2 hours ago, Chaaay AFC said:

It's clear out current structure isn't working so why do we keep continuing with it?

Says only the fans. If the owners, board or Wenger really thought this isnt working then they would have changed something like changing the manager himself or the staff for starters. The thing is its working for them, maybe not for fans who want the club to be competing in every competition but as long as the owners are happy with the CL qualification money and an FA cup every now and then nothing is going to change. 

27 minutes ago, VanPanna said:

Sanchez rejected Barcelona last year to join Ajax. But Ajax will sell him as they know Inter Milan will come in higher, even though Ajax don't need money anymore as they are in a very healthy state, but its too much money for them to turn down.

What about players? Clearly its not only in the powers of the club to keep the players as the players themselves have something to say about it. How long will those young players stay at Ajax if they dont win anything or if they are lured with lots of money? Ajax may not need money but they cant really stop a player if he wants to move anyways for too long. If not this summer maybe the next one but eventually they wont be there too long. Same thing with Monaco I reckon. 

I have never seen that LB play before but I read on some facebook pages that he is a very good player. Hoping they are right and he indeed is a good player, Monreal still should be the number one LB as he is pretty solid most of the time and this could mean Gibbs is out which I dont mind. Still need a good CB since Kos is on the wrong side of 30 and Per is retiring, Gabriel is pretty bad IMO. Still not convinced that Wenger is really going for Mbappe.

I need atleast a day to read that and comeback (possibly) with something 

2 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Hold on a moment...  It seems I missunderstood you because I answered you in reference to promoting youth players which is what Barcelona's successful history is based on and that goes back much further than even Cruyff.  That's never been down to the board, the president or anyone other than the first team coach.

But it seems you were talking about the sale of players that should've stayed like Thiago Alcántara who was a youth product and his contract was left to run to zero.  That indeed is the board's fault, this board!  The present board Barcelona have is the most incompetent in the club's history, or at least in my living memory.  It may not be the most controversial, but it knows very little about football.  Actually I'm being harsh there...  The president and three others know little about football but whatever it is, there have been serious errors made in that sense and in the recruitment area.  The Dani Alves saga is absolutely hilarious and you can make a book in it itself.

Yeah, I meant about letting some good players go from the club, both form academy and first team. Thiago, Sandro, Munir are few examples and from what I have been reading Denis could be the next one if he doesnt get enough game time. Also letting go of Alves who was very good for them and selling Pedro and trying to replace him with Alcacer, to me this has to be the worst deal by Barcelona because Pedro is a massive loss for them and with his presence the manager could have rotated MSN much better. I dont know if it was Pedro that forced the move or if it was the board itself. Atleast Munir should have been in the team and I dont get it when some people say he is not yet at Barcelona's level, how is Alcacer at Barcelona level but not Munir, probably Im missing something. I feel they basically tried to fix something thats not broken with Alcacer when they previously had Pedro for the same role and later on Munir.

I didnt see much of Sergi Samper but isnt he supposed to be Busquet's heir? I know he is on loan somwhere but when Busquets was injured in the initial part of the season there really was no cover for him, so I dont understand why dont they have an additional player for the defensive midfielder type role who can give a break to Busquets when needed? If these things continue to happen (not giving their youth a chance) we can see more and more Thiago's leaving and proving themselves somewhere else. 

2 hours ago, SirBalon said:

In general Barcelona doesn't run like Real Madrid has done under Florentino Pérez, that first of all.

Secondly, apart from this generation of youngsters that are now being used at Real Madrid this season (many of them are actually purchases and not from their academy I might add.  This is down to Zinedine Zidane and a lot of credit has to go to him for the way in which he's done it and has overridden the president...

Now that I've spoken about Zidane. that is where I go to Barça.  At Barcelona the board has no say whatsoever on the running of the team affairs and neither which players are used from the youth teams.  That is all down to the head coach at Barça and he has total autonomy with everything in this respect.  It's also very important the relationship the first team coach has with the head coaches at the youth teams including obviously Barcelona 'B'.  There are players coming through and Barça continue to be the leading top club using own youth players.  But it is true that for the past three years or so nothing spectacular has come through and they've also wasted the ones that have like Thiago Alcántara (at Bayern now) and Sandro Ramírez (at Málaga now and about to move to a big club if rumours are to be believed)...  Although with Sandro it's unfortunately understandable with the trio that play for Barça where it's nigh on impossible to get a decent run of games to become more confident and get into the dynamics of it all.

As for whether or not Barça will go through a serious dry period like Real Madrid did back then is unknown but I'd see it as something unusual.

I didnt know that it was the manager rather than the board that made the mistakes of letting go some players from their academy and also Dani Alves. Well then that is probably a good news to the Barcelona fans then since they changed their manager and hopefully he doesnt do the same mistakes as the previous one.

I have a feeling this Barcelona team now could end up being like Real Madrid from 2009 which won nothing for few years. This has nothing to do with their new manager and his capabilities but its entirely down to the board. The way they are handling their academy players and how they are trying to spend money on big transfers reminds me of Perez in those times. 

So what does all the Arsenal fans think about the season. Do you consider this a success with the cup win or a failure due to lack of proper ambition in premier and champions league campaigns? 

I consider this a failure because of the way arsenal played and also because of the humiliation in europe against bayern. Should be contending for the premier league along with chelsea and spurs with the squad we have. Hopefully Wenger stays very busy and active in summer transfer window and instead of just trying to some good players, he actually signs few. Lots of areas where good and new players are needed.

Assuming Ozil and Sanchez stays, the team still needs a good striker, replacement for Cazorla, Per and Cech. Also needs to get rid of a lot of dead weight like Walcott, Gabriel, Lucas and perhaps even Ramsey and needs to replace them all.

