Would we have won the league if Cesc and Nasri stayed?

[a_fourteen]

Depressing question but I'm sure it's on a lot of minds. Given our performance this season do you think we would have won the league if cesc and nasri had stuck on and remained committed? Let's be honest cesc shlts on ramsey and arteta and nasri when playing for us is a good side better than benayoun. I cant help but feel given how prolific rvp has been this season, walcott and song have improved significantly and our defense is so much better with verm, kos and szcz that cesc and nasri could have given us that extra push.

 

[Eirico]

We wouldn't have bought Arteta if Cesc stayed, so I will say no to this question.

Wilshere and Diaby have been out for the season, so who would play next to Song in midfield? Ramsey? Coquelin?

 

[mo50]

We would never have spent the amount of money we did bringing in the likes of Arteta, Mertesacker, Gervinho, Chamberlain and Santos. Fabregas would've pulled his hamstrings half a dozen more times and Nasri would only show up for another 3 months. We would not have won the league. I'd wager we would be in the exact same position we are right now, only instead of a horrible start and great finish, it would be the other way round.

 

[a_fourteen]

We would never have spent the amount of money we did bringing in the likes of Arteta, Mertesacker, Gervinho, Chamberlain and Santos. Fabregas would've pulled his hamstrings half a dozen more times and Nasri would only show up for another 3 months. We would not have won the league. I'd wager we would be in the exact same position we are right now, only instead of a horrible start and great finish, it would be the other way round.

mertesacker, gervinho, chamberlain, santos deals were being negotiated before nasri, cesc left. the only ones in question really are arteta and benayoun. our squad would have looked something like this had they stayed:

nasri----rvp----walcott
------cesc---ramsey
---------song
gibbs--verm--kos--sagna
------szczesny

good enough me thinks.

 

[fabo]

That midfield isn't good enough really.

 

[ebouenolike]

No.

I don't want to be harsh, but this seems an odd thread. They'd both decided their future was elsewhere, and we brought in players who wanted to be here. We wouldn't have the players who have pulled it out for us this season, and as such none of us know.

 

[mo50]

We would never have spent the amount of money we did bringing in the likes of Arteta, Mertesacker, Gervinho, Chamberlain and Santos. Fabregas would've pulled his hamstrings half a dozen more times and Nasri would only show up for another 3 months. We would not have won the league. I'd wager we would be in the exact same position we are right now, only instead of a horrible start and great finish, it would be the other way round.

mertesacker, gervinho, chamberlain, santos deals were being negotiated before nasri, cesc left. the only ones in question really are arteta and benayoun. our squad would have looked something like this had they stayed:

nasri----rvp----walcott
------cesc---ramsey
---------song
gibbs--verm--kos--sagna
------szczesny

good enough me thinks.

Those deals were being negotiated because of the inevitable departures of Cesc and Nasri.

Vermaelen also missed a good chunk of the season. Djourou would've been played much more than he has. Ramsey can't play a deeper role.

The question should be, if we kept Cesc would we have won the title? I don't think so but we may have had a better season. Nasri hasn't been missed much IMO, but Cesc's transfer killed us.

We now have a solid core. If Wenger can bring in a few top class players we'll be good to go next season (the same has been said for the last 7 years, so I'm not holding my breath)

 

[fabo]

Song + Jack/Arteta + Cesc - now that's a strong midfield.

Think we'd need one more forward though. We would have beaten Milan if Cesc was here and then inevitably collapsed vs Barca and domestically.

Anyway, we've moved on. We need 3 or 4 signings this Summer so let's get it done. The squad is littered with weaknesses so I'll be pissed off if we pass on players because of current underperformers/young players.

 

[a_fourteen]

We would never have spent the amount of money we did bringing in the likes of Arteta, Mertesacker, Gervinho, Chamberlain and Santos. Fabregas would've pulled his hamstrings half a dozen more times and Nasri would only show up for another 3 months. We would not have won the league. I'd wager we would be in the exact same position we are right now, only instead of a horrible start and great finish, it would be the other way round.

mertesacker, gervinho, chamberlain, santos deals were being negotiated before nasri, cesc left. the only ones in question really are arteta and benayoun. our squad would have looked something like this had they stayed:

nasri----rvp----walcott
------cesc---ramsey
---------song
gibbs--verm--kos--sagna
------szczesny

good enough me thinks.

Those deals were being negotiated because of the inevitable departures of Cesc and Nasri.

Vermaelen also missed a good chunk of the season. Djourou would've been played much more than he has. Ramsey can't play a deeper role.

The question should be, if we kept Cesc would we have won the title? I don't think so but we may have had a better season. Nasri hasn't been missed much IMO, but Cesc's transfer killed us.

