Classic CL thread, returned to it so many times during today - only to find nothing had really happened (until the end). With apologies to oohaah: 1% Fanni jokes that were funny, 29% Fanni jokes that weren't funny, 20% repeats of Fanni jokes that weren't funny the first time, 30% writing off our new signings before they've kicked a ball in anger, 15% blind optimism, 5% incisive analysis. In other words, I loved it.
The problem is every January Window ,we have to go for the short term signing because we're in the Brown stuff (23rd is the brown stuff)
Can i state the fuc#ing obvious and say start the season, and have a proper pre season with the same group of 22 + that will then have the core fitness and skill to play 46 matches just changing a couple in the mid season window.
Sorry i've just used a common sense way to run a Pro football club.
I think Fanni will be a useful addition. My guess/hope is that after a long and successful career in France he decided on a nice payday in Qatar, but then realised that he was wasting himself playing in such a crap league
The problem is every January Window ,we have to go for the short term signing because we're in the Brown stuff (23rd is the brown stuff)
Can i state the fuc#ing obvious and say start the season, and have a proper pre season with the same group of 22 + that will then have the core fitness and skill to play 46 matches just changing a couple in the mid season window.
Sorry i've just used a common sense way to run a Pro football club.
I'm looking forward to seeing our new defender play. If he has anything near the impact of Diarra, even if it's just as a sub to give Solly a rest, then he should be a big help to us.
My only concern is that after six months in Qatar, he might not be prepared for the fast, rough nature of the Championship. We might see opposition players going in hard on Fanni.
BOOM. Thanks, that's it now. (That's my actual view btw as well as a gag)
The problem is every January Window ,we have to go for the short term signing because we're in the Brown stuff (23rd is the brown stuff)
Can i state the fuc#ing obvious and say start the season, and have a proper pre season with the same group of 22 + that will then have the core fitness and skill to play 46 matches just changing a couple in the mid season window.
Sorry i've just used a common sense way to run a Pro football club.
It won't happen until Roland and Katrien are gone
Why can't Richard Murray get the point across to them, that the season starts in August and not January
He would have more chance of getting a return on his money ?
Didn't Judas get 30 pieces of silver for his betrayal.
Not sure why there's so much negativity over the new signings, after all, it's like with any other new employee, you don't really know what they can do until they've been with you for a while.
For me both signings are about playing style and team balance.
For Sanogo - if we have made a decision to stick with playing Makienok up top then we have to adopt a style of play to suit him. At that point the squad needs someone of similar physique and style who is going to a) compete with him b) be his back up? c) give an option to double up
As it stood if Makienok were injured/ loses form you would have to completely change the style of play. I have no idea whether the lad can deliver at this level but then to be honest neither have 90% of you.
As a youth player he had an outstanding profile but he has struggled for the consistency to make the grade at Arsenal. He will hardly be the first to have suffered that fate and for the past 2 -3 years has like so many young players today become a bit part player wherever he has played.
I am simply not going to prejudge whether the guy can play based on a few cameo appearances here and there.
Lets give the guy some support. Who knows it may be the making of him.
For Fanni - the guy started 22 games at Centre Back for Olympic Marseille in Ligue 1 last season.
He also provides excellent cover at right back if they need to manage/ rest Solly.
Both cover two of the glaring weaknesses (others still remain) in the balance and structure of the squad assembled during the close season.
There is no bigger critic of this regimes recruitment policy than me and I suggest Riga has been instrumental in trying to fix the nonsense he inherited.
With the earlier signing of Texiera he has addressed what was a "powder puff" spine to the team. It speaks volumes to his assessment of the readiness of Sarr & Johnson to contribute this season.
That either of these latter players were signed in the first place is quite another matter.
Excellent post . I do wonder, however, if it can be said that Makienok is in form
Are we seriously not wanting than Arsenal just because he's goal record isn't good!!? He's an Arsenal player isn't that good enough these days??
Quite. When our options are Igor -fit now, but hasn't been since Oct 2014, Lookman - totally unproven, albeit talented, Makienok- 3 good games all season and Reza - insert comment here, we should be grateful for what we get
There's a customer to be proud of.
I'm not convinced I've said anything controversial there . Signing players from Belgium 2nd tier has been our modus operandi in previous windows, yet some are furious when we sign a player from Arsenal. Evidently your comment suggests that I am not a supporter . Cheers .
The problem is every January Window ,we have to go for the short term signing because we're in the Brown stuff (23rd is the brown stuff)
Can i state the fuc#ing obvious and say start the season, and have a proper pre season with the same group of 22 + that will then have the core fitness and skill to play 46 matches just changing a couple in the mid season window.
Sorry i've just used a common sense way to run a Pro football club.
I thought we started the season really well until 6/7 of the first team got injured!
Same strategy as last year. Short term signings. Let them go at the end of the year however they perform in the remainder of the season. Do think the permanent signing was made up by the club. Hope it's enough to survive.
Solly has had some poor games this year, and that is not like him. I have wondered if he was playing at less than 100% fit and consider it to have been highly likely. We needed cover - we now have it, and what a good pedigree he has. A lot better than we could have reasonably expected imo. I expect him to be replaced in the summer.
Sanago could be interesting. Someone on here described him as a Leaburn type player. I think he is a lot more mobile than that, and as he comes from Arsenal he will have a lot of pace. He will be playing for a contract so I expect the effort to be put in. I hope we have a buy option. He left his home club so early in life and things have not gone as he must have thought they would.
