How long will it take for this team to gel?

[Jurgen the German]

Nice cherry picking of info.

For a more accurate assessment try replacing it with "When you sell one of the best players in the world and replace him with a handful of players, none of whom have ever played in the PL before".

Rather than giving vague answers which AVB a nice get out at the end of the season, what league position do you think is the minimum we should expect given the talent in our squad, forget about the money if you like? Please tell me how saying we should finish 5th is totally unreasonable?

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Arsenal lose their best player last season and replace him with unproven premier league players? And seen as how points total is the be all and end all to some, didn't they also manage to better the total from the previous season despite losing their only world class player?

If the money is irrelevant then why did I see so many of these \o/\o/\o/\o/ after we signed Paulinho, then Eriksen, then Lamela then Soldado? I thought the idea was they would improve the squad and we wouldn't be so reliant one player anymore?

It's great to see how patient you are these days, compared to say, 2 seasons ago, it's fantastic.

 

[Jurgen the German]

It is really starting to **** me off, the constant 'we spent 100M' line.

Didn't we actually end up in profit on summer trading this year? We certainly weren't far off if we didn't. We sold players like Parker, Dempsey and Huddlestone who won't have ever moved us up a level but would have nicely maintained a 'best of the rest challenge'. If we kept those guys we wouldn't have had as bad a start but I'm 100% towards the end of the season and beyond we would have been found out.

We sell one of the best players in the world and replace him with inexperience and a lack of understanding of this country. It is almost guaranteed there would be an adjustment period. It's surprising it didn't show up sooner.

An adjustment period yes, Scara conveninetly glossed over the rest of the post but I did admit it was fair to point this out. I just don't think it should take an entire season.

 

[scaramanga]

Rather than giving vague answers which AVB a nice get out at the end of the season, what league position do you think is the minimum we should expect given the talent in our squad, forget about the money if you like?

I don't think that's the correct question for the situation we have. There can't be a minimum position this season because there are too many variables. How much will losing Bale affect us? How quickly will each player settle over here? How long will each take to get used to the lack of space in the PL?

You may as well ask what is the minimum number of yellow - it just doesn't work.

Please tell me how saying we should finish 5th is totally unreasonable?

You can think whatever you like is reasonable or unreasonable, I just wanted to point out that you were basing that statement on only half of the truth.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Arsenal lose their best player last season and replace him with unproven premier league players? And seen as how points total is the be all and end all to some, didn't they also manage to better the total from the previous season despite losing their only world class player?

That's why I'm happy to give a manger time to implement a system where new players can just drop in and replace the others.

That's not to say we could replace bale with some div1 player, but there's a gulf in class between Giroud and RVP but the system has allowed the change without major problems.

If the money is irrelevant then why did I see so many of these \o/\o/\o/\o/ after we signed Paulinho, then Eriksen, then Lamela then Soldado? I thought the idea was they would improve the squad and we wouldn't be so reliant one player anymore?

I'm not sure I ever said the money was irrelevant. If I did I'd be interested to see the context in which I did.

It's great to see how patient you are these days, compared to say, 2 seasons ago, it's fantastic.

I was patient then too. Had we had a manager capable of building a long-term system I'd have waited for him then too.

 

[Jurgen the German]

I don't think that's the correct question for the situation we have. There can't be a minimum position this season because there are too many variables. How much will losing Bale affect us? How quickly will each player settle over here? How long will each take to get used to the lack of space in the PL?

You may as well ask what is the minimum number of yellow - it just doesn't work.



You can think whatever you like is reasonable or unreasonable, I just wanted to point out that you were basing that statement on only half of the truth.



That's why I'm happy to give a manger time to implement a system where new players can just drop in and replace the others.

That's not to say we could replace bale with some div1 player, but there's a gulf in class between Giroud and RVP but the system has allowed the change without major problems.



I'm not sure I ever said the money was irrelevant. If I did I'd be interested to see the context in which I did.




I was patient then too. Had we had a manager capable of building a long-term system I'd have waited for him then too.

It's all very well saying you want to give him to implement a system, tbh I agree with you on that, but if the system isn't working then I believe we would be forced to make a change. Arsenal have had the same system in place which has kept them in the top 4 for GHod knows how long, but inferior players to previous years has also meant they have going from being title contenders every season to title dark horses or outsiders, until this season. Unfortunately they didn't give out trophies or CL places based on how fans or whoever else perceive the team is progressing or regressing so results are going to be a factor with regards to whether the hierarchy at the club feel they should stick with AVB or not.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

An adjustment period yes, Scara conveninetly glossed over the rest of the post but I did admit it was fair to point this out. I just don't think it should take an entire season.

No you're right. To be fair I think we should be seeing good improvements and looking towards some consistency from about February onwards. New players would have 6 months to settle in by that point. If we then make a terrible start next year I would want AVB out after 6-10 games, no sentiment at that point.

