WHAT'S GREATEST SUMMER SIGNING PRIORITY?

[REB]

size is not important or so my mrs says anyway

[Sutch]

NEED A LEFT WINGER!

[Magic Hat]

We can spend all day on this but there's no way that he was at fault for the draw with the Mancs. The first goal deflects off Gallas the second was Walcott not tracking Evra and ball watching.

There's no way he was to blame for the Middlesborough defeat either.

Yes first goal took a deflection, still didn't look entirely convincing trying to save it. Second goal, yes Walcott didn't track back, pity Almunia decided to dash out for no reason and leave an empty net if Man U player tapped it across

Other then rushing out and putting Toure under pressure and being beaten at near post?

Yes Jens blew it in first two games while not as fit as he should have been, he also won us games this season

[tenementfunster5]

I think if we can get super Tom fit then he can be a match winner, if not we need cover. Diaby isn't a left winger by any stretch of the imagination. A goalkeeper to replace the departing Jens is also needed, but i think Manuel should keep the position for now. And poss a right back 'cos i dont hink Hoyte has progressed enough just yet.

[Goonanana]

For me, if we can only choose one, it simply has to be a left winger without a doubt. That will then give us (WCLW being world class real left winger) 4-4-2 at home or against teams like Bolton away

Almunia

Sagna Toure Gallas Clichy

Theo/Eboue/Tomas flam cesc WCLW/Hleb

RVP Adebayor/Nic B


All gravy

Away or tough games:

Same back 4, and 5 man midfield:

Theo/Eb/Tom Cesc Flam Hleb WCLC

Adebayor


That gives RvP a rest every so often so he'll get injured less

So what about injuries, sales and purchases??

If we get an injkury at:

GK - mad jens or new purchase
RB - Drop Eboue back until Hoyte improves alot or sell him
CB - Swiss Phil has proved he's alright after all
LB - Buy new player until Traore improves alot!

RM - loads of options
CM - Either have 2 in midfield or subs we have Song and Denilson
LW - hleb or WCLW in 4-4-2 or even rvp or dudu if desperate

Striker - Theo if need be, Nic B, dudu - plenty of cover there!


So in priority order:

IN:

WCLW (why didn't we get Ribery again??)
New understudy left back
New proven second choice keeper

Out:

Diaby
Traore
Gilberto
Jens will go

[26may1989]

So in priority order:

IN:

WCLW (why didn't we get Ribery again??)
New understudy left back
New proven second choice keeper

Out:

Diaby
Traore
Gilberto
Jens will go

I agree with you re left wing (I still don't understand how we let Ribery get away from us) but this left-back stuff is, in my humble opinion, kack. Traore has a few bad games and suddenly he's not going to make it?? He's 18 years old and has played about 15 games in two seasons, none of which have been in the league. Give him a break, he deserves a lot more time before he's written off. Personally, I think he'll mature into a very capable left-back, just as Clichy has done.

The priority after a winger is (with Eduardo at the very least missing until Jan/Feb 09 and RvP having chronically unreliable fitness) a striker. A top keeper would be great but ain't happening, just a back-up to good old, decent-but-not-brilliant Almunia. A centre back isn't vital now but a successor to Gallas (Micah Richards?) will be neeed in the next 1-3 years.

[Fabby is a Foot (Leg-end)]

So in priority order:

IN:

WCLW (why didn't we get Ribery again??)
New understudy left back
New proven second choice keeper

Out:

Diaby
Traore
Gilberto
Jens will go

I agree with you re left wing (I still don't understand how we let Ribery get away from us) but this left-back stuff is, in my humble opinion, kack. Traore has a few bad games and suddenly he's not going to make it?? He's 18 years old and has played about 15 games in two seasons, none of which have been in the league. Give him a break, he deserves a lot more time before he's written off. Personally, I think he'll mature into a very capable left-back, just as Clichy has done.

