In all honesty, I'm not too certain that there are many companies that attempt to make a loss every year. Football is the only business in the world where the majority of companies (clubs) don't make a profit, and then everyone acts surprised when one goes out of business. "How did that happen?" "No idea, they were making a healthy loss every year." I realize it is in folk-lore now that Arsenal owners line their own pockets rather than spend it on success, but given the amount of money it takes to buy success these days, it may well have been a good decision to maintain the strength of the club and spend the money when the rules make spending the money more rewarding. Despite all the hoopla, neither point of view can be proved. At least the profit seems to stay in the club, so whilst the board can certainly be described as risk-averse, the tag of criminal is a little undeserved. It is interesting to me that Chelsea's spending over the last couple of years has been less successful. Yes they won the CL, but most people think that they got a little lucky. Maybe, things are starting to change. Perhaps if Arsenal had got just a little bit of the same kind of luck, won the title in 2008, maybe the league cup last year, we wouldn't have the divide among fans we have now. I wasn't a big fan of RDM, I think he got very very lucky. If they had lost that CL final, Chelsea would have had no CL football this year and he would have looked like a muppet. I really sense that there is a change going on in the PL this year, it wouldn't surprise me to see one of the big teams do a Liverpool this year, and head south. I know that people think it might be Arsenal, but it might well be one of the other top 4.
With every business you need to take a few risks to get rewards. Clearly our safety first approach hasn't worked and still doesn't look like bearing any silverware soon. Whether we like it or not, we need more squad investment to go that step further. We seem to be clinging onto the FFP ruling but whether this works in our favour or not, is still yet to be seen. As for any big suprises, i do not see any. I see the usual suspects finishing the top 4 or 5 in the league. Even with our questionable start to the season, i can see Wenger navigate us to a top 4 place. He just knows how to do it.
I think FFP could have something to do with RDM's sacking.Chelsea have just made their first profit in years and this was to do with them winning the CL.Their latest accounts do not include the signings of Hazard,Oscar etc.It is possible that Chelsea will miss out on the knock out stages of the CL and this will impact on their finances.I think that this season is included in the calculations for FFP.If Chelsea were to finish outside the top 4 this season it could have serious repercussions for them
Maybe, but the decision was way too premature. Best to keep what you have and consolodate, than bring someone new in that will need time to bed in. This may harm Chelsea even more unless they get someone reputable in such as Hiddink, Mourinho etc who can get results fast.
As I say, there is no way of proving what would have happenned "If" or whether given another throw of the dice, the same strategy might have yielded a hatful of trophies. If you don't have the 250M that it would take to guarantee success then spending 100M is just pissing it away for nothing. For example, there is no reason that spending the extra millions on Hazard this year, would have made us any better than what we spent on Cazorla. Pissing away 35M on Carroll, or 10M on Chamakh - same result.
Carzola was a lucky buy in my opinion. Any normal occasion he would have gone for over 25m, but due to unforseen circumstances, he came to Arsenal. History tells you that Wenger knows what to buy. Plenty of players within our range that we can afford but choose not to. This is not about our financial capacity, but more to do with our current strategy. A strategy that is based on profit and has won Arsenal no silverware for 7 years. Having one of the best managers in the business and not winning for 7 years makes for grim reading...
Was the first one to call RDM in the sack thread!!! And happened pretty much as I said. I mentioned position in the league wouldn't matter just a bad run would be enough.
If his team of the week is anything to go by he'll play 4 fullbacks and 6 forwards ahead of them every week.
So Benitez is in to try and get Torres to perform. Has it not occurred to Roman that Torres is past it?
lol this is ****ing bizarre. It would be hillarious if Juve lose their next game and Chelsea make it out of the group...
For those of us who remember, Chelsea were a mid table club, yoyo-ing between the old first and second division before the oil money came pouring in. They are still a testament to the fact that 'money can't buy you class' though
I think Roman must be in love with Torres to spend 50 mil, demand he plays, and sack a manager to bring in Benitez in the hope he'll get Torres to play.
I think he's in love with being proven right, if anything... that would explain his insistence to make Shevchenko and Torres work for Chelsea.
