A lot of fans are disillusioned with the state of Arsenal at the moment.
From last season, where we capitulated in spectacular fashion after the Carling Cup defeat, and since then we have lost Cesc Fabregas, Carlos Vela, Denilson, Gael Clichy and Emmanuel Eboue to a combination of transfers and loans. Added to that, it is suspected that Nicklas Bendtner and Samir Nasri have played their last games for the club.
You almost feel as if the players mentioned have had enough with Arsenal and want to move on.
And if Arsene couldn’t think that things could get any worse, we also have Gervinho, Alex Song, Emmanuel Frimpong, Jack Wilshere, Laurent Koscielny, Sebastien Squillaci, Johan Djourou, Tomas Rosicky, Kieran Gibbs and Armand Traore all unavailable through suspension and injury.
So if you take into account that essentially 17 players are missing or not focused on playing for Arsenal, then that would cripple any football team.
And the fact of the matter is, in the first leg of the Champions League qualifier with Udinese, we scored a goal and kept a clean sheet, which is what we would have taken before the game.
So while things might seem bad, they could be worse. And if anything, this current Arsenal squad have exceeded expectations considering the major setbacks they have experienced already this season.
Strangely enough it was not the young players such as Miquel, Jenkinson and Frimpong that disappointed against Liverpool yesterday (in fact I thought they were all exceptional), it was the senior players such as Theo Walcott, Andrei Arshavin and Aaron Ramsey that let the side down. So you can’t fault the performances of the young players Arsene has recruited.
The fact of the matter is Arsene doesn’t have money to spend. There’s a reason why he’s reluctant to spend the money, and it’s because he doesn’t have it. Surely it would make his life easier if he did spend big money on experienced Premier League players – it would get the fans off his back, it would give him a far greater chance of success in terms of trophies and create a better feeling around the club overall. Arsene knows better than most about the animosity some Arsenal fans are displaying at football matches and surely he would like nothing more than to bring in players that would make a difference.
You have to ask yourself why isn’t Arsene spending the money? The only other explanation to not having any money to spend is that he wants to tarnish the legacy he has left our football club and get the sack. Does that sound likely?
The Emirates Stadium project was designed to give Arsenal a solid future and compete with the big teams financially and on the pitch. We are one of the few major football clubs that can balance the books and have also competed consistently at the top of the Premier League. We’ve come close most of the time over the last few seasons, particularly in the 2007-2008 season, and if it wasn’t for Martin Taylor I’m certain we would have lifted the title that year. And how about the Champions League Final in 2006? If we had a bit of luck there as well things could have been so, so different. With those two successes we could have really built on that and had even more success. But as so much in football you need that bit of luck which has deserted us over the last few years.
The model Arsenal are currently embarking on is designed to ensure that we are still a top club in 50 years time. Far too much in the Premier League era we’ve seen “big” teams like Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Coventry City reach the heights of success now to be condemned to the lower leagues.
Gary Neville, of all people, wrote this excellent article last week on Arsene Wenger and it makes so much sense. I’m sure you’ve probably already read it but if you haven’t I highly recommend you take a look.
In Arsene we trust.
Outdated, insulting, derisory, head-in-the-sand, in-denial rubbish.
Rubbish!!!!
im very happy that some akb’s admit there is no money…so wenger gazidis and the board have been feeding us the Gooner lies all around,and we are being not only lied to but ripped off too…
that alone should be reason enough for sacking wenger…and i must admit i don not neither tnor like people lying to me..you might ..most dont
wenger get out..and gazidis your even worse…but then again your not that important , you have never been a Gooner and never will be..
Essay shows the writer means well but too much fantasy.
Must try harder
2/10
If AW has no money to spend, please explain why he has spent £12+ on a 17 year old from League 1. And overall about £30m on young, unknown, unproven wide attackers (one defender), only one of which is over 20.
AW is tarnishing his legacy because he is obsessed with growing his own team and cannot see beyond this. This was the intention five years ago, Youth Project 1 has now blown up in his face, now he’s embarking on Youth Project 2.
He lives in his own world where only his perspective exists. Any criticism or alternate point of view he dismisses as those of people who don’t know what they’re talking about. He insults the fans yet still some of you say ‘In Arsene we trust’.
