Eden Hazard

[Imy]

Was it really his assist though, there were two touches between his and the goal

Pedant

[RichC]

United will be skewed somewhat by the sale of Ronaldo for £80M or so as well.

Generally you need to spend on both transfer fees and wages to succeed in the league, sad but true. Hats off to Wenger for managing it how he's gone about it but I am sure plenty of Arsenal fans would have rather seen more investment with some trophies than a good balance sheet.

[Craig_H]

United will be skewed somewhat by the sale of Ronaldo for £80M or so as well.

Generally you need to spend on both transfer fees and wages to succeed in the league, sad but true. Hats off to Wenger for managing it how he's gone about it but I am sure plenty of Arsenal fans would have rather seen more investment with some trophies than a good balance sheet.

Unfortunately these days, you dont succeed in football (not in league football anyway) with 'reasonable' fees.

[Maxiedge]

He's supposedly the best player in France. Check out his assist vs PSG:

Exceptionnel coup du foulard d'Hazard - Vidéo Dailymotion

Can you imagine Stewart Downing even trying to attempt that

That was a bit unnecassarily flash. I think he's one of those players that tries to show off as much as he can. Like Ronaldo, but the difference is that Ronaldo's built like a brick **** house. I genuinely think this guy will struggle with his style in the Premiership.

[~LFCHistory~]

It's an anomaly because they are the only club who do it without spending loads. Quite straightforward really.

United have spent buckets. Just because Chelsea and City have spent more, doesnt mean United have done it without big spending. Of course Wenger and Ferguson are excellent managers, but the idea that you can crash into the top four with modest spending, whilst nice, is not backed up by evidence.

Of the teams who have achieved top 4 finishes, the percentage who have done so via big spending is probably around the 80% mark.

You can keep saying teams can get into the top four without big spending if you like. The evidence doesnt back it up like, but by all means keep saying it.

Everton qualifying for the CL was an anomaly because they only did it once I think. Arsenal have done it 14 seasons in a row. The law of averages would suggest that that simply isn't an anomaly.

If you want to win the PL or CL then yes you have to spend money. But this idea that the more money you spend means the more success you get is clearly bollocks when you compare Utd's spending to City and Chelsea.

Have you considered that there may be other factors behind achieving success other than spending huge amounts of money ?? Like for example making intelligent purchases in the transfer market like Ronaldo for 12 million or Fabregas and Van Persie for a combined 3 million ?

Or have you considered that the manager a club has is just as important as money spent ?? Ferguson and Wenger are two of the greatest mangers in football history and I don't like saying that about Slur but it's true.

[Craig_H]

Of course i've considered it, i said as much.

You'll always get the odd exception to the rule, but GENERALLY SPEAKING teams who finish top four are ones who have spent big money.

You're disputing that?

[~LFCHistory~]

Of course i've considered it, i said as much.

You'll always get the odd exception to the rule, but GENERALLY SPEAKING teams who finish top four are ones who have spent big money.

You're disputing that?

I'm not disputing that most teams need to spend money to achieve success but Arsenal and Newcastle have shown that buying the right players for sensible fees can be just as important as spending big.

[Craig_H]

Newcastle have (and will) achieve nothing.

Arsenal have maintained their top four position with more modest spending, the only club that has achieved it. And they still havent won a thing for 7 years.

Neither of these two is the blueprint i'd look at as a route to success, but each to their own.

[BrooklynRed]

Not to get in the middle, but if RVP had injured himself as was usual, with Wilshere out and Gervinho (bust) and Chamakh (bust) up top with Walcott (bust) and Ramsey (mediocre this season), Arsenal would be nothing. They are a two man team of Song and RVP and it is a testament to their tactics that they, unlike us, rarely lose to **** teams because RVP and Song are head and shoulders above in class. Their defense is pedestrian, but Song has been brilliant for them and what can you say about Van Persie?

So, I don't see Arsenal as a way to build a team, I see them having a brilliant manager with some out of this world chemistry and walking a tightrope of a single pulled hamstring costing them everything. CL football is an absolute miracle for them this season, as it would be for Newcastle.

