Kevin Doyle

[cornflakes]

Arsenal fans would do well to listen to the neutral plaudits Doyle has drawn - BBC, Times, Guardian....

When I suggested last year to some Arsenal season ticket holders I met that they should replace Bendtner with Doyle they laughed. "No star quality" and "Bendtner's doing alright for us" were the responses.

Star quality is all some people care about not the fact that a player is actually good. The Premiership is basically Heat magazine for men at times.

When Arsenal signed Chamakh last summer all their fans were going on about what a great signing he is and saying "he'l be world class". These people had never seen him play and were just reading some useless journalists (who never seen him either) opinion of him, never mind the fact he only scored around 50 or 60 goals in 7 years in Ligue 1. French or other European players are automatically great when signed, Irish players are just automatically crap.

[Yard of Pace]

Star quality is all some people care about not the fact that a player is actually good. The Premiership is basically Heat magazine for men at times.

.

Ha! That is very true at times actually. "Fans" of the big clubs can be utterly nauseating with this stuff.

Had a read of the Arsenal messageboard thread on Doyle and can't really disagree with much of it though. While they do probably have ideas above their station given Arsenal's current standing, after Bergkamp, Wright, Henry, Anelka.....well, Doyle wouldn't look too great, would he? Most of them do say they like him but he's just not quite good enough. Which is fair enough, imo.

[Murfinator]

Star quality is all some people care about not the fact that a player is actually good. The Premiership is basically Heat magazine for men at times.

When Arsenal signed Chamakh last summer all their fans were going on about what a great signing he is and saying "he'l be world class". These people had never seen him play and were just reading some useless journalists (who never seen him either) opinion of him, never mind the fact he only scored around 50 or 60 goals in 7 years in Ligue 1. French or other European players are automatically great when signed, Irish players are just automatically crap.

This is why the game is so disrespected among other sports fans, because of so many idiotic fans who don't have a clue what they're talking about.

[cornflakes]

This is why the game is so disrespected among other sports fans, because of so many idiotic fans who don't have a clue what they're talking about.

I don't think I've ever experienced that, do Rugby fans or GAA fans think that?

[Kingdom]

there are just as many idiot football fans as there are idiot Gaa or Rugby fans, they all express themselves equally dumb, but in different ways.

[Stuttgart88]

Most of them do say they like him but he's just not quite good enough. Which is fair enough, imo.

My main argument in Doyle's favour is that that's not the point. Arsenal need someone who can hold the ball up, distract defenders and bring Van P and attacking midfielders like Nasri into play. They need a guy who takes personal responsibility and who works hard when the chips are down and who has good character. They also need a good attacking header of a ball - which would increase Walcott's threat. Chamakh may be slight but he's decent a decent header, though he missed some great headed chances during Arsenal's barren run since February.

Doyle fits the bill in all those regards. I made the point about Adam Clayton, Morecambe & Wise etc. earlier to illustrate what I'm saying.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Doyle should move, just not to Arsenal IMO.
Not really compatible with their style. And if they lose all their star players, might just about to be take a major nose-dive....

[an_ceannaire]

Lads, will ye stop! Doyle is a decent player. No more no less. He is no where NEAR Arsenal quality! Not even close! Wenger would be far better off putting the 12m towards Crouch or Milito. Dolye is decent at a level but not even a distant cousin of an Arsenal player!
He would go there, fail to score, be hated by the fans and be out the door and playing for Celtic within 12 months!

[ArdeeBhoy]

Nice try at a pointless wind-up, but no cigar.

[geysir]

He's a certified wummer, nevertheless there's a small bit of sense.
Doyle is good enough for Arsenal now. They are a 5th place team punching above their weight. The EPL title is Man United's by default. On occasion some other club gets a sniff in, Arsenal managed it when they were in their prime, but most? of their fans think they should be doing that all the time and regard 4th place as a failure /Wenger should go. Would Doyle be a player that Arsenal need to rise above their failure status?
Just a thought.

[Charlie Darwin]

There's two sides to Doyle. On one hand, he scores a fair whack of goals from very little opportunities, but on the other hand I wouldn't consider him clinical. That shouldn't be a huge problem at Arsenal since only Van Persie could be considered a proper goalscorer. I think we've all seen Arsenal camped around the edge of the opposition's box trying to find angles where there is none. Doyle would give them a different emphasis, dragging defenders out of position to make room for the likes of VP and Walcott.

[Stuttgart88]

I agree entirely with the evolutionst.

I watched Arsenal about 30 times last year. Chamakh is lightweight and gets pushed about. Arshavin couldn't be arsed half the time. Bendtner shows occasional quality, but far more often is careless and lacking in moral courage. Van Persie and an attacking midfielder like Nasri would thrive if Doyle was present. The "park the bus" tactic that is so easy to play against Arsenal would be much less easy.

During their barren run Bendtner and Chamakh contrived to miss easy late headers in 3 of Arsenal's draws. Any one of them would have been buried by Doyle imho, and would have stopped Arsenal's run-in faltering so badly. I'm absolutely sure there are better no. 9s out there, but it's not star quality that Arsenal are lacking. They have star quality in abundance. They need a player like Doyle.

There is every chance that he could go there and bear the brunt of the disillusion after Fabregas leaves, and especially if Nasri leaves. That'd be the risk.

[SkStu]

message to Doyle - buy yourself some gloves and a snood. Deal done.

[paul_oshea]

I agree with Stutts and CD, think thats exactly how it could and would work, nothing to do about whether arsenal are a top team or doyle is a top top player, their respective styles would suit eachother, and I'm sure Wegner knows more than most of us, so he has probably seen this and more. HOpefully he can get it out of doyle. The one thing I worry about is his pace, or lack of pulling out defenders quick for the others to run inside.

Anyway could be a great move.

[Sullivinho]

Chamakh is lightweight and gets pushed about.

Gives me the impression that he's loathe to upset that laboriously crafted hairdo. On the flipside though, he has an exotic sounding name.

[Stuttgart88]

As Leonard Cohen might sing (I use the word "sing" liberally), so long Marouane...

[CraftyToePoke]

I hope Doyle goes to Arsenal, I think he would do a lot better than some people think, not just in goals but overall play also. Also I think the link is Wenger admitting a shift in policy is needed at the club and a feather in Doyles cap that he considered the man to add what a club of that stature have been missing.

[elroy]

I think Everton would be the ideal club for Doyle. He would be respected there as well unlike at Arse.

[tetsujin1979]

Arsenal linked with Benzema this morning, which could end any possibility of Doyle moving if it goes through

[Stuttgart88]

I've never really got Benzema. More hype than substance, or is he the real deal?

I suspect he'd be another glove & snood wearing poser who'd score a great 5th goal against Swansea, but would be nowhere to be seen against Stoke.