The Ongoing Serie A, La Liga, All English Football, Champions League Thread - - - - - - - - - - Part 19

[Iceman]

Thanks mate!

I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't ecstatic by this. No way did I think at the beginning of the window, nor even a few days ago that we'd manage to unload most of our deadwood whilst signing a world class player for a world class fee like Özil. The club have been saying that now the debt is pretty much payed off and we are able to flex our financial muscle we will be like Bayern Munich, and it seems that maybe, just maybe, after all of those years of heartache and frustration of not winning anything and watching our best players leave and line up against us that the time is finally coming for this club to be great again.

So were they talking as if they will have a war chest (not as big but still) every season now? This is what I logically concluded would happen all that time during the stadium talk but it was never materialising. It was as if there was some conspiracy set up so that Wenger was some kind of unsackable financial manager entrusted only with finishing in the top 4 and making money in the transfer market! Very hopeful for the future then and we'll see how active he is next year.

The reaction from other fans is astounding though. Most seem to believe we are not worthy of such a signing, and some have even been stating that we are now trying to buy the league..

Haha. It's stupidity, jealousy and couldn't be more incorrect in relation to one of the only big clubs worldwide to regularly make a transfer profit. And what club's fans were these guys? Liverpool fans might be able to bring up the subject of other clubs buying the league but Utd have been the financially dominant club in the Premier league for a couple of decades before the 2 pure sugar daddy clubs joined built only from money, & now Spurs spend £110m (I keep saying that but I don't know if that's the correct amount any more) in one season! Anyone outside those clubs have bigger problems than worrying about who's winning the league and how. t:

I agree on the other points though. Flamini could prove to be a smart piece of busines for next to nothing, and I'm hoping in January or next summer we can add a top class striker to the ranks. For the first time in years I'm actually feeling excited about the Arsenal again, though I'm going to make sure I don't get sucked in, and will continue to remain cautious too.

A player with his history for free would have a hard job not being a smart piece of business lol. Yeah with a really top striker at the level of a Suarez and as Hunter says a top defensive midfielder to play with Wilshere that front 6 will be able to compete against anyone. You don't need to add many squad members just a couple of truly world class players.

 

[Van Petrol]

Ozil is a gamechanger, his impact on the EPL will be huge. Teams will be planning their defenses centered on him. He will be marked all game, when was the last time that happened for Arsenal?

As long as Ozil is healthy, this is a great move for Arsenal...My concern is the EPL is rough, hopefully players dont abuse him every chance they get

Flamini and Wilshere will have his back, lol. Anyone gets rough with him, them too will jump in.

 

[Dr Lee]

So... It looks like we got the EPL paperwork in on time and the FIFA paperwork... But Real may have tried to scupper the deal at the last second as another deal of theirs had fallen through...

Piss poor behaviour by Madrid if true...

 

[Van Petrol]

So were they talking as if they will have a war chest (not as big but still) every season now? This is what I logically concluded would happen all that time during the stadium talk but it was never materialising. It was as if there was some conspiracy set up so that Wenger was some kind of unsackable financial manager entrusted only with finishing in the top 4 and making money in the transfer market! Very hopeful for the future then and we'll see how active he is next year.

From what I gather, yes, that is the plan. Now the stadium is all but payed off, most of the revenue generated each season will go into investing in the team. I'm hoping this is the case and that this just doesn't turn out to be a generous appeasement gift to keep us quiet for the next few years until they have to spend some money to shut us up again.

Haha. It's stupidity, jealousy and couldn't be more incorrect in relation to one of the only big clubs worldwide to regularly make a transfer profit. And what club's fans were these guys? Liverpool fans might be able to bring up the subject of other clubs buying the league but Utd have been the financially dominant club in the Premier league for a couple of decades before the 2 pure sugar daddy clubs joined built only from money, & now Spurs spend £110m (I keep saying that but I don't know if that's the correct amount any more) in one season! Anyone outside those clubs have bigger problems than worrying about who's winning the league and how. t:

Yeah, agreed. For the most part, the 'buying the league' comment was coming from City fans, which seems weird considering the moeny spent was what we ourselves have generated rather than it being injected via an external source.

A player with his history for free would have a hard job not being a smart piece of business lol. Yeah with a really top striker at the level of a Suarez and as Hunter says a top defensive midfielder to play with Wilshere that front 6 will be able to compete against anyone. You don't need to add many squad members just a couple of truly world class players.

Yeah, I was quite glad when it was announced he would be coming back. I agree, the numbers will help in case of injuries, but I've always preffered smaller squads of quality rather than squads of quantity with no real substance or quality. As you both say, a few more signings of this quality and ilk could really push us to the next level.

 

[wobbly]

Wtf...Lukaku out on loan to Everton? So we have Torres and Ba as our only recognised strikers now.

