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

[Monty92]

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.

Done.......

[The Insider]

I know why he has said this. It is not related to his talent on the pitch nor his price.

[Luis Anaconda]

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.

I did but fair enough and yes, you are right in that respect. Xhaka had an inordinate amount of **** this season (eg Cascarino's jibe). He has been underwhelming but far the useless player he is made out to be

[Ash]

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

Chamberlain, Welbeck, Perez.

I wasn't saying that we hadn't been. My point really is that the risk is inversely proportional to the monies you have available.

[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.

[Ash]

Pogba, while a fine footballer, represented a club making a huge PR statement.

One of the 2-3 biggest clubs in the world yet seen by many to be in decline, albeit temporary. A club missing from the very top table of club football, the CL.

So what do you do, go out and remind the world who you are by signing the most expensive footballer in the world. He was a signing beyond the obvious impact on and ability on the pitch. A risk perhaps but an investment nonetheless.

"Sending a message"

Sorry, but I just can't get behind that idea.

[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?

[redgunamo]

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

We certainly had a better team before we began signing thirty million pound players from Barcelona and Real Madrid. Perhaps the money went to His head.

[SWv2]

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

I am sure a person who knows the inner workings of our club better than ours may point at other coaches, further down the chain, who have been more pivotal in the footballing growth and development of messer Iwobi and Bellerin than Mr Wenger who has simply noted their progress and given them a chance to play and train with better players thus catalysing said progress.

As for Sanchez being “better”, perhaps so or is he simply the same player he always was but now surrounded by relative shít****s whereas at Barcelona he was lesser to others and was not seen as shiny. His stature certainly has grown because of his period with us but not sure he is better.

He still appears to lose the ball a lot, one of the major criticisms of his time in Catalonia.