Machete wrote:

What would you make of that partnership ricky?

It looks good to me. Dependent on Cahill really stepping up and becoming the top class player his ability says he can be. Keown said that about him a while ago, that he needs to look at the confidence and self-belief John Terry plays with, the way he makes the players around him play better, and start showing that in his own game.

Those two have everything you'd want in a centreback partnership though.

If you do that, and we do not need to sell Squllaci to raise cash, then I'd actually keep a rotation of
Cahill, Vermaelen, Djourou, Koscielny and Squillaci

Squillaci would be a very expensive 5th CD, but would be good security for what he is supposed to offer. I'd then keep Bartley on loan. I might bring him back to London and loan him to Fulham. They will need extra players if they are to survive Europa League.

If I'm honest, right now Liverpool are probably a more attractive option for players like Hazard despite us being able to offer champions league next season.

Whoops, that's not official anything.

interesting for them to put it on their website. this must be a move they want to complete.

it's a proper article, unlike those weird transfer rumors we somehow thought wise to put on our team website. those were downright stupid. i wonder why Wenger didn't just say "you guys are making me look like a bigger fool. take those down'

How is this better? They're copy and pasting articles from newspapers, anyone who doesn't read the last couple of lines will think it's official (see Ricky) 😃

ah, i see. didn't even make it that far. Daily Mirror. i read the Daily Mirror, but I would never mention on my company website that I got a story from that mob

Machete wrote:

If I'm honest, right now Liverpool are probably a more attractive option for players like Hazard despite us being able to offer champions league next season.

Unfortunately I'd have to agree. Yes we could offer players (possibly) Champions League football but Pool have showed much more ambition in the transfer market and are jsut as likely to give young players a chance as us atm.

We still turn heads as much as Liverpool I think, if not as much as United, Chelsea or City.

But our aura of safe, guaranteed top-tier mediocrity has already taken its toll. "Join Arsenal to finish third or fourth".

I highly doubt it, Burns.
Liverpool have spent big money on Mascherano, Torres, Carroll and Suarez in recent years. Some of those guys cost 2x the most we have ever been willing to reluctantly part with for a player. I cannot see us making a big impact.

As you said "join Arsenal to finish third or fourth" for the 2nd tier stars, and for the young, potential top tier stars, we will continue to be perceived as "use Arsenal as a stepping stone"

Well I predict that Liverpool won't play CL football in 12-13, let alone 11-12. I don't think this prediction is unreasonable.

We are solid. What we don't do is give any impression we're on the verge of becoming champions.

Liverpool is still Liverpool. London is still London.

I don't think we are solid.

I think that unless the reasons for our decline since the end of February are seriously examined and meaningful changes are made this summer we will struggle to stay in the top four.

Unless you're from the north of England, Scottish or Irish you dont pick Liverpool over Arsenal if you've got the same offer on the table from both clubs.

I don't think you can generalise like that.

I do think some are being somewhat sucked into the vortex of our bad form the past couple of months, and conversely being over-awed by Liverpool's form.

Let's not forget that for the second year running, Liverpool will be absent from the CL (and not even in the EL next season, right?), and only a couple of months ago they were in absolute turmoil. Both clubs have pros and cons. Our stability and predictability may seem like a bad thing at the moment but we're a proven option for young players looking to develop their careers.

unfortunately, to casual observers, it can look a lot like liverpool is a big club having a temporary blip, while arsenal is a selling club.

A temporary 20+ year blip. Those are some pretty casual observers.

They signed one excellent striker and one mixed bag with a weapon, they stopped playing the wrong tactics and the wrong selection, their morale improved and they had a few good results, and suddenly everyone's acting as if it's the freaking Renaissance.

I would think players looking to make a career defining move are little more than casual observers.