One of the main men with that golden Arsenal info, Jezza Wilson, has penned a piece that says Arsenal might opt for a cheaper manager. The article basically reiterates what I’ve been telling you for a while, the club don’t necessarily want an all-conquering king to replace a king. The club want a manager who can fit into a system, can coach players, and work with a lower budget.
His shortlist of names is the list we’ve been rocking here at Le Grove. Allegri, Nagelsmann, Arteta, Paddy and Jardim. I’m game for any of those, bar Vieira. I really don’t fancy him, unless it’s as part of the backroom team.
There goes my chance of interviewing him for The AO podcast anytime soon.
The Telegraph writer also pours a bit of cold water over the Buvac rumours, without totally discarding them. The exLiverpool assistant makes very little sense, he was an average manager in 2001, doesn’t like speaking to the press and by all accounts, it seems like he’s left Liverpool to tend to family matters back in Bosnia.
If he were joining Arsenal, wouldn’t he have at least waited until he’d lost in the Champions League final before departing Klopp’s side? There were some rumours he’d had a bust-up, but I think that was off the mark. You don’t tend to have mega bust-ups with people that have helped give you success, especially not at pivotal moments of the season.
Enrique seems to be showering himself in mercenary juice. He’s asking for such an extortionate salary, even Chelsea are turning their noses up at him. What a game he’s playing. I’d not be upset with him, I’d just be a touch underwhelmed.
Give me Allegri, Jardim or Nagelsmann and I’d be over the moon.
In other news, Jack Wilshere is now closer to agreeing a new deal than before. Interesting right? Wenger goes, and all of a sudden, the club is open to a deal. I was told by someone in New York who knew people around Jack that he wasn’t much of a fan of the coach, so it makes sense that now he’s gone things are looking more positive. It’d be great to hire a manager who could extract the most from him. He’s still relatively young, could be a great turnaround project.
I was fed a tidbit that Ramsey signing on isn’t looking very positive right now, it’s not come from a source pure enough to extract spring water, but you could take a drink there and no one would die. Take from it what you will. I know Danny W and Cech are also waiting to see who the next manager is, likely just to see if they’re wanted. Just jokes, Danny has been great of late, Mr Cech, not so much. But he’d make a great coach. One of the greats, so we’ll see.
Outside that, I have very little.
SEE YOU IN THE COMMENTS.
RP
True that, with the amount they have spent they should have a better squad than Real Madrid who have spent much less in the last few years in actual fact.
Real Madrid spend huge too but the difference is that they get serious return for their investments.
12 plus years out of Ramos, how many years out of Pepe, Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale, Isco, Kroos, Modric, etc.
Dembele-Miki-Auba link would be sick.
Never happens though.
Dissenter,
Actually the quotes are from the president of Soyuncu’s former club Altidoru? They still own some percentage of the player.
He says Arsenal asked about the details of the deal. So may be we’re close.
The same club’s manager told he’s going to man utd/ city in January.
Costa the dog is fit for tonight ?? It’s gonna be fun lol
(my apologies to the dogs, they don’t deserve to be compared to this c*nt)
(excepted pittbulls of course)
Dembele isn’t really injury prone – has just had a bad injury at Barca. Big difference. Struggled to adapt to a new league and culture where he doesn’t speak the language. At 20, it was never gonna be straight forward.
Costa will score tonight, basically a banker.
Only three players have terrorised us more over the last decade- Drogba, Rooney and Messi.
If you’re into Twitter ITKs, we do have a chance of getting dembele. As ridiculous as it sounds, if Barca get Griezmann, they’ll have to sell him. They think we’re looking for a loan deal with an option to buy.
They’ll have 4 players ahead of him. He hasn’t been a success and would still get them 50-60m. We do have some BVB connections at the club and he might prefer us, as he’s mates with Auba.
In other news, Jack Wilshere is now closer to agreeing a new deal than before. Interesting right? Wenger goes, and all of a sudden, the club is open to a deal. I was told by someone in New York who knew people around Jack that he wasn’t much of a fan of the coach, so it makes sense that now he’s gone things are looking more positive. It’d be great to hire a manager who could extract the most from him. He’s still relatively young, could be a great turnaround project. It looks as if I only come to criticize… Read more »
No chance Dembele’s stock has fallen by 50%!
