Again with the zero net spend or bankruptcy argument. There is a middle way.
Arsenals chances of a top 4 finish this season
- Thread starter Eyepopper
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Again with the zero net spend or bankruptcy argument. There is a middle way.
I just explained why taking the middle way doesn't make much financial sense for Arsenal when they hold the Ace in form of Wenger. Spending 20 odd million or so is not going to improve them significantly either in England or Europe.
As in case of the scouse example you quoted, it goes to show up your own point. They achieved nothing yet put the long term stability of the club in question till FSG came to rescue.
We spend all our revenue on wages and transfer fees. To pay another £10M/year in wages would mean going into the red let alone trying to catch up with City or Chelsea.
I'm sorry, are you saying Wenger realises that he's not going to be able to outdo City or United, so Arsenal consciously decide to compete for the Champions League places to keep the club sustainable by just doing the bare minimum?
Pete, wasn't your wage to profit ratio 53% or something? Only Spurs and ourselves had a better ratio.
Arsenal can not outdo United or City or Chelsea or likes in transfer market simply because they don't have that much disposable revenue right now. In terms of investment in squad perspective that.
They are better off spending bare minimum in squad and finishing in fourth than spending a bit and finishing third or second or spending a fortune and be in a financial mess even if they win the league.
So ideally Wenger would look to spend the bare minimum and finish as high as possible.
You do have to invest in the squad though because that makes better business sense than not doing it, and this is something the Arsenal board are quite arrogant about, for me.
Last season, we scraped into the CL by the skin of our teeth, and had we not got in, one dreads to think what this summer may have been like.
This is the problem I have with some Arsenal fans who say we have to sell and we can't invest any kind of money into the side. It's simply not true. If we bought a top class CM who steered us into the semi-finals of the CL, that would basically pay for 50% of the transfer fee.
Last season, we scraped into the CL by the skin of our teeth, and had we not got in, one dreads to think what this summer may have been like.
This is the problem I have with some Arsenal fans who say we have to sell and we can't invest any kind of money into the side. It's simply not true. If we bought a top class CM who steered us into the semi-finals of the CL, that would basically pay for 50% of the transfer fee.
Touched a nerve have I Pete, how about you stick to trying to stand out on this forum by being the resident wind up merchant. You'll get the attention you want that way we can all be happy....
If your last few seasons were more succesful your increased revenues would more than compensate. You have to speculate to accumulate.
Chelsea won the CL last year and collected another £5M - it doesn't even cover Hazard's wages.
How about you don't carry on arselicking rival fans up the khyber.
I'm not saying your signings are shit, I'm saying they are cheaper replicas of the players you are selling.
Disagree?
Yes. This is the sympathy I, and many of us here have with the Arsenal fans. You are being charged the very best prices to see no ambition.
At least at United, Glazers or not, we talk and act like contenders. Arsenal are a mere shadow of what they should be right now, and that isn't good for anyone.
How much have they sold players for the last 3 years???
You make them sound like some Nike knock-offs bought down the market. Are all the forward players you've bought since Ronaldo 'cheap replicas'?
Arsenal's problem isn't the players purchased, but the players sold.
Exactly. You can't replace the likes of Ronaldo, Fabregas and Van Persie. You need to hope one of your existing players steps up the following season and maybe whatever new signings you get on board bed in and do their bet the second and subsequent seasons. Lose your best player(s) of the season, every season and there's no way back.
Ronaldo left United summer 2009.
Since then, Adebayor, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Fabregas, Nasri, van Persie and Song have all left Arsenal. All regular first team players. No United first team regulars have left since Ronaldo left.
Since then, Adebayor, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Fabregas, Nasri, van Persie and Song have all left Arsenal. All regular first team players. No United first team regulars have left since Ronaldo left.
You know Arsenal has a major problem when today, talking about City's lack of depth in defense, the Norwegian studio pundits suggested Vermaelen as a possible purchase and no one even considered that Arsenal might not be interested in selling.
Its almost a given now that if a club with more money puts in a considerable offer for one of Arsenal's players, they will be sold. If Arsenal cant change that trend they wont be title contenders in the foreseeable future. Selling your two best players and several other first team starters over the course of 3 years wont win you trophies.
I admire Arsenal's financial structure, and theres no doubt that they are the club thats been fecked over the most by the introduction of silly money and other clubs becoming billionaires' private toys. But if they want to challenge for major trophies they cant keep going like the last 3 years. Theres no denying that.
Think they will get in one of the CL spots comfortably this year again though. They have a great manager and many talented players, and only us, city and probably chelsea are better than them.
Its almost a given now that if a club with more money puts in a considerable offer for one of Arsenal's players, they will be sold. If Arsenal cant change that trend they wont be title contenders in the foreseeable future. Selling your two best players and several other first team starters over the course of 3 years wont win you trophies.
