shurlock

Are you an accountant? If not, suggest you try and not overinterpret shoestring figures any tom, **** and harry can pull off google.

Jordy Nelson, a toss up who's the better receiver.

The Geen Bay Packers star wide receiver got a bumper new contract today - maybe Ralphy's taking note.

Put some fantastic balls in during the WC - would be the proverbial statement of intent. As good as anyone we've brought in before. We need a signing like this -both on its own terms and to begin attracting others.

Very true - if there's one silver-lining, it's that Clyne can now lock down the RB berth and I do think Clyne, while less polished, is the better fullback. That said it's interesting that Wenger reportedly sees Chambers as a future CB, something discussed on here but only as idle chatter. If there was ever a time to experiment with this, it would have been now.

Missing the point yet again. Nothing was missold to the players. The players who joined knew full well the course we were taking -that we weren't going to break the bank to make progress and that we were going to integrate youth, even if it sacrificed a degree of short-run success. Nobody was hoodwinked or given false expectations about these constraints. MP is now talking about winning the league with Spurs - that's what sport is about -recall Bill Nicholson's famous quote about ambition "the echo of glory". It's not and never been a quasi-contractual promise.

Ultimately, it's our prerogative to say no but player power, if sufficiently strong, will prevail. I don't think Chambers would have agitated or forced a move if we had said no. It's not like he's outgrown us; rather he has repeatedly stressed the importance of game time (he has all of 20 appearances and is not fully established much like Barkley, arguably a bigger talent). He's unlikely to get this n the short-term at Arsenal who have just signed Debuchy at RB. If the aim is to move him to CB, that transition won't happen overnight and won't be pain free. Ultimately, he has time on his side -say another season or two. So while at worst he might have grumbled, it is much easier to imagine him accepting the club's decision -assuming, of course, we wanted to keep him. Contrast his situation with the following: Lallana: already 26, captain of the club and now or never in terms of playing at a higher level. No guarantees that clubs will come in again for him if he doesn't repeat last season's form. Shaw: a young-un and as many united fans noted it would have done him no harm to hang around another season; however is further advanced in his development than Chambers (a full England international versus an u-19 international) and likely to be a week-in, week-out starter for them. Lovren: more established than Chambers and indeed Lallana and Shaw and a mercenary with no allegiances to the club, except possibly those to the old regime.

Shame -still looking forward to this fixture but won't quite have the same edge.

Keep trying and floundering

Where have I said we can stop every player going to bigger clubs? Never said anything of the sort. Indeed, I got stick when I challenged those people who claimed we could simply treat the wantaways in the same manner Liverpool treated Suarez last summer. Half a brain cell was flattering you, sunshine.

Completely different situations in terms of talent, likely playing opportunities and our league status. Try again. Perhaps you and jeff can sit down and combine your half a brain cell and come back with something better. I doubt it.

The kid is 19 with years ahead of him, has not reached the same heights as Shaw and unlikely to be starting for Arsenal. When has a player in that kind of situation forced a move? There is absolutely no risk of a fallout from us saying no.

I know you've been having a mare for weeks -perhaps time for another reinvention?- but don't make out as if keeping Chambers is some Herculean, impossible task. Plenty of reasons why it's different from the other departures.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/390993/Arsenal-in-12m-deal-for-Southampton-youngster-Calum-Chambers It's the Star but seems pretty certain. Also stories in the Telegraph and Mail.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/10992125/Arsenal-step-up-efforts-to-sign-Southampton-defender-Calum-Chambers.html

Until Jrod got injured, we didn't have that much of a problem creating chances.

Seems like you decided on those marks before watching the game -if you watched it, that is.

We looked a disorganised mess before the changes (actually we looked more solid with Cork in) - so your only concern is mayuka who's a strawman and trivial in the large scheme of things? Part of the lacklustreness was definitely preseason meh - either way, not sure we can take as much out of it as you're claiming.

Either way one of the CMs will have to give way if we play him in the hole in a 4-2-3-1. Assuming someone is brought in for role currently occupied by Isgrove, who would be your two in front of the defense?

How many times did we test the keeper?

True, though it left us much more open in the middle of the park. Who gives way if we play Ramirez? JWP if we have a combo of Wanyama and Cork/Davis to provide the steel (assuming Morgan is off)?

"Dirty scummah" Bless 'em.

Pressing high? See it completely differently. There's so much space in the middle of the park that it would only take a bit of quality to exploit it.

Do YOU think we'll be able to keep him? The club claimed no more outgoings after Shaw, Lallana and Lambert.

I'm saying his CV is partly an artefact of being part born into footballing aristocracy. As a legend of his generation, the proverbial captain fantastic, every door was opened for him - contrast his career path with that of a manager who's had to work his way up the greasy pole with limited resources. His career trajectory is pretty easy to follow: having done well in leagues that are effectively closed shops, he made a mess of his first big job in a quasi-competitive league. Who has the better CV is thus frankly irrelevant. I would have been more excited by the appointment of a Tuchel or Yakin -and that's not because they have better CVs. Ultimately what matters is who is the better manager and best equipped to lead us in the here and now. Not saying Koeman is a bad appointment but your autistic bleating about CVs does more to obscure this question than illuminate it.