January transfer window...

[Abs]

I can't argue with your last line Abs.. But I think Arsenal lack proffessionalism. When they're winnng everything is rosy. But as soon as things don't go your way, instead of digging in an using spirit and heart, you seem to let petulance get in the way. If Arsenal as a club, think they're hard done by in the media etc.. They should create a siege mentality. Succesful clubs do this. "No-one like us, we don't care" It seems Arsenal, genuinely do care and that's your downfall.

I think we simply lack a defensive leader. Give us a world class centre back who can organise the defence and lead the team and we win the league. Its simply quality that let us down. We are always there and there about consistently, our players have done a consistent job in the last 5 years now third/fourth in the league. I also think at times even pundits goes over board with our weakness, like Andy Gray who said he had no doubt that Villa has better defence than Arsenal, what did he base it on? They have conceded far more than us. Or him saying Spurs has better defence than us, when they have conceded more than us in each of the last 5 season and this season as well. I believe our players care and are tough enough as you can see with our away performance this season, best away team by some distance. Also one thing people forget is our midfield with nasri, cesc, diaby, song, wilshere, ramsey and denilson. Only one is over 23 years old and thats diaby who is 24. So this is where our lack of "professionalism" comes from at times as sometimes their lack of majority comes through. But they are getting better and more experienced, I dont think the immature will last for much longer

[boltonboris]

You can't hide behind the age thing. Wengers insistance on not buying any experienced players is part of the reason you're not realistic challengers anymore. He moans about inexperience, then sells/releases players once they hit 30.

Your defence per se, is decent. Your defenders however aren't. It's the Barcelona model.. With the anount of ball that Arsenal have during the 90 minutes, they won't concede many goals, however you concede silly goals at key moments.

What I meant by the "Barcelona model" was Pique (for example) he looks fookin' great when the other team can't attack because they don'thave the ball, however, when they do manage to attack, he looks like he's going to explode in a cloud of shitness

[thebish]

I think we simply lack a defensive leader. Give us a world class centre back who can organise the defence and lead the team and we win the league. Its simply quality that let us down. We are always there and there about consistently, our players have done a consistent job in the last 5 years now third/fourth in the league. I also think at times even pundits goes over board with our weakness,

to be fair - wenger is one of the places this OTT reaction happens...

win away at B'burn and Wenger says "I think it shows my team have the mental toughness to succeed and win the league"

lose at home and Wenger often says there is some kind of mental flaw in his players..

[Abs]

You can't hide behind the age thing. Wengers insistance on not buying any experienced players is part of the reason you're not realistic challengers anymore. He moans about inexperience, then sells/releases players once they hit 30.

Your defence per se, is decent. Your defenders however aren't. It's the Barcelona model.. With the anount of ball that Arsenal have during the 90 minutes, they won't concede many goals, however you concede silly goals at key moments.

What I meant by the "Barcelona model" was Pique (for example) he looks fookin' great when the other team can't attack because they don'thave the ball, however, when they do manage to attack, he looks like he's going to explode in a cloud of shitness

Fair enough I think we are contenders this year, but time will tell I guess. Do you think Cahill would add anything to our team?

[boltonboris]

You can't hide behind the age thing. Wengers insistance on not buying any experienced players is part of the reason you're not realistic challengers anymore. He moans about inexperience, then sells/releases players once they hit 30.

Your defence per se, is decent. Your defenders however aren't. It's the Barcelona model.. With the anount of ball that Arsenal have during the 90 minutes, they won't concede many goals, however you concede silly goals at key moments.

What I meant by the "Barcelona model" was Pique (for example) he looks fookin' great when the other team can't attack because they don'thave the ball, however, when they do manage to attack, he looks like he's going to explode in a cloud of shitness

Fair enough I think we are contenders this year, but time will tell I guess. Do you think Cahill would add anything to our team?

Yes.. Purely because he's infinitely better than Squillaci and Koscielny.

Would he help you win the league? Probably not

[thebish]

You can't hide behind the age thing. Wengers insistance on not buying any experienced players is part of the reason you're not realistic challengers anymore. He moans about inexperience, then sells/releases players once they hit 30.

Your defence per se, is decent. Your defenders however aren't. It's the Barcelona model.. With the anount of ball that Arsenal have during the 90 minutes, they won't concede many goals, however you concede silly goals at key moments.

What I meant by the "Barcelona model" was Pique (for example) he looks fookin' great when the other team can't attack because they don'thave the ball, however, when they do manage to attack, he looks like he's going to explode in a cloud of shitness

Fair enough I think we are contenders this year, but time will tell I guess. Do you think Cahill would add anything to our team?

I don't think Cahill is what you are after - and I don't think Arsenal have the patience to see him grow into the defender he might be..

he is a very decent premiership CB - very decent - but, as others have said, I suspect Gooners really want a big, hard, gurning, heart-on-my-sleeve, do-or-die leader... Cahill isn't that

my guess is that he'd do an OK job for you, but that his personality is not big enough for him to suvive the odd howler he would make in big matches - in other words, he would not be forgiven in the same way as a larger-than-life beast would... the fans would soon be on his back and yelling at Wenger to sign the CB of their wet-dreams...

I think he's only linked with wenger because he is seen as "cultured" - but you have that in spades - you need something else... (you could have had shittu if you'd asked ealier! )

[Abs]

You can't hide behind the age thing. Wengers insistance on not buying any experienced players is part of the reason you're not realistic challengers anymore. He moans about inexperience, then sells/releases players once they hit 30.

