Will we replace RVP?

It was fairly obvious that RVP wasn't going to sign a new contract when he and the club agreed on a vow of silence until after the Euros.

He is the last of the world class players that we have at the club and the first time I can remember us having no world class players since Wenger joined.

Last season it was recognised by almost everyone that Chamakh and Park were not adequate cover for RVP and that we needed another quality striker as well as him.

So with the probable departure of our best player we are in a worse position than last season.
We have Giroud as our only decent striker and the less than dynamic duo of Chamakh and Park as cover.

I get critisized on here, by some other posters, for being negative and for daring to question Wengers transfer policy.
But after watching us sell our best players season after season and replace them with cheaper and less than adequate replacements I find it unacceptable that we have to tolerate such a pitiful transfer strategy.

We sold Cesc and Nasri last season without properly replacing them and this season looks like being the same.

We made around 25m from the sales of those two, most of which we spent on Podolski and Giroud, and should get around 30m for RVP.

To me, as an Arsenal supporter, we should be buying players like Podolski and Giroud every season, as a matter of course, to add to the squad, not as replacements for top quality players leaving.

Personally I can't see us spending more than our transfer record on one player.
It's obvious Wenger knew RVP was going to leave and that Giroud was bought in before contract talks with RVP could resume.

RVP is going to leave for the same reasons Cesc, Nasr, Clichy and others before them left, and also the same reason players like Walcott have expressed their reluctance to sign a new contract.

The Reaon is Wenger and the boards transfer policy of not buying ready made top quality players, that are EPL quality, but taking a punt on garbage like Chamakh, Park and Squillaci or cheap options like Sylvestre and Jenkinson and various ex players on loan.

Also giving players that simply aren't the required quality hundreds of games before realising they aren't good enough.

So my question is:
Will we buy the best available striker on the market, with the money we receive for RVP and more, or settle for a young player, with potential, to cover for Giroud?

It os fairly obvious what my answer would be, and I'm ready for some flack

We would buy best available players but Wenger wouldn't, he likes to throw money on players like Gervinho, Park, Squid, Mert, Chamackh and then throw bottles every game when they get outplayed by mid table teams

Okay, when have we ever replaced a world class player with the "next best alternative in the market"? Giroud is our replacement and we'll probably sign a lower quality striker too if we sell one of Bendtner or Chamakh.

Yup, Giroud is the replacement. Nothing to see here, standard Arsenal practice.

Who needs world class players when they demand money and trophies?

Only Wenger and AFC can answer your question as has been said already if they buy a replacement they will restore the squad and the fans morale if they don't then RVP was right all along.


......... my god their going to go with the latter option aren't they, sigh, it's 2011 all over again.

Maybe more interesting is to see if we sign more players in midfield. It'll be nice if we got some 23 year old better than VP striker, but you know how likely that is. As some hinted, better title would be "have we replaced VP", and, in all likelihood, yes. But is our business done (mid)? if so, we're a sorry state.

We must buy another striker. you dont know how giroud and podolski will do they are new players for PL they will need team hope we sign another decent striker now.

meh i was very happy with poldi giroud and rvp but rvp is leaving the things getting worried now.

I hope so.

An Edinson Cavani or Karim Benzema will do perfectly.

My mate is always harsh when judging strikers who play for Arsenal, he always likes to say 'Any half decent striker would look World Class playing for Arsenal, because of the chances you create!'. I actually hope he's right.

Yes, Robin did manufacture goals for himself but the amount of times he had important goals put on a plate to him is huge.

I'm still optimistic about next season believe it or not, it's going to take more than an egocentric traitor to dampen my hopes.

Arsenal till I die, no one man is bigger than this beautiful club.

Cavani and Benzema? Looool.

I dont have hope we sign 25m striker but a player like podolski giroud quality will do for me. if we keep chamakh sorry but we will be f**ked.

RVP's position is already covered with Giroud and Podolski.

Get in M'Vila, use the RVP money on a FB and convince Bendtner to stay, and you'll be just fine, maybe even stronger than last year.

As Yuvken said, if your business is done with Giroud and Podolski and your only buys.. well I wouldn't even bet on your finishing above Spuds in all honesty.

It is already done, Giroud and Podolski are here.

Don't get your hopes up, no new strikers are coming.

Hopefully we sign a quality AM, think we need it even more with Robins departure. As for a direct replacement, its Giroud, backed up by Podolski and Chamakh.

Some guy from the AST was on Talksport, reckons AFC have known of Robins wishes for a while - early captures of a German international and the leading French scorer suggests he is probably right.

I don't really think we can replace RVP any better than we already have done with Giroud - given whats available/our resources.

Any funds we get from the sale of RVP would be better invested in the likes of M'Vila.

It's a massive blow but we're used to these by now. We'll plug on and hopefully scrape top 4 again. Wouldn't be too surprised if we didn't see any more signings this summer tbh. The board are kidding you with all their talk of ambition. We don't have any (or perhaps we cannot afford to have any), as RVP has realised.

