Over the past few months I have looked at our reported transfer targets. These reports may not be accurate but the specifics do not really matter in this case.
So we are linked with Yann M’Vila, a good player with some promising performances this season, Clint Dempsey, who has scored 23 goals this season and came fourth in PFA Player of the Season and Diego Lopez, who has vast experience to his name. We have already confirmed the signing of Lukas Podolski, another very talented player, not many players can score 18 goals for a team who has been relegated.
So looking back at the last 100 words or so, the average Arsenal fan would be happy with those signings, especially if Robin van Persie stays.
However, the truth is that I very much doubt, even with those potential acquisitions, we will win a trophy next season.
In the last five years the combined number of winners’ medals of those players equals a grand total of zero, nada, nothing. In fact two of them have suffered relegation, so how would signing the abovementioned players’ help us win trophies? In short, it will not. Even quality players like Fernando Llorente or Seydou Doumbia won’t help. Arsenal has never been short on quality; even in 2010/2011 we had a fantastic squad. Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Andrey Arshavin at his best. How many trophies did we win that season? None, where did we finish? Fourth.
Look at Manchester United for example; they are without a doubt title specialists. Only once have they finished outside the top two in the Premier League’s history and even up against Manchester City’s riches, they only lost out on a 20th league title on goal difference. But how many of their starting XI players would get into the Arsenal team? I’d say five – Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Wayne Rooney. Based on that, one could argue we have a better line-up. In my opinion we do, and yet somehow we lost 8-2 to, some would say, the worse United team and finished 19 points behind them. It’s because United and Sir Alex Ferguson are natural winners, they can play badly all season long and win titles because winning comes naturally to them. While we can be the best team in the country for six months, play amazing football and get to finals, then suddenly panic and kick the ball straight to Obafemi Martins.
I’m not saying we should spend £30 million on unproven youngsters from Everton, I was annoyed enough by us spending £12 million on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. However, I think mentality needs to be considered more when choosing our targets; after all we have a lot of quality in our side. Take Olivier Giroud from Montpellier for example. He won the Ligue 1 last season and he was the best striker in that division by a clear mile. But would you call him a natural winner? I’ll put it this way, the season before the one just passed (2010/11), Montpellier finished 14th and they had Giroud back then. Before that he was playing in Ligue 2. To me he doesn’t sound like a natural winner.
Here is the list of players I think would bring success to Arsenal: Diego Milito from Inter. With six major honours including the Serie A and the Champions League to his name, the Argentine is a proven striker.
James Rodriguez from FC Porto. Aged just 20, Rodriguez has already won three major trophies at Porto including the Europa League and Portuguese Premier League.
Paulo Henrique Ganso from Santos. Touted as the Brazilian Zidane, Ganso has won the Copa do Brazil, Liga do Brazil and the Copa Libertadores at the age of just 22.
Christian Eriksen. Some of the best players in the world are coming from Ajax at the moment and Eriksen is no different. He has bossed the midfield in the Eredivisie for Ajax and as a result has won two consecutive titles and one Dutch Cup. His ability makes Aaron Ramsey look like a fat bloke playing pub league football, and has been rewarded with numerous individual awards. This is one player Arsenal should not miss out on signing.
Esteban Cambiasso. One of the ultimate trophy winners and is apparently available as Massimo Moratti and Andrea Stramaccioni want to ‘revolutionize’ the squad this summer. In his career he was won seven league titles, four domestic cups, a Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup, five domestic Super Cups and a FIFA Club World Cup. That’s 19 trophies in a 14 year long career and he still has a couple more trophies left in him.
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of those the only one i can agree we go for is Eriksen for others no and let me remind you that winnining trophies in different clubs does not guarantee you trophies in another i guess M’villa will be another good aquisition for arsenal. we need a strong squad and not deadwoods to win anything. Almunia, Chamakh, Bentdner, Diaby, Vela, Park, Djorou out! in Eriksen, M’villa, Baines, Giroud. and we will be winners . starting line up
Sczsney
Sagna koscielny vermalen Baines
Song Eriksen Wilshere
Walcott Poldoski
RVP
subs; Fabianski, Metersacker, Bartley, Gibbs, M’villa, Roscisky, Oxlade, Gervinho, Giroud
Arteta can’t even make the bench? why?
Hahaha…arteta
joke article, made me chuckle though.
I definatly agree with cambiasco and eriksen although eriksen seems like he will stay at Ajax for another season.