For us, it is all about being clinical. I am not sure what is wrong, but there seems to be something in the water with our team's mentality in front of goal. If we had finished with the precision of Cisse and Demba Ba for Newcastle this year, we'd be third. My personal opinion is that we have a real personnel crisis with overpriced players who do not mesh well. Not sure why Wenger gets the best of his players and ours underperform, but it seems clear that, for teams priced out of the major market by Chelsea, City and United, it is a mixture of proper expenditure and team and player management that delivers at least CL results.

What keeps me up at night is a future without winning the League. I want #19 more than anything. In my lifetime. Without big money, we can compete for 4th surely, but I want 1st and it seems that is out of reach without a drastic upgrade in talent, the kind of upgrade that can only come from spunking huge amounts of cash.

[Pablo]

May as well move this thread to General Football

[RedSince1964]

Not to get in the middle, but if RVP had injured himself as was usual, with Wilshere out and Gervinho (bust) and Chamakh (bust) up top with Walcott (bust) and Ramsey (mediocre this season), Arsenal would be nothing. They are a two man team of Song and RVP and it is a testament to their tactics that they, unlike us, rarely lose to **** teams because RVP and Song are head and shoulders above in class. Their defense is pedestrian, but Song has been brilliant for them and what can you say about Van Persie?

So, I don't see Arsenal as a way to build a team, I see them having a brilliant manager with some out of this world chemistry and walking a tightrope of a single pulled hamstring costing them everything. CL football is an absolute miracle for them this season, as it would be for Newcastle.

For us, it is all about being clinical. I am not sure what is wrong, but there seems to be something in the water with our team's mentality in front of goal. If we had finished with the precision of Cisse and Demba Ba for Newcastle this year, we'd be third. My personal opinion is that we have a real personnel crisis with overpriced players who do not mesh well. Not sure why Wenger gets the best of his players and ours underperform, but it seems clear that, for teams priced out of the major market by Chelsea, City and United, it is a mixture of proper expenditure and team and player management that delivers at least CL results.

What keeps me up at night is a future without winning the League. I want #19 more than anything. In my lifetime. Without big money, we can compete for 4th surely, but I want 1st and it seems that is out of reach without a drastic upgrade in talent, the kind of upgrade that can only come from spunking huge amounts of cash.

I agree bud but, as we've seen this year, there's some amazing talent out there who havn't cost a fortune to buy and are obviously a real deal so i personally think that with the right players etc, we can be in the top three pretty soon so i imagine it won't be long for number 19 to arrive (so long we don't splash out stupid money ala Carroll ) but, if we can get two or three high quality players in aswel then, the sky's the limit
I can't wait to see who we purchace this summer and roll on next season

[~LFCHistory~]

I agree bud but, as we've seen this year, there's some amazing talent out there who havn't cost a fortune to buy and are obviously a real deal so i personally think that with the right players etc, we can be in the top three pretty soon so i imagine it won't be long for number 19 to arrive (so long we don't splash out stupid money ala Carroll ) but, if we can get two or three high quality players in aswel then, the sky's the limit
I can't wait to see who we purchace this summer and roll on next season

If we've learnt from the transfer mistakes made in 2011 and our scouts do their job then we can get a top 4 finish next season. But everything depends on this summer's transfers window.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

If we've learnt from the transfer mistakes made in 2011 and our scouts do their job then we can get a top 4 finish next season. But everything depends on this summer's transfers window.

It'll still be difficult even if we spend wisely..

If Newcastle can add a decent CB and keep hold of their players then they will have another good go at it.

Arsenal have already signed Podolski and if they keep RVP they'll surely still make it.

United and City speak for themselves.

Chelsea will surely throw money at it again, Mata having a full season and if Torres gets some form they'll be looking at a title push.

Spurs will keep 'Arry, they need to keep Modric and Bale with the addition of a striker.

[Bender]

Eden Hazard was at Eastlands to watch Manchester City beat title rivals United on Monday night.

[Tee]

No doubt that has made his mind up and I expect him to be a City player next season.

We are too damn slow and awful in this kind of transfer market - we should have signed this lad last year, but we seem to wait until the whole world want the player and invariably are at the end of the pecking order or are priced out.