Premier League 2013/14

[ceefoo]

Well, the club was never short of money, of course not. Once the stadium was built, there still had to be a plan on how to somehow try to compete with clubs of superior financial status. The plan was as we all know a youth project. Offer good wages for promising youngster, develop them over time and save money that way whilst staying competitive. He did manage to build two very promising teams that way but they were destroyed before they had reached their full potential. The players start to believe their own hype, they know they can earn even more money elsewhere and be guaranteed trophies so many of them jumped the ship.
If we evaluate how it all went then I suppose the conclusion could be that it was perhaps a bit naive to put so much faith in the loyalty of the youngsters? But, let's not forget that those teams still reached high levels. Mostly just unlucky not to win one trophy.


The current team is a good mixture of relatively young players and experienced internationals. Another promising team yet to reach its potential. Özil was a sign of intent and a step in the right direction. Striker, holding midfielder and some added depth perhaps. That's all that's needed.


However, the biggest problem is still the management of the squad's fitness. Key players are dropping like flies and have pretty much ruined the season.





Love Wenger but sorry, that's a bit inaccurate. True, the decision making was shocking but the sheer tactical naivety in those games were the problems. The ball retention needs to be absolutely perfect if you want to send so many men ahead of the ball. It's naive, it's crazy to even try that. Luckily, he doesn't really play that kind of gung-ho football at home or in the CL.

About 5 or six years ago Wenger did have a core of some very good players, and it looked like they could go on be the future stars of Arsenal. Where Arsene went wrong is that he became obsessed with this idea that he could bring in promising young players from all over Europe and beyond and turn them all into Henry and Fabregas. He stubbornly continued with his pursuit to follow the Barcelona model, there was only one problem; Arsenals players weren't anywhere as good as Barca's. He kept faith with players, that even a blind man could see were never, ever going to be good enough: Senderos? Eboue? Bendtner on £52k per week FFS?

It's only recently when Arsene has become under increasing pressure that he splashed the cash on Ozil. But they would have been better off maybe putting another 10m on top of the 40m they offered Liverpool for Suarez, when they really needed a Striker.

Arsenal lack leadership. A Vieira figure would make a massive difference and add the physical presence to you midfield you desperately need. Easier said than done I know. Players of Vieira's quality don't grow on trees. But too often has Wenger used the excuse that the quality players aren't out there, OH Please!

It's just that he is so hell bent on persisting with his experiment that he won't go that extra yard to buy the quality that would turn Arsenal from a nearly team to a champion one. How many times has he come close to agreeing terms with a player, only to pull out at the last minute because the clubs demanding an extra 5m or something ridiculous? It's NOT YOUR MONEY ARSENE! Stop being a Bank Manager and Start being a Football one.

 

[ceefoo]

And another problem is all the players leaving, Nasri and Adebayor being dicks, Fabregas going home, Song wanting a new experience, RVP with a little boy inside him... Arsene built his team around those players and then they left, obviously that's going to hurt a team's chances of success, and I doubt Arsene wanted any of them to leave.

The reason why most of them left was they lost confidence in the manager, they were tired of waiting. They knew that Wenger wouldn't go that extra-yard that would make the difference. And that's the most frustrating thing for Arsenal fans because they have been so close to having a title challenging team, but Arsene's stubbornness is holding them back. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that he is a bad manager, but he has lost that winning edge, self-awareness and tactical planning.

Answer me this: :question: If a real top class (winning) coach had been in charge of Arsenal with the same squad of players, a Pep, a Klopp, a Mourinho, do you think they would be struggling to make the top 4?

 

[Ketoth]

None of these clubs are BIG Premier League clubs, just by being in England's top tier, they were over-achieving. Ask any of their fans; would they swap their Trophy victories for being in the prem, and 99% will say - "keep the trophy"

I have high doubts about that. I even spoke with a Liverpool fan who told me that even though Liverpool won a champions league and a league cup in the last 9 years that he'd rather have had what Wenger's done at Arsenal, so I'm sure the likes of wigan and Birmingham would rather finish top 4 all these years than win a measly domestic trophy.

 

[ammarfcb]

i imagine he just throws around some clichee crap that makes michael owen's 'if they score the next goal they hav a chance' look like a fruitful theory.

"I told the players at half-time that we wanted to start the second half stronger and that we needed to play in their half but we never really got that."

point proven

 

[Flavia]

I have high doubts about that. I even spoke with a Liverpool fan who told me that even though Liverpool won a champions league and a league cup in the last 9 years that he'd rather have had what Wenger's done at Arsenal, so I'm sure the likes of wigan and Birmingham would rather finish top 4 all these years than win a measly domestic trophy.

So instead of winning a CL trophy, this person would rather finish top 4 for several seasons? I cannot believe that...

 

[antonnn]

Don't forget Arsenal made a CL final!!!

 

[S7_MUFC]

I think Arsenal board and Wenger are happy with being in the top 4 and are resigned to the fact that they can't compete financially with chelsea and city......Wenger had high hopes about the financial fair play but it looks like City can overcome financial fair play with their "sponsorship deals" so they are resigned to being where they are.....and they will most likely win the FA cup this season.....The race for top 4 will be even more difficult next season because if we get a new manager(not likely) and make decent signings we can definitely overtake Arsenal and Liverpool with CL football will be even stronger so there may be 4 teams that are stronger than Arsenal next season..........

