Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal Player

To be fair, stats at Madrid and Barca can be very misleading. 4 out of every 5 games they play are massacres. The gulf between them and the rest of the league is ludicrous.
Still they can be seen on their own context. How many Barça/Madrid players boast those stats? And of those, how many don't we regard as great players?
 
Competition for the league is getting stiffer, which is why it's a relief that we're finally showing ambition and strengthening in the right departments.

Staying competitive is all we can ask for at the moment - that means not rolling over for the big boys like we did last year and staying within touching distance of the title without imploding after March.

Whether or not we actually go on to win the thing to me is secondary. Sanchez' signing gives me hope that we'll continue to address the mistakes we've committed in the past and move closer to becoming a top club again, rather than an also-rans.

Winning the FA Cup has lifted the pressure off Wenger, meaning failure to lift the league in the next couple of seasons will be forgiven, so long as we keep showing more ambition than we've done in recent years and continue to "move forward", if I can be so euphemistic.

In short, this signing is a show of such ambition. And the fact that it's been done this early is encouraging - particularly when set against the last few transfer windows.
Why do I get an alert to this post as quoting me when it isn't quoting me?
 
Speaking of Arsenal "not having a single natural left-sided player" before Sanchez, can anyone tell me the name of the bug-eyed lightweight playing on the left against Brazil the other day?
Surely Ozil doesn't qualify as a natural left-sided player, even if he pops out there occasionally?

But yeah. Sanchez isn't one either.
 
To be fair, stats at Madrid and Barca can be very misleading. 4 out of every 5 games they play are massacres. The gulf between them and the rest of the league is ludicrous.

I watched Barcelona and he wasn't like Pedro where he racked up his goal counts during the massacres. He had a pretty even goal scoring record, like one goal per game here and there, and he even scored against Real and Atletico.

Also lets not talk about this "rest of the La Liga" being crap again. The top half of the table has teams who would probably bend us over and/or give us an incredibly tough game. We already learnt our lesson with Bilbao and Sevilla. Barcelona probably dished out under 10 thrashings last year but they had incredibly close games with a lot of other teams
 
Surely Ozil doesn't qualify as a natural left-sided player, even if he pops out there occasionally?

But yeah. Sanchez isn't one either.

Fairly sure he's been predominantly on that flank all tournament. Fair bit of floating about and swapping sides but you've generally seen Muller spending more time on the right and Ozil on the left.
 
------------------Szczesny------------------
Debuchy--Mertesacker--Koscielny--Gibbs
-------------------Arteta-------------------
----------Ramsey-------Wilshire----------
Sanchez---------Giroud---------Ozil

Subs: Fabiański, Vermaelen, Rosický, Cazorla, Chamberlain, Walcott, Podolski

If football was played on paper that team would win the Champions League
 
Considering Wengers last big singing (Ozil) has flopped, the mans reputation in on the line after this one.
 
I watched Barcelona and he wasn't like Pedro where he racked up his goal counts during the massacres. He had a pretty even goal scoring record, like one goal per game here and there, and he even scored against Real and Atletico.

Also lets not talk about this "rest of the La Liga" being crap again. The top half of the table has teams who would probably bend us over and/or give us an incredibly tough game. We already learnt our lesson with Bilbao and Sevilla. Barcelona probably dished out under 10 thrashings last year but they had incredibly close games with a lot of other teams

Re that last para, it's an inescapable fact. The unfair TV money deal ensures Madrid/Barca enjoy considerably more duck shoots than any club in England.
 
------------------Szczesny------------------
Debuchy--Mertesacker--Koscielny--Gibbs
-------------------Arteta-------------------
----------Ramsey-------Wilshire----------
Sanchez---------Giroud---------Ozil

Subs: Fabiański, Vermaelen, Rosický, Cazorla, Chamberlain, Walcott, Podolski

If football was played on paper that team would win the Champions League

Even on paper, I could name at least five better squads in Europe. feck it, I could name two in England alone.
 
Fairly sure he's been predominantly on that flank all tournament. Fair bit of floating about and swapping sides but you've generally seen Muller spending more time on the right and Ozil on the left.
Ozil is a number 10 Pogue. He's been shit on the flanks, and most of the performances that earned him a name were with him playing centrally. He's naturally central, and can make other positions to a much smaller effect.

