Marko Arnautovic

[Ladzini]

The gaffers press conference is 12:30 today I imagine we will find out more.

Still maintain this is a bluff, and he is after a pay rise.

[YorksHammer]

I agree. Arnie is good but his attitude stinks.

I read recently that Arnie has been '100% professional' during this whole thing. Think it might have been on the Sky story about our interest in Gomez.

[DaveWHU1964]

Di Canio was hardly prolific bar one season with us. Very skilful but he wasn’t strong like an ox - didn’t like it up north. Went missing. Wasn’t a battering ram. Ashton coulda woulda shoulda been Shearer Mk 2 but never was. Defoe was as deadly as cottee. I think Arnie has all the assets that most strikers have at least one lacking. He’s big, skilful, fast and mobile. Rarely properly injured. Had we had him for longer I don’t think so many of our fans would be acting like jilted lovers.

Every word Georgee. Every word.

[DaveWHU1964]

I'm not knocking Arnie for his goal scoring record, more that in terms of just goals is it that unrealistic that we can replace him? .

But it’s not just goals is it? I think if we played Hernandez up front on his own he’d probably score more than Arnie. But with Arnie in the team the opposition have to play 10 yards deeper than they do with with Hernandez. It’s the old defend from the front Ian Rush thing. A pure goal scorer would get more goals but we’d concede far more than the extra goals we’d gain.

For now I’m going to hold on to the fact it’s gone a wee bit quiet this week.

[propodkin]

people seem to forget that he was bought as a winger... he's only turned into our main striker by accident

personally I'd prefer we got rid and got a specialist striker in, not a winger whose managed to knock a few goals in

[S-H]

Seems to be a split with people wanting him to stay and wanting him to go.

Would make for an interesting poll, no?

I love a good poll..

[Denzil]

But it’s not just goals is it? I think if we played Hernandez up front on his own he’d probably score more than Arnie. But with Arnie in the team the opposition have to play 10 yards deeper than they do with with Hernandez. It’s the old defend from the front Ian Rush thing. A pure goal scorer would get more goals but we’d concede far more than the extra goals we’d gain.

For now I’m going to hold on to the fact it’s gone a wee bit quiet this week.

Someone that gets it

[Jameslegend]

It would be interesting... however I am completely split so if there was an undecided vote that's where I would end up!

I suppose I loved him playing for us more than how much he has pissed me off with the recent drama, however if he carries on I will eventually swing towards wanting him to f*** off!

[The Moth]

But it’s not just goals is it? I think if we played Hernandez up front on his own he’d probably score more than Arnie. But with Arnie in the team the opposition have to play 10 yards deeper than they do with with Hernandez. It’s the old defend from the front Ian Rush thing. A pure goal scorer would get more goals but we’d concede far more than the extra goals we’d gain..

I didn't say it was just about goals it was in response to another posters comments that if we replace him with a better goalscorer we would be better off. I'm not sure I agree that we'd concede far more goals with a'pure goalscorer' instead of Arnie.

I also think people are really overlooking the quality of Ashton and Di Canio when compared to Arnie. Ashton wasn't just a shoulda woulda coulda player, we all know he would have gone on to great things probably with a bigger club than us and with England if he didn't have to retire aged 26. However he wasn't just a potential future player before the injury, he was superb. A big , intelligent skillful striker who could score from inside and outside the box and played a huge part in getting us to a cup final. He was a classy player and a natural number 9. As for Di Canio he's one of the most skillful footballers I have ever seen and for all the talk of him not fancying for games up north etc, he produced moments of real magic and some unforgettable memories.

I'd take a player like him over a battering ram style player any day of the week.

[davids cross]

It would be interesting... however I am completely split so if there was an undecided vote that's where I would end up!

I suppose I loved him playing for us more than how much he has pissed me off with the recent drama, however if he carries on I will eventually swing towards wanting him to **** off!

If he decides he wants to stay (even if he gets his way with a bit better contract) That's great.........will be the outcome I would want. And let that be the end of it.

If he stays but has the hump........I don't want that either. Don't need that around the club.

Just listening to Robert Snodgrass on Talksport, saying that Arnautovic is training well and as normal. Which I'm pleased about.

[kenthammer1984]

Dean Ashton seems to get better the longer it is since he retired

[Crouchend_Hammer]

Dean Ashton seems to get better the longer it is since he retired

It has been discussed many times, but I agree with you

He was a decent player, but not that good IMHO

There were certainly games and periods before his injury when he was getting plenty of stick from the crowd

Of all the out and out strikers we have had in recent times, i really rated Kanoute. He was just a little bit inconsistent

[davids cross]

Dean Ashton seems to get better the longer it is since he retired

I think with Dean Ashton......I feel cheated. And most fans feel cheated about how good he could become. But we never got to see it.

Loved him myself. Thought he had everything. But not everyone did ( on here) at the time.

I think people talk from that perspective (of how good he was going to be).....as well as how they rated him at the time.

Damn shame.

[thejackhammer]

There's been many chances Arnie has missed that has arguably cost us games. We've drawn a lot of blanks this season, games like Brighton and Wolves where we were crying out for a natural goalscorer not an inverted winger.

Obviously I'd rather Arnie stay and play alongside a Gomez like signing, but I think we'd be higher up the table if we had a quality out and out striker up front for the season.

[mattyD]

Arnie's one of the best CFs in the league. Would only really put Kane in front of him. CF that is not striker.

[Puff Daddy]

I have this feeling his move to China may not now happen. We have told Shanghai we will not consider offers below £50m and their silence is deafening. They are yet to make an improved offer, so If it does re-surface, my beliefs are it will not be before the last couple of days of the window

[HammerAl]

This situation doesn't feel the same as when Payet left. When he wanted out, his exit was inevitable. There's still some doubt surrounding Arnie's transfer as it's a money move rather than an emotional move. If Arnie DOES want out as much as much as his brother says, he wouldn't risk training or playing.

He'll either get a pay rise or his brother / the Chinese club will insist that he goes on strike towards the end of the window to force through a move. I just can't see them stumping up £50m (£100m for them) to sign him.

[prophet:marginal]

There were certainly games and periods before his injury when [Ashton] was getting plenty of stick from the crowd

I honestly don't remember that. Where I sat, in the BMU, used to - probably correctly - consider him to be our best forward (before his injury).

Even after it, we were willing him on.

He was different gravy; see for instance that superb goal he scored when we knocked City out of the cup.

[Ozza]

I wouldn't say that just because we haven't heard anything it doesn't mean it's not happening, good business would say that we shouldn't announce the deal with Arnie until we have the replacement deal done..

As for revising Ashton, I'd say there's a fair bit of revision re Di Canio as well

[Boleyn Bill]

I honestly don't remember that. Where I sat, in the BMU, used to - probably correctly - consider him to be our best forward (before his injury).

Even after it, we were willing him on.

He was different gravy; see for instance that superb goal he scored when we knocked City out of the cup.

His best ever season for us was 11 goals in 35 league games in 07/08. He was a good player and probably would've improved further had he been luckier with injuries but I think nostalgia has elevated him to something that he probably wasn't.