[arseofacrow]

The same malaise is present at the club now as before. Wenger is paid more than Ferguson to oversee important summer preparations but completely bollocksed it up...and the shit re Wilshire's "return" just sums up the penny pinching non investment in quality, held back by the ridiculous wages paid to... well, we all know the culprits.

Giving contracts to Djourou and Rosciky send out the wrong message.

[Red Member]

The same malaise is present at the club now as before. Wenger is paid more than Ferguson to oversee important summer preparations but completely bollocksed it up...and the shit re Wilshire's "return" just sums up the penny pinching non investment in quality, held back by the ridiculous wages paid to... well, we all know the culprits.

Giving contracts to Djourou and Rosciky send out the wrong message.

I am not going to comment otherwise I will be seen as a "WUM"

[arseofacrow]

The same malaise is present at the club now as before. Wenger is paid more than Ferguson to oversee important summer preparations but completely bollocksed it up...and the shit re Wilshire's "return" just sums up the penny pinching non investment in quality, held back by the ridiculous wages paid to... well, we all know the culprits.

Giving contracts to Djourou and Rosciky send out the wrong message.

I am not going to comment otherwise I will be seen as a "WUM"

Yep, it's a real quandry mate!

[officepest]

At best we're treading water. For every decent run we go on there is a slip/run of games without a win to keep us in check.

This simply isnt true. We have now won 9 out of 10 games, ok we lost to QPR - that is 1 game, it happens.
look at Man Utd last night at Wigan.

we have had just 2 blips this season and there are reasons for both.
1) the summer shambles
2) January games when we didnt have any fit full backs. This was Wenger's fault as he played Santos in a dead CL match and he got injured.

had he kept fit I do not think we would have lost all of those games. The RB problem was just really unfortunate. No club can afford to have 3 top class RBs. The fact we had our best 2 out for so long is just unlucky.

Red, you have (via points 1 & 2) validated my argument! Whatever the resons are, there are always reasons. I wasn't exclusively talking about this season either, my general point could be tacked on to any season post '05.

[highburyJD]

Giving contracts to Djourou and Rosciky send out the wrong message.

Have to disagree,
1stly on the players ability:
yes Djourou had a 'mare at RB and lost form even in the centre
but his last two games at CB he's been solid (v poor opposition)
Before that he had a very good run of form (including some exceptional unbeaten run I'm too hungover to look up)

Rosicky has been exceptional, some said playing for a contract - well IMO he's earned it

2nd they're two of our longest serving players, Djourou a youth product since 15 FFS, people clamour for experienced defenders - how have the seasons of Dann or Johnson gone? I heard people arguing both their cases as 'better than what we have). Even Cahill had nightmares early on.

I think a good athletic, fast, strong and solid graduate from our ranks is perfect as 4th/5th choice CB. He's still only 25 and can improve. Buying somebody in who's then unhappy as 4th pick isn't a good investment IMO. Especially when we all want rid of Squillaci.

Vermaelen, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Song, Djourou, (+ Bartley & Miquel) is a good group of CBs

Rosicky is influential on and off the pitch, others take a lead from him. The two would have essentially felt they were on their way out of the club. Really bad for dressing room moral in this run for the CL spots.

IMO not giving either of them a contract world have been a mistake.

[arseofacrow]

Djourou a walking mistake

Rosicky missing in action on so many occasions.

Don't let the red glow of winning games when all is lost blind you. It is what has been sewn for years within the club that is the problem, more than merely having players fit.

[flash gunner]

Rosicky has been exceptional, some said playing for a contract - well IMO he's earned it.

Really??? He has had a run of 10 good games some of which he has been very good in, some he has been average and in which the team has performed well too, does he really deserve a new contract on the back of that!!! ???

[highburyJD]

yes
I don't mean 'deserve a new contract' - I think his wages need to be doubled
I mean 'deserve a new contract' - we shouldn't release him on a free

[arseofacrow]

yes
I don't mean 'deserve a new contract' - I think his wages need to be doubled
I mean 'deserve a new contract' - we shouldn't release him on a free

eh, what?

