afc Life Gets Hard For Mr Perfect

[MrJibbles]

There is a banner unfurled at every Arsenal match that reads “Arsene knows”. As a tribute to the judgment of one of the greatest managers of his generation, it is perfect, a simple, reassuring mantra designed to keep at bay the kneejerk reactions that characterise an era of impatience.In recent weeks, some of the knowledge that Arsène Wenger has imparted has been frightening. Recently, he was quoted as saying that Arsenal’s strategy is “to sell every year and to buy less expensive players . . . while having to free up, for 17 more years, an annual surplus of £24 million to pay for the stadium”. Depending on your view, this was either an affirmation of what was apparent or a shocking exposé of the financial constraints under which he is working. Either way, in a summer when Mathieu Flamini, Gilberto Silva and Alexander Hleb have left, with Emmanuel Adebayor possibly to follow, it will have sent a shiver down the spine of many an Arsenal supporter.What is the point of Arsenal? The question sounds flippant, but to judge from some of the noises coming out of the Emirates Stadium this summer, the club’s raison d’être is no longer clear. They left Highbury partly to accommodate a growing support, but above all, according to David Dein, the former vice-chairman, “to compete financially with Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid”.Deloitte’s latest world football rich list has them in an impressive fifth place, with their revenues having increased by 37 per cent since leaving Highbury in 2006, and their next set of figures is likely to illustrate a further improvement. But to what end? If the goal is a healthy balance sheet, perfect. If it is success on the pitch, then it is a business plan that requires Wenger to perform miracles that may be beyond even his powers.As a football business, Arsenal are brilliantly run, a model for others to aspire to, but for their strategy to succeed on the pitch, Wenger, to borrow a phrase from Rafael BenÍtez, the Liverpool manager, has to be perfect. While he may enjoy operating with one hand behind his back, which allows him to indulge in the developing and nurturing of technically talented young players, he is also a fearsome competitor who bristles at his team’s failure to win a trophy since 2005. Last season, having sold Thierry Henry to Barcelona, they challenged for the Barclays Premier League, finishing only four points behind Manchester United, the winners, and the Champions League, in which they lost to Liverpool in the quarter-finals, but it was a story of falling short when it mattered.Next season is unlikely to be any easier. Like Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, Wenger has a knack of choosing the right moment to sell players (as with Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars, Patrick Vieira, Henry and countless others), but this is not the time that he would have chosen to lose Flamini, 24, Hleb, 27, and possibly Adebayor, 24. Flamini and Hleb would have stayed had they been offered the kind of wages that they will receive at AC Milan and Barcelona respectively. Wenger agrees with Arsenal’s stance on wages, a stance that is admirable in just about every respect, but while Arsenal may believe that they cannot afford to pay players sums in the region of £100,000 a week, it is reaching the stage when it may be more pertinent to ask whether they can afford not to.Samir Nasri, the talented young France midfield player, has joined from Marseilles, but Wenger has suggested that further additions would “kill” the youngsters who are at the club. The Arsenal production line is remarkable, with Fran Mérida and Carlos Vela likely to break into the first-team squad this season after spells on loan to Real Sociedad and Osasuna respectively, while Cesc Fàbregas, Theo Walcott and others aim to build on the progress they have made. But when they develop into world-class players, will Arsenal be willing to pay what is needed to get the most out of them or will they sell them on, replacing them with inexpensive, if supremely talented, youngsters? The experiences of Flamini, Hleb and possibly Adebayor suggest that Fàbregas, for example, may have to move if he is to optimise his earning capacity, as all players like to do at some stage.This was not meant to happen. Peter Hill-Wood, the Arsenal chairman, said before the stadium move that there was “no danger of a lack of money for players”, while Danny Fiszman, a director, said that “Arsène’s budget will not be affected in any way by this project”. But Wenger’s budget has been affected, dramatically, and it is testament to his genius that he continues to produce teams who can challenge for the leading honours. There is quite a difference, though, between challenging for trophies and winning them. And deep down, you suspect that Wenger knows that. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle4368612.ece

[Davicious X]

Very good read.Its amazing how everyone looks for there own path to success and how different those paths are.Im not really worried by Arsenal right now but if they finish paying for the stadium during Wengers tenure they might turn into true world beaters.

