***Official*** English Football Season 2017/18

[sledger]

It's a bit ergh but £40m for a player as hot and cold as Oxlade-Chamberlain is a steal. Especially as he had less than a year on his contract.

The inflation seen in the market is crazy though. So.weird to think that Ox with an expiring contact costs about the same as Ozil did a few years back.

 

[Uppercut]

It's a bit ergh but £40m for a player as hot and cold as Oxlade-Chamberlain is a steal. Especially as he had less than a year on his contract.

To think like this you need to really believe the money isn't just being funnelled out to the owners. If I was in charge and only cared about money I'd probably think that was the best option. Too competitive at the top and the monetary difference between 6th and 15th doesn't justify massive reinvestment. Better to sell off some assets, pay a bumper dividend, and rake in TV money from mid-table on a smaller budget.

 

[sledger]

Ha, well yeah, I was working from that basic premise. I don't think any transfer would be good value if the money accrued was just pilfered by the owners.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

The transfer window is a nonsense by any standards, but for the last day to be while the top players are away from their clubs seems even more potty.

 

[duffer]

Premier League financial fair play is also a stumbling point. Can't increase your wage bill more than £7m year on year.

Surely not? If you keep your squad together without any raises that's one player on around 140k per week. Must be more to it than that?

 

[duffer]

Anyways, thinking of taking a day off tomorrow so I can pull an all nighter just refreshing arsenal news sites. As much as I hate it, I can't quit this ****...

 

[duffer]

Mustafi staying according to Ornstein (who says it's what neither Arsenal or him want). Let's see how professional he is.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

What's the record number of substitute appearances the Ox has made in a season? I suspect he might break it whatever it is.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

So does anyone know if our Brentford fan is ok? Jota to Birmingham for £6m, didn't they sell Dean to them this week too?

Could be an interesting day for Brentford fans as they must be signing a few.

 

[Cabinet96]

The transfer window is a nonsense by any standards, but for the last day to be while the top players are away from their clubs seems even more potty.

The most nonsensical thing about it is the fact Wenger went out of his way to play him against Liverpool, who he dropped a 2/10 against and who he is now joining a few days later.

 

[Uppercut]

The most nonsensical thing about it is the fact Wenger went out of his way to play him against Liverpool, who he dropped a 2/10 against and who he is now joining a few days later.

Surprised not to see more stink about this. Ox's new contract will have CL qualification clauses and stuff in it, and he almost definitely knew he'd be joining them on Sunday. I doubt his worst performance in years just happened to be in the game where he had a massive conflict of interest.

 

[Furball]

That's on the manager.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

As an outsider looking in I find it amazing there is a firesale on deadline day with the club saying no replacements coming in as there is no time. Why the hell didn't they sell them in June/July and sign new players. Arsenal look to have ruined their season already.

 

[sledger]

That's on the manager.

Yeah, it was naive at best, and just totally incompetent at worst.

That decision aside though I think Wenger is copping a bit too much flak for the transfer generally. If it was going to happen it should have happened earlier, sure, but Ox himself has been a bit dickish about this. Arsenal have been pretty good to him considering he's generally been a hugely inconsistent and injury-prone player, and for him to suddenly decide Arsenal aren't good enough for him anymore leaves a slightly sour taste in the mouth.

I maintain that Arsenal have got an excellent price for him as well - I'm not sure he's even worth £40m based on projections of his ability, let alone how good he actually is right now.

Edit: and as cab has said, if he has aspirations of being a regular CM for a top side the guy is totally delusional. Fair enough if he believes in his own ability of course, but it's just not happening.

 

[sledger]

Surprised not to see more stink about this. Ox's new contract will have CL qualification clauses and stuff in it, and he almost definitely knew he'd be joining them on Sunday. I doubt his worst performance in years just happened to be in the game where he had a massive conflict of interest.

Haha there hasn't been much in the mainstream media but Arsenal blog sites etc. have been going into meltdown about it.

 

[sledger]

As an outsider looking in I find it amazing there is a firesale on deadline day with the club saying no replacements coming in as there is no time. Why the hell didn't they sell them in June/July and sign new players. Arsenal look to have ruined their season already.

To be fair they have been trying to offload several of these players all summer.

The only really stupid ones have been Ox and Mustafi (still have no idea what the logic behind the latter is, just seems totally mad to me).

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Did anyone hear the Arsenal fan on talkSPORT? On the verge of a nervous breakdown. His voice cracked up when he mentioned having to play on Thursdays.

Anyway the latest deal making the news on the BBC website is "Accrington Stanley have signed Polish goalkeeper Max Stryjek on loan until the end of the season."

 

[King Pietersen]

Least Arsenal have had a better window than Leverkusen. The state of this:

https://s26.postimg.org/r7pfg0jl5/IMG_0391.png

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Least Arsenal have had a better window than Leverkusen. The state of this:

https://s26.postimg.org/r7pfg0jl5/IMG_0391.png

Debatable.

 

[King Pietersen]

https://twitter.com/hughwizzy/status/903020377546350592