The priority after a winger is (with Eduardo at the very least missing until Jan/Feb 09 and RvP having chronically unreliable fitness) a striker. A top keeper would be great but ain't happening, just a back-up to good old, decent-but-not-brilliant Almunia. A centre back isn't vital now but a successor to Gallas (Micah Richards?) will be neeed in the next 1-3 years.

I completly agree - Traore has looked fairly good in all but a few games - when he is needed he will step up no worries.

[I Hate Hleb]

TRAORE HAS LOOKED DEFENSIVELY NAIVE IN THE GAMES HE HAS PLAYED - EVEN RESERVE MATCHES. HOWEVER, I REMEMBER THINKING THE SAME ABOUT CLICHY 3 YEARS OR SO BACK AND LOOK AT HIM.... ERM... SCRATCH THAT EXAMPLE!!

[Fabby is a Foot (Leg-end)]

TRAORE HAS LOOKED DEFENSIVELY NAIVE IN THE GAMES HE HAS PLAYED - EVEN RESERVE MATCHES. HOWEVER, I REMEMBER THINKING THE SAME ABOUT CLICHY 3 YEARS OR SO BACK AND LOOK AT HIM.... ERM... SCRATCH THAT EXAMPLE!!

Thats my point IHH, I agree he has looked weak and against manure and the scum he looked out of his depth, but so did Clichy and it was only really after Cashley has left we knew for sure he was able to fill the gap easily and is clearly a better player than cashley will ever be.

[I Hate Hleb]

AGREE THAT CLICHY HAS COME ON BUNDLES AND HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR BEST PLAYERS IN THE PAST TWO SEASONS. HOWEVER, HE DOES STILL NEED TO LEARN WHEN IT'S THE RIGHT TIME TO PLAY, AND WHEN YOU JUST NEED TO HOOF THE BALL OUT.

I THINK CLICHY WAS TO BLAME FOR US CONCEDING THE SECOND GOAL AGAINST BOLTON, BECAUSE HE PLAYED THE BALL TO FLAMINI - WHO WAS ON THE EDGE OF OUR BOX BUT SURROUNDED BY BOLTON PLAYERS - INSTEAD OF HOOFING IT AWAY. THAT'S ABOUT THE THIRD OR FOURTH MISTAKE HE HAS MADE THIS SEASON THAT HAVE LED DIRECTLY TO OPPOSITION GOALS.

DON'T GET ME WRONG, I LOVE THE GUY TO BITS AND WOULD RATHER HAVE HIM THAN CASHLEY!! HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL ASPECTS OF THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF HIS GAME THAT NEED WORKING ON BEFORE HE REACHES THE VERY TOP LEVEL. THE MOST BASIC OF WHICH IS 'WHEN IN DOUBT, BOOT IT OUT'!!

TRAORE ALSO SHOWS THE SAME TRAITS SO NEEDS COACHING NOW ON WHAT HE HAS TO DO ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THE ROLE - WHICH AFTER ALL, IS THE MAIN PART OF BEING A LEFT BACK.

[Fabby is a Foot (Leg-end)]

AGREE THAT CLICHY HAS COME ON BUNDLES AND HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR BEST PLAYERS IN THE PAST TWO SEASONS. HOWEVER, HE DOES STILL NEED TO LEARN WHEN IT'S THE RIGHT TIME TO PLAY, AND WHEN YOU JUST NEED TO HOOF THE BALL OUT.

I THINK CLICHY WAS TO BLAME FOR US CONCEDING THE SECOND GOAL AGAINST BOLTON, BECAUSE HE PLAYED THE BALL TO FLAMINI - WHO WAS ON THE EDGE OF OUR BOX BUT SURROUNDED BY BOLTON PLAYERS - INSTEAD OF HOOFING IT AWAY. THAT'S ABOUT THE THIRD OR FOURTH MISTAKE HE HAS MADE THIS SEASON THAT HAVE LED DIRECTLY TO OPPOSITION GOALS.

