*Official* English Football Season 2009-2010

[duffer]

He misses chances but he has the knack of being in the right place at the right time. Look at guys like Drogba and Adebayor who weren't half as prolific as Bendtner was at that age and in weaker leagues. Had a very good goal return last season even with limited minutes and really crossing my fingers that he can kick on.

Have no idea why we were so desperate for Chamakh when we have a younger, better version at the club already.

 

[sledger]

lol. Isn't it Benfica's official site?

Crazy Portuguese, probably written by some guy in the local Nando's.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I think I've said before, but Bendtner's really not a Wenger sort of player at all. He has a decent touch for a big fella, but lacks pace so is never going to be comfortbale with the give and go method Arsene is welded to. Good in the air but, unlike Adebayor who was more direct when he could be arsed, he's more comfortable with his back to goal and generally tries to take a touch and turn his man.

Plus he's a **** by all accounts; big fan of Bendtner is our Nic.

Wouldn't be at all surprised if he was allowed to go eventually, but not so soon after punting one striker.

 

[duffer]

We haven't played a fast style of attacking game since we got rid of Vieira, Pires and Henry. Past couple of years has been a lot of side passing around the box and if after a few years of that it fails, hope Sagna or Clichy can beat the first man on their crosses. He's far better suited to what we play nowadays itbt, a good link passer, strong in the air and one of the few tall players we have left he is actually needed when we defend set pieces*. Without him and Djourou we'd be fielding a team of hobbits. The again there is Diaby...


*edit: when we attempt to defend set pieces very poorly.

 

[Dark Hunter]

I'm guessing that Bendtner link will be the same thing as what happened here.

 

[duffer]

If I had gone to Real Madrid I would have spent, yes. If you have the money and you find the one player who can make you win and make the difference, no matter how expensive he is, you should do it. But there are not many players in the world who will make a real difference.

Gah, you have 30 million sitting there even before you touch whatever money the boad gave you. FFS. Use it goddamit.

 

[Craig]

If Bendtner were to leave Arsenal, why would he go to Benfica? Plenty of other Prem clubs, as well as clubs in Spain, Italy, and Germany would want him and would sign him before going to Benfica. And if you were going to go to a Portugese club, then at least go to Porto.

In other news, Portsmouth sign Anthony Vanden Borre on a season loan from Genoa.

 

[Craig]

Gah, you have 30 million sitting there even before you touch whatever money the boad gave you. FFS. Use it goddamit.

Don't know why you guys put up with him. Time he got moved on.

 

[duffer]

Don't know why you guys put up with him. Time he got moved on.

Wouldn't go that far tbh. He's brought the club unprecedented success and deserves more chances. I don't see any other standout candidates anywhere in the world and if we got rid of him the first big club to lose a manager would be all over him.

He's still quite brilliant but seems to believe his job is to manage the club at all levels. Sort of the opposite of a Benitez who demands more money all the time not giving a **** less about where it comes from.

Arsene needs to be a tad less rigid and splash out on the odd player we need to buy, even now we're not far away from being a top team again which is where the fans frustrations lie. Hope so so much that he can win the Champions League with his club. A great interview with him here says a lot about the man he is.

 

[Craig]

Wouldn't go that far tbh. He's brought the club unprecedented success and deserves more chances. I don't see any other standout candidates anywhere in the world and if we got rid of him the first big club to lose a manager would be all over him.

He's still quite brilliant but seems to believe his job is to manage the club at all levels. Sort of the opposite of a Benitez who demands more money all the time not giving a **** less about where it comes from.

Arsene needs to be a tad less rigid and splash out on the odd player we need to buy, even now we're not far away from being a top team again which is where the fans frustrations lie. Hope so so much that he can win the Champions League with his club. A great interview with him here says a lot about the man he is.

I can think of two or three.

 

[duffer]

Go ahead, who's available and a good fit for the club?

 

[BoyBrumby]

It's madness to even think of getting rid of Wenger. I'm not suggesting he should have a job for life, but people should cast their minds back to how bad things were before he tooks charge. The season before (in his only season as manager) Bruce Rioch had lead us to fifth and Wafer Cup qualification, which was regarded as such a result after the twelfth we'd managed under the caretakership of Stewart Houston in 94/95 that a few people (self included, I have to confess) thought Rioch had been slightly harshly treated.

