There I said it….we all know the swamp dwellers that live just down the road (thankfully just far enough to be out of nose-shot) have always been prone to spending money on failures. This summer they have cut loose like never before with Levy going wherever he is sent by AVB and Baldini and throwing around the yet to be secured cash of ape boy’s transfer fee.
They have captured the signing of many a (never known to us before July) name. Arsenal fans have been left distraught at the amount of players entering the doors of the Lane with only Flamini and Sanogo appearing at London Colney in reply.
Should we be worried? In short no. This is their last chance to secure Champions League Football before spending on their shiny new stadium commences in anger, they know in reality without Champions League Football a brand new stadium will be as useful to them as the Duck House that sits on their swamp, an expensive ornament that glistens but is empty of anything useful. Sainsbury’s will see more punters during a quiet Sunday than their new stadium will see during another glorious Europa League night against another team with more consonants than vowels from deepest Transylvania.
If we are as poor in quality as everyone says and given the lack of significant activity from most of the other clubs around us you would have to question why Levy and his management team decided to spend quite so much money. Surely they would breeze CL qualification with only a couple of additions.
So why spend so much? Because they can see our strength when no one else can they have gone all out, spending all of their gains in one summer to try and finally make this the year. But have they really improved?
Our resident rotund red headed blogger (FGG) posted a comparison the other day (even included some unconfirmed Spuds), it was hard to see what all the fuss was about:
Goalkeepers
Lloris – Szscesny
Friedel – Fabianski
2-0 Spuds
Right Backs
Walker – Sagna
Naughton – Jenks
2-0 Arsenal
Centre Backs
Dawson – Mertersacker
Vertonghen – Koscielny
Kaboul – Vermaelen
2-1 Arsenal
Left Backs
Rose – Gibbs
Assou-Ekotto – Monreal
2-0 Arsenal
Midfield
Paulinho – Arteta
Dembele – Ramsey
Eriksen – Wilshere
Capoue – Diaby
Townsend – Oxlade-Chamberlain
Sandro – Flamini
5-1 Arsenal
Forward/Attacking Midfield
Lamela – Cazorla
Lennon – Walcott
Soldado – Giroud
Sigurdsson – Rosicky
Chadli – Podolski
Defoe – Sanogo
4-2 Arsenal
(For clarity my scoring is of the pairs listed above who is better, so Cazorla better than Lamela 1-0 Arsenal, Walcott better Lennon (otherwise known as a shit Theo Walcott) 2-0 and so on)
Admittedly it would be nice to have a few of the good guys fit for tomorrow but so be it we are where we are.
But come on now Gooners long term as the season plays out do we really have to worry that much? Add a couple of good players to the squad and we will be laughing for quite a while at how much this summer cost Levy, and how they pissed their deposit for the new home up the wall on a long shot, that they could actually for once do the unthinkable and finish above us. Forever in our shadow, and now Sainsbury’s too, bless keep dreaming Spudders and don’t forget to mind the gap….you never know how quickly it’ll disappear.
Gooner in Exile
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
a ha ha ha ha GiE, I am loving it!!!
And they need a large tub of super glue to gel all those new spuds with the rest of the mash
this blog has just hit the NN. Sit belts on guys!!!
Nothing can ruin the day now! Thank you!
Good read. At last some sanity.
£100m spent and no sign of a half decent defensive full back.
Spurs have panicked like never before. This has the potential go pear shaped. Are we looking at the new Leeds Utd?
Your scoring is way off and where is Spuds latest defender in that mix?
Pitting our best against their worst is a pointless comparison.
In addition you have included Diabi, Podolski and Arteta.
Are you insane, they are all injured in which case we have kids who are not ready, Spurs have a full squad of good players.
Probably the stupidest article I have read this year.
Morning all. a few rambling thoughts in no particular order…any of the signings made by the Spuds would have improved our squad so don’t kid yourselves. They main thing, however, is the way the Spuds have done business. No faffing around and quibbling over an extra two or three million. They identified their targets and negotiated prices both parties were happy with.
