So Wenger says that we were 'very, very close' to signing Mbappe. Isn't it annoying

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Originally Posted by Peter

This is one of my bigger concerns with our recent spending. In Mustafi and Perez we paid 50 million for two players who would have been available for next to nothing 18 months earlier. The old Wenger would not have needed to see Kante play for Leicester for a year before deciding he wants him.

He built the initial success mainly on signing players who sat outside or below the focus of the bigger clubs. We don't seem to make these types of signings now.

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That's because we *are* now one of those bigger clubs.

Blame the Emirates Stadium, imo. If you suddenly start earning alot more, everything you want to buy suddenly starts costing alot more as well.

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Originally Posted by Mo Britain less Europe

I am calling him a fantasist. Higuain's another one we nearly signed, he's just won the semi-final for Juventus.

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"Fantasist" is a bit strong but I broadly agree. He knows the business better than anyone and will be fully aware that teenage starlets don't agree to sign for you just because you went round their house for tea; you have to offer them a better deal than anyone else. Business demands it.

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Originally Posted by Rich

how often we are really close to getting players but never close the deal.

Off the top of my head I can think of Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, Kluivert, Mpabble, Cech (before he went to Chelsea).

If we're going to give Him a Director Of Football then perhaps we can perform better in the recruitment department.

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Spreading more transfer bull**** than Harry Redknapp these days. "Oh, I nearly signed that player a year before any of you had ever heard of him. But, I decided to stick with Coquelin and Walcott instead"

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Originally Posted by redgunamo

That's because we *are* now one of those bigger clubs.

Blame the Emirates Stadium, imo. If you suddenly start earning alot more, everything you want to buy suddenly starts costing alot more as well.

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It doesn't mean you have to start thinking like them. Spending bigger sums hasn't helped at all.

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Originally Posted by Peter

This is one of my bigger concerns with our recent spending. In Mustafi and Perez we paid 50 million for two players who would have been available for next to nothing 18 months earlier. The old Wenger would not have needed to see Kante play for Leicester for a year before deciding he wants him.

He built the initial success mainly on signing players who sat outside or below the focus of the bigger clubs. We don't seem to make these types of signings now.

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This is all very true imo. Didn't Veng make the point about our scouting network lacking a little bit sharpness recently?

The somwhat bang-averageness of our very expensive acquisitions last summer shows that the spendsomefackinmoney calls were never really the answer.

Getsomefackingoodplayerscoachthemwellandsendthemou tknowingwhattheyaredoing would have been a more accurate slogan imo, albeit packing less precision.

17m on a forward who he thinks is a bit ****? whassatallabaht?

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Originally Posted by Peter

It doesn't mean you have to start thinking like them. Spending bigger sums hasn't helped at all.

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Having finally addressed the CM and CB with significant spending, we've slid backwards at an alarming rate. Xhaka and Mustafi have struggled in a dreadfully managed setup.

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Originally Posted by Peter

It doesn't mean you have to start thinking like them. Spending bigger sums hasn't helped at all.

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Of course it's helped; it's helped us spend bigger sums! It's true, you don't have to think like the bigger clubs, but equally you don't *have* to earn more money like them either. Point is though that we *want* to, that is the path we have chosen.

Wenger doesn't work for us for free and Özil doesn't play for us because he likes us; these people want paying.

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Originally Posted by Ash

This is all very true imo. Didn't Veng make the point about our scouting network lacking a little bit sharpness recently?

The somwhat bang-averageness of our very expensive acquisitions last summer shows that the spendsomefackinmoney calls were never really the answer.

Getsomefackingoodplayerscoachthemwellandsendthemou tknowingwhattheyaredoing would have been a more accurate slogan imo, albeit packing less precision.

17m on a forward who he thinks is a bit ****? whassatallabaht?

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A little harsh no??

I for one think both Mustafi and Xhaka are very fine footballers who are simply struggling as part of a larger broken machine.

In respect of Perez I don’t think Wenger ever wanted him but for whatever reason was forced or coerced into buying him, evidenced by the timing of the move in relation to the window and since then by his almost reluctance to play the lad ahead of others who have not performed so well when given the chance. Naturally and without apology I have absolutely nothing to base this on.
Wenger out.

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Originally Posted by Ash

17m on a forward who he thinks is a bit ****? whassatallabaht?

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Perez has looked ok when he's been given a go. He makes decent runs and gets into some good goal scoring positions. A Sanchez,Welbeck,Perez front three would've been interesting imo.

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Originally Posted by Ash

This is all very true imo. Didn't Veng make the point about our scouting network lacking a little bit sharpness recently?

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A certain lack of the necessary creative conflict perhaps, but we've been remarking upon that for years, you can see it for yourself on the pitch, and it is entirely a symptom of Wenger's own longevity and subsequent power over all things Arsenal; our scouts only suggest players that they *know* the manager is likely to like (in order to stay in His good books). In many cases, they do so only to discover that the manager Himself has already scouted the player and rejected him or earmarked him long before.