Cavani and Benzema? Looool.

Just examples mate, I know we won't buy them.

*sighhhh*...

I agree (now) that we probably have our RvP replacements already (would throw Theo into that mix possibly).

The big question now is if Robin is leaving and, if so, how much? Basically, it will be another disappointment if every penny we get for him isn't put back into the club, probably for something in the midfield.

So, yeah, I don't think we will replace Robin because we already have.

If no striker come like you all said. then we must buy a attacking midfielder. jack wilshere will miss the start of the season and we dont know when he will back.

I agree (now) that we probably have our RvP replacements already (would throw Theo into that mix possibly).

The big question now is if Robin is leaving and, if so, how much? Basically, it will be another disappointment if every penny we get for him isn't put back into the club, probably for something in the midfield.

So, yeah, I don't think we will replace Robin because we already have.

Maybe this is where the money for Giroud and Podolski came from in the first place?

Maybe this is where the money for Giroud and Podolski came from in the first place?

That's cold.

If this is true (and I believe your being sarcastic) then Wenger is an out and out bare faced liar.

my hope is that we change formations, play 2 up top (podolski and giroud) and buy an attack-minded playmaker to play behind them.

i expect that once bendy and arshavin are off the books we'll buy a player to fill that role.

Maybe this is where the money for Giroud and Podolski came from in the first place?

It's in the back of my mind and is precisely what I'm hoping isn't the case. If it turns out to be the case, then I'll have had enough. What I mean is, if that's the sum of our spending and we'll not add more on top, e.g. 'an M'Vila'.

We have plenty of money left over from last summer, that's not the issue.

Reinvest the money in an AM, as others above have said.

Why do I get the feeling that Chamakh and Park are going to stay and play back-up to Giroud and Podolski...?

We have plenty of money left over from last summer, that's not the issue.

No doubt we do, but it is the issue if we don't spend it though, no?

Maybe this is where the money for Giroud and Podolski came from in the first place?

That's cold.

If this is true (and I believe you're being sarcastic) then Wenger is an out and out bare faced liar.

It is cold, but I am deadly serious. And can people stop blaming Wenger for this? The issues surrounding this are all to do with money, and the board are the go to guys. Wenger merely shapes a team within a budget, he doesn't set the budget.

Wanna hate on someone? Hate on Kroenke and the board. Arsenal FC is a bunch of losers who don't want to win anything. Not even emotional about this, just a little bitter at what my club has become.

We have plenty of money left over from last summer, that's not the issue.

No doubt we do, but it is the issue if we don't spend it though, no?

True.

Read some interesting stuff about the 'transfer fund' (?) where if we sell a player a certain percentage HAS to go back into a fund that Wenger is able to use for more signings. Not certain if it is true, but it came from the higher ups in the AST which would suggest validity.

It is cold, but I am deadly serious. And can people stop blaming Wenger for this? The issues surrounding this are all to do with money, and the board are the go to guys. Wenger merely shapes a team within a budget, he doesn't set the budget.

Wanna hate on someone? Hate on Kroenke and the board. Arsenal FC is a bunch of losers who don't want to win anything. Not even emotional about this, just a little bitter at what my club has become.

No the way you said it means Wenger would of had to be complicit and after about 5 quoted interviews he's done about RVP having to stay that would mean he's lying, I don't believe that hence why I thought you were joking.

We have plenty of money left over from last summer, that's not the issue.

No doubt we do, but it is the issue if we don't spend it though, no?

True.

Read some interesting stuff about the 'transfer fund' (?) where if we sell a player a certain percentage HAS to go back into a fund that Wenger is able to use for more signings. Not certain if it is true, but it came from the higher ups in the AST which would suggest validity.

goes into wages

It is cold, but I am deadly serious. And can people stop blaming Wenger for this? The issues surrounding this are all to do with money, and the board are the go to guys. Wenger merely shapes a team within a budget, he doesn't set the budget.

Wanna hate on someone? Hate on Kroenke and the board. Arsenal FC is a bunch of losers who don't want to win anything. Not even emotional about this, just a little bitter at what my club has become.

No the way you said it means Wenger would of had to be complicit and after about 5 quoted interviews he's done about RVP having to stay that would mean he's lying, I don't believe that hence why I thought you were joking.

Wenger said what he said for a specific reason. It doesn't matter whether it was factual or a "bare faced lie". Wenger has lied in the past, so I don't know why this is news to you.

The board are the rotten core, the rest is just scapegoating.

True.

Read some interesting stuff about the 'transfer fund' (?) where if we sell a player a certain percentage HAS to go back into a fund that Wenger is able to use for more signings. Not certain if it is true, but it came from the higher ups in the AST which would suggest validity.

The Transfer Proceeds Account (TPA). Apparently, it's 70% of incoming transfer fees go into the TPA. It was made a condition of the Emirates financing deal. I think Swiss Ramble blog has all the info.