[Taurus]

im really getting pissed off.

[Doug]

What is the point of Arsenal?

sums up the way i have been feeling latley

[Scott Summers]

Im not even looking foward to the season.Im fed up of Wenger & are boards bullshit. The mentality of our club is a joke imo.

[n/a]

same time last yr everyone was sayin same things how we aint even gonna challengend given a bit of luck in the right places (eduardo/injuries/and if adecunt had squared the ball at bham)we could of won itlets wait nd see innit

[Guest Robin_Van_PersG]

Interesting read.Every team in the premiership spends money to improve thier status and league position - from promoted teams such as sunderland last season to the teams with european aspirations such as tottenham, villa, newcastle, portsmouth, everton etc up to the teams challenging for the league. BUT for some reason arsenl don't! doesn't make sense and hasn't worked for them. Nostalgia is spoiling certain arsenal fans, its funny to think even the great alex ferguson was under pressure after 2 trophyless seasons, benitez is despite winning a champions league and FA cup and Mourinho and to a lesser extent grant got sacked after making chelsea a legitimate threat meanwhile Wenger can show a lack of ambition and know he ain't getting the sack. Along with the pretty pretty sh*t this arrogance from the manager is why arsenal will not win one of the big 2 trophies this seson.

[Aquaman]

same time last yr everyone was sayin same things how we aint even gonna challengend given a bit of luck in the right places (eduardo/injuries/and if adecunt had squared the ball at bham)we could of won itlets wait nd see innit

truss. we dont even know what team is gonna be atm.wait til emirates and amsterdam cups and then comment.

[Bardissimo]

same time last yr everyone was sayin same things how we aint even gonna challengend given a bit of luck in the right places (eduardo/injuries/and if adecunt had squared the ball at bham)we could of won itlets wait nd see innit

truss. we dont even know what team is gonna be atm.wait til emirates and amsterdam cups and then comment.

this is why i ain't taking certain people on this forum seriouslythe transfer window closes end of august, are we even in f*ck*ng august yet?! Furthermore, we were JUST behind chelsea and man utd yet at the beginning of that season certain users were saying the same thing as before.Arsene knows

[Davicious X]

Swear you lot are in the same position as last year though.The squads paper thin so while yes you did finish just 4 points of the pace I expect the exact same thing to happen all over again.Dominate proceedings then run out of steam in february

[Aquaman]

llow the arsene knows talk. fact is if he'd done what heads were asking last yr and made 1-2 more signings we probs woulda wonbut same time llow the fraff talk.squad is packed in terms of centre mids. just need a cb and a natural wide player

[Lenny]

same time last yr everyone was sayin same things how we aint even gonna challengend given a bit of luck in the right places (eduardo/injuries/and if adecunt had squared the ball at bham)we could of won itlets wait nd see innit

truss. we dont even know what team is gonna be atm.wait til emirates and amsterdam cups and then comment.

this is why i ain't taking certain people on this forum seriouslythe transfer window closes end of august, are we even in f*ck*ng august yet?! Furthermore, we were JUST behind chelsea and man utd yet at the beginning of that season certain users were saying the same thing as before.Arsene knows

Wenger isnt always right stillI dont see us improving on what we did last season unless Wenger makes serious moves in the transfer market which i just cant see happening. He said himself he has money but he doesnt want to spend and bring in players because it stops another young player that has waited for his chance to come through. Something along them lines..As for the injured players, Eduardo im sure will be fine, Rosicky? lol. RVP? lolWe've lost 4 experienced players (2 being key 1st teamers) and brought in 3 youngersAdebayor, dont even want him in the shirt. Hes made his intentions quite clear on what hes aboutnuff said really

