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2009 - what would you do?

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McIntyre

Established Member
I'd take a good long look at the players we have. First team and reserves/youth.

Get rid of the players in the first team who aren't, or I don't think will ever be, good enough (for me that's Eboue, Diaby, Song, Denilson, Bendtner, Almunia, Traore, Silvestre, Senderos, feel free to suggest anybody I forgot).

Get rid of the potential troublemakers, Gallas and Adebayor.

Look at the holes that remain in the first team squad (ie. everywhere) and consider whether there's anybody good enough in the youth setup with the potential to fill those gaps (like Wilshere, Vela, Ramsey etc), then buy good stop-gap players who can keep their position warm until they've matured a bit more.

Then I'd look again at where there's holes in the squad, and blow the money I had from offloading all the dead weight on filling those spots with quality players.

Thus I'd end up with a current squad of quality players, including those remaining from our current squad, and some quality veterans keeping seats warm for the youth teamers.

Then, after a few years, we'd have the fruits of the current youth system, plus Fabregas Clichy etc at their peak, and the world class players we'd brought in, forming the ultimate squad.

Of course, amongst all these purchases, key qualities would be leadership, physical strength and the ability to head the ball.

Wait a second. This isn't the Football Manager forum. :shock:
 

the dawn raids

Established Member
Captain said:
two midfielders and some tough decisions is all the squad needs.

id go with a midfielder, an imposing defender, and another midfielder if we have the means. but i agree, were not as far off as many think.

whether that translates into consistency is another story.
 

asajoseph

Established Member
Technically, I'd say that the bare minimum for us now is a new midfielder, a new defender, a new goalkeeper, and a new attitude.
 

arsenalfc0719

Established Member
JazzG said:
GK
CB
CM
AM

Those four positions need to be strengthened as a matter of urgency and need to be four players of the very highest quality. You can quote me on this but we won't bring anyone in this January and I doubt even the summer.
Spot on.
 

ricky1985

Established Member
McIntyre said:
I'd take a good long look at the players we have. First team and reserves/youth.

Get rid of the players in the first team who aren't, or I don't think will ever be, good enough (for me that's Eboue, Diaby, Song, Denilson, Bendtner, Almunia, Traore, Silvestre, Senderos, feel free to suggest anybody I forgot).

Get rid of the potential troublemakers, Gallas and Adebayor.

Look at the holes that remain in the first team squad (ie. everywhere) and consider whether there's anybody good enough in the youth setup with the potential to fill those gaps (like Wilshere, Vela, Ramsey etc), then buy good stop-gap players who can keep their position warm until they've matured a bit more.

Then I'd look again at where there's holes in the squad, and blow the money I had from offloading all the dead weight on filling those spots with quality players.

Thus I'd end up with a current squad of quality players, including those remaining from our current squad, and some quality veterans keeping seats warm for the youth teamers.

Then, after a few years, we'd have the fruits of the current youth system, plus Fabregas Clichy etc at their peak, and the world class players we'd brought in, forming the ultimate squad.

Of course, amongst all these purchases, key qualities would be leadership, physical strength and the ability to head the ball.

Wait a second. This isn't the Football Manager forum. :shock:

Send your CV into Arsène, McIntyre. I like your plan.

Who would you get as stop-gaps, and what positions?
 

kamikaze80

Established Member
1. spend 20m on an experienced CM
2. spend 20m a LM/RM who can penetrate (think ribery but not ribery)
3. sell barazite, randall, lansbury, merida, simpson, bischoff, traore, rosicky, song to help offset 1 and 2
4. send bendtner on loan next season to get first team experience if eduardo is back to 100%
5. send gibbs on loan to someone who'll start him at LB, same with hoyte at RB
 

ricky1985

Established Member
kamikaze80 said:
1. spend 20m on an experienced CM
2. spend 20m a LM/RM who can penetrate (think ribery but not ribery)
3. sell barazite, randall, lansbury, merida, simpson, bischoff, traore, rosicky, song to help offset 1 and 2
4. send bendtner on loan next season to get first team experience if eduardo is back to 100%
5. send gibbs on loan to someone who'll start him at LB, same with hoyte at RB

I'd agree with every point. All I would say is we do have players who can penetrate; Nasri, Walcott and even Diaby (to a certain degree). You have to remember we face a sea of defenders virtually every game we play, but at the Emirates it is really a recurring theme.

I would suggest the most important problem is the lack of urgency in mdifeld, and inability to press and force mistakes in order to win the ball back.
I believe that is why we are looking so impotent at home at the moment. I think Nasri and Walcott will grow into world class wide men. Offering us goals, and assists by the bucket load. Although I think an addition in that position would do no harm.

What about at centre back, are you happy there then?

