How many games do the Arsenal fans think A.O.C will get this season?
Not many. He'll play in cup games etc. - but the longer we waited, the more expensive he got. We made a move in January, and we had to get it wrapped up this summer before Liverpool made a bid and further forced the asking price up.
---------- Post added at 11:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:12 AM ----------
I find it amusing you guys are jumping to conclusions that I don't rate Wilshere and Ramsey. I think they will be great players. I just know that first of all, they are injury-prone.
What? Where'd you get that from? Ramsey broke his leg - that doesn't mean he's injury prone. Wilshere picked up a minor injury in pre-season this year, but that's it. Really don't understand your logic.
What if you get rid of Cesc and one of them gets injured? The other one will have to play the CM role every game, and if he gets injured you're in serious trouble. It's the most important position in that formation and you need to have adequate cover for it.
Yes, the other one will have to play the CM role. Or, you know, we could play Rosicky, Diaby, Lansbury, Nasri, or Gervinho in one of the positions. (AMC/CM)
Second, do you really think Ramsey is at Cesc's level now? He definitely has the potential but he's coming off a very long injury and I'm not sure how good he will be this season.
Hardly "just coming back" - he came back in January, scored the winner against Utd and has looked excellent and injury-free in pre-season.
And no, not quite. But we don't know if he can be in the near future unless we give him a chance.
And my logic does make sense, you just didn't read closely enough. If you sell Cesc, than you only have 5 players for 3 midfield positions (Ramsey, Wilshere, Song, Diaby, Frimpong).
Again; not true. Lansbury, Gervinho, Nasri, Rosicky, Coquelin gives us 10 players for 3 positions. I think you'll find we have plenty of midfielders. Chuks Aneke could even be used as an emergency option if he doesn't go out on loan.
Since it's Arsenal, you can count on at least one of those players being injured most of the time, and sometimes two of them being injured. It's not enough cover with how congested the fixture list is for Premiership clubs. Since you have two to three CM's (Ramsey, Wilshere, maybe Diaby) and only two to four DM's (Song, Diaby, who isn't too good, and Frimpong, who has no Prem experience, and Wilshere can play there too although he's not really a natural DM I guess), I think you should add another steely DM on the cheap for cover. If Frimpong is as good as some people say than you only need a young one. But I think you have 3 potential CM's for one position, and really only 3 natural DM's for two positions. Might as well get another DM.
To address the bit in bold, we don't have a pure DM, let alone two. We have two CMs and an AMC.
So actually we have 3/4 players for one position (not really DM as much as a defensive-minded CM) - Song, Frimpong, Coquelin, Diaby.
I don't understand your logic still, though - you say Wilshere and Ramsey aren't good enough (yet) to replace Cesc, but then say we should buy a DM? Shouldn't we - by your logic - be trying to replace Fabregas?
Also, I don't consider Arsenal to have a 4-2-3-1. The Cesc role is too deep for that; it's more like a 4-3-2-1. Two DM's, a CM, two advanced wingers, and a striker.
Well then you'd be wrong. The Cesc position isn't that deep at all, actually. It's skewed by Ramsey when he plays and turns into more of a 4-3-3/4-1-2-3 formation, but generally it's a 4-2-3-1. Fabregas drops back to dictate the tempo, but when he does so, Wilshere/Song push up beyond him and fill the gap.
As you can see here:
Statistics | Arsenal Report
---------- Post added at 11:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 AM ----------
You mean he was signed for 6.5Million plus add ons?
Yes. Which potentially take it to £12m, not more.