Two years later we were champions and the rest, as the cliche goes, is history. Nowadays people view fourth, an FA Cup semi and a Champions League semi as a bit of a failure. HTFU, plenty of clubs would kill for the kind of failure we currently enjoy.

Arsene knows, as the banners would have it.

 

[duffer]

Yes, you're exactly correct. Although I do believe finishing 4th in what essentially was a 4 team league isn't exactly something to be parading.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Yes, you're exactly correct. Although I do believe finishing 4th in what essentially was a 4 team league isn't exactly something to be parading.

No, but it's essentially because of Wenger we're in said league. We aren't an inherently massive club like Liverpool or Man U nor do we have Arab/Siberian fossil fuel money artificially swelling our coffers. We're prudently managed and the new stadium with the extra money it generates will be a fitting monument to Sir Arsene long after he tires of us.

He might be loth on occasions to loosen the purse strings, but I think he has enough credit in the bank to have earned our trust.

 

[duffer]

I don't necessarily disagree with anything you said and I wouldn't advocate a change of manager at all (for al his faults I love Arsene) but I just feel the club aren't exactly pushing the boat out to challenge the 3 teams above us. Maybe with City now loaded and our CL place under threat over the next few years they might be forced to.

I certainly don't see any reason why we have made 30 million from transfer fees this summer especially when the team is so deficient and we have such a rough start to the season. Perhaps the Highbury Square development has gone **** up in which case I'll take back everything I've criticised Arsene for over the past few years, but if that's the case then you'd have to wonder how prudently we have managed the situation.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I don't necessarily disagree with anything you said and I wouldn't advocate a change of manager at all (for al his faults I love Arsene) but I just feel the club aren't exactly pushing the boat out to challenge the 3 teams above us. Maybe with City now loaded and our CL place under threat over the next few years they might be forced to.

I certainly don't see any reason why we have made 30 million from transfer fees this summer especially when the team is so deficient and we have such a rough start to the season. Perhaps the Highbury Square development has gone **** up in which case I'll take back everything I've criticised Arsene for over the past few years, but if that's the case then you'd have to wonder how prudently we have managed the situation.

I think Wenger's on record as saying that the board would give him the money if he thought a player was worth £30m even before we punted Adebayor & Toure. If he doesn't think anyone's worth it then that's fair enough. Competing with the likes of Citeh & Real Madrid for already overpriced players is only going to further inflate the market.

I genuinely believe Arsene has the club's best interests at heart and if that invloves not spending fortunes on medicore players in the current climate then so be it.

 

[Craig]

Go ahead, who's available and a good fit for the club?

Guus Hiddink (outside of managing Russia) and Frank Rijkaard perhaps?

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Rijkaard is coaching Gala, Craigos.

 

[GIMH]

Whites sign Michael Ricketts. Ex-filth.

 

[duffer]

I think Wenger's on record as saying that the board would give him the money if he thought a player was worth £30m even before we punted Adebayor & Toure. If he doesn't think anyone's worth it then that's fair enough. Competing with the likes of Citeh & Real Madrid for already overpriced players is only going to further inflate the market.

Well I do believe that there are players out there who would be substantial upgrades on the likes of Song, Denilson, Diaby, Silvestre, Eboue and Senderos and who wouldn't cost a King's ransom.

Eduardo and Sagna being prime examples of times when we have done that.

I genuinely believe Arsene has the club's best interests at heart and if that invloves not spending fortunes on medicore players in the current climate then so be it.

I believe he does too, just don't believe the method he has taken will do it for us. I can definitely admire the stance though, at least we have a club who have an approach and principles and are willing to stick to it. I think we have handcuffed ourselves by being too rigid in our philosophy and not willing to even spend on one or two big signings here and there when we really need them.

Nobody is asking for us to replicate a certain Oligarch doped club's behaviour it's just a tad frustrating seeing us stand still or go backwards every year when the club have the resources to improve themselves.