Yohan Cabaye

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

It's clear our views on Wenger's philosophy and football in general are different, Debuchy makes perfect sense when you think about it, we've two promising full backs in Jenkinson and Bellerin, why bring in another young buck? Debuchy is PL aclimatised and France's no.1 RB, plus we got him for a good price.

Football is full of could've, would've, should'ves and hindsight is a funny thing. Sure, NOW you can say we could've signed Cabaye on the cheap to replace Cesc, but you really think Arsenal fans would've been happy with that? I guarantee you'd hear statements like "typical Arsène, another French experiment to replace a key player" yadda yadda. Fact of the matter is we were no better or worse without Cesc so it's all water under the bridge anyway.

Lloris I do agree we should've signed, it's horrible watching him turn in top class performances for the wrong side of North London. But again it's hindsight, Szczesny looked a fine young keeper, a case of if it aint broke don't fix it I suppose.

 

[Bigbludfire]

Wenger doesn't bother going for the French players that are actually worth getting these days. How he stood back and watched the likes of Cabaye and Ben Arfa join Newcastle, Lloris go to Sp**s and let Juventus nab Pogba is a bloody mystery. In the mean time we've ended up with dross like Silvestre, Squillaci, and Sanogo.

We didn't NEED Cabaye, Ben Arfa or Lloris. Wenger doesn't sign players just for the sake of signing them. He's done that for what? 19 years?

Ferguson stated that Pogba had signed for Italian club Juventus "a long time ago as far as we're aware."

 

[elber82]

We just lost Cesc and Nasri, how do you figure we didn't need Cabaye and Ben Arfa?, as perfect like for like replacements as your gonna get. Instead we pay double that for Arteta and Gervinho.

Lloris was a rare commodity, a world class keeper entering his peak years and available for under £10mil. We had some vastly inexperienced but promising kid in goal at the time. Again how do you figure Lloris wasn't needed?

 

[Bigbludfire]

There's a different between a "need" and a "want".

As far as Arsène's job concerned, he didn't need Cesc to get 4th place that season, and he actually got 3rd place. That was the aim. Nasri was already promised a place in the middle so signing Ben Arfa didn't make much sense. Then he signed Arteta who's been a pretty good signing, lets be honest. Lloris, yeah I don't rate that piece of business. However, he still had an upcoming keeper who at that point was seen as having WC potential, homegrown and a Gooner.

One thing about Wenger is that he doesn't just sign for the sake of signing. I don't rate a lot of his business but look at the dippers or Sp*rs. Have Cabaye and Ben Arfa been losses? Were they going to propel us to the title? Doubt it.

 

[Rex Stone]

90% of the deals he's made have vindicated him. If stories about how restricted in the transfer market are true, from 2007-13 puts him in a whole different light.

It's all about winning things now though, makes all the lean years pointless if we don't.

 

[GDeep™]

Since I have been watching football, not sure I rate any manager as highly as Wenger in the transfer market.

Good players on a budget, rarely had major flops. Cruyff praised Wenger on a similar note, not long ago.

 

[elber82]

Since I have been watching football, not sure I rate any manager as highly as Wenger in the transfer market.

Good players on a budget, rarely had major flops. Cruyff praised Wenger on a similar note, not long ago.

Come off it.

The same Wenger that's botched up the last 3-4 transfer windows?

There has been plenty of dross buys from Wenger over the years.

Julio Baptista
Arshavin
Chamakh
Cygan
Denilson
Djourou
Richard Wright
Squillaci
Senderos
Jeffers
Gervinho
Almunia
Andre Santos
Stepanovs
Vivas
Bischoff
Alberto Mendez
Inamoto
Diawara
Park
Shaaban
Luzhny
Pennant

 

[Rex Stone]

Come off it.

The same Wenger that's botched up the last 3-4 transfer windows?

There has been plenty of dross buys from Wenger over the years.

Julio Baptista
Arshavin
Chamakh
Cygan
Denilson
Djourou
Richard Wright
Squillaci
Senderos
Jeffers
Gervinho
Almunia
Andre Santos
Stepanovs
Vivas
Bischoff
Alberto Mendez
Inamoto
Diawara
Park
Shaaban
Luzhny
Pennant

Take away all the players we paid practically nothing for, came up through our youth system and we got good money for when we sold them on and that list will be a lot thinner.

Then compare it with Alex Ferguson's last decade, Liverpool in living memory and even Jose Mourinho and then have a word with yourself for including Julio "The Beast" Baptista. Guy was a ****ing great signing.

 

[VancouverCanuck]

It's debatable whether Wenger is the best manager in the transfer market. But @elber82, seriously?!?

First of all, I wouldn't call Arshavin a dross buy. For a year and a half, he was one of the best and most exciting player in the league. His form then dropped but we mostly got what we needed out of him. Keep us in the CL.

