Danny Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 11 hours ago, LFCMadLad said: Arsenal didn’t get into the top four last season and they offered Wenger a new 2 year contract? You know what Danny, the more I dialect with you, the more I think you make shit up as you go along It was the first time in his entire time at the club they failed to make it, if he can't get them in the top 4 again he will be gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFCMadLad Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 14 minutes ago, Danny said: It was the first time in his entire time at the club they failed to make it, if he can't get them in the top 4 again he will be gone. Well they aren’t getting into the top four this season so we’ll see won’t we? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 1 hour ago, LFCMadLad said: Well they aren’t getting into the top four this season so we’ll see won’t we? Or next as that's when his contract expires Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Seven Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I'll throw my two cents worth in here. In retrospect, it was a mistake to keep Alexis this year. Should have sold him on and replaced him. He has become a problem and may have cost the team a chance at finishing in the top 4 (although it's still possible). But I say that as someone who advocated keeping him, even if it meant running down his contract and losing him for nothing. I thought his presence gave the team a much better chance of getting back into the top 4 and that would more than offset the financial hit of letting him walk. After all, despite all the doom and gloom, Arsenal finished 5th last season with 75 points -- more than in the 2nd place finish the previous season. No other club had ever compiled that many points and finished outside the top 4 in the Premier League era. They finished just 3 points behind City and 5 ahead of United. So it wasn't such doom and gloom as is portrayed in retrospect. I thought that once the transfer window was closed Alexis would be professional and give his best effort. But he has largely gone through the motions and by all accounts he's created a lot of division on the team. Hopefully he'll be out the door tomorrow. Looking back, I should have seen a red flag when Bayern dropped their interest in Alexis last summer because of his salary demands. At the time, they looked a better bet than City to win both domestic and European trophies. They're still a better bet than United, but I guess money must have been his primary motivation all along (certainly his decision to jilt City for United would seem to be purely based on money). As for Ramsey, Wilshere and Ozil, I would be surprised if the first two aren't extended. I think there's a good chance Ozil will stick around as well. He seems to genuinely love the club and living in London. So we'll see. Whatever the reasons for both club and player that it wasn't done sooner, I don't know. Honestly, the thing that has disappointed me in recent years is the club's inability to improve on the defensive end. Sometimes I think Arsene (who I will always love for his contributions to the club) has been too loyal to his players. He's put too much faith into players who either never reached their potential, have been too inconsistent or simply weren't good enough in the first place. He's probably put too much faith into a system and a philosophy as well. But things seem to be changing now and I remain the eternal optimist. Several players were moved on in the summer who probably should have been moved on sooner (maybe Arsenal's pay structure made that difficult). Walcott, Coquelin and soon Alexis will be gone. But it looks as though they'll be replaced by Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan, which I see as a plus. Possibly the young stud Malcom as well, if not this month maybe in the summer. The current window seems to be largely the work of Sven Mislintat, the new head of recruitment who came from Dortmund. Changes seem to be happening throughout the club. Whether they can salvage a top 4 finish this year (or do as United did last year and win their way back into the Champions League by winning the Europa) remains to be seen. But strange things are afoot at the Circle K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted January 18, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted January 18, 2018 21 hours ago, SirBalon said: And what were the previous two years (the ones he signed before this summer’s) for? Credit up his arse? Years of making the top four. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirBalon Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 32 minutes ago, Dan said: Years of making the top four. You could’ve answered me with one word on that one which would’ve meant the same. MEDIOCRITY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panna King Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 21 hours ago, Gary Seven said: I'll throw my two cents worth in here. In retrospect, it was a mistake to keep Alexis this year. Should have sold him on and replaced him. He has become a problem and may have cost the team a chance at finishing in the top 4 (although it's still possible). But I say that as someone who advocated keeping him, even if it meant running down his contract and losing him for nothing. I thought his presence gave the team a much better chance of getting back into the top 4 and that would more than offset the financial hit of letting him walk. After all, despite all the doom and gloom, Arsenal finished 5th last season with 75 points -- more than in the 2nd place finish the previous season. No other club had ever compiled that many points and finished outside the top 4 in the Premier League era. They finished just 3 points behind City and 5 ahead of United. So it wasn't such doom and gloom as is portrayed in retrospect. I thought that once the transfer window was closed