Alexis Alejandro Sánchez

[GranadaJoe]

I know full well that the vast, vast majority of media rumours are absolute bullshit but some are true and I question how happy Javi Martinez is with bayern - he isn't a first choice player and has been used at centre back a lot and that don't please him, so is it possible that a proper bid from a club like ours could unsettle him to the point of asking to move ? Schweinstiger has been with bayern a long time and might like to sample life in a different country so again, if we made a genuine approach would he look to leave (especially to a club that has 3 international team-mates) for a fresh challenge ? I'm not expecting us to go out and prise ineista from barca or anything like that, but there are genuine talented players at big clubs that are obtainable for whatever reason, and we just need to go and push the issue.

I completely agree. Alexis is fantastic and will add the pace and all round attacking skills we missed last season, but we now need a player who will prevent the 6-0s and Martinez, who was my choice before he went to Bayern, would be perfect. He's big, skillful and, while not in the TA6, PV4 class, he's a dominant figure at the base of midfield. Any big upgrade on Arteta (thanks Mikel, but it's time to go) would see us genuine contenders.

[piresistible]

Behind the scenes there are reports that Arsene Wenger personally courted Sanchez while “on vacation” in Brazil for the World Cup. Liverpool had wanted Sanchez as part of a make weight in the £75m deal that saw them lose their only quality player to Barcelona. But apparently, it was the personal touch from Wenger which convinced the Chilean to dump Liverpool and pick Arsenal. Also, there was a phone call between Sanchez and Steven Gerrard which Sanchez described as “sounded like I was talking to a dolphin in a broom closet, what kind of accent is that? I need to have players around me who I can communicate with and I don’t speak marine mammal.”

Maybe I’m just riding high but I remember when Arsenal use to be told that we needed to buy players like Joe Cole and Christopher Samba in order to compete. Or how about this winter when people were seriously suggesting that Arsenal needed to buy Shane Long and Nikicia Jellyfish? That was a terrible time to be alive. Amen!

Coursey of 7amkickoff

[augie]

Let me put this out there -

1. Sanchez is a great signing no doubt, but he isn't a marquee signing like ozil was despite the fact that most on here have gone into overdrive about his signing. Regardless of how ozil has performed since, it is ridiculous to suggest that sanchez is a bigger signing than him

2. Sanchez is an "icing on the cake" signing - he could be a great signing but is not going to be backbone of a team signing in the way that TA6, PV4 and Bergkamp were. For him to be the huge success we all want him to be, we need to vital the vital components around him instead of spending another season complaining that he isn't doing all he should

A couple of questions -

1. If the transfer window closed tomorrow, would you guys be happy with the business we have done (assuming we sign debuchy as well) ? Would these signings be enough to turn us into challengers again ?

2. Will you guys be happy if we play the same system again next season and sanchez is marooned on the wing ?

By nature all football fans want their club to make top of the range signings (and us Arsenal fans have been starved of them more than most ) but I am wondering if there is a slight over-reaction to this signing Is it because we NEED big signings ? Is it because you guys believe that it is going to lead to more signings this summer ? Do ye believe that his signing is part of an overall plan ?

[Midz]

Very pleased and excited about this signing. Good luck Alexis.

[storrmin571]

questions 1 & 2 - no.

[Theoperator]

B Or how about this winter when people were seriously suggesting that Arsenal needed to buy Shane Long and Nikicia Jellyfish? That was a terrible time to be alive. Amen!

You have completely taken that out of context- it was a reply to a WUM who said "No strikers were available" in the Jan transfer window when Long Jelavich and Berbatoss all were transferred in that window thats of course ignoring the fact that other strikers may have been available if approaches had been made...

- we had NO ONE other than Giroud who actually could get the ball in the net. Bendy was cock and Sanogoal was no goal. IF Giroud had been injured who would have been our striker Sure the 3 mentioned are all pretty shit but both do actually score goals and could have been shipped on when " Wengers masterplan" came to fruition. They are far less shit that Bendy and Sanogo at the moment.

[Supagoon]

First time a South American superstar joins us, pretty unreal indeed.

THIS

the great thing is he has already done the Madrid/barca thing, he has got it out of his system.

Cesc (not SA), Suarez, people like will always be allured to go to spain, Aguero probably would have liked to have played for barca too.

SANCHEZ

[Supagoon]

Let me put this out there -

1. Sanchez is a great signing no doubt, but he isn't a marquee signing like ozil was despite the fact that most on here have gone into overdrive about his signing. Regardless of how ozil has performed since, it is ridiculous to suggest that sanchez is a bigger signing than him

2. Sanchez is an "icing on the cake" signing - he could be a great signing but is not going to be backbone of a team signing in the way that TA6, PV4 and Bergkamp were. For him to be the huge success we all want him to be, we need to vital the vital components around him instead of spending another season complaining that he isn't doing all he should

A couple of questions -

1. If the transfer window closed tomorrow, would you guys be happy with the business we have done (assuming we sign debuchy as well) ? Would these signings be enough to turn us into challengers again ?

