Arsenal to challenge for title?

[BlueBee]

Well looks like you've already failed with that one.

Not really. We're signing Begovic, a far better keeper.

 

[Mustard]

Not really. We're signing Begovic, a far better keeper.

No he's not, as if he's going to sign to sit on the bench anyway.

Don't worry though I'm sure Rob Green will be good for you lot.

 

[Avatar]

It's so great to have documented evidence as to why Chelsea fans are the most despised fans in England.

The only shit part is that BlueBee will just be a fan of the next team that wins titles... so we won't ever be rid of him.

 

[thespus]

Blue_Bee is clearly fussed. Won't even take a fiver that Arsenal reduce last season's points gap by half next season. He can't take a ribbing about his club (unsure re: Barnet, tbf).

@ Begovic being better than Cech. In 15 starts for Chelsea last season he recorded the highest save percentage of his career, including 89% in his 7 league appearances. I'm not saying he had the best season of his career, but he isn't finished as you ascribe. Before you tout the age cliche, have a look at the age of Van Der Sar before he went out to great things with Manchester United, or Lehmann before he became an invincible.

The biggest gain for Arsenal is his presence in the box. We haven't had that since Seaman.

 

[Tilbury]

I absolutely love it when goonerz have fuck all to talk about so rabbit on about our dodgy owner. Imagine a gooner moaning about a dodgy owner....the irony is magic.

They have their own oligarch owner which is mysteriously never brought up.

 

[SC49]

They have their own oligarch owner which is mysteriously never brought up.

Who's that then? and what exactly is there to bring up?

 

[Tilbury]

Who's that then? and what exactly is there to bring up?

Alisher Usmanov.

 

[SC49]

Alisher Usmanov.

Oh so the guy who hasn't even got a seat on our board or put a single penny into the club? He's a shareholder.

 

[allouso]

From what i've seen so far i think Arsenal will battle United for second place with Chelsea coming out on top again.

Get someone better than Giroud and they'll be a force to reckon with.

 

[BlueBee]

I was talking more about the bloke who was behind you moving from on side of the river to the other. He wasn't corrupt at all.

 

[mistermagic]

No you weren't. At no point would you have been considered better than Barca/Real/Bayern other than by Chelsea supporters and EDL folks.

Nope, sorry. Chelsea played awesome football in the first half of last season and I reckoned it was between them, Real and Bayern to win it. They were that good to watch. I certainly didn't think they'd bottle the KO stage the way they did and that Luis Enrique would win Barca the CL.

Oh so the guy who hasn't even got a seat on our board or put a single penny into the club? He's a shareholder.

Do you know what a shareholder is?

 

[Jarv]

I'll stick my neck on the line and say we'll win the league and make the Champions League final.

Sounds like TFF bet in the making lol.

Aaaanyway Chelsea should still win the league this year. Arsenal will be closer if they can stay more injury free and strengthen the squad more. United need to turn the form from about 6 or 7 games through the season into 36 or 37 games and Pray Michael Carrick stays fit or we get someone to replace what he brings to the side when he's not fit. Not having the stupid amount of injuries might help too although this seemed to get a bit better post Christmas. City should be more concerned with Spurs overhauling them for fourth if Sterling is their answer to what went wrong last season.

 

[SC49]

Do you know what a shareholder is?

I'm sorry, what's your point exactly?

 

[BlueBee]

I think he asked you if you knew what a shareholder is?

 

[SC49]

I think he asked you if you knew what a shareholder is?

Thanks mate, do you know what he was getting at by asking that question too?

 

[Ovenbaked]

Arsenal will be around the top 2 again this season, but wont win the league unless a very good CDM is brought in by Wenger someone like Busquets would be ideal.

 

[thespus]

Coquelin was very good last season. Only Matic had a better season of the various holding midfielders. He made more successful tackles and interceptions than anyone in the league for the second half of the season; during that time period Arsenal also conceded the fewest goals in the league. His only weakness is limited technical ability. It remains to be seen if he can put in a repeat performance, but I don't think we need to invest too much in a top CDM unless someone like Javi Martinez is available due to his ability on the ball and to partner with Koscielny should Coquelin pick up where he left off. We certainly do need another body there as I don't trust Flamini. A younger player to challenge Coquelin would be ideal.

 

[mistermagic]

I'm sorry, what's your point exactly?

You said that Usmanov hasn't put a single penny in the club yet he's a shareholder. You need to put money in the club to be a shareholder.

Or I'm missing something quite big!

 

[smat]

someone like Javi Martinez

Obsessed!

 

[SC49]

You said that Usmanov hasn't put a single penny in the club yet he's a shareholder. You need to put money in the club to be a shareholder.

Or I'm missing something quite big!

