The Anti-Wish List

[Ratinho]

Hmmm... Think I might add Carraciolo to this list.

Not because he's an awful player, but because he just doesn't seem like he's that good, and 8 million seems like a large outlay for a player that won't add that much, when for a little more, much more talent could be had...

Although I fear it may look like i'm disagreeing with everything you say ( ), If i'm right this fella scored twice against Inter at the weekend and looked very impressive. I know what you mean about the price, but i think he'd probably be around £6m with a little persuasion, and I do think we need some genuine central striker cover.

 

[asajoseph]

Don't worry about disagreeing - after all, that's what MB's are for! As for scoring against Inter at the weekend, I think you're mistaken.

Brescia drew 1-1 with Milan at the weekend, Pierre Wome got the goal. He did score a brace against Livorno on March 13th, although both were penalties. Interestingly Tomas Danilevicius, once signed by Arsène Wenger for 1 million pounds, scored for Livorno in that game.

His last goal from open play came on March 6th, in Brescia's 3-2 win over Siena.

As I said before, I'm not overly convinced that this guy has the quality required to play for Arsenal - I'd rather let Aliadiere have a shot next season.

 

[Ratinho]

Yeah, I read the goal news for Carraciolo's goals in a different thread, and it had links to vids so I assumed it was true (couldn't check the vids at work).

The same Danilevicius who scored against Barca in the friendly? Brilliant.

 

[adampembrey]

I dont want any of the 76 keepers we have been linked with apart from Casillas and perhaps Frey. Obviously I dont want Beckenham in an Arsenal shirt. I also don't want King to be honest. He is good but makes a lot of mistakes and thats the last thing we need next season considering we are going to have to win 90% of our games to beat Roman FC.

 

[The Mini]

For god sake, do not get that Pascal Cygan guy, he's awful!

 

[asajoseph]

Dean Ashton... Again, not awful, but we could do so much better...

 

[Anonymous]

Pascal Cygan!!!!

Jens Lehmann!!!

Jose Reyes!!!

 

[minic]

Trez, Del Piero

 

[Anonymous]

hleb, rosicky, hildebrand,

 

[asajoseph]

For fear of repeating myself, Caracciolo and Beckham - both have been linked to us today, and both would be crap signings, for different reasons.

 

[Anonymous]

SWP, Earnshaw, Owen, Ashton, M'Bami, Hleb, Kameni, Govu, Toulalan

 

[asajoseph]

So, pretty much EVERYONE we've been linked to. Apart from Earnshaw, Ashton Toulalane and M'Bami, who most agree are decent but not Arsenal quality, may I ask why you're so anti SWP, Owen, Hleb, Govou and Kameni?

 

[Anonymous]

So, pretty much EVERYONE we've been linked to. Apart from Earnshaw, Ashton Toulalane and M'Bami, who most agree are decent but not Arsenal quality, may I ask why you're so anti SWP, Owen, Hleb, Govou and Kameni?

EVERYONE? Well I assumed that that was the very point of this thread?
Anti - whomever we're supposivley linked to. Despite the mis-leading title.
Anyways as you've requested...

SWP - Good for EPL, not particularly ideal for Europe, unproven.
My dislike for short players kicks in whenever I hear SWP and Arsenal in the same sentance or paragraph. I just can't get over his appearance.
I burst out laughing when I see someone taking him on. particualrly because he resmbles a child. Harsh and somewhat irrelivent, but I don't care.
I'd rather have his brother.

Owen - Remember Micheal Owen's last two seasons at Liverpool?
I certainly do. And I don't want it here. Just because he scores buckets for Madrid doesn't mean he'll do the same if he was to return. Having said that, he only seems to score when he comes off the bench. You start him, he wouldn't do jackshit. Atleast you can safely predict he won't. His main function is to score goals, but that seems to be all he can do. It's like he's a little target-man; I want more than that. Will he even do his job consistantly if he was to play in England? I wouldn't bet on it. SPL suits him down to the ground, and I wouldn't want to take that away from him.

Hleb - Again only one main fuction, his dribbling.
He's not a goalscorer. I mean don't get me wrong, very very good player,
but not what I'd look for to replace any of our goal-scoring wingers.
The replacement(s) are either elsewhere or right here at our very own club.
Just when Wenger's ready or willing.

