Gunner89 wrote: Klaus wrote: How about answering the question instead? Henry was played on the right-wing about 12-13 times at at the age of 21 at Juventus before being packed off. Balotelli has played up-front in all of his starts for Milan. So your comparison itself is daft.
Klaus wrote: How about answering the question instead?
How about answering the question instead?
Henry was played on the right-wing about 12-13 times at at the age of 21 at Juventus before being packed off. Balotelli has played up-front in all of his starts for Milan. So your comparison itself is daft.
No it's not. It's apt. The fact that he played on the wing and struggled just reinforces the point I was making.
You're all over the shop here. If your argument is that Balotelli will never mature, based off a three year old incident, then fair enough. There are valid concerns about his personality. But his stats at Milan isn't a particularly useful indicator for how he will perform at Arsenal. And his stats over the last four years isn't an indicator of anything since this is the first season he has been a starter.
Gunner89 wrote: Rayman wrote: With a player like Balotelli, you don't look at stats. Anyway he is still young, and hasn't had many seasons where he has played a full season. Ah the old don't look at stats theory. Strikers are judged on goals. I couldn't give a sh*t how if he scores one 30 yarder a month if he's giving us 10 goals or how good his touch is when we have Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla in the squad. He was upto 29 league games by 2009-10. That he hasn't kicked on and got regular game time until recently is down to him alone. 30m for 10 goals from outfield a season? Im sure if you gave Bendtner a regular run he'd manage those without getting himself sent off as many times as balo.
Rayman wrote: With a player like Balotelli, you don't look at stats. Anyway he is still young, and hasn't had many seasons where he has played a full season.
With a player like Balotelli, you don't look at stats. Anyway he is still young, and hasn't had many seasons where he has played a full season.
Ah the old don't look at stats theory. Strikers are judged on goals. I couldn't give a sh*t how if he scores one 30 yarder a month if he's giving us 10 goals or how good his touch is when we have Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla in the squad. He was upto 29 league games by 2009-10. That he hasn't kicked on and got regular game time until recently is down to him alone. 30m for 10 goals from outfield a season? Im sure if you gave Bendtner a regular run he'd manage those without getting himself sent off as many times as balo.
From the players available he is the best you can get with upside potential goal scoring wise.
Klaus wrote: Gunner89 wrote: Henry was played on the right-wing about 12-13 times at at the age of 21 at Juventus before being packed off. Balotelli has played up-front in all of his starts for Milan. So your comparison itself is daft. No it's not. It's apt. The fact that he played on the wing and struggled just reinforces the point I was making. You're all over the shop here. If your argument is that Balotelli will never mature, based off a three year old incident, then fair enough. There are valid concerns about his personality. But his stats at Milan isn't a particularly useful indicator for how he will perform at Arsenal. And his stats over the last four years isn't an indicator of anything since this is the first season he has been a starter.
Gunner89 wrote: Henry was played on the right-wing about 12-13 times at at the age of 21 at Juventus before being packed off. Balotelli has played up-front in all of his starts for Milan. So your comparison itself is daft.
No it doesn't reinforce any point. Henry struggled in a position that was different to where he usually played which was left wing up-till that point and he was adapting to a different league and he was 20-21.
If you think that's all Balotelli has done in terms of his off-field problems as regards the toilet-fireckracker incident than you are sadly mistaken. The fact that he hasn't been a starter till 23-24 despite having such talent just shows how his mental issues affect him. The simple fact of the matter is in 6 years of top flight football he hasn't been particularly prolific in any. We aren't talking about chucking 5-10m on a project here. We're talking about 20-30m on a 100k type contract. It's not just his lack of productivity but that such a volatile personality can hamper the dressing room.
I think the raging question is that with his obvious outrageous talent AND equally obvious 'behavioral' issues what is Balotelli worth.
On talent alone he may be 30 million player, but is anyone really willing to pay that much for him...?
Burnwinter™ wrote: You certainly see these things starkly in black and white for a bunch of players with fundamentally similar numbers, G89. To me the standouts from the group are Lukaku and Balotelli because they're both young and they both combine mobility with size and strength. Walcott is probably a better player than Remy and Bony I'm not too sure on, but he seems a journeyman who wouldn't improve us enough.
You certainly see these things starkly in black and white for a bunch of players with fundamentally similar numbers, G89.
To me the standouts from the group are Lukaku and Balotelli because they're both young and they both combine mobility with size and strength.
Walcott is probably a better player than Remy and Bony I'm not too sure on, but he seems a journeyman who wouldn't improve us enough.
Speaking of black and white I was just looking a Bonys numbers earlier when we were talking about strike rates in the BAlotelli thread. He's scored better than 1 in 2 for Swansea. And as I said earlier thats come after a poor start while he adapted to the step up to PL. He's scored 37 in 36 in his last season in Holland. Plus he played 48 games this season so he's got stamina.
I think he could be a great get for someone willing to take a punt on him.
Bony is very strong.
Fabulous header on him
I agree Bony is and will be a prolific striker but he's quite slow also isn't he. As long we have Giroud on our books we won't be looking at him IMO.
qs! wrote: Speaking of black and white I was just looking a Bonys numbers earlier when we were talking about strike rates in the BAlotelli thread. He's scored better than 1 in 2 for Swansea. And as I said earlier thats come after a poor start while he adapted to the step up to PL. He's scored 37 in 36 in his last season in Holland. Plus he played 48 games this season so he's got stamina.
To be honest I just haven't seen enough of him, but aren't United supposedly interested in him? He'd be a very traditional sort of signing for them, they love latching onto PL players who have been prolific for weaker clubs.
Yeah, Louis Saha for example was great for them
Saha was very good. The injuries ruined him though.
Any 1 or 2 of Sharaawy, Morata, Sanchez, Balotelli
We need goals!
Yes, I'm thinking along those lines, for today I wish for Balotelli, Griezmann and Morata.
Thinking totally about squad balance and needs
Balotelli Cuadrado Schneiderlin Juanfran
And Thauvin cos I doubt we could stretch to Alexis, Pedro and the likes
Screw Cesc, not needed.. If Manu sign Muller & we are not in for him, I will be fuming. World class player, proper German mentality & exactly what we need & then some.
Meuller is interesting. I won't mind him.
My wishlist
Podolski/Wilshere Giroud/Morata/Sanogo Theo/Cuadrado
[b]Sanchez[/b]/ozil DM/Flam Ramsey/Arteta
Gibss/Monreal Kos/Verm/Per Aurier/Jenks
Woz/GK2
If Podolski goes i'd take Sharaawy/Remy for him
sounds like posturing from Muller's team more than anything. United learned a hard lesson from Fabregas and Thiago last summer. they shouldn't repeat these mistakes this year.
if he is available though, we have to go for him. put him up top with Cazorla, Giroud and Ozil for a start and see where that takes us
Since Cesc and Aurier aren't coming:
---------------Chez Coleman---Mert---Kos---Gibbs -----Ramsey---Schneiderlin Wilshere-------Ozil------Chambo ----------------Balo
Pantillimon as backup GK on a free. Sanchez/Griezmann/Vela as a bonus.
Bench: New GK, Monreal, Vermaelen, Schneiderlin, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud
you must really watch arteta plod around with blinders if you don't think schneiderlin would walk in and take his job on the first day.
Pace aside Arteta is a very good player and Arteta-Ramsey has been an excellent pairing. You don't have to be lightning quick making heroic lunging tackles to be a good holding midfielder. Arteta does many things well - positioning, passing, tackling, poise, leadership. Schneiderlin would be eased in and would initially be cover for both midfield positions IMO before eventually taking over for Mikel.