Obviously, Wenger has made plenty of mistakes in his transfer dealings. Who hasn't? If you list all the dross buys that Mourinho, Ferguson, Rogers, Ancelotti had made, I am sure the lists would be just as impressive as Wenger's if not more.

 

[Iceman10]

IIRC - Baptista was only a loan (?)

 

[albakos]

Would have appealed last January but not so much now. Is he a better footballer than Coquellin? Yes, is he proven in the premier league? yes,is he attainable? yes.

That's spot on.

I was very furious on winter transfer window of last year why we didn't go for him when Ramsey got hurt at West Ham in Boxing Day.

Injuries to Ramsey and Walcott in quick succession derailed our strong push to the title. Back then it was a public secret that Cabaye would be available on January and he was in great form.

Instead of bringing him, Wenger brought Kim f*** Kallstrom and we all know how that went.

 

[Rex Stone]

IIRC - Baptista was only a loan (?)

Yes and the guy was a don. Any excuse to post this cracker, The Beast was scoring 4 at Anfield before Arshavin made it cool.


EDIT: Btw this video feels proper old, you've got the classic Keys-Tyler commentary, Jeremie Aliadiere scoring , young Kolo, Song and Djorou, Robbie Fowler and Jerzy Dudek. It was a simpler time.

2nd EDIT: Also is that a lesser spotted Abou Diaby I see celebrating our last goal? Surely not.

 

[elber82]

Take away all the players we paid practically nothing for, came up through our youth system and we got good money for when we sold them on and that list will be a lot thinner

Thats beside the point. Wenger signed them and they ended up being disappointments or complete flops.

Then compare it with Alex Ferguson's last decade, Liverpool in living memory and even Jose Mourinho and then have a word with yourself for including Julio "The Beast" Baptista. Guy was a ****ing great signing.

Baptista was built like a beast, that's about it. Other than one league cup game away against Liverpool's reserve team, the guy was useless.

 

[elber82]

It's debatable whether Wenger is the best manager in the transfer market. But @elber82, seriously?!?

First of all, I wouldn't call Arshavin a dross buy. For a year and a half, he was one of the best and most exciting player in the league. His form then dropped but we mostly got what we needed out of him. Keep us in the CL

For a year and a half? Nah, try 6 months.

 

[Rex Stone]

Thats beside the point. Wenger signed them and they ended up being disappointments or complete flops.

Baptista was built like a beast, that's about it. Other than one league cup game away against Liverpool's reserve team, the guy was useless.

A man who scored over half his Arsenal goals against the **** and Liverpool is an Arsenal legend in my book.

Even if it was a tap-in he smashed it in. The power, the strength. What a man.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

I had no idea Baptista managed doubled figures here, all I remember is the 4 goals against Liverpool and a header! That Liverpool game was brilliant, come to think of it, Wenger's record against Liverpool in general is fantastic.

 

[Artisan]

Wenger doesn't bother going for the French players that are actually worth getting these days. How he stood back and watched the likes of Cabaye and Ben Arfa join Newcastle, Lloris go to Sp**s and let Juventus nab Pogba is a bloody mystery. In the mean time we've ended up with dross like Silvestre, Squillaci, and Sanogo.

He tried to get Pogba when he was leaving Man U, he rejected us. Unless he had some materials to blackmail him with then little could be done in that case.

Lloris cost €15mil when we all had high expectations of Scz, Cabaye was alright but wouldn't say I'm sorry we chose Arteta over him. As for Ben Arfa who can deny we dodged a bullet with that plonker?

 

[GDeep™]

Come off it.

The same Wenger that's botched up the last 3-4 transfer windows?

There has been plenty of dross buys from Wenger over the years.

Julio Baptista
Arshavin
Chamakh
Cygan
Denilson
Djourou
Richard Wright
Squillaci
Senderos
Jeffers
Gervinho
Almunia
Andre Santos
Stepanovs
Vivas
Bischoff
Alberto Mendez
Inamoto
Diawara
Park
Shaaban
Luzhny
Pennant

Shocking list, made up of kids, dirt cheap buys, freebies, guys who were good, and others who we got our money back for.

Wright and Jeffers were the big flops. We rescued the Gerv situation by getting a bulk of our money back. Arshavin delivered CL.

For me a flop is someone signed for a substantial fee, 5M+ with a view to the first team, not kids and free buys.

If anything, your list illustatres my point further.

 

[GDeep™]

Alberto Mendez ffs. Why stop there? Why not mention Cabbalero, Grodin etc.

 

[Rex Stone]

Shocking list, made up of kids, dirt cheap buys, freebies, guys who were good, and others who we got our money back for.

Wright and Jeffers were the big flops. We rescued the Gerv situation by getting a bulk of our money back. Arshavin delivered CL.

For me a flop is someone signed for a substantial fee, 5M+ with a view to the first team, not kids and free buys.

If anything, your list illustatres my point further.

Exactly my point, if we make money back and we paid **** all to begin with it's hardly a Soldado level flop is it?

Including Baptista alone should be bannable ffs.