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 
anicoll I was thinking of something a bit more inspiring
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To be fair it took a while to get rid of the from “Wonder of You” – no idea whose idea that was
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I thought Right Here Right Now hit the mark although it is hardly unique
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well I’m thinking of something that can be used for more than just the entrance of the team, but like “you’ll never walk alone”, can be used by the fans to both inspire the team, and in praise of the team, whichever is needed. Something that does not need the music for it to be sung.
The wonder of you was an awful choice as an entrance song.
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What about this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvyJ0PpEj
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george are you saying we are better off without a song
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anyone see the espn Walcott and Gibbs for Sterling transfer rumor
it is typical contradictory nonsense, they state that Liverpool will only let Sterling go if Walcott and Gibbs come the other way, that they will not take a straight cash deal, then the article goes on to tell us that if AFC don’t agree to the swap that it means Man City will get Sterling in a straight cash deal. So citys cash is acceptable but Arsenal’s is not, you could not make up this sort of transfer bull, oh wait they did.
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Please leave hunter alone… think he just takes being silly an extra mile at times but he is not as bad as is being made out…
Just let him be… those that dont want to read his posts can scroll by cant they?
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Mooopay!
Well said… this quad will be better off keeping all together than buying 2 or 3
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Did you bastards scare Ian off?
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TS, its done. Repeatedly asked to behave. No notice taken.
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I suspect he just wanted to post his musings.DC
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it was clear what he was up to, have to praise those who control this site for taking the actions they did.
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Common PG! Let him be
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TS I agree, and I am the one who pulled the plug – given why I and a number of Positivistas are here barring a poster is not action anyone would take, or has been taken lightly.
There is a ‘line’ though, and when you are asked to take it easy several times, and you take (apparently) not a blind bit of notice, nor even acknowledge that you might rein it in …..well the outcome is inevitable.
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Ian has been, and is, free to come back GP – not heard from as far as I know (?)
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Oh well….
He did have a tendency to stray off side in spectacular van Nisteroy fashion but… maybe he does need a few match out, i trust its not a permanent ban though…
I think he has enough positivity in him to be taught how to stay on side!
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Hunter, was no gentleman when it came to the ladies!
PG, I suspect, has the most. ON his blog, naughty, naughty!
The lady Arsenal fans are to be cherished, when they do write in.
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Carl Jenkinson and Calum Chambers have been named in England Under 21 European Championship squad to be played in the Czech Republic.
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My worry about this bandwagon that is fast rolling down the hill is that when the manager fails to listen to all these experts and does not buy the 4 players they have convinced the simple minded that we need, the backlash at the first set back will be massive.
The last 2 seasons it has been injuries to key players at the wrong time that has undone us. I’m sure that if Arsene finds “top, top quality” at the right price he will buy, but we are not desperate for new players. Clearly what he has been working on is getting a balanced squad, where we are less reliant on raw teenagers when someone is missing from our first eleven and where the quality does not drop dramatically between the first choice players and the deputies. Looks to me like we are almost there.
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Jose nurturing young players like only he can
http://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/premier-league/2014-2015/jose-mourinho-blasts-ruben-loftus-cheek-after-poor-performance.against-sydney-fc_sto4764600/story.shtml#uk-tw-po
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Steve Gooner @Merse10 15h15 hours ago
A fan tweeted he had met 3 legends at the parade. Adams? Bergkamp? Charlie George? No! Moh, Bully & Claude.
No words
ha ha ha ha, if any more proof was needed as to how stupid many of our fan base are and why the media bull is accepted by them, then this is it, a shower of pantomime clowns treated like legends and celebrities
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Gibbs “Arshavin was the weirdest player I’ve ever met, he useto go out in London on his own on nights out with a fake moustache on”
someone should explain to Gibbs that AA was only doing that to avoid Pedantic George
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/11440878/See-how-long-its-been-since-every-Premier-League-team-has-won-a-major-honour.html
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Utd playing the Stone Roses ‘this is the one’ before big games makes me sick with envy.
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Eddy
Newcastle United – local hero theme, by Dire Straits.
Everton – Z Cars
West Ham – I’m fro revert blowing bubbles. ( past it’s sell by date)
Chelsea – Liquidator – The Best of the Harry J All Stars, surprisingly good.
