As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Metalheadz Gooner wrote:Do things the "arsenal way" or with "tradition" and we'll carry on with the same arguments you get on here day in day out. Basically we will go backwards !
Move forward and get the sugar daddy who wants to win, who can't stand losing, wants to be the best and we'll become a force again.
It's one of those situation where if you can't beat them, join them and we need a mega rich owner. Because currently we won't pay the top wages and thats what you've got to do to get the best.
We can if we had a different board. No need for a sugardaddy.
it is actually depressing that with all this money we make all be it with crap commercial revenue we can't afford to stump up the money buy the best players in the world.
I do think both the board and Wenger are holding us back.
Whether they're waiting for the debts to clear or more revenue to come in only time will tell. It's only a short time as well.
Metalheadz Gooner wrote:Do things the "arsenal way" or with "tradition" and we'll carry on with the same arguments you get on here day in day out. Basically we will go backwards !
Move forward and get the sugar daddy who wants to win, who can't stand losing, wants to be the best and we'll become a force again.
It's one of those situation where if you can't beat them, join them and we need a mega rich owner. Because currently we won't pay the top wages and thats what you've got to do to get the best.
We can if we had a different board. No need for a sugardaddy.
it is actually depressing that with all this money we make all be it with crap commercial revenue we can't afford to stump up the money buy the best players in the world.
I do think both the board and Wenger are holding us back.
Whether they're waiting for the debts to clear or more revenue to come in only time will tell. It's only a short time as well.
It's clear that more can, and could, be done now.
Anyone know where the loan debt stands?
If the club had a vision or the board and management spoke about wanting to win etc I would be more supportive to them. But frankly their is no vision now the stadium is built. I want to hear the manager saying how he wants the club to be taken on to the next level etc. But we just get average players bought and world class players sold.
The biggest problem with "happy being second for 20 yrs" is that if you aim for that you end up finishing outside the top 4. Average players will get comfortable with being average because average is exceptable, quality players will leave.
Its no co-incidence that Liverpool and Sp*rs have caught up with us over the last couple of seasons.
Trouble is by the time 2014 rolls around and we can renegotiate our shockingly bad commercial deals, by that time we'll be nowhere near as attractive to investors.
Metalheadz Gooner wrote:
If the club had a vision or the board and management spoke about wanting to win etc I would be more supportive to them. But frankly their is no vision now the stadium is built. I want to hear the manager saying how he wants the club to be taken on to the next level etc. But we just get average players bought and world class players sold.
And refuses to change tactics !!!!
To be fair he has done that, in deed if not in word. He's taken us from being a a top 2 finishing and trophy winning club down to CL aspirates and Europa League candidates.
worthing_gooner wrote:Trouble is by the time 2014 rolls around and we can renegotiate our shockingly bad commercial deals, by that time we'll be nowhere near as attractive to investors.
Yes but even in this climate it can't be worse.
And remember the previous money just went on the stadium, paid up front. This time we can get on of those nice ££M Per season deals!
I was talking to a mate (s***d fan) in the pub last Thursday night, on how the money from Sky, Clge and primarily super rich owners, is or has killed the game for other clubs. And how whether we like it or not we are now one of these “other clubsâ€
The "Arsenal" way doesn't mean things don't change. Our reputation was built on the basis that we were at the forefront of the evolution of the modern game.
To me, that means that we absolutely must change our wage structure to meet the demands of the modern footballer, but that also brings sacrifices with it. I am sure that the additional 6.5% ticket increase would have been easier to swallow if that meant we were able to offer contracts (to the right players) that the cream of european football can earn elsewhere.
I also agree with Usmanov in that we need to speculate a little to accumulate in the future. 2014 will be a massive year for the club and we absolutely must be in the Champions League at this time.
Many businesses speculate for future growth and it is not unsustainable if this happens. I don't expect hundreds of millions to be spent on players, but we should be able to spend what we generate.
The Premier League IS running the risk of ending up like La Liga. Except with 3 clubs in the Prem instead of 2.
As long as that is the case, the top titles (League and CL) will be won by one of those. We cannot and will not get any higher regardless of who you want in charge of the team and/or club affairs.
Boomer wrote:
Anyone know where the loan debt stands?
The stadium loan is now restructured as bonds.
Paid off at roughly £21M per year until 2031.
Early repayment is possible but would incur financial penalties for the club.
I meant the amount. It was around £125M when we massively brought it down in one year. That was well over a year ago.
The Highbury Redevlopment loans were reduced in one year, but the stadium bonds are repayment per year, £21M.
(Give or take a small variation for interest rates according to some articles I have read).
I do not know how much is left, because I do not know if we are paying off the interest first, then the capital amount borrowed, or if the interest and capital are paid off at the same time.
Boomer wrote:
Anyone know where the loan debt stands?
The stadium loan is now restructured as bonds.
Paid off at roughly £21M per year until 2031.
Early repayment is possible but would incur financial penalties for the club.
I meant the amount. It was around £125M when we massively brought it down in one year. That was well over a year ago.
The Highbury Redevlopment loans were reduced in one year, but the stadium bonds are repayment per year, £21M.
(Give or take a small variation for interest rates according to some articles I have read).
I do not know how much is left, because I do not know if we are paying off the interest first, then the capital amount borrowed, or if the interest and capital are paid off at the same time.
