One of the most unpopular players to have been linked with Arsenal in recent times is Chris Smalling.
Most Arsenal fans would feel it is a case of Manchester United selling a player that has failed to make the grade at Old Trafford to us again.
One of my mates even ridiculously argued that signing Smalling would be like landing Mikael Silvestre again.
I understand why fans would rather sign another defender instead of Smalling, but I think we cannot take it away from the Englishman that he has improved in Italy.
The Italian Serie A is one of the toughest divisions in Europe and despite the reputation of the Premier League as the toughest in the world, playing in Italy could be even tougher.
Most Italian teams are set up to defend and that means you have to be very good at that to make the starting XI each week and that is something that Smalling has done.
Paolo Fonseca recently discussed his surprise at the adaptation of Smalling and I think it isn’t just a one-season improvement.
Smalling has become a better defender and at his age, he is at the peak of his career.
He needed that new experience to toughen him up and to get him prepared to enjoy the peak of his career.
We can take a chance on him and if he turns out to be a success at the Emirates, he would be a major success because he now enjoys playing football again.
An article from Ime
Oh my…. with all this talk of Smalling and Lovren, as well as losing Auba… sheesh I wanna cry!!!
Smalling a success? Doin’ what? Male stripper? Oh, come on! But I like the idea of getting Thomas Partey for Laca and Bellerin. Partey at Ashburton would be the beginning of something new, with Saliba and another young talented CB behind (Nathan Ake, Pau Torres, John Stones…) we would have a centre lock for the future. Go Asn’l!
SMALLING WILL NOT BE COMING TO ARSENAL. Very few players will becoming in or out EXCEPT at very low fees and lower wages than til now. This will be all over football, not just at Arsenal. Some folk simply don’t get -or perhaps that should be WON’T get – that all financial matters are now vastly changed. MANY CLUBS, EVEN SOME FAMOUS NAMES, WILL BE ONLY TOO HAPPY TO STILL BE IN BUSINESS AT ALL TWO YEARS OR EVEN ONE YEAR FROM NOW.
I HONESTLY DO NOT THINK WE CAN NOW AFFORD TO BRING IN ANY TOP CLASS CB, PURELY FOR MONEY REASONS.
John, You are absolutely right. I really do not understand all this nonsense of this player for £40 mil that player for £100 mil, these days are over. You are correct in saying that even the richest and well run clubs will be hard pushed to make transfer deals. People do not seem to understand that match day revenues make up a big part of clubs income. People will need to prioritize where they spend their money and I afraid, for me a least, football is well down the list. I would imagine, that for most clubs, player loan deals will become the norm or any deal by which very little money changes hand. I would suggest that players , who are asking large wage increases to sign new deals, thinking that they would do better elsewhere might be wise to think again.
You’re something of a bore, Jon, do you know that? I think you take this to serious. Football is for fun. A boys game, shorts and knee stockings. Of course, this speculations is unrealistic. Completely. But what the H. Personally I’m just trying to survive the Plague. I’m scared like sh*t. April and May will be critical. Hope you are all right.
Robert, Since you ask, the answer is NO! I do not consider myself remotely a bore but a deep thinking and serious minded man -with, at times, a love for the absurd in humour and comedy and one who writes forcefully and ALWAYS,without exception, exactly what I consider the truth to be.
I do not seek to be either liked or disliked but merely to be honest. I am -and you only have my word for this – one of the MOST honest people I have ever known, and at my age I have known countless thousands. Hope that answers your “question.” I fully accept that a number will not like me, or will fear my, at times, brutal honesty and word power. There will be others who like me. None of that has ever changed the way I act or write, nor ever will. I ALWAYS SEEK THE TRUTH as absolute self honesty is the only ethical and wise way to be. If that explanationbores you , then so be it, I’ afraid.
Finally, like you I am terrified of this disease and its implications for all of us; “us” being our common human race.
I didn’t say I didn’t like you. Quite the opposite (without knowing you). But if you don’t like the speculations of this site, you must have a hard time on News Now. News Now is Fantasy Row. And it’s all we poor gooners have now days. We have to be dreamers… We’ve got plenty of nothing, nothing’s plenty for us… I like George Gershwin. Do you think he could replace Mesut Ozil? He was a h*ll of a playmaker.