(The not-so-temporary quite-official) Gooner Thread (Part 2)

Lacazette cant make the french side as the striker we want to replace is above him...other than being a few years younger i dont see him as an upgrade. 

id rather have lukaku 

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It's a striker that differs in style that we are chasing, not a replacement, as far as I can tell.

We're looking for the quicker, all-action striker, to complement Giroud's big man, hold-up, lay-off style. 

So for that reason alone, I'm not sold on Lukaku, too similar to Giroud. 

I don't know enough about Lacazette to make an opinion, but he does seem quite highly rated - and I would say, given the style difference, it is probably Griezemann keeping him out of the french side rather than Giroud. 

They picked Gignac over him. Hardly a ringing endorsement.

Gignac - 77 goals in 119 appearances for Marseille/Tigres over the last 3 season

Lacazette - 76 goals in 138 appearances for Lyon over the last 3 season.

Giroud - 65 goals in 141 appearances for Arsenal over the last 3 season.

Gignac is no mug.

apparently we are still in for Morata as well, so that makes 3! buy em all! 

also some Slovak midfielder kid. 

Perhaps Griezemann is the one to go for?

Griezmann by far the best name floated but seems unlikely. Can't say I'm really taken by any of the other names but I understand there aren't many (any?) worldies moving clubs right now.

Something flashed up on Facebook today about joining the Arsenal NZ supporters club for free. Pretty sure there used to be a charge and since it was all Auckland based I hadn't officially joined until now. There's now a Wellington Gooners link on the website which states:

Any more info Surge? Would the supporters club have any priority access to Sydney tickets?

Haha... I didn't realise they'd put it on FB already lol

And yeah - had thought I'd wait til the Euros to do their thing then perhaps arrange a chinwag session one Sunday before the season kicks off... I'm also in touch with the travel agent re Sydney and they'll look at putting something together later in the year as it's too early for most people to commit (including me).

Any suggestions/ideas by all means let me know.

Griezemann just signed a new 4 year deal with Atletico, and not to boost any sale value, he is quite committed to the club by the sounds, I think there's probably an ENORMOUS release clause. 

after watching bale through the euros. id total take him any day. I know he is a sp*r n all, but that wouldnt stop me. 

Great work. LFC New Zealand used to charge and be a bit full on hence LFC Wellington springing up which has been a huge success. Fancy organizing something for the season opener? I can check to see if our HQ is opening for it. We usually get anywhere from 20 - 150 people along depending on the time and the opposition. 

With Ronaldo being 31 I don't think they'll be letting Bale go any time soon...

Surely there's an exhibition match in this somewhere?

The tricky part is getting the premises to open at certain times. Can be tough unless your club has a committee and an AGM which gives you way around the licensed times. Could be worth talking to the LFC Wellington chairman about it but D4 may have it all well in hand. 

My days of football are over Rich. 

I do have my 1988 Liverpool grey away kit Subbuteo team somewhere. 

C'mon mate, you can still hobble around a 5 aside goal

After 32 seasons in a row, 3 and a half months on crutches, 2 metal pins, 2 metal plates and what my missus has had to put up with, it's time to hang up the boots. My last ever touch of a ball was a goal (you can check this with G) so it's time to retire - plus I want to get another 15 years of cricket in. 

Good work getting things setup Surge. Keen to be involved. Would be keen for a match between supporters clubs too!

Seen a few rumour snippets about...

Apparently Mikharaytan wanted Arsenal, we were keen, set it all up, but Wenger changed his mind late in the piece. Interesting if true.

Some outlets reporting that we're triggering Lacazette's release clause, while others are claiming we've bid 50m for Draxler, so probably neither true ;)

Lots of talk that we're hi-jacking Monaco's deal for Lille fullback Djibril Sidibe. 23 years old, french, can play left or right. That would be a sensible signing if he's any good. Debuchy surely gone, Jenkinson injured, Gibbs rumoured to be leaving, we'll need someone to back up there. 

Fixed

I wouldn't be averse to re-signing Gibbs and loaning him out this season, with a view to bringing him back the following season to take over from Monreal.

He's really a fantastic fullback when he gets a few games under his belt, but he's now at the age where he needs to be starting. 

It seems to me Wenger has become (too) risk averse.

He's always trying to avoid overpaying - and ends up underbidding; so we miss out... or, he convinces himself that what we have is adequate - when evidence proves that it isn't.

Something needs to change as we're risking another failed transfer window... and yes, Xhaka is a good signing - but as the man himself said at the end of another season where we failed to maximise our opportunities, we need three or four quality players. Not one.

What needs to happen is Wenger identifies the player/s - and someone else negotiates that deal. We need another DD, but that won't happen.

Transfer window opened 8 days ago, yet we've already failed and defaulted to 'wengerout'

LOLZ

Where did I say I was talking to you ;)

But in all seriousness, that is what your post is implying is it not? A failed transfer window, and 'something needs to change'?

I guess reading that it felt to me like a September 1 post, not a July 8 one, hence my comment.

And no, it doesn't - if you read further, I state (as i did at the end of last season) that the METHOD isn't working and the METHOD needs to change. Many of AW's best signings were done by David Dein doing the negotiating, not AW... coincidentally (or not?) this was also when AW was doing his best coaching/managing and we had much success... yes, we know the financial restraints and ra-de-ra, but those days are behind us and we need AW to get back to what he did when we were successful.

So, again, in case you missed it: something needs to change - we cannot follow the same methods as we have in recent years and expect a different outcome... the game has moved on. So must we - whether that's "back to the future" or in another direction.

And again; I said the same last year - it's not new.

Yep, understood. But again I would say, isn't that a conclusion for Sept 1? You're definitely speaking as if this window has run it's course, when it's barely started.

Personally I feel like it's been much different this time round - Xhaka signed super early, Asano signed (even though he's not one for this season), we attempted the same with Vardy but didn't quite get him, through no fault of our own at all. And it seems we're very active in the market right now, trying to get our deals done asap. Usually at this time of year all we're hearing is "everything happens late in the window" or "we are not close to signing anybody". 

If we get to the end of this window with no more signings, then I'll agree with you for sure, but not right now. 

Apparently Sidibe has chosen Monaco because we wouldn't promise him 1st team football, and he wants to play RB in particular. 

Rumours we are talking to Dortmund's CB Subotic, would cost 12m. 

I recall we were chasing him a few years ago.

CB stocks would be very strong if we added someone of his calibre. Koscielny has shown himself to be absolutely world class now imo. Mertesacker is a still good for us, Gabriel has all the ingredients, just needs a little more maturity in his game. 

Also, seeing lots of stuff around about the players we'll probably be missing for the season opener, it's a wee bit scary. Ozil, Giroud, Ramsey, Koscielny, maybe Sanchez. We got a decent amount of depth though - guys like Cazorla, Wilshere, Monreal, Walcott, Gabriel should be fighting fit. But still, you can't replace the quality of guys like Ozil. We gonna need some big performances to start with from the guys who have been out injured last season. 

Good piece by Sarah Winterburn on Giroud at the Euros.

Apparently Juventus have submitted a "reasonable" $34m bid for Sanchez.

How that is reasonable in the current market I just don't know.

Laughable.

Didn't the Juventus chairman also say they'd been knocked back, and that Arsenal have said he won't be sold for any price?