The Wish List

[ricky1985]

Doesn't he hate us for questioning his ability (how dare we?) by asking him to partake in a trial before we signed him?

 

[outlaw_member]

Does he? I knew he was perturbed by our request, but that was the best part of a decade ago. I doubt he'd completely disregard us.

 

[USArsenal]

you doubt it? kind of like Yaya Toure wouldnt mind joining us even though we failed to sign him when he had a trial for us?

leaving aside the fact that I am 99.9% sure he wouldn't sign with us, we would never be able to afford his wage bill (or more to the point, we wouldn't pay that much), so it kind of makes the discussion irrelevant

 

[outlaw_member]

Yeah, I'd agree that the wages would have been a stumbling block, but let's not do Arsenal a disservice here. We can attract the very best of players, even if we don't particularly pursue them.

 

[kamikaze80]

ibra is very talented, but he's so overrated as a footballer. not my kind of player at all.

 

[USArsenal]

im with Kami here..

plus he's a Grade A c*** IMO

and i disagree with outlaw.. we can't attract the very best players, because we dont have a top team.. think Villa would have come here? or Buffon? or Essien? nope.. because we arent challenging for things

 

[Iloveyouarsenewenger]

im with Kami here..

plus he's a Grade A c*** IMO

and i disagree with outlaw.. we can't attract the very best players, because we dont have a top team.. think Villa would have come here? or Buffon? or Essien? nope.. because we arent challenging for things

By same logic, no top player should be moving to Milan either. After their Champions League win, they have been far inferior to us and haven't challenged for a trophy either.

I agree that no top player doing well at a top team would want to move to us. That is - an Essien wouldn't want to be here, (but might throw a fit to go to Madrid)a Sneijder wouldn't want to be here(but be ready to move to Man U) a Maicon wouldn't want to be here, an Ibra of last season wouldn't want to be here.

But, at the same time, top players who couldn't cut it out in a big team for some reason or other and are required to move, as well as top players of relatively smaller sides(case in point - Villa)would definitely come to Arsenal if we go for them with financially competitive offers(which we never do).

 

[Rohit]

We are challenging for everything and we are one of the biggest European clubs. I don't think any player in the world would refuse us because we haven't won a trophy for the last 5 seasons.

 

[outlaw_member]

Granted, players at bigger clubs than us, would in all probability reject a move to Arsenal. But players who have been made available and are departing to a relatively lesser club, in the case of Ibrahimovic, could most likely be attracted to a move. In other words, what ILYAW said.

 

[AnthonyG]

Who cares? ManU couldn't keep Crynaldo.

 

[USArsenal]

We are challenging for everything and we are one of the biggest European clubs. I don't think any player in the world would refuse us because we haven't won a trophy for the last 5 seasons.

i disagree.. plus, its not that we havent won anything in the past 5 years, it more of the point that we havent even been close in the past 5 years (lets face it, we've been FIRMLY behind ManU & Chelsea recently, and even Liverpool at points)..


outlaw - i would like to know in what world going from Barca to AC Milan is seen as a smaller club move?

If there is a list of the top 5 teams in the world in terms of "name recognition" and are considered to be major clubs, those would include AC Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United and possibly one of Inter/Bayern/Juventus..

we are in the second tier.. we might like to think that just because we have a great history and we're an above average side that we're one of the best in Europe, we are not at this point.. we might be in the top 10% of European teams, but all the names I listed above are ahead of us in that percentage... and no, not by current form, but historic form and what they've won and who people think about when they talk about the respective leagues

 

[Rohit]

You can't reject our standing in football based on our history and in the same sentence also list teams which are bigger than us based on what they have done in the past. Not that I deny we are bigger than any of the teams you listed in Europe.

It is true we lack European pedigree and will do that till we win the CL but we haven't done too badly in the comeptetion for a few years now.

Club reputations are not built or destroyed overnight. We have challenged well in 2 of the last 3 seasons and have had 3 mediocre seasons in the last 5 years. We though were the only team that challenged Man Utd for the best part of a decade and even though we have not been scaling those highs it will not deter top players from coming to Arsenal Football Club, i am sure about that.

 

[USArsenal]

so i ask, where are these top players banging on our door to play here? the only truly world class player we have at the club is Fabregas.. and he's got one foot out the door already

fact is, we wont ever have those kinds of players come here because we cannot (and more to the point) will not pay the higher transfer fees for them, nor will we pay the top players wages, and THAT will stop players from ever considering coming here (even if you want to not use the "reputation" argument)

you say club reputations are not built or destroyed overnight, but ours has not been destroyed overnight (not that its destroyed at all, but it has changed).. we're no longer seen as a team that will be challenging for everything, we are seen as a "pretty-playing" team that has a lot of young players who all leave for greener pastures when they get good enough to attract attention..




ehh... im still pissed about not signing a keeper.. just ignore me

 

[AnthonyG]

I still don't really care since we don't chase those kinds of players, but didn't Villa basically say he'd come here or want to come here (in not so many words)?

 

[Rohit]

fact is, we wont ever have those kinds of players come here because we cannot (and more to the point) will not pay the higher transfer fees for them, nor will we pay the top players wages, and THAT will stop players from ever considering coming here (even if you want to not use the "reputation" argument)

This is besides the point mate. All i implied was that if for a moment you eliminate all considerations about wages and transfer fees no player would actually say no to Arsenal on the grounds that we aren't challenging. We are not a mid table team.

As for players knocking on our door, well again it isn't as if Wenger has tried for a top class player. We aren't Madrid (and they have failed to get past the last 16 in the CL for what 5 consecutive seasons now?) because players dream of playing there but we are a big club in our own right.

As for not buying a goalkeeper, i don't think there will be one Arsenal fan that will be happy but not much we can do now. All we can do is hope Almunia isn't exposed much and does well when he is made to work.

 

[outlaw_member]

..

I meant it in the sense that he's moving from arguably the best side in the world at the moment, to a team which has been underachieving in recent years. Milan's reputation obviously precedes them, but in terms of current quality, it's a step downwards. Although, I'm sure it made the move a lot easier, irrespective of the fact that they were recently competing in the Uefa Cup. I generally agree in regards to our standing, but I still think we're an attractive option.

 

[SuperStar]

Yann M'vila. Looked very encouraging in a lacklustre France performance.

 

[kamikaze80]

i agree with US, but i think once we make one big signing (ha!), our reputation will be restored. right now, everyone knows we're not serious about contending for silverware and are more concerned about turning a nice profit.

look at milan, unquestionably one of the giants of europe and they've just had a bunch of crap seasons, but it wasn't for lack of trying, and so they just signed robinho and ibrahimovic in the same window. our problem is we don't even really try to win.

 

[Humble Rex]

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, on Guardiola, said:
(Translated from Swedish)

"There was no contact with the philosfer, (Zlatan´s nickname on Guardiola). I have had Mourinho and Capello, two of the world´s most disciplined managers, no problems. Now it felt like I had lots of problems."

"A big manager solves his problems - a small manager doesn´t."



He is cocky and a bit of a c.unt, but I can´t help loving this guy anyway!

 

[Armor for Sleep]

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Rodwell