How would you boost things?

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

Say we are in the top 6 come December morning.

How would you seek to boost the squad to give us the best chance of shooting for automatic promotion in the last third of the season?

Which 3 positions would you seek to improve significantly like in 2003-04?

And to you have specific targets in mind?

On my limited viewing this season I reckon centre-half (sign Barnett), another big striker, and an aggresive explosive midfielder.

OTBC

[Morisons Prozac 0]

Henri Lansbury on loan

[Jack Barak 46]

Agree with your three suggestions, the only other area worth looking at is a right back for cover.

[Lambert is King 0]

Only need 2 things possibly 1. First is sign Barnett ( that is my definite ), second would be if Holt starts scoreing that would be brilliant, but if he does not we need to sign somebody that can. That is not saying Holt wont come good, what it is saying is that if he does not come good Lambert will have a huge decision to make.   

[John 0]

Pardon me if this sounds a little unrealistic, but perhaps an enquiry to bring in Aaron Ramsey may be worth a punt? I could well be being ignorant of the esteem that he''s held in at Arsenal. I know he''s played some role for the first team in fits and spurts, but the injury he suffered was horrific, and at such a tender age Wenger could look to ease him in slowly to be sure he comes through with the same potential he had prior to the injury.It''s said he''ll be reaching the end of his recovery by November, and we, as a side Wenger has shown faith in in the past, could provide the stage of rehabilitation that the reserves can''t necessarily grant a player of his quality.He can play on the wing, and that could well provide the balance in a 4-4-2 system should we want more options, with McNamee and Ramsey either side. Also, while primarily a midfielder he''s more than capable as a right back that could do enough to cover the solitary Russell Martin.Other than Ramsey, another Arsenal youngster, Crofts No.1 Fan suggestion of Lansbury is a very decent one also that i''d be more than happy to see don a Norwich shirt. If we want height, Nathan Delfouneso of Aston Villa or Nile Ranger of Newcastle, both 6 "2, and target men with quality on the deck would be good acquisitions, whilst not prolific.And if we want a winger of real quality, Kazenga Lualua of Newcastle, currently on loan at Brighton til'' January. As close as we could want to the ''Huckerby mould'' as we could want, fast as a bullet, great dribbler of the ball, and has already scored 4 league goals for Brighton this season in League One, despite having warmed the subs bench for the start of games fairly often this season. Great player.

[Morisons Prozac 0]

Completely agree John with LuaLua. When I first heard we had signed a Brighton midfielder (Crofts) I had hope that it was LuaLua but I''m not complaining. [;)]

[John 0]

[quote user="Crofts Number 1 Fan"]Completely agree John with LuaLua. When I first heard we had signed a Brighton midfielder (Crofts) I had hope that it was LuaLua but I''m not complaining. [;)][/quote]Haha! Well via the clues you leave in your wake, generally on the left hand side of the page, i''d thought as much. [:D]Mind you, i''d start to question how well my allegiances would lye with the locals this end of the country if we were nip in and acquire both of their prized assets over the course of about 5 or 6 months.

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="BlyBlyBabes"]

Say we are in the top 6 come December morning.

How would you seek to boost the squad to give us the best chance of shooting for automatic promotion in the last third of the season?

Which 3 positions would you seek to improve significantly like in 2003-04?

And to you have specific targets in mind?

On my limited viewing this season I reckon centre-half (sign Barnett), another big striker, and an aggresive explosive midfielder.

OTBC

[/quote]Sign Barnett on a permanent deal.Look for a back up for Grant Holt somehow/somewhere, much easier said then done.A quick left-sided midfielder because Lappin''s going to get found out fairly soon.

[Old Shuck 291]

Barnett is a "must have" for January.

You tend to worry if his form and growing profile will soon have other clubs taking a look at him though?

Luckily for us, a chance, any chance, of a promotion this season, and McNally will push and encourage strengthening the squad in the New Year, if the momentum remains and the team continues to do well, Barnett would look to want to stay anyway.

I still think we need an "old hand", not just for the team, but in and around the squad, Colney and the dressing room, someones who has "been there, done that", someone who CAN show off their medals!

And another striker. Boro''don''t seem to fancy Lita, and he doesn''t, by all accounts, fancy them much either-and, judged by his demeanour yesterday, he''d leave, given half the chance. Would love to see him back here; ditto Ched Evans who hasn''t has the best of times at Sheff Utd.

I can dream!

