Arsenal FC a very promising story

[George2Loose]

So in ten years since they won the league there hasn't been a single player to improve the squad. Ok then

[TheDazzler]

So in ten years since they won the league there hasn't been a single player to improve the squad. Ok then

Unless John Henry decided to set a precedent which can be challenged in court at a player's whim of course.  If Suarez didn't challenge it then it's the same as him rejecting Arsenal.

Oh come on guys, this is just ridiculous. I'm not even an Arsenal fan. Almost every single point you guys are raising is provably, demonstrably incorrect.
Ozil, Sanchez? Are they players that 'improved the squad'?

Suarez didn't reject Arsenal. He went on strike so he could join, just like Berahino. The facts are all there, this isn't in dispute.

[George2Loose]

Ridiculous is you expressing an opinion and stating its fact

[George2Loose]

You've actually proved my point for me.

There's always players around to improve a team/squad. Arsenal for years needed a gk, CB, dmc and striker. They've lacked the spine of leaders for years. He's just plodded along knowing his job is safe. No passion or desire to win.

Jose was right- a specialist in failure

[Karabiner]

What exactly is your problem George?

Can't you get any joy on the prawn sandwich thread?

[BigAdz]

Presumably if Arsene was told it still hadn't triggered the release clause he would have gone back with a bid of £40,000,002? Or asked Liverpool to list him on ebay?

Seemed to me to be a very naive approach to high stakes business negotiations.

I would say it was naive and arrogant Grant.

Its the same sort of approach as when AW always denies seeing anything our players do wrong. Its either naive and or arrogant.

Years ago, I thought it was the former, over time, the latter.

[George2Loose]

What exactly is your problem George?

Can't you get any joy on the prawn sandwich thread?

Just my opinion Ralph. He should've been sacked years ago. In a results driven environment he's not delivered

[DungBeetle]

So in ten years since they won the league there hasn't been a single player to improve the squad. Ok then

Unless John Henry decided to set a precedent which can be challenged in court at a player's whim of course.  If Suarez didn't challenge it then it's the same as him rejecting Arsenal.

Oh come on guys, this is just ridiculous. I'm not even an Arsenal fan. Almost every single point you guys are raising is provably, demonstrably incorrect.
Ozil, Sanchez? Are they players that 'improved the squad'?

Suarez didn't reject Arsenal. He went on strike so he could join, just like Berahino. The facts are all there, this isn't in dispute.

Laughable - abiding by contract law is "provably, demonstrably incorrect"?

Ask yourself which is LEAST likely to hold water

A) The vague ramblings of Henry doubting the validity of contract law
B) Torres had a "release clause" and Suarez had a "good faith clause"
C) Torres and Suarez had a "good faith clause" and Liverpool didn't realise they could turn it down in the Torres case

[TheDazzler]

So in ten years since they won the league there hasn't been a single player to improve the squad. Ok then

Unless John Henry decided to set a precedent which can be challenged in court at a player's whim of course.  If Suarez didn't challenge it then it's the same as him rejecting Arsenal.

Oh come on guys, this is just ridiculous. I'm not even an Arsenal fan. Almost every single point you guys are raising is provably, demonstrably incorrect.
Ozil, Sanchez? Are they players that 'improved the squad'?

Suarez didn't reject Arsenal. He went on strike so he could join, just like Berahino. The facts are all there, this isn't in dispute.

Laughable - abiding by contract law is "provably, demonstrably incorrect"?

Ask yourself which is LEAST likely to hold water

A) The vague ramblings of Henry doubting the validity of contract law
B) Torres had a "release clause" and Suarez had a "good faith clause"
C) Torres and Suarez had a "good faith clause" and Liverpool didn't realise they could turn it down in the Torres case

I don't know much about law but you said, "If Suarez didn't challenge it then it's the same as him rejecting Arsenal."
All I'm saying is he did challenge it. He was training on his own due to the breakdown in relations between him and the club. He wanted to leave, to join Arsenal.
Suarez and his agent said he had a release clause, Pool disputed this. Pool have since admitted he did have a release clause.  
None of that is now in dispute.

[DungBeetle]

So in ten years since they won the league there hasn't been a single player to improve the squad. Ok then

Unless John Henry decided to set a precedent which can be challenged in court at a player's whim of course.  If Suarez didn't challenge it then it's the same as him rejecting Arsenal.

Oh come on guys, this is just ridiculous. I'm not even an Arsenal fan. Almost every single point you guys are raising is provably, demonstrably incorrect.
Ozil, Sanchez? Are they players that 'improved the squad'?

Suarez didn't reject Arsenal. He went on strike so he could join, just like Berahino. The facts are all there, this isn't in dispute.

Laughable - abiding by contract law is "provably, demonstrably incorrect"?