And who do you suggest for the centre midfield, and wide positions?
 

kamikaze80

Established Member
i dont think we're set at CB but i think we'd get more improvement by spending in midfield, and i'm not going to pretend we have unlimited funds. gallas, toure, djourou and silvestre is a very good foursome, at least on paper.

same with GK, we can do better there but i doubt the quality we need would be available or affordable, so we'll have to wait for fabianski and hope he's the real deal.

i love nasri and walcott's potential but one of them should be on the bench cos both their games are incomplete. nasri's good at what walcott sucks at and vice versa. whoever we bring in should have excellent off the ball movement and a nose for goal. no more of these playmaker types who are allergic to running into the box.

i wish i knew of realistic targets at CM or LM/RM so i could start the "we need to buy x and y now!" campaign, but i don't.
 

USgoonergirl

Established Member
In January first I would buy a CM to partner Cesc, someone who is a ball winner, and over the age of 21 with plenty of first team experience. This way Cesc and this player can begin to delop chemistry before the start of next season, and hopefully convince Cesc to stay.
If there is still cash left over I would then look to buy a proper winger, someone who can beat their man and can score goals, in case Rosicky never comes back.

In summer I would then sell Bendtner, Denilson, Song, and Diaby, and one of Silvestre or Gallas, depending on how Gallas would deal with losing the captaincy and possibly starting position. I would move Walcott to striker. Then using this money I would buy a new CB, maybe Mexes or someone who is hitting their peak, and promote Fabianski to first choice goalkeeper. I would keep Eboue only as back up RB, never to play on the wings again, and sign a winger if one wasnt signed in January.
I would then tell these players that they are out there to win and that is what is most important, if they act like they dont care about winning or play like they dont care then they will be benched, no matter how big their contract is.
 

McIntyre

Established Member
ricky1985 said:
Send your CV into Arsène, McIntyre. I like your plan.

Who would you get as stop-gaps, and what positions?

Well, I have to admit, this is where I'd have to employ Arsène's legendary scouting system to find who's available and for the right price. Maybe I could even use A-M as my scouting network. :lol:

But given the players I "offloaded" in my previous post I'd spend the big money on a keeper, two centre backs (with Kolo/Djourou) as cover, a DM, and a striker. And I'd bring in the old veteran/stop-gaps to cover and challenge on the wings, as cover for Cesc, cover at DM, and as cover for the full-backs.

I'd eventually expect Ramsey to challenge Cesc, Wilshere to challenge on a wing (creative style winger like Hleb), Vela to challenge the three existing strikers, Coquelin to step up as DM, Djourou and Nordveidt (if he's good enough) to cover and challenge at CB, Fabianski to grow some composure and challenge at GK.

Ultimately, just create a team that can challenge right now, without completely stunting the growth of our potential stars. Buy in players of quality to fill the gaps in our first team, a few veteran/decent players to cover for those we already have without halting the youngsters' progress. Then, if all goes to plan and nobody leaves, in a few years time the stop-gaps have made way and we have a squad of: the quality players we bought at their peak/the likes of Cesc, Clichy, Nasri, Sagna at their peak/and the youngsters hitting the stage Cesc and the likes are currently at. And in the meantime we've won a bit of silverware too.

This is basically what I thought Arsène was working towards. We had Hleb, Rosicky, Almunia, Gallas, Gilberto, Toure, Eboue, who would in a couple of years be the veteran experienced players. Fabregas, Clichy, Flamini, Adebayor, Sagna, Senderos, Djourou, Diaby and the likes hitting their peak. And the youngsters coming through like Traore, Vela, Theo, Nordveidt, Hoyte, to form the rest of the squad.

Of course, that all went t*ts up the moment Rosicky lost the use of his limbs; Arsène allowed Hleb, Flamini and Gilberto to go; Ade turned into a money grabbing b*stard; Gallas and Toure forgot how to defend; and he somehow thought Eboue could play in midfield. :cry:

Now we have an imbalance of experienced and inexperienced players, people playing out of position, and all the hard work that went into developing some of our current performers like Cesc and Clichy is being destroyed.

My big plan couldn't be executed in one transfer window alone. Just as Arsène's rejuvenation of this squad can't be achieved in January either. But if I was him I'd spend wisely in January to bring in 2/3 quality experienced players at DM and CB, including someone as captain if possible. Then in the summer offload a bit of dead weight, hire some new blood and turn this team into the world beaters we can be.

This has eventually turned into a squad analysis/wishlist, but I think Arsène would be wise to heed my advice. 8))
 

Invincible

Established Member
- Sack/Sell/Kill Gallas
- Offload the ****e (Silvestre, Almunia, Rosicky)
- Sign a nasty bastard of a DM and a *nasty bastard of a CB (money no object)
- Sign a GK (not a necessity)
- Promote Nordtveit (kid is class)
- Make Toure captain

* Re-call Senderos as an alternative
 

Anzac

Established Member
F*ck 2009 - there are changes that can be made right NOW!!!!!

