As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Other than Szczesny and Wilshere -who both looked great players at 18/19 I don't think there is a tremendous amount of talent on that list. Not at the top level anyway.
Looking at the biggest wastes of talent I would have to look at the players who arrived here with big reputations and having been fantastic players before joining. Arshavin, Ozil and then Podolski.
To be honest I would even include a few left-field suggestions like Adebayor - who could have been a better striker than Drogba for me if his attitude didn't stink - as more of a waste of talent than the likes of Denilson and Bendtner, who had little talent.
Is that a prediction for this season on those two?
Haha no both looked great at 18 or 19 years old.
Wilshere is finished - to be fair can’t expect a bloke who has spent 70% of his career injured to then get back to the same level.
Szczesny was a different one - his attitude was a disgrace but without having seen much of him I reckon he could still be a really good goalkeeper if his head is in the right place.
Podolski for me...He was only behind Suarez and Aguerro in 2014 as a first time finisher in the box..He was played out of position and criticised for not covering the left back. He also seemed to love The Arsenal...Arshavin suffered the same banishment to the left wing.
Arshavin for me not only banished to the bench and played out wide but played as the main striker anywhere but his best position as a number 10 behind the main striker RVP if he had of been fit constantly,would and did cause mayhem.
Got disillusioned,demotivated and unfit.Podolski similar treatment bought players and refused to play them in their best positions.
Both had rocket shots and Podolski had 19 goals in 60 appearances,AA23 23 goals in 105 appearances.
Chamakh was knocking around at the time and as a main CF 8 goals in 40 appearances
Abso-fcuking-lutely. Tbh no other candidate comes close for me cos this guy was a genius who was destroyed by the french cock, and dropping him for the semi-final against the chavs was one of the most bizarre/shocking/ridiculous decisions in world football's history
I was so angry, and the reason was that he wanted to prove we could win without him because he was suspended or cup tied for CL. and we lost the CL game anyway,
I'm going to go with Podolski & Giroud jointly as a front two.
it was a great potential partnership,p but then for some reason he just didn't fancy Pod. Pod was an exceptional finisher and Giroud is an exceptional hold up man. together, I believe they would have been lethal.
I think the ex-manager bought them and then realized the tippy tappy bollocks wouldn't work with them as they'd need balls in the channels, balls over the top and quick crosses - like uhm, normal strikers...
he wasted both their talents.
Arshavin was the first sign I think that despite our wealth as a club, that buying great players wouldn't bring the ex-manager any success.
this was later further proved with Sanchez - when he arrived he was arguably the 3rd or 3th best player in the World but we scraped two FA cups.
that's why I don't blame Kolo, Clichy, or Sagna. they saw the ex-managers ineptitude and jumped ship and none of them have ever spoken badly about the club or us the fans.
I'm going to go with Podolski & Giroud jointly as a front two.
it was a great potential partnership,p but then for some reason he just didn't fancy Pod. Pod was an exceptional finisher and Giroud is an exceptional hold up man. together, I believe they would have been lethal.
I think the ex-manager bought them and then realized the tippy tappy bollocks wouldn't work with them as they'd need balls in the channels, balls over the top and quick crosses - like uhm, normal strikers...
he wasted both their talents.
Arshavin was the first sign I think that despite our wealth as a club, that buying great players wouldn't bring the ex-manager any success.
this was later further proved with Sanchez - when he arrived he was arguably the 3rd or 3th best player in the World but we scraped two FA cups.
that's why I don't blame Kolo, Clichy, or Sagna. they saw the ex-managers ineptitude and jumped ship and none of them have ever spoken badly about the club or us the fans.
Looking at the likes of Podi, Arshevin and even Sanchez they were all in the 25-30 years old category when they came to Arsenal and no doubt told TOF to fuck off when he first suggested that they might perform well on the left or at right back or maybe even in goal. He couldn't persuade them that his bullshit was in fact genius and so he fucked them about to varying degrees. Young kids clearly were much easier to brainwash and mould.
I agree that you can't blame anybody who had the chance to get out post 2012 and did so. Being able to read the writing on the wall and acting on it is not a crime.
I agree that Wenger is massively responsibly for many players ultimately failing to live up to their talent while with us. Good calls on Podolski, Arshavin and perhaps Ozil. However I don't quite agree on Adebayor. He was as shit as Sanogo when he first arrived. It's a miracle he turned out decent in the end. Same for Alex Song who couldn't make a 5 yard pass at the time we signed him. Wenger probably deserves a bit of credit for those two improving as they did in fairness.
I reckon pound for pound, injuries and other factors aside and purely on potential/talent, Wilshere is the biggest waste of talent we've probably ever had as a football club. When he first emerged I thought we found our own Gazza. A tragic story really.
I agree that Wenger is massively responsibly for many players ultimately failing to live up to their talent while with us. Good calls on Podolski, Arshavin and perhaps Ozil. However I don't quite agree on Adebayor. He was as shit as Sanogo when he first arrived. It's a miracle he turned out decent in the end. Same for Alex Song who couldn't make a 5 yard pass at the time we signed him. Wenger probably deserves a bit of credit for those two improving as they did in fairness.
I reckon pound for pound, injuries and other factors aside and purely on potential/talent, Wilshere is the biggest waste of talent we've probably ever had as a football club. When he first emerged I thought we found our own Gazza. A tragic story really.
And is still probably the only English playmaker worthy of the name, that is a shocking thought.
The Neville brothers and scholes saw off Reyes not Wenger
So did Thierry Henry, always used to give Reyes shit on the pitch if the ball didn't come his way.
Personally, I wouldn't class Reyes as a failure, he scored some pearlers (one vs chelski on his debut) and had he 1 been a bit younger, 2 settled in London he may well have been a player we talk about with the same fondness as Bobby Pires.
Upson worth a mention.Wenger sold him pretty cheaply I think and then took to the field with at least one totally shit centre back every match for 10 years or more.Upson wasn't brilliant but was probably even a better left back than Gibbs, which wasn't difficult. I used wonder about Upson when Senderos, Squillaci and so many more were doin their thing.
The Neville brothers and scholes saw off Reyes not Wenger
So did Thierry Henry, always used to give Reyes shit on the pitch if the ball didn't come his way.
Personally, I wouldn't class Reyes as a failure, he scored some pearlers (one vs chelski on his debut) and had he 1 been a bit younger, 2 settled in London he may well have been a player we talk about with the same fondness as Bobby Pires.
100% agree with that - henry was a bullying pri.ck who treated the young kid appalingly when he should have been taking him under his wing
Is manninger worth a mention ?? To me, he played a massive, massive part in our 98 double success when the pressure was on in those run in games. I have no doubt that he should have kept his place when the arrogant seaman came back, but instead wenger banished manninger to the background and the kid was never the same after
I don’t reckon Wilshere. Could have been brilliant but wouldn’t say he was a “waste” in the sense of apportioning blame - his body just couldn’t handle it.
Gnabry is a very good shout. Cannot fathom it to this day.