Ask yourself which is LEAST likely to hold water

A) The vague ramblings of Henry doubting the validity of contract law
B) Torres had a "release clause" and Suarez had a "good faith clause"
C) Torres and Suarez had a "good faith clause" and Liverpool didn't realise they could turn it down in the Torres case

I don't know much about law but you said, "If Suarez didn't challenge it then it's the same as him rejecting Arsenal."
All I'm saying is he did challenge it. He was training on his own due to the breakdown in relations between him and the club. He wanted to leave, to join Arsenal.
Suarez and his agent said he had a release clause, Pool disputed this. Pool have since admitted he did have a release clause.  

He didn't have a release clause (as are mandatory in Spain) or he could have taken them to court or cancelled his contract.  The link you posted to Henry is the complete ramble of a man who thinks contract law somehow doesn't apply any more to football.  He likely had a "good faith clause".  All of this was detailed in Poker Broker's post.  If he had a watertight "release clause" he could have challenged it successfully.  If he didn't do that then it WOULD have been the same as rejecting Arsenal.  But he didn't have that clause (see "good faith clause"), so he just got miserable for a bit because Liverpool weren't acting in good faith.

[mondatoo]

Why didn't they sign Higuin in Jan from Napoli ? Rumour was he could've been on his way to Chelsea if they said he'd be gtd to start, sign him, give him the gte, almost a lock to win the lge.

Btw, how much did Pelligrini spend last Summer alone ? Interesting he gets 0 shit for how City aren't winning a very soft Prem Lge.

Regards the quality of the Lge, the gulf between the top sides hasn't been bigger for 10-15 years min, all Eng teams close to drawing dead for Champions Lge every sesaon for a few now. Barca/Bayern/Real at least all miles ahead of all Eng sides, just so much stronger.

[Archer]

Why didn't they sign Higuin in Jan from Napoli ? Rumour was he could've been on his way to Chelsea if they said he'd be gtd to start, sign him, give him the gte, almost a lock to win the lge.

Btw, how much did Pelligrini spend last Summer alone ? Interesting he gets 0 shit for how City aren't winning a very soft Prem Lge.

Regards the quality of the Lge, the gulf between the top sides hasn't been bigger for 10-15 years min, all Eng teams close to drawing dead for Champions Lge every sesaon for a few now. Barca/Bayern/Real at least all miles ahead of all Eng sides, just so much stronger.

City big signings were KDB £55m, Sterling £44m+, Otamendi £32m.

Pellegrini gets lots of stick on City forums where, a bit like Arsenal, there are lots of pro and anti factions and, probably, the quiet majority (including me)  who just accept the big picture is rosy and enjoy the ride. Pellegrini currently is getting a relatively  free ride in the media about underperformance in the league but it does help a certain Pep Guardiola arrives in the summer otherwise  I don't doubt Pelle would be getting hammered by the press. He still might do if the CL place was seriously  in doubt. It also helps that City have won the league twice in the last 4 seasons (and an outside chance this year) to go with 3 domestic cups in recent years and almost certainly reaching the CL quarter final for the first time.

Agree Barca/Bayern/Real are light years ahead. As far as City are concerned the gap will close. Well, that is the owners masterplan anyway.

[stribling]

Why didn't they sign Higuin in Jan from Napoli ? Rumour was he could've been on his way to Chelsea if they said he'd be gtd to start, sign him, give him the gte, almost a lock to win the lge.

Btw, how much did Pelligrini spend last Summer alone ? Interesting he gets 0 shit for how City aren't winning a very soft Prem Lge.

Regards the quality of the Lge, the gulf between the top sides hasn't been bigger for 10-15 years min, all Eng teams close to drawing dead for Champions Lge every sesaon for a few now. Barca/Bayern/Real at least all miles ahead of all Eng sides, just so much stronger.

Yes but their leagues are walkovers where they have about 10 tough matches a season. Can rotate when needed and have all their best players fresh for the bigger games, ours are all patched up going into european nights.

Much prefer the prem where every game is competitive even if that does mean we lose out in europe and with the national team

[BigAdz]

Why didn't they sign Higuin in Jan from Napoli ? Rumour was he could've been on his way to Chelsea if they said he'd be gtd to start, sign him, give him the gte, almost a lock to win the lge.

Btw, how much did Pelligrini spend last Summer alone ? Interesting he gets 0 shit for how City aren't winning a very soft Prem Lge.

Regards the quality of the Lge, the gulf between the top sides hasn't been bigger for 10-15 years min, all Eng teams close to drawing dead for Champions Lge every sesaon for a few now. Barca/Bayern/Real at least all miles ahead of all Eng sides, just so much stronger.

Probably helps that until the last few years Citeh were always in the shadow of Utd.

Makes some short term variance easier to take.

Our variance has become a somewhat longer issue, and we have always been a big club

[Graham C]

there's probably little point giving Pelligrini stick for not winning the league, he's out at the end of the season anyway.