A guest post from Muppet ( @MuppetGooner }
No sooner as we had won the FA Cup, the media narrative was being played out in the newspapers and on the radio. We were being reminded of our entitlement to the premier league. Of course, this was due to the amount of money we are all paying to support the club. Martin Samuel penned an article largely advocating that spending on Ozil and Sanchez had actually made us better. Words like “Cohesion” and “Stability” were all well and good, but we needed to continue to spend. The hacks clamoured to tell us, then ask us, what were the missing pieces of the jigsaw in order for us to win the title ? If I wasn’t so cynical, I would think it all sounds delightful. We are all over the radio. The media are chipping in and asking who we need, Martin Samuel is helping out. Hooray !
Well, not exactly. First of all, the acquisitions of Ozil and Sanchez are just two purchases that represent the first glimmer of light at the end of a very long tunnel. One which had a train coming the other way. There will be more. That is not to say that every signing will work out, that is not always possible. There have been some players that didn’t work out, like Gervinho and Santos, but there have been others that have. On the whole, I don’t know about you, but I am happy with our signings in the period where we had no money. As I look forward and have been enjoying the last 2 years, where we have had more money. Actually, there is a difference in my opinion and that of the media. I really really look forward. Not because we’ve got lots of money. No. It’s because we’ve got lots of money and Wenger is going to spend it. I actually believe, and will argue, that Wenger with lots of money will be the most frightning prospect in Europe. The media can print stories about Bale, and about Pogba, and valuations of £80m. But what the media forget is that Wenger created Vieira and Henry, and in their prime, they would have exceeed those valuations on today’s rates. So my question is this, if Wenger can develop a player, what is so difficult about buying a player ? The media clamour is that Wenger is famously reluctant to spend big. We know this is absolute nonsense. Wenger is actually famously reluctant to spend big on a player that he does not rate, or he cannot afford. Don’t believe that it is possible to spend over £30m on players that won’t improve the squad ? Look around you. Di Maria, Mangala, Torres to Chelsea, Andy Carroll to Liverpool, before that Juan Veron.
Samuel concedes Wenger’s point that three outstanding performers in the FA Cup final were Cazorla, Bellerin and Coquelin. The latter 2 players costing nothing, the former, criminally undervalued. So what is Samuel talking about ? Wenger knows he has to spend. This is the reason for the stadium move, the improvement in the commercial deals. This isn’t some deluded positive narrative. ! We are not going to ramp up our commercial operation to bring in £300 million a year so we can stick it in the bank ! The Chelsea fans know this, and are ringing the radio stations and telling everybody that we have lots of money, and therefore we should have won the title. But a title winning squad takes time to ferment. The Chelsea team that won the title were underpinned by at least 10 players who won the champions league. You cannot expect to win the title after two years by just spending £40 million in each year. Chelsea spent £111.3m net in 2003-04, and when that didn’t buy them the sought after trophy, they went out and spent a further £92.2m net in 2004-5, acquiring Drogba, Carvalho, Ferraira and Robben. Our purchases in the last 2 years have been nowhere near on a a comparable scale to this, but we are expected to win the title ? I can accept some of the argument that Chelsea had to spend big initially, but they went on to spend at least a further £300m net in the subsequent 8 years after 2005.
Now that the FFP regulations have been relaxed, Chelsea, Manchester United and City will all spend at least £100 million each. Even if we could match that, the only way in my view that we can hope to win the title, is to put faith in our squad and the players that we have now. Which is why Wenger’s comments about “Cohesion” resonate. He believes we are not far off. He is defensive on preferring to promote from within and not necessarily seeking solutions from outside, because those solutions don’t necessarily exist. Yes, Aguero may be an upgrade on all our strikers ? But he would cost the GDP of Sweden. It’s hard to not sound like an apologist for coming 3rd or 4th, but we can see already that there is a scramble for the best players in europe amongst all the top clubs. Which is why we need to maximise our squad development and home grown players. Ox, Bellerin, Toral, Coquelin. This is why I feel optimistic. I think we are nicely positioned, and have already shown improvement in the last 2 years. 2 FA Cups, and an average of 77 points each season. I don’t know the exact stats, but I think without the injuries, we probably average over 2 points a game. And recently, we have beaten all the big teams, save Chelsea. And I belive there is more to come, because there is surely, still, a huge amount of untapped potential in terms of players like Wilshere, Ramsey, Ox, Welbeck.. even Walcott, to develop more individually, and as a team, with the other, more experienced players. Sanchez in his 2nd season could be Henryesque, which would be sensational.
But for the half glass empty merchants, the concerns will be at the back. But what is interesting there, is we are not lacking in numbers. Gabriel and Chambers to cover for Kos and Mert. A coquelin partner/back up/replacement is where most concerns are expressed, and a goalkeeper. It will be interesting to see what AW does. But whatever happens next season, if you can’t be happy with some of the football that was served up this year, then you are probably a miserable bastard. Yes, Monaco was the nadir, but let’s console ourselves that no one else got any further than we did in the CL.
Positively Arsenal 
Agree with the above. I have lots of time for Rafa Benitez. I did enjoy his Liverpool teams. He has some style.
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why is jack being charged?
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The Spurs chant thing…
Its ridiculous…can you imagine trying to put up a defence…you would ask them if they’re joking…
Others have pointed out that Jack getting the headlines is a way to attack Arsenal when there is not much to attach them for.
