Arsenal Corp
By @VictoriArsenal
Does complacency reign at the club?
This is the second piece that I have submitted to the OnlineGooner. The first was when Arsenal were in the doldrums, at the beginning of last season. I ranted and raved about my love for Arsenal, but also the great players that they possessed. Players. World. Class. Players. Problem is, that day seems to be done and dusted with the recent statements by RvP. Arsenal can't even hold onto one, one world-class player, which it has stuck by though years of injury and disappointment.
Arsene: Not blameless
What is my point? Arsenal are becoming a corporation. They are constantly building equity, and stripping it away and cashing in. The equity is players in the squad. The players a football club possesses are the single most important factor in its survival.
The only thing that Arsenal Football Club, both board, and Arsène Wenger (who deserves his fair share of blame in this) are proficient at, is buying players on the cheap, and, at the expense of Arsenal Football Club, grooming them to become world-class players, for the highest bidder. Great business model, but not such fun to have to watch constantly; Arsenal, something you, I, we all love, is constantly having all of the equity torn out of it.
“The Old Arsenal” - the Arsenal that played in a modest stadium, not a world-class stadium, like the Emirates. The Arsenal that won trophies like it was their job. An Arsenal that bought players, but ones that were proven, or ones that at least had promise. The Arsenal that only lost players because they wanted to play at a club that could offer playing time, or had slightly, and I mean SLIGHTLY more prestige. A club I was proud to support and champion.
“The Arsenal of Today” - The Arsenal that plays in a world-class stadium. A club that charges exorbitant amounts for the service they provide, with inadequate execution and little satisfaction. Wenger, who “wants the best for the club”, has given into his own selfish desires to develop players, when he should be pushing to win games, while simultaneously developing players. A club that if rife with complacency. A club I unfortunately torture myself by watching.
I'm not asking Arsenal to reinvent the wheel, solve cold fusion, even become a European champion. I'm just asking them to roll the clock back a decade.
Twitter @VictoriArsenal
16th July 2012
User Comment and Reaction
User comments on this article are now closed. If you want to continue the debate, why not do so on the Gooner Forum.
Ron 10:30am 16th Jul 2012
The Club truly lost its soul when it moved mate. The Emirates isnt really that impressive in my view either. Its design is largely to blame for the poor atmosphere.Its a theatre not a football ground and Wenger thinks hes running a ballet troupe not a football team. In fact, ive seen ballet dancers with more 'bottle' and mental strength than half of his players! - Post No. 26841
Dominic 11:07am 16th Jul 2012
Sorry pal you must be one of the new guys. I have supported Arsenal for a lot longer than I care to remember. The old Arsenal did win trophies but also went long years without anything. How many titles did we win between 71 and 89? How many other cups were acquired in the same period. Let's roll the clock back to the days when we had Selley, Hillier and Eddie McGoldrick turning out for us. - Post No. 26848
mark from aylesbury 11:29am 16th Jul 2012
I've read a few articles where people claim Highbury was modest and / or we were never able to compete financially. The true pucture is that Highbury was impressive for its day, capable of holding 70,000 plus. A crowd of 63,000 still crammed in I believe in the early 70's. We have gone through periods of risk taking as in 1930's and retrenchment during the 60's. We need now to tweek the balance as the current model of absolute caution isnt working! - Post No. 26856
Hayes 11:51am 16th Jul 2012
Headed in white on a red back ground I read 'exclusive'. What is 'exclusive' about this drone of a statement. I'm not saying you are wrong or right, but...yawn...yawn...has nobody got anything original to state ??? BORING... - Post No. 26859
Tony Evans 12:22pm 16th Jul 2012
Supporting the club isn't much fun at the moment and hasn't been for a good while now. I am at a loss to know what Wenger is about now. He certainly buys cheap but most, if not all, of his signings since God knows when have certainly not developed in to World class talent or even come close. Also he doesn't develop young players - how many have come through the youth set up? Jack Wilshire and possibly Frimpong, although the jury is still out on him. Most of the home grown talent is frozen out by cheap French imports - Wenger doesn't seem to mind 'killing' their careers at Arsenal and compare that to his misplaced loyalty to rubbish like Almunia and Denilson. The board care not a jot about this of course as long he as delivers a top four finish, as they appear to have very little interest in the football side of the club. All in all Arsenal are reaping what they sow - a steady decline in the quality of the players and a dwindling fan base with most of us 'going through the motions' out of sheer habit. - Post No. 26864
Mandy Dodd 12:36pm 16th Jul 2012
The Old Arsenal were not up against Petrodollar and Sovereign funded teams. - Post No. 26866
Gee 13:16pm 16th Jul 2012
