor can see an upset coming next week

 

[Redgun71]

Wenger doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes, apart from Sanchez there no real speed/pace from us that's why we struggled last season when Walcott got injured, struggled against Palace and tonight against Besiktas. Most of the players making the wrong choice in passing, shooting and holding on to the ball too long and that is one of the reasons why we get so many injuries, I think Calum Chambers was MoM again for us, a young boy thrown into the deep end. Everyone can see we need to play the ball down the wings instead coming back inside more often, have a plan B, need a powerful/dominant central midfielder and another forward is needed.

Hopefully we will get our German players match fit ASAP, a good result against Everton on Saturday which will put us in a good place for the 2nd leg, if we play to our ability/potential we will go through to the proper Champions Leagues ties rather than think we only have to turn up to win the game.

 

[gunnertrev]

Not liking how quiet we are in this final transfer week with Giroud now looking like a long term injury we neeed to strenghten,Arteta and gibbs(again) also injured and Diaby seems to have disappeared competely,prob be around november when we see Walcott back and how we miss him.All in all we have only gained Sanchez so far as all other signings were replacements for players we sold,fabianski-ospina,chambers-vermaelan,debuchy-sagna ,the game against Everton really showed that we have not really learned from last season against the better teams ,we got lucky on saturday because Everton ran out of steam due to it being early in the season ,last season they beat us 3-0 in april when their match fitness was alot sharper,hopefully we get a couple of players in this week who can add a bit of physicality to our team.

 

[Mick]

Not liking how quiet we are in this final transfer week with Giroud now looking like a long term injury.

Well I think it could be the first time we go out of the champs league .

Only two players that are scoring one is inured lol and the other is suspended.

Fingers crossed and bum squeezed lol!!!

Mick

 

[gasman]

If your short on strikers we've a couple who are becoming surplus to requirements, Hernadez or Wellbeck, take your pick and will take that Ramsey kid off your hands.

 

[Mick]

If your short on strikers we've a couple who are becoming surplus to requirements, Hernadez or Wellbeck, take your pick and will take that Ramsey kid off your hands.

I would take either at the moment, not really my choice, but anything at the moment with walcott out as well

LOL You had your chance with Ramsey, Arsene Wenger met him personally and you guys sent Gary Neville


Mick

 

[gasman]

Could have been worse we could sent fking Phil.

Wenger must be suffering that same blindness with strikers as Ferguson suffered with center mids, and to think you could have got super Mario for £16m quid lol.

 

[Mick]

Could have been worse we could sent fking Phil.

Wenger must be suffering that same blindness with strikers as Ferguson suffered with center mids, and to think you could have got super Mario for £16m quid lol.

I was glad Wenger never signed ballotelli!

He is a deadly striker, his attitude and baggage lol is another thing!

Saying all that if he was lining up tonight I think it would be a formality!

Squeaky Bum time lol... should be good for the neutral!

Mick

 

[Mick]

Squeaky Bum time lol... should be good for the neutral!

Lol that was a good call, I need to change my underpants!!!

Bloody hell, that was nervous!

Gotta give allot of credit to besiktas they was outstanding, should've had a penalty too.

Mick