2. Will you guys be happy if we play the same system again next season and sanchez is marooned on the wing ?

By nature all football fans want their club to make top of the range signings (and us Arsenal fans have been starved of them more than most ) but I am wondering if there is a slight over-reaction to this signing Is it because we NEED big signings ? Is it because you guys believe that it is going to lead to more signings this summer ? Do ye believe that his signing is part of an overall plan ?

Augie kinda disagree.

Ozil was the luxury signing that you get when you already have players like Sanchez, who probably could have done with more service. Ozil added creativity to a team that relatively was already creative. Also, Ozil isn't cesc, he isn't going to fight on the pitch, and demand the ball every time, he is quiet, but quietly effective. Sanchez along with Theo's return will help him no end.

Sanchez is a goal scorer, what is more is that he is actually excellent on the ball, when you compare him to the likes of Gervy, Adebayor, Eduardo, Chamakh, Giroud, he is in a whole different level. Most complete forward we've had since Henry. He will make great runs, he will occupy defenders, whether he plays through the middle or out wide. If Aguero can play central so can Sanchez, but he'll need to beef up.

I've watched Sanchez far more than Ozil when they were in spain, and I'd have gone for Sanchez 1st. Ozil had a better reputation but for me that's because Sanchez was playing in a squad packed full of attacking talent, and he still did very well there.

Strikers are a critical part of the time, as much as defenders. We had a good defence last season, but abysmal in attack, nobody was troubled by playing against Giroud. Even worse when we had no pace.

I do agree with your assessment in midfield. We need a stopper, a midfielder who can break up attacks, who is a physical presence, but good on the ball. Arteta has slowed down, and can only pass sideways. If we are to compete at OT, Stamford Bridge etc its imperative we sign a DM we have been missing since old flamini/gilberto.

Hopefully we do not get complacent defensively. We were good last season but we should still improve. We've had good teams in the past 2008 etc, only to be let down by poor organisation and poor defensive performers, Gallas + Toure pairing, Almunia, Eboue.

[piresistible]

First time a South American superstar joins us, pretty unreal indeed.

THIS

the great thing is he has already done the Madrid/barca thing, he has got it out of his system.

Cesc (not SA), Suarez, people like will always be allured to go to spain, Aguero probably would have liked to have played for barca too.

SANCHEZ

NO - an absolute NO.
Sanogo was the game changer against Hull - even their defence didnt know what to expect whe he came on... I agree he's completely pants to be a arsenal player but he offered us another dimension - like he did when he came on against liverfool

[augie]

Supagoon, can I just say that if you go back through my posts from 5 years ago you will see that I have been screaming for a powerful DM since then so we aint disagreeing at all on that point. Others have bemoaned the lack of a top class striker in the past, and whilst I have agreed with them, for me the priority has always been a top quality DM - call me old school but the engine/spine of the team has always been the centre backs and centre midfielders and you can have all the henry's, wrights and sanchez's you like, but if you are getting pushed about in the middle of the park then you are fcuked anyway

[Theoperator]

NO - an absolute NO.
Sanogo was the game changer against Hull - even their defence didnt know what to expect whe he came on... I agree he's completely pants to be a arsenal player but he offered us another dimension - like he did when he came on against liverfool

Berbatoss Jelavich and Long would have all been cup tied, we all knew what to expect with Sanogo- NO GOALS.

Anyway all in the past, we won the cup VT again, bring it on Sanchez

[northbank123]

The name Ross McCormack was even thrown about. Can't believe Fulham have paid £11m for that fat fuck.

I'm pretty sure the names Nigel Pearson and Billy Davies were also mentioned. Dark days.

[SteveO 35]

1989 - the beers are on me !



Sanchez is coming



And this my friends marks the official retirement of the "______ isn't coming"

[northbank123]

1989 - the beers are on me !



Sanchez is coming



And this my friends marks the official retirement of the "______ isn't coming"

Right, I see nobody else is taking the bait

RETIREMENT ISN'T COMING

[1989]

The name Ross McCormack was even thrown about. Can't believe Fulham have paid £11m for that fat fuck.

I'm pretty sure the names Nigel Pearson and Billy Davies were also mentioned. Dark days.

Not so long ago this was our front six:

------------------------JVP-------------------
Gervinho/Benayoun---Rosicky---------Walcott
---------------Arteta-----------Song-----------

#DarkDays