Would you have him in the team? Many would dismiss him because of perceived attitude problems, but I wouldn't mind him, tbh. Probably Wenger's only real strength as a manager these days is as a man-manager, and we should be more than able to keep Payet happy. I don't really care about his issues with West Ham. Hardly a peculiar thing among French men, and we've had our share of them. My favourite Arsenal player, Pires, arrived here just after going on strike at Marseille. I only care about Payet's quality. And his quality is considerable.
Payet has arguably the best vision in this league. Or at worst, one of the best 3. He's created more chances than anyone in the division since he arrived England, and just before that, he was the best in Europe's top 5 leagues in Ligue 1. He's played (18) and started (17) the exact number of games Ozil has this season, but created over 50% more. Don't really need any stats to validate all that. Guy can spot a pass in the most intricate of situations. He's a fantastic dribbler with good technique. Can deliver a dead ball (and score them) and packs a hell of a shot on either foot: qualities which make him a match-winner than can score from nothing. He's what Iwobi is trying to be for us, except there's a chasm in quality between both.
It's pretty much an obvious signing for me, except Wenger doesn't tend to make these kind of signings when available (Mane, Alderweireld etc). Tends to try to be too clever and takes risks on your Perez and Gabriels. Payet would probably move to a team like Spurs, and when he's doing the business, we might be asking ourselves why we didn't try for the player.
Payet
posted on 14/1/17
We won't sell to an English club anyway
posted on 14/1/17
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 3 minutes ago
Great attributes going forward but is often a complete liability tracking back/protecting full back.
Putting his (lack of) professionalism aside, there's a reason none of the top English sides have shown interest in him.
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Pretty damn sure at least 2 of the top 6 will put in bids if West Ham put him up for sale. And he's no more a liability tracking back than Ozil, Iwobi or Ox. At least, when going the other way, he'll do far more than the latter 2.
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Of the four players mentioned, Payet is statistically (by some distance) the least effective.
Even less than Ozil!
posted on 14/1/17
comment by What would Stuart Pearce do? (U3126)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 3 minutes ago
Great attributes going forward but is often a complete liability tracking back/protecting full back.
Putting his (lack of) professionalism aside, there's a reason none of the top English sides have shown interest in him.
----------------------------------
Pretty damn sure at least 2 of the top 6 will put in bids if West Ham put him up for sale. And he's no more a liability tracking back than Ozil, Iwobi or Ox. At least, when going the other way, he'll do far more than the latter 2.
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Of the four players mentioned, Payet is statistically (by some distance) the least effective.
Even less than Ozil!
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*defensively*
posted on 14/1/17
Of the four players mentioned, Payet is statistically (by some distance) the least effective.
Even less than Ozil!
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I take your point. He doesn't win the ball a lot. His defensive stats are about similar to Hazard. Nevertheless, I'd say having Payet along with the quality we have with the likes of Alexis and Ozil would offset his lack of defensive contributions. He's that good.
posted on 14/1/17
Cazorla is out for the season. Elneny, Coquelin, Xhaka and Ramsey are not the same level of replacement
If Chelsea, United or anyone were missing a player that had the same impact as Cazorla has at Arsenal in their ranks, this would be an obvious signing.
However, Wenger doesn't do the obvious signings
posted on 14/1/17
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 4 minutes ago
Of the four players mentioned, Payet is statistically (by some distance) the least effective.
Even less than Ozil!
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I take your point. He doesn't win the ball a lot. His defensive stats are about similar to Hazard. Nevertheless, I'd say having Payet along with the quality we have with the likes of Alexis and Ozil would offset his lack of defensive contributions. He's that good.
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Don't get me wrong, I like Payet. He's a good player, and would certainly provide another option. But the negatives (especially his recent disgraceful conduct) I feel, outweigh the positives.
In any event, we're probably not signing anyone this window.
posted on 14/1/17
I think Payet is one of the most talented players in the league, so if it was a choice of having Payet in our squad vs not having him, I would clearly choose the former.
However, West Ham are very unlikely to let him go cheaply, so if we're going to spend £30m+ on a player, I would rather it was on a more natural left-wide player with a number of years left in him.
I appreciate Payet can operate from the left, and would almost certainly do better than Iwobi down that side, but it's still not his natural position, IMO, he does very little in terms of tracking back, and if we were to play him down that side, he would likely spend most of his time drifting in-between-the-lines.
I know I've said it ad nauseam, but I feel a lack of width and directness is a really hindrance to our attacking play, so I would rather we focused our spending on rectifying that.
Further, Payet turns 30 in a couple of months, and whilst I don't believe it's quite the death sentence for a footballer's career that people make out, I'm a little concerned that all of our best attacking players are now late twenties/early 30s (Ozil, Sanchez, Cazorla, in particular) and we don't really seem to have any obvious long-term replacements coming through the ranks.
posted on 14/1/17
I know I've said it ad nauseam, but I feel a lack of width and directness is a really hindrance to our attacking play, so I would rather we focused our spending on rectifying that.
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Payet does cut in a lot onto his right foot which is only natural, but unlike Iwobi (and Alexis when he plays there), he doesn't do it every single facking time. That stuff drives me nuts at times: when our wide men can't get to the by-line to at least make things less predictable. Payet is fairly direct and takes on players and whips in crosses. He's the league's most creative player from the flanks.
posted on 14/1/17
comment by DaStuDogg (U9291)
posted 19 minutes ago
I think Payet is one of the most talented players in the league, so if it was a choice of having Payet in our squad vs not having him, I would clearly choose the former.
However, West Ham are very unlikely to let him go cheaply, so if we're going to spend £30m+ on a player, I would rather it was on a more natural left-wide player with a number of years left in him.
I appreciate Payet can operate from the left, and would almost certainly do better than Iwobi down that side, but it's still not his natural position, IMO, he does very little in terms of tracking back, and if we were to play him down that side, he would likely spend most of his time drifting in-between-the-lines.
I know I've said it ad nauseam, but I feel a lack of width and directness is a really hindrance to our attacking play, so I would rather we focused our spending on rectifying that.
Further, Payet turns 30 in a couple of months, and whilst I don't believe it's quite the death sentence for a footballer's career that people make out, I'm a little concerned that all of our best attacking players are now late twenties/early 30s (Ozil, Sanchez, Cazorla, in particular) and we don't really seem to have any obvious long-term replacements coming through the ranks.
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Good comment, pretty much sums up my feelings too
posted on 15/1/17
Too much money for a player of his age
And how can you ignore his attitude problems?
He went on strike to get his move from Marseille to West Ham and he's gone on strike again, seemingly to move back to where he came from. I'd stay away