Is this one of the best Arsenal squads?

[Victor Meldrew]

Following on from the discussions about the squads at Liverpool and Man Utd what about Arsenal?
On Wednesday they could well go to the top of the league with Man Utd dropping to 3rd place and this in a season when they have been written off by most pundits.
Their best current first team might not rival the great team of the Unbeatables with players at their peak in Viera,Bergkamp,Henry etc but as a squad they have done incredibly well.

For significant parts of this season they have been without first team regulars in Van Persie,Clichy,Fabregas,Bendtner,Walcott and Rosicky and yet here they are threatening the top spot having sold two of their mainstays to Man City raising £35 million or so.

All credit to the manager who has bought just one player for under £10 million-he really is and has been one of the best managers at the top level.

[soggy biscuit]

I refuse to believe they are doing well, HNA told me that they were deffo going to be sh*t this season because they didn't spunk loads of money.

[papereyes]

I did like the "Oh, that Vermaelen will be shit as he's a centreback under 6ft" riff that circulated in the summer.

[Thaumagurist*]

No, it most certainly oxf*rd isn't. Beating Bolton does not make them world class.

Remember, Chelsea still thrashed them 3-0 and will do so again.

[TBM]

No, it most certainly oxf*rd isn't. Beating Bolton does not make them world class.

You do know they have beaten other teams too? - and who has said anything about being "world class"???? - the question was 'Is this one of the best Arsenal squads?'

[LUX]

I have never liked Arsenal, but even I hope they prevent Chelsea winning the Title.

[Thaumagurist*]

I have never liked Arsenal, but even I hope they prevent Chelsea winning the Title.

Why the oxf*rd would you want that? Chelsea winning the title would be a millon times better than Manure or Arseholes winning it, surely?

[TBM]

Chelsea winning the title would be a millon times better than Manure or Arseholes winning it, surely?

Seriously Spacey, fcuk off....its boring now - you never have anything of note to say about ANY other football team, bar your LOLiverpool side. We get the point, you dont like Arsenal or Man Utd but can you just shut the fcuk up about it.

Anyway.....

Arsenal really need to keep hold of Fabregas....the whole side goes through him and its down to him that they play such attractive football. I think if they can add another striker and central defender this month then they will be looking good to take Chelsea and Man Utd all the way. Its a 3 horse race now, cant see Man City/Spurs/Villa challenging.

[papereyes]

I have never liked Arsenal, but even I hope they prevent Chelsea winning the Title.

Why the oxf*rd would you want that? Chelsea winning the title would be a millon times better than Manure or Arseholes winning it, surely?

Oh do fuck off.

Arsenal spend within their means and play good football that gets them regularly into the Top 4 and to the later stages of most cups.

They have a regular youth and scouting system producing good young players - maybe not the best in the world - but there or there abouts. In Ramsay, Wiltshire and Merida, there's another three talents there.

What do Chelsea have? The millions of Abramovich, Peter Kenyon and those lovable tykes Lampard, Terry, Drogba and Ballack.

[Thaumagurist*]

A youth system based on poaching foreign players from other clubs on the continent. Yeah, such a great system they have there.

[TBM]

A youth system based on poaching foreign players from other clubs on the continent. Yeah, such a great system they have there.

You really dont understand how things work in football do you???

Give me examples of when Arsenal have "poached" players from other clubs?

[jumpers for goalposts]

A youth system based on poaching foreign players from other clubs on the continent. Yeah, such a great system they have there.

True to a point, but all the top clubs do it, and the current batch of Arsenal youngsters, such as Eastmond, Gibbs, Wilshere, etc are all English and trained with Arsenal, so you are once again talking out of your arse.

[Thaumagurist*]

A youth system based on poaching foreign players from other clubs on the continent. Yeah, such a great system they have there.

True to a point, but all the top clubs do it, and the current batch of Arsenal youngsters, such as Eastmond, Gibbs, Wilshere, etc are all English and trained with Arsenal, so you are once again talking out of your arse.

Where in my statement did I deny that they produced English players?

At least Chelsea consistently field at least an English player whereas Arsenal have played a team totally devoid of English, or even British, players on several occasions.

[TBM]

A youth system based on poaching foreign players from other clubs on the continent. Yeah, such a great system they have there.

True to a point, but all the top clubs do it, and the current batch of Arsenal youngsters, such as Eastmond, Gibbs, Wilshere, etc are all English and trained with Arsenal, so you are once again talking out of your arse.

Where in my statement did I deny that they produced English players?

At least Chelsea consistently field at least an English player whereas Arsenal have played a team totally devoid of English, or even British, players on several occasions.

On Saturday Liverpool had ONE (yes only 1) English (or even British) player in the side...........i dont see you slating them for it

[papereyes]

A youth system based on poaching foreign players from other clubs on the continent. Yeah, such a great system they have there.

It's just the same as any other big club.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool all do the same - Liverpool, as an example, signed Lucas aged 20 from Brazil and Insua aged 18. Anderson at United was 18-19 when he first moved. Chelsea have Daniel Sturridge.

Even lower down the ranks, you have Villa who regularly turn out youngsters that are home grown but often they're nicked from lower league teams - Barry from Brighton as an example.

At 16, I think, they are free to move clubs. Arsenal have a reputation for developing footballers and giving them chances. Players choose Arsenal. It's better than a club merely buying in whoever they want.

At least Chelsea consistently field at least an English player whereas Arsenal have played a team totally devoid of English, or even British, players on several occasions.

And? Most teams tend to have a majority of foreigners in their side. Terry was the last English player Chelsea have brought through - they signed Sturridge from a smaller club, they have a couple of other youngsters coming through but Sinclair was taken from a Bristol club iirc and they even signed two young RFC players in the not to distant past. It is also ironic that, on Saturday, Arsenal gave a young, English player his premier league debut.

What's so different about what Arsenal do to the other big clubs?

Of the big 4, Arsenal are the only ones that have spent within their means, with little external help. This is to be praised.

[papereyes]

Chelsea winning the title would be a millon times better than Manure or Arseholes winning it, surely?

I still don't understand this.

[TBM]

Well said Paps - any response Spacey, dont let facts get in your way.........

[Maguire]

I would say it probably isn't one of the best Arsenal squads. There are some brilliant players in there and they're awesome to watch, but I can't help but think of the days of Henry, Bergkamp, and Robert Pire, not to mention a couple of rough and ready centre-halves and even Ashley Cole (left-back is a bit of a weakness at the mo).

I'd love to see them win it because (cliché) it would be a triumph for pure football over the power of the £. Fabregas is a genius, but I think they miss Van Persie or another goalscorer too much.

[papereyes]

I think its the same as every Arsenal squad post-'The Invincibles'.

It's got so much potential. Most of the players are young, most of them are talented and he's starting to add a bit of, well, backbone I guess.

But you never know quite how things will work out.

Eduardo, for example, was just getting into the 'swing' of the Premier League when he got injured in his first season. He missed nearly the entirity of the next season (also utterly ruining Croatia's chances in Euro '08, imo) and has returned but with a noticeable lack of pace and bite.

van Persie, when he plays, is a goal every other game player - yet he barely makes it past 20 games in a season.

[No Fixed Abode]

I have never liked Arsenal, but even I hope they prevent Chelsea winning the Title.

Why would that be then?