Strange comment from Pochettino about taking a 'risk' on Ali ?

[Ash]

That's not a risk old chap. That's a punt...
There is no risk on paying £5m on any player for a club of that size. If they don't work out, you move them on and pretty much cover your cost.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39956996

£40m on Xhaka.. Now that, was a risk.

It was too much of a risk for Arsenal, who thought he was too expensive, according to Clive from the AV podcast, who seems to know football in and around the Milton Keynes area quite well.

And Grant Shackleton wasn't £40m, was he? Bit harsh to add five to ten million onto a player's fee just to qunt him off. Are you Tony Cascarino?

[7sisters]

It was too much of a risk for Arsenal, who thought he was too expensive, according to Clive from the AV podcast, who seems to know football in and around the Milton Keynes area quite well.

And Grant Shackleton wasn't £40m, was he? Bit harsh to add five to ten million onto a player's fee just to qunt him off. Are you Tony Cascarino?

Well.. To you and everyone else that interpreted this as a slight on Xhaka, it wasn't.. My comment was simply that it was a far greater risk to spend 40m on a player, with no major track record in playing in one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, as opposed to taking a punt of £5m on a player from the lower divisions.
For the record. I like Xhaka. I like his spirit, a tad reckless perhaps but certainly a player that adds steel to the midfield. A good eye for goal and as SC pointed out, a very good passer of a ball.

[Ash]

Well.. To you and everyone else that interpreted this as a slight on Xhaka, it wasn't.. My comment was simply that it was a far greater risk to spend 40m on a player, with no major track record in playing in one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, as opposed to taking a punt of £5m on a player from the lower divisions.
For the record. I like Xhaka. I like his spirit, a tad reckless perhaps but certainly a player that adds steel to the midfield. A good eye for goal and as SC pointed out, a very good passer of a ball.

Ok, but if we are to "spend some fùcking money" as so many have been demanding, and especially in an inflated market, then that is going to involve risk by its nature. After all, the reason why we didn't spend the chuffing money for so long was because the club/manager thought it too much of a risk, at a time of austerity for the club.

Did Man Utd take a risk on Pogba? Yes, but it doesn't matter because they can probably afford a risk like that every year. We might be able to do that once, but we couldn't do that every year.

[redgunamo]

Ok, but if we are to "spend some fùcking money" as so many have been demanding, and especially in an inflated market, then that is going to involve risk by its nature. After all, the reason why we didn't spend the chuffing money for so long was because the club/manager thought it too much of a risk, at a time of austerity for the club.

Did Man Utd take a risk on Pogba? Yes, but it doesn't matter because they can probably afford a risk like that every year. We might be able to do that once, but we couldn't do that every year.

I suppose reducing the risk by signing *decent* players is out of the question?

[Ash]

I suppose reducing the risk by signing *decent* players is out of the question?

I should hope not, and I've often said that I'm more interested in how good a player is than how much he costs. My objection is to the spending-money-as-therapy meme, as if people prefer shopping to watching good football.

[redgunamo]

I should hope not, and I've often said that I'm more interested in how good a player is than how much he costs. My objection is to the spending-money-as-therapy meme, as if people prefer shopping to watching good football.

#WengerOut then. He seems to have lost a little bit the confidence in His own coaching abilities lately, doesn't He

[Ash]

#WengerOut then. He seems to have lost a little bit the confidence in His own coaching abilities lately, doesn't He

I dunno. Iwobi and Bellerin have come through. And isn't our goal-scoring maestro a better player now than when he arrived?

[SWv2]

Ok, but if we are to "spend some fùcking money" as so many have been demanding, and especially in an inflated market, then that is going to involve risk by its nature. After all, the reason why we didn't spend the chuffing money for so long was because the club/manager thought it too much of a risk, at a time of austerity for the club.

Did Man Utd take a risk on Pogba? Yes, but it doesn't matter because they can probably afford a risk like that every year. We might be able to do that once, but we couldn't do that every year.

We have been spending money for years A - Ozil, Sanchez, Xhaka, Mustafi. None cheap.

Chamberlain, Welbeck, Perez.

[Monty92]

We have been spending money for years A - Ozil, Sanchez, Xhaka, Mustafi. None cheap.

Chamberlain, Welbeck, Perez.

SW, I need to PM you but don't know how.

How do you PM people on this Awimb?

[SWv2]

SW, I need to PM you but don't know how.

How do you PM people on this Awimb?

I think you click on the icon / name thing and go from there. Not sure it works mind you.

I look forward to your communication.