Lets put it this way Jules, if you mean we should prioritise a defender much more - I used to agree but I don’t think any defender makes much difference for us after seeing like 20 of them come through since Pat Rice was here and we’ve looked almost exactly the same even with two different managers, except for maybe a short period with Mer+Kos, so I’ve given up on it.
The only theory I have left is that Wenger used to build from the back as he used to say but it was Rice who actually did the minute details of the defending part back then, and since Bould took over it didn’t work out nearly as good, and he stayed during the manager transition because he is Arsenal through and through and knows the ins and outs so he could be the glue during the transition, and he’s moved positions now this summer, so I am curious to see if Emery’s coaches take over and we see a different style of defending once the season begins. If we still look as flimsy a month or two in then I don’t know… we might need to shake up the coaching staff or something.
We do need wingers though, and I think desperately. We transport the ball wide much more than we did under “pack it central” Wenger and I can imagine that if we threaten wide as much as we do up front with Auba-Laca we’d be lethal. Especially if we get fast wide players who can counter with the pace of Auba. Which is also why I think we really need Bellerin back on the right now that we play more directly.
That being said, I can agree maybe better defenders I guess still will help to some degree… I suppose.
Do you consider a player with 20 caps for France, the captain of Lyon and maybe their best player especially in the CL (bar perhaps the Man U reject) last season, the punt compared to some guy who’s had a couple of good seasons at Bournemouth? They’re the same age btw.
Well he’s played more games than Fraser has every season if that says anything. I am not arguing against Fraser, especially not based on him playing for B, it was just that the punt wording made it sound to me like he is historically better than Fekir who came on in the WC finals last year, and less of a risk taking which sounded strange. We’re all guessing here and I’m beginning to sound like I’m the biggest Fekir fan in the world which isn’t the case, I’m just thinking of it all relative to what we have, what we’re likely to spend (which certainly has to be more than some £40m or rito), what we need etc. And he is a good footballer.
Both of them could come here and be great or shite or anything in between obviously.
I highly doubt he’d be let go for that much tbh, not only does he have better pedigree than Fraser but he’s also a better player, they’re also the same age.
We always talk about bargains and snapping them up, Fekir would be at those reported figures. Only thing is he’s not an out and out winger.
Wanting Fraser over Fekir when they are rumoured to cost the same is an absolute madness haha. Fekir would instantly be one of our best players. Fraser would not
Given our track record with crocked players and the fact that Liverpool turned him down after the medical as well as the fact that he’s this “cheap” something must be very wrong.
I just can’t see this working out well for us - the deal is too good to be true. There’s something fishy going on.
Iwobi, Mkhitaryan, Nelson vs Holding, Mustafi, Chambers, Sokratis, Koscielny, Mavropanos. I don’t see how you can argue that there is more need for centre backs. The options for the wing are equally as bad as the options for centre back.
