Yes, and I would've thought Wenger would have been put off fr that reason. It's a strange move in many ways.
Luis Suarez pwned by the Lizards and is Staying, and has said sorry to BR and teammates
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Yes, and I would've thought Wenger would have been put off fr that reason. It's a strange move in many ways.
Indeed, for a club that prides itself as being part of footballs establishment and guards it's reputation jealously this does seem an odd selection.
So odd, I doubt it's sincerity.
Good point, I guess it's a mixture of all those things, I think every club are biased when it comes to their star players and how much they're worth. All the bad press he get's especially in this country must have an effect as well. So yeah maybe he isn't worth 50 odd million but we are well within our rights to demand what we wan't for him. I personally feel his value to us and where we want to be in terms of lge posistion is far greater than 50m but that's my biased opinion.
Sure, but I acknowledged right at the start that I was making a purely theoretical point!
I guess Wenger's options are somewhat limited too in signing top players.
They might qualify for the Champions league every year but they haven't had a sniff of any titles /cups for a good while and have a reputation of a somewhat 2nd tier top side.
He can't compete with likes of Utd/City/Chelsea/Real/Barca/Bayern/PSG for the most collectively desirable players out there and Suarez goes him a chance to bag a big name without being left the bridesmaid again.
He'd certainly mark something of a change in approach for Arsenal regards transfer policy. I happen to think they've stock remarkably well to a long term plan to build the ground, consolidate ready for ffp rules, and now will start spending big season on season. What better way to mark a transition into being considered as a significant player in the transfer market than to splash big on Suarez?
🙄
Do we know what he brings to the table?
He's had two quite different seasons with us. 23 goals last season, 11 the year before.
I don't know if he'll be the 23 goal guy again. I think he'll be closer to it than 11, by a distance. But I don't think you can say with certainty that we're losing a 20 goal a season striker.
I agree. Although a lot of the signings Wenger's made in recent years look very uninspiring by his earlier standards, you just can't argue with what he's achieved on a negligible transfer budget. I think you could make the argument that he's been the best manager in the league on those terms since before they moved to the Emirates. And now he has £70m or whatever to spend, and people think we can compete with that from a position of weakness? Looks pretty optimistic.
Walcott (14 goals, 12 assists)
Carzola (12 goals, 12 assists)
Podolski (11 goals, 11 assists)
Giroud (11 goals, 5 assists)
Contributing to 3rd best attack (72 goals) in the league (behind Man Utd's 86 and Chelsea's 75). Little doubt that he'll improve that attacking lineup but will it be at the expense of others? They're also apparently offering Suarez £150k, while their current top earners (Podolski and Walcott) are at £100k while the likes of Carzola and Wilshere are at £70k and £80k per week respectively.
Carzola (12 goals, 12 assists)
Podolski (11 goals, 11 assists)
Giroud (11 goals, 5 assists)
Contributing to 3rd best attack (72 goals) in the league (behind Man Utd's 86 and Chelsea's 75). Little doubt that he'll improve that attacking lineup but will it be at the expense of others? They're also apparently offering Suarez £150k, while their current top earners (Podolski and Walcott) are at £100k while the likes of Carzola and Wilshere are at £70k and £80k per week respectively.
This'll make me sound nerdier than ever, but those goalscoring stats for Arsenal are really impressive. Having nearly 50 goals spread so evenly across 4 players must be close to the ideal, all other things being equal, of course. 😉
Replace 5 of Giroud's with, say, 15 of Suarez's, and they're laughing. But not necessarily laughing any more than in any given alternative universe.
Replace 5 of Giroud's with, say, 15 of Suarez's, and they're laughing. But not necessarily laughing any more than in any given alternative universe.
I'm struggling to think of someone which is why I don't think we should sell him.
We need to replace QUALITY with QUALITY not with three almost-there-but-not-really there squad players who frankly don't even look v.good on youtube.
Agreed, its strange. It feels like a forced move imho.
They've missed out on Jovetic and Higuain. But have been contstantly talking about big signings and lots of money to spend. The other top strikers have moved or arent interested.