Alexis would be professional and give his best effort. But he has largely gone through the motions and by all accounts he's created a lot of division on the team. Hopefully he'll be out the door tomorrow. Looking back, I should have seen a red flag when Bayern dropped their interest in Alexis last summer because of his salary demands. At the time, they looked a better bet than City to win both domestic and European trophies. They're still a better bet than United, but I guess money must have been his primary motivation all along (certainly his decision to jilt City for United would seem to be purely based on money). As for Ramsey, Wilshere and Ozil, I would be surprised if the first two aren't extended. I think there's a good chance Ozil will stick around as well. He seems to genuinely love the club and living in London. So we'll see. Whatever the reasons for both club and player that it wasn't done sooner, I don't know. Honestly, the thing that has disappointed me in recent years is the club's inability to improve on the defensive end. Sometimes I think Arsene (who I will always love for his contributions to the club) has been too loyal to his players. He's put too much faith into players who either never reached their potential, have been too inconsistent or simply weren't good enough in the first place. He's probably put too much faith into a system and a philosophy as well. But things seem to be changing now and I remain the eternal optimist. Several players were moved on in the summer who probably should have been moved on sooner (maybe Arsenal's pay structure made that difficult). Walcott, Coquelin and soon Alexis will be gone. But it looks as though they'll be replaced by Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan, which I see as a plus. Possibly the young stud Malcom as well, if not this month maybe in the summer. The current window seems to be largely the work of Sven Mislintat, the new head of recruitment who came from Dortmund. Changes seem to be happening throughout the club. Whether they can salvage a top 4 finish this year (or do as United did last year and win their way back into the Champions League by winning the Europa) remains to be seen. But strange things are afoot at the Circle K. Yes players are leaving, but more are leaving then coming in, already this season Arsenal have sold Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Liverpool £34.20m Theo Walcott Everton £20.25m Francis Coquelin Valencia CF £12.60m Wojciech Szczesny Juventus £10.98m Gabriel Paulista Valencia CF £9.90m Kieran Gibbs West Brom £6.75m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirBalon Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 7 hours ago, VanPaddy said: Yes players are leaving, but more are leaving then coming in, already this season Arsenal have sold Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Liverpool £34.20m Theo Walcott Everton £20.25m Francis Coquelin Valencia CF £12.60m Wojciech Szczesny Juventus £10.98m Gabriel Paulista Valencia CF £9.90m Kieran Gibbs West Brom £6.75m Well we’re not earning what we were by being consistently qualifying to participate in the Champions League. Wages have to be reduced! That’s one way to look at it and another way is to finally cut down on overrated players that were never going to take us any further... But there’s a third way to look at it... let’s just wait and see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panna King Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 3 hours ago, SirBalon said: Well we’re not earning what we were by being consistently qualifying to participate in the Champions League. Wages have to be reduced! That’s one way to look at it and another way is to finally cut down on overrated players that were never going to take us any further... But there’s a third way to look at it... let’s just wait and see! Well there you will have to sell 90% of the playing staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Seven Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 On January 18, 2018 at 19:13, VanPaddy said: Yes players are leaving, but more are leaving then coming in, already this season Arsenal have sold Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Liverpool £34.20m Theo Walcott Everton £20.25m Francis Coquelin Valencia CF £12.60m Wojciech Szczesny Juventus £10.98m Gabriel Paulista Valencia CF £9.90m Kieran Gibbs West Brom £6.75m I would argue that the ones leaving are generally expendable and some should have been moved on long ago. The squad was far too big. No room for new signings or for youth products to get their chance. Out with the old, in with the new. Arsenal needs better players. Even Alexis (reports of unpopularity and disruption aside), if replaced by Mkhitarian and Aubameyang, well that's a positive to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Dubuchy Mertesacker Ramsey Wilshire Mustafi Bellerin Xhaka Elneny Ospina Iwobi Carzorla They all need to go tbh. More stock has to be put into the two young English defenders, Holding and Chambers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 If Arsenal bring in Aubameyang and extend Ozil then for me they've strengthened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirBalon Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 We can speculate all we want because if there’s one thing football can do, it’s prove itself! The proof will be in the pudding... There’s no doubt that Arsenal needed and continue to need to get rid of a lot of mediocrity, but it’s all about what you replace that with. From there on we’ll see and then comment... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaaay AFC Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 We will only become better when Wenger leaves. No player or sporting director will ever push us over the line with Wenger still being in charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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