Wenger: I have money (8/7)

[gooner.ed]

http://www.onlinegooner.com/editorial/index.php?id=116

usual thread starter… I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at some of the crap I am reading in the press, on websites, in Arsenal forums/messageboards/chatrooms and emails these days. So here’s a question for you…

The Highbury Spy thinks things at the club are so desperate he is convinced we will finish below Tottenham next season. Do you agree with him?

[barnfield88]

werent we supose to end below them last season? we get the same bollocks year in year out, its quite funny really because you get them all jumping on the bandwagon saying we are done for.

well just let them keep on, we will end up shuting them up at the end of the season........COME ON ARSENAL

[we_are_the_arsenal]

This is the best post i've read for a very long time. Thank god there are some level headed intelligent gooners out there. This summer has really distinguished the true gooners from the fake tossers who should be wearing blue.


Cheers Kevin

[bristol411]

Great article and if Carlos Queiroz leaves Man Utd then we are on course to win the league, with Chelski rebuilding and an unproven new manager at club level. I read an article earlier this year that Fergie doesn't even turn up to the training ground most days, Queiroz after his return was the real reason for their recent success. role on the new season, we are going to win the league.

[donaldo]

Instead of trying to finish just in the top 4 we should be trying to win the premiership or the CL.The lack of signings in the positions that needs strengthening is worrying.A top class keeper,a commanding CH,a goalscoring wideman and another striker.The major problem at the end of last season was the lack of quality in depth will there be any difference this season?. Can we rely on the likes of Eboue,Senderos and Diaby i doubt it

[gooner.ed]

Instead of trying to finish just in the top 4 we should be trying to win the premiership or the CL.The lack of signings in the positions that needs strengthening is worrying.A top class keeper,a commanding CH,a goalscoring wideman and another striker.The major problem at the end of last season was the lack of quality in depth will there be any difference this season?. Can we rely on the likes of Eboue,Senderos and Diaby i doubt it

wenger will not buy another striker if adebayor stays. i'm guessing nasri will be the midfield player he buys. i believe wenger will buy a centre back. as for a keeper, it would be a surprise now almunia's been given the number 1 shirt and mannone promoted to almunia's old 24. so on the keeper front, i think that's an example of why wenger isn't perfect. we can do better. but we can't afford to buy nasri, a centre back and a keeper. so yes, we are limited financially, but given the circumstances, wenger's the best man to make bricks out of straw, unless we go down the chelsea route.[/i]

[26may1989]

I agree with everything in Kevin's excellent article. But I have to ask why Wenger said these things in the first place, and once they were published, why neither he nor the club did anything (beyond apparently chatting with Alex Fynn over dinner) to explain the actual position. The band of whingeing, unrealistic Arsenal fans who are starting to say "Silverware this year or else Wenger's out" is growing, and the PR game of managing expectations becoming increasingly important.

It's no good just relying on everyone's good sense - there are a lot of people out there (and several on this Forum) who don't have the good sense to be critically supportive of Wenger, they really do think everything's going tits up and that there's someone out there who can do a better job. To stop those views taking hold, more information is needed.

[Galasso]

Before I start I would like to say that the article is very well written and delivered so well done.

What hasn't been discussed in this email (selectivity!) is that much of the problem is communication from the club ( contradictory at best) and the politics of the boardroom dealings which leaves so many things up in the air for fans, proper fans who have sacrificed more than 20 mins after a match at Old Trafford, and shell out for the highest season ticket prices in the world.

The policy is to spot stars when they are young and pay substantial sums before they become huge stars. Patrick Vieira anyone? Robert Pires? Marc Overmars? Emmanuel Petit? Cesc Fabregas? All improved their reputations after coming to the club.

Yes right. But this is selective. Firstly, I believe of the the top of my head that:

Mark Overmars - European Cup Winner and World Cup / Euro player

Patrick Vieira - French League 1 player and bought by strongest team in Europe at the time (Milan)

Robert Pires - World Cup Winner, Title Winner and Champinos League player

Manu Petit - French League 1 player and European football.

