Has Comolli and FSG Failed there first major test

[Trumo]

He can't be all that quick if Wenger won that race. What's the point in moving to a club to sit in their reserves, when the first-teamer in your position is also waiting for his balls to drop?

[Aldonose]

How are Southampton producing these talented kids (Bale, Walcott, Chamberlain) when our state of the art academy isn't bringing anyone through? Maybe we should steal their youth scouts.

 

They're being given a chance at Southampton. Kenny has started playing Martin Kelly as a regular, and I bet it won't be too long before pundits are calling for an England cap. It's not the scouting system, it's more a case of a manager having the arse to put them in the first team.

[piscinin]

I'd be more interested in learning how a club that has been run as a complete basketcase like Southampton over the last few years appears to have a very effective youth policy.

 

Given a lot of the players that have made it have been brought in from elsewhere I'd say they concentrated on recruitment. Same way we recruited our way to the good runs in the youth cup recently.

[Iantn]

How are Southampton producing these talented kids (Bale, Walcott, Chamberlain) when our state of the art academy isn't bringing anyone through? Maybe we should steal their youth scouts.

 

Both Bale and Walcott joined Southampton at 16 though.

 

Are current lot of 16/17 year olds that we've signed from elsewhere are doing pretty decent at the minute.

[chorlton]

this is the shittest thread i've seen on the forum. Some people are just constantly glass half empty.

[Monkeywool]

Haven't Southampton basically said they will only sell to a club which will develop the player? We haven't exactly got the best track record on that at the moment have we?

[camdenred]

What a ridiculous thread. Yes what a bunch of cunts they are...

 

I think getting Tom Ince on a long term deal and telling his dad to shut up is more important personally. Both winger that have excelled at league 1 level. Both have the talent to go all the way. One we have, one would cost over £10m after add-ons. Over-priced.

 

Ince was on the bench for most of his loan stay at Notts County and failed to impress. Chamberlains been electric all season for Southampton who are arguably the best team in the division.

[WrongIslander]

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger wins race to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | Mail Online

 

If your serious about buying the best english youngsters then they should have pulled all the stops out to get this player.

 

You can talk a good game but if you dont deliver then whats the point

 

No but you have, it's called English.

 

Moving on though, why wouldn't Oxlade-Chamberlain want to play for Arsenal above all others at his age? He knows he will be given more than enough chances, he knows he will develop as a player and he knows regardless of his age that if he is good enough he will play in the premiership.

 

The lad probably made his mind up before we even put a bid in. Anyway if we get Suarez (the real test) then we've got by far the better player for now and now (given we desperately need CL football, is what matters most as long as we are also buying players that can improve in the future, like say 23 year old Uruguayan forwards.

[Section_31]

No but you have, it's called English.

 

Moving on though, why wouldn't Oxlade-Chamberlain want to play for Arsenal above all others at his age? He knows he will be given more than enough chances, he knows he will develop as a player and he knows regardless of his age that if he is good enough he will play in the premiership.

 

The lad probably made his mind up before we even put a bid in. Anyway if we get Suarez (the real test) then we've got by far the better player for now and now (given we desperately need CL football, is what matters most as long as we are also buying players that can improve in the future, like say 23 year old Uruguayan forwards.

 

In fairness, we don't know what made him choose them. That might be the reasons they give the press, but in reality, tempting young players to a club is an art in itself posessed of all sorts of shady shit.

[Trucker Paddy]

It's up to the lad and his family were he goes, fuck all we can do to force the issue

[WrongIslander]

In fairness, we don't know what made him choose them. That might be the reasons they give the press, but in reality, tempting young players to a club is an art in itself posessed of all sorts of shady shit.

 

If I had no allegiance to Liverpool and I wanted to further my career in England I'd sign for Arsenal without a second thought.

[Maldini]

How are Southampton producing these talented kids (Bale, Walcott, Chamberlain) when our state of the art academy isn't bringing anyone through? Maybe we should steal their youth scouts.

 

We did. Malcolm Elias the lad who discovered all of these for Southampton was with us for a couple of years and signed Dalla Valle, Buchtmann, Wisdom, N'goo and a few others before leaving for Fulham.

[Digger's Peg]

Can't find the article now, but the speculation was that even though he's a Liverpool supporter, due to us not knowing who our manager will be next season, he'd prefer to go to a club where he knows for definite what the youth & management structure will be.

 

Edit: Fulham emerge as surprise favourites to land Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in £10million deal as Arsenal swoop hits loan switch - Goal.com

[18-5]

@ Digger's peg: That link is 4 days old...

 

Fuck Chamberlain if he prefers someone else. I am more worried that Pacheco isn't breaking into the team yet. He is 20 now and is behind 18 year old Shelvey in the pecking order. Our wingers aren't that great either... He signed a new contract but I am not confident about him making it here with us.

[Red Phoenix]

Nick, have you been posting on the BBC site too?

 

Nick from Liverpool via text on 81111: "Re: 1657 - I once scored a hat-trick of own goals on my debut for my new team, the third was volleyed into my own net, top corner, from six yards..."

 

(I just wanted an excuse to post it somewhere.)

[Red Nick]

Nick, have you been posting on the BBC site too?

 

Nick from Liverpool via text on 81111: "Re: 1657 - I once scored a hat-trick of own goals on my debut for my new team, the third was volleyed into my own net, top corner, from six yards..."

 

(I just wanted an excuse to post it somewhere.)

 

Sounds like an Alias for Jamie Carragher that

[Digger's Peg]

@ Digger's peg: That link is 4 days old...

 

If you read my comment, the link isn't being used to show where Alex is heading at the moment, but rather to counter the argument in this thread that Comolli & the owners have not acted quick enough to grab him.

[RedinSweden]

Splendid. A thread fresh from the vast Nutter Valley on Planet Mental.

[Kevin D]

There are still 8 days left. And as someone said earlier, their first test was the managerial position. A little bit of calm needed, methinks.

 

The PTA has disbanded. *Jumps out of window*.

[WaltonRed]

In one word: No

[Monkeywool]

Are we going to get a mental thread like this every time a player we are rumoured to sign/miss out on happens?

 

If so, I can't wait until the summer.

[Fugitive]

Red Nick writes his thoughts out on his bedroom wall in his own shit.

[Jonny83]

Surely that is the complete opposite of their stated goals.

 

We wont be relegated and we wont finish in the top 4 so surely its best to look to the future.

 

More importantly when the best young talent becomes available you have to be in the market for it which means taking a long term view on your investment.

 

Buy either the best or potentially the best, Adam and Suarez dont fit into that catefory

 

So we should only be in for very, very, very promising youngsters and Lionel Messi then?

 

Don't get me wrong I do sort of get what you're saying but we have to be realistic about our pulling power in terms of finances and current position, and our current first team. I would suggest that we should be in for people who can either improve our first 11 or have the potential to do so, rather than "the best".

 

So while yes, there should be no more Degens or Jovanovics etc., if we can afford and attract a player who will either be good enough to replace one of our best 11 (a loose-ish definition I know) or in the opinion of our scouts and youth coaches could do so with the right development, then I'm in, even if there is a player out there in the world who is better than him, but probably unobtainable.

 

As far as the question posed in the thread title - for me Comolli's test will be how he works with and assists Kenny, if Kenny wants someone and it's within budget but Comolli says "no I know better than you look at my record with Tottenham", then fail. If he can find players that Kenny is happy with like he did for Wenger at Arsenal, then pass.