Lol, ain't it funny a player earning 20k or less is considered not much in the football world, **** me, even 20k a week is a hell of a lot of money.
To a lot of people, 20k a year is a hell of a lot of money. The wages these players get paid is ridiculous and it always annoys me when players throw their toys out of their pram because they want more money. I don't even know what I'd spend £20k a week on (after the first few weeks anyway lol)
Clubs only have themselves to blame for player power. If all clubs came together, and said we won't pay any player over this amount, players wouldn't be able to have all the power, and wages would be under control, rather than always on the up, and they'd also not be able to hold clubs as hostage. It's clubs like Chelsea, City, and Madrid that have really ****ed this game up, and have badly inflated the market price for players transfers, and personal wages.
Haha crazy ain't it. Like Moorpheus just said, after the first few weeks I haven't a clue what I'd spend my money on. When players demand more though, that really riles me. Wasn't it one of Terry or Lampard a few years back, were already earning over a £100k a week and yet reports said they were demanding a payrise... ****ing disgusting. Commentators and Pundits make me laugh too, so many times I hear them rabbit on about how "a players career is short so they need to make the most of it!". Yeah, short career but earning in 6 months what most earn in a life time... Must be such tough times for them to make such god awful choices of settling with a measley £30k a week contract or pushing for a better deal elsewhere.
Rooney's a **** in the same calibre, already on 100k, and then said he wanted to leave United, but then magically changed his mind when they gave him 200k+ a week. As much as Arsenal-Spurs dislike each other because of rivalry, both our clubs at least have set good standards.
I'd be really dissapointed if we signed Chadli and Chiriches. I wouldn't want players like that for squad depth. I think even squad players at Arsenal should be better than what i've seen of them. Paulinho, Erikson, Soldado, Lamela - these are the types of players i'd happily take for squad depth. Not sure which, if any of these would during a season assert themselves on the first 11 (mainly because of the positions they play we are pretty strong, not because they arent very good players). But they would definately add strength to the squad and get plenty of game time over the course of a season. Tbh i'm still hoping we tie up transfers of a higher quality than the guys you have brought in. If we had spent 100m and had the players you have i'd be asking if they where really going to take us to the next level or just bulk up the squad and make top 4 easier. For you lot though it's fantastic business and they are the kind of players you need to be bringing in until you manage CL football.
I hate Rooney, though he was the laughing stock of Twitter not so long ago, there was a picture floating around of two pictures merged together of him stating: 2011 - "I'm leaving unless Utd sign better players". And then: 2013 - "I'm leaving as those better players have taken my place". Agree, regardless of the amount of hate we all have for one another, a mutual admiration is there as both clubs go about their business right the way.
Afcftw - can you honestly say you have watched much of Chadli and Chiriches? How can you say you wouldn't want them at Arsenal? You may be right as SOS said and they may not make it but its a bit early to make such judgments. And to say Lamela, Paulinho, Soldado and Eriksen may only be pushing for a first team spot at Arsenal is a bit laughable. You only finished 1 point ahead of us last year so our teams are hardly miles apart.
Don't forget, notwithstanding the signings you've made, the reason you only finished one point behind us last season was because Bale won you 22pts with his goals, that is a huge margin.
Bale was astronomical last season and was instrumental in our league positon, no one will deny that, but with the money we're receiving for him, we've managed to build a better squad where hopefully, we won't or shouldn't have to rely on one player on too many occasions. Soldado, Lamela, Paulinho and Eriksen all have match winning ability in them and overall, the standard of player in most positions has now improved - especially as Sandro and Kaboul are back from injury, who were sorely missed last season. After you guys lost van Persie, who done similar for you as what Bale done for us last seaosn, you coped well afterwards and became a better team. Hopefully we can do the same and push on.
You just got to admire Chelsea's mentally in finals. They just know how to win these and despite getting battered by Bayern at times, they hung and are now on the verge of winning yet another trophy.
Fair comment, however in the games Bale didn't play we often played better as a team. We tended to rely on Bale to get us out of jail. I don't have the stats but I would be interested to see our points per match in the league games with Bale last season vs the games without. It is similar to you the season before with Van Persie compared to last season without. It is a bit sour grapes for afcftw to say he wouldn't want Chadli or Chiriches at Arsenal considering between both of them they have played all of 2 games in the premier league. I could have said a similar thing about Koscielny when you bought him but look at him now, he's one of the best defenders in the premier league. You can't judge until they have played a season at least. I'm sure some of our signings will be flops going on the law of averages. We shall see!