He’s a 20 year in a foreign league that missed half the season with a serious injury, after putting up two outstanding seasons in France and Germany, no chance.
He’s still worth £100 million in today’s market and we simply won’t pay that kind of fee.
On what universe, do we consider Jack as a young player. Dude is 25/26 and honestly doesn’t have the legs to last 90mins. It’d be a miracle if he ever reaches the fitness levels of a proper footballer. He’s just isn’t a footballer, physically.
Lol, his buyout-clause is set at €400 million.
Live and learn, bet they still can’t believe that PSG actually fronted the Neymar cash, bet they’d never have expected it in a million years when setting his clause at €222 million that somebody would or even could trigger it.
Yeah Jack’s way past being a kid, he’s 26 and will be closer to 27 by the time the new season rolls around.
At that age Gerrard and Lampard were dominating the league.
This team needs more than Sokratis and a 21 year old from Friedberg if it wants to challenge again. Also Butland is a back up at best no way he’s good enough to start for a top 4/6 side. Just sign Leno (finally) or Timo Horn and sort it out
What’s Horn like?
Don’t watch much Bundesliga anymore and I know stats don’t tell the story but he’s had about 65 goals put past him in 32 matches and Koln are rock bottom and relegated.
Muppets shouldn’t have sold off Modeste to China, he had them in 5th place with his goals last season.
We’ve got a chance of Dembele now for sure. Wenger’s going and we’re becoming a project again. They’ll have to make do with 50 million though it’s all we got
Lol, I’m not sure Barcelona will be more than happy to lose half of the money they invested into Dembele in the space of a year…
He’s 20 and he’s shown flashes of brilliance even at Barca.
Haven’t seen much of him this season WE but he’s still ridiculously rated. Just another top keeper the Germans have been churning out in recent seasons. Him Leno Ter Stegen are top keepers. Even someone like Baumann and Karius are somewhat decent. Ulreich is shite though
“Costa will score tonight, basically a banker. ”
And he will probably bite, also.
Used to love Rene Adler back in the day. Could have and should have signed him years ago
Imagine, Costa + Suarez in the same team, all the vaccines in the world wouldn’t do anything.
Marko
Do you rate Karius? I think that he’s a liability and a mistake waiting to happen, not as spectacularly terrible as Mignolet but he’s a definite weak link back there along with Lovren.
Strange how a GK that concedes 2 goals every league match over the course of an entire season can be seriously rated, kid must make about 4-5 worldie saves a match.
Yeah Germans have always produced excellent keepers.
Enke was deadly too, as was that crazy Bremen keeper that went into WWE after putting on about 50 lbs of muscle and chucking in footy at 31.
Pavlenka would be my keeper choice.
Keep Cech as back up and he would definitely come.
Think Cech will be a top GK coach.
Timo Horn isn’t the best at crosses and aerials.
Leno for a tall guy punches the ball a lot too and he isn’t that comfortable with the physicals. There is something just a little lacking with Leno to see him billed as world class. Still better than Butland.
Karius is average.
Oblak puts them all in the shade and by a distance.
WE,
Timo Horn is staying at koln along with their FB, Hector? He may even sign a new contract, which will remove his 6m RC.
Not now WE but back at Mainz he was rated. It’s a tough position being a young goalkeeper. Even someone like Sergio Rico at Sevilla or Rulli at Sociedad are highly rated keepers who concede a lot. Celta Vigo have a good keeper Alvarez but he concedes loads. Cech is dog shite but has probably around 10/12 clean sheets this season. It’s all about set up really. I’d just go for Bernd Leno
Dembele on loan with the possibility of making it permanent, similar to James Rodriguez and Mpabbe?
Karius has not lived up to his reputation he had at Mainz
Not sure Barca would want to loan Dembele.
The only reason they would is if they were planning other big sales.
Pavlenka has some serious presence at 6 foot 5, I love goalkeepers with height think that it’s so important unless you’re just an insane shot-stopper like a Casillas, Stegen, DDG or Oblak.