We will only buy super super quality players that will improve our squad. Like Santos and Park…
Maybe it’s better we don’t spend and give the incoming manager a chance to bring in players next year.
There is myth that quality players will only join if they are guaranteed CL football. Spuds have shown this is not the case. Money talks in many languages!
Arsene has been taking a lot of flak lately. Some of our own supporters have disgracefully labelled him as far as to say ‘Senile Old and Deluded’. I can’t wait for him to prove everyone wrong and come out on top. You never know what you’re missing until its too late. Keep that in mind, supporters. In Arsene, we have a longtime loyal servant of the club who has always done the right thing despite taking all the flak. He has easier option to run to with other clubs during all this time where he’d be under much less pressure at equally or more comfortable salary. That the man is standing up for his principles despite all the clamor around him speaks more about the fickle supporters than about the great old custodian of the club. In Arsene, I’ll always trust.
Cracking post GIE.
This is exactly what I said yesterday. Levy had spend money on a good player before, VanDvart, Dempsey, Dembele to name a few.
They achieved fourth, but they can’t finish above Arsenal, even with the poorest team Wenger have ever had.
Top quality player want Champion League more than anything, thats why Arteta took a paycut to be with us. And thats the reason I will not even bothered whoever Spuds want to sign.
The reason the selling teams were happy with the prices is because they have paid a fortune!
Price tags mean nothing.It’s about the quality of the player and how they fit into the system and the league. Buying a player is always a gamble, time will tell if Spurs’ gamble pays off.
If you compare the squads with a balanced view, you wouldn’t be able to guess which club has just spent £100m! What does that tell you?
Arsen wenger & d boarm of arsenal should sign player before transfer window shotdawn,u said wen u qualifyin for cl u wil sign player, now u qualify we hav nt see any player rmainin 2days for u
Fantastic, GiE. Brightens my day.
You missed:
AVB – AW
5-0 Arsenal
Good morning to you all;
GiE’s comparison of our squad with that of Spurs is all well and good, it might even be accurate but is that the limit of our ambition? Are we content to beat Spurs into fourth place every season? Don’t we want to aim for third? Or second? Or even first?
There has been a resounding silence surrounding the Champions League draw, do we really think our squad will get us through the group stage, or are we content that we have again won the trophy of qualification?
Even without the injuries to Arteta, Podolski, Vermaelen, Oxlade-Chamberlain, I’m not even mentioning Diaby, we have the thinnest squad for years, is it really bolstered in any meaningful way by the signing of Sanogo and Flamini? Surely Wenger was joking when he refused to rule out bringing Bendtner back into the fold.
Let’s face it with two days to go we are down to our third or fourth choices of reinforcements, there is a whole list of players who we have realistically hoped to sign, only to see them either stay at their clubs or move to any club but Arsenal.
I don’t know who is to blame individually, so I must hold the club as a whole to account. The entire administration is about as much use as a one legged man in an arse kicking contest.
This is the most ridiculous article I have ever read. The ratings on Arsenal players is way, way, beyond their capabilities. Let’s face it, we have a very poor squad. I am dreading tomorrow as I think we will be humiliated as they will destroy Mertesacker as they will attack him as our weakest link, and boy is he weak.
Just reading through the posts for this week. Uni and working prevented me from indulging myself reading Arsenal Arsenal. Top top posts, very entertaining and interesting and also educational. Thanks for all the hard work!
Pumped for tommorrow’s match! 1am kickoff in Sydney.
This is hilarious! Do you really believe this? 5-1 in midfield!!!! You’ve listed players that are injured plus it looks like you rate Ramsey, Mertesacker, and Walcott. They are all a laughing stock! Enjoy your season with your new record transfer (x2) signings.
Hull doing really well in the first few minutes against Man City. Outplaying them even.
As a fan of neither I can honestly say you’re an idiot. To start an article by saying another team stinks etc is so pathetic it’s laughable and just makes you look like a child. My teams better than your team and to prove it I’ll call you names. Then I’ll score them against each other and have no basis for the scoring system other than that I like the players from my team more.