Your defence per se, is decent. Your defenders however aren't. It's the Barcelona model.. With the anount of ball that Arsenal have during the 90 minutes, they won't concede many goals, however you concede silly goals at key moments.

What I meant by the "Barcelona model" was Pique (for example) he looks fookin' great when the other team can't attack because they don'thave the ball, however, when they do manage to attack, he looks like he's going to explode in a cloud of shitness

Fair enough I think we are contenders this year, but time will tell I guess. Do you think Cahill would add anything to our team?

Yes.. Purely because he's infinitely better than Squillaci and Koscielny.

Would he help you win the league? Probably not

Squallaci yes, Koscielny is very very talented and I think people will see soon what quality he has, he has had very unlucky start to his career at Arsenal, but he has done alot of impressive things that indicates he has alot of talent. I rate him as our most talented centre half and higher than Vermaleen

[boltonboris]

I think Cahill is similar to Vermaelen too for what it's worth. I wouldn't agree that Koscienly is as good as either, but you see them every week.. In fact we do too.. You're never off the feckin' tele!

[Abs]

I think Cahill is similar to Vermaelen too for what it's worth. I wouldn't agree that Koscienly is as good as either, but you see them every week.. In fact we do too.. You're never off the feckin' tele!

lol Koscielny has had 10 games for us and is completely unknown. he has also been send off 2 times. He's definitely weaker than both physically right now and its very early for him. The think is he has done some things that makes me believe he's quality, like certain tackles and reading of situations, like I said very early and its just signs so far and it could go either way. Sadly for us Vermaleens career is in danger now as he has been out three months with pains in his achilles , he has been sent to all sort of experts and no one can explain why he is feeling pain and he cant even train without this unexplained pain.

[boltonboris]

I think Cahill is similar to Vermaelen too for what it's worth. I wouldn't agree that Koscienly is as good as either, but you see them every week.. In fact we do too.. You're never off the feckin' tele!

lol Koscielny has had 10 games for us and is completely unknown. he has also been send off 2 times. He's definitely weaker than both physically right now and its very early for him. The think is he has done some things that makes me believe he's quality, like certain tackles and reading of situations, like I said very early and its just signs so far and it could go either way. Sadly for us Vermaleens career is in danger now as he has been out three months with pains in his achilles , he has been sent to all sort of experts and no one can explain why he is feeling pain and he cant even train without this unexplained pain.

It's because he's a pansy!

[seanworth]

I think Cahill is similar to Vermaelen too for what it's worth. I wouldn't agree that Koscienly is as good as either, but you see them every week.. In fact we do too.. You're never off the feckin' tele!

lol Koscielny has had 10 games for us and is completely unknown. he has also been send off 2 times. He's definitely weaker than both physically right now and its very early for him. The think is he has done some things that makes me believe he's quality, like certain tackles and reading of situations, like I said very early and its just signs so far and it could go either way. Sadly for us Vermaleens career is in danger now as he has been out three months with pains in his achilles , he has been sent to all sort of experts and no one can explain why he is feeling pain and he cant even train without this unexplained pain.

It's because he's a pansy!

He wasn't when he arrived at Arsenal.

[plymouth wanderer]

he would be shite for arsenal he is use to playing sexy edge of your seat attacking football

not lobbing it long to a target man(chamak) on every occasion it defintley be a step back

[Gooner Girl]

Its all kinda inmaterial anyway lads, cos theres no way Wenger will shell out £17mil for a defender, when as mentioned above he has bought 2 recently and we have Vermalen hopefully coming back at some point. Song can drop back to cover CB if needed and we have Djourou also.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Vermaleens career is in danger now as he has been out three months with pains in his achilles , he has been sent to all sort of experts and no one can explain why he is feeling pain and he cant even train without this unexplained pain.

Ah, the voodoo doll's working then...

Can't really add much. As noted, Cahill is a very good ball-playing defender, more of a centre-half than a centre-back and perfectly capable of bringing the ball out of defence, but not a leader by nature. Some think he's more of a midfielder than a "natural defender", which is to employ the usual English mistrust of defenders comfortable on the ball.

He's exactly the sort of defender Arsenal would get hold of by importing from another country, possibly via Belgium if it's an African, and possibly via conversion from a previous role further forward (see Cole, Lauren, Eboue, etc). Wenger has lured in brilliant young boys from around the world but sadly for you lot it's about 25 times more likely to be a midfielder or a forward than a defender or a goalkeeper. So Cahill would fit in that respect but Wenger is indeed unlikely to spend so big on one defender, especially an (arguably overpriced) English one who's still got a lot to learn.

[officer_dibble]

Put it in 'now' terms

Football wise Arsenal need a John Teryy

Cahill is a Rio Ferdinand

[Prufrock]

Put it in 'now' terms

Football wise Arsenal need a John Teryy

Cahill is a Rio Ferdinand

Vis. He's a Ferdinand or Carvalho, as opposed to a Terry or Jumanji Vidic.

[Lord Kangana]

Carvalho was the best out of that lot, so thats good. never really had him as an out and out ball player though, just an incredibly cute positional player. With a touch of the Baresi sneaky bastard about him.

[TKIZ!]

http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/ ... midfielder" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

Mmmm? I don't know if we have £5m or is Coyle spending some Cahill money already and does anyone know anything about this Rakitic fella?

[Prufrock]

Shit hot on Football Manager, which is obviously real life.

Not sure about an article with no quotes written by West Ham's new 'defensive coach'.

[TKIZ!]

Aye Pru, thought the same thing, maybe he's let the one win at Upton go to his head?