07 Aug 2020 01:23:05
Reports coming out that the Auba contract renewal set to be confirmed in the coming days. Willian announcement to follow.

Never felt so lukewarm about a big signing before. Sigh.

{Ed0666's Note - it really does beggar belief to give Willian $400k a month when you could get a promising kiddie on a fraction of those wages who would probably do the same job. Eds 002’s insights into the financial running at you’re club are fascinating. That Edu seems like he’s doing an awful job. He makes Rick Parry look like Monchi.


1.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 02:59:03
I think this is the main reason why so many of us Arsenal fans are so sick of Kroenke. It's not the lack of spending that's the problem, we
clearly do spend (and badly) . Clubs like Liverpool have shown that if you invest well then you can compete with the best.
It's the way he operates the club, no accountability, no transparency, no soul. We have a bunch of shysters running the club who only care about their own pockets. It's the work of an asset stripper, a mafioso, someone who doesn't care about what the Arsenal has come to represent over the past 30 years and what the fans love about football. Might sound harsh but I do not recognise the club I began supporting decades ago.

{Ed0666's Note - I feel you’re pain mate. Not trying to rub salt into the wounds but at least you had a modicum of accountability and dignity when Mr Wenger was running the show from top to bottom now it seems like you have the lunatics running the asylum. I honestly think you wouldn’t be in this horror show had wenger stayed in some capacity. The way he was hounded out of you’re club still leaves a bad taste in my mouth and Im a Liverpool fan.


2.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 09:56:54
I have to agree - we used to be able to say we were a class act but this move feels rotten whichever way you approach it from.

It also staggers me that they couldn’t find a better spin than ‘it will free up money for transfers’. They could have simply said ‘we are re-structuring our scouting network’.

It doesn’t feel like we have the best minds from what are supposed to be commercially savvy business types as opposed to ‘football people’ in those roles. I think this is where we do miss someone like David Dein, Arsene Wenger, Tony Adams - just someone who cares about the club and how it is represented.

We have no Arsenal DNA. Bad, bad times.


3.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 12:44:25
While I feel sorry for the 55 people, as I understand it our staffing was somewhat bloated so maybe this is sensible. Willian may well prove to be a master stroke. Yes his salary is high but not transfer fee and you have a proven winner in the Premiership. And keeping Auba was a necessity. I am not (and have never really been) a fan of Coutinho so I hope that doesn't happen. Also in all cases I don't want your emerging young players to be kept out. But for years now we have been told we have the best group of youngsters in the land but very few pan out so trying to get the right balance is imperative. For my money, I like where we are going and I believe Arteta is the perfect manager for Arsenal.


4.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 15:11:43
Stats show that in less games Martinelli was far better than Willian. Not sure why we are going for him.

{Ed002's Note - Because of Kia.}


5.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 20:22:24
Is that really what we are offering? 😮 Have we learnt nothing from ozil and sanchez.


6.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 20:32:41
I hope kia doesn't have a load of one direction T shirts or 100s of boxes of old cycling shorts he's stuck with in his garage or our players are going to look really silly taking the field next season.


7.) 08 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 19:42:56
@ED0666 - Was that sarcasm with the wages? Cause Willian was at 120K at Chelsea and rumours are of him signing a 100K deal with us.
For the experience it's a fair price. Agree that we should be looking young but - We already have Pepe/ Reiss/ Martinelli/ Saka and don't want to impede their chances maybe. Willian is just an experience backup is my hunch.

If this happens- Reiss might be loaned out in Jan-Feb maybe.

{Ed0666's Note - No Kasvan I wasn’t being sarcastic I’m being deadly serious. Willian was on 120k at Chelsea but they only offered him a year or two year extension you’ve given him 3 years so works out much more in the long term. I really think it’s an absurd transfer I really do as you could have got say an experienced 26 year old on similar wages who still would be in his prime in 3 years. I think what I’m trying to say he’s not worth the outlay especially given you’re financial circumstances.