Munster stole that song from Glasgow Celtic.
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what about Arsenal using the Clash song “London’s Calling”
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Let Em Come – Roy Green
At Cold Blow Lane in the late 80s there was rarely a dry eye in the house
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How about Depeche Mode – Enjoy the silence?
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Let Em Come – Roy Green – its a millwall song
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I’ve found it, it’s perfect for Arsenal.
pink floyd – run like hell.
Trust me.
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Better clash singles than that
– straight to hell, complete control, train in vain….
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dc its not a matter of which is the best clash song, its a question of which one is best suited to being a club anthem, which one would be suitable for getting tens of thousands of fans to sing at the same time
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something along the lines of this
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Whatever it is eddy it should be well known in Japan – singing wise
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why japan
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It would ensure about 10% of the Clock End upper tier are up to speed
Admittedly I’d guess the Chinese/Japanese blend is tilting
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Well, here’s what our team sing:
http://nachomonreal.tumblr.com/post/120347241080
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I’ve often thought we could make more of London Calling. Ramp up the sound as the teams come out. It wouldn’t take much to change the words so the crowd could sing it at obvious moments during the game.
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We bought a defender/defensive midfielder in January. Kristian Bielik. Still very young and untested but one to keep in mind for the future. At the time the dogs were barking about him, but he is now as forgotten as Chambers and even Gabriel seem to be. If Hayden makes a full recovery and continues to progress it seems to me that some pretty secure defensive foundations are being put down.
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Anicoll & Eddy
Alphaville – Big in Japan
problem sorted, and it’s a proper choon.
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“Gig in Japan” ? -well that covers almost all the bases.
I have been pondering the topic over night and being Arsenal we need something perhaps a bit more substantial, more enduring than the latest offering from Juke Box Jury or whatever they are currently playing on the Light programme.
I give you Les Toreadors, by Bizet from Carmen, it has oodles of Latin swagger (just like Sanchez)
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Talking of Latin swagger football never loses the means of astonishing me.
And so this morning’s news that Rafa has actually been appointed as boss of Real Madrid falls into that stunning category. Why him ffs , why Rafa, why now ?
What on earth are they smoking at the Bernabeau ? Was there no one else at all as capable in World football who was either available or interested- and if Benitez was the best they could appoint why sack Ancelotti ?
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Les Mis: Can you hear the North Bank Sing?
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Andrew @ 10:00 am – It is an endless mad carousel at Madrid. It is a disease called “more money than sense.” I wonder which one of their galacticos will be thrown on the scrap heap.
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short of that they wanted a Spaniard in charge for a change, i really cant get my head around Rafa as real boss… really… he is not too shabby though and i think he is a better acquisition than JM ever was for any club no matter what he wins so well…
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Rafa has earnt his spot on the rung below Arsene, alongside Carlo and the select few never mentioned when they had the opportunity by the Coyle in brigade like Pellegrini and Bielsa etc.
I enjoyed watching the contests between Rafa’s Liverpool. A great manager can attract great players and the story behind his wooing of maschenrano was very cool, almost as impressive as signing Alexis whilst playing beach volleyball in Brazil.
Can’t see how anyone would be surprised by what has happened since. Newcastle after Robson. Liverpool after Benitez.
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rafa is a very good manager and coach. he’s a great person as well. his records everywhere he’s worked arent too bad as well. he won la liga twice in three seasons with valencia. he didnt just win cl with liverpool but won it with some players who should ordinarily have no business in the final. players like traore, finnan, barros, cisse, riise, cara, dudek et al. he helped liverpool play the best football while also giving them champions league football on several occasions. something they’ve notbeen able to repeat until last season. he developed players like torres and gerrard into great players. he is theonly manager in italy to have stopped juve from winning all available domestic trophies in recent years. if you ask me, iwill say he is a better manager than moureen.
most pundits in england dont rate him because he hates ferguson, and exposed the conspiracy between united and fa as well as united and pgmol. he also doesnt praise moureen andhas the gutt to tell them in england that arsene wenger is the best coach in england.
i’m happy for him even though i will not be supporting him bacause i hate madrid.
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I hear Jack Wilshere’s been charged by the FA…really…
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