This is not a dig at our still more successful rivals.
As a business there's no question Arsenal are doing a great job. But as a football team, their model is yet to yield any fruits.
Is it going too? When they're 'on their game' it's a joy to watch, but you kinda wonder, whether or not it'll deliver what all fans would like to see, but particularly Arsenal fans have previously been used to seeing.....Success.
I keep saying this but Wenger's "Invincibles" could play pretty and explosive football and if required could 'bully' teams.
Why deliberately move away from that direction? I don't buy the "Wenger doesn't have the money to spend" argument. That is rubbish. Because what ever budget you do have and get a bit of "muscle" in. I don't think it's rocket science. If your team needs a bit of "muscle" instead of buying a "pretty boy" buy a viera. I'm not talking go out and find someone equally as good as him, but if something's missing, add it!
I would not complain if Chelsea took and applied the Arsenal business model. And if we were regularly getting into the Champions League as Arsenal do, I'd certainly not complain. And if we went 7 years without a trophy, I would not mind.
What would bother me, would be effectively 5-6 years without a "Plan B".
So in answer to my own question....yes to Arsenal's business model, but no to how their Manager's refusal to change things.
I know you could argue Barcelona's great squad is the result of patience and a long term plan, but how much longer would you give Wenger?
I could only take so much of "that mean bunch of men were tackling my players" if it were my Manager.
Would you accept the Arsenal route?
posted on 7/7/12
I actually think football fans have been brainwashed into believing tangible things like trophies matter most in football.
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Au contraire Gazza.
I think that the modern day fan has been brainwashed into concentrating on the financial side of the game.
I´m a football purist at heart. I want to see good football and see my team play with heart and desire. If we win things along the way then great although I´m certainly not obsessed with that.
Arsenal´s main priority these days seems to be all about making a profit and to me that is wrong for a football club.
Nearly ten years on and we keep hearing this excuse about how the building of the Emirates stadium is still holding Arsenal back financially.
I don´t buy that for a second and the stadium has surely been paid off many times over by now.
Arsenal got 100 million alone for the Emirates naming rights deal for the Stadium.
posted on 7/7/12
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 7/7/12
Well let's compare different aspects.....
Arsenal have a wonderful world class stadium that brings in 50% more revenue per game that at Chelsea.
Chelsea want the same but are struggling to achieve this goal
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Arsenal make profit and are self sufficient
Chelsea makes a loss and needs a wealthy owner to keep it afloat.
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On the above I would rather be in Arsenal's shoes than ours.
On the pro Chelsea v Arsenal model, I am glad we have not gone down the Arsene Wenger route,because it just won't yield any significant silverwear in the English league. Wenger must by now realise this,but is just too stubborn to go back to the model that made Arsenal such a great team.
Also the Arsenal teams that won the PL were much more entertaining to watch than this Barca lite version, which is just too predictable.
posted on 7/7/12
Don't like Arsenal model.
Do like the CFC model - employ driven determined professionals, and lace with top skill. This seems to ensure excellent team spirit which to me is the crucial factor in modern football.
Arsenal lack leadership, they employ far too many lightweight, so-so players and Wenger's policy is to try to instil them with confidence and self-belief which easily gets dented when things go wrong. Arsenal are not good at developing a winning mentality, although they did impress more in that department last season.
Their efforts to emulate Barce's style is laudable, but personally I think that's a dead-end street. If we all played like Barca, which seems to be so many people's ideal, it would kill the game.
posted on 7/7/12
comment by Very_Cleverley_Done (VCD) (U13761)
posted 40 minutes ago
Their model appears to be sign promising young players, get them playing great football then sell them after they haven't won anything
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Sadly enough, there's much truth in this.
This "building" teams and players to sell them on has become a cyclical thing. We have to break this cycle. I do agree that we should go for a little older players, not necessarily world-beaters but players who are not the "young ones with potential" who used to be the typical Arsene signing.
What is important and may have been overlooked is that we may have already started doing just that by signing players as Arteta, TV, Kosc, Mertesacker, Podolski and Giroud.
posted on 7/7/12
Personally I think you need a balance. I disagree with Gazza in that for me 05/06 was our best season. Unlike in 04/05 we at least were more expansive and played with more style. We absolutely blew everyone away that year.
Opinions will differ but I dont buy this idea Arsenal play the "best" football in the Prem. Not since 07/08 anyway.
I much prefer the Chelsea model. Let's be honest who is happier at the moment Chelsea fans or Arsenal fans? What kills me about Arsenal and the way they are run is how the board brainwashes and manipulates the fans. I find it disgusting that every season they promise players wont leave, wait for ST renewals and then sell the players after. Glad our club aren't like that.
People say we are soulless but I really think Arsenal are beginning to lose their identity. When the trophy barren spell went on they could pride themselves with the fact they played IMO more aesthetically pleasing football than any other team but I'd argue City, most certainly United and probably even Spurs play more attractive football for them now.
It's a shame as Arsenal used to frighten me when I was younger, hated playing them home or away but now I go into any game with them expecting to win.
I've never claimed Chelsea are perfect, there's a lot wrong with the way we do business IMO but I wouldn't trade our position for anyone else's in the PL. I'm immensely proud of how far we have come in the last -15 years
posted on 8/7/12
And we can play good football when we want to. Up until November we played without a shadow of a doubt the most attractive football in the PL IMO
posted on 8/7/12
Amazing how Wenger gets criticised for helping run a club within it's own resources.He deserves criticism for how his team plays on occasions,but the Chelsea and City model is losing hundreds and millions of pounds. Is it impossible for them to win major trophies without doing it that way ? It is not illegal, but why is that considered praiseworthy. I am not saying it will happen to Chelsea and City, but look at Rangers and Portsmouth for what can happen. I do not know if the Wenger way will prove the right way to go and the unfortunate thing if he is right, it may be only after he has gone, that he is proved right. In football terms 7 years is not a long time.
posted on 8/7/12
What I respect is honesty. And Wenger is only honest with the board, not the fans or even his own players
posted on 8/7/12
I'd just like to add, Arsenal's reason for their style of play is not to 'copy' Barcelona. Wenger has always had a philosophy in a passing game, long before Guardiola took over at Barca and reserructed the 'dream team' of the early 90s, built on the same footballing principles (except for the relentless off-the-ball pressing game employed by Barca, as Arsenal's attempts at pressing are embarrassing). Just saying .