The 2015 Transfer Rumours Thread

[OneBardGooner]

What it is - basically innit braaaa !

[DB10GOONER]

Rejoice!

According to The Mirror ( ), uncle Arsene is set to alleviate our defensive woes by offering Man Utd actual cash-money for ................Chris Smalling.

Superb. I hope it's true coz he'z well gud innit.

Not "future Ingerland captain" Chris Smalling, surely??!! How would we wrestle such a defensive powerhouse and genius away from Manure? HOW??!!

Oh, hang on - they mean that Chris Smalling, the one that makes Captain Stupid Flamoney look like Albert Einstein.

[SteveO 35]

At least Augie will be pleased !

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ ... tt-4584029

Lets send more players out on loan

[SteveO 35]

We're saved....saved I tell ya

http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/07/arsenal-s ... r-4939092/

A 19 year old from Maribor - its just what we need

At least the lad already has experience of shipping six at Stamford Bridge so he'll have no problems fitting right in

ONE ARSENE WENGER......THERE'S ONLY ONE ARSENE WENGER

[augie]

Rejoice!

According to The Mirror ( ), uncle Arsene is set to alleviate our defensive woes by offering Man Utd actual cash-money for ................Chris Smalling.

Superb. I hope it's true coz he'z well gud innit.

Not "future Ingerland captain" Chris Smalling, surely??!! How would we wrestle such a defensive powerhouse and genius away from Manure? HOW??!!

Oh, hang on - they mean that Chris Smalling, the one that makes Captain Stupid Flamoney look like Albert Einstein.

I did think that somewhere inside smalling there is a good defender just waiting to be coached up, but obviously AFC would not be the club to do that anyway. For me he reads the game well, he has pace and he is not bad in the air which means that the only things that could be holding him back are a lack of concentration or a lack of bottle/confidence - the first thing can be coached out of him but if it is the latter that is holding him back then he will never be a top level player and will be destined to play around mid table clubs for the rest of his career

Re wally, can I just say that loaning him makes no sense so it will probably happen I'm not a big wally fan as you know, but even though sanchez is a huge upgrade on him I still don't understand why we bought him unless we intend selling the wally. When you have so many positions devoid of quality (DM, CB and striker), it makes no sense stock piling 3 pacy players (inc the ox) for that one spot. Selling the wally would make sense to be because we would def get more money than he is worth, but this is a guy that we gave an excessive contract to just two seasons ago so I cannot see the club selling him

[SteveO 35]

The Man U charity fund continues - Silvestre, Welbeck and Smalling. Any other cast offs for us - surprised we didn't go for Rio and Evra. Wait will RvP is 36 years old and no other top 4 club in the world wants him and we'll be back with open arms

[foxinthebox2001]

Smalling is another BFG, not world class, just adequate.

[GranadaJoe]

I, too, think there's a decent defender in Smalling. I think he suffers from the same thing that afflicted Welbeck. He knows that neither Fergie, Moyes or van Gaaaaaaaaaaal every really had confidence in him.

[QuartzGooner]

Augie

I cannot understand your reasoning to sell Walcott, that he is competing for a place against Sanchez.

Surely the idea is to play Walcott and Sanchez?

Either either side of Ozil, or with Sanchez as number 10, Walcott wide right and probably Oxlade-Chamberlain wide left.

Cazorla and Podolski provide slower and out of form options for any of the attacking midfield positions, Gnabry too though he is at present injured.

I am one who really is fed up with the lack of pace in the team and would love to see what a front four of Welbeck, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez and Walcott could produce.

[g88ner]

Agree with Quartz - Augie says Theo and Sanchez are competing for one position, but I don't think that's true.

Sanchez will surely play left or centrally, with Theo right.

[augie]

Augie

I cannot understand your reasoning to sell Walcott, that he is competing for a place against Sanchez.

Surely the idea is to play Walcott and Sanchez?

Either either side of Ozil, or with Sanchez as number 10, Walcott wide right and probably Oxlade-Chamberlain wide left.

Cazorla and Podolski provide slower and out of form options for any of the attacking midfield positions, Gnabry too though he is at present injured.

I am one who really is fed up with the lack of pace in the team and would love to see what a front four of Welbeck, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez and Walcott could produce.

Balance ???

Anyway I could go into the many reasons why I think that having sanchez + wally (and ozil & cazorla for that matter) is having similar players to play the same role and why I believe that it is a luxury move, but I have said it all before so wont bore you with it again - suffice as to say that we still have higher fundamental priorities than that one position

[QuartzGooner]

Augie

Really see things differently from you.
Aside from pace, and the ability to play wide midfield, I regard Sanchez and Walcott as quite different players.

In general, though of course there will be moments of exception:

Sanchez with power, swerve, trickery, non-stop running in short sharp bursts, quick short passing, creativity and holding onto the ball for a length of time until his lesser team mates find appropriate space.

Mainly a number 10 and wide left midfielder, who played up front more when in Italy, has played wide right whilst Walcott is injured.

Walcott as a less physical player who makes a few super fast sprints per game rather than lots of short twisting runs, hence is much more direct, looks to get in behind the full back and shoot or run fast to the line then play a cut back for someone else to shoot, likes to get rid of the ball quickly, take as few touches as possible.

Overwhelmingly a wide right midfielder, sometimes moves wide left during a game for a short space of time, and plays up front occasionally.


As for your question of balance on my front four selection - what is missing?

Ozil or Cazorla are the obvious candidates as number 10's, but Sanchez so far this season has looked much better than those two in that role.

I like Ozil's almost instant passes but he will not be ready to return until January and that is an age in football.

Cazorla has looked short of everything this season, bar that one game where he played a lot deeper.

Giroud I accept is a different option, but I can see us using him in front of three pacy attacking midfielders or in a front two with Sanchez or Welback just off him, in fact Sanchez and Walcott wide with Arteta and Ramsey central would be interesting, and I think would show up very clearly how we need to buy a new defensive midfield first choice option.

[augie]

Quartz, when I asked about balance I meant the balance of the team behind those 4 - for a team as poor defensively (and I'm not just blaming the back 4 for that) as we are, we cannot afford to play those 4 together TWO physical DMs who do nothing except sit in front of our back 4 and break up opposition attacks (and opposition players too )

[QuartzGooner]

Augie

But we lack the requisite quality of defensive midfielders anyway.
Arteta and Flamini past their best, Coquelin beyond the fringes, Hayden good for his age but injured and on the fringes.
So no matter who we selelct for the front four it is about maximising attack.

Giroud holds the ball up, but it is hardly defending from the front.
Of our attacking players I think only Sanchez offers any consistent tackling ability.

The current squad suggests attack is the best form of defence.

[augie]

Augie

But we lack the requisite quality of defensive midfielders anyway.
Arteta and Flamini past their best, Coquelin beyond the fringes, Hayden good for his age but injured and on the fringes.
So no matter who we selelct for the front four it is about maximising attack.

Giroud holds the ball up, but it is hardly defending from the front.
Of our attacking players I think only Sanchez offers any consistent tackling ability.

The current squad suggests attack is the best form of defence.

Is that you arsene ?