I agree and the problem City have now is that players who go there will expect £200k per week and the selling clubs will expect an extra £10m sweetener. Also the players who don't make the grade will rot on the bench, because no other club will be able to afford to take them on (Unless City pay their wages like they did with charity case Adebaywhore) We are not competing with City for the same players, but the point needs to be made that it is directly because of the money. Otherwise we would likely be in for these players - we offer Champions League football and challenge at the top end of the Premier League. As a result, we have to work harder and find players who don't cost the earth, but you have to remember that we're not the only ones doing so. The effect that City and Chelsea (and PSG and a couple of others) have had on the transfer market cannot be swept under the carpet. Agents exist solely to get the best deals for their players. When we enquire, you can bet that the agent is also saying 'well, my client also needs to consider other offers' i.e. are you going to up your offer? And when City are enquiring you can bet the agents are saying 'well, my client also needs to consider other offers' i,e are you going to up your offer? This is why Wenger is so coy about transfer targets, because he knows that once he's announced it, the big hitters will come sniffing. There is also the effect of player power with City and Chelsea's wages. Top players know that they can earn twice or even three times as much at these clubs, so the bargaining power is in their hands. 'Pay me double, otherwise I'll go to City and get it there' The result of this skewed market and the effect it has on other clubs cannot be underestimated.
Er.... are we arguing or agreeing with each other?! I think we're agreeing. For that reason, I shall pipe down!
Yeah we're agreeing mate. We can afford players who will improve us, but we cannot compete financially with City and Chelsea for players who are on their (and possibly our) radar.
It's all going to end in tears for them. Take this for example: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/may/31/chelsea-romelu-lukaku-left-cold?CMP=twt_gu An undoubted talent and treated like garbage at Chelsea. This will happen more and more and, presumably, players who are serious about developing will look at these clubs and rightly say "feck orfff". On another note. Lukaku anyone...
I think you're right. But there will always be some players who are happy to pick up a massive pay cheque for doing **** all. (you might argue we've had one or two at Arsenal - although not on the same scale as City or Chelsea)
Definitely a specialist taste. Although I'm sure there is some website out there specialising in that....
Still making excuses I see. Money is a factor but nowhere near enough to rule us out from competing - for the reasons that have already been clearly explained to you.
We're not competing with Chelsea or City for the same players, because we can't afford to. Where's the excuse? That's fairly straight forward economics. I've already said that we're able to compete and that we're able to add players that we can afford who will improve us, Podolski is a good example of that. The point was that we can't afford to match what city and chelsea pay. That's not an excuse, that is the reality.
I agree with what you have said in this post, however you said this initially: which of course was wrong. The fact we cant pay the same wages as City or Chelsea does not mean we cant compete with them on teh football pitch - or even have better players.
Then I am not sure what your first comment was referring to - I don't know anyone who ever thought we could compete on wages with City and Chelsea. Still I think we are agreeing overall - we can compete to win the league, just not on wages for players City or Chelsea want.
I just explained what my first comment was referring to, it was in response to the OP highlighting wages - and in particular the massive wage bill of City and Chelsea. I'm glad that you're agreeing with me that Wenger has us competing - I've been telling you that all season
No Piskie - your first comment said "Does anyone still believe...." when no one ever did believe we could compete on wages in the first place. As for your Wenger comment - that's just you being silly again. We've already established we are not competing for the title, but where in your strange mind does that equate to the capability to compete for the title ???