Moses off on loan I can understand (and good we didn't sell him), but the Lukaku one has me bemused. Yeah, that penalty miss was a bad one, but ffs..

Ah, well. Least Mata aint gone anywhere.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Yeah, I'm just not used to being on the other end, lol, as most of the time it's us watching everyone else make these types of signings and then get degraded for being a nothing team and club whilst our best players are being picked off from us. It just feels so weird and surreal at the moment I keep going back to the Arsenal site to see if it's real, lol.

Lol, I'm genuinely pleased for you mate, love to see you make a run at the title this season. Personally I'm done, boycotting this season after out disgraceful behaviour, insult to the club and the fans, this farcical crap would never have happened under Fergie.

So... It looks like we got the EPL paperwork in on time and the FIFA paperwork... But Real may have tried to scupper the deal at the last second as another deal of theirs had fallen through...

Piss poor behaviour by Madrid if true...

Well when you leave things to the last minute this always has the chance of happening, ALL the blame for our transfer embarrassment lies at the feet of Woodward and the Glazers.

 

[wobbly]

That's not really true, when you consider the fact that Chelsea were in the CL final after his departure and Real are arguably even stronger with Ancelotii at the helm. The only case where your claim is arguably true is that of Inter Milan, where the need for a generational shift following his departure was sorely felt. Then again, he had just won the treble with them (something they hadn't done in God knows how long) before departing and most of the Inter players were in understandable awe of him. Hardly what I would call ruin.

It's true that he's an egotistical ass, but I feel that his attention ****ing is oftentimes meant to take the negative spotlight off his players. It's why he asks for their utter devotion in return. And it's also why he ultimately failed at Real Madrid. Too many big egos and primadonas (Casillas and Ramos), as well as too much of that Real Madrid "we need to win in a certain way" bs.

That's exactly why he does it and why the Chelsea players loved him for it first time round (well, not eye gouging, but he didn't do that at Chelsea...). We could play a stinker, or one of the players would do something stupid, but he'd say something after the game to knowingly wind up the press, the suckers would fall for it every time, and the heat would be on him, not the players who'd just f##ked up. Also took the heat off some of their ill judged off field antics to a degree too.

He certainly aint gonna be everyone's cup of tea, but it's an utter myth to think he leaves club's in 'ruins'.

So far he seems to be more playful with the press rather than playing obvious heat drawing mind games with them. Maybe age and his spell at Madrid (he was never a good fit for them, imo) have mellowed him a bit.

Certainly he put out an oddly overly respectful team against UTD (no proper striker?), I do know that, and it was something he would never have done the first time round at the club.

 

[Van Petrol]

Wtf...Lukaku out on loan to Everton? So we have Torres and Ba as our only recognised strikers now.

Moses off on loan I can understand (and good we didn't sell him), but the Lukaku one has me bemused. Yeah, that penalty miss was a bad one, but ffs..

Ah, well. Least Mata aint gone anywhere.

You also have this guy too...

 

[Iceman]

He can play left wing which considering the other options are Welbeck, Young or Giggs, I'd say is a good thing, plus Evra is likely leaving next summer as this is the last year of his deal, so maybe we can make Contreao permanent next summer as a replacement.

Evra leaving next year! Damn, big loss. In that case it's a good buy for both reasons you mention.

I'm honestly not sure what you think he's gonna bring mate, he's slow, technically mediocre and plays with his elbows out all the time, he's pure mediocrity in every way, it's just lumping another body in with Cleverley and Anderson, two other mediocre CM's.

Basically I'd be happier if we simply hadn't signed anyone.

Your current midfield (& no offence to Everton) strikes me as an average Everton midifeld. So getting a guy who is good at Everton would be an improvement to the midfield squad. t: I think he'll play and that means he's contributing. I just didn't want him to be a big name signing, more a side issue like Arteta at Arsenal while you went for some players who would unquestionably improve the team. I really would have liked De Rossi. I want Moyes to be able to bring in a couple of familiar players that have done well for him in the past as he needs some help settling into one of the hardest jobs in replacing Fergie at Utd after all these years of unprecedented glory.

 

[BatmanBeyond]

Wtf...Lukaku out on loan to Everton? So we have Torres and Ba as our only recognised strikers now.

Moses off on loan I can understand (and good we didn't sell him), but the Lukaku one has me bemused. Yeah, that penalty miss was a bad one, but ffs..

Ah, well. Least Mata aint gone anywhere.

Don't know if you rate him or not, but you've got Eto'o on your books now as well.

 

[wobbly]

You also have this guy too...

Lol, I honestly forgot about him Maybe a bit long in the tooth for a striker at 32, but still hopefully got a good season or 2 in him.

