Jpr..

Still happy with the one manager club status and are you still happy with your summer business which will keep you challenging for trophies on all fronts this season

Obviously not happy with the way things have been going recently but, from looking a very good team a month or two back we suddenly haven't become a very bad team so I'm expecting things to improve. Not sure what the current problem is - maybe our new players are not able to keep up with the pressure of English football but they will get used to it as others have in the past and the likes of Jack Wilhere should soon reach his full potential after being out of football for so long.
I'm still optimistic that we can turn this around but what happens between now and January is vital - we need a good performance/result in Greece this week (could that match have been on some players minds yesterday?) and a few wins to bring back confidence - let's wait and see.

Think you need two players of good quality in Jan..

You don't have a quality striker.. Gervinhio isn't upto it IMO..

Also you could do with a ball winner.. Arteta Wilshire are good but better going forward then defending.. Carzola is having a customary foreign player first season blip.. the demands of the Prem are vigorous and its no surprise him and Hazard have struggled in recent games.. Silva had the same problem too after a bright start..

This is your biggest test so far.. in recent years i have always thought you will make top four.. this season i can see you finishing outside it.. which would be a disaster for you lot..

If Alan Hansen retires we at JWNED have the perfect replacement

It would indeed. Now it's up to Wenger to show what he can do with the players available (for the coming games) and in the transfer market in January.
Were we to finish outside the CL qualification zone and without winning something significant this season then the criticism being levelled at Wenger right now would be justified. I hope that he proves that he is capable of managing the situation and I believe he will.

QBVILLA wrote:If Alan Hansen retires we at JWNED have the perfect replacement

When Martin Oneil get sacked at Sunderland we have a replacement too.

jpr60 wrote:It would indeed. Now it's up to Wenger to show what he can do with the players available (for the coming games) and in the transfer market in January.
Were we to finish outside the CL qualification zone and without winning something significant this season then the criticism being levelled at Wenger right now would be justified. I hope that he proves that he is capable of managing the situation and I believe he will.

I hope for your sake too..

jpr60 wrote:It would indeed. Now it's up to Wenger to show what he can do with the players available (for the coming games) and in the transfer market in January.
Were we to finish outside the CL qualification zone and without winning something significant this season then the criticism being levelled at Wenger right now would be justified. I hope that he proves that he is capable of managing the situation and I believe he will.

Believe me, nothing would please me more but I aint liking what I'm seeing at the moment. There's nothing worse than seeing your team rolling over.

ADRIAN_1976 wrote:

QBVILLA wrote:If Alan Hansen retires we at JWNED have the perfect replacement

When Martin Oneil get sacked at Sunderland we have a replacement too.

Good shout. I had five years coaching kids football. Two promotions including one title. Where's your credentials away from the PC gaming? Suck on that Hussain ya big jessie

QBVILLA wrote:

ADRIAN_1976 wrote:

QBVILLA wrote:If Alan Hansen retires we at JWNED have the perfect replacement

When Martin Oneil get sacked at Sunderland we have a replacement too.

Good shout. I had five years coaching kids football. Two promotions including one title. Where's your credentials away from the PC gaming? Suck on that Hussain ya big jessie

Don't do PC gaming.. As for credentials.. Well even I knew Arsenal wouldn't challenge and Oneil would flop at Sunderland and yet they get paid millions for it

Mystic Meg eat your heart out.

SSSSSSHHHHH!!!! Did you hear knocking....................

jak wrote:SSSSSSHHHHH!!!! Did you hear knocking....................

Nor did Wenger

Ooh!!!! There it goes again!!

Hearing Aid?

They were talking on the radio this morning that Wenger is complaining the players are tired. Surely that is tosh and just give the players an excuse to under perform IMHO. Think Steve Bould was spot on with his comments after the weekend game

It's all a load of bollocks. Apart from the Manc clubs the only consistent in the division in everyone elses inconsistency. I wouldn't bet against Arsenal winning 8 out of the next 10 and that would see them sitting in third. Wenger is one of the best in the world and anyone who replaces him will be second best. Obviously this desn't mean that he is without his faults but who would do a better job?

QB, I agree with you that Wenger has been a top top manager, but it has to be said some of his decisions in the more recent times have been questionable. I think the thing that is annoying a number of Arsenal fans is no one is coming and explaining what their ambitions and strategy is. There is talk this morning of Ba and Huntelaar and think they would be good signings, but still think a strong defensive midfielder should top the list, like Tiote of Newcastle

Arsenal are by far the best team I've seen against West Ham this season. Difference between them and the Manchester clubs is that they don't seem to be able to grind out a result when they're not at their best. Wenger hasn't bought in anyone with real fight and grit and doesn't seem to have learned his lesson from previous seasons. He's a victim of his own stubbornness.

