Tag Archives: She Wore

Which team is 10 games unbeaten, W 8, D 2, F 20, A 4?

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Arsenal are a club in crisis. Or that is what you would believe if you listened to the press and only followed the club on twitter. It seems now, a crisis club is defined as one which;

  • Is unbeaten in 2014
  • Has conceded just 4 goals in the last 10 games
  • Has gained 90 points in their last 38 league games
  • Is top of the league

I am more than happy being a crisis club at the moment. If we remove the off field actions of our board from the equation, things are fairly bright and sunny at Arsenal at the moment. Have I mentioned we are top of the league?

Yes, we failed to strengthen in the January transfer window, but who did? Chelsea shuffled their squad, selling attacking players for more defensive ones, resulting in an inability to break down West Ham at home. Neither Manchester City or Liverpool bought anyone. Spurs tried – and failed – to sell every player they bought in the summer. Everton bought Aiden McGeady and signed their 4th loanee (what will they do next year without Barry, Lukaku, Deulofeu & Traore). Finally Manchester United splashed out £37m on an attacking midfielder when they really needed 2 central midfielder’s, 2 centre backs, a right back, a left back and a new manager.

In reality, it is ‘as you were lads’ with regards to the top teams Premier League squads. Yes, we have perhaps missed a trick. Had we got in the 2 players we so desperately need, we could have run away with the league title. But then again, it is fairly hard to improve on 19 points from the last 21. And we are top of the league!

We are being labelled a crisis club, yet look around. Manchester United are 15 points off the summit. 7 points off top 4. They have an incompetent manager who has spent £70m on two players they do not need (Mata & Fellaini). If Arsenal were in Manchester United’s position, the press would be having a field day. But no, Manchester United, in 7th, are in transition, whilst Arsenal, who are top of the league, are a club in crisis.

Spurs are with a new manager, just conceded 5 at home (for the 2nd time this season) and spent £100m on so many duff players that their current top performing central midfielder is a youth team product. Imagine selling your best player, sacking your manager and wasting £100m. Yet all the press talk about is how good a job Tim Sherwood is doing. Meanwhile, Arsenal, who are top of the league, are in crisis and Wenger is incompetent.

Manchester City had been on a great run of late, with 34 points from 36. They were reportedly running away with the league title. Yet at best, they gained a 1 point lead on Arsenal. Arsenal are now top of the league. Manchester City are 2nd, 2 points behind.

And whilst the world go’s on about Arsenal’s midfield problems, with no Ramsey, Wilshere & Flamini, it was their replacement in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who stepped up in the game against Crystal Palace with 2 brilliant goals. Meanwhile, Manchester City, who have spent over £100m on defensive midfielder’s over the last 5 years (Barry, Toure, Garcia, Rodwell, Fernandinho) played yesterdays game with a 33 year old centre back in the engine room.

Even last night on TalkSport, after Manchester City’s home defeat to Chelsea, they spent as more time speaking about Arsenal signing Kim Kallstrom than they did about Demichelis playing central midfield for City.

People are still doubting Arsenal’s credentials when it comes to the title race. Yes, Manchester City have a very strong squad, with plenty of squad depth, and probably are favourites for the title. However, we are now 24 games in. Arsenal are still top. The excuse that we have ‘yet to play anyone’ has passed. It seems now pundits are refusing to even discuss our title chances. Almost ignoring that we exist, that we are top. Yesterday’s game between Chelsea and Manchester City was billed as a title decider. It is February. They are 2nd and 3rd. Arsenal are top.

No matter what you think about our off the field matters at the moment – and they are a disgrace – the men on the pitch are doing there job. When they cross the white line, we need to ensure we are behind them. We need to be the twelfth man. We are not in crisis. We are top of the league. Let’s stay their.

Keenos

Arsenal – You’re a Disgrace

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This morning there are a lot of angry Arsenal fans waking up. And they have every right to be furious with the club. The recently unjustified 3% ticket rise is still raw in people’s minds, the condescending email to season tickets about the Bayern Munich game, has now been followed up by the realisation that we will not be signing anyone in January. The divide between club and fans has never been as wide.

