you've posted ad nauseam full stop

True

No doubt money played a big part But do you reckon he was more likely to achieve success under Jose at United or Wenger at arsenal. Let’s be honest all our best players pretty much are desperate to jump off under Wenger. United aren’t city right now but a better long term bet than us! The last 2 years were terrible

Totally agree

His most impressive thing he has for a midfielder is the ability that Vieira and Manu had which is if he has the ball at his feet and doesn’t have a pass on or a team mate free in space he’s comfortable and confident enough on the ball to swivel and dribble the ball further around rather than releasing a pass that’s unlikely to reach its target. He can do this even if he’s being pressed. Vieira had this in spades and Guendozi seems to have it. The club needs to offer him a huge long term contract because it’s clear he’s going to be a star and it’s amazing to think he’s 19.

It’s also ironic our best recent prospect is a Frenchman signed by a Spaniard rather than our previous legendary French manager

On the subject of Fabregas I found the comments Michael Carrick made in his book about us interesting. Carrick spoke to Wenger who told him we wanted to sign him and would call him to sort out the details the Monday after the community shield game against united. Then famously Cesc ran rings around Roy Keane in that game and the call never came.

I'd agree that under the last few years with Arsene United/City/Chelsea/Liverpool were better long term bets. But I still dont think Sanchez' transfer had much to do with winning things - follow the money, and he's probably not the brightest light in the sky, so probably fairly easily led by his agent.

Get a bit more bulk on him. He has massive potential; hope he keeps his head down and works hard. I think Emery will be better for him in that regard than Wenger would have been.

I do not disagree. Some of his 40 metre cross field passes really are great. I hate bigging players up early but I think Emery can make this kid a great player.

I don’t think you are wrong but I will never criticise him for this. He is from Chile & his whole life & his families & probably the next generation will be different with money like this. I’d want a *%^@ load of money to put up with Mourinho.

Bloody dull affair. Dunno what it is about el and cl broadcasts but the sounds is usually crap and there is almost nothing resembling an atmosphere.

Yes. If he wanted to win medals why not stay at Barca? They usually have plenty on offer. Anyway, good luck to him earning what he can out of the stupidly rich United.

Arsenal may have been bad but Man U have been shite too. 400 million and they're still crap. Escape Wenger, yep but Mourinho is a narcissistic *%^@ who I would think most would want to avoid unless motivated by other things.

One noticeable thing about Guendouzi, beyond his passing ability and ball control, is the way he makes himself available to receive passes. For a teenager I think that's really impressive and surely says something about his personality as well as his talent. He plays with intelligence. He's a very confident young man, and just as vital is that his confidence doesn't appear misplaced.

I thought Sanchez was a tremendous player for us, but unfortunate to arrive for the toxic last few years of the Wenger era. There was very little right at the club and this obviously frustrated him.
I'm sure he's gone for the loot but who can blame him under the circumstances.

Oh you big ol tease. The only person to have missed Walcott would be Lomekian and that was around 2014. The rest wrote him off in 2012.

Too bloody right. He had lost motivation before he left and has done zero at United. Would have preferred a bit more cash in the transfer but he didn't want to play for Arsenal anymore so good riddance.

Agree first bit but think Mkhitaryan had been pretty poor so far. He's being played in different positions but also seems to play with the motivation of someone who feels he's already done enough in his working/football life.

When Carrick was a kid at West Ham, Wenger said at an AGM (now a thing of the past) how much he liked him. Wenger made it perfectly obvious that at that point in time (which would have been earlier than the Community Shield game you mention) he wanted to sign Carrick.

This is largely about having a drum and casting around for a stick to beat it with. The exit of Sanchez, RvP and Fabregas were more about those players than Wenger.

Alexis and RvP were both after the big payday. RvP had one brilliant season with us and then hit the road--this after we'd show patience for 7 years. Cesc ... well.

Wasn't Sanchez a major contributor to that toxicity?

I don't think that is a valid reason for being a (^*&*. Lots of players who come from poor backgrounds aren't.

If your a top professional footballer and you have a descision to make which is money aside shall I play alongside Wayne Rooney or Maroune Chamakh ? Would you understand the obvious outcome.

Money contributed to Van Persie decision but even then he was on the fence about going then won the title in his first season.

I can now forgive Cesc and Van Persie for leaving
They were right.

