Number 5 wrote:
Since then I firmly believe it has been a heavy mixture of negligence, arrogance and stubbornness that have brought us to our knees more than it has come from £30m extravagent signings at other clubs.
your memory is better than mine mate, I was using Ferdinand (who has and will always be shite) as a general example - looking it up on Wikipedia, manyoo bought Saha,Ronaldo, Alan Smith and Heinze in 2003, and then Rooney for 27million and Pique for free in 2004.
that is where we started to fall behind (and when RA bought chelski) - but I agree completely, our failure has been a combination of several things as you say - stubborness, arrogance, etc.
I am not overjoyed with wenger - no Plan B, no set piece training, no videos, not ruthless enough with young players etc... BUT I don't see who would have done better or could do better, having spent that little money :
look at the Net Spend since 2003 :
now, I accept what the other posters have said too, that we waste a shed load of money on keeping dross way way too long ( compare Song to Petit, for example in terms of skill in the same role), but really we haven't splashed the cash - until at the last minute this summer.
so we're playing catch up - whether we will, who knows but i've been supporting Arsenal since 1977 and we've gone up and down. I hope we come back up, if we continue to spend money and Arsene starts to accept his mistakes.
If he doesn't accept his mistakes, then I agree we are a second tier side until we fail to make 4th and then he's gone.