Erm, no? Do YOU know what a shareholder is?

 

[thespus]

Obsessed!

It can't be an obsession if I said "someone like Javi Martinez".

Right?

Right?

Oh, shit.

 

[mistermagic]

Erm, no? Do YOU know what a shareholder is?

Yeah, I looked it up just to be sure. How can you be a shareholder without investing money in a company?

 

[thespus]

Yeah, I looked it up just to be sure. How can you be a shareholder without investing money in a company?

SC49 isn't going about this the correct way. Usmanov has zero say in the club's day to day policy. The board voted to keep him from having a seat or having any influence around the club. He owns stock in Arsenal Holdings, plc., a parent company to the football club as well as other subsidiaries related to Arsenal. He and a business partner, via his holding company Red and White Holdings, bought stock on a regulated exchange. He (holding company) actually gained significant value on the investment whereas Abramovich has invested personal money of his into the signings of players on top of the money he used to buy control of the club, thus artificially raising the club's value (something Usmanov would have done had he successfully taken over). SC49 is technically right, but is going about this in an asinine fashion, and it's really just splitting hairs. Stan Kroenke is a cretin for what it's worth. I don't really mind that Chelsea is owned by Abramovich, I just enjoy giving Blue_Bee shit about the recent history which swayed the priority of his football allegiances. When he first began at TFF, he was a regular at Barnet. Now he's a ST holder at Stamford Bridge. This is something he takes great pride in despite residing in North London.

 

[mistermagic]

I know Wikipedia ain't the best source ever but:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alisher_Usmanov

So Usmanov bought David Dein's shares for £75M...

 

[mistermagic]

SC49 isn't going about this the correct way. Usmanov has zero say in the club's day to day policy. The board voted to keep him from having a seat or having any influence around the club. He owns stock in Arsenal Holdings, plc., a parent company to the football club as well as other subsidiaries related to Arsenal. He and a business partner, via his holding company Red and White Holdings, bought stock on a regulated exchange. He (holding company) actually gained significant value on the investment whereas Abramovich has invested personal money of his into the signings of players on top of the money he used to buy control of the club, thus artificially raising the club's value (something Usmanov would have done had he successfully taken over). SC49 is technically right, but is going about this in an asinine fashion, and it's really just splitting hairs. Stan Kroenke is a cretin for what it's worth. I don't really mind that Chelsea is owned by Abramovich, I just enjoy giving Blue_Bee shit about the recent history which swayed the priority of his football allegiances. When he first began at TFF, he was a regular at Barnet. Now he's a ST holder at Stamford Bridge. This is something he takes great pride in despite residing in North London.

So you're saying that what SC49 implied was that Usmanov is a shareholder of Arsenal FC but does not run the place like Abramovich does at Chelsea?

 

[thespus]

So you're saying that what SC49 implied was that Usmanov is a shareholder of Arsenal FC but does not run the place like Abramovich does at Chelsea?

Yes - and he hasn't put a dime into the club that the club didn't already have (thus is the nature of buying stock). That and he technically hasn't put his money into Arsenal due to some legal/financial technicalities with tax-dodging holding company stuff. Why SC49 seems intent to brandish this like a medal I don't know.

 

[mistermagic]

Ah I see the miscomprehension now. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[SC49]

Brandish this like a medal? how exactly? Tilbury made a comparison between Abramovich and Usmanov which is the biggest load of rubbish I've ever read for quite obvious reasons, and then mistermagic questioned me about Usmanov putting money into the club, which he hasn't. His only connection to Arsenal is the fact he's a shareholder and that's it. He hasn't got a seat on our board, he doesn't pump money into the club to buy players etc, nothing.

 

[Avatar]

Thank god our board wouldn't let that Russian oligarch anywhere near a seat on the board. He and Roman were lap dogs for Vladimir Putin and the rest of his thieving cronies who have raped and murdered their own country for their personal gain after the fall of the soviet union. That sort need to be kept as far away from football as possible, and their sort are the reason FIFA is in the state its in. The premier league sold its soul by letting those war criminals in.

 

[smat]

Anyway, if not next season then when? It's the first summer in ages where I look at the squad and don't immediately know where we need to strengthen. I think probably defensive midfield. Coquelin's performances speak for themselves but the ageing Flamini and Arteta are not viable stand-ins and [ruthless]should be let go[/ruthless]. Apart from that, we're really well stocked everywhere.

Last summer was a fucking joke because we quite obviously needed another central defender and didn't buy one until it was far too late. This summer, yes there are players who we could technically find upgrades for, but there aren't any gaping holes. We really have to put in a genuine, serious challenge, because this is our best squad since about 2004-05 imvho and anything less would be a failure.