The way to get their attention

[Gunner4LiF3]

I'm not entirely against this Arsenal FC, NOT PLC campaign

BUT

do you people not realise that Arsenal is stretching its budget as far as it can? We have made a loss in the last 6 months of £2.5 million and that included £3.3 million profit from the sale of 50 apartments in Highbury Square. http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_files/do ... alf_Ye.pdf

So before you guys rush of and protest take a step back and think what more do you guys want? Do you want Arsenal to get into more debt then we already have?

The fact is we cannot afford to buy £30 million players. Statements like "3 quality players will bring us success" make me laugh, Galacticos with all the money and starts in the world went years without lifting a trophy.

I however agree that resources could be put to better use ie improved contracts only to players who deserve it, but apart from that I think we are a well run football club...

Oh and one final point, a player doesn't have to cost £30 million to be a quality player... Vidic joined Man U for £7 million and what a player he turned out to be. I think we have been unlucky in the transfer market, and we missed out on some good signings too, eg Smalling

[SteveO 35]

I'm not entirely against this Arsenal FC, NOT PLC campaign

BUT

do you people not realise that Arsenal is stretching its budget as far as it can? We have made a loss in the last 6 months of £2.5 million and that included £3.3 million profit from the sale of 50 apartments in Highbury Square. http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_files/do ... alf_Ye.pdf

So before you guys rush of and protest take a step back and think what more do you guys want? Do you want Arsenal to get into more debt then we already have?

The fact is we cannot afford to buy £30 million players. Statements like "3 quality players will bring us success" make me laugh, Galacticos with all the money and starts in the world went years without lifting a trophy.

I however agree that resources could be put to better use ie improved contracts only to players who deserve it, but apart from that I think we are a well run football club...

Oh and one final point, a player doesn't have to cost £30 million to be a quality player... Vidic joined Man U for £7 million and what a player he turned out to be. I think we have been unlucky in the transfer market, and we missed out on some good signings too, eg Smalling

I think you'll find that the losses are being exacerbated by the club amazingly having drummed up a wage bill that now runs at £8m per annum higher than the prior year. Do you think that investment is paying returns ?

How about cutting the ridiculously overpriced youth academy investment, worldwide scouting network and overpaid 2nd string players - none of which has yielded any better return than any other football club in the Premiership - and spending it on 2 acquisitions of top quality per season.

[mikeyb772001]

Its amazing that some gooners think finishing in top 4 is successful

You are brain washed by wenger I am sure.

But if that’s what you enjoy go ahead. Jesus are we spurs????

No mate, I am not brainwashed by anyone.

People have different opinions, and to be honest it's getting pretty fucking annoying when anyone who does not want to call Wenger a c**t. the board c**ts, denilson a c**t, diaby a c**t, arshavin a c**t is deluded a sheep must be fucking mad. I have been going to Arsenal over 20 years, I have had a season ticket since 95, I fcuking love Arsenal it has been my life for so long and has played a part emotionally in real life situation. Please stop digging out people because they don't see it the same as you.

Let's try this again. Man City. How much have they spent JUST TO GET IN THE TOP 4. In the modern game being in the Champions League IS an acheivement.

Put it this way, if we had won the carling cup and fa cup every year for the past 10 years, but not qualified for the cl would you be happy?

I don’t care about Man Citeh, they are a little club and top 4 for them is massive.

So if we can nearly win the league every year without spending, why don’t we spend???

As I said if your happy with having no ambition and losing then fill your boots.

Is the Chairman said winning is important to us but not the main goal.

Maybe I am the mad one for not sharing the views, you, wenger and the board have.

yes i would be slightly more happy as the CL is the devils cup, it only means money and is the reason we only push to get in top 4!
If it wasnt for the CL we would of won the leauge many times in the last few years.

As I said before, so were Chelsea before they had money, look at them now.

I am not suggesting you are mate, all I am saying is that people clearly have different views on this and you should just be a little more understanding of that.

I have never had a go at you or anyone else because of what your opinion is. I am just saying maybe, maybe you should think the same when accusing people of being brainwashed.

