Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

This feels so much worse than it did mid-week for some reason :(

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Wow let's hope Arsenal use the same defenders on saturday... :erm:

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Well the Away Goal killed you in the Semi Final, didn't leave you with much to play for, and it just kinda ran away for you, as well as we played. This is just a straight out defeat and a bad one and to a local rival.

Be interested to see what Wenger does in the transfer market this Summer.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

well he has been quotes as buying some more experienced players but I for some reason dont see it happening..more then likely some key players will leave and Wenger wont get funds from the board to replace them.

I soo hope that Usmanov will manage to buy the club and get Dein back in as chairman.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Wengers problem will be the stadium, his hands are tied on funds. He wont find the bargains like he did 10 years ago, Overmars, Viera, Pires and Henry, that quality of player will cost a fortune. He needs three at least, and you are looking at best part of £60Mill plus wages. Don't think Arsenal have it.

I admire the bloke for what he tries, it's a great ethos, but it doesn't work these days.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...310907,00.html


I'm never happy when a player gets injured, but this is good news for us.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Well it can do, Back then people were still paying stupid sums of money for players while others existed who were good but cheap. Same now, I think he may be able to find cheap but decent players. He has a very good eye for that sort of thing. Arshvian (who was already 'big') was cheap for what we got, way under £20 million.

I would say he only needs two 'big players' as well. People are forgetting that Arsenal did go though this season without conceding much when our proper defence was there so all he needs is an extra DC to cover Gallas when he is out and to further strengthening the defence when he is playing. Also maybe another Defender or Forward.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

I think initially Wenger was helped by having worked with Henry at Monaco and he also used to work in the French youth setup too so he knew who was and wasn't good and that helped. He hasn't got that same network now so not sure if he can still get the players he used to.

One thing it does show that no matter how good a manager you are without the money to buy players he still can't compete

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Arsenal have always competed without money though, it just makes it harder when you can't throw £30mill+ on a problem area at the end of the season. It also means the players you buy may take longer to provide a return.

Wenger has managed to pay may players who were young and turned out good. Look at the Arsenal team now, how many of them are French or were well known when we brought them?

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Arsenal do have the money, they just don't want to spend it. Usmanov is an Uzbek billionaire (and all-round nasty person) but he's been availing his money to the club for some time now and they've avoided spending it. Dunno why. Maybe winning a propaganda battle if they can replicate ManYoo's success without the £30m+ players. Arshavin was a real shock in that respect, but I think they would be in 5th place now without him.

Looks like Usmanov is going to get his way and Wenger is going to splash the cash.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Arsenal want to insure financial stability, prudence with purchasing decisions is part of that. I don't think spending stupid amounts of money is a good path to take although of course they should spend to improve areas that are weak. Our largest shareholder (I think) is now Kroenke who favours Wenger/Arsenal's current approach of careful spending, which is good because I don't want an owner treating the club as a toy.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Today marks the 24th anniversary of the Bradford City fire disaster. I remember watching events unfold, always remember the policeman who's hair was on fire. The disaster goes largely unmentioned, worth remembering though, 56 people in total lost their lives. :(

I've just listened to the audio footage from the commentator who was at the game, made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Overmars, Viera, Pires and Henry etc weren't cheap, it's a bit of a fallacy that Wenger won't spend cash, he just won't pay over the odds and I dont really blame him, to many players are being sold for ridicules sums, footballs in need of a big time reality check, foreign banks carrying debts of our top clubs is a hell of a lot different to Barclays, what's it gonna take, a big club to go to the wall before anyone acts?

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...313949,00.html

no surprise there then .

Re: Football : Season 08/09
 

Nah, It was to be expected. The problem for them was it would open a flurry of appeals for every decision, much easier to say the ref's word is the final word. I have to say it's not as if the ref got it completely wrong! He just gave a punishment which was completely over the top.

---------- Post added at 19:26 ---------- Previous post was at 18:50 ----------

I wish the stupid papers would stop calling it a massacre. Arsenal's loss to United was a massacre, Arsenal's loss to Chelsea was not Arsenal being out played but because Chelsea were better finishers. (Arsenal's crap defence didn't help)