What amazes me and therefore I have left up some of the stupid comments is …..
That some of the vitriol comes from so-called Arsenal supporters.!
They use the word “we”. “We” assumes that I am part of something they are in. Which is complete B*ll*cks
Patski. Prior to calling the writer an “idiot” because of your reasoning I suggest you look at the name of this website.
As to the Spurs supporters ….. good to see some of the swamp dwellers have learned to read. I thought they just played with plasticine in the remedial class.
Morning all. Can I say well done to Rasp for his good post yesterday as I didn’t manage to get on to comment.
I like the Gist of your post GIE because it echoes my thoughts. I am not too sure we need to do a like for like comparison of our squad vs theirs as I actually really don’t care what or who they are buying. AW would say that we should only concern ourselves with our squad and not be concerned with anyone else which I largely agree with.
Our current squad is very strong but slightly injury depleted currently. It needs a couple of additions still to be a title challenging squad, but the second half of last season and our pre-season and early season form (barring the Villa blip) shows an increasingly strong and well balanced side. One of the advantages is that the core of the team is the same and are already well gelled in their understanding of their team-mates and we have not had any key players depart.
I actually think Flamini is a coup on a free and feel that a DM of his ability and experience would normally be £15m on the open market. We are reasonably well covered in defence but maybe a quality young developing CD who can play RB would be nice. After that I think we only need another 1 (maybe 2) quality attacking wide player and a quality number 9.
If Benzema (assuming Suarez, Rooney and Lewandowski are all no go-ers) is not possible, and I personally believe he is the only remaining one of what I would call the top draw strikers we could get, then maybe a punt on Torres, Ba or Michu (for you Rasp!) would be good.
I would look at Kaka also as an attacking wide left player who can cut in on his dangerous right foot, and hope for one of Di-Maria, Ozil, Draxler or Mata. If we get those deals done we will have a powerful side with key players still to come back into it as the season progresses.
If we don’t use all the £70m so what, it can go in the pot for January or next year. I believe it has been a difficult tw to get the top players because as AW pointed out you have 2 new oil backed clubs in play (just to ridicule FFP even more) snapping up some of the players we could have had a chance to get. We should only worry about what we need and not who or what Spurs have bought or spent. Our needs are different to theirs and I think Spurs needed a lot of those players but we don’t need as many. Lets just hope we get the 2-3 we still need.
The game tomorrow will be fairly even but we can still field a strong 11 with 2-3 players of quality on the bench. After that it is a bit thin granted, but I feel quietly confident for tomorrow.
I suspect once bedded in the spuds will be a strong team, they weren’t that bad last year. BUT look at Man City troubles at Cardiff and now with Hull [0-0 with 15 min left] buying big names guarantees little. I trust AW and while I want a stronger squad he knows best.
Unbelievable article.
You say that they’ve signed people no one has heard of. While you might be ignorant about players around Europe it doesn’t mean the rest of us are. By signing Lamela (who Totti called his heir) and Eriksen the scum have snapped up two of Europe’s hottest young prospects. They have spent very well.
Now I still expect us to win on Sunday because we have a team who has played together for longer but to dismiss Spurs’ spending is to justify the incompetence of our board and manager this summer. After they sell Bale they will have pretty much broken even and done exactly what we wish Arsenal had done in the past – invest money made from player sales back into the squad. Tottenscum now have a deep squad. Like us they are playing in 4 competitions. We do not have nearly enough squad depth to cope with the season we’re going to have and hence I worry that Arsenal through their negligence are going to let us and the players down.
Do you not think that Cazorla and Jack who were both overplayed last year arn’t going to face a similar burden this year. Is that not negligence from the manager. Who’s to say (fingers crossed it won’t happen) that Santi won’t get injured. Or if Giroud gets injured we have no striker apart from another signing from France who is nowhere near ready to play at PL level. Fail to prepare = prepare to fail and that is exactly what the club have done this year. I really cannot believe how many gooners are so deluded that they think Spurs haven’t done good business this summer and that all is rosy in the Gazidis/Wenger garden.
patski – you didn’t have to say you are not an Arsenal or Spurs supporter, your comment says it all – no idea how we hate each other
Great, great Post GiE
Just the ticket for the eve of a NLD.