We would've won the league many times ? Based on what ?

Listen mate, I am more than happy for any Arsenal fan to have an opinion, set up a protest group or do whatever they want if that's how they feel. At the same time I wouldn't resort to insulting those who didn't share my opinion on it.

Good Luck with the group.

Yes I agree fair points. I don’t mean to rant but I am so fed up! Sorry!

Got 2 months to get the rest of my season ticket money. Have to use credit cards , sell stuff on fucking eBay and borrow just so I have enough.

Got a flat to decorate and an angry Mrs as I cant afford holidays or to take her out more.

I think why do I bother? Why don’t the club value us anymore. All I hear is price increase and that Wining is not everything! Then every summer the same old story of players leaving and us never investing in the club.

Would be nice to hear that Arsenal sign a world class player or that the club have announced to rise ticket prices due to the fact we haven’t won anything for 6+ seasons.

If I can go to such lengths along with 1000’s of others then why cant we sign a decent fucking player

Just sick of it!

Hence the group is a good thing to make some of us feel better. If you don’t like fair enough but try not to slate it as it causes yet more frustration.

[clockendal]

Yes I agree fair points. I don’t mean to rant but I am so fed up! Sorry!

Got 2 months to get the rest of my season ticket money. Have to use credit cards , sell stuff on fucking eBay and borrow just so I have enough.

Got a flat to decorate and an angry Mrs as I cant afford holidays or to take her out more.

I think why do I bother? Why don’t the club value us anymore. All I hear is price increase and that Wining is not everything! Then every summer the same old story of players leaving and us never investing in the club.

Would be nice to hear that Arsenal sign a world class player or that the club have announced to rise ticket prices due to the fact we haven’t won anything for 6+ seasons.

If I can go to such lengths along with 1000’s of others then why cant we sign a decent fucking player

Just sick of it!

Hence the group is a good thing to make some of us feel better. If you don’t like fair enough but try not to slate it as it causes yet more frustration.

I know how you feel mate, I've got 2 kids summer holidays to plan etc. I think it's called life I know it's a struggle mate, I guess you have to work out if it's worth it ? I mean it doesn't seem to bring you much happiness ?

The group is there to "make you feel better" and there's me thinking it had a serious aim...

And as to "If you don’t like fair enough but try not to slate it as it causes yet more frustration"

I believe I said Listen mate, I am more than happy for any Arsenal fan to have an opinion, set up a protest group or do whatever they want if that's how they feel. At the same time I wouldn't resort to insulting those who didn't share my opinion on it

Good Luck with the group.


If you read that as me "slating it" you really should get some help on the anger managment.

[maddog]

Loud chants of "we dont know what we're doing!".... that should have us falling on our faces too!

[mikeyb772001]

Yes I agree fair points. I don’t mean to rant but I am so fed up! Sorry!

Got 2 months to get the rest of my season ticket money. Have to use credit cards , sell stuff on fucking eBay and borrow just so I have enough.

Got a flat to decorate and an angry Mrs as I cant afford holidays or to take her out more.

I think why do I bother? Why don’t the club value us anymore. All I hear is price increase and that Wining is not everything! Then every summer the same old story of players leaving and us never investing in the club.

Would be nice to hear that Arsenal sign a world class player or that the club have announced to rise ticket prices due to the fact we haven’t won anything for 6+ seasons.

If I can go to such lengths along with 1000’s of others then why cant we sign a decent fucking player

Just sick of it!

Hence the group is a good thing to make some of us feel better. If you don’t like fair enough but try not to slate it as it causes yet more frustration.

I know how you feel mate, I've got 2 kids summer holidays to plan etc. I think it's called life I know it's a struggle mate, I guess you have to work out if it's worth it ? I mean it doesn't seem to bring you much happiness ?

The group is there to "make you feel better" and there's me thinking it had a serious aim...