Cesc Fabregas - The Youngest developed through barcelona Youth System.

Of course, these players all benefited greatly and more than they could probably imgaine but they werent novices (fabregas apart) and they were always coming into the side - each one of them - packed with experienced winners.

I trust Arsene Wenger to make the right choices most of the time for the good of the club and nobody in their right mind is against good transfer dealings that benefit the team (quality and spirit).

What is at stake is control of the club and between, agents, players, managers, directors and oligarchs - it's hard to separate spin from fact. if you look at the thread regarding this story, most people are aware of where it came from and its dubious nature - but as a point of discussion regarding our transfer policy as a whole, particularly at this time in our history, is perfectly valid.

Telling people who have genuine concerns for the future of the club that they should go to Chelsea or alienating them doesn't seem very contructive to me.

[Galasso]

Instead of trying to finish just in the top 4 we should be trying to win the premiership or the CL.The lack of signings in the positions that needs strengthening is worrying.A top class keeper,a commanding CH,a goalscoring wideman and another striker.The major problem at the end of last season was the lack of quality in depth will there be any difference this season?. Can we rely on the likes of Eboue,Senderos and Diaby i doubt it

wenger will not buy another striker if adebayor stays. i'm guessing nasri will be the midfield player he buys. i believe wenger will buy a centre back. as for a keeper, it would be a surprise now almunia's been given the number 1 shirt and mannone promoted to almunia's old 24. so on the keeper front, i think that's an example of why wenger isn't perfect. we can do better. but we can't afford to buy nasri, a centre back and a keeper. so yes, we are limited financially, but given the circumstances, wenger's the best man to make bricks out of straw, unless we go down the chelsea route.[/i]

The main point is gonner.ed that most fans would like to see a balance between youth and experience. Arsene Wengers dealings are restricted because his recent policy is out of step with what went on before in terms of buying proven players.

Wiltord, Pires, Overmars, Campbell, Lehmann to name but a few had all won or played in big competitions and proved things.

What the debate is about is for example: How much is keeping Almunia in goal down to Wenger believing that Almunia is good enough (I mean really believing it) or to the fact that he cannot afford what he wants - something better. That's where the debate become interesting.

[gus ceasar is a legend]

This is the best post i've read for a very long time. Thank god there are some level headed intelligent gooners out there. This summer has really distinguished the true gooners from the fake tossers who should be wearing blue.


Cheers Kevin

So is your comment a "level headed, intelligent" one?

Just because people have another view point it makes them a Chelsea fan yeah? Please that is childish and completely unfactual in the extreme.

Yes maybe I am one of the doom and gloom brigade but that has little to do with Wenger and a whole load to do with our club at board level.

To my mind there have been major financial mistakes made which have hampered Arsene. Comments such as Edelman's £60-70 million gem also do not help the situation mainly because it was all fabricated nonsense by the club.

Yes it is a very good piece by Kevin and on the whole I can see where he is coming from with it. However, the negativity that has surrounded the club this summer is largely of the clubs own making and they must take some if not all of the responsibility! I will say though that I think the Chelsea season ticket offer is also unwarranted by Ed!

The summer started badly when a new found hero Flamini walked out the door on a freebie. Since then we have had no news on how such a vital cog is going to be replaced either internally or through the transfer system.

Agreed, it was probably time for Jens to go but the vast majority of Arsenal supporters are not convinced by Almunia. Rightly they feel a club of our standing should have a more capable number one. Without proving himself over a full season Manuel is awarded with a new contract. Why? We wouldn't give Flamini a new contract until he proved himself! Bad vibes again!

Then we had the kit circus. The removal of the white sleeves is yet another source of ill feeling and yet again another massive PR fuck up by our lords and masters!

Nasri...........well who knows what is going on there but the situation is compounded by the fact our glorious club told us this would all be wrapped up before the Euro's! Whoops!

Now we have the Adebayor and Hleb debacle which only shows our club in a poor light. To my mind having players such as these trying to bully the club is the perfect oppurtunity for us to make a stand. By that I do not mean keeping them but by telling them to sit down and shut up whilst Arsenal negotiate the best deal for the club and then leave them to get on with it. If that best deal doesn't happen to be the players choice then tough they can stay and have the pleasure of facing us lot every week next season!