I love it that there are idiots out there so clueless about football and Arsenal that they think the BFG, Ramsey and Theo are laughing stocks.
And I love it that that kind if ill-informed and lazy thinking means we go into the game almost as underdogs in the eyes of many.
Suits me just fine.
N17-bashing is the flavour of the day!!!! Loving this already. Keep on talking guys and gals!!!! Great fun.
Great to see some Spuds supporters and some Arsenal-bashers in as well. The vitriol actually demonstrates that AA is doing something useful and different. Unlike the journos and the whinging brigade, at the lead my public enemy no 1 Alan Hansen (free drinks to everyone the day he leaves MOTD).
Interesting to see Mark Lawrenson on BBC has predicted 2-1 to Arsenal.
Interesting article on the Beeb about transfers:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23911157
Damn my feed was wrong, City scored at 69 min ..stupid BBC.
It’s not about beating Spurs, they’re cannon fodder. Failing to beat Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea last season and only managing 2 wins against a top 7 side is the real concern..
I am not sure Barry, to me tomorrow is the most important game at home. There is more than 3 points at stake.
Did you read yesterday’s blog, it news that Levy is blocking us from buying Real’s players? How can we not hate them?
Our team’s targets should be taking down Chelsea, Man. City and Man.Utd in the EPL (while competing for the top 3 spots) and taking down Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Real Madrid in the CL (while aiming to reach the SF and beyond).
We will become “The Immortals” should we (with whatever personnel available in our squad, regardless of any new signings or not) overcome those 7 teams and make improvements from last season.
How do we post a twitter pic in the comment?
No idea Rob 😦
Evening all…..only 36 comments :(….do I need to go check the trash 😀
If anyone comes on an Arsenal blog expecting us to give Spuds a fair hand then they are the deluded ones.
Food festival was great particularly because I discovered we have a local brewer making lager…..lovely stuff. Oh and some black pudding and strawberry ham sausages were also brought home along with Algys chilli popcorn and there sweet and salty stuff too….rather lovely.
Rob, if your on twitter app you need to Copy Link to tweet, and paste that in here.
evonne love: Why do you hate Spurs? surely living where you do you must have friends who are Spurs supporters. I have family who support the spuds, they and I don’t hate each other. Sure we want to beat them and finish above them of course. But watch the news there is more than enough real hate in this world, without applying it to something as trivial as a football club and its fans.
Thanks for the post GIE
Lewis and Levy are gambling big time. Money that could have been used to add an extra floor on the Sainsbury stadium spent on a bunch of unproven players.
What will happen when Totnumb fans demand chicken tikka masala ready made and there is none? Outrage.
In a way this is Totnumbs last big gamble for quite a while. After this, all conditions dictate that all available future cash is required to stock up sainsbury shelves.
Arsene Wenger has lieteraly driven Lewis and Levy mad
For all those who knock Arsene Wenger, fair enough, its a free country. But know this. The two men most happy and eager to see the back of our French manager are Messers Lewis and Levy, make no mistake about that.
We will still finish above Totnumb. Wenger has developed a style of play and philosophy at the club that they just cannot seem to breach.
Of course, we want more. Challanging for the title is what Arsenal desire and this summers transfer activity (so far) has to say the least, been very disapointing.
We are literaly only a couple of factors away from having a side capable of matching our ambitions. A brace of players in the Suarez. Di Maria mode and the further development of our current squad, especialy the younger ones, should see us get there.
Very excited about our prospects.
“The Ghosts of the Thirties are Stirring”
Great stuff Terry
Barry:
Correct me if I am wrong. Not “Wenger don’t want to sign up any players”, but that “Wenger doesn’t want to sign up any of these players for Arsenal”. Not that AVB wants these players particularly desperately, particularly for money that they cost, but the Spuds have to be seen to be making an effort.