[ca 1]

Sign Leon and get another striker in to give Holt competition/back up

[Gingerpele 0]

I hear Messi is unhappy at Barca..so maybe we could sign him....

But really, i don''t know who is a realistic enough player (apart from Barnett) who we could sign on our budget (not that we know what that is....) and be good enough.....Ched Evans would be nice :D but i doubt Lambert really knows much about him, and probably has his own targets in mind.

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

Yes, what''s happened to Ched Evans? Is he still in the Wales squad?

OTBC

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

[quote user="cityangel"]Sign Leon and get another striker in to give Holt competition/back up[/quote]

When Steve Bruce took Birmingham up I remember him saying that you couldn''t have enough strikers.

I reckon he finished the season with about 7 or 8 of them!

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[The Walking Man 13]

[quote user="cityangel"]Sign Leon and get another striker in to give Holt competition/back up[/quote]

Is that Leon McKenzie? He scored a hat-trick yesterdday [;)]

[Herman 11,136]

[quote user="BlyBlyBabes"]

Yes, what''s happened to Ched Evans? Is he still in the Wales squad?

OTBC

[/quote]

He''s still lurking about at Sheff Utd.Scored at least one that i know of.

[Herman 11,136]

2.1 yesterday.

[I am a Banana 0]

Barnett,

a RB to cover for martin !

but i dont want loanees its what roedre did and look where that got us!

[Felixfan 53]

Love to see Ched Evans back,

[blahblahblah 2]

Forgive my inability to quote you correctly John,

this is the only thing Chrome doesn''t do well...

"He can play on the wing, and that could well provide the balance in a 4-4-2 system should we want more options, with McNamee and Ramsey either side. Also, while primarily a midfielder he''s more than capable as a right back that could do enough to cover the solitary Russell Martin."

What would you do with Hoolahan if Ramsey came in ? Hasn''t Hoolahan earnt his place in the team ? Although we should always try to bring in the best available players, replacing one of our better players with a loanee, well it''s a bit reminiscent of Roeder, if not on the scale of his loaning / tinkering.

[John 0]

[quote user="I am a Banana"]

Barnett,

a RB to cover for martin !

but i dont want loanees its what roedre did and look where that got us!

[/quote]It''s a system teams like Birmingham, Blackpool and Watford have immensely profited from in the past. In fact, prior to when Roeder saw reason to go overboard on the whole thing (or perhaps it was indeed the why he did so) we were perceived as a shining beacon at the time, for how loans can benefit struggling sides at this level. Pattison, Taylor, Bertrand, and Evans, our first group of loans, while ''arguably'' stretching the system in number already, displayed how effective they can be. And our success with the 3 we had en''route to the Championship title, and the 2 (+ the loans of McNamee, Whitbread and Martin) on the way to the League One title have of course been well documented themselves.As long as Lambert stays reserved in his approach to the system, i wouldn''t only say it''s ideal, but in fact necessary if we hope to progress, or at least sustain our current position amongst the promotion places over the course of the season.

[John 0]

[quote user="blahblahblah"]Forgive my inability to quote you correctly John,

this is the only thing Chrome doesn''t do well...

"He can play on the wing, and that could well provide the balance in a 4-4-2 system should we want more options, with McNamee and Ramsey either side. Also, while primarily a midfielder he''s more than capable as a right back that could do enough to cover the solitary Russell Martin."

What would you do with Hoolahan if Ramsey came in ? Hasn''t Hoolahan earnt his place in the team ? Although we should always try to bring in the best available players, replacing one of our better players with a loanee, well it''s a bit reminiscent of Roeder, if not on the scale of his loaning / tinkering.[/quote]As i''d expect, fair point blahblah.However the fact that we regularly find Lambert taking Hoolahan off mid way through the second half could give enough reason to suggest we should look to enhance our alternate systems, and with someone of Ramsey''s calibre i can only see that being made tenfold. Although Hoolahan generally performs well as an individual also (as i''d always expect), his impact in the final third has been distinctly lacking at times, debatably shown by the fact that in the first 45 minutes, the only half he''s constantly appeared in throughout it''s duration, we''ve managed what can scarcely be little more than 3 or 4 goals? Of course tactics and fitness may play their part in that particular stat, but one can''t turn a blind eye to the fact that we haven''t had to rely on our ''key'' attacking talent to produce our best moments of attack this season (bar the goals he has scored himself, obviously).And as i''ve said, Ramsey is dynamic enough to serve as back up to multiple positions. He''s capable in both a defensive and attack minded role as a full back, or midfielder (the perfect talent to supplement the loss of key players like Surman, and even Crofts). He can serve a purpose in many systems, not only in a 4-4-2.I have to say that, for the sake of argument i''d like to know the ratio of goals scored by us while Hoolahan is on/off the pitch, or at least how many games have been won while he is on/off it.