And a great player, with a terrible last year.
 
Good signing for Arsenal. I think he is a bit overrated on the CAF. Still Id have him at United in a heartbeat.
 
I watched Barcelona and he wasn't like Pedro where he racked up his goal counts during the massacres. He had a pretty even goal scoring record, like one goal per game here and there, and he even scored against Real and Atletico.

Also lets not talk about this "rest of the La Liga" being crap again. The top half of the table has teams who would probably bend us over and/or give us an incredibly tough game. We already learnt our lesson with Bilbao and Sevilla. Barcelona probably dished out under 10 thrashings last year but they had incredibly close games with a lot of other teams

He scored or assisted two or more times in 9 games.
 
Good signing for Arsenal...can't really see any negatives to add (bastards!)

But Arsenal won't win the league with only 1 signing! and that should be there goal now. Chelsea have added more quality and they were already ahead last year...so this signing keeps them competitive nothing more.

It should be a little reminded to United that the Top 4 have all improved (maybe not Liverpool) but no team has stood still.
 
If football was played on paper that team would win the Champions League
Coming to grass near you very soon...

------------------Szczesny------------------

Debuchy--Mertesacker--Koscielny--Gibbs

----------Ramsey-------Bender----------

Walcott---------Ozil---------Sanchez

---------------Giroud-----------------

Subs: ANother, Vermaelen, Rosický, Cazorla, Chamberlain, Remy.
 
Ozil is a number 10 Pogue. He's been shit on the flanks, and most of the performances that earned him a name were with him playing centrally. He's naturally central, and can make other positions to a much smaller effect.

Well then he's one of those number 10s who isn't good enough to get picked as a number 10. Which seems to be a new trend in football. We've got one of them too, Shinji Kagawa. Someone should make up some fancy Italian word for them. Outofpositionista.
 
This is an absolutely brilliant signing and I'm gutted they made it. Sanchez is quality, will excel in the Premier League in my opinion and is good to get away from being restrained at Barca.

The already ridiculously low chances of us making top 4 are now somehow even lower.
 
Seen this on twitter.

BsNgLm5CMAALfSA.jpg
 
Coming to grass near you very soon...

------------------Szczesny------------------

Debuchy--Mertesacker--Koscielny--Gibbs

----------Ramsey-------Bender----------

Walcott---------Ozil---------Sanchez

---------------Giroud-----------------

Subs: ANother, Vermaelen, Rosický, Cazorla, Chamberlain, Remy.
Can we have Wilshere?
 
Even on paper, I could name at least five better squads in Europe. feck it, I could name two in England alone.
:lol:

Exactly what I was thinking. Win the CL? That would be about the 3rd best side in the PL on paper.
 
Considering Wengers last big singing (Ozil) has flopped, the mans reputation in on the line after this one.

Ozil was hardly a flop. You need to look a little closer to see what he's done for them. He's an intelligent player and one of those who makes the right pass and runs most of the time. The ppl who say he's been crap for Germany are nothing short of silly.
 
Good signing for Arsenal...can't really see any negatives to add (bastards!)

But Arsenal won't win the league with only 1 signing! and that should be there goal now. Chelsea have added more quality and they were already ahead last year...so this signing keeps them competitive nothing more.

It should be a little reminded to United that the Top 4 have all improved (maybe not Liverpool) but no team has stood still.
Arse'll finish in the top four, no doubt.

They usually bottle it in the big games and I don't see it being any different. Not unless Wenger's prepared to change it up. We'll see.
 
Well then he's one of those number 10s who isn't good enough to get picked as a number 10. Which seems to be a new trend in football. We've got one of them too, Shinji Kagawa. Someone should make up some fancy Italian word for them. Outofpositionista.

Well said. Sick of all this "number 10" and the "in the hole" talk. For a start, a "number 10" is only as good as what is around him.
 
------------------Szczesny------------------
Debuchy--Mertesacker--Koscielny--Gibbs
-------------------Arteta-------------------
----------Ramsey-------Wilshire----------
Sanchez---------Giroud---------Ozil

Subs: Fabiański, Vermaelen, Rosický, Cazorla, Chamberlain, Walcott, Podolski

If football was played on paper that team would win the Champions League

Come on! I mean ... come on! That's just ridiculous.