to correct everything that is going wrong with our club at present. Now don't get me wrong, i don't want Wenger to leave or to get relegated or something, but we need to do significantly bad to really highlight the problems with our team/club. This will hopefully FORCE through changes that is neccessary for us to compete again. To do this we need to finish outside the top 6, around mid-table. Hopefully, this will give us the opportunity to sort: - our defence by bring in a defensive coach to organise us better - get rid of the deadwood and buy/supplement our squad with experienced players to go with our quality youth players - change our pay structure so our best players get paid well and the average players like Denilson etc get paid a normal lower rate - give Wenger more money to buy in the transfer market What does everyone else think?
Well. We're right on track then Seriously though, I think you might be right. We've seen before when we've scraped past opposition that we should be hammering, Wenger tells us that our squad is good enough. To only then fall apart through a combination of injuries and poor form to a few key players. As much as it pains me to say it. I think it might take a couple of seasons without CL football, to force the board to dig deep and pay the going rate.
I think that paves the way to losing the few decent players we have left, the floating glory fans (good riddance you may say but they bring in cash) and losing touch with the top six. I do understand your thinking behind it and I can even see us finishing there but I can only see it doing more harm than good.
This season is perhaps the *PERFECT* time to start badly. If Arsenal are outside the top4 come January, with big Sponsorship contracts coming up for renewal in 2013/14, they will HAVE to spend some of the cash reserves to make the team competitive and get back into the top4 next season in order to maximise the income from the Sponsorship deals. The last time the deals were sold they were sold cheaply. Next time, the team MUST be competing with the big boys to extract maximum value from the deals - powering the club on an upward curve.
Well guys, i think the changes will come sooner rather than later if this happens. Sometimes, you have to go through bad times to realise whats wrong with things. Whether we like it or not, getting into the top 4 year after year has masked the deficiencies in our squad. If we go finish outside the top 6 and not win anything for the 7th consecutive year, this will force changes, im sure of it. I just hope Wenger doesn't up and leave......
Well im not sure January is the best time for it as transfers are usually inflated and players are more reluctant to leave. Also we need to make significant changes now and not small ones in my opinion. Get a defensive coach in to sort our ragged defence should be priority number 1.
I don't think the mass exodus will occur after one bad season. But if we show ambition in the transfer market, it will give our good players hope that we are heading in the right direction. However, the only player i see leaving is RVP either way.........
We are having a bad season Mr 20K but the board keep telling us to look into the future. From here I have to say it doesn't look very bright. Your list of suggestions would work if only they are adopted by our manager, his staff and the board. I wonder how their hand could be forced. Even as recently as in August, Arsene had shelved plans to bring in defenders until Thomas V was injured. It seems you have to drive these people to the brink before they will spring into action. Which brings me to our manager. I think that for all the inability to turn things round last year and the delays and indecision of the summer which have led to our incredibly slow progress this season which shows no evidence of a change of form, Arsene has to consider the post of Director of Football and pick up the phone to either Carlo ( Ancelotti ), Gus ( Hiddink ) or if those overseas calls are not within budget, a national relay to Martin O'Neill in Sutton Coldfield. I'll even lend him my T-Mobile phone. Actually he can use it to chat to either Gus or Carlo at no extra cost too
I actually partly agree with the op and think that the major benefit could be getting rid of the glory hunting fans and setting the fans expectations a little lower and at a more realistic level. Would be great if the fans had the mentality of the pre-Wenger success era, where everyone got behind the team, where the average joe blogs could actually get tickets, rather than the neuveau riche. Where the ground wasn't half full of corporate fans or fans that have no idea what life was like for a supporter pre-Wenger.
RVB, trust me, finishing outside the top 6 and not getting a trophy after 7 years will finally show Wenger and the board that things need to be changed.
Glory hunting fans still buy mechandise and fund the club, realistically you are talking about going backwards, i like your sentiment but we will never challenge for the title again with the current balance of power money being so scewed if we go down that road. We all remember the Highbury days and the good times but those were not always good times, I remember us being knocked out of the FA cup by Wrexham and thinking dark thoughts then too. Lets not lose hope yet.
That s what I'm afraid of Mr H. There is no evidence that clubs bounce back over the course of a year. With the likely departure of key players, the recovery Heaven forbid, could be much longer. I fear the departure of RvP not solely because I like him but that he is our sole forward. It's quite obvious that we cannot count on any of the others whom we've seen so far to take up the baton from him if he goes. Then who else? Can one seriously expect Wilshire or Szczesny to stay? These are our three best players, Sagna too if you widen the scope to four. The fans are due a lot of answers from our manager and this board.
What utter tosh, wanting the best for the team means you are a glory hunter, what glory have we seen in 6yrs....The fact that you are hurting when your team is falling down the table means you are plastic..... I go to the Emirates and I have not seen this corporate fans you mentioned!
I disagree. We've got 3/4 of our better players with only 2 years left and if/when we end up in the mire at the end of the season how many are going to want to resign when we've no Champions League and possibly not even Europa (aaargh!)? I certainly wouldn't blame them if they wanted to play at the top of the game which is something we'd not be offering them immediately.
Really? Have a look at the middle teir 10 minutes before and after half-time. Ask the majority, how many fans get tutted at for singing, shouting, by the fans that have no passion. Look at the fact that the amount of empty seats have increased this season, because we are not winning every game.
I've never been tutted at for singing. I did get tutted at once when I broke into a rant which involved many, many swearwords. Fair enough though as I have a filthy mouth at times. I don't usually swear, much more for singing positive songs. Can't remember what p*ssed me off so much. I believe it was aimed at the ref...
I guess disillusioned fans, who have stayed away, fed up with the club's direction are glory hunters, never mind the fact we had more fans for carling cup than citeh had for Champions League...... I know quite a few fans who have attempted to pass on their season ticket because of the recession and the way we are currently setup, I guess they are glory hunters as well.