I remember reading about players who do not make it at clubs. Young players who have who have been at Prem clubs from 10yrs old and are then rejected (culling the clubs call it) then leave football altogether. Quite shocking when you think just how good they were.
If he Riga can help him find his confidence again we may have a gem. He is presumably viewed as potentially Watts replacement. Fingers tightly crossed he is all that and more.
We've needed proper RB cover for the past season and a half and needed to strengthen striker options after letting Watt go, so on paper these two look reasonable to me.
However, as @The Red Robin said above, it is still short term firefighting. We will again face a summer squad upheaval: we are a long way from a proactive long term strategy.
Underwhelmed again. However, hoping that Sanogo can turn out like our last Arsenal loanee, Coquelin! Different position but like Coquelin, a lot to prove.
The problem is every January Window ,we have to go for the short term signing because we're in the Brown stuff (23rd is the brown stuff)
Can i state the fuc#ing obvious and say start the season, and have a proper pre season with the same group of 22 + that will then have the core fitness and skill to play 46 matches just changing a couple in the mid season window. .
Dream on! Hopefully we'll stay up but I can't see our beloved owner doing anything as logical as your suggestion. Although, with Riga on board, there is hope....
Underwhelmed again. However, hoping that Sanogo can turn out like our last Arsenal loanee, Coquelin! Different position but like Coquelin, a lot to prove.
Coquelin really didnt come in wanting to prove himself... He almost had the attitude of; I'm ready to move on from Arsenal as its never going to happen, it allowed him to relax and play his best stuff which took him back to Arsenal
Sanogo just needs to do the same... Take a relaxed attitude that it'll never work at Arsenal yet maybe it'll work at Charlton
Had time to sleep on this now however my opinion hasn't changed. We have signed a striker who doesn't score and an over the hill defender. But I am realistic we couldn't really expect anything else in the position we are in. What makes it worse is the amount of spurious stories saying we are going to sign this player or that player for X millions. Classic CAFC spin stories
Overall a better window than I was expecting, but expectations were very low.
Fannie clearly has a lot of experience and quality - let's hope he can pick up the pace here quickly. We definitely need cover for Solly so that he can continue to get back to his best.
Sanogo - bit of a punt and needs confidence. Could say the same for most of the team after Hull, so maybe Riga will work his magic.
All I worry about the latter is that Wenger fobbed us off with him before sending Gnabry to Brighton. We need the latter more than the former, I think, and that would be a good overall window.
Haven't heard Riga mention Poyet yet. Rumours I've heard is he's come back a bit prima donna and might fail the 'Riga commitment test'. Poyet back to his best with us would transform our midfield, so hopefully nothing in it.
Comments
1% Fanni jokes that were funny, 29% Fanni jokes that weren't funny, 20% repeats of Fanni jokes that weren't funny the first time, 30% writing off our new signings before they've kicked a ball in anger, 15% blind optimism, 5% incisive analysis. In other words, I loved it.
Can i state the fuc#ing obvious and say start the season, and have a proper pre season with the same group of 22 + that will then have the core fitness and skill to play 46 matches just changing a couple in the mid season window.
Sorry i've just used a common sense way to run a Pro football club.
My only concern is that after six months in Qatar, he might not be prepared for the fast, rough nature of the Championship. We might see opposition players going in hard on Fanni.
BOOM. Thanks, that's it now. (That's my actual view btw as well as a gag)
that the season starts in August and not January
He would have more chance of getting a return on his money ?
Didn't Judas get 30 pieces of silver for his betrayal.
What is Dicky boy getting ?
Not money.
Sanago could be interesting. Someone on here described him as a Leaburn type player. I think he is a lot more mobile than that, and as he comes from Arsenal he will have a lot of pace. He will be playing for a contract so I expect the effort to be put in. I hope we have a buy option. He left his home club so early in life and things have not gone as he must have thought they would.
I remember reading about players who do not make it at clubs. Young players who have who have been at Prem clubs from 10yrs old and are then rejected (culling the clubs call it) then leave football altogether. Quite shocking when you think just how good they were.
If he Riga can help him find his confidence again we may have a gem. He is presumably viewed as potentially Watts replacement. Fingers tightly crossed he is all that and more.
In Riga we trust - at least until Chris is back.
However, as @The Red Robin said above, it is still short term firefighting. We will again face a summer squad upheaval: we are a long way from a proactive long term strategy.
Sanogo just needs to do the same... Take a relaxed attitude that it'll never work at Arsenal yet maybe it'll work at Charlton
But I am realistic we couldn't really expect anything else in the position we are in.
What makes it worse is the amount of spurious stories saying we are going to sign this player or that player for X millions. Classic CAFC spin stories
Fannie clearly has a lot of experience and quality - let's hope he can pick up the pace here quickly. We definitely need cover for Solly so that he can continue to get back to his best.
Sanogo - bit of a punt and needs confidence. Could say the same for most of the team after Hull, so maybe Riga will work his magic.
All I worry about the latter is that Wenger fobbed us off with him before sending Gnabry to Brighton. We need the latter more than the former, I think, and that would be a good overall window.
Haven't heard Riga mention Poyet yet. Rumours I've heard is he's come back a bit prima donna and might fail the 'Riga commitment test'. Poyet back to his best with us would transform our midfield, so hopefully nothing in it.