Even with all our players fit or unsuspended we still are going to struggle. We weren’t good enough last year (or 6 previous) and we’ve now lost 3 of our best starting 11. As for Wenger not having money, whats the point in moving stadiums and getting taken over if we are still going to be as poor as Everton.
Wenger has lost his way. He should resign before he is sacked if Arsenal lose the next two games.
@sleepinggiant and matt, its called support you wa***s, support the team in any shape or form.
Its quite obvious that arsenal are pretty unlucky most of the time, and when its not luck its the ref screwing us over, or the media talking s*** about us. I”m ofcourse not blaming them completely for the past years but it plays a big part. Call us fans crazy for believing in wenger but those who don’t see there are outside factors playing a big part in our failures clearly isnt seeing the bigger picture. I think whats driving some players away is just what I mentioned. They’re tired of trying so hard and getting so close only for some ref to stop them or some freak occurrence out of anyones control. Then they go and get talked down in the media and by their own fans. When the people who support them dont even show faith anymore, what hope is there. KEEP THE FAITH, BELIEVE IN THE TEAM
If I wasn’t sure that you lived on the moon, I would call the police to have you locked up as your level of delusion is a danger to others.
Firstly, you say Jenkinson, Frimpong and Miguel were exceptional. Haha really? Arse you that starved of talent? Jenkinson struggled against downing all game and did nothing going forward. Migual cost us both goals and Frimpong’s headless chicken act, cost us the game. They are young so they are not to blame.
So you try to blame the experienced players. Yet aren’t they the ones who were once project youth? Ramsey and Walcott’s career has stagnated as they have been under coached which I am certain will happen to most of the latest young crop of players.
If they do manage to perform well and become established stars, Wenger will fail to control them and he will sell them. Like he has done with every established star at Arsenal.
He doesn’t sign top players because he can’t handle them. It’s fact very easy to sign young players on the cheap and throw them into the premier league. That’s all he does. He certainly fails to coach them. If they sink, he can blame the fact they were cheap players so zero risk, if they swim, he takes all the credit, even though the players rarely improve whilst under his management.
BTW the stadium costs are 20m per annum. Easily covered by the club level seats. There is more than enough money to spend. Wenger just doesn’t have the guts to spend it.
Wake up mate. Arsene just spent £10 million on the unnecessary Chamberlain rather than buy a defender. There is clearly money to spend.
what ever you’re smoking, I want some.
The move to the Emirates was so we can compete financially… agreed…. but why are Arsenal not spending any of the £3m odd they get from every home game. FAns pay the highest prices but we are told that the board will not sanction big wages etc. What was the point of the move? Shoudl/could have stayed at Highbury
You talk about the 2006 chapions league. 5 years is a long time in life, let alone football. Same goes for the 2007-2008 season. How many of those players are still at the club?
“we’ve seen “big†teams like Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Coventry City reach the heights of success” WTF??? coventry, derby heights of success? are you mental. None of those teams shoudl even be mentioned in the same blog as Arsenal and that they have been mentioned shows how far Arsenal have/will drop
I actually do not want Wenger gone, at this stage of a season, that woudl be crazy, a new manager wouldn’t be able to get the players he wanted anyway but I hope to hell that he surpises us with at least 3 players. They don’t have to be ‘super quality’, they just have to improve the squad. Saying that there are very few of the current 1st team anyone woudl class as ‘super quality’
What a rubbish article. You only need to have basic understanding of accounting to see from the clubs accounts that the club has a substantial amount of cash reserves (plus the Cesc money now). This ‘project’is killing our club and its time for a change in outlook.
We have had six years of project youth,enough is enough.
You are deluded. Nearly as much as AW himself. He is clearly talking nonsense. Will only sign players if they are better than the one’s he has…with the exception of RVP you can find better players for every position…just like Liverpool, Man Utd, City and Chelsea have done. The professor has gone mad and is using my beloved Arsenal as his laboratory and no one seems to have the “mental strength” to say enough! Thanks for the good times now on your bike!
Why should the fans be quiet regarding Wenger. He has promised to bring in quality players and has now renaged on that promise. All he’s brought in are non recognised players that will probbly take time to settle into the PL and meanwhile we suffer because of Wengers stubborness to bring in the central defenders that were promised, because he’s now coming out and saying that Konchelny & Vermaelen are knitting nicely, who’s trying to kid, Konchelny has now gone injured so who do we have to replace him, Squillaci who was over the hill when he was brought in last season & has not improved the team one little bit. So meanwhile a once pround football club i.e. Arsenal are suffering because of this manger. We’ll be lucky to get through to the CL this year and end up in the Europa Cup where no doubt we’ll be out again. So what will the Board do then with no massive income through TV rights?