 

[Haruko The Goon]

About 5 or six years ago Wenger did have a core of some very good players, and it looked like they could go on be the future stars of Arsenal. Where Arsene went wrong is that he became obsessed with this idea that he could bring in promising young players from all over Europe and beyond and turn them all into Henry and Fabregas. He stubbornly continued with his pursuit to follow the Barcelona model, there was only one problem; Arsenals players weren't anywhere as good as Barca's.

Why's that an ideology, and not a planned scheme due to financial restraints?...

you do know we had to sell player sin order to reach a surplus with our money up until last summer? - The Emirates stadium naming rights has been re-negotiated, and Puma will be injecting £30m extra per season for a minimum of 5 years.
{Well actually, the only season we didn't sell somebody was summer 2010, and the following February our financial reports showed a 2.5m loss (that was eventually a minor surplus after we regained CL qualification)}

That's £70m extra cash available, and where did it get us? Ozil. - We're now entering a different league to the likes of Spurs, Everton and Liverpool, and bids of £40m, and £35m for Suarez and Draxler go some way to confirming that.

I'm not Wengers biggest fan, but I'll be a good enough fan to give the man another summer to sign us some more big players to really push us on.

 

[S7_MUFC]

Why's that an ideology, and not a planned scheme due to financial restraints?...

you do know we had to sell player sin order to reach a surplus with our money up until last summer? - The Emirates stadium naming rights has been re-negotiated, and Puma will be injecting £30m extra per season for a minimum of 5 years.

That's £70m extra cash available, and where did it get us? Ozil. - We're now entering a different league to the likes of Spurs, Everton and Liverpool, and bids of £40m, and £35m for Suarez and Draxler go some way to confirming that.

I'm not Wengers biggest fan, but I'll be a good enough fan to give the man another summer to sign us some more big players to really push us on.

Arsenal had one of the worst commercial deals with Emirates and it really hurt them in the early years at the Emirates......but I don't think you are on a different league to Liverpool because they are capable of negotiating better sponsorship deals with CL football and they can definitely offer £40m+ for right players......CL money for English clubs will almost double due to new TV deal with BT.....

 

[Haruko The Goon]

We're in a different stratosphere to Liverpool lol

 

[ceefoo]

I have high doubts about that. I even spoke with a Liverpool fan who told me that even though Liverpool won a champions league and a league cup in the last 9 years that he'd rather have had what Wenger's done at Arsenal...

So a club that has WON the CL would swap their trophy for getting in to the CL where the objective is to WIN the CL. This Liverpool fan must be an imbecile.

...We're now entering a different league to the likes of Spurs, Everton and Liverpool, and bids of £40m, and £35m for Suarez and Draxler go some way to confirming that.

I'm not Wengers biggest fan, but I'll be a good enough fan to give the man another summer to sign us some more big players to really push us on.

Throwing money at the problem will not address the underlying faults within the club.

Ask any Man Utd fan right now if giving Moyes 200m to spend on new players will make turn into one of Europe's elite teams again? I think you know the answer.

No-one still hasn't answered: If a real top class (winning) coach had been in charge of Arsenal with the same squad of players, a Pep, a Klopp, a Mourinho, do you think they would be struggling to make the top 4?

 

[Haruko The Goon]

So a club that has WON the CL would swap their trophy for getting in to the CL where the objective is to WIN the CL. This Liverpool fan must be an imbecile.

Throwing money at the problem will not address the underlying faults within the club.

Ask any Man Utd fan right now if giving Moyes 200m to spend on new players will make turn into one of Europe's elite teams again? I think you know the answer.

No-one still hasn't answered: If a real top class (winning) coach had been in charge of Arsenal with the same squad of players, a Pep, a Klopp, a Mourinho, do you think they would be struggling to make the top 4?

Not sure if you're serious or not, last year Liverpool had debts of 40m, just a couple weeks ago they released results of a further 50m worth of debt.

They can count their lucky stars that they'll be getting CL football, otherwise they would have faced the abyss.

 

[Haruko The Goon]

Or should I say *Loss, not debt.

90m is no joke.

 

[Cule4life]

Seems Wenger has infected the fans with the mentality that getting into the CL is better than trophies. That would be good if arsenal was a business corporation and the sole aim was profit. But it's not a corporation it's a football club where the aim is winning and glory.
Maybe that's the reason for arsenals lack of winning mentality and mental breakdown against top teams that they think CL is enough and are not able to push themselves to their peak where anything else than a win is unacceptable

 

[ceefoo]

Not sure if you're serious or not, last year Liverpool had debts of 40m, just a couple weeks ago they released results of a further 50m worth of debt.

They can count their lucky stars that they'll be getting CL football, otherwise they would have faced the abyss.

I am serious, yes. If I wasn't you'd know coz I'd put a or next to the text.

The loss isn't ideal, obviously. But there isn't a real threat that Liverpool are in financial crisis and are on the road to administration. Liverpool are a global "brand" (dirty word, I know). But in these days where football is also a business that's what they are, with legions of fans all over the world. They could never go out of business because there will always be some rich Oligarch or Arab willing to buy them.

Also what gets you excited more? Looking at your clubs balance sheet and seeing them in the black, or looking at your clubs silverware in the trophy room?

... are you going to answer my previous question or not?