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.
Percy Dalton wrote:As you all know I am anything but pro-Wenger but lots of us seem to be forgetting the signings pre-Old Trafford.
Gervinho and Chamberlain seem very good buys although we still have no idea how Jenkinson fits into the mater plan.
I was never expecting the so called marquee signing but I do think the players that have come in can add to the squad and at least there is some genuine experience there!
Fully supportive of the mertesacker and arteta dealings but would you not agree that classing oxtail as a very good signing is a bit premature ? A few years ago theo's signing was heralded as outstanding business but now even those that defend theo acknowledge that he hasnt yet hit the expected highs
Not sure how people can claim Benayoun as a 'Chelsea reject'? He didn't play last year due to his injury. Before that at Liverpool he was a pretty good attacking player, who with Torres nearly won Liverpool the league.
Stop comparing Fab with Arteta, the boys on a different level to pretty much everyone in the world bar those he plays with at Barca.
The funny thing people hailing Ashley Young when a lot of us were slating him earlier this summer.
Wenger pulled something out of the bag these last few days, I'm convinced he'll dip in the window in January.
Percy Dalton wrote:As you all know I am anything but pro-Wenger but lots of us seem to be forgetting the signings pre-Old Trafford.
Gervinho and Chamberlain seem very good buys although we still have no idea how Jenkinson fits into the mater plan.
I was never expecting the so called marquee signing but I do think the players that have come in can add to the squad and at least there is some genuine experience there!
Fully supportive of the mertesacker and arteta dealings but would you not agree that classing oxtail as a very good signing is a bit premature ? A few years ago theo's signing was heralded as outstanding business but now even those that defend theo acknowledge that he hasnt yet hit the expected highs
My brother has a mate who is a Southampton season ticket holder, i saw him last weekend and asked him about Oxtale Chamberpot he said he was fairly good and was worth about £4-5 million max he couldnt believe and actually pissed himself laughing that we payed £12 mil for him
Last season was our best chance of winning the league; this season Man city and United look very very strong.
I dont even think Cahill, Hazard, M'vila, Benzema would have made a world of difference.
But importantly, would this squad bit Liverpool into the 4th place, then yes.
Not entirely happy with the signing, but at least its something.
DB10GOONER wrote:Happy with the signing of Mertesacker and Arteta because both are good players. Don't know much about Santos and Chu Chu. And Benayoun is a bit of a gamble - might turn out brilliant, might be a bit meh...
So yeah I'm happy that we are stronger today than we were this time yesterday but there is still that nagging thing of why did we have to do so much panic buying on the last day? Why didn't Wenger identify his targets in March/April and get the ball rolling in May/June and have the much needed players in place for pre-season? It's terrible mismanagement by Wenger.
I am now more confident we will achieve that 4th place spot. Not because we are now THAT much stronger but because of a combo of the fact we ARE stronger to some degree and most of the rest of the PL aren't that good. But is scrapping for 4th place good enough for a club like Arsenal? With our history, tradition and supposed wealth? I think not.
what history and tradition are you talking about mate?
We were a mid table team before Wenger made them title challengers.
Oh dear God. Call yourself an Arsenal fan? You're a clueless cock-knocker. Go crawl back up Wenger's hole you numpty.
why is babatundy calling us "arse fans"? Isn't that a silly nickname the scum gave us? you smell like a **** mate
And no I'm not happy at all with Wenger but he has had a half hearted go at rebuilding our side and I'm as pleased with him as I've been since the Arshavin signing.
BTW piresistable the year before wenger joined we finished 5th and signed Bergkamp. ask your daddy about Anfield '89 you *word censored*
Last edited by Henry Norris 1913 on Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
rigsby wrote:Think this signals Theo will be our striker.
Not sure how people can claim Benayoun as a 'Chelsea reject'? He didn't play last year due to his injury. Before that at Liverpool he was a pretty good attacking player, who with Torres nearly won Liverpool the league.
Stop comparing Fab with Arteta, the boys on a different level to pretty much everyone in the world bar those he plays with at Barca.
The funny thing people hailing Ashley Young when a lot of us were slating him earlier this summer.
Wenger pulled something out of the bag these last few days, I'm convinced he'll dip in the window in January.
The guy was moved out, albeit on loan, cos he wasnt gonna make their 25 man squad - that for me makes him a chav reject People can defend his lack of appearances last season as an injury thing but the bottom line is that they did not want him at their club in the future and were willing to let him go to one of their perceived rivals (us or the scousers) which tells me everything. That last season with the scousers for him was very similar to nasri's with us last season - he played out of his skin for the last couple of months when it was obvious he was on his way out but was shit for most of the early part of the season.
Percy Dalton wrote:As you all know I am anything but pro-Wenger but lots of us seem to be forgetting the signings pre-Old Trafford.
Gervinho and Chamberlain seem very good buys although we still have no idea how Jenkinson fits into the mater plan.
I was never expecting the so called marquee signing but I do think the players that have come in can add to the squad and at least there is some genuine experience there!
I think that would have been fine had we not started the season in such a ridiculous fashion.
I couldn't imagine that we'd have been fighting for the top spot this year but the guys who have come in coupled with Cesc and Nasri staying, I'd have felt the club were putting in a solid effort at giving us the best possible chance without crippling the club financially.
As it stands adding to the depleted squad, bringing in that bit of experience I don't think is going to be enough to seal the minimum, 4th.
Add in that two of the signings have had massive injuries over the last few seasons and it just makes that feeling worse.
I'm quite pleased with that because I was convinced we wouldn't sign anyone! We're not there yet but at least we'll be able to compete for Europe and hopefully go on a decent cup run or two!
Think of the Invincibles. When Wenger brought in Pires, Ljungberg, Kanu, Wiltord, they were all in the same boat... players who had proven themselves in "lesser" leagues, and for their nations, but were now asked to step up to the big time. Not that Germany is "lesser", and Arteta has EPL experience, but they are/were not stars by any stretch... it was playing within AW's system that turned them into Highbury heroes. I just hope he sees in the new guys what he saw in the others
Augie, I'm not saying he'll be the saviour or anything, but over the years he's looked a fairly decent player. I don't expect him to be first choice, but if we're struggling and need a goal he's the type of player who in the past had a knack of getting a late goal or making something happen.
Time will tell on him. Maybe the manager at Chelsea just doesn't want him, wants his own players. Ancelotti signed him and I rate him highly as a manager. Its all about opinion though. Lets hope he's great and we're all going mad that Chelsea have recalled him next summer!
