The Arsenal Thread XII

The leader of the United Soc

What Wenger has achieved is impressive, but he hasn't done anything impressive of late. He's constantly failed to address the issues that have held the team back. He made purchases which simply weren't up to the standard required or simply hasn't made them at all. He's continually ignore the discontent and such in the dressing room. Yes his key players have left season after season, and he has combatted this how? Yes he's continually got CL football, but how has he moved this competitiveness forward into silverware? Yes he has ignore the advances of other clubs and their projects, but what has he achieved instead?

What limited resources? Let us take last season as an example, focusing on the major transfers.

You sold Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy, Eboue for just over £70m
You brought in Arteta, Gervinho, Santos, Mertesacker, Chamberlain for around £45m (getting all these prices from Wiki btw).

There was an extra £25m (simply from the sales, leaving out any money set aside for transfers prior to the window opening) that could have been used to buy a real world class player. But even forgetting that, Santos and Mertesacker were largerly a waste were they not? I wouldn't exactly call all that wise spending.

Out of interest, can anyone see Walcott being given the chance of playing up front in the CF role he wants, now RVP is going?

Imagine, Giroud and Podolski will not instantly settle in, and we lack a quality upfront player - could be worth a try?

You guys all hearing about Chelsea being interested in Walcott? I swear if Walcott begins to get too big for his shoes as well, I will be pissed. Walcott is a brilliant player and one thing I love about him is his loyalty and if he goes to Chelsea next year (when his contract runs out) wooooooow

Are you naive enough to believe that? We;ve just got Podolski and Giroud, with Wilshire back and a couple signings, we can only improve on 3rd.

You guys all hearing about Chelsea being interested in Walcott? I swear if Walcott begins to get too big for his shoes as well, I will be pissed. Walcott is a brilliant player and one thing I love about him is his loyalty and if he goes to Chelsea next year (when his contract runs out) wooooooow

Walcott will be leaving, Hes a poor player, only good as a Impact Sub, and yes he is getting to cocky (loyalty???) Is that why he hasnt signed a contract??

Why would a team like Chelsea need a mediocre player like Walcott?

That is only true if you make the assumption the competition will stand still, or you have done enough to close the gap. My personal opinion is that is not enough to close the gap on City, United have moved forward, Chelsea have moved forward, Spurs are looking to move forward, Liverpool have a competent manager. I think there are plenty of things that could happen next season. As a United fan we have bought Kagawa, looking at a CM, will Vidic back, De Gea ready for the new season, that's not to say we can only improve on 2nd. I hope we will but its far from certain, I wouldn't even go as far as saying its likely.

I imagine RVP has grown tired of hearing about next season.

To be honest I can see him leaving but I wouldn't be too pissed because that would finally pave way for Chamberlaine to get more games, who is x100000 times better than Walcott!

walcott has 12 months left, he didnt sign a contract last year, like rvp, so that means hes off, which team better than us would want to buy him..i dont know, good luck to him, no team will ever win the league with him in the starting xii

But people constantly look over the fact that he clearly hasn't got the same budget as he did before. He doesn't have anything near what the likes of Fergie and especially Mourinho have been able to toy around with (transfer fees and wages).

I completely disagree with the sentiment that he hasn't signed quality players. The likes of Vermaelan, Koscielny, Arteta, Chamberlain and hopefully we'll be adding Podolski and Giroud to that list.

His achievement and goal was to maintain CL football at the minimum whilst we went through this "rough patch". He's fulfilled his side of the bargain, now it's time for the board to do the same.

That is only true if you make the assumption the competition will stand still, or you have done enough to close the gap. My personal opinion is that is not enough to close the gap on City, United have moved forward, Chelsea have moved forward, Spurs are looking to move forward, Liverpool have a competent manager. I think there are plenty of things that could happen next season. As a United fan we have bought Kagawa, looking at a CM, will Vidic back, De Gea ready for the new season, that's not to say we can only improve on 2nd. I hope we will but its far from certain, I wouldn't even go as far as saying its likely.

I imagine RVP has grown tired of hearing about next season.

Overall that puts him at a disadvantage but he's not working on Moyes money. In 7 years he hasn't managed to put a cup run together. I'm not saying he should be dominating the PL but 1 season, hell 1 trophy is not a unrealistic expectation.

The simple thing that tells you about the quality of those players is how many other clubs were in for them. None of them. Verm and Kos have developed into good players, but not top players. Its the standard Gervinho story, no one else wanted Podolski, not one else wanted Arteta. They are good players but none of them were setting to world alight when he bought them. The whole point is having top players, like Cesc and RVP. He may have recruited these players but you need to retain them, otherwise you are just a feeder club who sees none of the fruits of its labour.

Getting 4th is an achievement, but you expect a manager to address a teams failings, something Wenger has not. Buying a goal keeper was not impossible on his financial constraints, neither was properly shoring up Arsenal's defence, neither was addressing the clear lack of leadership and steel in the team. These things could have brought the club some success. I admire him for his longevity and long term vision, but that doesn't mean he is above criticism.

Yes thats true, but up to now, we have taken the most steps forward, Chelsea, came 6th, without Drogba, they will struggle.

Liverpool & Spurs are the weakest they've been for some time going into a season, and here we are having bought two quality strikers, and with Wilshire back after a year out...I never wear red tinted glasses, but we're in good stead,

RVP has come out, made wenger look like a fool, has totally been disrectful to the club and the fans, and is now using the ambition excuse to mask the real reasons hes leaving

Im sorry the guys pathetic, a sorry excuse, at least vermin like Nasri, and Cole, openly admitted they were leaving for money, well almost. RVP is here, having tried to make out hes a gooner through and through, that hes leaving for reasons other then money, hes treating off for fools.