Reading too much into the activity surrounding a single player. AOC's contract is with the club is practically worthless due to his age. Add to this the old mantra of not keeping someone who wants to leave and that is a far more accurate assessment of where we are. If your club's ethic is all about "team" and "squad", you don't hold on to people who no longer want to be a part of it. So, in that case, you sell to the highest bidder.
With the pressure being put on by family There is only one thing the lad can do. Think about it, are you going to take notice of a lof of biased fans? Or of your every day coaches? Or are you going to be guided by a devoted father. Who is after all an ex footballer? It is no a brainer really guys, no contest. The only only thing is how much are they willing to pay?
Also there has been a lot of good advice in our favour coming from players and AOC himself said he loves it here.....
Everyone who is saying something along the lines of "oh why can't Arsenal just **** off and develop their own players instead of knicking all ours" etc is looking at the situation through severely Saints tinted glasses. We have, over the years, been just as guilty as other clubs at "stealing" young talent from other "smaller" clubs. Take players like Walcott, Lallana and McGoldrick as examples we took them from Swindon, Bournemouth and Notts County respectively. Admittedly this what a lot earliar on in their development as footballers, but the principal is the same, we spotted they had talent for their age so we went and signed them from another academy. Just be thankful that we are in a position where we can get significant fees for our better players and move on. I'm hoping he doesn't go because it would show a real sign of ambition and intent from the club if we managed to keep hold of him, but if he does go I won't blame him or Arsenal I just hope we get a significant fee which can be reinvested into the academy and playing staff.
Agree it will shown intent by SFC if we keep AOC, but I'm not going to tear my hair out if he goes. There will be reasons we will never be privy to. I'm more interested in who we bring in.
Just let him go and get on with it!!! We have the finest academy in the country... There will be players to replace him
I take it it was a clean sweep for the IOW int the swimming events? Bit unfair with your advantage? Did you burn a huge wicker man for the closing ceremony?
While I agree with you on some level, there is a lot of difference between taking an 11 year old Walcott and a 12 year old Lallana than there is taking people like Walcott, Bale and AOC who have actually been professional players. There's a hell of a lot of development to be done between the ages of 11 to 18 to the point where it's absurd to call it a theft, we developed these players. McGoldrick is different, but he was **** anyway. Whereas waiting until a player has played a full season (or in Theo's case half a season, regardless) plus loads of seasons in the youth/reserve teams (things Theo and Lallana NEVER did for Bournemouth and Swindon) is NOT developing your own player - of course there's obviously more ground to make once over the age of 18, but developing players younger is far more important. I would hardly call that hypocrisy at all.
It's a dog eat dog world esp football, get used to it. I don't think we can take the high ground. We have a ruthless chairman and thank God for it!
No bids have been made and until then AOC won't be talking to anyone. Is what Nige said in he press conference. So put up or shut up, Arsenal.
Not sure it's Arsenal doing the stirring...it's the media. Cannot see why Arsenal would want him at the price we're asking when they are losing all their players (according to the media again).
What about Best and Blackstock? They were signed in at about 16-17 weren't they? TBF Arsenal are doing what all clubs do, trying to sign a player that they think is better than what they already have. Its down to us to make sure that the compensation is right.
im pretty sure best and blackstock played both years in the academy, so they must have been signed before they were 16.
Anything coming from a Rupert Murdoch based media stream must be acknowledged with extreme skepticism. If he does leave then I would expect the club to invest a good chunk of the money in Maynard and another good midfielder as there is no point in making a profit; we will not progress as a club otherwise.
