Arsenal Thread

[supergrass]

The writing may have been on the wall when it said he took over the mantle of Gilles Grimandi's #18 shirt.

I willingly admit that I definitely bought into Cygan being a great player when he joined. If most Arsenal fans are honest I think we all did at the time. It still puzzles me how players can fluctuate like that. I know confidence and form can come and go but it's baffling how players like Cygan or more recently Senderos can look like two different players.

Part of our problem might be that Wenger doesn't really seem to know the reasons either. This year we're doing well in Europe and bad in the league, it's the opposite to what we usually do but I don't think it's by design - nobody could really say why it's happening. Where as at the moment someone like Mourinho seems to see a problem, make a sub or a tactical switch and solve it. That's not to compare the two, obviously Arsenal/Wenger and Chelsea/Mourinho are in different positions in regards to funds and resources. But still, we should have some idea why things aren't working and why they didn't last year.

Edited January 4, 2006 by supergrass

[TheArsenal]

I think half the problem with Arsenal is that we still only have a good team.

Chelsea have a good squad.

We can put out a good team, but after the first 11, there's really no players who can match their first-team counterparts. Van Persie doesn't match up to Henry. Clichy doesn't match up to Cole. Flamini doesn't match up to Gilberto. Cygan doesn't match up to Toure.

Chelsea can put out two or three strong, yet different sides. Ok, so we don't have 300 milion pounds, but in all the time we have been under Wenger, we are still unable to say we have anything more than a strong team. When Wenger took over he knew the old back four had a limited amount of time left, as did Seaman. Ian Wright was getting older - and our midfield was lacking quite a lot. We had the quick fixes, examples like Petit and Overmars, but then we got rid of them along with many others, without reinvesting in players who could take their places with the same immediate impact. You can't build a squad around teenagers, and while I won't quote Alan Hansen, you do need something more than a squad of 15 or more under 21's when the big games start coming.

Yes, wenger gets the good finds. Anelka for 500k. Toure for 150k. Amazing prices for players of their talents.......but he needs to learn how to spend big money. £13.5million on Wiltord is unacceptable. £10million on Hleb doesn't look like it's paying off. £10million on Jeffers, well......I'll say no more. Wenger does occasionally pull out the big cheques, but when it comes to spending 10million or more, he's only really done well twice in his 9 and a half years with us, those two being Henry and Reyes (although Reyes still has much to prove).

[supergrass]

That's something I've never really realised before. Even if you include Henry, Reyes and Hleb who Wenger has spent (marginally) big money on, he's never gone out and spent a lot to bring in anyone I would consider to be a fnished article. Henry was repositioned, Hleb isn't quite there yet, Reyes needed/needs a lot of work. That Wenger has never really bought a "big" player is worrying, though hopefully it doesn't mean he can't or wont.

Our youth policy leaves me with a bit of a dilemma though. I like being talk to other fans about how Wenger has made Champions out of largely young or unwanted cheap players. But it's become clear we now need some big players to come in and lift us. The catch being that I don't really want it to be at the expense of some of our younger players who could be stars in a year or two.

Would you rather Wenger went for a star-signing now or kept his patience with the younger players? Hopefully there's a way he can do both, but I don't see why any big player would come to Arsenal to sit on the bench behind a kid.

[TheArsenal]

We need a big player soon. Someone who can come in an anchor the team.

We all know Vieira is one in a million and we're not gonna get someone like him, but Campbell is no longer the rock he used to be. We need a character like that. A leader. Henry is a great captain, an inspirational player, but he isn't that bullish character like Campbell, Vieira, Adams, etc.

[TMM]

At this moment in time, Wenger needs to go out and buy an established player who is pretty much the finished article. Defender, midfielder, striker or goalkeeper, anywhere, any player but a finished article for once. Lehmann was just past his best, and he's probably the closest we've come to signing a player at the top of his game when we bought him (in recent years), and that's a little bit of a worry.

There are players out there and we have money for one or two of them. It'd be nice and rare to see Wenger bring in a player that's at his very best when he arrives, and we don't have to wait a while to see his very best

[FLiam]

Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has insisted he will stay at the club beyond next season.

The French star, 28, was free to leave the club in the summer of 2007 and has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona at the end of this season.

"The truth is I love this club and I've made my mind up to stay," he told The Sun.

"I can say to all my fans and the people who care about me I want to lead the team out in the new stadium."

source: bbc.co.uk/sport

[supergrass]

Great news, but I'll feel a lot better about it when he's put pen to paper and signed a new deal. Things like this can easily come undone, I forget how many times the Vieira-Real Madrid deal was "done" only to fall apart.

But it could be the best news in a bad season. If we're going to get some big players we need both Wenger and Henry present to draw them in.

[TheArsenal]

Fantastic. With Vieira gone, Henry is definately the biggest name we have at the club. Without him, we will never be able to draw the bigger names in. His leaving could be the undoing of Wenger's work thus far.

That and we need him for the great player he is.

[Liam]

Since when has Mart Poom been at Arsenal?

[Guest Ringo Von Masterson]

Since the beginning of the season.

[Liam]

Loan, or did they buy him?

I always liked Poom.

[Guest Ringo Von Masterson]

On loan, mainly because Lehmann was banned from the CL and they needed a replacement if Almunia got injured.

[Guest muddatrucker27]

I'm not even sure why he bothered extending his loan?

[TheArsenal]

I'm hoping it's only because we got rid of Graham Stack. His loan was due to end in January, but Millwall had the option to buy and decided to go for it.

So I'm hoping he's signed just as cover, and I'm really hoping we don't make a permanent move in the summer when he'll be available on a free.

[Liam]

I'm hoping it's only because we got rid of Graham Stack. His loan was due to end in January, but Millwall had the option to buy and decided to go for it.

So I'm hoping he's signed just as cover, and I'm really hoping we don't make a permanent move in the summer when he'll be available on a free.

Why hope?

If he wants to be a back-up for your team, he's a reliable enough keeper, and at least it means you'll have a solid second keeper. What's to lose?

[CarlitoJay]

Why we got rid of Stuart Taylor i dont know

[TheArsenal]

I'm hoping it's only because we got rid of Graham Stack. His loan was due to end in January, but Millwall had the option to buy and decided to go for it.

So I'm hoping he's signed just as cover, and I'm really hoping we don't make a permanent move in the summer when he'll be available on a free.

Why hope?

If he wants to be a back-up for your team, he's a reliable enough keeper, and at least it means you'll have a solid second keeper. What's to lose?

[Liam]

I'm hoping it's only because we got rid of Graham Stack. His loan was due to end in January, but Millwall had the option to buy and decided to go for it.

So I'm hoping he's signed just as cover, and I'm really hoping we don't make a permanent move in the summer when he'll be available on a free.

Why hope?

If he wants to be a back-up for your team, he's a reliable enough keeper, and at least it means you'll have a solid second keeper. What's to lose?

Because we could spend our efforts looking for a good long term, first choice keeper.

Which having Poom as a back-up wouldn't stop.

[TheArsenal]

And Wigan have scored. 1-0 with ten minutes to go....

[CarlitoJay]

Not a big deal really. We played shockingly but will demolish them in the second leg.

Kerrea Gilbert impressed me tonight. One for the fytyre that boy