If they were Arsenal, they would show their effort on the field, by playing a good game. But, alas, they are Spuds! They would rather show their effort by spending money.
Spuds and AVB would much rather have retained Bale, but having failed to do that, they can think of shoving money down the gutter. We lost Cesc and AvB not that long ago, but made much more constructive rebuilding of the team. Not a bad product, this current team, eh!
But, we need a few signings nevertheless. If nothing happens, I would still be hopeful, so long as Arsene can look after our scarce resources well, until January, and hope the TW frees up a little bit by then. As the fees of bench warmers in other clubs start to bite.
Mr Exile
I was expecting worse 🙂
Thank you for getting the nib out, and of course we will win tomorrow.
Interesting array of goodies from the Food Fair, although not happy about the Strawberry Bangers. Thing is Exile, an English Gentleman likes nothing more than a great banger, and I strongly urge you to stick a sausage maker on Santa’s list for this year. Any good butcher will flog you some skins, and away you go.
Venison ,juniper and garlic, all sloshed about in some hairy red, are my pieces of resistance.
Well said Terry. Still hoping for one more signing this window. Even if not a superstar!!!! I do not see this team challenging for the EPL title, but ceratinly good enough to stay in the mix, and to reach CL QFs. Then, come January, we shall see!!!
Ditto Raddy’s “Great stuff Terry” 🙂
Come off it Arnie
” Even if not a superstar!!!!”
A superstar is the only thing missing 🙂
oooohhhh DanDan……do you really think football trivial 🙂
I don’t really hate anybody, but fond of Spurs I am not, that’s for sure, and that is only because of how they ‘hate’ Arsenal supporters. I could give endless examples of absolutely vile comments I have heard thrown our way, pure hatred.
AND if what Peaches has revealed yesterday is true, and I have no reason to doubt her, then I might make an exception and really start hating THFC.
Agree, Micky, all we need is a superstar. But not hopeful of a superstar coming our way by Monday. Di Maria doesn’t do the trick for me! Would be happy with that, though. Suarez was a good attempt, and ex post the attempt was worthwhile, even if we were not successful.
What happened to that Bernard fella?
I think he ended up at Shaktar Micky.
Bernard went to Shakhtar, dont think Arsenal put in a formal bid.
Really? How awful for the lad. Bloody freezing over there.
I dont think we really need playmakers. Michu may still be available, could be useful, I think …
Draxler looks useful, but dont think Arsene will offer more than 35. They have quoted 60.
Thanks Gie, I dont want to trouble you with that one as I’m not exactly a ‘twitterer’, but I find some comments were amusing and just want to post it here.
On transfers,
Even if we do a ‘panic buy’ again I’m okay with it, as long as we bought a decent back up to our team.
Why? Because 3 out of 5 ‘panic buy’ players workout for us. 2 of them is a definite first team starters, we got our money back for Santos and at least Park has done his role well as a 3rd choice. 🙂
Brief visit must end.
Match day tomorrow…oh yes, and the last for two weeks. Best make it a good ‘un.
Back am.
Micky….the sausage is mainly pork….the black pudding and strawberry jam are delicate.
http://www.perfickpork.co.uk/
That’s the place that produces them.
I’m loving the Norfolk Food and Drink scene these days, lots of little producers popping up or just getting stronger again thanks to social media etc. lots of new micro brewery’s, producing traditional to new fangled craft beers/lagers.
Today was the start of a month of the Norwich and Norfolk Food Festival, there’s a street food thing next week in Norwich which I’m hoping to get to, and Battle of the Bangers next Saturday
black pudding and strawberry jam?? sweet jeezus, I am going to puke …….
I’ve only just read your post, GIE, and I have to say that it’s feckin marvellous.
The swampies under ‘Arry were all “British core, that’ll see us come fourth”.