And as to "If you don’t like fair enough but try not to slate it as it causes yet more frustration"

I believe I said Listen mate, I am more than happy for any Arsenal fan to have an opinion, set up a protest group or do whatever they want if that's how they feel. At the same time I wouldn't resort to insulting those who didn't share my opinion on it

Good Luck with the group.


If you read that as me "slating it" you really should get some help on the anger managment.

I didn’t mean you slating it, it was a few others on the thread just to wind us up.

In answer to the question I will always but the season ticket and make the effort because I cant turn my back on it.

Oh well time will tell

Lets hope this time 4 months we aren’t losers with Cesc, Nasri, and others wanting to leave.

[highburyJD]

I'm sure the youth team has been better than self sufficient
we've received significant transfer fees for loads of players
Bentley alone covers his generation ffs

Atletico Madrid decided your idea was a good one
cut their youth budget to keep money for the first team
and Raul went to Real Madrid...

[Arsenal 1991]

I'm sure the youth team has been better than self sufficient
we've received significant transfer fees for loads of players
Bentley alone covers his generation ffs

Atletico Madrid decided your idea was a good one
cut their youth budget to keep money for the first team
and Raul went to Real Madrid...

More recently has it been successful, so many players have been leaving on a free. Imagine the amount of wages we've wasted on them. Then we've got Denilson, Diaby, Bentdner, Rosicky, Almunia and Squillaci who are costing us millions a year and just hindering our efforts.

I agree with the youth investment strategy but not if they are being rewarded with pay rises based on little/no merit.

[highburyJD]

the regular copntract renewals are a response to losing hleb, flamini, edu and gilberto
we cant have it both ways

[SteveO 35]

I'm sure the youth team has been better than self sufficient
we've received significant transfer fees for loads of players
Bentley alone covers his generation ffs

Atletico Madrid decided your idea was a good one
cut their youth budget to keep money for the first team
and Raul went to Real Madrid...

Anyone can use an exception to a rule to suit their argument. If you're happy running an overly expensive youth facility that brings through one genuine homegrown first teamer every five years that's up to you. Flogging Bentley - so what, Man United can claim they did that with Richardson, what does that prove ? Do United continue to overinvest in youth at the expense of the first team on the basis that a couple of sales to Grade B clubs along the way pays for itself ?

Is our system any better than Southampton's that has produced Walcott, Bale and Oxlade-Chamberlain; a provincial club that nearly folded and runs their youth set-up at a tenth of the cost. Add Ipswich to that list and they'll sell Connor Wickham for as big a fee as any we've re-couped for our recent youth prospects that have been moved on. We have produced Wilshere and possibly now Kieran Gibbs as meaningful first teamers as our 'own'. Who before that ? Ashley Cole.

Feeding clubs like Blackburn, QPR and Middlesbrough with our 2nd raters having had them for 5-10 years is hardly a succesful model.

[Arsenal 1991]

the regular copntract renewals are a response to losing hleb, flamini, edu and gilberto
we cant have it both ways

I agree, don't mind Jack, Nasri etc. getting raises and renewals but Eboue, Diaby, Denilson??? They have little resale value anyway.

[USMartin]

1) I think to be fair, the financial goal posts moved with the economic crisis in 2008, the housing market collapse and the influence of the likes of Man City. I think this had a big effect on the clubs policy and strategy in terms of spending

I had to reply. No offense but this really is simply untrue our financiall policy would have been well and truly bollocksed up already by the decision to borrow an additional 130 million to re-develop Highbury instead of making an inmmediate 40-80 million by selling it to a developer.

Yes we made an additional profit on the project and might have made a bigger one but for the economic crisis, but already we had increased our long term debt over 40%, our debt owed by 2010 over 100% and denied ourselves the means to pay off up to 30% of the stadium loan by 2010 without using money from the club that would almost certainly have gone back into the football team otherwise. The economic crisis changed none of that because it was already in place by then, and it has not stopped spending more since then though we still have not as yet either.

3) By failure, do you mean constantly finishing in the top 4 ? Yes you and I know we both want to WIN things, but it's hardly failure is it ? Just look how much money Man City have spent JUST TO MAKE THE TOP 4. Look how Spurs are lapping it up ? I agree it's not winning trophies, but I don't think it can be called failure.

