• The Houseboat

  • Get your trunks and 'kini on folks it's summer tran window 2017!

USArsenal wrote:

he's a quality keeper, but he's very young, so there will be the inexperience-based mistakes...  a year or 2 under Cech and methinks he's ready to start..   😃

But would Cech's influence be outweighed by the Peyton factor?

Not so sure about him. Also he'll kill Emi. 🙂

Daz wrote:
USArsenal wrote:

he's a quality keeper, but he's very young, so there will be the inexperience-based mistakes...  a year or 2 under Cech and methinks he's ready to start..   😃

But would Cech's influence be outweighed by the Peyton factor?

i was being incredibly sarcastic..  lol

7 days later

I suspect that our current targets such as Lacazette and Lemar/Mahrez are based upon the premise of Sanchez remaining at the club. Essentially they are to compliment Sanchez as being the focal point of the attack. I do not think that the pursuit of Mbappe is anything more than a distraction for the probable departure of Sanchez this summer, as a supposed show of ambition and intent in the market. I also think that retaining the 3 at the back minimises/eliminates the need to address the midfield.

That said I suspect that Lacazette is fast approaching a point re his transfer fee where he costs more than the potential market value for Sanchez, at which point I'd be expecting AW to look elsewhere as he did previously re Jovetic-Higuain-Suarez, except this time I'd hope that he'd learned his lesson about splitting hairs on fees and ending up empty handed. If we are to consider upgrades from Lacazette then it should include the likes of Aubameyang, Icardi, Cavani, Mandzukic, Aguero.

Should Sanchez depart then we should re evaluate our targets accordingly. As such we either need to improve our intended targets at CF and AM/WF, and/or we should look to replace Sanchez with similar quality/capability - James, Dybala.
If we are unable to secure top level targets at CF, AM/WF we should consider looking to sign a top level CM to play alongside Xhaka in addition to our replacements at CF & AM - Nainggolan, Milinkovic-Savic, Goretzka, Jorginho, Seri.

The more players we look to sign then the higher the quality and/or the more important PL experience, so as to minimise adaption time.

Best case scenario losing Sanchez & not signing Mbappe, but willing to spend the same level of funds could be something like:
Aubameyang
James - Ozil
Lemar - Xhaka - CM - Bellerin
Kolasanic - Kos - Mustafi
Cech/Butland

Worst case scenario based upon losing Sanchez & unable to sign our preferred targets at CF & AM/WF, should/could be something like:
Aguero
Martial - Ozil
Kolasanic - Xhaka - Rambo - Bellerin
Kos - BFG - Mustafi
Cech/Butland

alternatively

Aguero
Martial - Ozil - Mahrez
Xhaka - CM
Kolasanic - Kos - Mustafi - Bellerin
Cech/Butland

I suspect we will see something like this next season.

---------Lacazette
-----Lemar--------Ozil
Kolasinac-Xhaka-Ramsey-Bellerin
----Monreal--Kos--Holding
------------Cech

Occasionally switching to 4231 with Walcott coming in.

Ray wrote:

I suspect we will see something like this next season.

---------Lacazette
-----Lemar--------Ozil
Kolasinac-Xhaka-Ramsey-Bellerin
----Monreal--Kos--Holding
------------Cech

Occasionally switching to 4231 with Walcott coming in.

TBH IMO I don't think that front 3 is good enough to compensate for losing Sanchez, let alone to also fail to sign Mbappe & to then NOT spend the money.
IF AW thinks that would be good enough / justifiable then the club is unlikely to regain top 4 with AW,
and I'd expect to see anti-AW protests from the start.

Most likely not good enough, I don't expect anything other than 5th/4th next season.

Ray wrote:

Most likely not good enough, I don't expect anything other than 5th/4th next season.

With that lineup / lack of determination I would suspect that we could well finish below Everton.
No way do I see that as being enough of an upgrade to improve the team enough to regain top4 even last season, 
let alone with the rivals all looking to improve for next season.

AW's posturing re Mbappe has raised the level of expectation even without the loss of Sanchez.
There should be no excuse for not fixing the team issues even if we lose Sanchez & fail to sign Mbappe.

Don't get e wrong - I like both players, just think it would need a 3rd spoke to the wheel in terms of scoring goals.

Seeing various reports that are claiming that our negotiations re our supposed 3 main targets (Mbappe, Lacazette & Lemar) are all dead in the water. Great way to get the fans back on side.
Let's see just what quality they'll focus on now.

Anzac wrote:

Seeing various reports that are claiming that our negotiations re our supposed 3 main targets (Mbappe, Lacazette & Lemar) are all dead in the water.  Great way to get the fans back on side.
Let's see just what quality they'll focus on now.

We'll sign Niang and Mahrez two weeks into the season.

Good. Hopefully, folks will stop whipping themselves into a frenzy over 100m pound players when we can barely keep the 40m pound players on our books.

Finally links to a central midfielder.

seen some houseboaty links to gelson. looks dynamite

only saw him play once against real but he gave marcelo and co fits

Yeah get him, at least it'd be fun. Doesn't seem like someone Wenger would like. So many times in that vid he could have taken the safe pass but instead did something exciting.