31 Jul 2016 16:06:59
Arsenal fans need to calm down. Just complaining about absolutely everything possible, finding fault in things that aren't there sometimes and then searching for more. Also talking about stuff as if it's fact when most people have no idea.
Just a few examples:
Arteta gave us a couple of very stable years when we were struggling and then yes was maybe played a bit too much past his peak. But he was still clearly, as NE says below, a good role model and obviously brings something if City wanted him. So stop going overboard about him.
Vardy saying 'it was easy'. The most obvious and normal connotations you can take from that aren't that nobody wants to join Arsenal anymore. Its more likely loyalty, simplicity (choosing not to uproot family and lifestyle) , and also just giving the fans what they want to hear.
We were all so desperate for a proper DM for so long, and then we get one and the only thing a lot of people can say is that we didn't sign a CB or a ST first, or that we didn't sign Kante.
Some people saying we have £200mil in reserves, others saying its closer to like £50/ 60mil. Doesn't sound like anyone is 100% sure, and until someone can show some proof we shouldn't speculate unnecessarily.
Its almost gotten to the point where I want signings for Arsenal just to prove everyone wrong rather than because it will improve the team. I'm sure if we did sign Mustafi, Mahrez or Lacazette, there would be something new to complain about anyway.
All I am trying to say is calm down. We are in the champion's league. We have a good squad with only 2 holes that might get filled anyway. Be realistic. We are not a club in turmoil. Stop acting like we are.
31 Jul 2016 16:44:28
Hmmmmm
Arteta, brilliant he was a good role, well that will win you loads and clearly ignored by JW
Vardy. Don't give me the loyalty stuff, we weren't big enough simple as that .
We didn't need Xhaka we have plenty in that position it was the least of our priorities
No one knows what we have in the bank but we should be able to spend more than the annual 40 mill
If we signed a quality CB and CF it would shut many people up and the moaning would subside
Yippee CL football again, great . Do you think we will get out of the group stages? One thing is for sure yet again we haven't got a chance of winning, same old same old .
Who said we are in turmoil? What more and more people are saying is that we are miles offf our potential.
31 Jul 2016 16:51:35
Seems as though you are settling for our current mediocre state. I am much more ambitious. This season is vital for this club. The smaller clubs are catching up and the bigger clubs are strengthening further. We will be in a very scary position if we don't add to our squad, especially with the inevitable in season injuries.
31 Jul 2016 16:57:54
Nobody says we are in turmoil.
But, we have a built in reluctance to move on and take things higher, due to a manager and board who don't want to pay market value for players who will improve us and make it possible to win the League and put in a proper CL challenge.
Wenger compliments Barcelona by saying they are "a fantastic team with fantastic players, they are what we should be aiming for", yet when he gets the chance to sign players who would push us a step closer to the calibre of Barca, he refuses to pay the going rate.
Gazidis says "We can buy anybody, we have the money", yet won't pay the (reasonable) asking price for players.
Our manager/ board talk a good game, but don't back it up.
They won't pay the asking price for quality players, but expect Arsenal fan's to pay over the top asking price for season tickets.
31 Jul 2016 17:14:46
Banbury the whole point of my post, was to show that there are two sides and that we shouldn't always look to the negative one as it seems you have just then.
And "Yippee Champions league football again" are you kidding me? It pains me that no one rates 16-17 years of consecutive champs league, or however long it is, as an achievement.
And at not one point did I say I wasn't ambitious AL, I'm not content with just champions league, I obviously will always want to be competing for the title and I know a CB and a ST are probably necessary to do that.
But don't you think maybe part of the reason we never do well, especially at the start of the season, is because our fans have already written the team off before the season has started.
Again just saying its not all doom and gloom. And also we shouldn't be putting the nail in the coffin at least until the end of the transfer window, even if the signings we want are unlikely now.
31 Jul 2016 17:16:23
Correct Dags
Top top prices for what?
Liverpool will be interesting, watch us get beat then quickly go and buy someone?