We now have a solid core. If Wenger can bring in a few top class players we'll be good to go next season (the same has been said for the last 7 years, so I'm not holding my breath)

not to be argumentative but:
mertesacker and santos -- had nothing to do with cesc, nasri departures. different positions entirely
gervinho -- couldnt replace cesc and was expecting to play with his pal nasri
chamberlain -- maybe, I think wenger's plan was to play nasri centrally and use chambo as a wide option

the rest of your post i agree with

 

[Vela]

All depends if AW would of brought if them to had stayed or not?

My prediction would be Nasri would have gone missing for another half of a season just like he did last season. Fabregas would have his "injuries" like previously seasons. We still wouldn't have won anything.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Don't really like the idea of these "what if" threads, but Cesc is easily worth 5-10 points a season. Having said that, there are far too many variables to consider.

You also have to add in the ManUre-ref-advantage-coefficient:

Points gifted through dodgy referee decisions = points needed for top spot + amount of competitive teams.

I think we would have simply finished third, but with a few more points, until we sort out our attack.

 

[Gooner_Stu]

Im not sure, or atleast I dont think so. We didnt win the Carling Cup with either of them, or with a then on form Nasri in the 11 anyway. Nasri had a good 2010/11 campaign, no denying that. But he's not exactly replicated it with Citeh and I think losing Cesc has benefited the mentality of the team. It was a shock for them, losing 2 players of whom 1 was certainly world class and perhaps had some bearing on the early season results.

Can live on 'could-haves, got to look forward and think can this team win the league next year?

 

[rich 1990]

We would have done what we'd be doing in previous seasons. Got off to a decent start, certainly better then the one we had, and fallen apart at the end again . So no, i don't believe we would have won the title.

I'm glad both have gone to be honest. We've got rid off the specter of Barcelona hanging over our heads and Nasri was a tart. I saw a stat concerning Nasri that he's had more assists at City then he did throughout his Arsenal career. **** him. Our squad is more harmonious and far more likable then it's been in previous season.

 

[truth_hurts]

If we had of brought the players that we did plus keep Cesc we 100% would have been in a title race but there are too many variables:

Would Cesc have stayed fit?
Would Songs role have changed?
Would RVP have stepped up so big?

amongst others.

 

[Mastadon]

Imo Cesc would be the perfect AMC for our current team with Song and Arteta behind. He would easily be the best midfielder in the EPL if he stayed can't see anything positive about not having him apart from RVP taking over the captaincy. The whole Barca thing was annoying but not as annoying as our inability to sign other star players or win anything which is the main reason why he left.

 

[Shadow Moses]

No

because we would have the same team from last season. Status Quo and all that

 

[a_fourteen]

a fully fit RVP + cesc is something we have never had. with the leagues best striker and creative midfielder in our ranks we could have turned a lot of those games in our favor. just staying.

 

[va_va_voom]

I think this highlights the whole "team being greater than the sum of its parts" argument. Like for like, player for player, Cesc and Nasri (when on form and committed) are better individuals then maybe we have now in their respective positions. But we'd play a different way, there'd be different responsibilities on certain players, and maybe we wouldn't see the harmony and balance we have now.

WIth a couple of quality additions in the attacking areas, a fit and returning Wilshere to add to the midfield blend, and a more together & consistence defence will see us be a force next season. Its all about balance and players getting the best out of each other.

With everyone fit and well, we have a first choice 11. But we get a chance to play that way 2 or 3 times a season maybe. In that respect, there will be constant changing of players and therefore the balance and non reliance on stars is important. No coincidence Untied are top and do exactly this. They probably have fewer genuine stars now than they did in their prime of late 90's early 2000's.

One final thing that cannot be overlooked - RVP's captaincy has been one of my biggest positives this season. I completely see him signing a new contract, and I think his leadership and Vermaelen's vice captaincy have bled through the squad in their attitudes.

I have to say, I get far greater enjoyment watching this Arsenal team than the one of the last few seasons, mainly because we actually look like a team. Maybe we needed to take a step back to take a couple of steps forward.

 

[GunnerBP]

No.

This may be a major cliche, but this team feels like a stronger team collectively than previous ones. Individually we may have had more talent before that doesn't necessarily make the team better. Frankly, last season's team was good enough to win the league and they came in fourth.

If Cesc had stayed RVP wouldn't have been captain and RVP's leadership, in addition to his goals, has contributed greatly to us being in 3rd.

 

[KY]

our midfield's been stronger as a unit compared to last season. Individually we might be inferior, but this year, we've definitely been better as a collective unit. And let's face it, football is a team sport. So no, we wouldn't have been better off.