I’m more than happy to see the likes of Miguel, Lansbury, Jenkinson & Frimpong get first team games..how else would they get a chance to show
their worth. However, to be in position to have to field all four in one game against Liverpool suggests that we’ve gone into this season under prepared at best & shockingly mismanaged at worst.
All things considdered, I thought the team did well against L’pool, but we are a loss against Uninese away from meltdown as a PL top 4 club.
Its not every time u talk sh****t about coach or player. Give full support, show them love especially the foreigners. Hw many times hv u seen liverpool or united fans doing this even when things are not right with them. When u boo ur own player despite the fact that r trying to give their all what did u expect from scum refs who r wit bad intentions against us. Lets always pray for luck. Their is no diff in barcelona n this this team. FA r punishing us for not buying their players. If i may ask how many england players r currently on top of games? Walcott shit etc… Gunner 4 life!
No money to spend!!!! What about the Cesc money what about the Nasri money.We have £70m to spend.Whatever happened to the Adebayor/Toure (£41m) money.We made £56m profit last year
This article is total AKB bullshit
Project Wenger has taken us from the Invincibles to a team playing for 4th place
Thank you Gary. You considered every arsenal supporter as a jerk. Mr. Wenger lost the reality due to unnecessary praise! Sir Alex won 2 CL and abot 8 PL medal while Wenger is here. Thus, Gary tell this advice to Sir Alex.
I couldn’t agree more with the article and am in the opinion that we should trust Arsene’s judgement. After all, who are we going to replace him with? Barcelona, Real Madrid and City to name a few who has been known in trying to get his signature. He has brought success and and the same time expectation and if you support Arsenal in the last 30 years then you know that we have been in a worse predicament than we are now. We are in the worst recession of modern times and it is going to get worse and it will affect football. Just look a Spain! How many of their top flight players are owed money. The message from AW and the board that a football club needs to live within their means is the notion every fans should support. I know it’s not easy against the tide of policy of spend spend spend but if you care for Arsenal football care in 10, 20 or 30 years then WAKE UP and don’t follow the herds..
What a badly thought out article.
I have been going to Arsenal since 1987 and I admit I have been priviledged to see some incredible football and players during my time. I have also seen some terrible football as well. Monsieur Wenger has provided us until 6 years ago with skillful, physical teams. The idea from bringing youth players through is the correct one. However youth players only learn when partner with experienced players of the age of above 26, a player who has seen it and done it all before.
The problem is that we sold all our experienced players for I admit lots of money but only really brought in youth to replace them, with perhaps the exception of arsharvin. We need desperately to.mix the youth we have with the experience of seasoned pro’s. There is money there more than before and Wenger has been told to spend it plus what he gets from sales. Unfortunately Wenger has lost his confidence in spending on experienced players as he is afaid to pay over the odds on.players who he believes do not fit his vision of football. Wenger would rather spend on youth for the future than in experience now. He believes he is saving money. This is a false economy because if we miss out on the champions league them we lose £20m in revenue each season. If we are not in Europe and not winning at home, then the fans will stay away and sponsor ship will be less. Thus bringing even less money in. The simple answer is you sometimes have to spend to have success and also bring in more money.
Wenger tried the same approach in Monaco as he is with us now. He got the sack for it. The refusal to spend money and relie on youth. For me unless something dramatic happens in the next 10 days then its time to part ways with Wenger.
But whatever happens support the team during the game.
I am proud of one thing I have seen from this Arsenal
squad – fighting spirit! This has been lacking since 2004.
With all the injuries and red cards we did really well yesterday.
Can you imagine others teams in this predicament and
losing out on an unfortunate own goal?
Luck WILL come our way, she owes us!
Soon we will be debt free then laughing – look at liverpoo
or the spuds and their new stadiums…?
Look at the reality of the future and do not listen to the
biased media.
Relax Gooners, success WILL come!
enough of all this rubbish article.it means that the board and wenger has been fooling us,to heal with everyboby overthere…….