As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Gazidis's big idea involves handing the title to Manchester United, creaming off the profits while trying to negotiate Chelsea and Manchester City out of contention with politics, lawyers and sneaky little closed-door carve-ups. Until that works, you pick up the tab.
It always stood for something in the days when the club were the province of tradition, old Etonians and old money. Arsenal had class.
Arsenal had never been relegated. The chairman was posh and his name was hyphenated. When he talked, football listened.
This missive, however, is the work of an absentee American chairman and a chief executive whose grand plan would as good as hand the title to United each year, with his team coming an expensive second. Expensive for those watching, that is.
In addition, there is his slot on the FA’s Professional Game Board, the FA Council, FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber and the Premier League’s Working Group for Elite Player Performance. Quite the busy boy, considering he joined Arsenal as chief executive only in 2009. A cynic would think he had an agenda: or a plan.
He's a snake oil salesman using OUR club to further his career.
If the start of the quote Dan used is true, then it's fucking disgraceful and another reason to show Arsenal are a shadow of our former great club.
Last edited by Natural Born Gooner on Mon Jan 14, 2013 12:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
Good read cheers Dan proof if any more were needed that our club is ran by a bunch of sneaky cretins i said after the Fulham game at the bowl no more home games,aways only for me until the current regime fucks off.I aint feathering their nests no more shower of
On Arsenal headed paper, but then went on to talk nearly non stop about D.Gill of Man Utd, the headline shows what a coward the writer is imo. Yes we are a big part of it, but he was too scared to write Manchester Utd plot to destroy English football blah blah blah for fear of his job. I hate the people running the club but this article pisses me off.
So basically we'd be happy to stop the clubs with rich owners so that we could win the 2nd place trophy???
It just about says it all that we are looking to jump into bed with Manure so that we can have the privilege of still winning fuck all- just more money in Stans sky rocket.
If this is what Gazidis meant by us being able to compete with the best in the world within 2 years, the masterplan of not actually aspiring to compete with the likes of Citeh and the Chavs but to try and bring them down to our shit level, then he can shove it up his arse.
Well that's sent me to bed nice and depressed. I could almost take the fact that the club itself is being fucked over but now these cnuts are using our club in a crooked to bring down english football for their own financial benefit.
If this doesn't wake the blind followers up to the fact that this club is dead then nothing will. This has to get more coverage and a further investigation is needed. Maybe just maybe it will be their downfall.
Selling off the Invincibles was one thing, but we did replace them by 2007-2008 with a competitive team.
The shock was in summer 2008 when we failed to rebuild our midfield; Diarra had left in January, Flamini and Gilberto followed in the summer, and we replaced them with Song.
I genuinely thought Wenger was throwing the 2008 - 2009 and 2009 - 2010 seasons so that he could rebuild again and be ready for 2010 - 2011 season. I said as much on here.
But we failed to adequately rebuild, and in summer 2010 the penny dropped for me.
The owner of Arsenal no longer believes we can compete for the title.
The directors no longer believe we can compete for the title.
The manager no longer believes we can compete for the title.
I reckon the players no longer think they can compete for the title.
The club has essentially focussed on qualification for the Champions League group stages as it's goal for the forseable future, unless Financial Fair Play allows it to compete again.
None of this has prevented the club raising ticket prices though.
Or to prevent our manager stating his current squad is his "best ever" when it clearly falls someway short of that.
And to paraphrase a letter writer on ANR this week, it does not cost crazy money to organize defence and to create team spirit, or to arrange effective substitutions.
QuartzGooner wrote:Selling off the Invincibles was one thing, but we did replace them by 2007-2008 with a competitive team.
The shock was in summer 2008 when we failed to rebuild our midfield; Diarra had left in January, Flamini and Gilberto followed in the summer, and we replaced them with Song.
I genuinely thought Wenger was throwing the 2008 - 2009 and 2009 - 2010 seasons so that he could rebuild again and be ready for 2010 - 2011 season. I said as much on here.
But we failed to adequately rebuild, and in summer 2010 the penny dropped for me.
The owner of Arsenal no longer believes we can compete for the title.
The directors no longer believe we can compete for the title.
The manager no longer believes we can compete for the title.
I reckon the players no longer think they can compete for the title.
