Steed Malbranque

[hollow]

Has been linked with Villa for £4m. Wouldn't mind him in our squad. Always think of him as vastly experienced but he's only 25, two years older than kolo. Would any one else welcome him at that price?

 

[deki9188]

yea for that price i would welcome him. very good player. but the only thing is where would we play him?
cant see the need for him!!

 

[the dawn raids]

4 million? wasnt it just this summer he was priced at about $10 or 11 million? talk about a drop in value

 

[seb_afc]

i think fulham are in need of some quick cash. yeah he is a good player but i dont think he is world class.. therefore wouldnt really have an impact in our champions league challenge.

 

[Mark]

If the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Milan, Juve aren't going to be aiming for players like that then neither should we. We need to be more abitious. I'm sure he'd get into most Premiership sides but we must aim higher. 'Good enough' isn't good enough.

 

[Anonymous]

for gods sake people, malbranque just cos he's french and fast doesnt mean we have to buy him. he's been linked to the likes of everton, villa and even worse, Sp**s!!!!

we cannot get him.

 

[patrick42uk]

If the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Milan, Juve aren't going to be aiming for players like that then neither should we. We need to be more abitious. I'm sure he'd get into most Premiership sides but we must aim higher. 'Good enough' isn't good enough.

lol i'd have to disagree with that. players like kolo toure and gael clichy werent being chased by big clubs but it doesnt make them bad players who cant hack it at this level. van persie was being pursued by tottneham, sevilla and psv so does that mean we made a mistake signing him? i'm sure wenger doesnt allow the likes of chelsea and barcelona to dicatate his transfer dealings and vice versa. the obsession with big names baffles me to be honest.

 

[Rocafella]

Because you have seen what they can do, what they bring to the team and the difference they can make.

 

[patrick42uk]

Because you have seen what they can do, what they bring to the team and the difference they can make.

so its a comfort/security thing for the fans? i'd hate to think wenger goes out buying unknowns without knowing what they can do, what they bring to the team and the difference they can make.

 

[deki9188]

Because you have seen what they can do, what they bring to the team and the difference they can make.

buying established players doesnt always work out as we saw last season at chelsea. players like crespo veron etc were signed for big fees and they didnt set the league alight. so why waste money on a 15 million striker when you can get a player for less than that who would be on smaller wages etc. and still do the same job.??? :?: :!:

 

[Exiled In Newcastle]

This is a joke, right?

 

[Rocafella]

They just bought for the sake of it. They knew they were taking a risk with Veron after his poor time at Utd. I'm sure if Wenger had Chelseas' money he wouldn't still make 2 or 3 million pound signings.

 

[KingReyes]

If the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Milan, Juve aren't going to be aiming for players like that then neither should we. We need to be more abitious. I'm sure he'd get into most Premiership sides but we must aim higher. 'Good enough' isn't good enough.

Weren't Chelsea interested in Eboue and Marco Ne recently? Also I've read that they are interested in some guy called Jarosik from CSKA Moscow, not exactly high profile is he. I think what Mourinho and Wenger have in common is that they can bring out the best in decent players and make them even better. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but Wenger definately has a good track record.

 

[Mark]

If the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Milan, Juve aren't going to be aiming for players like that then neither should we. We need to be more abitious. I'm sure he'd get into most Premiership sides but we must aim higher. 'Good enough' isn't good enough.

lol i'd have to disagree with that. players like kolo toure and gael clichy werent being chased by big clubs but it doesnt make them bad players who cant hack it at this level. van persie was being pursued by tottneham, sevilla and psv so does that mean we made a mistake signing him? i'm sure wenger doesnt allow the likes of chelsea and barcelona to dicatate his transfer dealings and vice versa. the obsession with big names baffles me to be honest.

Okay.

 

[Florida Gooner]

This is a joke, right?

I sure hope so, mate. What exactly has he done to impress?

 

[arsenalfan2005]

Malbranque is good but i wouldn't want him in my team. We've got Viera, Freddie and Bobby, who needs him?

 

[brianfrance]

If the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Milan, Juve aren't going to be aiming for players like that then neither should we. We need to be more abitious. I'm sure he'd get into most Premiership sides but we must aim higher. 'Good enough' isn't good enough.

100% agreed. Newcastle, Boro or everton are the likes of team made for him, but not us.

 

[Mark]

Since I can now be bothered...patrick, the difference between signing players like Clichy or Toure and signing players like Malbranque is that Clichy and Toure were a lot younger, had more potential, and were available for a lot cheaper. There was not as much risk involved as there is in signing players like Malbranque who are established at mid table clubs like Fulham, is about 24 or 25 now, does not look like he's going to get much better than he is, and will be more expensive than Clichy and Toure.

Barca and Milan and others were not after Toure and Clichy because they weren't well-known. Malbranque isn't exactly a big name, but we see week in and week out what he can do and yes he has some impressive moments, but in my opinion I have seen him enough to think he isn't Arsenal or Champions League winning quality. If Wenger thinks differently, then obviously he is a better judge than I am, but since he and other coaches of that calibre haven't shown an interest, I don't think he's the kind of player we should be going after.

Is that alright? :roll:

 

[goonerlove]

I gotta agree with Mark here. Malbranque is a good, tough little player... but he is pretty much the same kind of player (physical-wise) as Freddie and JP.. Wide midfielder who isn't that big, who is quick but not super fast and is tricky at times and has a decent shot (he perhaps has a better shot from outside the box than Fred or JP though).

If AW was going to spend on a winger, I think he would try to find someone more in a Ronaldo mold (I hate to say it)... a stronger and more physical player.

Now if he sells JP, then who knows. But with Fred and Bobby playing better, there is no need for more wingers who are not superstars given that we have Reyes and JP who can come in.

Plus we have Ryan Smith and Quincy who could potentially play that position as well...

The most likely purchase(s) this month are center mid (if we lose Edu and/or Gilberto is still hurting), a striker (if AW is concerned about Reyes' form and fatigue for Henry), or a center back (if AW doesn't think that Senderos is ready to step in and provide depth there). Eboue' kind of helps there, so I am starting to think that AW will wait on center back - wait and see how Senderos does and given that that position is one of building partnerships, I don't see him breaking up Sol/Kolo just yet, at least not this year. Senderos and Eboue' should provide sufficient coverage for center back and right back as long as Senderos starts to live up to the hype.

Goonerlove

 

[ashraf]

PUHLEEZ.... malbranque is one of the best players in the league. Have any of you seen him play. just coz chelsea and barca are not interested in him doesnt mean he's a **** player, ever heard of thierry henry.he is miles ahead of freddie and jp, he has so much more substance then any of them, extremely creative, great holder and carrier of the ball and he would be cheap.



You people are MAD