I think that since january 2006 our onlymajor signing in a january transfer window has been

[Peter]

Arshavin. Other than that it has been very minor signings like eisfield or old campaigners like sol and henry.

It makes the notion of a big spending spree thisjanuary sound rather fanciful. Wehave only ever done this once, in january 06, when we signed adebayor, diaby and walcott.

Dont be surprised if we dont sign anyone. Arsene doesnt like january.

[East Upper for Supper]

ensure Wengers favour with the money hoarding board continues.
In other words the senile c**t wont buy anyone of note.

[andy smith]

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[Peter]

Bedtner, denilson, park, squillaci, chamkah, arshavin etc, we actually have a huge squad of players on the books and a giant wage bill. The worst thing you could do at this stage is add more ordinary or mediocre players. Signings needs to be better and more productive than what we have.

When you consider that the top players are way put of our price range, and many of those below tht level are till wanted by big spending clubs tht we cant compete with, you are ctually talking about a very small pool of players- players we could actually et who would improve our side. And how many of those are gettable in january?

[Redflag]

[Peter]

Bit one-footed though

[East Upper for Supper]

Ba was available and m'villa is available. But the wonderful wenger cant think of transfers until the Walcott situation has been resolved.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[Maravilloso Marvo]

I was in Seville a month or so ago to see him tear Real Betis apart.

[Peter]

Even if we matched the wages and the absurd fees that are apparently being added to the transfer fee do you really think Ba would have considered joining us over them? Not a chance in hell.

He clearly has reservations bout M'vila otherwise he would have gone for him in the summer. That could still happen apparently but i doubt it.

[East Upper for Supper]

With all due respect to Mr Frimpong, Charlton have ruled out wanting him back. He'll go to wolves on loan imo.
and I realise your reply was tounge in cheek.

[Peter]

Thought maybe the big move came a little early for him but his career doesnt seem to have taken off t all.

Shame, as he had real potential.

[Steve-OH]

:rolleyes:

[Maravilloso Marvo]

[Red N White Army]

Was frozen out by Rennes and kicked down to the U21s by France. Can't see that changing AW's mind unless he's eaten several helpings of humble pie over the last month or two

[East Upper for Supper]

[Peter]

Every game it costs him in and around the box. Every game.

[East Upper for Supper]

wide scouts and say all is lost.

[Peter]

[Maravilloso Marvo]

[Peter]

* message reported to dennis bergkamp.

[Redflag]

[Red N White Army]

[East Upper for Supper]

various experts on here and out there he is fairly good. Maybe wenger doesn't see him as all that better than Chmuck.

[PSRB]

Gotze
Eriksen
Lopez
Lewandowski
Jagielka*
Baines

*I actually think he'd do a great job for us at the right price

[Peter]

Anyway, he sounds expensive and think other clubs are interested, so that is out of the question.

[East Upper for Supper]

Works in Tecos insurance dept.

[Red N White Army]

[East Upper for Supper]

[Bergkamp's Brain]

You'll get strung up and have the rover beaten out of you

[PSRB]

gets decidely harder and more expensive after that

[East Upper for Supper]

[Norn Iron]

As he gets older and stronger that will improve. Just as it did with Cesc.

[Red N White Army]

Gotze £30m+
Eriksen £20m
Lopez £15m
Lewandowski £20-25m
Jagielka* £15m
Baines £15m

Any pressure on EFC with their latest results?

[Peter]

Nobody should need this pointed out to them.

[Peter]

Otherwise wenger would hve signed tem instead.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

Clear facts are no match for obvious bull****.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[PSRB]

I quite like the look of Lopez, worth a punt

Reckon we could get Phil for £6m now, 30 years old though, so probably 2 or 3 seasons left at the top

[Peter]

It mightjust be confidence in using it in tight areas. In and around the box it makes it so much easier for defenders if they know thyjustneed to stay the right side of you.

[East Upper for Supper]

His geographical range of in depth knowledge when searching for players is very restricted (France). poldolski and Carzola being the exception but were hardly unknown quantities before Wenger got them.

[Peter]

[East Upper for Supper]

[East Upper for Supper]

[7evens]

It's a bit **** or bust surely ?

[East Upper for Supper]

made a profit.
Cult wenger fans will still roll out the old "he deserves one more season to get it right".

[Bergkamp's Brain]

[7evens]

in the event we have a miserable second half of the season.
The next few games will probably be amongst the most important of his career.
I'm not sure he'll go if we finish outside top 4 but should we end up 7th or 8th, then he should go of his own accord. ?

[East Upper for Supper]

The old Rowley scouting network was excelllent and combined with Wengers unique knowledge (at the time in British football) of French football (then at its highest quality ever)he did unearth some gems. PV4, Petit,Anelka just to name a few.Even Remi Garde would be a major improvement on many of of todays **** that makes up the squad.
these days its a different storey as clubs have caught up and surpassed us.

[Frimmers]

Apart from the fact he's probably got enough money not to have to worry, if he was sacked on Monday morning he would probably be in a new job by Tuesday teatime.

**************FREE MONIES*************** imo

[East Upper for Supper]

But wenger fans and the board will give him another season to get us back there. And if he doesn't they'll give him another.

[Peter]

I mean, you have big per, vermaelen, hleb, edu, kolo, van persie.....

Is there a manager with a better track record of recruiting raw talent from across the globe? I cant think of one.

[East Upper for Supper]

Hleb a mainstay of the Belarus International team. Others unearthed in his hey day as discussed. Dont give me Kon as raw talent because I'd say he is still very raw.

[Peter]

I dont thinkthat is fair. Even though those players were known, he had to establish that they would make it here at arsenal. I didnt spot a queue in line for van persie, per, vermaelen, hleb etc.......

Its a bit rich to deny kolo. A mainstay of our defence for many years and then sold for 16 million. Not bad for 50 quid and a bag of balls.

I didnt even get to alex song..........

[East Upper for Supper]

I'd say his reputation is vastly inflated. Yes he found some "gems" in the past and that I dont deny although in Songs case someone at Barca should get the sack for paying what they did.
he definately speculated to accumalate.
as for what YOU consider current gems. Yes there was no queue for many of them and in many of them I can see why. Per may be our best defender, and one of favorites, out of a bunch of mediocre ****e but hes slower than a duck in cement.

[East Upper for Supper]

Questionable now but I give you not back then. As discussed, in his hey day he had an excellent world wide scouting team headed up by Rowley aided and abieted at that time by his own excellent in depth knowledge of the French leagues. That in the days when French football was at its excellent best. Now days he relies on scouts such as our French league expert Grimandi to report that the likes of Chamuck and Gervinho would be brilliant aquisitions to the PL.

[Peter]

He now faces a range of experienced foreign coaches and well developed scouting networks, as well as a host of competing clubs with far more money.

The picture has changed. You cant pick up players like vieira and van persie for nothing now, they cost serious money. And we dont have it, others do.

I am not saying there is nothing that you can do. It is just not as easy as it used to look and it is a bit unfair to claim that wenger has 'lost it' or that he is senile. Maybe a few people just have to get used to the fact that he isnt a miracle worker either.