31 Jul 2016 17:18:00
Also I quite clearly understand nobody has said the words "we are in turmoil". Just some people are taking the bashing too far.
And I definitely agree with some points about the board, but again there are two sides to it. All I am saying.
31 Jul 2016 17:28:55
Henry
CL - we get laughed at we are NOWHERE near good enough, we beat BM last year and people were saying watch out Europe - don't make me laugh.
I didn't say you weren't ambitious?
The way the team start the season is nothing to do with the fans, that's a rubbish excuse dear o dear.
31 Jul 2016 17:30:28
Valid Henry.
31 Jul 2016 17:47:51
If your talking about being part of a competition for 17 years as an achievement, that is no ambition whatsoever. We must be the only club who has this mindset.
31 Jul 2016 18:15:44
I personally think its sad for my football team that people talk about our status and say they are happy. We are under achieving and until someone comex in and proves me wrong, i can accept we are getting the most out of this club. Every thing about arsenal is about surviving not progressing and the board and the management are to blame. The manager is not demanding enough of his board or his players. We are going nowhere pretty fast.
31 Jul 2016 18:27:29
In fairness, qualifying for CL every year is no mean feat.
Against the backdrop of Abramovich's oil rich Chelsea, Man City's Sheikh money and Man Utd's incredible commercial revenue, building a new stadia whilst having to sell our best players to fund it, finishing top 4 is a fantastic achievment by Wenger.
Nobody denies that fact and nothing can be taken away from Wenger for sustaining that feat.
My problem is what is currently happening to our club and our lack of investment, even though we had an income of £331m last season.
Yes, we are a business and should be run like one.
I appreciate we have overheads like any business, wages, premises, commercial advertising etc etc etc, but our customary "£40m Summer Transfer Window budget" is pathetic when compared to the net profit we received last season.
31 Jul 2016 18:43:17
BG
Did Ivan really say that or did he say we can do better and could afford a Rooney type transfer? We then signed Ozil that window and Sanchez the next.
To be fair to him, he has always referenced our self-sufficient model.
This window prices have gone crazy and he has now tempered that as he probably is aware that we are desparate to sign players. He reads papers, has an on live team and saw the demos in the year.
So now he sets expectations of a humble but reasonable spending spree.
It's the media causing the storm and we are feeling it.
The other stupid director said we could afford any "player" with the exception of a few such as Ronaldo. That's probably still true and we could spend 80m on one player but we need three players so we need to be careful.
Chelsea have spent 300m on strikers over the past 5 years. We can't afford that type of carefree spending - again, similar to what Ivan states. We need to be careful as we can't afford to spend 30m on a player who doesn't work out then sign another for 40m in the next window.
I don't get the issue with what Ivan states. It's true and we know it.
It's people who want to cause issues such as the media and Arsene out people creating the storm over nothing.
31 Jul 2016 18:47:06
But Dags
Top 4 is the minimum we should be getting .
31 Jul 2016 19:00:02
SY
Did Ivan say what?
31 Jul 2016 19:08:38
Sy get off your soapbox about our model bull. In the last five years our net spend is 95 mil, chelseas net spend is 125 mil. For 30 mil difference in that time they have managed to win the champs league and league, twice i think. Its not all about the top line, its about the bottom line. Our bottom line is the way we waste money on average players, pay them fortunes and get no return and wenger has a huge say in that. We can't keep using the poor man arguments especially after llast season.
31 Jul 2016 19:12:51
SY
I think you mean Dags mate.
31 Jul 2016 19:14:30
Did he say we can buy anyone
Over the last 5 years we have spent 250m, LFC 365m, Utd 440m, city 432 and Cheksea 450m.
You are right -> we need to up it a good 50m per season and figure out how to fund that in the longterm (subject to transfer pricing inflation) :)
I agree - if it's the model then figure out how to change it without needing a sugar daddy, if it's a bit of the model and Wenger then change the model and put pressure on Wenger, if it's all Wenger then tell him to spend or he is out. Simple.
I like Wenger and admire him. I respect what he's done but the clubs bigger. However, I think it's the model and the boards ambition.