[Bardissimo]

naaaaaaaaaaaahwith the experience that has left i'm almost certain we will make one big signing, if we don't, by golly, i will be f*ck*ng shocked and dissapointedno way can song/diaby/etc. fill the void of flamini so quickly and no way will nasri be as good as hleb in his 1st season

[will h]

He's said we'll bring in someone with experience, so that will be a good thing.I don't think money is holding him back at all, we blatantly have money to spend, i think Arsene's attitude is what is stopping us making world class signings.I honestly believe he wants to win the league with youngsters to prove that it can be done and until he does, he won't change his transfer regime. If we finish this season trophyless, then i would not be so strongly against finding a replacement.

[Davicious X]

He's said we'll bring in someone with experience, so that will be a good thing.I don't think money is holding him back at all, we blatantly have money to spend, i think Arsene's attitude is what is stopping us making world class signings.I honestly believe he wants to win the league with youngsters to prove that it can be done and until he does, he won't change his transfer regime. If we finish this season trophyless, then i would not be so strongly against finding a replacement.

So basically he wants to do it with kids so he has something on Fergie since Fergie has pretty much done everything there is to do?

[Scott Summers]

He's said we'll bring in someone with experience, so that will be a good thing.I don't think money is holding him back at all, we blatantly have money to spend, i think Arsene's attitude is what is stopping us making world class signings.I honestly believe he wants to win the league with youngsters to prove that it can be done and until he does, he won't change his transfer regime. If we finish this season trophyless, then i would not be so strongly against finding a replacement.

So basically he wants to do it with kids so he has something on Fergie since Fergie has pretty much done everything there is to do?

Nah hes wanted to do this for ages. He tried the same thing at Monaco, f*cked up, finished 9th & got sacked.

[Seth Rollins]

Arsene can't win.People cuss us for letting Bentley go, having youngsters get pushed out because they don't get a "fair chance", and now look. Here's their chance, but we're not getting the trophies (whatever the reasons), playing good football, nearly there.Can't have it both ways.Couple new additions and we'll be fine if the team stays fit.

[Guest Sho'Case]

i do not see how man expect wenger to sign big players or experienced players that will benefit us in the right areashe does not do thatlast year it was blatant we needed a natural wide player,he did not sign 1this year,we need a defensive midfielder and a centre back,badly...mounting a challenge once in 3 seasons isn't enough eitherit might be early days,but people are acting like man u,chelsea and liverpool don't intend to strengthenthey have made it CLEAR they are looking to go forward,wenger is on a next tingalso,wenger is not immune to criticism..

[will h]

no way can song/diaby/etc. fill the void of flamini so quickly and no way will nasri be as good as hleb in his 1st season

Take it back a year ago. If anyone had said that flamini would have been one of our best players and fought over by some of europes biggest clubs this summer you would of been laughed off this forum. He was gonna be shipped off to b'ham for a small fee this time last year!!Somehow wenger can get players to stand up when it is needed, who is to say that won't be the case with diaby/song/ramsey??Until i see the 1st team play in emirates or amsterdam tournament i'm reserving judgement on what this team can do this year.

[Turkish]

The way people go on like Wenger cant be wrong has to change fast. If the fans dont start questioning it first then the board and Wenger will continue the same.In another thread someone said he always talks about his team being ready, giving the youngsters a chance yet states that as the reason to failure every year saying they will mature next year whilst losing experienced players and using that as an excuse again. One big circle.If things carry on then next year we will be in the same situation.

[Lenny]

The way people go on like Wenger cant be wrong has to change fast. If the fans dont start questioning it first then the board and Wenger will continue the same.In another thread someone said he always talks about his team being ready, giving the youngsters a chance yet states that as the reason to failure every year saying they will mature next year whilst losing experienced players and using that as an excuse again. One big circle.If things carry on then next year we will be in the same situation.

badman