Now it’s villas-boas-constrictor buying anyone without a British passport for double their worth in a vain attempt to emerge from our shadow after the last 125 odd years in the darkness.
Loving the picture of small Norfolk food producers and micro breweries you paint. Food and beer moving away from large scale manufacture is a wonderful thing.
Mmmmm, I like the sound of venison and garlic sloshed around in hairy red, Micky. 🙂
that’s the speciality sausages you often like talking about 🙂
Are you jittery before the game?
off to bed, big day tomorrow. Good night all
Evonne…..nerves? I’ve just got three packs of cigs for tomorrow 🙂
It is indeed a very good thing Chas, the recent Let There Be Beer Campaign on TV is making me sick, sicker still when Lovejoy does a feature on his Ch4 programme about matching beers to food supported by the campaign and the two beers he takes? Cobra and Heineken, both mass produced bland gassy beers, and the adverts are just like any crappy Carling or Fosters ad campaign.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gmlPbluAIE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJnLl81-lUs
nothing again.
cannot open the links chas
Morning All,
A stressful day ahead, then kick-off. I will spend the next 7+ hours going through very possible scenario.
Thankfully there are blue skies here which means I will take out the trusty bicycle for a long tour in the country.
But a post to finish first ………
Morning all.
When was the last time we played a 0-0 draw with Spurs.
I haven’t got a clue how the game will pan out but both sides generally concede against one anotther.
We have Wenger who has spent zilch and AVB has bought 7 players, they wont all play today for sure.
This game will mean so much more to the fans than the players.
I think our team more or less picks itself but who plays left side to balance the attack .Santi seems to be favorite. just hope frimpong doesn’t come on as he is sure to be carded.
I will miss the game which usually is a good omen but for those of you going scream your lungs out the 12th man may just swing it, or is that hopeful thinking.
if we win what will Wenger say.if we lose what will the fans reaction be.
Come Surfing Raddy 🙂
Oscar and I have been every day this summer hols (almost), and the autumn swells are just around the corner. Water temp 19, which is bath-like for us.
GiE
Love the food stories, and particularly the link to your butcher. They need people like you.
Respected
Love the vids
Evonne
“nothing again”…what again? Get the extra high heels out.
Kelsey
“both sides generally concede against one another”
Is that The Doomists way of saying “both sides score in a high scoring rollercoaster of a game” 🙂
No Micky, it’s a fact 🙂
Kelsey
What will AW say if we win?
“Take that Sniffer”
Kels – I am glad you are going to miss the game 🙂 Your commitment to the AFC is formidable-
Micky – no, I need new reading glasses, in case there are some signings and I cannot see them
Radd – very sunny in North London too. I wash my car before important games, it works, sometimes 🙂
W have the qualiteee and super super players and I will only strengthen the side if the right player comes along tomorrow.
evone, last time I missed this fixture I think we were 4-1 down and won 5-4. Is your car pink ?
little story for you guys:
my new next door neighbour and I are not fond of each other to say the least. I usually win the battles (court, parking offences, recording my dogs walking across his driveway, etc etc etc).
It is pretty obvious that I am a Gunnerette (various paraphernalia in the car, my outfits, dogs collars )
One day I was getting something out of the car and could see Him standing there and watching me. I ignored him for a while but eventually had to turn round and face him,
And there he was – standing in his front door, with hands on hips, starring at me with a huge smile on his ugle face and all clad in …..yes, spurs outfit!!!
Someone must have told him that that will piss me off, so he probably borrowed it from someone.
No ROLFing in this world was enough for me!!! I had to sit down to wipe the tears and steady myself. What a total front bottom??
kelsey darling, give me credit!! Pink car pssshhhh….It is Peaches that has little hearts painted all over her Bentley.
I hope you never watch another Mighty v Scum game again!!!
The mood here is buoyant and jocular. The sun shines and a high scoring win against our neighbours awaits. All we need is a BR PM, and the Ant n’ Duck show.
Today is the day that will shape my mood for the next 2 weeks!
