Are You happy with Transfer Dealings?

[Irish Gooner]

Our striking options are poor digger.

Van Persie

Chamakh - He's either finished or on the worst run of form ever

Chu - Not prolific, we know little about him and will be tired going to Korea.

Gervinho is a winger as far as I'm concerned. I really do worry for us if Van Persie gets injured.

[digger]

Hi Irish,

I reckon Chu will probably buy or rent a place in the London area so the fatigue of commuting from Korea won't be an issue.

My point was our striking options are the same (or slightly improved) over last season. You forgot to list Arshavin and Walcott who both can (and prefer) to play as strikers.

Fuck, I'm not saying we're going to win the league, but we will do at least as well as last season IMO now.

[Babatunde]

That Arsenal squad is weaker than Liverpool's because the buys were panic buys quite obviously. There was no plan because Wenger never expected an 8-2 humping at OT. That changed everything and forced him into a corner. Meanwhile, Arsenal's faint hopes of league success are already dead. More red cards than goals, just 1 point, one historic raping by ManYoo and a home schooling by an average Liverpool side.

Not good enough. But each to their own...

Is that a fact?

I obviously have no insider knowledge, but we've been linked with Mertesacker for over a year, does that mean he's still a panic buy? We sold Clichy in June, and we replaced him with an international left back. Is that a panic buy?

We have been linked with Arteta for a few years (always with the caveat "if Fabregas goes"), does that make him a panic buy (more likely just the "next best" option).
The club never planned to sell Nasri, so I'd agree Benayoun is probably a "panic" signing, but fuck it, a loan agreement is risk free.

And now the obvious rebuttal: if we'd been linked with Arteta as Cesc's natural replacement, why is he only arriving now?
We've been linked with Mertesacker for over a year you say? Last season Arsenal had a defensive crisis and Bremene were happy to sell Mertesacker back then, yet Wenger did nothing. If Mertesacker was a long-term target he was also free the previous summer - again, why has it taken until the final day of the window to sign him?

You say the club 'never planned to sell Nasri'?

This is a curious comment. Curious, because in my opinion, if a player has 2 years left on his contract, and the club offers him nothing, and then this player has the best season of his career to date and has masses of clubs interested - with just a single year left on his contract - then that club is CLEARLY planning to sell him.

You say we sold Clichy and replaced him with 'an international left back'.
Chamakh is also 'an international striker'. Labels are very misleading at times mate. And again I'll ask: why was this Brazilian left-back not immediately signed as a Clichy replacement then? Why did Arsenal find themselves in the ludicrous situation that they were having to play a wanker like Armand Traore at Old Trafford?

A more suspicious and questioning mind would claim that, maybe, Wenger never ever had a concrete plan to sign these players. This mind would also possibly assert that, in the wake of the biggest humiliation of Arsenal in league football in over 100 years; that Wenger realised he was up shit creek and did a bit of a Redknapp and just rushed into random buys without any kind of plan.

The same manager who claims 'he never planned to sell Cesc or Nasri', apparently had this transfer materplan for new players all along? And left it till the final day of the window? How does this make any sense???

[1989]

Not overly happy, but content. Warmed up to Arteta, after watching a few compilations and remembered how good he is (:lol:). We've added so much experience and passion and that's what I'm mostly pleased about. Our squad overall is better tgan last season's.

Absolutely gutted that we failed to offload the two vunts Almunia and Squillaci.

[Babatunde]

What's the obsession with striking options

We have more strikers this year than we did last year, and to my knowledge we haven't sold any significant strikers (OMG, JET ). Why not give Park and Gervinho a chance?

People also said we should have signed Chris Armstrong instead of Bergkamp back in the day

Have you yet to understand my fairly basic point of quality over quantity Digger? And if you want to know why my obsession over strikers then hmmm lemme see...I remember the seaosn we played Aliadiere-Baptista up front for ages (went well didn't it), I remember the season we relied on Arshavin as a lone front man (worked out super), I also remember relying on Chamak last season (what did we win?).

How do you work out we have more strikers this year than last year also?? Bendtner and Vela both gone on loan. Gervinho is a wide player for us, not a striker. Check. So that's three senior strikers. As opposed to four last year...but most importantly: the quality is inferior to last year's.

