10 May 2017 23:53:30
Wage inflation is ridiculous in football - from Keown: "In 2002 when Arsenal won the title, the average weekly wage was £10,000 with bonus paid for winning the title and depended on how many matches you played."
Interesting that back then when we were ambitious - we rewarded success with a title win bonus
Now we have a top 4 bonus
How times, requirements and mentality has changed
11 May 2017 06:28:43
In the 15 years since you speak of, the full effects of the Bosman ruling in 1995 have come through. In respect of our own club, we have moved from an antiquated 38,000 capacity stadium into a state of the art money making 60,000 capacity stadium. The TV revenue as Sky and BT have grown has increased considerably. Ticket prices have risen drastically without having any negative effect on attendances. Sposership revenues have grown beyond all recognition and in order to attaract the top sponsors, a club have to have top players. As an example, is Rooney worth £15m a year? Proabably not in footballing terms, but having him at the club encouraged the top sponsors to tie up huge deals with United. It would be interesting to compare our revenue and profit in 2002 to today. With the Chinese paying huge salaries I can only see wages rising even further and the day of the million pound a week footballer can't be far away. Good time to be a player!
11 May 2017 06:37:23
2002 turnover £90m, loss £23m: 2016 turnover £350m, profit £2.9m.
So the turnover has almost quadrupled and we have gone into profit, opposed to large losses back in 2002. It would be interesting to compare the per centage of turnover paid in players wages in 2002 and 2016, to see whether it has risen.
11 May 2017 08:43:14
If we were to make top 4 the season will be seen as a successful one by enough people to carry on as always regardless of the FA cup final result.
Arsene and the players will feel fully vindicated over the season and there will be much talk of positives and very little mention of how poor we have been, we will try to make a marquee singing in order to replace Sanchez and possibly a couple more editions to give people something to hang thier coat on as a reason why next season will be different to all the others.
But if all this happens the most likely event will be a champions league last 16 exit and top 4 battle again next season simply because as you say SY the mentality within the club just isn't thier for change that includes doing anything that makes any real difference.
Arsene has stated while he's manager we will do what he sees as right and interference and input from others is neither wanted or needed.
In the unlikely event that the rest of football is going to change to suit us, I just can't see how things can possibly be any different next season to the last dozen or so if we just carry on as always.
11 May 2017 11:35:10
The thing with getting 4th is we normally wait til after the play off to buy big so that also sets us back. Instead of spending before to give us a better chance in the play offs.