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Arsenal should have bought before selling

Gunners now in weak bargaining position

24 August, 2011 10:00 13 comments
Arsenal should have bought before selling

Cesc: Wrong way round

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I feel today that we are going to lose to Udinese and go out of the Champions League. We'll play in the Europa league. Hurrah.

How have we reached here? Simply through willful negligence on Arsene Wenger's part AS WELL AS the board. We cannot blame Wenger alone although he has to take much of the responsibility.

When we had the chance strengthen the squad in January with four trophies to play for, he refused to do that. When everybody in the world knew Wenger simply had to. Where was the board during that time? Why didn't anyone speak to him to say, Arsene, you simply have to buy a centre back!? We all know what happened in the following few months.

Now we have reached a make or break point. The board and Wenger knew that Fabregas and Nasri will go. It was obvious to everyone including the board. So why did the board let this drag on and sanction the purchase of teenagers for vast some of money? Shouldn't they have insisted that he bought cover for defence? Moreover, when they knew that Fabregas will leave, why didn't they go out and buy midfielder before both Fabregas and Nasri departed?

We all know football is a business now. Arsenal was (is it still?) considered the Bank of England club. Just like the bank, Arsenal have reached a point that is teetering on the brink. If a CEO knew what is stake in a company due to lack of investment, but the COO refused the investment, gambled and lost, the CEO would sack the COO. If the board knew what was going on, they would sack the CEO too. But at Arsenal, nobody seems to be accountable. I am not sure what Kroenke is doing?

Even as we prepare for the CL, somebody should be doing the business of bringing in players, leaving Wenger and the playing staff to concentrate on the game. But I have no confidence this is happening going by the developments in the last few months.

Even a fool wouldn't show his hand before starting to play poker, but somehow our football club that is run by successful business people managed to do so by selling before buying!

Is this is the end as we know it?

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13
comments

  1. Archangel Arsene

    Aug 24, 2011, 23:48 #11787

    Tbh... I also felt a bit nervy about the club in the last few months but this was more than a bit premature... you rolled the negative blog dice and came up snake eyes "San whats the score? Sanie Sanie whats the score?" I will take this back if Man u do the dirty on us :) but right now i'm over the moon. PS. Chesney is the one and only! strip Almunia the Clown and give hime the freakin No.1 shirt ffs.

  2. Rossco

    Aug 24, 2011, 14:07 #11771

    No 'execeptional quality' footballer is going to sign for a club without the assurance of Champions league football, ulsess they are being paid stupid amounts of money (a la Man City) which we're not willing to do. Because we don't pay top wages, CL football is the only real barganing chip we have in attracting the 'exeptional talent' full international, seasond pros we all want. People drone on on 'why haven't we signed a player' when we were never were going to get anybody amazing until we can assure them we are defo in the chanmpions league. Having all summer means nothing until we guarenteed to be in this years competition. Also in case everyone has forgot it is the European Championships at the end of the season again players vying for spots for their national team want to be in the shop window that is the CL. For all we know deals are lined up but are subject to us qulaifying for the Champions League. Here's my take on it. Deals for the 'quality' are lined up but are subject to CL qualification. The sale of Nasri is the plan B to recieve a similiar income should we not qualify. As the £22m earned from the sale could be used on a transfer of possible lesser but will lessen the impact of the departure.

  3. GoonerGoal!

    Aug 24, 2011, 13:29 #11768

    "Why didn't anyone speak to him to say, Arsene, you simply have to buy a centre back?" Probably because nobody on the board possesses a scrap of football knowledge and is aware that Wenger knows that. "Somebody should be doing the business of bringing in players..." and who of our football experienced midgets should that be then? Sorry to keep repeating myself but - "WE NEED DEIN!" "WE NEED DEIN!" "WE NEED DEIN!"

  4. DeZGooner

    Aug 24, 2011, 13:17 #11767

    Why start with such a negative comment? Assuming we are going to lose, lets hope you are not actually going to the match tonight! If it happens then it happens and then we can begin the crucifixtion......I stopped reading your article after that

  5. Michael Pinnell

    Aug 24, 2011, 12:51 #11763

    Your so right the board need to open the purse strings and Wenger his eyes or bad times ahead

  6. TT

    Aug 24, 2011, 12:50 #11762

    I'm not sure what your point is. Stan Kroenke is ultimately accountable, but only to himself, as he is the majority shareholder. Wenger has to manage to a set of guidelines put forward by Kroenke and the board. In past seasons it has been transfer fees which were the problem, this year it seem that wages are the issue. Big time players are not moving to clubs who can't afford 180K pw salaries. So replacing Fabregas and Nasri is going to be no easy matter even if we can persuade clubs to sell. We need to sign these players to 4 year contracts, and even the up and coming stars will not sign for 80K for 4 years. Knowing that they might get 150K in a years time from one of the richer clubs. Arsenal cannot affford to raise their pay structure because it is massively expensive. Even a 10% rise for the top players equates to 50M - 100M, which is our entire transfer kitty.

