For those that WANT Rafa gone.

[AFII]

well according to some who consider net spend as of huge significance we spent somewhere between 20 to 30 million net in the summer. if thats really the case blowing somewhere between a 1/2 to a 1/3 of our transfer kitty on a second choice player would make rafa an idiot

We needed a left sided attacking player. We simply couldn't go into the season with only Kewell with his injury problems and Riise on the left. You also have to consider that Aurelio gets injury after injury so Riise need to cover for him more often than not.

Benayoun and Pennant are right sided attacking players.

[rage]

then he should have spent more money there instead of buying lucas, leto and babel.

he got it wrong amigo, he constantly gets it wrong. 11 million on a maybe player is too much money for a team with our limited budget.

20 million would have bought simao with money to spare seeing as though u mentioned him. we did not need to buy lucas and leto last summer. central midfield was not a position that needed strengthening and as u have said our left side is weak. so why spend 13 million on two maybe players for that position and another 6 for a central midfielder when we already had 4 for that position in August?

[Harv]

then he should have spent more money there instead of buying lucas, leto and babel.

he got it wrong amigo, he constantly gets it wrong. 11 million on a maybe player is too much money for a team with our limited budget.

20 million would have bought simao with money to spare seeing as though u mentioned him. we did not need to buy lucas and leto last summer. central midfield was not a position that needed strengthening and as u have said our left side is weak. so why spend 13 million on two maybe players for that position and another 6 for a central midfielder when we already had 4 for that position in August?

There is nothing wrong with Lucas, Leto or Babel.

if we sold them all now, we would make more than we spent originally.

Clearly Rafa rates Leto...or he would of taken the offer that River Plate made.

Lucas would fetch a handsome fee from an Italian team, i have no doubt about that

[FatTony]

O'Neill.

He has a bit of a Ferguson way about him and players would be too terrified to put in a half ar5ed performance.

He must be able to balance this with the dealings of the modern footballer as I haven't heard much other than praise from players who've played under him.

Discipline and knowedge of the premiership.

[rage]

There is nothing wrong with Lucas, Leto or Babel.

if we sold them all now, we would make more than we spent originally.

Clearly Rafa rates Leto...or he would of taken the offer that River Plate made.

Lucas would fetch a handsome fee from an Italian team, i have no doubt about that

i'm not saying there is anything wrong with them, rather they were not the right players to have bought in the summer.

[AFII]

i'm not saying there is anything wrong with them, rather they were not the right players to have bought in the summer.

Lucas wouldn't have been available next summer so he was a must to sign last summer.

[Skillz]

It looks likely. We'll see in 3 months. I'll bookmark this post and we'll see who was right and who was wrong.

Not when it comes to the Premier League, it hasnt.

Having 3rd place and 82 points as the pinnacle of your time in the PL isnt 'success'....unless you're everton.

Hang on a sec. I never said he wouldn't be, if Rafa goes, even if I despise the prick I would expect whoever is in charge to consider him if he is still available. I just pointed out you do not KNOW he will get the job definitely.

3rd place with 82 pts in the league after a poor start in his second season was a success in my eyes as it showed great progression. If you want to criticise his league form far enough but 05/06 should not be part of that criticism, unless you expect miracles.

It's a simple issue here. The thing that makes him an easy target, is the fact that he is struggling to take us into the top 4.

Rotation plays a part of that, but the upshot is that results count. If we're challenging for the title, he can play up front himself for all i care. But we're not. It's his job to take us into the top four and beyond. And he's failing.

Not yet he hasn't. Not in my eyes anyway.

[rage]

and that's a decision a manager makes, does he buy another central midfielder that may be of use in the future for a position we're already strong in or do we put that 6 million towards the 13 million he already had for what was the purchase of leto and babel and make 19 million to strengthen one key area properly?

[Skillz]

Step two can only really start in the next transfer window if he get backed by our owners.

Step two is changing the squad from a CL qualifying to a title challenging one. Replacing players like Pennant, Kuyt, Crouch, Voronin, Kewell, Riise and so on with high quality players one by one and give our youngsters a chance when they are ready.

Agree with that 100%. Very well put, footy is definately your stronger suit (as opposed to finance)

[Skillz]

That would require about £100m...

Be realistic.

Arsenal have proved you can win without spending the GDP of a developing nation...

Yes Arsenal have proved that. By appointing a quality young manager and backing him through thick or thin.

[Skillz]

Now you're just being silly.

For everton, 4th is the pinnacle of what they can achieve. They're delighted with it. Same with Villa and City.

For us, 4th is the minimum. We're barely content with it.

If we dont have a better team, how do you explain the above?

We have a glaring weakness in that almost all teams now recognise, even seen at Man City and at Stamford Bridge, in that we are unable to break down teams that sit back and defend stoutly. IMO we have also been more vulnerable to the counterattack due to our defence not being able to hold a higher line.

Rafa needs to sort this out and if you criticised for the fact that we have not yet found the answer for that I would agree. Having said all that I have no doubt he can sort it in the summer and then we will compete. That's why I am not ready to get rid so easily.

[Skillz]

Guys, Rafa will still be here next season and you'll still be debating.

Happily to I might add. Hope you are right.

[Craig_H]

Yes Arsenal have proved that. By appointing a quality young manager and backing him through thick or thin.

He made himself totally backable by winning league titles. Far more thick than thin, for arsenal.

[Guest]

Wenger was lucky to have an already great team. He only bought Vieira and Grimandi and won the title in his first full season.

[Harv]

Wenger was lucky to have an already great team. He only bought Vieira and Grimandi and won the title in his first full season.

Petit and Overmars too