* take the fracking hand brake off the players & let them have their head to play in the same vein as the C Cup kids - this then does away with the farked formations & selections & allows them to play into space with pace;

* bite the bullet & change the philosophy in midfield = ditch the dual interchangeable roles & have a designated defensive role. If that can't be achieved with 2 MCs, then play a DM - if that means changing formation to a 4231 / 4321 then so be it;

* alternatively change the defensive pattern & don't have the FBs bombing forward to overlap all the time - use their pace & strength to provide the first line cover for the CBs, and then tell the CBs to attack the ball instead of trying to jockey the ball carrier;

* tell the wide mids to stop looking to always come off the flanks & to start to look to attack the corners & pull the ball back;

* tell the FBs to put in early diagonal crosses from deep - show the footage for Cesc's goal H v ManU last season = Eboue early deep cross-Ade challenges the 'keeper who spills the ball-Cesc puts ball in back of net;

* tell the ball players / play makers to have more patience around the area - replay the 2nd goal H v ManU this season = 45 seconds, 15 passes, ball moved from outside their area, to the flank, back to half way, back thru' the middle, movement up front off the ball, holes open up - GOAL!!!!!;

* tell the fracking strikers to work as a partnership;

* tell Ade you'll start to fine him in regard to him leaving the area to go wide & getting caught off side;

* utilise the bench - Ramsey, Vela, Wilshere - otherwise demote them out of the senior squad;

* bring in a fracking tactician as 1st priority;

* play to the squad's strengths as is, instead of this square pegs BS.

THEN you can start to sort the wheat from the chaffe for Jan (= urgent requirements), and summer (= rebuilding & disposal of dead wood - and be cruel / ruthless to be kind).
 

ricky1985

Established Member
@ McIntyre.

I like the idea of bringing in experienced stop-gaps to supplement the young players. They could learn a lot from a couple of former world class players in their positions. The problem is who? And how would they impact our wage bill.

Do you think we could bring in a player in January and instantly make him captain of our club, and leader of our players? I am not sure it would work.

@ dos.

Dont you think ALmunia has proved himself as a more than able number two, at least?

@ Invincible.

How do you think Lorik Cana would do as the 'nasty bastard' in midfield? And come on, there must be a legitimate name you can throw out there for the centreback vacancy?
Have you seen quite a bit of Nordveit? You seem to rate him highly.

@ Anzac.

Why do you think Wenger sends our team out there with the hand brake on?

What first team players would dispose of in January then?
 

Pepe LeFrits

Established Member
Get rid of Almunia, Fabianski, Mannone, Clichy, Traore, Gibbs, Pedro, Toure, Gallas, Silvestre, Djourou, Senderos, Nordtveit, Sagna, Hoyte, Song, Denilson, Fabregas, Ramsey, Diaby, Lansbury, Merida, Randall, Wilshere, Nasri, Walcott, Vela, Bischoff, Adebayor, van Persie, Eduardo, Bendtner, Barazite, Simpson, Coquelin and Rosicky. Use the funds raised to buy replacements and we'll win everything for the next ten years. Easy.
 

Feanor

Established Member
USArsenal said:
buy a proper box-to-box or defensive CM to partner Cesc

buy a proper commanding CB to partner Touré

buy another winger since Rozza is always hurt and apparently so is Theo.. (eboue not an option IMO)

buy another keeper (preferably Frey)

strip Gallas of the captaincy and give it to Touré once we have that other commanding CB to partner him

What he said but I personally would be 2 at least 2 right sided wingers, one as a starter one as a backup, just in case. Theo is way too fragile. Is anyone else playing a lot of FM2009 in the last few weeks?
 

True Gooner

Established Member
Pepe LeFrits said:
Get rid of Almunia, Fabianski, Mannone, Clichy, Traore, Gibbs, Pedro, Touré, Gallas, Silvestre, Djourou, Senderos, Nordtveit, Sagna, Hoyte, Song, Denilson, Fabregas, Ramsey, Diaby, Lansbury, Merida, Randall, Wilshere, Nasri, Walcott, Vela, Bischoff, Adebayor, van Persie, Eduardo, Bendtner, Barazite, Simpson, Coquelin and Rosicky. Use the funds raised to buy replacements and we'll win everything for the next ten years. Easy.

So we're keeping Eboue? :lol:
 

Klaus Daimler

Established Member
True Gooner said:
Pepe LeFrits said:
Get rid of Almunia, Fabianski, Mannone, Clichy, Traore, Gibbs, Pedro, Touré, Gallas, Silvestre, Djourou, Senderos, Nordtveit, Sagna, Hoyte, Song, Denilson, Fabregas, Ramsey, Diaby, Lansbury, Merida, Randall, Wilshere, Nasri, Walcott, Vela, Bischoff, Adebayor, van Persie, Eduardo, Bendtner, Barazite, Simpson, Coquelin and Rosicky. Use the funds raised to buy replacements and we'll win everything for the next ten years. Easy.

So we're keeping Eboue? :lol:
Well, if it ain't working they still need someone to blame :)
 
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