  7. Charlie

    Aug 24, 2011, 12:47 #11760

    Dear San, I have read your post with bewilderment. Do you honestly believe that wenger is to blame for the shambles that we find our club in? I'm afraid that the current state of affairs that we find our team in is down to money and the board not willing to increase the wages of our top players. We have a salery cap at 110k p/w and the board will not increase this figure. We already pay out 67% of all revenues on wages!! With all the top clubs paying massively in excess of this figure it is not difficult to see why players are looking over their shoulders for the rewards to be made playing at other top teams. Take a look outside the box I'ts obvious why we have been investing so heavily in youth. For the club to remain a well run business model we have to invest heavily in youth because young players cost a fraction of the cost of class experienced players and can have huge sell on values. I'm afraid unless the board relax their salery cap or allow the club to be run by a benfactor ie City or Chelski we will not be able to compete. did you know that the City lot tried to buy take over Arsenal and rightly we told them to sod off! For the record we could not buy at the beginning of the transfer window because their wasn't any cash available. Do you want us to increase or salery cap only for the club to become financially unstable?

  8. frank elderton

    Aug 24, 2011, 12:44 #11759

    I AM AN AVID GOONER SINCE AGE OF 9YRS NOW 72 YRS OLD, I AGREE WITH ABOVE COMMENTS AND HAVE ALWAYS DEFENDED THE ARSENAL BUT AT THE MOMENT SITUATION SEEMS INSANE AND ITS NO GOOD CLOSING THE AFTER THE HORSE HAS BOLTED AND ARSENAL ARE FOR THE SURPPORTERS NO ONE ELSE SO CMON SIGN PLAYERS PLEASE

  9. GunnerZim

    Aug 24, 2011, 12:40 #11758

    I am not sure your argument makes sense friend.Everyone knew Arsenal were selling Cesc and Nasri.If we had bought replacements while these guys were still around it may still have weakened our negotiating position as it would have been obvious that we needed to sell them in order to balance our wage bill.I think the recent rumours that there is discord between Arsene and the board are true.Apparently Arsene wants to pay top fees and wages for top players yet Stan and co only want to pay the fees whilst maintaining the current wage structure.The board are forcing Arsene to get the likes of Dann and Cahill just to appease the fans.'Gritty English players' who are not really much better than what we have.As much as Arsene has his weaknesses I think we fans suffer because there seem to be no true Arsenal fans at board level.Too many suits and MBAs.

  10. dave

    Aug 24, 2011, 12:32 #11756

    Agree with every thing you have spot on. Got a bad feeling tonight, then we will not get the players we so badly need. What is happening to our club.........

  11. rellends

    Aug 24, 2011, 12:31 #11754

    i'm not expecting a rash of signings. i scan the gossip each day religiously and we don't seem to be linked with anyone. plus, realistically, it takes about 6 weeks for us to conclude any transfer business and the window shuts next wednesday. any teams that we buy off will want replacements before they sell as well. the board have been a joke in all of this. i will get behind the team tonight and roar them on from my armchair but i'm not confident and don't expect to get anything at old trafford on sunday. it's all so painful yet it could have all been avoided if we had anybody with a pair of balls on the board. this sorry state would never have happened if dein had still been at the club.

  12. Paul Antino

    Aug 24, 2011, 12:31 #11755

    Sam too much logic in buying before selling mate :)

  13. fred

    Aug 24, 2011, 12:25 #11753

    The problem comes from coming 4th in the league. This has stopped us being able to buy players of quality as they all want Champions League football. That is why mata signed for Chelsea and why we have to wait to see if we qualify. I cannot believe that all these blogs have not recognised this. It is also difficult to sign people when there is a feeling that Arsenal are falling apart. So it isnt about recognising players and getting them in but more about the status and situation that we are finding ourselves in. One that we have been complicite in creating and are now finding it difficult to alter as we are finding it difficult to find quality players who 'want' to sign for us. Arsenal abides!