My list of players I would like to see come in
Diego Lopez
Nkoulou
Cambiasco ( hes thirty one now so could be a bit of a risk) or m’villa
Eriksen or Martin or Rodriguez depending on the fee asked
I think milito is too old to be changing leagues the player I would love to see is leandro damioa
“for me, when you change more than three players in a team, you always take a technical risk, because you change the deep structure of the team and the deep balance of the team, mentally and technically ” those are manager wenger’s words. You see, to sign a player is one thing, suiting the club’s ‘mental’ and ‘technical balance’ is another. Coping with the EPL pace is also important. I think no player want to be a natural looser becos you always enjoy the sweetness of victory after a fantastic game. So i think we need players that can cope with ‘pressure’, transform games, hold confidence and win gallantly. Players like: De Jong, Llorente, Dempsey Hoilet e.t.c
Out :
Almunia
Squillaci
Denilson
Diaby
Vela
Arshavin
Chamakh
Park
In :
M’Vila
Podolski
Mbiwa
Hoillet
Squad :
Szchesny
Mbiwa/TV/Msacker/Sagna
Wilkshire/Song/Arteta
Poldi/RVP/Gervinho
Get De Jong from Man City, This M’Vila Guys is too expensive and may not even be a hit in EPL. Then we get This guy Nicolas Lodiero from Ajax. He seems consistent in performance and can light up the Midfield. Get rid of Walcott and Bring in Affeley. He is a more consistent winger. Bring Mbiwa.
My Squad
———Szchesny
Mbiwa, Vermallen, Sagna
—–De Jong – Arteta
Podolski, Song, Lodiero, Affeley
————RVP
Three very outstanding defenders, Two outstanding DMs to cover the middle tracks left by the defender, but also the beginning of attacks. Song goes into Attacking Midfield with a defensive capacity when needed. Expect goals from Arteta 8, Song 12, Podolski 15, Lodiero 15, Affeley 10, RVP 25. If RVP goes, get Fernando Llorient or Pappis Cisse. Look like trophies to me…
Song and 12 goals?you’re deluded.
http://www.threematchban.com/Articles/latin-wonderkids-part-two-of-a-peak-into-south-america-s-football-future
I think you’re wrong on the whole “natural winner” concept. Personally I don’t think a winner is born, they’re cultivated. Nobody wins anything just by showing up – they’re bred and built into the winning mentality.
Man Utd wins things because through Fergie and the experienced players he keeps, he uses past winners to breed future winners. Why do you think he keeps Scholes, Ferdinand, Giggs, Roy Keane well past their 30s? Because they won things, they learned how to win thing from the previous generation like: Denis Irwin, Cantona, Yorke. Who in turned learned from their previous generation etc etc.
Sure you had to start somewhere. Sometimes you get a very talented quad and sometimes you just get lucky and win something but once you start it and once you spread it and develop it as part of the culture you keep the feeling going on and on.
Wenger is poor at that. His idea that anyone over 30 starts to become useless is what has seen us win nothing for 7 years. RVP is the only winner and let’s face it, he won a medal mostly on the back of most of the Invicible team way back when. The quick dismantling of that team has left us with nobody who knows hwo to win this league. No elder statesmen who have been there, done that.
Where is our Giggs? our Scholes? Even when Drogba was playing mediocre football Chelsea retained him because Jose taught him to win and he got them the CL on the back of a rather below average season by his standards.
I think Eriksen and Rodriguez are poor examples because they’re young and while they have won titles, it’s in leagues who are on a different level, a lower level at that. There’s no doubt a far higher standard and pressure to playing in the big four leagues as compared to the smaller ones.
This is a good write up on arsenal transfers,really we should be looking at players because they are expensive but the writer got it wrong with his opinion on the players we should sign(didn’t milito and cambiaso play for inter this season?). No player guarantees trophy but bunch of good players learning from one another. Another factor mentioned here that has not been helping arsenal in past 7 seasons is arsene wenger (he has to be ruthless,show the willingness to win(football aint all about sitting down and hope ur boys play good soccer and win).I’m sure am not wrong if I say our squad in every season of the past 7 could of won trophies under a manager with a different mentality. For transfers going to next season,I believe we need 22 players that can walk into the team at any moment.I’ll pick from players we have now and suggest where we should make signings
Scsny – gibbs – verm – kosh – sagna
Arteta – song – rosicky
TW – RVP – gerv
Fab – santos – CB – mert – jekinson
Ramsey – DM – wilshere
Ox – poldolski/CF – LWF/poldolski
So let me assume we bought poldolski for the left side of the attack, then we should be looking at signing a CB – DM and a CFmy options would have been vertogen,m’villa and giroud but arsene knows; I just hope he goes back to his former self and sign players that are within the ages of 22 – 27 and have played a minimum of two solid seasons of football.
One more thing LOL in case wilshere comes back as a ramsey and diaby his normal self we need a creative AM belhada,martin and ericksen are good for us…..really we av good solid players that are been linked with our darling club I wish we go for ‘poldolski like’ CB DM CF + CAM and Wenger showing some rude tactics….hmmm (dreaming UCL EPL…)
Remember any of the 22 can form the first 11
See yah! Up gunners!
We should know by now any deal above the 17m / 20m is a no, no!