I have just seen the picture of Arsene wining and dining with people in Paris. Putting the finishing

[Rich]

touches to the Cavani deal :cloud9:

Also - Rabiot looks like that guy that bombed the Boston marathon.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

[Berni]

[Peter]

A brilliant striker would be nice but it seems there aren't any.

I suppose we could pay nearly 40 million quid for a 19 year old but i suspect we dont want to :hehe: :hehe:

[Monty91]

[Rich]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

At the start of the summer I think most people and indeed respected experts would have suggested two areas of our side could be strengthened, midfield and up top. As it stands of course neither has been.

The current incumbents are of course good, very good in fact, but the suspicion has always been that they could be improved on. Giroud appears at the moment to be going out of his way to support this argument, Walcott to support the argument that he is in fact not a true back up option.

Only 4 games mind you.

The thing is the whole new marquee forward thing is very difficult to achieve.

In summary, we should have signed Schneiderlinn when the chance was there.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Surely, if we're in such need of a striker, a proven, experienced premier league player such as he, at a cost of gornisht, makes sense?

[Rich]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

I mean, does he fart lightning and **** thunder?

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

http://cdn.hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/09/doogie-howser-411x375c.jpg

[Monty91]

about needing to upgrade him?

The reluctance to accept his constantly excellent performances over the past year at face value seems entirely based on the fact that we still remember him as that fullback kid we shipped out to Charlton and can't wrap our heads around the possibility that he's the real deal.

[Monty91]

The reluctance to accept his consistently excellent performances over the past year at face value seems based entirely on the fact that in our heads he is still that fullback kid we shipped out on loan to Charlton and can't wrap our heads around the possibility of him being the real deal.

[Pat Vegas]

[Berni]

That, for me, is a rather more pressing concern than us signing anyone.

[redgunamo]

[Berni]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Or that is he simply one person and will throughout a season miss matches with injury, suspension or perhaps even loss of form (an unknown given how recent or short in time his renaissance has been).

In the event of the above we are left with Arteta, a fine footballer of course but one with very obvious deficiencies in the role he is now asked to play, coupled with a worrying injury record in recentish history.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

In fact he may even play for Germany in the next few days, assuming they have a game.

[Pokster]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Shocking scenes really the monies being chucked about.

[Monty91]

and well respected Arteta as back-up to one of Europe's most consistently excellent defensive-minded midfielders over the past year?

Riiiiiiiiight.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

[Pokster]

as at this morning... and we are 13th on net spend.

So we are the see of calm in the mad world of football finances

[Monty91]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

But 40 million for a 19 year old who isn't, as far as we know, touted as the next Messi or Maradona? It seems rather silly.

[Berni]

on speculation, received opinion and hype that works almost entirely to the benefit of the seller rather than the buyer.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Which at 19 is possible but one has to respect the footballing knowledge of people like van Gaal as being hugely superior to ours.

If he does well and United have success people won't care a jot about the fee.

I recall people guffawing when the same club paid about 30m a lot of years ago for a young Rio Ferdidand, obscene money but given they got about 10 years from him, years of sustained success and him arguably one of the best there was over that period, I imagine they look back on that as (obscene) money very well spent.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

I expect you are fully aware of this.

Last season's all conquering Barcelona, some would say almost getting back to the fabled days of Guardiola's former charges. Out they went and bought a fantastic player from Madrid.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Paying 30 million for those lips is an offence to God and nature.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

I wish him well all the same.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

http://img.thesun.co.uk/aidemitlum/archive/01582/Rio_Ferdinand__1582450a.jpg

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

I do not wish him well.

[Peter]

United dont seem to be very good at it, either flying in with huge offers or dragging their feet and getting gazumped, in the case of pedro.

Even of the market decided this guy's value is nesrly 40 million it is the club that decides to pay it. Its a huge gamble with a huge sum of money. Fine if you are happy to risk losing it. We are clearly not that desperate/stupid/rich/whatever....

[Peter]

Quite Significantly we have no chance of mountng a title challenge. And that wont change no matter hw many players we sign. No squad can carry 8 or 9 injured players for months at a time.

[Peter]

They just thought it was a very high fee.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

At the moment we all, me included, see it as silly money for a 19 year old.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

had the flu and wouldn't take antibiotics for it. Other than that it was Welbeck and the always injured Wilshere/Rosicky who were properly out.

[redgunamo]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

wd pm.

[Berni]

ever used to happen when I smoked, I doubt it's a worry.

I'm assuming Per is too sensible to smoke.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

We'll be back to dusting with sulphanimide within a generation.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Lucozade, the old one that came in the golden wrapper.

Maltezers also.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

[Peter]

Where we have wotnessed thst situation at some point pretty much every year.

If this happens again, or something close to it, we wont be able to cope.