*Official* English Football Season 2012-13

[Jarquis]

We've already bought Podolski and Giroud, it's not like we weren't prepared.

Sagna for captain

 

[sledger]

I suppose not, but asking one of them to take on the role of chief forward is going to be a big ask. Especially when you consider there are already question marks over Podolski's ability to handle pressure away from Köln and Giroud is a fairly unknown commodity.

And yeah, Sagna to be the new skipper hopefully. Or Vermaelen.

Or Song

 

[sledger]

Also, speaking of Podolski...

Captions anyone?

I can't come up with any myself, but there's something about this shot that makes me feel a bit dubious.

 

[Agent TBY]

Here's Podolski, posing with the jersey of every forward's favourite centre-back.

 

[Uppercut]

Him leaving is obviously very disappointing, but if he wants to go, he wants to go, and I'm not really bothered by whatever his motivations might be. He can make whatever decision he wants, it's fair enough, and all good things come to an end.

What gets my goat, however, is the way he's allowed this to be drawn out until the point where clubs are nearly back in pre-season training. It seems his mind has been made up all along, and to wait till now to reveal he wants out is pretty poor form. Granted, it's a big decision for him to have made, but there are more interests than just his at stake here. Of course, now that he's made this decision we've also been treated to the usual saccharine speech about how he loves the club, and loves the fans and so on, but if this were true, you'd have at least thought he'd have had the decency to not leave them hanging.

What makes you think his mind had been made up all along? Don't see any reason why he wouldn't have said so earlier if that was the case. And in any case, it would have been disruptive to mention it during the season and it's perfectly reasonable to want to concentrate on football until the end of the Euros. Arsenal's transfer activity suggests that those in the club already knew the ins and outs of the situation, it's not a problem just because he didn't make an announcement to the press sooner.

If he'd done it mid-season I reckon the fans would be even angrier. It's like ending a relationship- however you do it, the other half will find fault with how you did it.

 

[sledger]

What makes you think his mind had been made up all along? Don't see any reason why he wouldn't have said so earlier if that was the case. And in any case, it would have been disruptive to mention it during the season and it's perfectly reasonable to want to concentrate on football until the end of the Euros. Arsenal's transfer activity suggests that those in the club already knew the ins and outs of the situation, it's not a problem just because he didn't make an announcement to the press sooner.

If he'd done it mid-season I reckon the fans would be even angrier. It's like ending a relationship- however you do it, the other half will find fault with how you did it.

I don't think it should have been mentioned during the season, but there's plenty of time it could have been cleared up in prior to now. What leads me to believe his mind has been made up all along, however, is the fact that it's taken for him until now to come out and say that the club is not moving forward fast enough and that he doesn't share the visions of Wenger and the Directors...despite the fact that they've made two of the largest signings in their recent history in the last month or so...what more could they have done to persuade him that the club has ambition?

I suppose if Arsenal have been aware of this all along, then that wouldn't be so bad, but the impression one gets from reading the recent interviews of Wenger is that this isn't the situation.

 

[Jarquis]

What makes you think his mind had been made up all along? Don't see any reason why he wouldn't have said so earlier if that was the case

Agreed with the club to dupe season ticket renewers IMO

 

[Uppercut]

I don't think it should have been mentioned during the season, but there's plenty of time it could have been cleared up in prior to now. What leads me to believe his mind has been made up all along, however, is the fact that it's taken for him until now to come out and say that the club is not moving forward fast enough and that he doesn't share the visions of Wenger and the Directors...despite the fact that they've made two of the largest signings in their recent history in the last month or so...what more could they have done to persuade him that the club has ambition?

I suppose if Arsenal have been aware of this all along, then that wouldn't be so bad, but the impression one gets from reading the recent interviews of Wenger is that this isn't the situation.

Did he say it was lack of ambition? I thought he was using the whole "direction of the club" thing as a way of saying it's a financial thing without actually saying it. They have that extremely rigid wage structure that means guys like Bendtner and Denilson get far more than they would anywhere else and star players like Van Persie get far less. As well as just wanting more money, it's a disagreement over how much he's worth to the club.

 

[duffer]

Our wage structure is a big problem. Nicklas 52k per week Bendtner and apparently Abou 80k per week Diaby are just the tip of the iceberg.

Anyways, not even devastated by the news. It's Groundhog Day time of the year for us. Just hope it isn't Jack this time next season.

 

[duffer]

Agreed with the club to dupe season ticket renewers IMO

Happens every year. Like clockwork. Meanwhile expect no major signings in once he's gone.