You're a funny fucker, JD

[LeoGooner]

At best we're treading water. For every decent run we go on there is a slip/run of games without a win to keep us in check.

This simply isnt true. We have now won 9 out of 10 games, ok we lost to QPR - that is 1 game, it happens.
look at Man Utd last night at Wigan.

we have had just 2 blips this season and there are reasons for both.
1) the summer shambles
2) January games when we didnt have any fit full backs. This was Wenger's fault as he played Santos in a dead CL match and he got injured.

had he kept fit I do not think we would have lost all of those games. The RB problem was just really unfortunate. No club can afford to have 3 top class RBs. The fact we had our best 2 out for so long is just unlucky.

I think you've missed the point of the title of this thread. the last 10 games is not the greater scheme of things. Nor is this season. In the greater scheme of things, whether you interpret that as the last 7 seasons or all of wenger's reign, we have clearly gone backwards. I'm talking about on the pitch of course, not in the bank.

[spid]

Wenger's best signing of the last 5 years has been Arteta. He does the midfielders job to perfection. He is not trying to win the game on his own, he gets the ball from one of the back four, passes to a winger or a full back, gets in position to take the return, or wait for a breaking cross. He is the perfect team player. Not as glamourous a BarcaFab made it, but probably more effective.

In any team sport you have the 'Piano Players', and you have the 'Piano Movers'. I don't want to go back to one-nil to the Arsenal but there has to be a balance. You have to earn the right to play.

If you were going to war in the morning would you take Theo or Freddie Lunjberg. If the answer is Theo we are going no where. He has to go.

[highburyJD]

yes
I don't mean 'deserve a new contract' - I think his wages need to be doubled
I mean 'deserve a new contract' - we shouldn't release him on a free

eh, what?

You're a funny fucker, JD

if we don't give people contracts obviously they leave...

[arseofacrow]

yes
I don't mean 'deserve a new contract' - I think his wages need to be doubled
I mean 'deserve a new contract' - we shouldn't release him on a free

eh, what?

You're a funny fucker, JD

if we don't give people contracts obviously they leave...

My reply still stands

[SWLGooner]

It feels like the same old, same old. Yet again, hugely encouraging signs but an ultimately fruitless season, with very poor performances and very good ones, and nowhere near the top sides.

There have been so many pivotal transfer windows that Wenger has cocked up, I have no confidence that he will get this one right. Love to be wrong though...

[SteveO 35]

We should enjoy the end of season optimism but see it for what it is, because the same old Wengerballs comments about transfer policy are already creeping in to the interviews, and the upcoming transfer window will no doubt shatter any ambitions we might have that we would be able to challenge for next season's big prizes.

The signing of Podolski, could easily be funded by the sales of Vela (who wants to go), Chamakh (who Bordeaux still want to sign) and the fat Russian (who would still be signed by one of a few clubs back in his homeland). At the very worst that should leave us in a breakeven position with regard to transfer fees and in the black in terms of wages. We have seen fit to do without all of those 3 players for large chunks of the season, so that would represent a self-funded improvement to the squad.

If Wenger and the board then claim that on top of that we are unable to sign at least two top class players in addition to Podolski then frankly they are liars. The net debt position and operating cash flow statement are audited and publically available pieces of information and it is absolutely evident that at least £50m is available to be invested into improving the squad

I still fear the worst - RvP leaves, Podolski is supposedly the like-for-like replacement, the returning dross (Vela, Arshavin, Denilson, the King of Denmark etc) can't be sold, Wilshere is "like a new signing", 15 more players go out on loan, and we'll sign Moussa Sow to save us from "dizzying prices". Of course we'll wait till after Euro 2012 to do any business by which time anyone half decent has had their price go up 100% giving the club another soundbite with which to defend its policy of feeding Kroenke's business plan to remove all debt and sell the club in 2-3 years