we couldn't have upped our spending much, the 70-100m of increased revenue now is the reason we can spend more.
----------------------------------------------------

Greater spending and greater success in the recent past could have made Arsenal an even bigger commercial brand and increased our revenue streams. Success begets success. How do you think a Chelsea side with a much smaller fanbase than Arsenal now earn as much revenue as us even with heir small stadium. I would argue we're still underachieving on the financial front because we've won next to nothing for almost a decade.

the point is we didn't have the revenues to spend big... Chelsea had an unlimited pot of oil money. We had 10 year sposnorship deals when we built the Emirates which restricted us, the club only made profit because of Highbury flat sales and selling our players. Now that we have much higher revenues we can spend a lot more money, which was why we built the stadium.

comment by Godleebarnes (U9902)
posted 14 minutes ago
As good as Ramsey is now which is borderline world class, and to be fair I don't think I've ever been more wrong about a player in my life but he was played at the detriment to the team for nearly 2 years. While in hindsight you could argue it was the right decision I'm still unsure.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
come on now, this is getting silly
-----
How so?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You are saying you are not sure it was right giving Ramsey the chance to develop into a world class players... Do you seriously need me to clarify why this is a stupid comment?

If you ignore all the conjecture and just look at the figures you will see we could of spent a lot more money than we have over the last few years well up until the Ozil signing anyway.

We did have the money to spend big. Wenger and Gazidis said so several times. Wenger himself was famous for saying if he was given big money to spend, he'd return it. It was more a matter of his misguided, naive philosophy of investing faith in his young players many of who either prove to be crap or betrayed his naive faith by moving to bigger clubs. We were never skint. We had far more money to spend then than clubs like Atletico and Dortmund do now - and yet both clubs compete at the top while we unearth every excuse under the sun. People have to face the fact that our manager isn't the god he's made out to be and everything isn't all about how much money he has to spend. He has made a lot of mistakes that had nothing to do with lacking money.

Sheriff is a bit facking clueless, isnt he?

comment by Godleebarnes (U9902)
posted 1 minute ago
If you ignore all the conjecture and just look at the figures you will see we could of spent a lot more money than we have over the last few years well up until the Ozil signing anyway.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Could we? As you guys like to mention so often, we have one of the highest wage bills in the league. How therefore could we afford to spend more than we have without putting ourself at risk. Wenger and the board had a choice. Either spend big for short term success or invest money into developing players (hence the "pay everyone the same" pay structure). Their plan worked, we have developed some of the biggest stars in world football. Problem is they did not forsee the sugar daddies coming in tempting the players away from us or didn't forsee people like cesc who were raised by the club betraying us.

When they embarked on this plan it was Normal for top players to stay at a club for their career. Money agents and moving from Club to club now dominates football

he said he would return the money - in about 2005 or 2006 when we were at the top of the game lol. The game was very different then and it's change a lot, clearly he doesn't want to hand the money back now.

Godlee.. the figures need to be interpreted properly for a start. having money in the bank is pointless if the club loses 30m+ every season, it won't last long. you need to have the revenues to sustain the spending.

Athletico and dortmund don't compete at the top, both Clubs have won one league in the last ten years haven't they? Just like us? Taking into account the fact these clubs don't have sugar daddy clubs popping up from nowhere to provide competition

comment by 50-Always the victims (Luis Suarez) (U1147)
posted 47 minutes ago
The disrespect shown at Wenger is outrageous IMO. Those people who wanted Wenger out should go support Chelsea now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Go support them then, you wanted him out loads of times #fickle

comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 7 minutes ago
We did have the money to spend big. Wenger and Gazidis said so several times. Wenger himself was famous for saying if he was given big money to spend, he'd return it. It was more a matter of his misguided, naive philosophy of investing faith in his young players many of who either prove to be crap or betrayed his naive faith by moving to bigger clubs. We were never skint. We had far more money to spend then than clubs like Atletico and Dortmund do now - and yet both clubs compete at the top while we unearth every excuse under the sun. People have to face the fact that our manager isn't the god he's made out to be and everything isn't all about how much money he has to spend. He has made a lot of mistakes that had nothing to do with lacking money.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is pretty much it.