The positives..........Ramsey we hope and Theo getting the fourteen shirt!

Not a lot for us to cling onto hey!

Whilst I do not agree we will struggle to get a CL spot next year I do strongly believe that we are better and should be pushing for more than that!

The time is coming where Arsenal have to make a statement of intent and anymore failures to do so will be seen in a negative light yet again!

So yes let's keep it on an even keel and not go overboard but when people wonder why some of us have the hump I suggest they look towards the club itself!

[Sammy Mooner]

The Highbury Spy thinks things at the club are so desperate he is convinced we will finish below Tottenham next season. Do you agree with him?

The Highbury Spy is at least consistent in his inconsistency, he's a great bloke to go drinking with if you want a hangover the next day but he has for years had a tendency to open his mouth before engaging his brain. The Spy, like the NoTW often believes that 2+2 = 5 because that's what they want to believe or want us to believe.

Arsenal do clearly have money but not nearly enough to pointlessly piss it up the wall. To spend big money on big names is not enough, to spend big money on mediocre names is even more stupid. A balanced team is what is required. Spending money like idiots is what the Totts and Newkie-Broons do year after year without success. And what Leeds did before they went bust. It doesn't work. What works is buying the right players at the right price and Wenger is usually able to do this.

It is one of my hobbies to take money from a Tiny Tott each season. £150 in the past three seasons based on an even £50 bet for highest up the league. If the Spy fancies a punt, then please point him in my direction Ed.

[augie]

Gallasso got his reply in ahead of my and I agree 100% that the article by whitcher is as selective as the tabloids and fans he is broadly condemning Galasso has already made the point re the PV4's and the like that wenger brought in cheap but that isnt the only flaw in the original post - he points to the scousers and scum following our lead but I would look at their purchases (torres,woodgate,gomez for example) as these clubs recognising weaknesses and not being afraid to spend the money rectifying them. Do you honestly think that wenger will spend £20m on a top quality striker to replace ade if he goes ? Will he fuck He'll look to bring in martins or someone like him on the cheap when there are talented quality strikers out there that would do a better job for us.

Also there is no point talking about what ticket prices we might have been paying had we stayed at highbury - we are already paying the highest ticket prices in england but according to you we should shut our mouths complaining or piss off to chavski

As gus and a few others have pointed out all is not going well at THOF 2 and the sooner some wise up and face facts the better but dont expect the rest of us to remain silent just so we dont wake ye up from your slumber

[Galasso]

Don't know what the fuck I did there - was only trying to correct a punctuation mistake!

There goes my place in the starting XI

[I Hate Hleb]

Although I don't consider myself a member of either the 'Doom & Gloom' or the 'Rose-Tinted' clubs, I agree that the original article by Kevin was both selective in it's examples and harsh in it's criticism of those that are genuinely worried as to where our club is going.

I also am concerned with the way the Club communicates with the fans and the way they allow the media to set agendas which run and run instead of coming out quickly and stopping the untruths before they gain any currency.

I must also say I'm getting a bit fed up of hearing the Nicloas Anelka example - which by the way was nearly 10 years ago - as a reason we shouldn't criticize Wenger/the club's transfer policy, and that we should just shut-up because Wenger has proven all he needed to with that bit of business.

I could just as easily bring up many examples of where Wenger has wasted/not received money back on players - Wiltord; Edu and Jeffers spring to mind - as well as plenty of signings that were cheap yet didn't come off.

So in conclusion, just as the Doom and Gloomers need to keep things in perspective, so do the 'Rose-Tinters' on this forum and elsewhere. It's been said before but, great manager that he undoubtedly has been, the truth is 'Arsene doesn't always know' !! Of course Wenger has performed minor miracles keeping us competitive and I don't think the majority of gooners would want to see him replaced. However, he is not infallible and it seems some people still need to face up to that fact.

[Chippy7]

Personally I love the clubs dignified media / transfer policy.
Great article - some common sense at last!