 

[MW1304]

Our wage structure is a big problem. Nicklas 52k per week Bendtner and apparently Abou 80k per week Diaby are just the tip of the iceberg.

Anyways, not even devastated by the news. It's Groundhog Day time of the year for us. Just hope it isn't Jack this time next season.

Just hope he's actually playing this time next season tbh.

 

[Jarquis]

Our wage structure is a big problem. Nicklas 52k per week Bendtner and apparently Abou 80k per week Diaby are just the tip of the iceberg.

Anyways, not even devastated by the news. It's Groundhog Day time of the year for us. Just hope it isn't Jack this time next season.

And ****ing Denilson, so bad we've had to loan him out again because Sao Paulo were refusing to pay his wages.

 

[Furball]

Yeah, it's all very well having reasonably equitable wages but not at the expense of moving duds like Denilson on.

 

[sledger]

Did he say it was lack of ambition? I thought he was using the whole "direction of the club" thing as a way of saying it's a financial thing without actually saying it. They have that extremely rigid wage structure that means guys like Bendtner and Denilson get far more than they would anywhere else and star players like Van Persie get far less. As well as just wanting more money, it's a disagreement over how much he's worth to the club.

As I've said, he can do whatever he likes with his own career. If he wants to go to X club and be paid X amount of money is absolutely fine.

But to pose and posture as if he's being forced out of the club due disagreements over its direction is utter drivel. He was certainly happy with its direction when he was spending 6 months of the year on the physio's table.

The wage structure certainly has its flaws. The fact that Denilson, Diaby, Bentdner, Squillaci and the recently departed Almunia are/were on mega salaries is disgraceful. However, if it prevents a player like Van Persie from demanding a wage hike to something around £250k per week, it'll save something like £7m per annum, and when you're not a club with the financial structure of either of the Manchester teams, I think it's the wisest approach.

 

[Uppercut]

But it is a disagreement over the clubs direction. It's bad for Van Persie's finances personally, of course. But putting that aside, it's also a clear decision not to compete for the best players. If they're not willing to offer their one established top-class player reasonably competitive wages, they'll never be able to attract (or hold onto) anyone that good. It's an implicit admission that there's a ceiling on how good an Arsenal player can be before they move on, and Van Persie is just the latest in a string of examples that prove it. The board seem to be fine with that, but Van Persie obviously isn't. Hence, disagreement over the club's direction.

 

[social]

But it is a disagreement over the clubs direction. It's bad for Van Persie's finances personally, of course. But putting that aside, it's also a clear decision not to compete for the best players. If they're not willing to offer their one established top-class player reasonably competitive wages, they'll never be able to attract (or hold onto) anyone that good. It's an implicit admission that there's a ceiling on how good an Arsenal player can be before they move on, and Van Persie is just the latest in a string of examples that prove it. The board seem to be fine with that, but Van Persie obviously isn't. Hence, disagreement over the club's direction.

In a perverse sort of way, Arsenal should be applauded as, aside from Man City, they have the richest shareholders in world football but have decided that the club should pay its own way

What's more, the club qualifies for Champions League football every year and, assuming that they have a full contingent to choose from, it is really only a couple of prudent buys (i.e. not necessarily 50 million + players) away from being as good as virtually anyone

For his part, Van Persie has obviously had his head turned by money and it's really bad form that he has tried to paint it in a different light and hold the club to ransom in the meantime

Seriously, would anyone really blame him if he said that club X has offered me 50k extra per week and I couldnt afford to knock them back?

 

[Uppercut]

Yes because football fans have ridiculous expectations of how footballers ought to make career choices.

Arsenal appears to be a very well-run club, and one of their beliefs is that the marquee, superstar player is worth less than most other clubs think. I think they're probably right. But if I was a marquee, superstar player I would definitely rather play for a club that didn't think so. For financial reasons, of course, but not just for financial reasons.

 

[roseboy64]

Hard to see it working out, even if he is as good a manager as his time at Porto suggests (and not as poor as his time at Chelsea suggests) he'll probably have to sell a lot of his best players and once again end up at a top-six team with top-four expectations. Plus the media aren't keen so it won't take too many poor results to make his position untenable.

Seems they're close to signing Adebayor and have confirmed Vertonghen and Sigurdsson so not really.

 

[grecian]

Seems they're close to signing Adebayor and have confirmed Vertonghen and Sigurdsson so not really.

oh, adebayor, well that's always good for team building....

 

[grecian]

GOTTA LOVE HIM