The only player who rightly deserves dogs abuse for running off was Ashley Cole who met with Mourinho the season after we won the league and were still champions. That was totally motivated by greed even if we did miss manage the situation a bit.

There were times I watched him busting a gut to do something for the team with little input from the rest. You'd have to be an insider to know the truth, but one reading of his often visible moody demeanour might be that he was frustrated with the mediocrity and lack of urgency around him. The toxicity came just as much from the fans, so perhaps he was as pissed off as the rest of us.

My point being he would have remained committed and played for the team (and manager), had his opinions been taken into consideration by Wenger. Instead of appreciating his drive and desire (on the field and through his words), Wenger chose to marginalise him. The Wenger favourites who were always picked for games despite more unassured performance, joined the litany of criticism. If I were in Alexis' situation, I would go too. Why stay when my drive and desire is unappreciated.

Spot on

He has a lot of promise. Nelson and Smith-Rowe will join his ranks soon.

Agree completely, especially the comparison between Emery and Wenger.

Agree

I like it that he is not arrogant

I want to avoid my needless anxiety as last season with City going so long without a loss and hoping the scum beat the sky blue scum on Monday. Man Utd suffering more would be nice. I love seeing Mourinho suffering. Love it.

I think Mkhitaryan is trying, but he is a limited player. He will not grow into a top class player, not even a level just below it. His star performance at Dortmund is perhaps just like Ramsey was good for us, for about 2 seasons. Both are finding it hard to rediscover the same vein of form, and perhaps would never have it again.

Spot on

I know its pretty much a cert that the PL winning manager is voted Manager of the Year with a few exceptions but if Emery gets 3rd I think he should have a shout as well and especially so if he can pick up a trophy. Were I him I'd try for the league cup. Its the most winnable of the domestic trophies.

Why aim so low?
First priority - Europa League
Second priority - FA Cup
Third priority - EPL Champions (why not aim for it than concede to a lesser position right now)
Final priority - Carabao Cup

Europa league is the most realistic right now, and yet the competition are not "run of the mill" teams. Currently there are top sides in the competition, and there is still the 3rd place teams from the ECL to come. Aiming for it is a show of ambition. Aiming for the Carabao Cup is a lack of ambition. That would be the Wenger days, all over again.

Do you think its easier to get in the CL proper by way of winning the Europa cup or getting top 4?
Interesting question.
This season is all about getting back into the CL and then the PL title. Given a choice between another FA cup or a league cup or gettin back into the CL, I'll take the CL.
For a start, its easier to attract players when you are in the competition. Second, its a stepping stone to the title. It would mean we are competing with the best of the league by being 3rd or 4th. And we go from there.

I agree. One day we'll win the league. And I bet we wouldn't have been expecting it at the beginning of the season. I cant recall us ever winning the league when I expected us to :).

BUT let talk again on 6 december. We're still in the phony war stage of the season. Extrapolation from current trajectories at this stage of the season is a bit unwise.

I agree. One day we'll win the league. And I bet we wouldn't have been expecting it at the beginning of the season. I cant recall us ever winning the league when I expected us to :).

BUT let talk again on 6 december. We're still in the phony war stage of the season. Extrapolation from current trajectories at this stage of the season is a bit unwise.

I had a £10 bet on us winning the league in both 1989 and 1991. In 1989 it was partly to do with the odds, 16/1. But in 1991 I only got 5/1, so I assume I must have been expecting it that year. £10 was worth a lot more then than it is now, so I doubt I'd have put it on a bet I had little hope would come off.

The only time I actually thought we would win the league before the season started was after the 2004 win. In 1991 I was still assuming that our wins were temporary aberrations to the usual Liverpool dominance.

I would love a team next season to just decide randomly they are going to play one of their games at Wembley, just say their home ground is undergoing some essential maintenance and see what the FA say......this is basically what spurs are doing this season, just deciding almost week by week where they want to play their home game. New stadium won’t be ready until 2019 at the earliest. Surely if enough games are played at Wembley they have to be forced to finish the entire season there.

Hi guys just a quick visit ,

I don’t think it was to do with fabregas at that point . I think what happened in O4 was it looked all summer after euros that paddy was going to finally go to Real Madrid , and as a result wenger had lined up carrick as a replacement . Then paddy had a last minute change of heart and stayed, so the carrick deal was off .

Of course 12 months later we sold paddy, but that was then down more to fabregas’s rise And changing the structure of the team

Very enjoyable start to the season , how long we been waiting huh?