I think the purse strings are loose, but I just don't think it is practical to sign one player and put him on a 200K/week salary, with the rest of the team on less than 100K/week. Obviously, that rules out the players that can attract the eye of one of the really wealthy clubs in the world that can pay that kind of salary. If you can't sign one of this "elite" group, (or even retain the players that break into the category while playing for you) then finding players that are a certain upgrade to your team is tricky. I think also we have a "first XI" that are remarkably strong. Yes, it is nice to sign another midfielder, but how many players could walk past Wilshere, Cazorla, and Arteta into the team. Yes, we need backup, but a prospective signing doesn't want to come and sit on the bench. Even if you look at our backup midfielders, Ramsey, Ox, Rosicky, Arshavin, isn't it more likely that one of them comes good, than we find a world class talent hiding in the "second-tier" of world-talent? Finally, I think fans are more impatient with our players than the club can be. Santos was deemed "not good enough" after 2 perfomances by many; Giroud the same. Maybe they can settle in, maybe they can't. But we have to give them a run of games to find out. You can start losing money really quickly if you are buying a new player for every position every transfer window. Fans are very picky, and quick to declare a crisis that they think that Arsenal need to buy their way out of. I joke a bit about our current 6 game unbeaten streak, but it does illustrate that our "slump" is not quite as bad at the moment as people are making out.
I'm not at the game, but I'm split on the BSM. I think their intentions are sound, but I think they are a vehicle for the types of fan who want to slag of everything about Arsenal. That said, I know their policies are pretty straight forward. I just wonder if they will end up creating a divide between fans ? Anyway, for those who don't know, these are the BSM's policies: As a number of you will no doubt be aware, the Black Scarf Movement, an Arsenal 'pressure group', will be staging a protest walk up to the Emirates before Saturday's clash with Swansea City. 1. Introduce a 'Season Ticket Lite' without cup games, which would be cheaper for fans who can't make every game. Holders of the 'full' season ticket would take precedence in terms of cup tickets. 2. Reduce or freeze ticket prices, as Arsenal charge the highest prices in the league, which is preventing many loyal supporters from turning up to games. While many rises were caused by inflation, Silver members ticket prices have risen by 73% recently! 3. A season ticket pay-back scheme which allows them to be repayed over a period of three months rather than at once, which makes it easier to pay for tickets. Allow season tickets to be upgraded and downgraded, and to allow season ticket holders to move themselves down to Silver membership. 4. Bringing back the 'Clock End' from Highbury, creating a better atmosphere, and moving away fans to the upper tier, out of sight of the TV cameras and preventing them from infringing on the atmosphere. 5. Remove Peter Hill-Wood from the board, as they consider him old and out of touch with supporters. 6. Give representation to Alisher Usmanov's Red and White Holdings, as they own around 30% of the club and as yet have no power over board decisions, due to enmity between he and majority holder Stan Kroenke, and the rest of the Arsenal board. 7. Have home and away kits in the 'traditional' red and white and yellow and blue colours, as recent away kits have sold poorly and looked a bit silly (The 07-08 white kit, for example).
i agree with a lot of their demands but having come from a developing country i am completely anit-usmanov. Anyone with representation on arsenal's board has to have a clean slate otherwise no representation imo. At any rate i'm currently out of the country so can't go to the match in any case but i'll be going for newcastle. Strangely enough when i usually watch a match on tv from the start we always lose but whenever i go watch live we never lose (only seen arsenal draw once live! west brom)
I think Usmanov is a shady character, but the fact remains that it's hugely incongruous to have a majority shareholder who isn't offered a place on the board. Maybe that's a prudent move if he's trouble, but it worries me slightly that the board can operate in such an autocratic way. In a toss up between the two, I'm not sure whether I'd prefer PHW or Usmanov to be honest, they both strike me as being as bad as each other.
I can't say this is an agenda I can get excited about. It all seems rather petty. Kit colors and minor quibbling about ticket prices and pricing schemes? Moving cameras? What?
Some of the ideas around ST options and availability of tickets is a valid area for discussion. Personally I like seeing Arsenal in Yellow and blue when we're away and I've got plenty of sympathy for any ideas around creating a better atmosphere. I wouldn't move away fans though, that's silly and counter productive.
Agree about replacing PHW. The guy was a bit of an embarrassment in the last AGM. Gazidis did most of the work, and the job of the chairman is to 'chair' those meetings.
A member of the BSM spoke to talksport today. He came off very well in my opinion. http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/dr...scarf-movement-march-towards-emirates-186588?
I should have added to my last comment , that I've got no faith left in PHW (I'd always thought of the Hill-Wood's as the bastions of tradition and doing things the right way at Arsenal) But if there's anything stubbon, underhand, stingy and reactionary about our club's behaviour over the years, PHW has been involved.
Exactly right, he's an intelligent man. One person could hold up a banner and the rags will say 'Arsenal fans want Wenger out..." or such rubbish as if all of them are doing it.
More than most clubs, there is a difference in perception of our self identity as a club...of who we are and where we stand, or ought to stand, relative to the country's and worlds best clubs. On the one hand there are those stuck in what I call the "invincibles" mindset. Though, chronologically, still relatively recent history... footballing wise the landscape has changed dramatically. It's not just money but also that other clubs scouting system have caught up with Wengers (look at Newcastle with the players they've got at such bargain prices). On the other hand there are the pragmatist/defeatist (take your pick) who are happy as long as we do not to end up like Liverpool and keep our noses in front of Tottenham. The fact of the matter is before Wenger our profile was no where near what it is now at the world stage. However, with the change in financial landscape, it's clear the club isn't prepared to risk financial ruin to go one step further by winning the likes of champions league and domestic league etc. What pisses me off is that despite this they have the gall to charge premium prices.
I'd call myself a pragmatist, but that is no way comparable to being defeatist. I think you're confusing the two terms. Defeatism means accepting that we're never going to challenge for the title and that we just have to accept that we're not as good as we once were. Pragmatism means recognising that currently we're in a position where we're not able to challenge for the title, but that we can take steps that are within our grasp and control to start to move towards being able to do so.
I put a forward slash to highlight the differing views one might take of such a position..I did not equate the two terms. However, if the time element is brought into it then it's fair to say that your pragmatism does have an implicit short/medium term acceptance of defeat.... which is a realistic view of where we are. Wish the ticket prices, Wenger's wages etc reflected this short term surrender.
The time element is being ignored in the above... short term acceptance of defeat in the hope that such defeats lead to success in the long term... a bit like a loss leader which leads to profits in the future (but that doesn't make it any less a loss at the point in time)
