Summer Transfers 2014

[dickie mint]

Chelsea sign Filipe Luis the left back from Atl Madrid

[Major Tom]

While we sit here, constructing what really is a patchy squad with "promise" and harbouring the naive hope that our defence will suddenly sort itself out, that Sturridge will never get injured, that our midfielders will make up the 30 goals we just lost, and that our dedication to a playing philosophy will be enough to bridge the gap in talent. No, the window hasn't closed, so no firm conclusions to be made yet, but it's a concern.

 

Yep.

 

As of now I would be happy with Davies, a top midfielder and a pretty good striker. RB is an issue but I can't see them solving them all this window.

[Razoray]

Khedira Ramsey

Sanchez Ozil Chamberlain

Podolski

 

Its a pretty good front six.

 

They'd have very good cover with 

 

Flamini Arteta

Cazorla Wilshere Chamberlain

Giroud

 

with Rosicky and even Diaby (sicknote). If they buy a few defenders and a keeper they are all set - big IF!

[Section_31]

Wouldn't get too worried about arsenal just yet, their problem is Wenger and his inflexibility and not just their personnel. He's Andrea Bocelli at Battle of the Bands. In fact I've got a fairly good idea how next season will go for them. It'll start with them playing well amidst a media wankfest, but the fans will become restless as they have an implosion that includes a couple of drubbings and a European exit, people will talk about whether it's time for him to move on, but then he'll finish moderately strongly and everyone will forget the 5-0 sodomisings they got at Christmas and all will be well with the world again. Dunno why I feel this I just do.

[J-V]

with Rosicky and even Diaby (sicknote). If they buy a few defenders and a keeper they are all set - big IF!

 

Well they're looking likely to get Ospina so they only need to sort out the defence if that really.  As mentioned defence wise they were doing well baring a few hammerings.

[Dave D]

No matter what we do, just remember-

 

Not so many summers ago we were signing Joe Cole, Jovanovic, Konchesky, Wilson and resigning Aurellio after releasing him the week before. And if I recall rightly, having a transfer deadline day being linked with frantic bids for Carlton Cole and Kenwyne Jones.

 

All under the watchful eye of the wise old owl. With the backing of Hicks and Gillet. Having lost Alonso and Mascherano.

 

So, all in all, things are pretty incredibly orgasmically out of this world amazing right now     

 

 

[RazorBack]

In what way, RB?

 

Just feels like he can't do the things he has done in the Henry-Vieira, etc. era.. Mentally I don't think he can set up his team to the level to be champions or go to the CL final even if he has the personel. But I may be wrong and they manage to do it this year..

[Gym Beglin]

Not a popular answer, but I'd like to see Connor Coady given a chance in pre-season to see if he's capable of doing an Arbeloa across the back four.

[Red House]

Looking like another shit day so far. Filipe Luis signing for the chavs and looking like we might missed out on Davies. This one is not dead yet but our record in transfer tussles against Spurs doesn't fill me with confidence. At least, we have champions league on offer this time around, but then the Ayre factor could easily nullify that. It would indeed be definite proof of Ayre's incompetence if we still miss out given the current positions of the two clubs.

[Phoenix]

More bothered about someone who can change a game ... As we learnt last season .. Defence isn't an issue in most games if you are 5-0 up first half ... Someone with a bit of guile won't go amiss ... Sturridge will be injured at least once next season and then we are relying on youngsters

 

 

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[Gym Beglin]

Khedira Ramsey

Sanchez Ozil Chamberlain

Podolski

 

Its a pretty good front six.

I think it looks a bit of a mess.

 

Flamini/Wilshire/Arteta/Rosicky/Diaby all on the sidelines? I'd be happy testing the water for Wilshire, I think he's far too comfortable under Wenger and in London, and he won't get a look-in ahead of Ramsey or Khedira, even Flamini. But he's a Rodgers midfielder, could be great if he knuckles down and gets away from his London mates.

 

Podolski will never start up front, it'll be Giroud or Walcott or Joel Campbell or even Remy.

 

Arsenal will be decent, tons of pace, but that defence and keeper is just asking for trouble, it's Championship-esque. They've only got one adult keeper on their books now, and that's Chesney or however you want to spell it. Carl fucking Jenkinson, Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny, Thomas Vermaelen, Kieran Gibbs, it's grotesque.

[Trumo]

Looking like another shit day so far. Filipe Luis signing for the chavs and looking like we might missed out on Davies. This one is not dead yet but our record in transfer tussles against Spurs doesn't fill me with confidence. At least, we have champions league on offer this time around, but then the Ayre factor could easily nullify that. It would indeed be definite proof of Ayre's incompetence if we still miss out given the current positions of the two clubs.

 

How many players were we definitely in for before supposedly being gazumped by Spurs? I've had a look at the squads and dealings over the past 5 years (the length of time it's been since Spurs started targetting the same players as us) and I can only come up with

 

- Willian (who went to Chelsea anyway)

- Eriksen (not sure if we were ever seriously linked as far as even making a bid)

- Sigurdsson (Spurs offered him higher wages)

- Dempsey (Spurs didn't originally want or need him but when it became apparent that he was available, they took advantage of Fulham casting the player adrift. Spurs then got rid of him after a year)

- Friedel (I know we enquired but we still had Reina as our No1 at the time, and Friedel didn't want to be a benchwarmer)

 

Other than those names, I'm struggling. More often than not, Liverpool get dubiously linked with a player and when there is nothing in it, the journalists and rumour-mongers state that Spurs want that player and mention how he was supposedly a Liverpool target. Hey presto, Spurs are about to gazump Liverpool again. I reckon it's a running joke amongst journos and agents to keep this theme going. It gives them website hits and keeps their name out there.

