02 Jul 2016 23:23:51
I see Lacazette is staying put
We just don't seem to have the pulling power anymore
Wenger will stick with
Giroud
Walcott
Ox
Sanchez
Campbell
Until DW returns IMO.
03 Jul 2016 00:31:01
Arsenal or WBA we win
Arsenal or Chelsea utd City we lose
Arsenal Spurs Leicester Liverpool debatable.
If your a player with ambition and opinions that's the way it is and until we actually start challenging instead of just taking part its the way it will stay.
We need to shake off our reputation of being a club with top 4 only aspirations.
03 Jul 2016 00:33:41
Disappointed we didn't sign Mkhitaryan, but was hoping we could sign Lacazette, to soften the blow.
Oh well.
As Piers Morgan said, "Utd sign Zlatan, we can't even sign Vardy".
03 Jul 2016 00:53:27
Wenger and kronke have turned this club into a wasteland and footballers with ambition will not come. Big changes needed, we don't look attractive to top players.
03 Jul 2016 07:44:23
Those changes aren't happening this year Steve, it looks same old same old I'm afraid
I don't see this ' super striker ' coming at all.
What I don't get is why buy another midfielder?
03 Jul 2016 10:02:57
I wouldn't read too much into that mate, a week ago, Mkhitaryan was 'going nowhere'.
Now he's off to Utd and Dortmund are throwing some serious bitchiness at them on social media (check out their statement regarding him leaving if you haven't Its great)
That said, I hear Lyon are incredibly difficult to deal with and I'm pretty sure ed said they'll look to inflate the price for an English club too, so it was probably a no go from the off!
Im still holding out hope for that big striker, but now I'm starting to wonder where they'll come from, I can't see us paying the massive fee's being bounced around the Internet for Lukaku or Higauin and to tell you the truth, other than Icardi (if we pull our fingers out) the potential striker market is still really bad, they're so few and far between that if you want one these days, it's a sellers market and you have to pay the premium, which, we won't.
My heart is still holding out for Arsene to do a madness and throw a blank cheque at Napoli/ BVB/ Real and get us Higuain, Auba or Morata, but my head tells me to look forward to a new defender or midfielder.
There's also my usual cynic side explaining to me how Welbeck, Wilshere and Cazorla are basically new signings.
03 Jul 2016 11:31:40
Banbury and Steve - I have said all along our business model needs to change and you keep saying the manager needs to change.
We would be screwed without Wenger. Player and real estate funds have kept our great club a float. Yes we have wasted wages on players like NB52 but overall Wenger has run a great ship on funds available and the business model he is restricted by. But he got on with it for the greater good and took his lumps and bumps from the media and fans.
Now we have better commercial deals and a better portion of money from non football activities.
The benefit of these will be coming in shortly but that doesn't mean we have always had 200m in money to spend. That would need a sugar daddy or a change in debt:equity philosophy etc
The accounts have always stated this despite what the garbage press state.
Cash position is always over stated by season ticket sales, vat due, PAYE, Corp tax, wages in the summer, other creditors.
Seriously - do you not think Wenger would not spend if the money was there? Look at his early record and player comments. We strengthened every season. Why would that change unless forced. Why would he want to loose? He's a terrible looser. Yes money was there but once spent how would it be replaced for future signings without sales
We have to accept that he did a great job with his hands tied behind his back while crazy money came to Chelsea and City. Without those clubs - how would we have done? They distort the market place and steal our targets while driving up the price if players. Eg Hazzard
The report is scary and hopefully we spend more money as we need a few players. Given that you pay for players over a period of time - hopefully we can leverage our future earnings plus utilise our cash to make us all happy. X.
03 Jul 2016 12:19:35
Good post SY but spending big and over budget this window to keep us in contention won't kill us and set us up for a few seasons, we will soon get the money back, it's difficult to get world class players with us competing in the CL wait until we are out of the top four, Chelsea and Man U will be real contenders this season, it will be a very tough test this season, maybe our toughest yet.
03 Jul 2016 13:35:22
Eds, i'm not one for censorship but since when has it been alright to say Piers Morgan now?
Filthy language.
03 Jul 2016 19:32:53
Agree banbury with a lot you are saying. Sy our manager has lost his shine and our owner is only interested in the worth of the shares. that's why we need a change. Why did we spend 30 on a midfielder when we really needed a striker or defender more.
03 Jul 2016 20:40:19
Santi at end of career, Arteta gone, Flamini gone., .
Don't we need a decent CDM?
04 Jul 2016 00:33:37
Santi not at end of career, far from it, bought elneny, coq, wilshire, ramsay, were fighting for central midfield two places with youth back up further down the line, bielik, crowley etc. Where is our 25 goal striker and our number two center back.