But by all means, I'd be happy for you to tell me that all those times I watched Choo Young scuff chances for Monaco that I was high on crack and seeing things!!!

[QuartzGooner]

Think we are same strength as last summer and will get 4th.
Just.

GOALKEEPERS

Szczesny better than Almunia, but still learning the game.


DEFENCE

Mertesacker strengthens central defence, but Sagna remains only proven full back.
We shall see if Santos can defend, or is a replacement for Arshavin on the left of midfield.

Without a new defensive coach I do not expect amazing things.


MIDFIELD

Defensive Midfield
Boosted by prodigy Dench Frimpong but how I would have loved to have seen an experienced player to guide him, such as Vertonghen or even Parker.
Song remains ok but not brilliant.

Creative Midfield?
Whilst Cesc and Nasri better skillwise than their replacements Gervinho and Arteta, the replacements should be more motivated and consistent (certainly than Nasri).

Benayoun as an attacking midfielder/second striker is a decent signing on loan, good eye for a pass and it is absurd the slating he has got on here tonight, though I see him as an impact sub rather than a starter.
Miyaichi too an impact sub learning his game.
Ramsey in poor form but hope he recovers to pre-injury form when he had a good pass on him.

ATTACK
Attack is the "Elephant in the Room."

If Robin Van Persie gets injured it will be tough.

Chamakh in terrible form.
Walcott is better than most give him credit for but largely unproven up front, even if that is where I think his future lies. Could combine well with Benayoun if RvP absent?

Afobe a promising 18 year old but unproven in the league, Park Chu Young unproven, Campbell will be on loan.

[Supagoon]

our striking options are an abominnation.

RVP thats it, injury prone RVP. Park needs to be good or we're screwed. Remember Nasri and Cesc could shoot. Wilshere,Rosicky, etc can't shoot. Arteta,Song,Frimpong, of course can't shoot.

So we may be starved of goals.

Apart from that, we need to lower our expectations, we're not a top club anymore, we get billed like one though . And that is what will cost current management next summer, because our situation isn't good enough.

I cannot imagine manner gooners are happy with what happened during, summer but at least we have a chance of limping to 4th, and attracting better players next summer.

[Babatunde]

1989 you couldn't give Almunia and Shitachi to the Red Cross if you tried mate....

[digger]

Hi Babatunde,

I'm working a night shift which means I have 6 hours where I'm unlikely to be busy, so would have ample time to reply to your post, but I can't be arsed. I'm just going to accept you have a different opinion. I hope mine is right, as although I can't stand the board or the direction the manager has taken, I'd rather we finished in the top four, rather than get relegated (as you think is likely).

[Babatunde]

Supagoon you are dead right but I disagree with you on one thing: finishing 4th next summer is the worst possible thing that could happen to Arsenal. You can guarantee that Wenger and co will use this as some sort of success and nothing will happen. I don't think the club deserves 4th place for the arrogance Wenger showed at the start of the season, it's just shocking.

I also forgot: WHERE IS THE DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER????

[jaggygooner]

sky say we have spent about £53 million this summer, if we'd spent another £20 million on a decent striker i'd have seen this summer as being positive and we'd still have made a good profit but without an out and out goal getter it looks like another season of dominating games but not finishing off games often enough cos of missed chances.......still could have been much worse, think we'll get 4th now, about as good as it gets these days

[exiledgooner]

life's too short to reply to some of the comments on here

the time to judge is the end of the season, not now before the new signings have kicked a ball

unlike some on here i can handle 6 years without a trophy. i've known longer, much longer

[digger]

sky say we have spent about £53 million this summer, if we'd spent another £20 million on a decent striker i'd have seen this summer as being positive .....

Which strikers did you have in mind?

I'll be honest, my knowledge of any league outside the premier league is limited. The reason is, most other leagues are shit. La Liga is the only one which compares for skill levels, but the level of cheating (as well as the massive Barca/Real bias on the coverage here) make it dull as fuck to watch.