No chance will it change. Wenger tried this developmental lark at Monaco and they sacked him. He has free reign at Arsenal as there are no football men on the board to challenge him. They are business men and Wenger turns a profit every year for them, hence they are happy with him to continue. Wengers objective of just getting into the champions league every season is in line with what the business men on the board wants. Stuff trophies just get us into CL and keep the revenue rolling in. - Post No. 26871
David the Price is right 13:21pm 16th Jul 2012
The economics graduate with the sports science vocation has truly found his modus operandi at Arsenal. What will this season bring, I wonder... - Post No. 26872
Tony Evans 13:25pm 16th Jul 2012
Mandy - no they weren't but at least we had players with bottle and could defend. - Post No. 26873
Ron 13:54pm 16th Jul 2012
Yet more 'Mandy Dodd' naivety. Pre RA at Chelsea and pre Arabs at Man C, there was Man U and Liverpool both miles and miles better than the rest in terms of cash resources and several other Clubs not far behind them in terms of transfer clout. This was a situation that had existed since the war in reality. Utd especially could always buy who they wanted as they had the big ground and commercial nous years back and Liverpool too. Totts, Everton, Leeds and others could challenge them too and did! Arsenal were a proud Club who also genuinly challenged and had their own glory times. Yes, they had lean times as did all of the Clubs but were always feared. Football didnt start in 1992! Arsenal didnt always employ a clutch of largely gutless, mentally weak, cry baby boys and ask them to do a mans job and the Club never always had a Board of chinless, money grabbing, football interest free zones running it. Moreover, the Club didnt take defeat lightly and built a tradition of relishing the fight for every point and fans who respected that and opponents who basically never screwed with the Arsenal! What we have today, are fans like you and players like Walcott who like you, take everything on the chin willingly and without question and like him, are next to worthless unproven little, gutless lightweights who see Arsenal as a 2nd tier stepping stone to better Clubs barmy enough to employ them. You might one day see the Clubs ruses and spin for what it is, but i doubt it and i suspect that your one of those post 1997 fans now just happy to wax lyrical about the 'beautiful stadium' and the 'barca lite' football (two total misnomers in my view) while you pay the premum prices and swallow the dirge the Club offers you. - Post No. 26878
Bard 13:58pm 16th Jul 2012
I too have supported Arsenal through periods when we were rubbish.The difference between then and now is that we have morphed seamlessly into a plc detached from the very essence of Arsenal. This in itself would be ok if it was grafted onto the fact that we are football club who should fight tooth and nail to win things supported by 60,000 fans and countless other who live for the club. To my mind the heart of the matter is that there has been a massive betrayal of the fans who are the lifeblood of any club. - Post No. 26879
Ronster 14:06pm 16th Jul 2012
Ms Dodd....weren't we underdogs in '71,'89 and '94 ( to name but a few ) yet managed to bring home the bacon!? - Post No. 26880
Ramgun 14:13pm 16th Jul 2012
Just what does Almunia being an Arsenal goalkeeper for 8 years have to do with Chelsea or Man City Mandy? - Post No. 26881
maguiresbridge gooner 14:27pm 16th Jul 2012
World class players are few and far between at arsenal nowadays even class players.Whats going to happen now the production line has dried up with no more big names to cash in on.But like you say if any do materialise in the next couple of seasons they'll be flogged off without a whimper from the so called board and manager as soon as the more ambitious clubs come sniffing.We play in a world class stadium alright with not enough players to match. - Post No. 26882
Unbeaten 03/04 15:06pm 16th Jul 2012
I don't think in the old days when we weren't winning anything did the players were paid such a high wages?!!!I do understand the author using a lot of 'Was' instead and that's exactly how I feel!!! Surely it can be boring writing about the same thing over and over but hasn't the Arsenal has become a boring club of late!!! They don't even play the same football as they used to!!! - Post No. 26885
Dan h 15:13pm 16th Jul 2012
The directors do not get a dividend they gain by the value of their shares increasing.Those that had anything more than a 1% holding & sold it to either SKE or red & white holdings have made a pretty nice profit.The value of these shares have constantly increased due to the move from Highbury the E*******.Those that were sold the story the move would allow us to compete due to incresed revenue thus more money available for the team look at the facts. We have a NEGATIVE net spend in the years since the move those that own shares in the club are sitting back & playing the long game with the club.SKE especially will just sit back & allow the club to drift on either way he will win in the long term should he ever sell his holdings he will make a huge profit on his outlay.The DDT (@fozzy's mate) is just that unless he sees an opportunity to buy another USA franchise that can make better profits for him (baseball is the only major sport in the USA he doesn't have ownership)we are going to be stuck with this 'business model' for a long time.The sad fact that even when we sign a player these last few years it almost always heralds another major player departing at a profit.The highest paid employee at the club is happy to work under these conditions his 'boss' IG who AW appointed obviously happy with the balance sheet as is the DDT.Still if people can't see what the next few seasons at least herald they are truely delusional.Worth renting the film 'Moneyball'the story of Arsenal 2005 onwards. - Post No. 26888