Guys like Neuer, Ederson, Buffon are not the tallest but they are all units and 6 foot 2+.
“Playing is fun, but to defend, you have to have balls. ”
Diego Simeone.
(Arsène agree)
If money was no option Oblak or Donnarumma would be my choice
Marko
True and that’s fair but 65 goals is a lot to concede whatever way you break it down, find it hard to believe that he’s been top drawer and conceded that many.
Akilan
Hector is the fella that impressed at the Euros isn’t he?
Surprising that they can hold onto that calibre of player in the 2nd tier.
The only reason they would is if they were planning other big sales.
He’s the only stand out they could sell. If they do get Griezmann they might need to ala Sanchez and they’ll never sell Messi it’s too soon for Coutinho and I think they still love Suarez there. The likes of Rakitic Alcacer and Denis Suarez wouldn’t fetch them nearly enough to cover Griezmann
Asenjo has to be the second best GK in Spain slightly behind Oblak.
Arrizabalaga is one for the future.
Kind of makes Casillas all the more impressive when you look at what he achieved in his career with Real Madrid and Spain as the Captain, as a 5 foot 11 GK.
Rare to find GK’s under 6 foot that had such stellar careers, Barthez is only other one that immediately springs to mind.
WE
Oscar Perez is another
Klaus
Better than Ter Stegen?
I think that he’s seriously underrated funnily enough, Barcelona give up more clear-cut chances that any top team I’ve seen and yet they’ve only conceded 3 more goals than Atleti, Stegen’s a big part of the reason why and is always reliable to make world class saves.
Barca spend stupid money on good but not world class attacking players -Coutinho, Dembele and now Griezzman. They would be better off spending money on their weak midfield.
Klaus
Ochoa too, mistakes a plenty in him but I don’t think that I’ve ever seen a more spectacular shot-stopper.
True and that’s fair but 65 goals is a lot to concede whatever way you break it down, find it hard to believe that he’s been top drawer and conceded that many.
65??? Sure he wasn’t playing for Arsenal already
TR7
Griezzy and Coutinho are pretty damn close to world class if not, how many around Europe would you rate higher in their positions?
Dembele is 20, find me a more promising u21 year old that isn’t called M’Bappe.
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jumplist/weisseweste/wettbewerb/ES1
Oblak by far the best keeper in Spain
“Better than Ter Stegen?”
His saves against Griezzman in the first half in the October 2017 game was unbelievable.
Oblak is top 3 in Europe along with DDG and Neuer.
WE
The Mexicans produced some stunning short keepers
We definitely have a real chance tonight. It’s a one off game and we only need a 1-0, 2-1, 2-2 etc. A good performance, a bit of luck, a penalty, a red card for them (I know lol) and it’s very possible They are favourites but it’s far too tight considering they only scored 1 away goal. Also if we make the final we will absolutely win this. Atletico are the only high tier team from the last few rounds. People talked about Milan, Dortmund etc but both of these clubs are really average now. Marseille as well are a… Read more »
Top keepers for me
1. De Gea
2. Neuer
3. Oblak
4. Ederson
5. Handonovic
6. Asenjo
7. Allison
Yeah amazing to me that Handanovic isn’t talked about more, been consistently a stud GK for years.
I’d probably swap DDG around with Neuer and have Stegen in there but other than that great list.
Oblak has the potential to rise a place or two still.
WE Liverpool have been missing world class Coutinho badly, haven’t they? I always said Mane was the MVP at Liverpool even though Coutinho looked more silky and flashy. Last season Liverpool lost all their momentum in Mane’s absence while they actually have become more direct and lethal in Coutinho’s absence. Dembele talented? Yes but worth the money Barca paid? No fucking way. Greizman? Give me a prime Aguero, Suarez or Cavani over him anyday. Heck even a prime RVP and Rooney would edge it for me. May be I am in the minority on this but the hype around players… Read more »
Think DDG is a better GK from a traditional standpoint than Neuer but the latter’s ability to impose himself on forwards and his surreal final third presence edges him ahead for me.
More intimidating for CF’s than DDG.