330k, damn. he should take that. Its not like he didnt win anything at all, he won the liga, copa america, FA cup and the mighty community shield, money should be what he should be aiming for now. 

Just bring in Tuchel. Due to Wenger's stubbornness Arsenal have missed managers like Klopp and Pep in the last two years, hope they dont lose Tuchel now. 

7 hours ago, Chaaay AFC said:

Honestly the Arsenal fans who still claim we play good football must have a screw loose like Wenger because we havent played good football since Cesc left. Honestly out football is as dull as it can get, we can't defend and out attack is just relied upon individual talent.

This. Take away Sanchez in the recent years then there is really no bite in the team

On 5/18/2017 at 8:53 AM, Cicero said:

Manchester United are actually having a best celebration award....what has this club come to? 

Both Lingard and Pogba's celebrations are wank as hell, I would vote for Herrara

19 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

To be honest I haven't watched it and I'm intrigued.  Even though some will say that this is not the case on here, I am not biassed and I do know many things have been twisted in history so when I watch it I will give my honest opinion on what I know to be true and what I know to be false where some believe it's gospel.  There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever though, that things were massively conditioned back then "for the good of the country" and many either suffered at the cause of it or were maimed in different ways which isn't always physical.

I'll come back on this once I've watched it.

I thought that too...  From reading some Argentinian newspapers they seem to feel that the floored glass container full of shirts is dedicated to Argentinian football and to me that shirt seems to be an Ajax one.  Maybe @NeymarPele can help us out here.

Did any of you watch the documentary/movie named "Barca Dreams" by Jordi Llompart? I watched it last year on an emirates flight and it gave me so much information and news about the history of FC Barcelona. I suddenly remembered this because I was replying in the europa league thread about athletic bilbao and football in spain. I would like to hear what you folks in spain has to say about it, is the movie authentic enough or was it twisted to favour barcelona?

On 5/2/2017 at 4:31 PM, Cannabis said:

Teso Dos Bichos: 

dead 

I dont workout a lot, I try to play pickup football 2-3 times a week which gets me about 5 miles running per session, that is all I do. I try to hit the gym some days just to stretch my body, but nothing serious on the weights and muscle building.

He is old and he doesnt know what he is talking about, he is losing the respect and legacy he built a decade ago. He should just shut up and do his job and retire this summer. Maybe leicester and chelsea didnt play beautiful football but thats not written in the rule book either, all clubs doesnt have to make 100s of passes before they take a shot on goal like arsenal tries to do. 

17 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Verratti would be more of a replacement towards Rakitic, considering they play similar roles. What is a true shame is that there are two players in Europe right now I feel could be Iniesta's heir, and they are both playing for Real Madrid. Asensio and Isco. 

Asensio? I doubt it mate, that kid is a winger rather than a midfielder, isnt it?

1 minute ago, Cicero said:

Doubt it. Unlike Xavi, Iniesta has a technical ability and elegance that surpasses any midfielder in Europe. Xavi was at a decline and could be replaceable, Iniesta can't. 

But it has to come to an end at some point, Iniesta is still good but the age and injuries arent helping him, maybe lowering the game time and grooming Suarez is what Barcelona might do next season. It all depends on who they get as their manager and what direction the club wants to go but I can see either the likes of Suarez from their academy or some high profile transfer like Verratti or someone else taking up more game time and giving the rest to Iniesta. 

3 minutes ago, Spike said:

Perhaps I worded my original statement poorly. I didn't mean that he should 'go' from the club but rather as a starter. Just to be blunt; Barcelona cannot come to rely on a 33 year old with injury problems for much longer. He may still be the best midfielder they have but putting all the eggs into Iniesta's basket would be a mistake. Watching Barcelona play it's more than apparent he transcends the other players

i think next year he will take up a role similar to Xavi in 2014-15 where he was on bench most of the time and came in as a sub to help the team if needed

3 minutes ago, ...Dan said:

There's no one in the world better at almost buying players than Arsene Wenger. We're lucky to have him.

Just replace Ibra with Mbappe now since he injured himself two weeks ago. What a team 

2 hours ago, Cicero said:

Pjanic is the best CM in the world atm. 

only because cazorla is injured 

Arsene Wenger: I went to Kylian Mbappe's house to try to sign him

Quote

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told beIN SPORTS how he visited Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe at his home last year in an attempt to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger has made no secret of his admiration for Mbappe, 18, in the past, saying in February that Arsenal have been tracking the youngster, before reiterating the club's interest in him last month.

Mbappe's performances for Monaco this season have led him to be linked with big-money moves to Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United, but Wenger has said he came close to signing him last year.

"The player would tell you that I was at his home last year to try to get him here because he was at the end of [his] contract, but Monaco managed to keep him and the decision was very, very tight," Wenger said.

"But I could understand it as well because he was educated there and at the end decided to stay there."

Wenger suggested last month that he fears Arsenal might be priced out of a move for Mbappe, given the reported competition they would face for his signature.

According to The Guardian, United have been turned away by Monaco after making a bid of £72 million, with the French club holding out for £100m.

Asked if Arsenal have a chance of signing the attacker, Wenger said: "I don't know, that is down to him.

"But today he will decide where he goes, because he can say Real Madrid maybe, Barcelona maybe, Arsenal, Manchester -- he can go where he wants."

Arsenal legend Robert Pires said last week that he believes his former club will sign Mbappe.

https://www.espnfc.us/story/3118645/arsene-wenger-i-went-to-kylian-mbappes-house-to-try-to-sign-him-for-arsenal

to me, nothing beats this.... especially the kung fu kick at 17 seconds