John A 15:18pm 16th Jul 2012
If I read a bad review about a hotel, a film, a book or a play - guess what I don't spend money on it. I once spent £4,000 in one season watching AFC that was 2004.......I don't go anymore. Any one for cricket? - Post No. 26889
sparksy 16:25pm 16th Jul 2012
Ive had a season ticket since 86 when GG took over. For the first time since then, i and a friend have decided to split one ST bewteen us, giving up the other. The simple reasons being the cost of £1100 is too much, secondly being disillusioned with the way the club is run and finally being fed up of the club fleecing the support. I'm sure the club don't care in the slightest but if supporters of many years are slowly turning their backs on the club then surely that is a dangerous game. Add to that the younger supporters simply can't afford to pay silly money for tickets and you then have a declining hardcore fanbase which without does not augur well. - Post No. 26894
Angry & Frustrated 17:07pm 16th Jul 2012
Mandy- The more I read of your truly ridiculous observations, the more I think you are simply a Spud enjoying a good wind up. No one else could be this blind and deluded and be incapable of taking in all the evidence in front of your eyes, as you have for the last few years. So either you are a Spud, or as previously suggested by me you are a clone of Glenn Close from the film fatal attraction, your target being Wenger himself, as either way you are barking mad! Rabbit stew tonight is it Mandy? - Post No. 26898
The Author of this garbage article. 21:10pm 16th Jul 2012
I have read all of the comments, up to this point. I appreciate all of the feed back, both positive and negative. If you took the time to read my previous article, you would understand how I came to support Arsenal. I have only seen clips and highlights of seasons past, such as the ending to the great '89 season. I tried to do my homework, I started watching competitive football during Euro 2008. I have never been to England, so I have never witnessed Arsenal play in either of these stadiums. However, I do have to wake up at absurd hours and watch on crappy streams or watch in languages such as Arabic or Sweedish, neither of which I can understand, lucky me. My entire point is this, was the move to the Emirates worth castrating Arsenal financially, for an unknown amount of time? Think long and hard about it. Again, thank you for your comments, and the Gooner for publishing my poorly written article. - Post No. 26905
Mandy Dodd 0:00am 17th Jul 2012
Lol angry and frustrated, you and others never cease to amuse me. What part of the statement that the old arsenal were not competing with petrodollars and sovereign wealth funds sends me into the realms of spud? If you want the spud sleepers on this site, look no further than the arry worshippers who flooded this site last jan and feb, but who suddenly became very quiet on arry's greatness as the English spring came upon us. Still they have AVB we are fortunate enough to have wenger, have to feel sorry for them really, another levy master stroke! - Post No. 26912
GoonerGoal! 0:06am 17th Jul 2012
There is none so blind as those who cannot see. There can be no revolution until there's a personal revolution, on an individual level, it's got to happen inside first. Fortunately, the eyes of many of the blind are starting to open and the ears of many of the deaf becoming unstopped. The revolution is just around the corner and already gaining momentum. VIVE LA REVOLUTION! - Post No. 26913
DW Thomas 2:27am 17th Jul 2012
I do not really care as much about Walcott or RVP leaving if they really want to go, good riddance. Both players owe Arsenal and Wenger for sticking by them. One for his injuries, the other for waiting for him to develop into his promise, which never happened. Sure Rvp scored a ton if goals and carried us, but then he played a ton of games for a ton of minutes too, didnt he? Even Bendtner would have likely scored 20 or so goals with that much playing time. The one we haven't replaced yet is Cesc. He was a creative engine and will be considered one if the best ACMs by his retirement. Let's replace both Theo and Rvp with 2 top drawer players, keep our others healthy, and we can compete. Still does send a message we are a feeder, selling club. With Wenger that nutty scientist who thinks he is on the trail to the discovery of the mixture to win trophies but never gets there cause he is missing too many key ingredients. - Post No. 26916
Mikey 3:45am 17th Jul 2012
Frustrating it may be but Arsenal are still competing at the highest level. It's not as if we have vanished from top flight or anything. Spreadsheets may not be as pretty as silverware but for i one don't want end up doing a rangers or pompey. We now have the infrastructure to be a huge club. If you the board are mugs fair enough. But when they start selling more and more of their shares when the stadium dept is paid off they and the club will be rolling in it, both money and trophies. Then we'll be saying wenger was the greatest of all time. RVP can go if he wants, putting a bet on him getting injured pretty soon anyway. - Post No. 26917
