Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[EinmalImmerEwig]

Yeah. And until we have a team where 3 or 4 of our players would easily get into the other top teams we wont be close.

Player for player we are about the 6/7th best team. Compared to any team more of their players get in a mixed team than vice versa.

Agreed up to a point

The Leicester team is not that great, individually, but as a team are superb
The Wolves squad is tiny, but Nuno is a Genius

The Arsenal need 3 or 4 players who are World Class, they also need 11-15 players who really care ( and that has to include the 3 or 4 World Class ones )
Those 15 players also need to understand the whole concept of a team, and not just playing for their own ego

And they also need the fans as a 12th man. It pains me to say it but those cardboard clappers helped Leicester win the League, and Anfield helped Liverpool this season, and also helped them win the Champions League for how ever many times
Not just with lifting their team, but putting pressure on the other team and on the refs
I doubt the Emirates will ever be that

 

[14Henry]

Agreed up to a point

The Leicester team is not that great, individually, but as a team are superb
The Wolves squad is tiny, but Nuno is a Genius

The Arsenal need 3 or 4 players who are World Class, they also need 11-15 players who really care ( and that has to include the 3 or 4 World Class ones )
Those 15 players also need to understand the whole concept of a team, and not just playing for their own ego

And they also need the fans as a 12th man. It pains me to say it but those cardboard clappers helped Leicester win the League, and Anfield helped Liverpool this season, and also helped them win the Champions League for how ever many times
Not just with lifting their team, but putting pressure on the other team and on the refs
I doubt the Emirates will ever be that

Yeah Anfield is something special. Been once and the only atmosphere ever came close to that was watching Northern Ireland against Germany in the Euros. And that was mainly through sheer pride, appreciation and beer.

Emirates will never be like that. Same as City and Stamford Bridge neither. The Kop is iconic similar to Dortmunds yellow wall. Liverpool also very much a working mans club. You go to Emirates and all feels very corporate and lots of international tourists there for a match.

Leicester side may not be great but you would say Perreria, Evans, Soyuncu, Ndidi, Maddison, Telimans, Vardy start for us. Chillwell maybe but dont think theres much between him and Tierney.

Obviously the team cohesion matters and makes them look better but as individuals they seem better than what we have got.

 

[Riou]

Been once and the only atmosphere ever came close to that was watching Northern Ireland against Germany in the Euros.

Should have been in Northern Ireland when they beat England in World Cup qualification back in 2004, it was unbelievable.

I was staying over at my aunts that night, a bunch of drunks lit a massive bonfire just outside my younger cousin's window, the outside was engulfed in flames...he woke up screaming, thinking he had died and went to hell...was hilarious :rofl:

 

[14Henry]

Should have been in Northern Ireland when they beat England in World Cup qualification back in 2004, it was unbelievable.

I was staying over at my aunts that night, a bunch of drunks lit a massive bonfire just outside my younger cousin's window, the outside was engulfed in flames...he woke up screaming, thinking he had died and went to hell...was hilarious :rofl:

I was a young cub back then in my teens. The NI support has been brilliant the last few years. The Euros were fantastic.

Bonfires even mini ones arent anything strange in Belfast. Great drinking city. Not much else though.

 

[Bergkamp1988]

Money buys talent. Talent scores goals.

*Still a big fan of the Cruijffisms, no disrespect* (I was named after the guy)

 

[Makingtrax]

[/QUOTE]
Since Abramovic came to Chelsea in 2004 and Mansour to City in 2008, I've seen, two clubs that had **** all before they had bags of money, win the league 9 times.

 

[Makingtrax]

I can only go by what he said.

Money helps but it isnt everything otherwise City would have won the league again and Leicester wouldn't have been 2nd for most of the season and challenging for a top 4 finish now.

One of the top 3 richest teams in a country win nearly every league in Europe, nearly all the time. It's a fact.

If you're not in the top 3 for spend you've only got a chance at knockout competitions or one of the European places.

Arteta clearly understands this and wants more investment. It's the only way forward to compete with City, United, Chelsea and Liverpool, else you're picking up crumbs.

 

[bingobob]

One of the top 3 richest teams in a country win nearly every league in Europe, nearly all the time. It's a fact.

If you're not in the top 3 for spend you've only got a chance at knockout competitions or one of the European places.

Arteta clearly understands this and wants more investment. It's the only way forward to compete with City, United, Chelsea and Liverpool, else you're picking up crumbs.

So they don't win all the time, it just increases your chances.

Yes we need to improve the starting XI. I know this, you know this, Mikel knows this but it's not about 70m or 7m it's about spending it right.

 

[EinmalImmerEwig]

One of the top 3 richest teams in a country win nearly every league in Europe, nearly all the time. It's a fact.