Guess they think Lukaku still has some learning to do or something...

 

[Van Petrol]

Lol, I'm genuinely pleased for you mate, love to see you make a run at the title this season. Personally I'm done, boycotting this season after out disgraceful behaviour, insult to the club and the fans, this farcical crap would never have happened under Fergie.

Thanks mate!

Oh, I don't think we'll be realistic challengers just yet. I still feel we need a bit more to really push on and challenge for the top honours against the top sides.

I feel ya' mate, I was the same up until the last few days of the window. Regardless of what you actually had in the squad, you always had Fergie who would drive the team on, regardless of it's overall abilty and quality, to success. With Moyes, I'm not so sure he can ever reach those types of levels of inspiration and motivation.

 

[wobbly]

Don't know if you rate him or not, but you've got Eto'o on your books now as well.

He's been a great striker in the past. Have not seem bugger all of him though for a while.

 

[BatmanBeyond]

Your current midfield (& no offence to Everton) strikes me as an average Everton midifeld. So getting a guy who is good at Everton would be an improvement to the midfield squad. t: I think he'll play and that means he's contributing. I just didn't want him to be a big name signing, more a side issue like Arteta at Arsenal while you went for some players who would unquestionably improve the team. I really would have liked De Rossi. I want Moyes to be able to bring in a couple of familiar players that have done well for him in the past as he needs some help settling into one of the hardest jobs in replacing Fergie at Utd after all these years of unprecedented glory.

Same here, dude. My dream central midfield pairing for United would be a De Rossi - Modric tandem. Don't know why we didn't go for Modric before his transfer to Madrid, I seem to remember Fergie rating him pretty highly. De Rossi is getting on a bit, but I definitely think he could've done a tremendous job for us. I could see us going for him again next summer (maybe even in January), but I'm not sure he's leaving Roma after failing to secure a move abroad this summer. Then again, that's what was claimed with regards to him last year and there were some pretty concrete rumours surrounding him this time around as well, so who knows.

He's been a great striker in the past. Have not seem bugger all of him though for a while.

I think he did pretty well in Russia, considering the fact that he essentially moved there for the paycheck. He's a consumate professional though and he's definitely a Jose adept, so I think Mou can get one or two good seasons out of him yet.

 

[Iceman]

From what I gather, yes, that is the plan. Now the stadium is all but payed off, most of the revenue generated each season will go into investing in the team. I'm hoping this is the case and that this just doesn't turn out to be a generous appeasement gift to keep us quiet for the next few years until they have to spend some money to shut us up again.

Excellent!

Yeah, agreed. For the most part, the 'buying the league' comment was coming from City fans, which seems weird considering the moeny spent was what we ourselves have generated rather than it being injected via an external source.

Oh so they're not really having a go at Arsenal, just trying to muddy the waters of the actions of their own club lol. The City supporters I know are what I call hardcore meat & potatoes supporters. Not glory hunters & would definitely prefer to have got to where they are the Arsenal way. While they love the prestige and experience of buying world stars every summer, competing for trophies & being in the CL, I think they're a bit embarrassed by the situation at the same time and want all competing big clubs to be able to be labelled in the same way (especially Arsenal who are the opposite). I don't think they are actually pissed off at all that you bought a big player for big money.

Yeah, I was quite glad when it was announced he would be coming back. I agree, the numbers will help in case of injuries, but I've always preffered smaller squads of quality rather than squads of quantity with no real substance or quality. As you both say, a few more signings of this quality and ilk could really push us to the next level.

I like a bit of both as being weak due to a few major players being injured and the replacements being a big jump down in class is sickening and will ruin a season. The good thing when you have a half decent squad and add the world's best, you should already have enough and the replacements who are being edged out of the team by the new arrivals will be good quality replacements as they were previously 1st team quality (as long as you can keep hold of them). Utd's current midfield would be fine as their own reserves for eg if they went out and bought 3 or 4 top midfielders but at the moment too many players & noone above a 7/10.

Btw what do you see as your starting lineup & formation now?

 

[Iceman]

Wtf...Lukaku out on loan to Everton? So we have Torres and Ba as our only recognised strikers now.

Moses off on loan I can understand (and good we didn't sell him), but the Lukaku one has me bemused. Yeah, that penalty miss was a bad one, but ffs..

Ah, well. Least Mata aint gone anywhere.

Didn't see that coming. Was expecting him to have a breakout season. Well maybe he still will but for Everton!

As for Mata it depends if Mourinho is going to use him properly/enough. If not, now was the best time to sell where his value would be at a max. And rather than sell you could have got a part exchange into almost any player.

 

[BatmanBeyond]

Btw what do you see as your starting lineup & formation now?