DON'T GET ME WRONG, I LOVE THE GUY TO BITS AND WOULD RATHER HAVE HIM THAN CASHLEY!! HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL ASPECTS OF THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF HIS GAME THAT NEED WORKING ON BEFORE HE REACHES THE VERY TOP LEVEL. THE MOST BASIC OF WHICH IS 'WHEN IN DOUBT, BOOT IT OUT'!!

TRAORE ALSO SHOWS THE SAME TRAITS SO NEEDS COACHING NOW ON WHAT HE HAS TO DO ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THE ROLE - WHICH AFTER ALL, IS THE MAIN PART OF BEING A LEFT BACK.

I agree that Clichy is not the finished article. I would prefer to use the Man City game and the Brum game as examples of his mistakes. Against Bolton my first feeling was Clichy was to blame, but looking at the replay actually Flamster tried to have too much time on the ball in a dangerous area, no one was giving clichy any options on the throw. In particular Hleb was static!

I was surprise Traore was not loaned out, I guess as he is the 2nd choice left back but I think a season or half a season would do him a world of good in learning match practice at this level.

But in terms of this tread I feel that this position, along with right back is prob the only positions that need no additions/changes.

[I Hate Hleb]

I AGREE ABOUT TRAORE.

GOING BACK TO THE BOLTON GOAL, THE REASON I BLAME CLICHY IS THAT HE WAS LOOKING UP THE FIELD SO COULD SEE FLAMINI WAS SURROUNDED BY OPPOSITION BODIES. THEREFORE HE SHOULD HAVE JUST THROWN THE BALL DOWN THE LINE WHICH, EVEN IF WON BY A RIVAL PLAYER, WOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM TIME TO GET BACK INTO POSITION. FLAMINI, ON THE OTHERHAND, COULDN'T SEE THE BOLTON PLAYERS CLOSING HIM DOWN AS HE HAD HIS BACK TO THEM. SO, STILL CLICHY TO BLAME AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.

WATCHING THE REPLAY OF THE MATCH AGAIN TODAY ON ARSENAL TV, IT ALSO REMINDED ME THAT CLICHY GAVE THE BALL AWAY AGAIN SLOPPILY OUTSIDE OUR BOX NEAR THE END OF THE MATCH WHEN EVERYONE WAS PUSHING UP AND WHILE IT WAS STILL 2-2. IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT DAVIES' CROSS INTO THE MIDDLE WAS SO POOR, OTHERWISE BOLTON MIGHT HAVE SNATCHED A WINNER BEFORE WE DID!

THIS IS WHAT I MEAN - OUR DEFENDERS NEED TO LEARN TO DO THE BASICS PROPERLY BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. IF YOU THINK OF THE GOALS WE HAVE CONCEDED THIS SEASON AND LAST, VERY FEW HAVE BEEN GREAT ONES THAT WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT. INDEED, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE MAJORITY HAVE BEEN DOWN TO ONE OR OTHER DEFENDERS (INCLUDING THE KEEPER) MAKING A BASIC MISTAKE OR NOT DOING THEIR JOBS PROPERLY. ONCE WE IMPROVE THAT SIDE OF OUR GAME, I'M CERTAIN THAT WE'LL PUSH ON AND BECOME EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO BEAT.

[tenementfunster5]

Players will alwayts get stick for making mistakes and giving the ball away but the way Arsenal play under Wenger enchourages them to play football and pass out of tricky situations. This can lead to brilliant goals on the counter attack but also mistakes that cost us. Its all part of the way we play. Clichy is a good defender and quality going forward and we must not restrict him like Chelski have with Cashley Hole. We can see how poor he looks when his only role is to sit and defend.

[I Hate Hleb]

You're right, but there is something in between playing the way Clichy does (which in my opinion is too risky), and the manner in which that greedy crunt Cole plays now.

It's all about decision-making and Clichy has still to learn what's the best thing to do and at what time.

[tenementfunster5]

I think he will learn that too, If not Gallas will knock some sense into him. I think our skipper is getting increasingly annoyed with the little errors.