WALCOTT - which position is best etc?

[swimmer1]

Btw our top scorer this season (walnut) has actually only scored 3 league goals and 1 champs league goal with the others coming in the reserve's cup (otherwise known as the capital one cup)

I meant at the club overall

[Cockerill's chin]

come on... bad management?? How?

It is terrible management to allow important squad players to run down their contracts. Gazidis came in with a fanfare about re-signing existing players was Arsenal's alternative transfer policy. Since that day we have allowed Flamini, RVP, Nasri and now Theo to run their contracts down. That is not just bad management but negligence.

Theo's new contract now comes at a premium because it has been allowed to tick down. Bad management doesn't capture the extent of Gazidis and his teams gross negligence.

Theo should have been offered the 75k per week 12-18 months ago.

[Cockerill's chin]

Btw our top scorer this season (walnut) has actually only scored 3 league goals and 1 champs league goal with the others coming in the reserve's cup (otherwise known as the capital one cup)

Theo's 3 league goals and 4 assists have come from 400 mins on the pitch. That's 3 goals and 4 goals created in about 4 and a half games playing time. This is a fantastic return wouldn't you agree??

[highburyJD]

Theo should have been offered the 75k per week 12-18 months ago.

he probably was,
he would have rejected it anyway.
Would be an idiot to sign that...

this why I oh why oh why haven't we signed up x or y is nonsense
post Webster, all contracts are effectively 3 year contracts (how Hleb forced through his move)

what you're suggesting would result in every player getting a new contract EVERY OTHER YEAR
oh no, some you don't re sign - comes the reply
just players important to the first teams (Denilson & Bendtner?)
not players who don't look like making it (Flamini)

[Top Londoner]

Is it something related to what footballers pay in their income tax in this country that makes them chase a better pay packet at another club, despite not being a first team choice regular? Or am I just being cynical?

[Cockerill's chin]

All news coming out of the club is that we don't start contract negotiations until what other clubs would consider late. Bac has said his negotiations hadn't begun yet (September). The spuds manage to sign up Bale without CL football before it starts getting run down but our inept lot can't cross t's.

Why every other year? Five year contracts that are renegotiated 3 years in. Webster is notoriously difficult which is why all sides are so reluctant to go there. Hleb wanted to go, that's how he forced through his transfer. We got a good fee which covered Nasri's fee. Not too sure of your reading of that event.

How can you say Walcott would be an idiot to sign 75k per week 12-18 months ago? That is what he has been offered now when he is in the last 6 months. By your logic we must be really insulting the lad now if that would have been ridiculous 18 months ago

Are you saying offering him 75k per week is bad management as it's ridiculous to offer it now his contract has run down and he would be an idiot to even have signed it 18 months ago? I agree with the bad management bit.

[1989]

If Dein was still here this wouldn't even be an issue right now. Gazidis fucking useless wanker.

[Cockerill's chin]

augie wrote
with the others coming in the reserve's cup (otherwise known as the capital one cup)

87 Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

That meant a lot. The League cup is only shit when the spuds win it.

[highburyJD]

if I was Feo's agent I'd tell him turn down any early deal unless you're at the absolute peak of your potential form
£75k would have been a good level offer - Bale is on around 50% more than that isn't he?
They were desperate to keep him as they were losing Modders
dangerous player but ultimately his goal/assist numbers are very similar to Feo's...

[augie]

augie wrote
with the others coming in the reserve's cup (otherwise known as the capital one cup)

87 Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

That meant a lot. The League cup is only shit when the spuds win it.

Different era (happier times ) - back then the league cup meant something until clubs (and we were the main one's) decided to totally devalue the significance of winning this trophy

[mcdowell42]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... ds-newsxml

[QuartzGooner]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... ds-newsxml

Love it how McDowell has to contribute to this thread by way of a shortened link to a transfer rumour!

Old habits die hard eh?

But today's "news" that Wenger will keep Theo at the club until the end of the season regardless suggests talks are ongoing.

[I Hate Hleb]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... ds-newsxml

Love it how McDowell has to contribute to this thread by way of a shortened link to a transfer rumour!

Old habits die hard eh? .....

To paraphrase that classic axiom....

You can take the thread away from the man,
But you can't take the man away from the thread!!

[augie]

Personally if they cant agree a deal in the 4 months negotiations prior to xmas then I doubt if they will agree a deal before end of season so why keep him and allow him go for free ? Lets be honest here and say that it is only in the last few games that he has forced his way into wenger's starting 11 so it's not like he is integral to wenger's plans and that wenger needs him so much that he is willing to write off the 5-10m transfer fee Tbh I am not sure that he would even be in the starting 11 if the ox and the forehead had not of picked up injuries in recent weeks - before you start fleecing me for that comment can I just say that I certainly wouldnt start forehead in the team ever but I am talking about what goes on in wenger's head and since the season started he has consistantly shown to prefer the forehead over the wally

For what it is worth I fully expect a deal to be agreed no later that December 14th cos the club will be shitting themselves that on jan 1st some club will make him a break the bank contract that they wont be able to match and that he will sign a pre contract agreement with them

Does anybody believe that there is a possibility that walnut is thinking along those lines too ? Is it possible that he is putting excessive wage and position demands out there knowing that the club wont agree then he wont be tied down on jan 1st and will be allowed to dip his toe in the water to see what offers are out there ?
How would the fans react if the club did offer him the 10k per week deal and he still turned it down ?

[SteveO 35]

How would the fans react if the club did offer him the 10k per week deal and he still turned it down ?

Well I think most of us would expect him to turn it down........given it would be 65k less than what has already been offered