If you're not in the top 3 for spend you've only got a chance at knockout competitions or one of the European places.

Arteta clearly understands this and wants more investment. It's the only way forward to compete with City, United, Chelsea and Liverpool, else you're picking up crumbs.

Sadly it's not going to get any better, it's only getting worse
Rich owners at Wolves who are spending wisely with the help of their agent and a brilliant manager. They are not going anywhere.


You have to spend, but spend it wisely, certainly not by buying a one-footed goalkeeper/winger for £72 Million pounds.

Or by re-signing YajustfuckoffYa

 

[Makingtrax]

Sadly it's not going to get any better, it's only getting worse
Rich owners at Wolves who are spending wisely with the help of their agent and a brilliant manager. They are not going anywhere.


You have to spend, but spend it wisely, certainly not by buying a one-footed goalkeeper/winger for £72 Million pounds.

Or by re-signing YajustfuckoffYa

And if Newcastle get Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, it's goodnight.

 

[Makingtrax]

So they don't win all the time, it just increases your chances.

Yes we need to improve the starting XI. I know this, you know this, Mikel knows this but it's not about 70m or 7m it's about spending it right.

That's very true. Is David Luiz, Mari, Cedric spending right though

 

[bingobob]

That's very true. Is David Luiz, Mari, Cedric spending right though

nope. but I'd say Martinelli and Tierney are. Hopefully 30m on Saliba is as well.

I have faith that we are getting better and if Arteta is given the input he wants then a lot of our recruitment will come down to determination also.

 

[Riou]

If @Makingtrax was Frodo, he would flat out refuse to join The Fellowship unless they used the eagles to fly to Mount Doom from the start, the movies would be terrible with him in them...man has no hope as an underdog, or hope of upsetting the odds!

Where is your sense of adventure?

 

[The_Playmaker]

Something tell me Arteta wants something like:

Aouar, Partey, Gabriel, Sarr and a CF which would balance the entire squad and allow him to play how he wants.

He will probably get Willian , Coutinho, Thiago Silva and Ceballos.

 

[TornadoTed]

That's very true. Is David Luiz, Mari, Cedric spending right though

I would say they are all decent signings and I can see the reasoning behind them.

Luiz for his experience, presence around the dressing room and the fact in the main he is mostly a decent footballer.

Mari as we had no left footed central defenders and he is pretty decent with the ball at his feet and a good age.

Soares as we had no backup for Bellerin who was struggling to find his form again after injury.

I think they all improve the squad, however and it's a big however none of them improve the first XI and that is what we desperately need in the next phase of recruitment.

 

[14Henry]

I would say they are all decent signings and I can see the reasoning behind them.

Luiz for his experience, presence around the dressing room and the fact in the main he is mostly a decent footballer.

Mari as we had no left footed central defenders and he is pretty decent with the ball at his feet and a good age.

Soares as we had no backup for Bellerin who was struggling to find his form again after injury.

I think they all improve the squad, however and it's a big however none of them improve the first XI and that is what we desperately need in the next phase of recruitment.

Yeah we really need 3-4 first team players. People talking about Sarr and stuff and I get hes free and might be useful but the priority is starters. Arsenals best starting 11 is nowhere near as good as the other top 4/5 teams and until that is more competitive we wont get close.

Martinelli also out most of next season by the looks of things so he cant be counted on which is a shame.

 

[EinmalImmerEwig]

And if Newcastle get Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, it's goodnight.

If that deal goes through then we're finished.
I don't think it will, but there's no reasoning behind it, just blind hope.
Kroenke won't sell, ever.
Means we'll* just keep going down the League til we're** in the Championship.

I could live with that though.
My Arsenal died a few years ago.


EDIT:

*I mean you'll, force of habit made me type we'll
**again, it's you're, not we're

 

[Macho]

Very naive of him to think he was going to come and spend money though, surely he knew the transfer strategy before he signed?

One legendary manager and an experienced/somewhat accomplished manager didn't get backed properly, what made him think he was going to get over a 100mil to spend for his first job? He was supposed to be the cheap option.

 

[Sanchez11]

And if Newcastle get Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, it's goodnight.

Leeds could get serious investment also.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. You can quite easily now say Luiz was a terrible signing for just £8M. Or that Pepe was a poor signing at £72M. (He wont be in the long run...) but at the time the majority of people were very happy with our business.

Sometimes players just dont work out wether they cost 5m or 105m. This day and age you can obviously buy quality for big money, but if you do spend big money it has to be definitive quality. Is Partey definitive quality? Yes. Worth the money. Was Mustafi definitive quality? No, relative unknown actually, hadn't played at the top level yet we paid £35M.

Arteta is really pushing to get the board to spend, which is great but at the end of the day its about quality. The young AM from Salzburg could easily do the same things as Havertz for example for a fraction of the price.