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

Cesc apparently on his way out at Barca.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/players/cesc-fabregas/10866981/Cesc-Fabregas-can-leave-for-30m-Barcelona-tell-Arsenal-Manchester-United-Chelsea-and-Manchester-City.html

£30m, I say go for it. Will be hard to stomach seeing him in a City or Chelsea (god no) shirt. 

Quote from Wenger today:

Ballsy stuff, will be interesting to see how big this summer really gets.

Heard it all before. Come the start of the season and noone has signed yet we'll be told how it was impossible to sign anyone because of the World Cup but there is still plenty of time until August 31st, by which time we'll have signed a young right back, some random Kallstrom like midfielder and a goalkeeper noone has heard of. Diaby and Walcott will be "like new signings."

ha ha Arsenal, I like it and the only yellow shirt I've ever liked was the '71.

The yellow shirt this season gone was sharp. I just really dislike the red font/stripes on the Puma shirt above. If they ditched the red stripes altogether and made the Emirates dark blue I would accept it. As it stands it looks like a bad case of over-design to me. 

You guys getting Remy I see.

Yup, I've been checking regularly. We'll get there eventually. 

Back to Arsenal, if the Remy news is indeed correct, I'd be happy with that as some early business done. With the amount of players we're going to need to bring in, 3-4 minimum it would seem, a big striker signing wouldn't be happening. A premier league proven striker for 12 million is a good deal. 

Mario B back in the gossip rags

I know I've said it before but Wenger could be good for him. 

Cheers, done.

I would love Balotelli. He can't be an immature idiot all his life.

Apparently Remy and Giroud linked up well together for France.. I think I'd take Remy for half the price of Balotelli to have cash to spend elsewhere..

Added to the Griezmann rumors, that could be a very efficient attacking unit withn our midfield behind it. 

Paul Gascoigne?

Ballotelli and/or Remy plus Griezmann and/or Di Maria would be awesome.

Can't see it happening.

Would love to be wrong.

Apparently AW has been confused by the calls to replace Viera and made a 20mil bid for Vieria (aka: Hulk).

transfer windows are allways crazy.....last week we apparently signed Morata and its Remy this week, Remy would be good for us. We arnt getting linked to any DMF's which does worry me.

As for Cesc.....i think we should sign him purely so the other teams done get him :P. i know we have a tonne of mids but over the seasons there will injures etc  

Such horrible timing for cesc to come available with all the midfield options we have but I just couldn't handle it if he were playing against us. He's so good and should be our captain.

Chelsea? Yuck cesc, sort it out mate, you're better than that. 

Hulk, now there's a striker I'd forgotten about, I'd take him in a heartbeat. 

Hulk really??? it might just be me but everytime i have watched him play he's been sh*thouse

bring back Cesc

Man imagine that:

Ozil          Hulk        Cazorla

             Cesc

Ramsey        Wilshere

Gibbs Kosc Per Jenkinson

              Szy

Bench: Martinez, Verm, Giroud, Ox, Arteta, Walcott, Rosicky

We complain about people not tracking back now, but that side has no wingers in it. Would much rather focus on developing Chamberlain into a top class winger than sign Fabregas and waste season after season of him and Ozil trying to figure out who is more comfortable out wide. Won't get anywhere with every midfielder and forward being a playmaker. Need some direct players too. Yet another midfield playmaker is not what we need to blow 30 million on this summer.

Cesc doesn't have to play that role.  He's good enough to 3 differing midfield roles for us. And with the possible exception of Ozil he's better at all of them than anyone we have. There is also the surely blatantly obvious problem that if he's in England just how much would he strengthen Chelsea, MUFC or Liverpool? Throw City in that list to if YAYA says byebye

We should sign Serge Aurier if Sagna is goneski. 

I like Ox as DM actually. Great to have someone in that position who has both the vision to pass and the skill to execute it. But yes hoping he's in for a lot of game time. Coquelin should be also playing DM

Not convinced on Remy at all, but do concede another striker is required. Would certainly take Remy over Hulk, who seems a strange fit for us. 

anyway if we sign anyone I'll probably be grateful. 

On Cesc, I'd see spending $30 million on a centreforward or a DM would improve us more than picking him up just so others dont have him.

That team above for me Brumbys you must be thinking with the heart over the head. Ozil is not a winger, we need players like Walcott or Ox out wide, our midfield would be paperweight and Jenkinson (he's arsenal through and through) should not be near our starting team.

Hulk would be better than the postie we are likely to pickup.

Serge Aurier I'm happy to agree with you on there faol.

Doesn't Wenger think the same thing? I recall this season sometime Wenger was talking about Ox and that he see's him developing in to a deep lying midfielder, a Pirlo of sort, who has the ability of long passing with precision. He's bloody strong too, and fast. 

Fabregas is really not good enough to play 3 differing midfield roles for us. He was not good enough to play in central midfield in the Premiership last time, which was we why we completely changed our whole system to use him as a number 10, or almost a second striker. It's also why he's been pretty much a second striker, or "false 9" since he left. We already have Ozil and Cazorla, plus Wilshere and Ox who are still developing and haven't really found their best positions yet (which could still be 10 for at least one of them). There are some seriously pressing needs and a playmaker should be the lowest priority this summer. Thankfully, it sounds as though we have declined the chance to waste our money. Although wouldn't it be just like Wenger to finally have big money to spend and go out and buy someone we don't need while leaving us short in key areas?

Heh, just like a bit of healthy debate!

                                          Wozza/Foster

Aurier/Jenko - BFG/Winny (if he can be bothered) - Kozza/Bello - Nacho/Gibbo

                                         S.Bender/MatFlam

                                    Ozil/Rozza  -  Ramsay/Jack

              Theo/Ox                             -                                  Santi/Eisfeld
                                                 Ballo/Girro

I know it won't happen but jeez I'd like it to!... I'd let Arteta and Poldi go... as much as I luv them both they aren't going to get much game time if we bring in a starting striker and DM and they'd be better off at QPR/West Ham or in Europe to be honest.

Yes loving the debate ajc28... my two cents... I'd be questioning that memory of yours! Fabregas played for us as a central mid in a 4-4-2 until 2009, and that included a run to the champions league final amid many dominating midfield performances - one of the highlights being complete domination of Vieira in that first leg against Juve. That period also included a run at the title in 2007-08 (our highest points total since we last won the EPL).

He only went to a number 10 role when Bergkamp was long gone and he had became more composed in front of goal. He'd also matured and gained enough respect to be the true heart of the team by that point. He did not go there due to any perceived weaknesses in his previous position at all. Lets not forget 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 did not become the new 4-4-2 until around 2009 in the EPL, when Benitez had success playing Gerrard in behind Torres. Many copied that blueprint including Wenger. Mourinho had success with a 4-3-3 previously but that was essentially a defensive 4-5-1 more than anything. 

He is an absolute world class player and the type we should be recruiting - the fact he is not the leader and heart of Barcelona shouldn't take anything away. They were well established as the best team in the world, good luck to anyone breaking into that midfield. 

Yes his last and best position for us is one we have other bodies for now, but I feel he's the type of player you get into the team no matter what. Arteta's best position was further forward before we bought him yet I feel Cesc would be an even more comfortable conversion to that deeper-lying role, and would also offer quality cover when those further forward get injured.

My only real concern about his purchase is that although he's 27, he may as well be 30 given the sheer volume of matches he's already played. I feel he'll be one who may struggle with injury in the next few years and wind down a little earlier than others. 

The ones who play a lot when young tend to come out that way - I'm thinking Michael Owen, Joe Cole etc.

Also this courtesy of arseblog;

Mario Balotelli