Theo/agent palyed it very well , no chance of first team spot at a top 3 club

[SOLMAN(read by millions)]

supposed could have called his bluff

[TRENT COLTON]

Especially after they started boasting about building a young English/British squad. There goes all that new sponsorship money though :-(

[Nicosia Gooner]

allowed to leave

[Yesterday Once More]

Keeping Theo is a 5/6, compared to Cashley (9), Nasri (7), Fabregas (9), RvP (10) - just my view, you are entitled to differ.....

[Nicosia Gooner]

Cashley => had to go the moment it was found out he had a meeting with Murinho

Cesc => It was always a matter of when rather than if as he was returning home

Nasri => Surely you can't be serious on this one, could we ever match Man City's offer? Not a chance, absolutely none

RvP => obviously the most difficult one and difficult to understand why he was allowed to join ManU apart from the possibility that he made it clear he would have left on a free at the end of the season and join them anyway

[R.C. Celebrating the return of Trophies]

just the latest of a continuing list of f**k ups.

That a player of Theo's doubted ability can hold this club to ransom smacks of the grossest mismanagement.

That Theo doesnt have the bollox to try and make it at another club speaks volumes of the boy.

That Wenger doesnt have the bollox to call his bluff and is happy to continue rewarding ****e ( a habit of recent years)tells me that the status quo is sound at the Home of Mediocrity. And the fans continue to be mugged off at every turn.

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Bergkamp's Brain]

[R.C. Celebrating the return of Trophies]

so do you not think that, for the sake of half the money we've just doled out to Theo, we could have maybe drawn the line in the sand a few years ago and kept players of far greater quality than the young man who cant/wont tackle, doesn't know what to do when there isn't half a pitch to sprint into and is more likely to drive a golf ball 300 yards with his cock than actually win a header.

[Nicosia Gooner]

[R.C. Celebrating the return of Trophies]

god help us

[Nicosia Gooner]

[R.C. Celebrating the return of Trophies]

[Nicosia Gooner]

[R.C. Celebrating the return of Trophies]

you cant seem to tolerate anything remotely anti Arsenal establishment even though in recent years the club have systematically alienated large swathes of true Gooners by duping, lying, overpricing, and treating them with complete disdain bordering on contempt.I pity you, I really do.

[Nicosia Gooner]

See above

[Bergkamp's Brain]

No player should be able to hold the club to ransom, especially not a player who is a long way off being the finished article. However, given the history with RvP, Cesc, Nasri, Cole etc, and also given that he is a player with talent, albeit inconsistent, given also that he is only 23, once September 1st came and went, keeping him became all the more important as his sale value plumetted and replacing him would have been more costly.

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Bergkamp's Brain]

[R.C. Celebrating the return of Trophies]

which is why it strikes me as odd that the club have agreed to pay so much to keep him as it would seem no-one else of any standing wants him. His loss at the end of the season with the whole of the summer and these funds still available to replace him would not, imo, have proven disasterous.

[Nicosia Gooner]

I am not suggesting that he is the finished article but certainly not a long way, 15 goals and several assists this season and last season is an example of how good he can be.

[Nicosia Gooner]

[R.C. Celebrating the return of Trophies]

since 2004 Wenger has seen his plans for stability upset by the departure of key players. every season someone else would leave and be replaced causing a start all over again theme to run and run.Why draw the line now, what does keeping Theo actually do for the club that a big signing in the summer when he would have left not done better.
At best we/he is taking a gamble his faith and the clubs (our?)money will be repaid with loyalty and progress (nothing learned from history there then)A gamble that a young man who has promised much willstay long enough to fullfill his potential at Arsenal. The reality of him leaving to join a club with at least the ambition of winning a trophy as soon as he reaches that stage of his career is far more likely (RvP??)
Wenger has always been guilty of placing too much trust in his young charges

[Nicosia Gooner]

[R.C. Celebrating the return of Trophies]

I'm not being facetious here Nic, its a serious question.
I've sometimes wondered if I'm unfair on the lad so a couple of times I'll watch him during a game. A bit like player cam. 10 or 20 minutes just watching him, his positioning, his reaction to the play as it unfolds, his drive to stamp his mark on the match....
he just leaves me feeling so very unconvinced. Which is exasperating as with some gumtion and a bit of inyourface attitude he could be very very good. He's just....nice. He also shows some serious deficiencies in some aspects of his game. like decision making.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

He has bags of pace but he hasn't learned to keep the ball at that pace. Going past his full back, with the ball, is still a major issue for him. Receiving the ball and keeping it is still more than just an inconsistency. Use of the ball, crossing is inconsistent, brilliant at time, poor at others. He has a long way to go imo

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Nicosia Gooner]

He certainly isn't a centre forward although he could do a job against certain clubs

His number of goals and assists in the last two seasons tells me he is an important player for us and would have been stupid to allow him him to leave

As for the finances, neither you or I have a clue what they are and I believe Arsenal FC are in a much better position to make a judgement on what he deserves, even though they have made a mistake in the past with certain players, mainly the policy