[blahblahblah 2]

[quote]I have to say that, for the sake of argument i''d like to know the ratio

of goals scored by us while Hoolahan is on/off the pitch,[/quote]Well, first of all you''d have to get the ratio of goals during that period of time from all the other teams, to establish a "norm", as more likely to score later seems to be a rule.  Then you''d have to work out our ratio, and compare it to the norm, to see whether we''d be more effective.  I''d be happier for us to just sign Ramsey and see how he does, to be fair [:)]

[Yellow Wal 315]

There is no doubt that Aaron Ramsey is an exceptional talent. But why, oh why, should we want to deprive our players of games, try to get a settled winning team with him in it and then lose him.

The loan system was designed to help clubs in times of need, not as a development centre or rehabiliation clinic for Arsenal players.

Yes Birmingham used the system ..... but Arsenal used it better with three players they loaned there.

Fabrice Muamba Summer 2006 Season long loan to Birmingham City, Summer 2007 sold to Birmingham (undisclosed), Sebastian Larsson Summer 2006 season long loan to Birmingham City, January 2007 sold to Birmingham City. Nicklas Bendtner Summer 2006 season long loan to Birmingham City but then, after proving he may be worth keeping, returned to Arsenal.

No doubt all three increased thier value considerably, Arsenal made a killing off the two transfers and also had the better player developed for them.

The loan system is abused and as much as I like Leon Barnett I would much rather he was our player.

Let us suppose for a minute that we do very well this season and get promoted, and that the manager would like Barnett in his plans. It may be decided that as he has done so well for us that West Brom may want to keep him, or if they do sell him what will he be worth, compared to what he was worth when he came to us?

Why develop other clubs players as a short term benefit? Who got the most out of Willshire''s loan last season? Bolton or Arsenal?

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

[quote user="Yellow Wall"]There is no doubt that Aaron Ramsey is an exceptional talent. But why, oh why, should we want to deprive our players of games, try to get a settled winning team with him in it and then lose him. The loan system was designed to help clubs in times of need, not as a development centre or rehabiliation clinic for Arsenal players. Yes Birmingham used the system ..... but Arsenal used it better with three players they loaned there. Fabrice Muamba Summer 2006 Season long loan to Birmingham City, Summer 2007 sold to Birmingham (undisclosed), Sebastian Larsson Summer 2006 season long loan to Birmingham City, January 2007 sold to Birmingham City. Nicklas Bendtner Summer 2006 season long loan to Birmingham City but then, after proving he may be worth keeping, returned to Arsenal. No doubt all three increased thier value considerably, Arsenal made a killing off the two transfers and also had the better player developed for them. The loan system is abused and as much as I like Leon Barnett I would much rather he was our player. Let us suppose for a minute that we do very well this season and get promoted, and that the manager would like Barnett in his plans. It may be decided that as he has done so well for us that West Brom may want to keep him, or if they do sell him what will he be worth, compared to what he was worth when he came to us? Why develop other clubs players as a short term benefit? Who got the most out of Willshire''s loan last season? Bolton or Arsenal?[/quote]

Of course, McNally and Lambert could have negotiated an option to buy Barnett in January.[:-*]

What would you then say?

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[Yellow Wal 315]

I would be pleased. To merely loan players with no hope or intention of making the move permanent is a negative move. What is the point of getting a player into our way of thinking, into our style of play only to lose him at the end of a loan period and have to search for a replacement?

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

[quote user="Yellow Wall"]I would be pleased. To merely loan players with no hope or intention of making the move permanent is a negative move. What is the point of getting a player into our way of thinking, into our style of play only to lose him at the end of a loan period and have to search for a replacement?[/quote]

Exactly. So let''s hope that they tied up an option.

But the speed with which the loan deal happened suggests that time may have been against that. Although there were suggestions at the time that we had been trying to set up a deal for a while beforehand.

OTBC

 

[archantadams 0]

Ricky Lambert....... What a player would love to secure his services!

[Mello Yello 2,572]

Take on Gordon Strachan as our manager.....If he''s a failure, he''ll just rip up his contract and walk away without compensation like he did at Boro....

You''ve got to admire the bloke....