Arsenal were happy to announce this week that three big players have signed new contract extensions to keep them at the club for the next few years, and Arsenal fans were happy to hear that the French trio of our best centre back Laurent Koscielny, the combative midfield warrior Francis Coquelin and the man of the moment Olivier Giroud would be playing in the red and white of Arsenal for a good while yet.
What we really want to hear, though, is that they have been joined in committing their futures to the Gunners by Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, but if it really is all about the difference between the money on offer and what the star duo want then we could have a big problem and a lot of disappointment for the fans around the corner.
While we may talk about the crazy money being thrown about in football these days, you cannot blame the players and their agents for wanting to get the best possible deal and a Metro report highlights just how far away from the really big spenders we are.
While Giroud was happy to sign his new deal, I do not think he will be as happy to see that the Man United youngster Jesse Lingard is set to sign a new deal for more money than the Frenchman is getting. Lingard seriously? Would you be happy if you were Giroud?
It seems to me that Arsenal have to at least try to compete with our rivals on wages for the biggest players, but will our club agree? If not then is it goodbye to the best two players?
D.N.
When a striker score goals he is described as lethal but on the average a football striker should do more than score goals and if i may ask other than Arsenal which other top rated team can Giroud make a starting 11?
Giroud would not start for any of the other top 6 teams. He is not versatile enough. We have struggled since he won his starting role back. Even yesterday we struggled for the first half hour which is unacceptable from a managerial point of view if you take into account our disastrous starts in our previous two games. You would think Wenger addressed that issue in training but I guess not.
Giroud started the last three games and we struggled in the last three games. The fact he scores a goal doesn’t do away with the fact that the whole team functions on a lower level when he starts. I thought that was clear from last season.
Start like that when you play a real team and not a second from last team and you might not escape with a win.
Sanchez is gone, there is little doubt about that. Ozil likes the lack of pressure he gets from Wenger so you never know, he might stay.
This sage will drag out till late in the summer transfer window so Wenger has an excuse not to by a world class replacement for Sanchez. It is hard for me to imagine why Sanchez should sign for lass than a minimum of 250’000 per week and it hard to see Arsenal pay that. Strangely it seems less expensive to me to give Sanchez an extra 50’000 or so per week than to replace him with a like for like player.
What will make replacing him harder is that we won’t have CL football in all likely hood.
Best thing we can hope for is that Liverpool beat Man U to put some distance between us and them. If Man U are within 3 points when we play them next you would have to worry given Wenger’s track record against Mourinho, evidenced also by Wenger’s efforts to only play for a draw last time we played Man U.
Alexis isn’t gone yet. Let’s see what happens. We don’t know what goes on behind the scenes
If Sanchez was all about money, he wouldn’t have gone to Arsenal- they don’t pay stupid money. My opinion, he’s more concerned with the club’s desire to compete for premiership and champ league.
Despite the flurry of goals Giroud has scored since starting in the last few games I still think we looked a better team with Sanchez starting on his own up front, and he prefers it and might make him happier if that’s how we play him.
Arsenal Football club CAN afford to pay the players what they want, but the Board and Wenger DONT CARE TO !!!!!!!!.
Its about setting expectations and if we pay the deadly duo what they want then anyone else who comes into the club will want just as much if not more and thats where the problem lays because the club are not willing to give up any of the enourmous pprofit the club is making in order to be able to compete. Rather sell of the star players, Muddy them in the press and then buy in cheaper replacements and make 4th spot again for another year. Bingo !!!!!! its all good at Ashburton Grove. perhaps we should drop the lakes of Walcott who whilst performing NOW has had many years dof doing B”gger all and collecting a substantial wage for it. we should throw that money towards Sanchez to keep him, he’s worth 50 walcotts