With a 26 weeks pregnant wife at home and enough hormones floating around to turn Thomas Vermaelen into Louis Spence’s life partner, I don’t think our house can handle a defeat!!!
This is definitely a day to hold hands, bow our heads in prayer, and ask Lord Dennis to guide our boys safely through to 3 points!
Enjoy the game everyone.
Here’s a tactical bollocks question.
I reckon AW will play Santi left with Mozart central.
I would always play them the other way around, with Theo and Mozart occasionally switching sides. Am I alone?
congrats Ginger!!! 2 more little Gunners to join George GiE soon, how looooovely 🙂
Yes, congrats FGG
Kelsey I think one advantage today is everyone in our team knows what it means to the fans….Spuds players will be trying to explain it to their new arrivals but they won’t get it til they’ve played in at least one, and if that gives us the chance to start quick then great.
Seems Arsene was very curt in a Press Conference cutting the question off before it had finished “Would you work with a dir…”
“No”
You mean this GIE
RSENAL boss Arsene Wenger has finally admitted he does have trouble coping with the transfer market.
By Tony Stenson/Published 1st September 2013
Arsene Wenger, Arsenal, spending, transfers Arsene Wenger has not spent a penny this transfer window, in comparison to rival Andre Vlllas-Boas who has spent over £100 million
He also took a side-swipe at managerial rivals who are simply buying teams, rather than producing them, saying: “Isn’t that the point of being a manager, rather than the ones who buy and sell?”
While Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas and other Premier League coaches have been out spending millions on new stars this summer, Wenger has spent nothing.
Moves for players such as Luis Suarez, Wayne Rooney and Gonzalo Higuain have ended in failure, with other clubs stepping in and offering more.
Wenger says he could never work with a director of football, unlike North London rivals Spurs, who have had Franco Baldini working on their transfer deals and earning praise from AVB.
But when asked if he took too much responsibility on his shoulders, Wenger was brutally honest, admitting finding players for the right money was a problem for him.
He told the Daily Star Sunday: “I have been in charge of Arsenal for more than 900 games but I don’t deny that the transfer market is a problem for me. I have people around me who help but the final decision has to be down to the manager.
“Isn’t being a football manager about developing a player and making him a better one? Or are we just going out and buying them now?
“During the transfer window the quality of the manager seems to just be down to who he buys and who he sells.
“My ideal squad would consist of 17 to 18 players and they would be young players. If you have too many in a squad you never have the chance to give a young player an opportunity.
“Once you have 25 senior players you can send your academy to the moon because no one will ever get the chance to play. Buying players is not as easy any more. There are more contenders and more great players
Morning all
Day off today nice to watch both games today,I’ve got my fingers crossed and my lucky pants are on .
COYRRG
Sheep
why is Stevie Mee urging Suarez not to join Arsenal?
I thought the deal was dead
Is there hope that maybe, just maybe….
I can’t see us signing anyone before tomorrow night unless they are
FREE
That’ll be the one Kelsey although I read it in The Observer.
Got me thinking who has and who hasn’t got Directors of Football and whether they’ve moved quicker.
According to the BBC, Gerrard says that if Liverpool don’t qualify for the CL this season then Suarez can leave with his head held high and go to RM, Barca or Bayern.
Wasn’t that what they told him last year?
And if Gerrard thinks that only those three clubs are a step up from Liverpool, is he mad? Arsenal may not be in those clubs’ league but we’re in the CL proper while Liverpool aren’t in Europe at all. How can Arsenal not be a step up? At least say it’s a small step up!
Morning all
Welcome to NLD day, just having a look at the post, be back in a minute 🙂
Eeeeek, nervous now 😦
……………..New Post ……………….
You actually make it seem really easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something which I feel I’d by no means understand. It seems too complicated and very wide for me. I’m taking a look ahead to your next post, I will try to get the cling of it!
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who has been conducting a little homework on this. And he actually ordered me lunch due to the fact that I discovered it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to talk about this issue here on your blog.
Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the images on this blog loading? I’m trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.