Govou - Good winger, but near useless infront of goal.
Just a plain bad finisher. Give me Nilmar or Ben Arfa instead as the potential is till there. Wenger shouldn't want this guy just because he's cheap as chips aswell as well-known + french.
I see nothing in him, and neither does Domenech. Just a bad idea.

Kameni - He's one of the most agile keepers I've ever seen, yet
he seems baffled with easier work. It just looks to me that, the simpler the attempt on goal by the opposition, the harder it is for him to deal with it and vice-versa. He won't even attempt to catch/block anything from closer range which always makes a very bad impression in my book.
Like he gives up before he's even tried.




Out of curiosity, what's wrong with Caracciolo?

 

[asajoseph]

EVERYONE? Well I assumed that that was the very point of this thread?
Anti - whomever we're supposivley linked to. Despite the mis-leading title

Misleading? I don't know what's misleading about it - seems pretty obvious to me. 'Which, of the players we've been linked to, would you prefer NOT to see at Arsenal?' MY question to you was based on my surprise at your answer, which was simply 'all of them' (more or less).

Other than that, good post. I wouldn't necessarily agree with you: I think Hleb is an excellent player, who in a similar vein to Robben can create real havoc with his dribbling, and despite his finishing not being top draw can really disrupt defences and create chances for others. For me, he's currently the player Reyes is currently trying to be. Owen, even when he plays badly, can get goals, and for me that's always a very large positive. Even in his last two seasons at Liverpool, playing in a poor attacking team, he scored 16 in 29 games (03-04) and 19 in 35 (02-03) in the premiership alone, as well as 9 european goals. Kameni too, I agree with your assessment, although I wonder how much he'll improve with age, as we have to remember that in goalkeeping terms he's still very very young. That said, maybe we should look for a player whose talents are in the fundamentals, so I'm not so sure about him...

SWP is a very controversial player to discuss, yet I'm confused by your assessment - you reject him as he looks like a child, but admit that it's irrelevant, and also because he has little Euro experience, but then say you'd rather have his brother who lacks even more!

That said, I wouldn't have any of those players on my 'wish' list, other than Hleb, but I wouldn't complain much if we signed Owen, SWP or Kameni at reasonable prices...

Out of curiosity, what's wrong with Caracciolo?

As for Caracciolo... He's a decent player, certainly, there's not a lot 'wrong' with him. BUT I certainly don't think he's got enough quality for Arsenal. It's not that he'd be dreadful, it's just that he'd be expensive, and simply not that good. 12 goals (3 pens) in 31 games isn't a strike rate that I'm too impressed with, and I doubt he'd partner anyone apart from Henry particularly well. Big and strong, but without great technical ability - I watched him a bit after we were first linked to him, and I have to say I'm not overly impressed. Certainly not going to take up a lot of slack when it comes to taking the pressure of Henry's scoring...

 

[skart14]

bekham, frey, ashton, bekham

 

[J the Red]

I trust Arsène completely in everything he does, but I really would have raised eyebrows if we signed David Beckham.
IMO he is a world class player, but I really dont think he wouldnt fit into the side at all and would instead leave us with egg on our faces.

I dont think we will sign Owen either, and in some ways I'd be delighted if we signed him because he is 20 goals a season guaranteed. Thing is we dont necessarily need more goals, we need presence up front- something Mickey O lacks out on. Also I really dont think he'd be able to play with Henry and then we'd have another Jeffers situation on our hands.

Ive only seen Govou and Hleb a couple of times each so cant really comment, but they are hardly the big names which I feel we need to refresh the current squad. Still Arsène knows......

 

[asajoseph]

Also I really dont think he'd be able to play with Henry and then we'd have another Jeffers situation on our hands

Why on earth not? I think Henry and Owen would make a splendid partnership - their styles would complement each other extremely well in my view. I'd be interested to hear your oppinion.

Ive only seen Govou and Hleb a couple of times each so cant really comment, but they are hardly the big names which I feel we need to refresh the current squad

Perhaps Hleb isn't a big name player for you because you don't watch the Bundesliga? Because in Germany he CERTAINLY is a big name. You think SWP is well known over there? If the guy played for a major footballing nation or a famous club, he'd be one of the biggest stars in world football you can bet your arse. Or perhaps four letters just isn't enough? :roll:

 

[J the Red]

Also I really dont think he'd be able to play with Henry and then we'd have another Jeffers situation on our hands

Why on earth not? I think Henry and Owen would make a splendid partnership - their styles would complement each other extremely well in my view. I'd be interested to hear your oppinion.