Angry & Frustrated 8:40am 17th Jul 2012
Mandy- As always you pick up on only what you want to pick up from. If you read what I said "your comments from the last few years". Example- when Wenger recently criticed Spain, you still defended him. Even when players like Fabregas no less were stunned with what utter rubbish Wenger had spouted out about Spain, you were alone in defending him. Your comment on that occasion was "any stick to beat Wenger with" which simply proves your inability to view anything Wenger does or says rationally. This is why you may be sleeper Spud as I suggested, because no one else would be so stupid to defend the indefensible other than someone perhaps enjoying a good wind up eg a Spud or a rabid Wenger obsessed individual. Please note that is just one example of many times when you have defended Wenger when he was clearly in the wrong. No doubt if Wenger said we will play without a goalkeeper this season, you would be on here defending him again. Mind you that might not have been a bad idea when the waiter was around for all those years!! - Post No. 26923
RJ 13:03pm 17th Jul 2012
@Angry & Frustrated - You say that Mandy is the Glen Close character, and yet you are the one with the encyclopedic knowledged of her posts on this site over the last few years - are you perhaps the stalker in this situation? - Post No. 26938
Mandy Dodd 13:27pm 17th Jul 2012
RJ- You make a good point, the strange thing, I have not even been on here for years - A&F..... whose posts clearly reveal him/her to be a true voice of objectivity and reason on all things Wenger and Arsenal.....must be confusing me with someone else or someone on a different blog - Post No. 26941
Tony Evans 14:09pm 17th Jul 2012
Mandy - If only that was really the case, but I live in hope that one day you will see the error of your ways and I don't let your pro Wenger comments wind me up like they used to. - Post No. 26947
Angry 14:12pm 17th Jul 2012
Mandy- I see once again you have avoided my comments and as usual come back with bland generalisations, in this instance using someone else's funny comment (RJ). If you have only recently been on here, how come you have your own comedy double Ken Dodd who specialises in taking the mickey out of your comments occasionally? Is it perhaps because you have built yourself a reputation as Wenger's personal spin doctor over time? - Post No. 26948
Ken Dodd 16:07pm 17th Jul 2012
By jove,by jove,what a beautiful day to precariously place a mirror on Mandy's nose and check: ''Yep,it's definitely YOU love!'' before bemoaning as it crashes to the ground: ''Oh dear,that's another 7 years of Wenger then!!'' - Post No. 26957
Angry & Frustrated 16:27pm 17th Jul 2012
Ken Dodd- As always your timing is perfect, and thank you for making me laugh. - Post No. 26958
Ken Dodd 17:55pm 17th Jul 2012
Angry & Frustrated...agree with everything you pen....keep up the fight me old son! - Post No. 26965
k eloquence 19:10pm 17th Jul 2012
Why stop at rolling back a decade? How about rolling back thre decades? Two decades?I remember some of those proven or who had least had promise players we bought in the past...Lee Chapman, Peter Nicholas, Glenn Helder...etc I'm sure there are many more. Maybe we should roll back to last year when people were saying we should sack Wenger and get Owen Coyle or Villa-Boas in!! - Post No. 26971
Mandy Dodd 19:21pm 17th Jul 2012
Angry, you certainly know,how,to flatter a lady, seemingly a great knowledge of anything I have posted, and even going to the trouble of creating a new ID in my honour, however, as I am sure the moderators can tell you, I am afraid I have not been posting on here for years as you put it, I reiterate, you must confuse me with someone else. - Post No. 26973
Angry & frustrated 9:10am 18th Jul 2012
Mandy- The length of time you have been on here is a total red herring, be it months or years, as it was purely highlighting your zen like devotion to Wenger on every comment you make. Don't always focus on the side issues to justify your personal spin doctor crusade to defend Wenger, no matter what he says or does. If you think I am Ken Dodd then I would happily take credit for his undoubted funny contributions at your expense, but I suspect rightly he will confirm credit for his own work, and using your mantra you can check with the moderators that I can not claim credit for his comments. The chances of me or anybody else confusing your comments with somebody else's are extremely slim, and slim just left town! Did you notice Mandy I answered all your observations, perhaps you could start by doing the same on all my previous comments on this article alone!!! - Post No. 26992
Ken Dodd 17:40pm 18th Jul 2012
Angry and Mandy....I'll be leaving a couple of tickets for you both at the box office for my next gig....no fighting please in the stalls!! - Post No. 27030
GG89 11:13am 22nd Jul 2012
I get the idea that Kroenke is an investor or a collector of pieces of real estate... he bought a vineyard for 30m dollars a few years ago because he liked the wine... BUT... hang on, that money he "invested" in the Gooners is not in the club is it! Nina Bracewell Smith, the widow of the former CEO and Granada TV etc have the cash not the club. What no investment to us... It's his new toy. I wonder how that wine in the Napa Valley tastes these days? - Post No. 27156
No. 17
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