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.
northbank123 wrote:"Clear out" Vermaelen??? He may well wish to move but how good are you realistically expecting your back-up CBs to be?
Also the answer to this depends if you mean who should we clear off or who do you hope goes? Because if you're being realistic and meaning the latter you have to accept that quality replacements are not coming.
I doubt Verm would want to stay another season. I also worry about the lack of young legs at the back.
To be fair our back 4 is probably younger than United's when they set the clean sheet record in 2009 and our classic back 4 were performing at an admirable level at a similar age. I agree Vermaelen will probably want out but I wouldn't actively force him to go. Who are we going to recruit to sit on the bench every week that's better?
Personally I have no wish to see Monreal, Giroud, Sanogo, Bendtner, Miyaichi or Diaby hang around - might seem harsh to lump Giroud with those but I just don't see him as prospering in any role in a successful PL team.
I've got a lot of time for Arteta and I think after a break and getting back to fitness he can rediscover better form but if he stays he will play regularly regardless and that worries me. Rosicky I just don't see contributing much to the first team next year. If Sagna stays then with his age we need really good cover who is ready to step up and if that's the case Jenkinson doesn't cut the mustard for me. If I'm being really pragmatic if Wenger stays there is just no role for Podolski in the team. I'd rather see him go and do well elsewhere (outside England!) and more importantly allow us to get somebody who can contribute more.
Flappy A number 2 yes i mean a number 2
Giroud Slow and Shit
Podolski Slow and Lazy
Bender Lazy and shit
Arteta Slow passed his best
Diaby Dead RIP
Kalstrom Who?
Sanogo Going back to his post round
Wilshere 15 games a season
TV 5 Good once now shit
Jenkinson Fulham awaits
Medical Staff.... more injuries than every other team for about 6 seasons now
Fabianski - going anyway
Sagna - think he is going but dont mind either way
Monreal - Think he is awful
Diaby - Pointless
Arteta - Slows things down to much, Maybe ok back up but should not be the first name on the tram sheet like now
Bendtner - Going anyway
Park - probs one of the worst / strangest signings we have made in recent times, can only think it was for marketing, deffo going
Think TV5 is a ok back up defender, as someone said its hard to get a quality defender who is going to sit on the bench most weeks,
Not seen enough of Sanogo to say his Arsenal career is done, Maybe send him on loan and see how he does,
Giroud, wouldnt kick him out but deffo need a better main striker and maybe giroud as 2nd / 3rd choice
Bring in:
Backup keeper. Wouldnt spend much money on this (when do we ever) as alot more positions that need filling more
Right back, Maybe Piszczek from Dortmund, Alot of talk about the young lad from Tolouse aswell but not seen him play so no idea how good he is,
LB - I think Gibbs is ok so maybe someone young with potential to play occasionally / all the time when gibbs in injured
DM -
LM - Draxler, I think this will prob happen
Striker - Ideally 2 top quality strikers, Maybe Lukaku and then someone else a little older with more experience although i think we might struggle with who is available and who wants to actually come to us
Not many I'm bothered about us keeping to be honest.
Wonga is the primary problem as there will be at least 50 managers across Europe who could get more out of this current squad.
Player wise, I would keep Kos, BFG, Rosicky, Ozil, Walcott, Ox, Ramsey. The rest just aren't worth worrying about and vary from being outright shit to decent players who just don't fit in (Giroud = shit, Cazorla = decent but not in this team).
Until Wenger goes nothing will change at the club or with the way we play, so we need to be careful not to throw out the baby along with the bathwater.
There are the obvious candidates who simply aren’t good enough, crocked or already are on their way, the likes of Sagna, Sanogo, Vermaelen, Bendtner, Wilshire, Diaby, etc.
Then there are those who aren’t good enough to be first choice, the likes of Giroud, Rosicky, Jenkinson, but could possibly do a job as squad players and so could be worth another season under a new manager.
Then there are those who are proven quality players, who I believe would be revitalised under a new manager with tactical nous and more versatile approach to each game, the likes of Santi, and Podolski and tbh most of the rest of the squad.
The thing is we have been shedding quality and not replacing them to a point we have nothing that the big boys actually want except Wilshere and the Ox who both have had more than their fair share their injury problems .
The fact that Sagna will walk with bendy ,dijourou,flappy only means 1 first team starter needs replacing but it weakens the allready thin squad .
Sagna was touted as a fill in center half after he played there during the asian tour which featured small opposition not the monsters in the PL just so we could recoup some of the 60 k a week in wages by loaning out dijourou who has allready committed his future to the fatherland.
Diaby still has a year of his 60 k a week contract to go so he wont be replaced nor feature for a full season ever again ,I dont blame him but I do question why we kept him !
Regardless of finishing 4th or winning the cup we need a lot of players just to stand still but if we dont win the cup or finish fourth we will buy nobody and decline further.
I'm really hoping that we actually win the Cup so that Wenger can quit on a high,if not I can see him hanging on the squad weaker again and the whole thing crashing come Christmas !
But only if we also get rid of Gooner Ed and Mike Francis and bring in a managerial team that won't asterisk the beautiful gift that is the word "cúnt"
] So you'd honestly be fine with Aaron Ramsey leaving?
To be honest with you I forgot the very end of last season and the first half of the season where he has had 10 or so ok games and a similar amount of outstanding ones before succoming to injury again !
I like Ramsey but I had written him off as bieng one that may never ever recover fully from his horrific injury !
I hope im wrong but it wouldnt kill me if he went !
But only if we also get rid of Gooner Ed and Mike Francis and bring in a managerial team that won't asterisk the beautiful gift that is the word "cúnt"