I say that because Henry has never played to his best while up front with an out and out striker. If you look at all the different players he's played up front with at Arsenal, the two he's done best with are Bergkamp and Kanu who both operated in that deeper role. This allowed Henry to have extra space and an almost free reign at the head of the team.
Thierry has also said himself that he prefers to play with this type of player becuase then he can play off the shoulder of the opposition defenders and concerntrate on getting himself into good positions, yet if he plays with a Jeffers type he has to play a different role where he has to play a bit deeper and I think by making him do this you then lose out on him stretching teams by playing further up the field. Thats why I dont think Henry & Owen would work out as well in reality as it does on paper.
The two types of player who I think would work best with Henry are the Bergkamp/Kanu type of deeper striker, which van Persie, Reyes or Bentley will be groomed into, or a physical player who Henry can look to play off. Someone who can win the physical stuff and come short and then let Henry concerntrate on getting in behind.

Ive only seen Govou and Hleb a couple of times each so cant really comment, but they are hardly the big names which I feel we need to refresh the current squad

Perhaps Hleb isn't a big name player for you because you don't watch the Bundesliga? Because in Germany he CERTAINLY is a big name. You think SWP is well known over there? If the guy played for a major footballing nation or a famous club, he'd be one of the biggest stars in world football you can bet your arse. Or perhaps four letters just isn't enough? :roll:

No im not a regular watcher of the Bundesliga, but even still Hleb is not the type of signing who will make other clubs **** themselves and think bloody hell they've brought a real superstar here.
He is a very good player and if Arsène thinks he is the man then im sure he would turn out to be a good signing for us. But this summer Im, and so are many other gooners, looking for a big name to come in, someone who can make others sit up and think hey Arsenal mean business next season. Hleb as good as he is just isnt a big name like other players weve been linked to.
As for SWP then I understand what you mean, but his rep is big in England and other English clubs certainly would sit up and take notice, and this is where our bread and butter is. So if we are going purely on Rep then SWP wins every time for me.

 

[brianfrance]

Govou - Good winger, but near useless infront of goal.
Just a plain bad finisher. Give me Nilmar or Ben Arfa instead as the potential is till there. Wenger shouldn't want this guy just because he's cheap as chips aswell as well-known + french.
I see nothing in him, and neither does Domenech. Just a bad idea.

you're wrong, he's far from being cheap, he's not a bad finisher
And domenech sees nothing in pires, micoud and anelka, but believe pedretti is better than makelele

 

[asajoseph]

I say that because Henry has never played to his best while up front with an out and out striker. If you look at all the different players he's played up front with at Arsenal, the two he's done best with are Bergkamp and Kanu who both operated in that deeper role. This allowed Henry to have extra space and an almost free reign at the head of the team.

This may be true, but the sample size is FAR too small to make a meaningful statistic out of it. In fact, the only 'out and out' striker Henry's ever been paired with has been Jeffers, and that didn't work becaue Jeffers was crap, not because the tactic didn't work.

No im not a regular watcher of the Bundesliga, but even still Hleb is not the type of signing who will make other clubs s**t themselves and think bloody hell they've brought a real superstar here.

Given that he took the Mancs apart, I imagine they'd be pretty nervous. But is we're looking for scare-value, why not just bring back Keown? On a serious note, you don't ACTUALLY expect Wenger to be remotely interested in signing the player you describe above do you?

But this summer Im, and so are many other gooners, looking for a big name to come in, someone who can make others sit up and think hey Arsenal mean business next season.

Hleb, for me, is a 'big name' because he's a proven young 20's player with CL experience, and immense talent. If you want a big name just to satisfy the FM2005 kids, I honestly think you'll be EXTREMELY disappointed this summer. Wenger, rightly, pays no attention to names, but rather to talent. Indeed, how far did Juan Veron's reputation get him?

Right, I'm immensely tired, and haven't done your post justice. I'll be back to think more about it tomorrow.

Asa