Caporegime
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Squillaci? He was that guy behind Boumsong in the French team wasn't he? 
** Official ** Summer 2010 Transfer Thread - Signings, Sightings and Rumor's in Here
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Caporegime
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Few of the Dutch supporters on RAWK don't seem to rate Toivonen at all. We need a striker and he appears to play in the 'Cole' role and would be quite an expensive signing.
Edit: Might've been wrong about him playing in the Cole role.
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His position varies depending on who you talk to. I've seen people compare him to Crouch, others saying he mainly plays out wide and then talk of him playing off the striker.
I guess all you can read into that is that he's versatile which wouldn't be a bad thing providing he can comfortably play up front, not another Babel, Jovanovic etc who 'can do a job'.
I haven't seen much of him but for everybody I've read that doesn't rate him, I've seen 1 that does. His value seems to have jumped quite a bit though; the other week the talk was a bid of ~£5m would be enough for him, now it's ~£10m.
I guess all you can read into that is that he's versatile which wouldn't be a bad thing providing he can comfortably play up front, not another Babel, Jovanovic etc who 'can do a job'.
I haven't seen much of him but for everybody I've read that doesn't rate him, I've seen 1 that does. His value seems to have jumped quite a bit though; the other week the talk was a bid of ~£5m would be enough for him, now it's ~£10m.
Soldato
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I like the look of him, certainly seems to know where the goal is.
Caporegime
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Running out of days until Wenger can get his goalie. I hope he goes for the Dutch Goalie.
Didnt see much of Song playing last night on MOTD. How did he do overal as CB? From the highlights I wish he would play like that in the DM position. Makes the tackle...easy pass to midfield and back into position.
Still hope we get another CB in before the transfer window ends
Song/Verm touched the ball probably 10 times each in the game, Blackpool just weren't any kind of presense in our half at all, I only spotted Verm once in the game and that was at an attacking corner for us. Very little can be read into the game, it was like Blackpool had 9 men out on the pitch, and then they had one sent off.
I don't think I've seen a game where the opposition has been so uninvolved in an attacking sense. But a new team to the league, Emirates is a bit of a fortress, if it came later in the season maybe they would have attacked more/played better but they just didn't get anything done in our half at all.
We played a large portion of that game basically as a 2-4-4, wingers right up in the box, fullbacks as wingers, and only the two CB's staying slightly back.
Rosicky was exceptional, Wilshire was still very controlled and stayed much deeper than you'd expect, Theo got goals but still couldn't pass to save his life, taking a surefire goal away from Arshavin but he couldn't make the easiest pass of the game, our defence didn't have a good game, just an incredibly quiet game. I don't think anyone's performances really say anything because of how poor Blackpool were.
Honestly Arsenal could have a fantastic couple months because, Blackburn is the toughest side we have, Sunderland, West brom, carling cup and champs league and thats up to October.
October will be the first real tests, Chelsea, City, Birmingham.
Caporegime
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dp
Caporegime
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For fair few see most
The dutch league is an awful way to gauge how good a striker is.
Slightly unfair. Recent history would warn against reading too much into a players success in Holland but people forget the likes of Romario, Ronaldo, Litmanen, Bergkamp and RvN made their names in Holland and then went on to great things in England, Italy or Spain.
Caporegime
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Ronaldo and Romario are arguably two of the greatest strikers ever to play the game and horse face is one of Europe's greatest. Bergkamp and Litmanen, although successful, didn't come close to repeating their scoring records outside of Holland.
True but for everyone of those 10+ years ago we've seen an Alves, Kezman, Kuyt etc who has never really reached the same goalscoring heights elsewhere.
As for Song, I thought he got pulled out of a position a couple of times yesterday.
As for Song, I thought he got pulled out of a position a couple of times yesterday.
My point is people are too quick to write off a player because he's playing in Holland. Some of the best strikers in Europe have come from the Dutch League (Ibrahimovic and RvP).
There's been just as many flops come over from Italy as there have been from Holland over the years.
There's been just as many flops come over from Italy as there have been from Holland over the years.
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Caporegime
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True, though Romario and Ronaldo were already scoring like mad before going to Holland and Litamanen and Bergkamp certainly weren't prolific in the uk, infact pretty much the only dutch player who became a top goal scorer in england is horse face.
The numbers of high scoring dutches who can't reproduce that scoring anywhere else is pretty damn high, with Hunterlaar being the latest highest rated complete flop to fail in two other leagues already.
Even look at Sneijder, his last season in Holland he scored 18 in the league, in 31, yet this year in a "good" year at Inter he has 4 goals, 6 assists, which isn't particularly great, though thats really the only season he's scored that many, most other years in holland he wasn't that prolific.
Van Bommel managed 14 at most in holland in the league, out of what 5 seasons since then he's scored 6 once and 2 in the league in each other season.
It seems to happen across the board in Holland, almost everyone in midfield and upfront manages to massively outscore what they can achieve in ANY other league.
No idea why their players seem to consistantly fail when they go to other leagues, the list of flops is massively higher than the hits list, which, isn't much longer than RvN.
Caporegime
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To be honest RVP isn't the most prolific goal scorer and he also wasn't before he left, he only scored 6/9 goals in his two proper season in dutch football, in 16/17 starts so probably a little over half a season, he's a fantastic player, Ibra went through a couple really quite poor years after his move but then picked his goal rate WAY up again.
That still leave the did great list, RvN and Ibra, with dozens and dozens of guys who scored regularly in Holland and can't hit a barn door in the big 3 leagues.
So Arsenal have amazingly actually spent some more money and signed a defender, providing Squillaci passes that medical (and he only played 14 games last year cos of injury, so he might not). Good news anyway, because I don't rate Song as a CB at all. He may look comfortable against the likes of Blackpool, but I remember when he had to play there at Old Trafford, and we were torn into. We could perhaps use another defender/defensive midfielder as well but it won't happen.
If we get a good goalkeeper before the window closes I'll be delighted, especially if we stump up for Stekelenburg, though it does seem unlikely we'd pay that much. If we do get a proper goalkeeper, our first XI if fit is eminently capable of challenging for the title. We have a lot of options everywhere now, and I'm quietly optimistic.
Considering all our absentees, our midfield has been relatively pleasing in the first couple of games this season. Rosicky is like a new signing for us, given how long he was out through injury. I have my fingers crossed that he can rediscover his best form and stay fit, because he's such a clever player. Diaby has done OK, his height and strength are vital to us, even if he is the most baffling player ever. Wilshere's given the ball away a couple of times, but he has some tenacity to go with his talent, which is good to see, he's a good young player to have as backup. Ramsey should be back by November which will give us another boost.
If we get a good goalkeeper before the window closes I'll be delighted, especially if we stump up for Stekelenburg, though it does seem unlikely we'd pay that much. If we do get a proper goalkeeper, our first XI if fit is eminently capable of challenging for the title. We have a lot of options everywhere now, and I'm quietly optimistic.
Considering all our absentees, our midfield has been relatively pleasing in the first couple of games this season. Rosicky is like a new signing for us, given how long he was out through injury. I have my fingers crossed that he can rediscover his best form and stay fit, because he's such a clever player. Diaby has done OK, his height and strength are vital to us, even if he is the most baffling player ever. Wilshere's given the ball away a couple of times, but he has some tenacity to go with his talent, which is good to see, he's a good young player to have as backup. Ramsey should be back by November which will give us another boost.
So bergkamp wasn't "a hit"?!
Really, wtf are you on? I think every single club in the world would happily take a new Bergkamp without a second thought.
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