The club has essentially focussed on qualification for the Champions League group stages as it's goal for the forseable future, unless Financial Fair Play allows it to compete again.
None of this has prevented the club raising ticket prices though.
Or to prevent our manager stating his current squad is his "best ever" when it clearly falls someway short of that.
And to paraphrase a letter writer on ANR this week, it does not cost crazy money to organize defence and to create team spirit, or to arrange effective substitutions.
Agreed. It still amazes me that people think a new manager will suddenly make us compete again. The whole lot needs to be changed! If people directed half their hate for Wenger towards those other board members and put pressure on them then we might have a chance of changing the way the club is headed. The issues you have stated above, Quartz, run deep into the club and simply changing the manager will not be enough. Campaigns need to be brought against the whole hierarchy.
A nice cosy little pact that suits the four clubs involved nicely i.e. effectively guarantees Manchester United the title and the other three the Virtual Trophy that is so coveted.
The obvious development down the line is that City and other big spenders (Chelsea, Barca, Real, top Russian clubs etc) tell UEFA to stick their Champions League up their ass and threaten a breakaway super league where there are no financial rules and where they can negotiate their own TV rights, sponsorships etc. That day will come and when it does FFP will thankfully be fucked forever and people will wake up and see finally that frankly it is illegal and against the principles of fair play. If I wake up tomorrow £200m richer and want to invest it wisely or spunk it on a football club playing fantasy manager for a couple of years then frankly that is my fucking choice and should not have any regulation imposed on it whatsoever.
FFP will never work and when it doesn't, the great Arsenal business plan of the last 'x' years will be completely blown away and we'll end up grovelling at the feet of City and Chelsea to be admitted to the new top table, or forever be playing 2nd tier European football with the compliant gang who follow these pathetic rules
Somewhere back some time ago I broke with the norm and expressed my total opposition to FFP - I argued at the time that it was a self serving plan that would prevent any club breaking into the challengers group and each and every season we would see the same teams at the top of the league Where is the enjoyment and exciting change in that ? Are we to say to all those smaller clubs that they should forever accept their place in the football world and dont ever dream of being amongst the big boys ? What purpose are these clubs going to serve then ? We would very quickly see a situation like they have in scotland which is and always will be a two team league and I am damn sure none of us want that
If these c**ts want to disregard all these clubs that have contributed so much to english football over the years then they should fcuk off to a european super league. I like the fact that every season's fa cup throws up surprises and teams like milwall, stoke (spits) and pompey can reach semi finals and even finals themselves - supporting elitest football in this country, and that is what FFP will bring, will be the final death knoll for football in this country and we as fans should always remember that
Have to agree with Augie. The only fans that want FFP are those who have lost out to bigger-spending clubs, and those that have had it rammed down their throats that it will be a white horse to save their club.
Look at F1. Fans of that always moan about how only a few teams can win GPs and even that your talent is only a contributing factor to success, yet who watched that A1 crap when they all had the same car? Nobody, it's not exciting.
Like it or not, football is a business and there's generally no rule in business against somebody investing heaps of their own money and frittering it away.
Besides, of course it will never happen. Does anybody see UEFA banning offenders from CL competition? Not a fucking chance. Even if they don't manage to cheat to 'avoid' the rules, UEFA have actually got a 'sliding scale' of punishments, meaning that even repeat offenders will undoubtedly be dealt with via a measly fine.
Conspiracy theory or not, fact is we did hand United the title this year. They've beaten City, us, Chelsea and Liverpool (twice), all by one goal and all in games where HE has scored. Aside from the clueless glory-hunting Manc wankers, nobody at all is surprised that he is showing his ability and putting them clear of City. Sickening.
augie wrote:Somewhere back some time ago I broke with the norm and expressed my total opposition to FFP - I argued at the time that it was a self serving plan that would prevent any club breaking into the challengers group and each and every season we would see the same teams at the top of the league
Don't we see the same teams at the top of the league anyway, FFP or not?
proof if any more were needed that our club is ran by a bunch of sneaky cretins 
Where is the enjoyment and exciting change in that ? Are we to say to all those smaller clubs that they should forever accept their place in the football world and dont ever dream of being amongst the big boys ? What purpose are these clubs going to serve then ? We would very quickly see a situation like they have in scotland which is and always will be a two team league and I am damn sure none of us want that 
