Article: What's it come to when Arsenal are no longer a "big" club | Football, Newcastle, Arsenal

As a Newcastle fan I want to see light at the end of the tunnel. After the window closes I want to see a decent squad in depth playing attractive football and us having a meaningful target to play for........whether that's Europa League spot or a good cup run . Fans don't want middle of the road . We want to attract the best players we can and be entertained. At the moment we are vulnerable. We must keep Tiote before the window closes and we must improve the strike force.....and must spend ALL the Enrique money on his replacement.

But there is a new order....and this is down to owners, not fans and not Sky TV money( which 70/90% finds its way directly to players pockets). Even the Glazers whom everyone seems to loath ( more than we loath Ashley) have done SAF proud.

Wenger was quoted recently.....

"Imagine the worst situation - we lose Fabregas and Nasri. You cannot convince people you are ambitious after that. You can't then pretend you are a big club because a big club holds on to its best players and gives a message to all the other big clubs that they can't come in and take our players."


I see our salvation at Newcastle with our French influx. Just like the Spaniards at Liverpool a few years ago......our lads will gel, find team spirit and this will lead to success on the pitch. How long has it been since we've raved about players wearing the shirt such as HBA or Cabaye? Too long.

Let's hope this season is the start of a French revolution which no-one could have imagined even 12 months ago.

 

A positive thread.... about nufc.... on here? Whats going on?!?!

I do feel for Arsenal, its gonna be a lot harder to convince people to sign now in the hunt for trophies, as it showed with Mata. While Wenger is still manager though they have big pulling power and being a London club is also going to help. Losing players like Cesc and Nasri isnt going to help though. It'll be interesting to see who they get as replacements as their squad is looking thin for once at the minute.

They'll be forgotten about though if Wenger manages to pull some signing like Hazard, Gourcouff or Gotze however.

 

Fingers crossed. Our strategy is undoubtedly a risky one but it is one that allows us to reduce our debts and still have hope of getting a decent team. Critics would say it is too high risk and we should have invested more in players who'd guaranteed to improve us. That comes with its own problems, the main one being our financial situation is not helped. If 4 or 5 of these young players come off, Ashley will have a very sellable club on his hands.

In an ideal world you are awash with cash and guarantee success. But there is something exciting about our current approach. With risk comes tension, and if it does come off, gets him to where he wants to be, helps us in the process, it'll probably be even more satisfying for the fans. Arsenal are still a big club for and will finish top 4. But Liverpool don't seem to want to let up in the transfer market and they are very healthy now. They get that Coates in at centre back and they are serious outfit.

 

I agree. Ashley will be a proven seller at the right price. As for Liverpool, they have spent for CL football. Nothing else will do.

 

The only team I have respected in the top 4 (which included Liverpool, now Man City) was Arsenal due to their style of play and way they acquired young talent. I sincerely hope they stay there. On us, I'm really not sure what to hope for this season. I think we have a very good first team, except the strike-force/left back and average to good back-up so I think we should be able to achieve 9th or 10th with a couple of injuries, 7th or 8th if we have a good season, but down to about 15th if morale drops.

 

About Arsenal, why oh why when he clearly had the funds didn't Wenger sort out the goalkeeping fiasco and buy a decent centre half last year...........it must have cost them points and potentially the title. Ces was always going to leave ......but it's the Nasri mega money deal which should worry us all. He was offered £90,000 a week to stay and City virtually doubled it.

 

I'm his biggest supporter, I think he has a bit of genius about him. However I have to agree, a centre back and a goalkeeper were a must. As you say they could have won every trophy in sight, Fabregas was leaving regardless. But Nasri would have been happy to stay put if they'd mounted a genuine title challenge. I just think Wenger dug his heels in too much with the press clamour for money to be spent. Now he is behind the eight ball and Citeh are taking full advantage.

Having said all that I think he'll probably make two or three world class signings, and everyone will wonder what the fuss was about. The keeper now looks ready and maybe that was Wenger's thinking but I don't see why he couldn't have got a Friedel type signing for a year while he waited. Centre back wise I think a lot of people would want him to buy two. I personally think they'll get away with one. I'm just glad Taylor has had an average couple of years because he'd be a serious target otherwise!

 

A mate of mine who is a gunner blames us for their failings! He says that the 4-4 destroyed their morale, caused them to lose the title race, lose the Cup Final, and then not have the fight to beat Barca.

I lol'd when he told me...

 

I'd disagree if anything our strategy is the same as Arsenal and even Man U, by buying players in at a youngish age so there best years lay ahead of them.
If the team is set up right and doing well they won't want to leave, if they do leave you get a large transfer fee back off them.

Instead of the Sheperd era where we threw big money at players with a reputation which they didn't live up to and cost the club a fortune.

My wifes Uncle is friends with Graham Carr and has said he is working his rocks off and I do believe we have one of if not the best scout in the EPL.
We are doing proper research on the players we are bringing in instead of using YouTube like the million pound miget did!!!

 

This

I much prefer this recruitment policy to FFS's, which should see us reap the benefits both on and off the field in a couple of years.

 

In essence our policy is similar to Arsenal/Man U, but with subtle differences. Don't think I've suggested anything different to be honest. I'm not sure we could compare our strategy with Man U's to be honest though. The difference is with Man U is that their purchasing of young talent is a lot more expensive and supplemented by buying world class players if needed. They are guaranteed success. We can't afford to do that, hence our strategy carries more risk. I firmly believe we are signing young players because the fees are cheaper, the wage bill and debts get reduced, and he moves ever closer to the sale I believe he wants. If they do it right, we end up with a good young side. If Ashley can turn round to prospective owner and say here's our wage bill (low), and here is the assets you'll also be purchasing when buying this club, he has a much better chance of walking back out having either got his money back, or making a profit. How long this whole process will take, I'm not sure. I could be wrong and he may just want to take us forward, onwards and upwards but I'm not convinced. As I've said all along, either way he can't take too many risks so we should get some decent players along the way.

 

Bet he blamed Barton aswell

 

Wenger is rooted in the past, the way football has gone has completely overtaken him. He complains about the way the likes of Man City offer mega-money and no other club can compete, but Arsenal did exactly the same thing in the past. Anyone remember the Sol Campbell transfer from Spurs? They blew everyone out of the water by offering him £90,000+ per week, at the time they had Vieira also, two out of the three highest earners in the league. So Wenger has done it in the past but now complains when others do it. Do me a favour. They had a great team, but he had let it crumble in his dogged belief that 'young prospects' are the way forward, unproven players. He will not change his views despite 6 years of no silverware. Football has moved on, Wenger hasn't.

 

Sol was still taking £50,000 a week from us................TEN years after joining Arsenal.!!!!!!!!