I would say the issue is not one of failure but lack of effort, or concern. We have not failed at all other than to keep up the standards set from 1998-2005. The problem is whether we have made the very best effort we could have to do that responsibly and I think the answer is clearly no , and the comments from the Board members like Perter Hill-Wood and Ivan Gazidis basically saying "so what" if we don't win trophies drive the sense of that lack of effort or concern home.

No we have no divine right to win trophies every year or whatever.

No we don't expect to win trophies every year no matter waht.

But it breaks our hearts to fall short every year, especially knowing that with a little more effort from inside the club we might not fall short the same way every time, and it angers us that it doesn't break our Board of supporters like us as we are assured they are the way it does ours.

[the playing mantis]

didnt think id ever say this, but well put martin. and relatively concisely..im talking about the best effort to succeed bit

(why do we deliberatly compete with the hand break on, to use a wengerism, by not spending what we do have..thats the biggest beef of most anti wengers/boards

...whos to blame for that is a different colour horse completly....!

[USMartin]

didnt think id ever say this, but well put martin. and relatively concisely..im talking about the best effort to succeed bit

(why do we deliberatly compete with the hand break on, to use a wengerism, by not spending what we do have..thats the biggest beef of most anti wengers/boards

...whos to blame for that is a different colour horse completly....!

Who is to blame matters solely because that is the only way to figure out how to actually correct things.

In other words if you sack the manager but the same policies remain in place nothing changes really under his replacement does it ? By the same token if the Board says spend more of the money we have and the current manager says no nothing really changes does it?

If there is a problem that requires correction imminently but you aren't absolutely certain what it is you can't ruel out any possibilities if oyu want to make sure its actually corrected, well, correctly.

[clockendal]

1) I think to be fair, the financial goal posts moved with the economic crisis in 2008, the housing market collapse and the influence of the likes of Man City. I think this had a big effect on the clubs policy and strategy in terms of spending

I had to reply. No offense but this really is simply untrue our financiall policy would have been well and truly bollocksed up already by the decision to borrow an additional 130 million to re-develop Highbury instead of making an inmmediate 40-80 million by selling it to a developer.

Yes we made an additional profit on the project and might have made a bigger one but for the economic crisis, but already we had increased our long term debt over 40%, our debt owed by 2010 over 100% and denied ourselves the means to pay off up to 30% of the stadium loan by 2010 without using money from the club that would almost certainly have gone back into the football team otherwise. The economic crisis changed none of that because it was already in place by then, and it has not stopped spending more since then though we still have not as yet either.

3) By failure, do you mean constantly finishing in the top 4 ? Yes you and I know we both want to WIN things, but it's hardly failure is it ? Just look how much money Man City have spent JUST TO MAKE THE TOP 4. Look how Spurs are lapping it up ? I agree it's not winning trophies, but I don't think it can be called failure.

I would say the issue is not one of failure but lack of effort, or concern. We have not failed at all other than to keep up the standards set from 1998-2005. The problem is whether we have made the very best effort we could have to do that responsibly and I think the answer is clearly no , and the comments from the Board members like Perter Hill-Wood and Ivan Gazidis basically saying "so what" if we don't win trophies drive the sense of that lack of effort or concern home.

No we have no divine right to win trophies every year or whatever.

No we don't expect to win trophies every year no matter waht.

But it breaks our hearts to fall short every year, especially knowing that with a little more effort from inside the club we might not fall short the same way every time, and it angers us that it doesn't break our Board of supporters like us as we are assured they are the way it does ours.

Our financial strategy may well have been in place, and it may not have been the right one.

But, the financial crisis had an impact on all business, it would have made the club look at the financial position and re-evaluate it.

Man City DID affect the transfer market, and fees and wages associated with it. Of that there is no doubt. So in turn that does have a knock on effect on us. The "X"M we were going to spend on a player and wages would then enable to probably only get a lesser player.