The 3% ticket rise sickened a lot of fans. After the increase in TV money and the clubs bumper new agreements with Emirates and Puma, plus the new commercial deals we seem to be unveiling on a regular basis, there was no need for it. The club was due to increase revenues by nearly £100m next year. Why hit the fans with a 3% rise?

Following this up was the news about Bayern Munich. We all knew that the game would be Cat A, but it was the tone of the email that got up many people’s noses. When in the email the club failed to mention prices, it was clear they were hiding their shame at charging £62 minimum for a ticket. Arsenal have been made to look worse by Bayern Munich subsidising their away fans for the game.

The episode also showed how little influence fan groups have on the club, and how little the club really cares about them. Despite all groups – RedAction, AISA, AST & BSM – agreeing on an open letter written to the club, the club has gone against the suggestions and done what is best for them, not what is best for the fans.

Finally we move onto the January transfer window. It shuts today. Arsenal have yet to sign anyone, and yesterday it was announced the £37m deal for Julian Draxler was dead in the water. This is the straw that could break the camels back. Arsenal are taking more money from fans than ever before, yet are not investing it at a time when we are in the running for a title.

Rumours are that it is Arsene Wenger who was unwilling to pay the £37m. Whilst this could be true, it would not surprise me if the board have ‘leaked’ this to ensure they have a scapegoat for another farcical transfer window. After last years embarrassing pursuit of Luis Suarez, you’d think we’d have learnt not to put eggs in baskets, only to be unwilling to pay the asking price.

On the Draxler deal, I can see what it has not gone through, and maybe on another day, views will soften on it. Yes, he could become a Ronaldo type player. Yes, he has similar potential to Eden Hazard at 20. Yes, he is one of the most promising youngsters in Europe. But is £37m a lot for ‘could be’, ‘potential’ and promising’? You could argue yes, especially when you see Juan Mata going for a similar price.

Last transfer window, Tottenham signed a promising 20 year old Argentine with bag of potential who had impressed in Italy. Erik Lamela cost them over £30m. And where is he now? Who knows. What is certain is that after just 6 months, Spurs are looking for a buyer and he will be known as one of the Premier League’s biggest flops. Spending big on ‘potential’ is a risk. Will Arsenal regret paying the big bucks for Draxler, like they did with Ronaldo? Or in a few years time, will we be thinking ‘we got that one right’.

The bigger picture on the January transfer window is not really associated with Draxler. Not signing his is as justifiable as signing him. The disgraceful act is not signing anyone. With midfielders aplenty injured, suspended and ageing and with just 1 decent striker, it was clear to everyone where we needed to improve. The thoughts were, get in a defensive midfielder, get in a striker, and the league could be ours. In 2004 we signed Jose Antonio Reyes. Whilst he might not have been a success in the long term – and a perfect example of risking a lot of money on youth – he gave the fans a lift into the second half of the season. A shot of adrenaline.

Instead, we go into Sunday’s clash with Crystal Palace with no new signings, more injuries, 2nd in the league and with fan morale at an all time low. Rather than cheering the club on to victory, rather than being in a positive mood, the atmosphere in the Emirates will be a negative one.

It is hard to act. The club have been a disgrace and shown they do not care about the fans at all. But how do you let them know? Do it before a game, but still go in and it losses its affect. Do it during a game, and it could affect the team – remember, it’s the club not the team who are the disgrace. Protest after the game and again, the club have already got your money. It is such a fine line between getting your voices heard and allowing the negativity to damage the performance.

My only suggestion is next time Ivan Gazidas and the club invites you to a ‘meet Ivan’ event, accept the invitation but do not fo. Boycott it on mass. It will be an embarrassing episode and let him know clearly that Arsenal are a disgrace in the way they are treating fans. Yes, it might means the fan groups or bloggers fall out with the club. They might lose their place at the top table. Or god forbid, they might never be invited to meet Ivan again, or invited to have biscuits and tea after a shirt unveiling, but it is what needs to happen. They’ll be acting for the greater good.

Arsenal – You’re a. Disgrace. Sort it out.

Keenos

Finishing 2nd to Manchester City would be no disgrace

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Last night Manchester City went top of the league with a 5-1 away win against Spurs. It would now be no surprise to anyone if they remain top of the league for the rest of the season.

