Arsenal

[toythatkills]

That was such a beautiful game of football

[KRP]

Goooooners

[mop]

That Sánchez goal...

[The Fox]

Credit where it's due, Coq was excellent (although it looked very much like a foul on Agbonlahor - was it in the box?). Second-best player today after Özil I think.

[Lucas]

Replays showed it was just outside, by very little. Definite foul. Didn't get any of the ball.

[toythatkills]

Bellerin on Grealish was a pretty clear penalty though.

Still, it's hard to argue that Villa deserved anything in that game at all.

[Starbreaker]

[Steve007]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/104081789@N08/sets/72157653767795895

My snaps from yesterday.

[Cosmic_Guru]

Lovely collection of photos there Steve.

[Silent Runner]

Dying laughing at the state of Jack at the parade. Looks like he started the session on the pitch and hasn't stopped.

[Steve007]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r49o9-6U-yY

Lovely collection of photos there Steve.

Cheers!

[Jonathan_Kerr]

Okay, you've got £90m and have license to shift players on. Ideally, a net spend of around $50m (this is Arsenal, after all).

Who are your getable transfer targets for summer? A minimum of three players to be bought.

I'm bored at work. Can you tell? Points (posses) for most creative/interesting answers.

EDIT: $ changed to £ (my bad)

[Dude Ranch]

Spend most of it on a keeper. A def mid would be sensible but I love the Coq and wouldn't want to spend big in that position. Watched the final highlights again last night and thinking our squad is pretty fucking nifty as is. Ozil is performing, as is Sanchez. If we're going for a big name it would be centre forward. Was impressed with Giroud's attitude when he was asked how he felt about being benched for the final. If we achieve the holy grail of keeping the squad fit I think we can win it. Big IF but we've got depth and hopefully a winning mentality and hunger now.

Brilliant keeper, cover at defensive mid and a striker if the right player is available.

[Larsen B]

The more I think about it and the more I read, the more I genuinely think Cech (or equivalent but realistically he'd be the cheapest and most gettable) is the final cog. We've not had a goalkeeper in a long while who has won us points. De Gea probably earned United 10-12 points over the season and the only thing you could say about Ospina is that he hasn't really cost us any.

Of course if Wenger wants to get someone like Reus, I certainly won't complain.

[The Fox]

US Dollars? That's like £30m. We can't buy three players for that amount.

Ignoring that, I'd say Reus and Illarramendi, though whether Reus is actually attainable depends on his reasons for signing a new Dortmund contract this year. Illarramendi is a bit of a gamble but his style seems much more complimentary to Coquelin than, say, Schneiderlin's does. Benzema is the other one but I doubt he's going anywhere.

For me Szczesny, when focused and on top form, is better than any keeper we could actually get, and in theory has his best years still ahead of him. The problem as always is with that attitude and focus, and it does seem as if Wenger may have lost patience with him once and for all. I honestly don't know what keeper I'd go for if Woj does leave, but I'm not fussed about a waning 33-year-old who's barely played all season and even in his prime had a penchant for letting in howlers at his near post. Like No9s, the market for obtainable keepers seems a bit poor at the moment. Don't get me wrong, Cech would definitely improve us, but I don't think he's the player he once was. Ideally I'd ditch Ospina if Cech is coming. I'd be happy with that.

[spork]

How has Welbeck played for you this year? As a Man Utd fan I was always in the "he'll come good when he learns to shoot!" camp and while it was sad to see him leave us it seemed like a good thing for his career if he was moving and got to play more. But looking at his stats on wikipedia it doesn't look like he has learnt how to score.

Was he any good for you?

[The Fox]

The goal vs United in the cup was a truly brilliant moment, but aside from that he's done alright. Useful squad player, same as he was at Utd really; probably never gonna get you 15 a season but he's decent cover at CF and out wide. Wenger is traditionally excellent at developing forward players so we'll see what he can do with Welbeck I guess.

[Larsen B]

I honestly don't know what keeper I'd go for if Woj does leave, but I'm certainly not fussed about a waning 33-year-old who's barely played all season and even in his prime had a penchant for letting in howlers at his near post. Like No9s, the market for obtainable keepers seems a bit poor at the moment.

I don't think Cech being 2nd choice is a reflection on his quality waning at all. They had to bring Courtois back and they had to play him because another loan spell or a season on the bench would certainly make him think about leaving and, long term, he's one of the best goalkeepers in the world. You could even say Courtois has a tendency to let in howlers from 60 yards!

I don't think Szcz will ever achieve his potential, at least in the short term. I see Cech as the equivalent of Van der Sar, who was relatively slumming it around Fulham for a good few years. Bought at 34 (a proven winner and experienced player) and he helped push United on and win a number of titles and cups.