I've seen too many players sign from France, Portugal, Holland or an eastern European league and go from scoring 50 goals a season to 5 goals a season.

[cdparky]

Lets just wait and see.

What he has done all summer, I'm very angry about.
What he has done in the last few days, I'm happy about.
As Bren says, Cahill and as striker in January we could improve.

My problem is, we should be buying players every window, not just once on a whim.

Hard to argue with that. Getting in one top quality player each summer over the last 3-4 years would probably have prevented the near melt-down we have had this summer, and probably avoided the utter humiliation of shipping 8 at Old Trafford. Business should have been done 2 months ago, not today.

As they are, Mertesacker looks like the type of defender we have been lacking. I know nothing of Santos. Arteta should do well, he knows the game here (though obviously is a class below Fabregas), Benayoun is a year long stop-gapbut has generally done ok in the PL. Park I know nothing about. The signings should steady the ship a bit but aren't likely to lead us back to our former glory and need to be built on in January and next Summer.

As for players remaining at the club, it still rankles with me that Rosicky, Almunia, Flappy & Diaby are sucking unmerited money from the club (and probably Denilson as well). At least we jettisoned Eboue.

[northbankbren]

Baba did you think he would sign as many players as he has?

yeah the clb have turned into money grabbing c**ts, but there isnt much we can do about it.

Yes people are pleased of course they are, arent you?

Would you have prefered we bought no one?

Its a good thing we got these players.

I see what you're saying but to answer: No. I am far from pleased.

I am far from pleased because I see a so-called (former) big club with a depth of striking options that is inferior to Bolton, West Brom, Everton, Sunderland and Villa.

Why do things have to be in extremes and absolutes? You ask 'would you prefer we bought no one'. Why does that have to be the ONLY alternative? Here's another one for you: how about instead of pocketing £25 million, Wenger actually made a serious bid for the surplus-to-requirements-at-Madrid Gonzalo Higuain? How about Wenger rocks up to Villareal and says 'here is £20 million, I would like Brazil international striker Nilmar'. You think they woulda turned that kinda money down?!

Really I think you over-rate the likes of shane long, and bolton? Who's their 20 goal a season man? Everton...we just took their creative supply man.

In the striker postition I think your missing a point, dont get me wrong I agree with you, we should have bid for another striker. I would have gone in for defoe or bent. BUT our formation is set in stone. 4-3-3 at heart that ends up being 4-5-1 as we all know. There is only place for 1 main stiker as wenger is obbsessed with the whole wing thing. Theo can play in through the middle, as can gerviniho. I know little of chu chu but wont judge till i see.

Why do things have to be in absolutes? I am saying that considering Wenger has spent over £50 million on players, there's an awful lot of question marks. That is why I will maintain what I said: I did not even want Wenger having any money to spend because when he does spend it, he blows it pointlessly.

Ppl say he is constrained by wages? Fine. I understand it might be a problem for a Galactico signing like Sneijder. But don't tell me players like Nilmar couldn't be bought. Don't tell me that creative midfielders like Gourcuff or MATA could have been signed with that excess £25 million instead of fucking BENAYOUN!!! All those signings were more than feasible but then again, money woulda had to be spent.

I am not easily pleased though you see, and I am not so desperate that Wenger's mismanagement will be overlooked by a flurry of (average) signings and a £25 mil profit.

I repeat: I find it unbelievable that with the prices some of you pay, and with the hammering we took last Sunday, and Wenger's years of incompetence, that he would be able to win you over so easily by finally PARTLY addressing things he has been overlooking for years.

He made a £25 mil profit. And we've got shit up front beyond RVP.

Still....

Again I have to say benayoun is a very good player, yes he's not a marquee signing but I guarentee, yes guarentee he contributes more than arshavin and rosicky, who I feel he's been brought in to basically replace. He is an work horse. He's been plauged by injury, which of course add questions, but your wrong if you think he isnt an improvement to what we have alreay in his position, which for us will be out wide. He'll be a squad player to start. But I feel if he stays fit will work his way into the first team.

If the like of arteta, metersacker and benayoun are panic buys, then long live the panic buy and long may it continue.

As for the rest, you want wenger out I get it