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he said the same thing last year, why was he not charged then? he only asked the fans a question. he couldnt have controlled what answers they gave.
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Well the story is that last year Arsenal had a hard time winning, so there was alot of other reasons to attack the club. This time around the win was so convincing with so little else to find as ammunition…maybe its misreported but the Guardian and the Dailymail are both running it, filth that they are, so I assumed it was happening.
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I don’t know about Rafa.
I watched the Napoli v Lazio game at the weekend with the Neapolitans needing a result to get their CL place, and Lazio needing just a point. In Naples in front of their nutty fans it should have been doable and they were favourites.
The home side found themselves 0-2 down as a result of some wayward defending, then managed to get back to 2-2. Typically Lazio weee reduced to 10 men shortly after half time. Napoli then managed to win a penalty after 75 minutes which should have put them in the lead, and sitting pretty against a depleted Roman side.
But no.
Higuain, that hero of doomers and Groaners all over the world, blasts the kick so far over the Lazio bar it was never returned. That is four misses out of seven penalty attempts for the hotshot Argentine this season.
And Lazio end up winning 4-2
No CL place for Lazio, Napoli drop from 3rd to 5th on the final day and Europa League nights in Khazakstan – and Rafa takes over at the Bernabeau
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well, they didnt charge moureen for all he’s said about arsenal and for calling arsene a specialist in failure.
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I find if I have been drinking all night it is always best to steer clear of the microphone
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Jeez the FA truly are utter spiteful bastards when it comes to The Arsenal.
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Yeah, layksite is right. Spite indeed, DC. Jack is disreputable but Jose is a fucken saint.
If thats the case, then I would be rather disreputable. Its a mark of integrity compared to these propagandists and their masters.
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“Boom boom boom boom” by the Wengerboys?
Just a thought . . . . . . . . . .
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For Hunter
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A rough stab at Arsenal’s revenue for 14-15
PL prizemoney (incl TV) £96.5m
FA Cup 1.8m plus at a guess £5m for and TV coverage
C1C £0.5m ?
UCL prize, and TV money, £35m?
Matchday income – 19 PL home games, 6 FA games (2 at home), 5 home UCL games, 1 home 1C game.
Say £110m
Sponsors Emirates, Puma, etc £30m + &30m + £40m.
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Does this include the £ Billion we have in spare cash in the bank ?
( I think t/o is expected to be about £350-£360m )
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They don’t like the Arsenal
We don’t care
The FA’s won’t protect Wilshere on the field of play (although that is almost their only job – to safeguard the sport and te athletes) but they’ll charge him for saying words less offensive then those uttered by savage or Barton on the national broadcaster (anything to do with football)
It is what it is.
Puts the watchman who likes to return watches, the man who castrated aunty bleeb, Mr.Dyke himself into context.
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Media for the past several years, Sly sports MOTD etc.:
“The best way to stop AFC is to kick their players”
Would you like a reference?
There was Barton on MOTD in front of a clip of Cahill’s foul on Alexis, discussing how to foul and hence injure.
So it’s acceptable to advocate cheating, to be clear in case anyone had a smidgen of doubt as to what has been said, but it’s not acceptable to sing a football song.
That observation will tell anyone more then I ever could!
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Apologies to our absent friend, I didn’t know that 2001 version has such a different ending.
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Anicoll
The club have been quite recently on the property speculation front.
The tottenham supporting members of Islington council shot down Arsenal’s plans for Wenger tower. I have a sneaking suspicion the T/O might be close to £400m due to all those little side sponsorships and so on the club have been doing.
Plus there is all the savings on Diaby’s medical bills now that he’s actually fit.
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That’s right DC – our schemes for the 25 storey and even the back up 16 storey tower were knocked back by the Court of Appeal eventually – the bastards
CoA judges obviously corrupt, Sours fans, oil money etcetera
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the media are doing their best to paint a wrong image of jack. i can see its working as many arsenal fans now see him as a black sheep. worse things had been said in the past by players and managers but did the fa do anything?
will they pretend they dont know tuttnum is shit? it’s not difficult to know that.
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when they were leading us in the league and began shouting ‘mind the gap’ it was okay, but when our boys triumph at the end of the season and started celebrating it, it became a problem to the media.
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funny as hell that jack saying “shit” gets him an FA charge, yet the likes of Rooney swear over and over at refs and no action is ever taken, to think some gooners say their is no agenda against Arsenal.
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Are they seriosu about jack’s charge?
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Rafa’s stylish if a little too cautious for me.
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That tower was &£)*#*-££! awful.
Can’t always admire the handiwork of Planners, plenty of examples, but you can in this instance.
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i’ll be glad if FBI can investigate the premier league and the fa.
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the mirror reporting that wilshere fuming at the FA charge as him saying “shit” does not break the England players code of conduct rules.
typical keystone cops stuff from the FA, when its Arsenal they are in such a hurry to make a charge they don’t even notice no rule broken.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenals-jack-wilshere-angry-over-5818380?
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Dean Winchester @18DialSquare86 9m9 minutes ago
FA Charge Jack for saying “shit.” & Outrage when Woj has a cig…
Allow Johnson to continue playing after being accused of fiddling kids.
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