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:Arsenal are by far the best team I've seen against West Ham this season. Difference between them and the Manchester clubs is that they don't seem to be able to grind out a result when they're not at their best. Wenger hasn't bought in anyone with real fight and grit and doesn't seem to have learned his lesson from previous seasons. He's a victim of his own stubbornness.

Or...... The Manc clubs and Chelsea will happily pay £150k a week whereas Arsenal won't. Therefore they sign the young player with the potential star rather than the already established player who would command the top salary. Problem for Arsenal is that whilst 'player B' is reaching his potential, 'player A' who has already reached his has been sold. Now they have to decide whether to break their pay structure and compete with Chelsea,Man U and Man City or continue doing what they are doing and hope it will be good enough to finish top 4. This has looked in jeapordy in recent seasons with Villa,Everton and Spurs all looking to threaten only to come up short. In Villa's case three of the four midfield who challenged now ply their trade in Manchester.
Is it really Wenger's 'stubborness'? Or is a case that he, unlike a lot of managers is actually looking after the club's best interests? I'm sure that given the choice he'd have kept Fabregas and RVP, but unlike United Arsenal cannot afford to pay £20m + for a 29yr old and hand him a 4yr deal worth £7m a year.

If Wenger wants to look after the club financially, he wouldn't be risking losing Champions League revenue by refusing to address blatant issues in his team with a bit of dollar. There's no point in having the best youth team in the world if the first team isn't performing. Wenger isn't the club's accountant, he's the manager of the football team and at the moment he's not doing a very good job because he hasn't bought the players that even Stevie Wonder could see that team is lacking. How much does a top class defensive midfield cost these days? Given the likes of Song and Mascherano have moved for around £20m recently, that's probably a bench mark figure. What's the cost of losing Champion's League football? Much more than that.

I agree with QB regarding the wage issue, Arsenal cant or wont compete with the other 3 clubs in respect of this. I dont think that is a bad thing, but I do believe he should have rectified the problem position in midfield with a strong defensive midfielder. He is forever hoping diabby can fill that role, but he constantly seems to get injured. There is an awful lot to admire in how Arsenal are run, but I do think they are going downhill at the moment and Steve Bould was spot on with his comments after Saturday

Arsenal make enough money from matchday turn over champ lge money and sky tv money to be able to pay the wages..

Maybe not the 250k a week like Man City but be able to compete..

Wenger has made some blatant mistakes recently.. Man U since the glaziers have come in haven't spent massive amounts on players. Not buying 30M stars ( except Berbatov ) etc and have recouped 70 odd million for Ronaldo but still compete for titles and have reached champions league finals recently..

Wenger ignored key issues.. Like a top keeper when he persisted with Almunia and co.. Or the need for a CB a few seasons ago..

They have never replaced Viera and have always been known to have a soft centre..

Let numerous contracts run down since David Dein has left..

Last summer Wenger blindly let the window run down when everyone knew Nasri and Fabregas would leave and instead being pro active in getting players in didthered and ended up with the likes of Benayoun..

The likes of Ba and Huntlear will be good additions but all they will solve is reaching 4th. The damage has been done for challenging for titles and champions leagues..

Also this season is the first time Wenger fans have actually thought he doesn't have it in him to build another title winning team...

ADRIAN_1976 wrote:Arsenal make enough money from matchday turn over champ lge money and sky tv money to be able to pay the wages..

Maybe not the 250k a week like Man City but be able to compete..

Wenger has made some blatant mistakes recently.. Man U since the glaziers have come in haven't spent massive amounts on players. Not buying 30M stars ( except Berbatov ) etc and have recouped 70 odd million for Ronaldo but still compete for titles and have reached champions league finals recently..

Wenger ignored key issues.. Like a top keeper when he persisted with Almunia and co.. Or the need for a CB a few seasons ago..

They have never replaced Viera and have always been known to have a soft centre..

Let numerous contracts run down since David Dein has left..

Last summer Wenger blindly let the window run down when everyone knew Nasri and Fabregas would leave and instead being pro active in getting players in didthered and ended up with the likes of Benayoun..

The likes of Ba and Huntlear will be good additions but all they will solve is reaching 4th. The damage has been done for challenging for titles and champions leagues..

Also this season is the first time Wenger fans have actually thought he doesn't have it in him to build another title winning team...

The Arsenal offer RvP £5m and 150K a week but Man U, who don't spend massive amounts on players, offered him £250K a week on top of the £24M transfer fee for the 29 year old. So much for not spendinding massive amounts?

Quite right Jak, Man U have spent money in fees and wages.