Handanovic has been the best keeper in Serie A last 5 years
Buffon was washed up since 2012 and having a defensive line of Chiellini, Bonucci and Barzagli masked it.
“I’d probably swap DDG around with Neuer and have Stegen in there but other than that great list.”
I can honestly shift between the 2 for first and second.
I can say the same for Oblak and Ederson switching between third and fourth. Oblak might have a higher ceiling but Ederson’s defensive leadership has to be on par with Neuer.
“Greizman? Give me a prime Aguero, Suarez or Cavani over him anyday. Heck even a prime RVP and Rooney would edge it for me.”
Griezmann will fit amazing in the current Liverpool team.
Also Prime RVP is better than all the players you’ve listed.
TR7 Coutinho is quality, not sure how you could put Liverpool’s UCL run down to him being removed from the line-up. Their front 3 are winning them all their games, was no different when he was there but he facilitated well. And I definitely think that he was missed last night when they needed some composure in midfield after Roma pulled it back to 2-2 and Liverpool started panicking and reverting to nervy football. Mane is quality but Salah is clearly the MVP. He’s scored the vast majority of their big goals this season and been stupidly good. I’d even… Read more »
Yeah find it incredible the circle jerk around Buffon this past few seasons when he’s been good but not even close to his best. Similar to the hard-on everyone had for Pirlo at Juventus when he was better in his Milan days. Buffon was at his best between 2001-2006, that was his real prime. He’s done well to outlast his peers in Casillas and co but he’s not even close to being as good as he’s been hyped. Him being up for Ballon D’or is more lifetime achievement stuff like Giggs winning the PFA player of the year in his… Read more »
2009/10 Wayne Rooney was scary good.
His best ever season imo, played as a true no.9.
In fact you could probably put that from 1999-2006 for Buffon.
There was a reason that Juventus forked out a world record goalkeeper fee of £33 million for him in 2001.
WE
‘but he’s easily top 5-6 in his position in Europe.’
Not quite a ringing endorsement WE if you think of it. Among the best 5-6 in a specific and somewhat niche position. Good but not great imho.
On Coutinho, people were saying he was easily Pool’s best player that’s what I didn’t agree with. Different people could make strong case for each of Salah, Firmino, Mane and Coutinho while he was there to be their best player.
TR7
He’s a 25-30 goal a season player and not an out and out striker, don’t think that you’ll find too many of them knocking about.
He’s scored some big goals in the last few years, both goals to knock out Barcelona in the CL QF in 2016, a few times including a winner in the Madrid derby, those two goals vs Germany in the Euros SF, the away goal to put Bayern out of the CL in the SF.
Like I said I’m not his biggest fan but he’s clearly top drawer.
Bellerin + 40M for Dembele should be enough to tempt Barca.
TR7 Yeah all have different roles which is why they work so well together. Firmino is the brain, most intelligent player of the three and is the workaholic, harrasses the opposition and wins the ball back from deep to build counter-attacks. Also is the most composed of the three and the most versatile. Mane is the outlet, he’s blockbuster and looks the most spectacular when he’s on it. Virtually unstoppable in 1 vs 1’s, electric pace and finishes well off both feet. Can be erratic at times as is the case with a lot of African footballers, nearly a victim… Read more »
Salah’s the best player of the three, think that Firmino is the most irreplaceable to the system though.
Liverpool should use the rest of their funds from Coutinho transfer fee + CL money and buy Griezmann. Now that would be a front three
Klaus
In place of who?
“Salah’s the best player of the three, think that Firmino is the most irreplaceable to the system though.”
This statements is definitely an understatement of Salah.
Even Neymar or Hazard have never reached peaks in a season Salah has produced this season.
Salah 17/18 is on par with Messi 08-10.
WE
Front three of Griezmann, Firmino and Salah.
Mane can be used in rotation.
Firmino (10), Salah (10) and Mane (9) have scored 29 CL goals between them, literally the record.
Beat Real Madrid’s BBC front 3 of 2014 that scored 28 goals between the 3 of them (Ronaldo 17, Bale 6, Benzema 5) with a game left to play.