Ultimately I feel we need an Ozil or Alexis equivalent in the defensive half. Coquelin's emergence and the improving (Bellerin, Monreal) or excellent (Koscielny) backline means either it's Mertesacker (who has tremendous leadership qualities) or the goalkeeper that needs upgrading. The GK seems the "easiest" spot to upgrade for the least amount of money.

[The Fox]

I know I'm in a minority but I've seen nothing from latter day Cech that makes me think he'd in any way be a significant upgrade on a focused Szczesny. That said, I realise that's moot as Woj is probably getting the heave ho for repeatedly being a twat.

IMO we don't actually *need* anyone apart from a defensive midfielder who offers a different skill set to Coquelin, and who can be a more complimentary partner to Ramsey in the middle. I think Coq would still get lots of game time even if we signed such a player. Arteta then becomes the experienced old head on and off the pitch to help develop the other guys, and Flamini goes in the bin.

Any other signing can depend on departures or what top quality attackers actually become available on the market. I think we can wait right till the end of the window for those, if necessary.

[carlito]

Schneiderlin would easily be my pick.

He's so fucking good I just don't get people choosing anyone else over him in that position.

[toythatkills]

I know I'm in a minority but I've seen nothing from latter day Cech that makes me think he'd in any way be a significant upgrade on a focused Szczesny. That said, I realise that's moot as Woj is probably getting the heave ho for repeatedly being a twat.

I see your point but you're referring to a "focused Szczesny" as if it's such a thing that will ever exist. Arsenal will never win the league with Szczesny, and they probably won't win it with Ospina either, but they might with Cech.

It's moot, though, I still find it incredibly hard to believe that we'd be in the running to sign him.

[The Fox]

I think Schneiderlin is a very good player but he often doesn't play as the deepest midfielder, and when I've seen him in that role I've not been totally convinced when you hear £25m being talked about. He would be a fairly safe signing but IMO his ceiling isn't as high as some other options, even if they're potentially riskier.

Re: Szczesny - clearly he's had periods of sustained good form previously, and for me those peaks are comparable to virtually anyone you'd care to mention. But as I said, I know plenty don't agree with me, and it's probably moot anyway.

[toythatkills]

I don't think anyone disagrees with you, actually. It's obvious that Szczesny's a fantastic keeper, and the best keeper we've got. We just seem to disagree on whether or not he'll ever actually be able to overcome the issues that get in the way of his talent.

[The Fox]

Steve and G4L definitely disagree at the very least; they think he's straight up bad!

[toythatkills]

That's as good as confirmation that your opinion is right.

[gooner4life]

I don't think Szczesny is bad, he shared the golden glove in 2013/14 but the fact is he has never won us points in the games where the defence isn't having the best day, Lukic, Seaman, Lehmann all won us games on their day, Woj hasn't and I don't know if he ever will.

He definitely has the talent though, it's his temperament that's wrong, Bob Wilson told me Woj was the most naturally gifted Keeper he'd ever seen when he first came to Arsenal, and people at Brentford held him in very high regard also.

I'd still take Cech though, just working with someone like Cech daily would be good for Woj

[Jonathan_Kerr]

For me, i think i'd like Kongdobia for DM, he's prob more physical than Schederlin.

If we can't get Cech, then just stick with the keepers we've got and then go for Aubemeyang (sp) up front. I think if our defense is settled then a Szczney will do fine and maybe even come good. I'd rather focus on scoring goals as we still seem to have trouble unlocking teams from time to time.

Is Higuain a bit over the hill? Would prefer Reus over Aubemeyang (sp) but as Fox said, not sure if he'll be available.

[gooner4life]

Kondogbia is the best midfielder I saw against us last season, when we played Monaco in the Emirates cup he ran the whole game and it was no different in the champions league, I think he will go man city though, he's turned us down once before when he joined Monaco from Sevilla so he's all about the money

[Liamness]

I think Schneiderlin is a very good player but he often doesn't play as the deepest midfielder, and when I've seen him in that role I've not been totally convinced when you hear £25m being talked about. He would be a fairly safe signing but IMO his ceiling isn't as high as some other options, even if they're potentially riskier.

When he has played in an ultra-defensive role this season it's usually been alongside Wanyama, who's more limited in terms of what he can do on the ball but better defensively. You probably only need to play that way a couple of times a season, and he presumably strike up a similar partnership with Coquelin. The rest of the time it is presumably fine to have someone who really belongs in a box-to-box role protecting the defence? I think with better players around him he would probably grow into the role anyway.

[The Fox]

We don't really need someone box to box though as Ramsey and Wilshere can both play the role and at least one of them will always be in the XI when fit. There's no chance Wenger ever plays a Coq-Schneiderlin midfield and benches both of those guys.

Same concerns for Kondogbia, basically, only even more so. He's not really a defensive midfielder at present.