Agree with 1 and 2. But whom would have sold to get Haaland? And given Arsenal's position in the table last season, and our presumably good relationship with Arteta - hard to fault the sale at the time.None of that addresses my two points:
1) We now have even less options in a position we were already struggling with.
2) We directly improved a team who are now outperforming us.
He didn't need to be in anyone's favourite starting eleven. He didn't need to be the most talented player in the squad. He didn't need to leave to fund the Haaland move.
But whom would have sold to get Haaland?
Bang on.We weakened ourselves in a position we were already weak in and we directly strengthened an already improving team who are now where we want to be.
That's the bottom line.
How anyone can spin it as anything other than a fuck up is beyond me.
Winning the league the old fashioned way buying it. Ffp is a glass tiger a fig leaf. Been the same since Blackburn Rovers of 19th century. You don’t want to spend a ton you can’t expect to consistently challenge in Pl. No one ever wins tons of trophies without buying themMoved to a club that will play him and pay him vastly more.
I see they are spending nearly £100m this January.
Biggest question I have is, how are they complying with FFP when they have posted losses for the last couple of years.
Looking at their net spend since Arteta took over, they are close to £500m. They are buying the league, no?
Who was top choice LB then?It's not a fuck up.
Zincheko is a gifted footballer - who is playing his best football of his career now. But he wasn't in top choice first 11 and would not be. We have more talented players in our squad. We couldn't retain the entire squad *and* sign Haaland - we had to let some players go. I'm very much OK with having let Zinchenko and Jesus leave - and I'm very glad that their careers at Arsenal are going great.
Does it matter? The point is that we are and continue to be weak at LB. RB could use an upgrade too. Selling a makeshift left back squad player to a side that's not even top 4 for a fair amount in order to raise funds and make squad space especially if the squad player really wants more playing time - is win-win.Who was top choice LB then?
That's bolloxThere's a huge amount of divergence from reality evident when discussing Zinchenko and what he actually brought to Manchester City. Undoubtedly a very likeable chap and he had a couple of excellent minutes. Without him we might well have not beaten Villa, which is more than equalled out by without him we might well have not needed to beat Villa.
He was absolutely culpable in the CL final against Chelsea and he was often found wanting when isolated at the back post. Laporte bailed him out often when he was having a ‘normal’ game at left back.
People should stop confusing ‘we need a left back’ with ‘we’ve let a really nice bloke who was a very average left back, leave’.
Course it fucking matters. He was our best left back and we sold him with no replacement. Not makeshift and who isn't a squad player.Does it matter? The point is that we are and continue to be weak at LB. RB could use an upgrade too. Selling a makeshift left back squad player to a side that's not even top 4 for a fair amount in order to raise funds and make squad space especially if the squad player really wants more playing time - is win-win.
And yet Pep and management thought otherwise - and many posters on this thread think that moving Zinchenko was in the best interest of both him and of our club - me included.That's bollox
At LB we gave as fill-ins (and each better than Zinchenko) - Ake (defensively much better), Laporte (better defensively with a bit of passing nous), Cancello (much better offensively, weaker defensively).Course it fucking matters. He was our best left back and we sold him with no replacement. Not makeshift and who isn't a squad player.
Well in that case....And yet Pep and management thought otherwise - and many posters on this thread think that moving Zinchenko was in the best interest of both him and of our club - me included.
2 centre halfs and a wingerHmm... Ake not a fill-in (and much better defensively). Clearly Cancelo has never played LB either. And damn! - Laporte as a fill-in left-back - no way!
Idiotic that we sold a makeshift left back with zero replacement.
You are simply going to keep arguing. Zinchenko's best position is attacking mid. He's a fill-in LB. He'd almost never start in our lineup at attacking mid though in almost any game as we're very strong there - as a squad player he can fill in at LB as needed. But I think we'd mostly prefer Ake or Laporte (other LB fill-ins) at that position due to Zinchenko's defensive lapses.2 centre halfs and a winger