Klaus
Neymar of 2014/15 and 2015/16 is up there, Salah probably edges it.
I’ve long been a Firmino fanboy so bit biased haha.
Griezmann and Firmino I wouldn’t see working as well as Firmino-Mane. Mane dribbles far better and offers that stupid pace, Griezmann is quick but not rapid. Also operates more centrally whereas Mane is happy out wide.
WE
But they haven’t been as destructive in the league as they have been in CL, same applies to RM.
It’s definitely an upgrade with Griezmann.
“Even Neymar or Hazard have never reached peaks in a season Salah has produced this season.”
Am I the only one who thinks that Hazard had nothing to do here with the 2 others ??
Klaus
Well Salah has been, Firmino has done well too with 15 goals and 7 assists.
But yeah, better in Europe where they are afforded more space and freedom.
Hazard 14/15 was better than Neymar 14/15.
Still fucked off that Liverpool skated thru on that performance, not that Roma did themselves any favors.
If Griezmann does make the move to Barca, think Dembele gets sold. A player we missed out of ligue 1, imagine him coming in and taking over left side of attack. Come on Sven you’ve signed him once bruh, go back to that well you seem good at that.
Before we start flogging our players off cheap, I think it’s worth seeing what a good proper coach can do with them. We might seriously regret it if we let them go now.
Letting Wenger go before this season’s end was a very smart move by the club. In my mind, th issignal of ambition it gives is equivalent to a world class signing.
*the signal
Mental that a player that was on par with those names back then in Mario Gotze is so washed up at 25.
Really was amazing before his physiological problems took over in 2015. Best player Klopp has ever coached, his own words.
Not only Gotze, Sahin’s move to RM really fucked him over as well
Klaus
Forgot that Sahin even existed, he’s only played 20 matches of football mins wise for Dortmund since 2014, what gives?
Gotze is neary as good as Freddy Adu, Sonny Pike & Courtney Pitt.
TR7
While I agree that Barca need to improve their midfield, Griezmann is world class in my estimation, and he will fit in quite well at Barca, I think. (Unlike Dembele, btw.)
As for Coutinho, he’s a midfield creator, not a front three type, and while I agree he isn’t quite WC, he’s pretty damn good.
WE
Injury prone and fitness is worse than Wilshere
Jasper Cillessen might be available if we’re looking for a new goalkeeper.
Biggest match of the year and no new post up?
Pedro nose best when to post… the new post!!
Diego Costa will score.
Diego Costa will likely antagonise one of our lot to attract a red card.
Wenger will blame the red card as the reason the tie was lost, rather than focussing on the real reason that we concede a very foolhardy goal at the death in our ground against 10 men.
Sorry to be a pessimist.
This season we have been stinking awful away.
A. Madrid have a fortress at home.
I’m happy to be wrong but I think the football gods gave us our break last game and Wenger blew it.
Don’t be sorry Leeds, you’re not pessimistic, but realistic lol
been reading a lot of ‘positive crap’ about tonight this is a wenger side, so as shown in the first leg have neither the means nor know how to get a required result tonight. I don’t think their’ll get a beating they just won’t win through simples
Apparently this ref loves doling our cards too.
Out*
Leeds – I would just hope now that he’s gone anyway, Wenger stops with all the excuses. We shall see
Morning all from sunny Cali
Today is D day
Lets make it happen. Im getting the feeling we will score…. however, my worry is conceding…. we might even score 2!
I just hope for a Costa red card. That guy is easy to wind up…. lets hope he kicks or chops or hammers one of our lowly defenders and earns the red…
Leeds
most likely Costa will get himself a red card
would love to see Demebele on the wing. A massive upgrade.
I think we can nab him, and TBH, if we have a big time coach, that might also make a positive difference
Problem with going for Dembele is it would dry up the entire transfer kitty. I’d rather we address the spine.
The problem is we have too many headcases on the team. Mustafi and Xhaka are always good for a crucial dumb error or rash challenge. Wilshere good easily pick up a red in this game or any other and Ospina is way too nervy.
Oh, and Bellerin has been shocking today.
Your Comment Here
Maitland-Niles for Wilshere please.