Post match thread

[Guest]

Why are Arsenal a special case?

Tell me?

Or is it the fact that their manager has played a blinder and bought and developed quality players - mostly at a young age - at the fraction of the cost of Chelsea and the scum.

It just re-inforces my point that building a side isn't all about money, it's about being clever, if you're good enough you can build at top side without having to buy 5 or 6 players who cost £20m each.

Well, Rafa has been closing the gap. Can't you see that ? And we've not spent their amounts.

United are in a class of their own and they've pushed ahead when we've been standing still. It will take a couple of years still but if we stick with Rafa and he's backed 100%, we'll be there.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

All these players were bought pre investment.

Rafa had to find solutions with what he got. All these players had potential. Momo was a huge hit in his first season and the other players have roughly justified the money spent. It's not difficult to understand mate.

When you compare that to the huge amounts invested by United and Arsenal (playing big bucks on young untrusted players) then it's difficult to compete. Add to that the farce over the stadium over the years.

The club has been losing ground off the pitch, that the fact behind why we're playing catch up.

Lucas isn't a young untested player?

Same with Babel?

Why not wait and give the yanks and Rafa a chance to build this thing their way?

Or do you want them to spend loads of money becuase you think that's the easy answer to every problem, when it's been proven it isn't.

[Cisseshairdresser]

Why are Arsenal a special case?

Tell me?

Or is it the fact that their manager has played a blinder and bought and developed quality players - mostly at a young age - at the fraction of the cost of Chelsea and the scum.

It just re-inforces my point that building a side isn't all about money, it's about being clever, if you're good enough you can build at top side without having to buy 5 or 6 players who cost £20m each.

One of the best posts so far. Its not about the players price tag, its about the player who has that price tag.

[Tom]

Why are Arsenal a special case?

Tell me?

Or is it the fact that their manager has played a blinder and bought and developed quality players - mostly at a young age - at the fraction of the cost of Chelsea and the scum.

It just re-inforces my point that building a side isn't all about money, it's about being clever, if you're good enough you can build at top side without having to buy 5 or 6 players who cost £20m each.

You've got to do both though nial. Wenger inherited the best defense in the league and could build on that. He put in plan a long-term strategy for hoovering up the best talent in europe which is paying dividends. That's a long-term strategy. He's also a bloody good manager.

[GordonGecko]

Just got back. Gutted.
Agree to an extent. I thought we played without any brains. It was all off the cuff stuff, no real thought to it. Utd were sharper all over the pitch.
Rafa likes to use the word 'mentaility' alot and today only two players from the starting XI showed it for me: Sami and Riise. THe rest of them were average at best with Kuyt, Kewell and Carra having dire games. We looked a bag of nerves and couldn't hit simple 5 yard passes - all over the pitch.

Watching Masher and Gerrard switch roles with Stevie holding was another poor, poor decision. Gerrard was way too deep to affect the game.

Rafa bemused me. His substitutions were too late and the wrong way around. kuyt was having a total mare and yet stayed on longer than Kewell..... How Dirk stayed on for so long was astonishing.

I used to believe Rafa would win us the league but I'm not so sure. To say he's still learning how the Premiership works is wrong. He's been here long enough to know it by now. A game against Utd is a battle of wills - and today we simply didn't have it.

It was strange to see him playing so deep when we needed to push for the equalizer

[Guest]

Lucas isn't a young untested player?

Same with Babel?

Why not wait and give the yanks and Rafa a chance to build this thing their way?

Or do you want them to spend loads of money becuase you think that's the easy answer to every problem, when it's been proven it isn't.

Yes, but it won't be a quick fix.

Will the more fickle fans in here want to wait until we build it as you say ?

As I said, I see clear signs that we're closing the gap. It'll take time if we continue like. As long as people understand it, there's no problem.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Well, Rafa has been closing the gap. Can't you see that ? And we've not spent their amounts.

United are in a class of their own and they've pushed ahead when we've been standing still. It will take a couple of years still but if we stick with Rafa and he's backed 100%, we'll be there.

When did I say he wasn't? And no we haven't spent their amounts to close the gap, so why do you atuomatically think we now need to?

Agree with your second point. Though I do have my concerns about him admittedly.

[Tom]

Money, long-term support for the manager = a winning combination. See Demento if you want proof.

Changing manager now will be a huge blow to the club. It wont get us anywhere.

[kemm1]

Money, long-term support for the manager = a winning combination. See Demento if you want proof.

Changing manager now will be a huge blow to the club. It wont get us anywhere.

I just wish Rafa wouldn't play Kuyt though ...............

[Guest]

When did I say he wasn't? And no we haven't spent their amounts to close the gap, so why do you atuomatically think we now need to?

Agree with your second point. Though I do have my concerns about him admittedly.

Which concerns, playing Kuyt ?

He's doing it his way, and until he has a better pool of players to pick from, he won't get results immediately.

Money, long-term support for the manager = a winning combination. See Demento if you want proof.

Changing manager now will be a huge blow to the club. It wont get us anywhere.

Exactly. It will set us back years again. Rafa's got the credentials. Undoubtedly.

[Milan_Milan]

Why are Arsenal a special case?

Tell me?

Or is it the fact that their manager has played a blinder and bought and developed quality players - mostly at a young age - at the fraction of the cost of Chelsea and the scum.

It just re-inforces my point that building a side isn't all about money, it's about being clever, if you're good enough you can build at top side without having to buy 5 or 6 players who cost £20m each.

Ok, so it can be done, but its bloody difficult and has taken Wenger years to put in place the scouting networks, youth systems and ingraining the style of play that enables them to fit in so well.

Worth mentioning as well that Arsenal haven't won the league since 2004 (and since a competent manager got hold of Romans millions).

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Money, long-term support for the manager = a winning combination. See Demento if you want proof.

Changing manager now will be a huge blow to the club. It wont get us anywhere.

Theres no other manager out there better then Rafa for us at the moment IMO.

[GordonGecko]

bump

[Guest]

bump

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

You've got to do both though nial. Wenger inherited the best defense in the league and could build on that. He put in plan a long-term strategy for hoovering up the best talent in europe which is paying dividends. That's a long-term strategy. He's also a bloody good manager.

Rafa isn't good enough to do this then?

He always said he didn't need fortunes to win.

Wenger has proven it.

No let's see if Rafa can do it too.

Sure if he could buy Kaka for £50m that would surely help.

But then why not buy then next Kaka type at 17 for £5m?

Milan bought him at 20 for £6.5m quid.

Milan sold Shevchenko for £30m to Chelsea.

Which club has been sensible and successful?

I don't see why we can't run the club that way and be successful.

Or would you rather we spent money we didn't have or that we were bought by an owner who'd spend us to the league?

I suspect most of you would.