Whilst this might risk of coming across a bit negative, a bit defeatist, in all honesty, it would be no shame to finish 2nd to this Manchester City squad. A side which has got 34 points out of the last 36. A side which is in contention for the quadruple. A side which Spurs manager has recently – and rightly – labelled as the best in the world.

Arsenal currently sit 2nd in the Premier League table, 2 points behind Manchester City. Some in the media (MOTD pundits) have already started the claims that the cracks are beginning to appear – we are unbeaten this year remember – and that we are a club in a crisis after a single draw. The truth is the fact we have up to this point competed with Manchester City is an achievement, and were we to finish 2nd to them, it would be no disaster.

In a game where money has always been king – in the 1930s we were known as the Bank of England club due to our finances and famously boasted we could out bid any club for any player by £2,000 – Manchester City currently sit on the throne.

Yesterday, Manchester City announced their latest financial results. A £56.1m loss for 2012/13. Their loss has halved for the second consecutive season, partly to do with their way above market rate naming rates for the Eithad Stadium. As a comparator, Manchester City get £40m a year just from stadium rights, whilst Arsenal get £20m a year for both stadium and shirt sponsorship.

Anyway, what was most interesting in the announcement was Manchester City’s wage bill. In 2012/13 they paid £233,000,000 in wages. And this is where money becomes king. Everyone agrees that Manchester City have the best squad in England. They have four strikers in Aguero, Negredo, Dzeko and Jovetic that would all be either 1st or 2nd choice strikers at every other club (bar Manchester United). For £233,000,000 you can buy a lot of quality who will happily sit on the bench.

Arsenal’s wage bill for the same period was £154,500,000. A difference of £78,500,000 a year. Now taking into account that in the period, Arsenal made a £6,700,000 profit, you can start to see how Manchester City’s financial muscle makes the difference. Were Arsenal to increase squad quality and quantity to a similar size as Manchester City, the wage bill would have to be increased to a similar level. Arsenal would need to find an additional £80m, in a  business which made just £6.7m. Obviously Arsenal have signed some new deals recently which should generate a further £30-odd million, however this would barely make a dent.

Going back to Manchester City’s wage’s, their wage bill at £233m is just £9,800,000 less than Arsenal total turnover for the period (£242.8m). Hopefully you are starting to see the uphill struggle we face. Clearly the only way to compete would to have someone bank rolling us – but would you risk having a Vincent Tan or Assem Allam?

Back to that difference between the wage bills. It works out at £1.5m a week. For that, a club could buy 6 players on £250,000 a week, or 3 players for £250,000 and another 5 for £150,000. You are starting to get a very expensively arranged 1st team. To think ,that would be 8 new players. Once you add the £150m that Arsenal currently spend, you should be able to build a squad which is running away with the league. Give me £1.5bn over the last 5 years to spend on transfer fee’s and wages and I will win the league.

According to reports, Manchester City currently have 11 players earning over £100,000 a week, and 2 over £200,000 a week. Arsenal have just 3 over £100,000 a week (Walcott, Podolski & Ozil). That is a huge gap to over come. And I have not even begun to discuss the transfer fees associated with closing that gap.

The gap is, however, closing, and without the need to be bank rolled. The new Puma deal will add to our finances. As will the other commercial deals we have recently signed. The extra TV money could become a neutraliser, as the extra cash for Arsenal will benefit us more than it will Manchester City. Extra money for City makes little difference, as they can still only have a 25 man squad and it will be very hard to improve what they currently have, whereas the extra money for Arsenal will see us close that wage gap and buy better players at the top end, whilst the lesser players at the bottom are cut adrift.

You can see already the gap closing. Arsenal attracted Mesut Ozil in the summer, and are due to unveil Julian Draxler at some point in 2014. As long as the club keep working on increasing commercial revenue – in the 2012/13 period, we earnt £70m less than Manchester United from commercial deals – we can continue closing the gap.

We are maybe a little bit too far behind them this year to be disappointed with finishing 2nd, but the gap is closing.

Edit: Manchester City fans, this is not a dig at the money you spend, as far as I am concerned, how a billionaire spends his money is up to him. This blog is about Arsenal and how far behind we are in terms of financial muscle.

Keenos