KevieG

Babel was a squad player till we changed the system and so far has been unconvincing and lacks stamina. Lucas is a squad player. Benny is a squad player. If given the choice bewteen all 3 and Ribery, I'd take Ribery every time. We need top quality.

We should have signed him last year, instead of the 3 squad player(babel, benny and lucas for 20 million plus). There was no gamble involved, he is world class, he was last year and he will be this year. If we have 25 million to spend and Bayern would sell, we should spend the lot on him.

Whether it happens or not, I'd be for it if it brought some competition back to the league. It would level the playing field.

They are quite similar but Barry is left footed, and he'll balance the side better, he's also more mobile no matter what anyone says. Xabi's passing has been off for while. I think on the whole I'd prefer Barry +4 million.

Yes Piggy, we heard you the first time, now try and play the ball and not the man as I've asked you before. As for the topic, I'd prefer if Rafa was honest about it, by all means mention that Cheslea and United are top dogs, have better squads and will in all probablity spend more but leave it at that. People rared up at Ronnie Whelan for his gaffe a few weeks back, and it was bad, about Rafa V Mourinho in terms of money, but Rafa shouldn't give the impression that Arsenal are spending anywhere near what we are, and also bring other teams into it when they are no-where near our level. If we get a couple of quality players in, in our problems positions, play a settled team and formation, we are contenders, no matter who the other bring in. You can only field eleven players at the end of the day. Chelsea brought in Ballack and Sheva to their all conquering side from 2 years back and it flopped. As someone said here a few days ago, we have much more scope for improvement than the top 2. Its a very good point.

We were strong enough to challenge last year and should do this year, with a bit of luck we can win it. If Dossena is top quality and anywhere near the standard of the left back of the other big 3 clubs it will be of huge benefit. Top class replacements for Kuyt and Babel and we'll be well in with a shout.

Who?

I just negged you for being an opinionless cheerleader piggy. Do your worst

A victory for football(somewhat anyway) over the forces of evil. We'd do well to put in a cheeky bid for mcGeady, better than anything we have out wide.

sorry, should have said evil meglomaniac assest stripping debt-lading rotten cherry

He instilled his own standards of mediocrity where once there were none. The Hicks thing was just the cherry on the cake. To give him some dues, he backed the club with huge money throughout his tenure. Everything else was a joke. Joint managers, joint chairmen, stadium fiasco, about 5 years to find an investor, no foresight whatsover as the Sky era and money kicked in. A pure shambles

Would you have him as a first teamer next year?

I dont mind it. I've got a few right doozies, good for a laugh. But as regards Kuyt, we need better quality, even in the games where he played well (cheslea in CL) he was miscontrolling the ball and losing the split second advantage that a top class player gets to turn something half decent into a real chance. And Babel is the same for that matter. Replace those two, keep a settled team and we'll challenge

There is some truth in that.

Suffering the pain of watching it makes our winning sweeter, though I switched off after the peno save. Feel the hate people, embrace it and use it to move on. :) Last night actually gave me some hope, they aren't as good as they are made out to be. Cheslea bossed most of that game and we are well able for Cheslea physically, our inferiority against them is 80% psychological. We should be forcing our game on them in the same way.

Actually meant to put that in as well last night, that greasey get is pining for iberia and the "famous white jersey" It would be some consolation, 42 goals is unheard of in the modern game, think clive allen may have been the last to hit something near that and god knows who before him. Even with 80 million they won't replace that.

prepare for some death by negging :whistle:

Great attitude, great workrate, nice fella apparently, but not good enough for the position he plays and thats the bottom line. He'd be an ok option as a squad player.

fair enough, we can work it out some other time, but if we haven't got the quality against the big teams then this is the only area we have in which to make up points.

And thats why everyone loves him

I see us playing out games against the shite without passion, the one time i think I saw United do that this year was against West Ham and it was unusual to see. If they are level or behind against the poorer teams they usually go for it hammer and tongs, no matter the outcome. Its all very well us being up for Inter in the CL, but away games at Blackburn and Reading need the same attitude, I don't think we get it. But I accept your point that we may be near United in terms of points against the shite, just shows how near we actually are.

But were we hungry?

go way ya langer and live happy ever after with kuyt on the wing.

Time to be hungry is against shit like wigan and portsmouth, thats where you win your titles and thats one of the areas where we suffer

Yes I think we are accepting medicority and your attitude is symptomatic of that. Our champions league runs have papered over a lot of cracks If you think we're doing well then I'm happy for you.