[JermainePennant]

I think it looks a bit of a mess.

Flamini/Wilshire/Arteta/Rosicky/Diaby all on the sidelines? I'd be happy testing the water for Wilshire, I think he's far too comfortable under Wenger and in London, and he won't get a look-in ahead of Ramsey or Khedira, even Flamini. But he's a Rodgers midfielder, could be great if he knuckles down and gets away from his London mates.

Podolski will never start up front, it'll be Giroud or Walcott or Joel Campbell or even Remy.

Arsenal will be decent, tons of pace, but that defence and keeper is just asking for trouble, it's Championship-esque. They've only got one adult keeper on their books now, and that's Chesney or however you want to spell it. Carl fucking Jenkinson, Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny, Thomas Vermaelen, Kieran Gibbs, it's grotesque.

Arsenals problem last season was a lack of pace in attack, teams just pushed up and with giroud up front and Walcott injured teams didn't have to worry about players getting behind them.

 

This was responsible for their batterings as much as their defence Imo as they had no out ball, if you ask arsenal fans about their defence they think koscelny and mertesacker are as good as anything in Europe.

 

Sanchez and khedira would be excellent buissness for them and so far they have done the best in this window compared to other prem clubs.

Edited July 16, 2014 by JermainePennant

[Jairzinho]

Arsenal's problem last season was Wenger's lack of pragmatism in big games, and Giroud being fucking shite.

[JermainePennant]

Arsenal's problem last season was Wenger's lack of pragmatism in big games, and Giroud being fucking shite.

Lack of pace was a massive problem for them, the press and pundits where saying it and I know a lot of arsenal fans who where bitching saying they cant believe Wenger of all people had put together such a slow team when they where known for their lightening counter attacks in previous years.

 

Sanchez is perfect for them as he has pace and great quality on the ball which makes me more pissed off that we missed out on him.

Edited July 16, 2014 by JermainePennant

[ZonkoVille77]

Section is spot on. Arsenal always fall apart then pull off a run to 4th. Can't really see if being any different this time around unless the FA cup win has given them a massive confidence boost.

Fuck Arsenal anyway. We just need to do what we did last season and twat teams all over the camp.

 

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[Gym Beglin]

 

I can see us getting mullered for pace down our right if we play a high line against Sanchez. Not only Johnson and Flanno with a pace deficiency, but also Agger and Skrtel hardly electric, and Mignolet isn't likely to leave his box to head the danger off...

 

Sort of game where I can see the logic in us being in the market for another keeper like Vorm or Navas.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

We're going to be doubly ace next year. Best team in the league.

[TheHowieLama]

I fancy any team in the top of the table vs a side w Ozil in the middle.

[Red House]

How many players were we definitely in for before supposedly being gazumped by Spurs? I've had a look at the squads and dealings over the past 5 years (the length of time it's been since Spurs started targetting the same players as us) and I can only come up with

 

- Willian (who went to Chelsea anyway)

- Eriksen (not sure if we were ever seriously linked as far as even making a bid)

- Sigurdsson (Spurs offered him higher wages)

- Dempsey (Spurs didn't originally want or need him but when it became apparent that he was available, they took advantage of Fulham casting the player adrift. Spurs then got rid of him after a year)

- Friedel (I know we enquired but we still had Reina as our No1 at the time, and Friedel didn't want to be a benchwarmer)

 

Other than those names, I'm struggling. More often than not, Liverpool get dubiously linked with a player and when there is nothing in it, the journalists and rumour-mongers state that Spurs want that player and mention how he was supposedly a Liverpool target. Hey presto, Spurs are about to gazump Liverpool again. I reckon it's a running joke amongst journos and agents to keep this theme going. It gives them website hits and keeps their name out there.

It might not seem a lot over a period of 5 years, but all those you mentioned occured over the last two years i.e. since Brendan took over and Ayre became managing director. Beaten to 5 transfers (take or add one) by the same team is still a pretty big deal in my books. Not sure why you are taking the last of 5 years as a yardstick, surely we should be looking at the record of the current transfer dealings management team. We've missed out on transfers before, but rarely wth such consistency as we've been witnessing under the Brendan-Ayre era and I doubt Brendan is the main issue here.

[J-V]

Fuck this shit lets buy Isco.  Get on it Ayre!

[Adebisi]

In hindsight, would anyone want any of those players anyway? Willian is a good player but we buy him maybe Sterling doesn't progress like he did, maybe he even goes out on loan. 

Don't think we were in for Eriksen either, just like no other top club were in for him even when they could have had him for 10 million or whatever it was. Sigurosson is off to Crystal Palace that's how good he is and Dempsey was playing in the MLS a year after we were linked with him. 
 

[JermainePennant]

If we had got William and Sanchez we would be as good as any team in Europe in attacking areas, those two players are ones who would have been stars here Imo and made similar impacts to Torres and Suarez.

[The Golden Eel]

Yeah Willian definitely but the price was too high, no doubt about it, and he would have fucked us off even if we'd agreed to pay it. He's a classy player though

[Red House]

In hindsight, would anyone want any of those players anyway? Willian is a good player but we buy him maybe Sterling doesn't progress like he did, maybe he even goes out on loan. 

 

Don't think we were in for Eriksen either, just like no other top club were in for him even when they could have had him for 10 million or whatever it was. Sigurosson is off to Crystal Palace that's how good he is and Dempsey was playing in the MLS a year after we were linked with him. 

 

In hindsight, no. But, that shouldn't be an excuse for constantly losing out on transfer targets to rivals. We can't expect that to be constantly the case based on the poorish performances of most of our missed targets so far. If anything, it probably suggests that in addition to our transfer negotiating team being useless, it also does not cover our scouting department in glory.