Who Would Fergie Buy With £100m?
It’s become something of an urban legend but nevertheless a staggering public relations coup for Arsene Wenger, who says he would turn down the offer of £100 million to buy new players.
The claim seemed laughable when taken against the feebleness of the north London side last year. Arsenal were also rans in the league, folded in Europe and were reduced to pleading with mocking observers that their moment would come. It has now, allowing Wenger to throw down the guantlet to big spending Chelsea, Liverpool and arch nemesis Sir Alex this season: My squad is strong enough. I don’t need £100 million to buy players. Do you?
“You can be successful with different approaches and I respect the Chelsea one,” Wenger told the Sun. “A guy comes in and feeds money in and takes the best players who are already the finished article.
“But you can also build a big team in a different way. That means you bring players together, you educate them and give them the culture of the game you want them to play.”
Is Wenger’s boast the stuff of arrogance or sheer stupidity? So far, with his team sitting atop the Premiership and out-scoring all-comers, the manager’s words seem heartfelt. He could look a chump next May if Arsenal end the season without a title to their name. Equally, he could have a smile as wide as Sir Alex’s circa 1996, when the golden generation came good despite the Hansen jibe that nothing could be won with kids.
In the meantime, AbsolutelyUNITED columnist ‘Red Mist’ Chris has been wondering what Sir Alex might do in the unlikely event that the Glazer family handed over a transfer kitty of £100 million and told him to buy new players.
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United’s spending frenzy this summer would suggest that Fergie hardly needs to throw more money at the team. But the poor midweek showing of United’s second string and concerns about the team’s form have raised some questions about whether United are strong enough to compete on three fronts this season. Here’s where Sir Alex might improve the team still further:
GOALKEEPER: At 37, EVDS can’t go on forever and is increasingly prone to injury. Ben Foster is England’s coming man and looked able but raw when turning out for Watford during their relegation year. Is he the long term answer? Watford’s match against Spurs when Paul Robinson’s kick bounced over Foster’s head and into the Watford net, argued otherwise.
A sizeable chunk of the £100m could go on a keeper of real authority who would inspire confidence in the defence. It is so easy to get this purchase wrong. Remember the daft World Cup winner Fabien Barthez? Buffon and Cech are the best around but are they players United’s money could buy?
RIGHTBACK: Age and injury are a greater threat to Gary Neville than any rival performer currently at Old Trafford. Some £25 million would change that at a stroke if it proved enough to chisel Micah Richards out of City’s grasp. Richards is earmarked to take Neville’s place in the England team and would be a major asset to United once he cuts out the impetusoity that leaves him frequently out of position and reliant on his recovery speed and strength.
The follies of Richards’ youth are excused by a tenacity, a buoyant personality and immense ability. There was a moment in City’s match against Newcastle on Saturday which illustrated just how good Richards could be. Some 80 minutes of the match had already passed and City were defending a corner. Suddenly, a City player received the ball and a counter attack was on. Richards ran 60 yards from defence towards the Newcastle penalty area, collected the ball and shot at goal. If only the power in his strike had matched his lung-busting run, City fans would have celebrated one of the goals of the season. The effort was similar to the United goal that Rooney scored last season at home against Bolton, after running the length of the pitch to receive a pass from Ronaldo.
Richards looks to be signing a new deal with City in the next few weks. But he won’t be staying there for long if he keeps on improving.
STRIKER: Why would Ferguson need to buy another striker after the loan purchase of Carlos Teve? Because, as good as Tevez might be in the future, he just isn’t Mr Right now. United don’t really need a ‘hole’ player, especially with Anderson likely to come good in the next 12 to 18 months, hopefully.
What United do need however is all that Louis Saha was able to provide during the first half of last season - speed, strength, power, link-play and goals. Ajax star Klaas Jan Huntelaar continues to linked with United. Dimitar Berbatov, at nearly £30 million, is considered a major Fergie target for next summer. The Bulgarian is a good player and could be the Teddy Sheringham-type player to bring out the best in Rooney. But does he have the speed for United’s fast counter-attacking game?
Conclusion: Every manager could spend £100 million but even if he could get his hands on Kaka or Ronaldhino, an on-form United means Ferguson would have even less need for the money than Arsenal.
(On Oct 1st, 2007 at 2:30 pm)
all you can talk about is arsenal