I admire Arsenal's financial structure, and theres no doubt that they are the club thats been fecked over the most by the introduction of silly money and other clubs becoming billionaires' private toys. But if they want to challenge for major trophies they cant keep going like the last 3 years. Theres no denying that.
Think they will get in one of the CL spots comfortably this year again though. They have a great manager and many talented players, and only us, city and probably chelsea are better than them.
They are cheaper Nike knock-offs though.
Ronaldo was irreplaceable, so we changed our shape and style to suit. All the players you have sold aren't irreplaceable, you just don't or won't spend the money to do it.
But yeah, still cheap knock-offs. Unless you can point those out that are better?
Not sure who Podolski or Cazorla are supposed to be "cheap knock-offs" of. Podolski just adds depth to their front line and Cazorla is class on his own.
The point is valid to an extent, but I think those two are astute signings. Awful lot of pressure on Giroud, though.
The point is valid to an extent, but I think those two are astute signings. Awful lot of pressure on Giroud, though.
So was Fabregas, so that's exactly what we're doing. No need to be pejorative about cheap knock-offs like Valencia and Young.
Maybe I should have worded it better, but since it's Pierstorey I thought I'd annoy him a bit.
They aren't shit players or signings, but they are cheaper and inexperianced alternatives to the players they have sold. The point, before someone else tries to smart arse point it out, is not that it's easy to replace like for like, but it's that surely if you had ambitions it'd be better to at least change things up the first time you sold a star player, not keep it the same and let the rot set in?
Taken out of context it was with this little discussion, my point is that a club like Arsenal should not settle on hoping they finish 4TH every season and selling their best players. Even if the business makes money, the team shouldn't suffer. They clearly do.
Why are we even interested in Arsenal? A club that settles for what they have, consistantly failing to move forward year after year.
Our Robin was fully entitled to his move and I think it is pretty appaling the way some of the Arsenal fans are behaving towards him. The club lacks ambition. Simple as.
Our Robin was fully entitled to his move and I think it is pretty appaling the way some of the Arsenal fans are behaving towards him. The club lacks ambition. Simple as.
There's a way of leaving the club, and this wasn't it.
I've always said he's well within his rights to move.
You think Valencia and Young were supposed to replace Ronaldo?
Fabregas, as good as he is, isn't replaceable to the team. The midfielders you've signed since to replace him (cough, panic buys, cough) just were cheaper alternatives that didn't work.
But lets face it, even the mighty Fab couldn't help you win the league. That's why he fecked off, but he's not the first or last of your captains to do that when you win feck all. Coincidentally you win feck all because you sell your best players every season. Wow, tough to work out the flaw!
What was the way then? Do you know everything that went on behind the scenes?
Don't see what he has done wrong really, and I certainly don't see how you can without knowing EVERYTHING. From the interviews I have seen from him since the move he has seemed very respectful towards Arsenal and a very smart guy.
What is the best way to leave the club when you want to leave?
The statement was a bit needless and should have gone through the club.
Why, what did he do?
He said he didn't want to renew a contract. He didn't go on strike, he didn't miss training, he didn't break his contract.
He just wanted, at the peak of his career, to challenge for trophies. What is wrong with that?
How do you know that RVP hadn't been and asked for a move and been told "feck off"?
The club may have forced his hand to make the statement when he did.
The club may have forced his hand to make the statement when he did.
Well you won feck all last season and will win feck-all squared this season despite paying silly wages to a blackmailer and a sicknote.
Yes, it was a strange season for us, unlike yourselves who win feck all every season..
Perhaps Robin will be able to motivate himself a bit more now he is playing for a club like Manchester United. He won't want to miss a single game
Seems unlikely. One year left on the deal, and we'd say 'no, you're not moving at any price.'
I mean, I know he's your player now and everything, but the statement wasn't particularly classy, and there's no denying that.
I was personally interested in what he had to say, but he should have done it through the right channels.
I just find the abuse he has been getting from Arsenal fans a little silly, especially seeing what he has done for your club.
I personally find abusing footballers in general is a bit silly, but I get why people are doing it to RVP.
Silly wages?
What, you mean like the silly wages your lot have been paying to tempt a lot of talented youngsters in recent years?
How much does Podolski earn to replace our Robin btw?
I thought his announcment was a good thing, and I said it at the time even though I assumed he was off to City.
Right away he stopped any will he or wont he sign a new deal, early in the summer.
As for Arse fans being annoyed? I cannot blame them at all. If Rooney had gone off to Chelsea 2 years ago I would have hated him far more than if he had gone abroad.
Right away he stopped any will he or wont he sign a new deal, early in the summer.
As for Arse fans being annoyed? I cannot blame them at all. If Rooney had gone off to Chelsea 2 years ago I would have hated him far more than if he had gone abroad.
Neither of them were supposed to replace Ronaldo, going down that path you've tried to replace Fabregas with Arteta.