I personally think Arsenal are going back to more of a 4-2-3-1 shape, like the one they used when both Cesc and VP were on their books. Ozil is definitely more of a number 10, who likes operating from the centre of the three behind the lone striker.

 

[aNarcHy2day]

I guess towards the end we had two possibilities... either we only signed Fellaini or signed no one!
Of which I'd have preferred the latter as that at least leaves us with more money in January for a more appropriate signing!

 

[B]

By far Arsenal's signing of Ozil is the biggest & best arrival to the Premiership this summer.. and ironically it was all made possible by Gareth Bale & Tottenham.

 

[B]

By far Arsenal's signing of Ozil is the biggest & best arrival to the Premiership this summer.. and ironically it was all made possible by Gareth Bale & Tottenham.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Evra leaving next year! Damn, big loss. In that case it's a good buy for both reasons you mention.

His contract is up next summer and there has been no indication that we will offer him a new one, my guess is he'll go back to France. We failed to get Contreao on loan though.

Your current midfield (& no offence to Everton) strikes me as an average Everton midifeld. So getting a guy who is good at Everton would be an improvement to the midfield squad. t: I think he'll play and that means he's contributing. I just didn't want him to be a big name signing, more a side issue like Arteta at Arsenal while you went for some players who would unquestionably improve the team. I really would have liked De Rossi. I want Moyes to be able to bring in a couple of familiar players that have done well for him in the past as he needs some help settling into one of the hardest jobs in replacing Fergie at Utd after all these years of unprecedented glory.

All I see is an extra mediocre lump to add an option, that's not contributing or improving on the team, it's continuing the trend of adding mediocrity to our midfield. I was never in favour of Moyes and while I feel sorry for the shambles he's been lumbered with in the form of Woodward, the fact he went back for his old crap pisses me off.

Thanks mate!

Oh, I don't think we'll be realistic challengers just yet. I still feel we need a bit more to really push on and challenge for the top honours against the top sides.

I feel ya' mate, I was the same up until the last few days of the window. Regardless of what you actually had in the squad, you always had Fergie who would drive the team on, regardless of it's overall abilty and quality, to success. With Moyes, I'm not so sure he can ever reach those types of levels of inspiration and motivation.

You could be ion with a shout for the PL, it depends on how quick Chelsea and City gel their teams, not to mention who is gonna be prolific for Chelsea in front of goal. I think you're a top striker and a top LB & CB short of the CL though.

Exactly, no matter how angry I was with our stingy transfer dealings these last few years Fergie was a safety net, now we have a guy who has never done anything, but y'know it's not about the winning, it's the fact we have bought the type of player I loathe, our football has been ugly for some time now and it just got worse, thankfully I don't have any obligation to tune in.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

This is way too funny

"Confirmation from Manchester United that three men who reportedly attempted to negotiate a deal to sign Athletic Bilboa midfielder Ander Herrera were not acting on behalf of the Premier League champions and were, for want of another word, imposters.

"Reports in Spain claim three men dressed in black suits and claiming to be United "representatives" spent an hour at the La Liga offices attempting to negotiate a deal. The move collapsed at the 11th hour."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/23882862

And this is why united are now the laughing stock of Europe. Seriously if they never had anything to do with it now did it get so far. Your telling me no one at united knew about the stpries or was watching sky sports.


And the rumours on twitter is old sideshow is in line for number 7. Nothing like adding insult to injury.

 

[spidey-dude]

Wtf...Lukaku out on loan to Everton? So we have Torres and Ba as our only recognised strikers now.

Moses off on loan I can understand (and good we didn't sell him), but the Lukaku one has me bemused. Yeah, that penalty miss was a bad one, but ffs..

Ah, well. Least Mata aint gone anywhere.

I thought Lukaku had a chance of being no 1 this year for you.... very strange imo

 

[spidey-dude]

now I understand why clubs wait till deadline day and try and get the best possible deal

but U nited could have go Fellaini for about 5 mil less had they big just over a month ago... genius

 

[B]

now I understand why clubs wait till deadline day and try and get the best possible deal

Clubs wait to deadline day simply because it puts potentially selling clubs under pressure to make a decision if a decent offer is on the table for one of their players, it also in 99% of cases removes the chance of other clubs swooping in & making a bid.. espcallly if they've already handled the bulk of their business at the start of the window.

It can backfire though on the buying club for example in our case with Berbatov & Felliani in which both Spurs & Everton pretty much called United's bluff & held out for the fee they wanted. Was probably a similar case with Bale & Tottenham as well.

Sakho I think is a good piece of business for Liverpool, young, talented & he is a defensive leader.

but U nited could have go Fellaini for about 5 mil less had they big just over a month ago... genius

£23.5m was his buy out clause until the 31st January & even that was too much for him. Felliani is worth at the very most £18m, we should not have paid a penny more than that in my opinion.