In the last few years Gazidis and/or Wenger have at times confirmed these was money available "for the right player". For I think its at least 3 or 4 years that the figure has been originally £70m+ and going up all the time.

comment by 'Bats' (U18355)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by 50-Always the victims (Luis Suarez) (U1147)
posted 47 minutes ago
The disrespect shown at Wenger is outrageous IMO. Those people who wanted Wenger out should go support Chelsea now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Go support them then, you wanted him out loads of times #fickle
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bite

Could we? As you guys like to mention so often, we have one of the highest wage bills in the league. How therefore could we afford to spend more than we have without putting ourself at risk. Wenger and the board had a choice. Either spend big for short term success or invest money into developing players (hence the "pay everyone the same" pay structure). Their plan worked, we have developed some of the biggest stars in world football. Problem is they did not forsee the sugar daddies coming in tempting the players away from us or didn't forsee people like cesc who were raised by the club betraying us.

When they embarked on this plan it was Normal for top players to stay at a club for their career. Money agents and moving from Club to club now dominates football
---------------------------------------------------

Surely, the responsibility is the manager's if he'd rather keep Denilson on 50k a week rather than "kill him" by buying Alonso on the cheap. He actually said that crap to the media. Or keep Bendtner on a long term contract at over 50k a week when he could have had his pick of dozens of forwards better than Bendtner in the transfer market. He chose to go with that transfer strategy, so he takes reponsibility for it.

50 has become a proper va"gina of late. Poor man's HK.

Dubbed has unreal obsession with me. Every article he's stalking me like a loon. You sure you're not gay mate?

Bats you answer my question

comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 1 minute ago
Could we? As you guys like to mention so often, we have one of the highest wage bills in the league. How therefore could we afford to spend more than we have without putting ourself at risk. Wenger and the board had a choice. Either spend big for short term success or invest money into developing players (hence the "pay everyone the same" pay structure). Their plan worked, we have developed some of the biggest stars in world football. Problem is they did not forsee the sugar daddies coming in tempting the players away from us or didn't forsee people like cesc who were raised by the club betraying us.

When they embarked on this plan it was Normal for top players to stay at a club for their career. Money agents and moving from Club to club now dominates football
---------------------------------------------------

Surely, the responsibility is the manager's if he'd rather keep Denilson on 50k a week rather than "kill him" by buying Alonso on the cheap. He actually said that crap to the media. Or keep Bendtner on a long term contract at over 50k a week when he could have had his pick of dozens of forwards better than Bendtner in the transfer market. He chose to go with that transfer strategy, so he takes reponsibility for it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
But for every example like that I could mention a Ramsey, Henry, Cesc or any other player that Wenger was instrumental in developing using this "invest in what we have" policy

I actually agree focusing on what you have is much more important than just throwing money at new players all the time

Another point to address is the one about always having money. This may be true. However we all know that Wenger only wants to spend on true top quality not just any old player for the sake of it. Players like sanchez and ozil. You lot wanted us to buy people like fellani and diame ffs

Wenger

Surely, the responsibility is the manager's if he'd rather keep Denilson on 50k a week rather than "kill him" by buying Alonso on the cheap. He actually said that crap to the media. Or keep Bendtner on a long term contract at over 50k a week when he could have had his pick of dozens of forwards better than Bendtner in the transfer market. He chose to go with that transfer strategy, so he takes reponsibility for it.
___________

Well you know obviously more than us. Alonso on he cheap?

Athletico and dortmund don't compete at the top, both Clubs have won one league in the last ten years haven't they? Just like us? Taking into account the fact these clubs don't have sugar daddy clubs popping up from nowhere to provide competition
---------------------------------------

Dortmund have won the league twice in the last 4 years. They did this just a few years after nearly going bust. Dortmund and Atletico have the formidable prsence of Bayern, Barca and Madrid to overcome and they did it. Thoseclubs are bigger challenges than Chelsea and City. We just hide behind tired excuses. Liverpool made the excuses look silly las season when they rose from 7th to ALMOST winning the title.

Wenger

Wenger is a boss. Not gonna lie. He's pi"ssed me off like he has everyone else. And at one point I even regrettably wanted him gone. But I've always kinda hoped he wouke become the badass he used to be. Is this the moment?

comment by 8bit (U2653)
posted 4 minutes ago
Bats youanswer my question
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What question

Well you know obviously more than us. Alonso on he cheap?
--------------------------------------------------

You must have been in a coma when Benitez was trying to flog off Alonso in 2008, to replace him with Barry. Only for Alonso to have his best season after the move failed. We were heavily linked at the time and Wenger spoke about it. Public knowledge.

We will see, Dubbed. Nothing is won yet even with the new elementary signings. Ask Chelsea. You cant buy trophies.