Tell me Arse fans what is this ASS Xcuse ?

[Karl]

Arsenal fans have to take a chill pill and look at the long term and realize that Wenger is more right than not. His philosophy of building from within the clubs means is the only sustainable model. You only have to look at the foreclosure rates in America, where (for a 10/15 year period) people bought more expensive homes than they could afford to know where this is headed.

To my mind, the free-spending model bandied about by City, Chelski, Manscum and now Liverpool is a fool's errand. It is unsustainable. Wenger to his credit recognizes that spending "daddy's money" like a drunken sailor (i.e. taking on more debt) will only result in a bankrupt club when their rich owners bail out after seeing no cash flow and no return on investment after shelling out hundreds of millions.

This saga only goes to highlight how much WE THE FANS are losing, independently of club affiliation. The "new" model is one that rewards the big spenders and pays no homage to clubs that live within their means. Without financial parity, football becomes predictable. Manu, Chelscum and City are the biggest spenders in the Prem - a few years ago, City was in a perennial struggle to stave off relegation. Was there any surprise that City finished in the top 4 last year? None. Will they finish top 4 this year? Yes. Predictable. Try going back to the 1960's, look at the league winners of the 10 year period from 1960 to 1969:

1960 Burnley
1961 Tottenham Hotspur
1962 Ipswich Town
1963 Everton
1964 Liverpool
1965 Manchester United
1966 Liverpool
1967 Manchester United
1968 Manchester City
1969 Leeds United

Eight different clubs. Now look at the10 years from 2000-2009:

2000 Manchester United
2001 Manchester United
2002 Arsenal
2003 Manchester United
2004 Arsenal
2005 Chelsea
2006 Chelsea
2007 Manchester United
2008 Manchester United
2009 Manchester United

Three different clubs.

What is even more telling is the correlation between $ spent on payroll and transfers and where a club finishes in the league. Chelski and Manu** own those numbers and have for the last 5 of those 10 years. Any wonder which two clubs won the league?

If you go back to the olden days, when TV money was evenly distributed, you could have a team like Clough's Derby County get promoted and one season later, win the First Division title. Those were the days when greater financial parity served to showcase greater footballing talent. Now, it's more about the checkbook.

While Liverpool, City, Chelski and Manu** are all spending money they don't have, Wenger to his credit is at least trying to maintain some kind of sanity around managing his club responsibly.

Arsenal fans should stay the course, continue filling the stadium and supporting their manager and help him to a top 4 finish (this is his real dilemma). They have to put their addiction to silverware aside and focus on the financial picture.

If they provide consistent support until the stadium is nearly paid off, they will have a club that will be a dominant force in football for another 100 years. We can't say that (based on current finances) for any of the three biggest spenders in the Prem, they will all have their "Lehman Brothers" moment at some point in future.

At the end of the day, I submit that those of us who love football should be backing Wenger, not crying him down.

Hear! Hear!
...and we shall still produce good football. Trophies shall come..as sure as night follows day!!!

[Gamma]

FACT all of that is down the drain there is no seamless continuation of champions and we are selling off all our stars nasri, cesc, then there was flamini, silva, eboue gone ......

if you meant the gunners ill, then yes, it was the right time for him to go because we were in contention when he was there too ... if i am not mistaken..we won things! we have not since he left .. do the math!

cf man u when they lost to chelsea, they sold CR but they had the continuation and HAVE won things.

i thought tyou were a man of facts. how come those important facts seem to escape yuh?

[Karl]

FACT all of that is down the drain there is no seamless continuation of champions and we are selling off all our stars nasri, cesc, then there was flamini, silva, eboue gone ......

if you meant the gunners ill, then yes, it was the right time for him to go because we were in contention when he was there too ... if i am not mistaken..we won things! we have not since he left .. do the math!

cf man u when they lost to chelsea, they sold CR but they had the continuation and HAVE won things.

i thought tyou were a man of facts. how come those important facts seem to escape yuh?

I have not missed those things you mentioned....save I would intrepret the matter of "continuation" and "we won things" in a different light.

1. Where is the loss of continuation when we have been in the top 4 every single year and have been in finals sometimes?

2. As it regards "won things"...

We last won a trophy in 2005. TH14 left at the end of the 2007 season.

TH14 there when the current "Have not won anything period" started. 2 full seasons and in the 'clutch' end of each season he showed he had lost more than 'a step'. He no longer delivered in 'clutch time'.

Sure he went to Bacelona and played a bit part in trophies won. His bolt was shot!

[Dunny]

Relax boys, Karl,Gamma and all the Gunners Massive dont follow the hype.
The Gunners will continue to tick over,they will finish in the top 4 and ahead of Liverpool.The boss will strengthen the squad before the window closes he is just waiting until the harbour sharks finish wasting their money then he will snap up a few more bargains like Gervinho. By the way the Arsenal make stars and will continue to make stars. Arsene is the Guv and is unsackable so mek X gwaan chat!!

[Sir X]

Lol,Dunny its all about winning trophies the trick is to find the balance of increasing revenues and expenditure to accomplish the objective in a fierce financial industry,it has to be youth development centered (promote from within in) Truth be told Arse is as good as fergie and rafa in that department he fails when it comes to buying quality and experience to compliment the youth to achieve the objective....TITLES.....even a broke ass liverpool under rafa did a better job and you can see the youths on display with kelly.spearing.flanagan.sterling.shelvy banging down the door for a starting position.The youngest being 18 the oldest 23.

Sack him

[Gamma]

woe is he who has sight but REFUSES to see

[Dunny]

Wilshere,Frimpong,Szczesny,Ramsay,Walcott not just knocking at the door but bang the door down already all established internationals apart from Frimpong me done talk. Nasri, Fabregas, Anelka, Viera, Henry,Toure,Clichy to name a few did anybody hear about them before they come and work under the Prof?

[Gamma]

true but wi sell too early these last few years!

[Sir X]

Tell im gamma....lol

[Sir X]

Xactly point made where is the experience to win Titles!
....yuh building it from the youth?...lol...we will buy it.

[Dunny]

Xactly point made where is the experience to win Titles!
....yuh building it from the youth?...lol...we will buy it.

A thief you want we go thief boss, how the raas you a go buy if u no have money?

[Paul Marin]

yes but he keeps selling our young seasoned players ..... that is diminishing returns right there .... who is the veteran on the squad? Walcott?!!

Gamma - you're not being fair. Do you think he didn't try to keep Nasri and Cesc? His problem is that they want him to break open the check book and bring in big money signings or else they don't feel they can compete. The mark of real champions are teams that get the best out of average players. Wenger has nothing more to prove in this regard. His "star" players are impatient, but that is understandable with youth. Nasri, TH14, Cesc, and a host of other names would be nowhere had they not played for Wenger, so it's not like they came into the squad as big ballas.

Wenger at least understands that it don't make sense to spend gold to get silver(ware). Pay down the stadium debt then worry about silverware. Simple prudence.

[Gamma]

continuity is important too ..... that is what has driven man u to the heights it has and then that feeds on itself.

[Assasin]

yeah man. The man and dem just make a big money need fi splash a little. You have to mix the youth with some toughness or else you nah go win. Nobody expect him to be like Man City but with or without Cesc and Nasri the defense is lacking and the least he could do is get two defenders.

[Twan]

OH YOU men OF LITTLE FAITH !!

WE ARE THE GUNNERS....WATCH THE RELOAD!!