Arsenal didn't exactly fly at the start of last year. 0-0 draws against Stoke away and Sunderland at home while Giroud was settling in. As usual they got their consistency towards the end of the season. Year before that, awful defeats at home to Liverpool and the 8-2 at Old Trafford. They replace one or two players with one or two others, and have a bad start despite their system being in place for years upon years. We replace the one of the world's best plus proven PL players who know the county like Dempsey, Parker, Huddlestone, Livermore, Caulker, with unproven foreign imports. Really it's hard to believe people expected it to be easier. Massive scale of change there.

I really, really hope our board is not thinking of throwing in the towel.

 

[Pirate55]

To put matters in perspective - how long did it take for AVB to get Porto to win the triple?

Didn't he say he had never started a second season with the same team before this season? So he must have "transformed" them into champion world-beaters within one season. Why then is it taking so long with us?

 

[BrainOfLevy]

To put matters in perspective - how long did it take for AVB to get Porto to win the triple?

Didn't he say he had never started a second season with the same team before this season? So he must have "transformed" them into champion world-beaters within one season. Why then is it taking so long with us?

Players already adapted to the league they were playing in. Biggest factor right there. He also got instant improvements at Academica.

 

[Pirate55]

Players already adapted to the league they were playing in. Biggest factor right there. He also got instant improvements at Academica.

Fair point.

 

[Papercut]

Perhaps you're not swimming against the tide (financially) in Portugal?

 

[Modric THFC]

To put matters in perspective - how long did it take for AVB to get Porto to win the triple?

Didn't he say he had never started a second season with the same team before this season? So he must have "transformed" them into champion world-beaters within one season. Why then is it taking so long with us?

They weren't world beaters because they played no one they shouldn't have beat that season.
Benfica, Sporting, Braga in the league and Rapid Wien, Besiktas, CSKA Sofia, Sevilla, CSKA Moscow, Sparta Moscow, Villareal in Europe.
This is the foundation of his reputation.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

They weren't world beaters because they played no one they shouldn't have beat that season.
Benfica, Sporting, Braga in the league and Rapid Wien, Besiktas, CSKA Sofia, Sevilla, CSKA Moscow, Sparta Moscow, Villareal in Europe.
This is the foundation of his reputation.

Are you aware of how Porto performed in the season before AVB arrived there?

 

[Modric THFC]

Are you aware of how Porto performed in the season before AVB arrived there?

Knockout stages of the Champion's League and that's without Moutinho.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Knockout stages of the Champion's League and that's without Moutinho.

How did they do in the league? Live up to expectations?

 

[onlyme]

To put matters in perspective - how long did it take for AVB to get Porto to win the triple?

Didn't he say he had never started a second season with the same team before this season? So he must have "transformed" them into champion world-beaters within one season. Why then is it taking so long with us?

Clever answer.

No time for the guy IMO. Get it right and get it right NOW. We ain't got any bad players. Doherty or Crouch are no longer on our books.

It is up to AVB to get his head out of his *rse and play our best players in their best positions. Then he can have all the gel he likes to put on his curly but balding locks.

 

[Modric THFC]

How did they do in the league? Live up to expectations?

Unbeaten at home, lost 4 games away to the only 4 good side in Portugal. Benfica, Braga, Sporting and Maritimo.
They finished 3rd on 68 points compared to 1st with 70 points the year before, 1st with 69 points the year before that and 1st with 69 points the year before that.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Clever answer.

No time for the guy IMO. Get it right and get it right NOW. We ain't got any bad players. Doherty or Crouch are no longer on our books.

It is up to AVB to get his head out of his *rse and play our best players in their best positions. Then he can have all the gel he likes to put on his curly but balding locks.

This is a criticism I just don't understand. How is he not doing this? Is he playing Walker on the left wing? Lloris as the kitman? I have no idea how this can be levelled at him. That the football looks boring and laboured? Absolutely. But I really don't think player positions is why we are going wrong.

The only ones you maybe have a point with are Sig on the left (despite the fact he's actually looked more effective there than he ever did through the centre for us) and Holtby (despite the fact he has played advanced midfield for Schalke and may well start performing once the team starts clicking...indeed he was doing well in the Europa and CC before).

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Unbeaten at home, lost 4 games away to the only 4 good side in Portugal. Benfica, Braga, Sporting and Maritimo.
They finished 3rd on 68 points compared to 1st with 70 points the year before, 1st with 69 points the year before that and 1st with 69 points the year before that.

And how many point did they get during AVB's only season?

 

[NLS]

In answer to the question.... Unless we get a big centre forward (Benteke)......... it won't.

 

[Modric THFC]

And how many point did they get during AVB's only season?

85 a great achievement, made easier by that was the only season they didnt have to compete in the Champion's League.
But how many other managers have been hired based on what they did in second rate league's such as the Portuguese league, Dutch league or the Russian League. There's no comparison to a proper competitive league.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

85 a great achievement, made easier by that was the only season they didnt have to compete in the Champion's League.
But how many other managers have been hired based on what they did in second rate league's such as the Portuguese league, Dutch league or the Russian League. There's no comparison to a proper competitive league.

Good job they also smashed the Europa then.