Suarez for all his flaws is one of the best strikers in the world, but he's very far from the sort of player Wenger would go for imho.
Because where are Chelsea, City, Real, Barca, Bayern, Napoli, PSG, Monaco?
All the teams with big money to spend bar Arsenal are yet to show any firm interest.
All the teams with big money to spend bar Arsenal are yet to show any firm interest.
This'll make me sound nerdier than ever, but those goalscoring stats for Arsenal are really impressive. Having nearly 50 goals spread so evenly across 4 players must be close to the ideal, all other things being equal, of course. 😉
Replace 5 of Giroud's with, say, 15 of Suarez's, and they're laughing. But not necessarily laughing any more than in any given alternative universe.
Presuming Suarez doesnt take opportunities away from the others.
Not a presumption I'd be willing to make given his 90 touches or seven shots per goal
Honestly this kind of attitude is why top players don't want to play for us and top players who do play for us (Suarez, Torres, Gerrard, Reina) all want to f-off. I DON'T BLAME THEM.
We probably thought Le Tallec / Pongolle would 'come together' as well. Tbh if they did, they'd want to F off too. No really top player wants to play for a side with no ambitions or chances of winning the league. In fact, at 22 yrs +, if you have burning ambition you'd want to join a top side too.
They only have a ten year career and they shouldn't waste it on a side hoping to maybe make the CL in 4 years.
Part of me's wondering if Wenger is trying to do a Bayern (i.e. strengthen team at expense of domestic competitors).
1. While they probably need a more prolific striker than Giroud (i.e. based on account of his goal scoring returns last season), the attacking department isn't exactly their highest priority.
2. Jovetic had a release clause. Higuain was available at a lower price (even when compared to 40m, let alone the amount we would be demanding) and onewould've thought Arsenal could've wrapped up the deal long ago, before the Benitez appointment or Cavani sale to PSG.
3. Reportedly been dithering over deals for Fellani and Cesar due to asking price and/or wages.
4. Interest in Rooney (esp. prior to Chelsea's bid)
He probably saw the chance after RM's reported interest in Suarez and the player's comments made in Uruguayan press.
1. While they probably need a more prolific striker than Giroud (i.e. based on account of his goal scoring returns last season), the attacking department isn't exactly their highest priority.
2. Jovetic had a release clause. Higuain was available at a lower price (even when compared to 40m, let alone the amount we would be demanding) and onewould've thought Arsenal could've wrapped up the deal long ago, before the Benitez appointment or Cavani sale to PSG.
3. Reportedly been dithering over deals for Fellani and Cesar due to asking price and/or wages.
4. Interest in Rooney (esp. prior to Chelsea's bid)
He probably saw the chance after RM's reported interest in Suarez and the player's comments made in Uruguayan press.
I think you're wrong. It can be done: look at Dortmund have achieved. Besides, what's the alternative? We're well behind at least 4 other teams in the league, and they all have more money than us, each and every year. I don't see that we can compete on a blow for blow basis. Do you? Therefore I think we should try to maximise our chances of succeeding with a different strategy.
I should have said, actually, that *the* best exemplar of this approach is Barcelona. Not in terms of selling their best players (although they have done that too, with Eto'o and Ronaldinho) but of building long term. They've effectively built that best team ever on a shoestring with academy graduates. Where they have spent big (Ibra, Villa, that unpronounceable Ukrainian defender) it's been largely wasted: they could've competed at the same level (ie better than Real Madrid, the biggest spenders in the world) with a fraction of their budget.
That's because, IMO, money can only be spent effectively up to a certain point before it's wasted. I think a successful squad is an absolute: you might need 5 world class players, 10 very good ones, and maybe 7 or 8 decent reserves. Once you have that then anything further will just be wasted because the improvement will be negligible or the players under-employed. Basically it's just diminishing returns. Look at City compared to Utd.
Well thank fuck for that! I was beginning to sweat there for a minute.
Always thought Wiltshire would be immense for us.
The Gooners future Gerrard
I thought that didn't sound right, it's Wilshere isn't it?
