I just about give up

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #1
My patience has been wearing thin with the cretins that run Arsenal the new stadium thing is p1ssing me off, I can't beleive how the majority shareholder has said this week that it hasn't affected transfer funds & that Wenger didn't buy anyone because he was happy with the squad but could have if he'd wanted (he must think we're f***ing stupid the diamond dealing ****).

I've just read a report that says over the last 10 years of the Premiership that Arsenal are about the 14th highest net transfer spenders, let's just examine that in case anyone didn't get the full impact of it-Arsenal one of the traditional powerhouses of English football, a club who've reaped the huge financial rewards of Champion's league football for the last 6 years, who've got bigger than average crowds in that time, who get better than average sponsorship, who've get shown on telly more than average & who've won a number of trophies which brings in prize money & more big TV pay days , yes this very same Arsenal have spent less net on transfers not only than our rivals & clubs of a similar size like Liverpool, Newcastle & Chelsea but also Everton, Man City, many more & most outrageously Tottenham.

How do these clubs devoid of success & without CL football find money & we don't?

So really WTF is going on down there with the people running the club?They've lucked out big time getting Wenger but they're just abusing his nouse in the transfer market & eye for a bargain.

But the straw that has broken the camel's back is that I read that there's very real chance that Jermaine Pennant will be sent on loan for 2 months to Leeds, now I don't expect for a moment that this will be to give him a bit more experience & then get him back no this will be with a view to going there permanently.

It's pathetic, I don't know one other Gooner who thinks that Wiltord or Parlour are a better go on the right wing that Pennant.

Look at Man U they buy an 18 year old & a couple of days later he's in the team, we on the other hand block their path with all the same old squad players rather than giving youth it's go.

Pennant's 20 now he's hardly a kid.

Anyway f*** em that's what I say I've got no motivation to be dragged through another emotional roller coaster like last season when we tried to win the title with one hand tied behind our back (Pascal Cygan).

There's a rather good Test match series versus South Africa that has two Tests to go & then there's the rugby world cup in the autumn & then when all that's over maybe I'll refind my enthusiasm for the football but seriously those people that run my club could do with being shot they're a bunch of w******s.

Rant over.:(
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Weaver

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Sep 26, 2001
Posts
7,943
Likes
56
Location
Deledio Wonderland
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Southampton
#2
I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned the stadium. Even my club Southampton are now averaging over 30k people and most clubs are. Many are averaging many more. Arsenal's crowds of 36k are small.

Most of this cash you mention is surely going to cover the resulting difference between wages and revenue from ticket sales.
 

Shinboners

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Feb 18, 2000
Posts
27,229
Likes
25
Location
pellegrini's espresso bar
AFL Club
North Melbourne
#3
Just one thing DIPPER.

I know that at the start of your rant, you were asking where the money went. Later, you (justifiably) questioned the proposed loan of Pennant to Leeds. Do you think that the Pennant position is due to Wenger not rating him or the owners of Arsenal trying to prime Pennant for an eventual sale? In the former, you blame Wenger. In the latter, you blame the owners.
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #4
Originally posted by Shinboners
Just one thing DIPPER.

I know that at the start of your rant, you were asking where the money went. Later, you (justifiably) questioned the proposed loan of Pennant to Leeds. Do you think that the Pennant position is due to Wenger not rating him or the owners of Arsenal trying to prime Pennant for an eventual sale? In the former, you blame Wenger. In the latter, you blame the owners.

Aha well you would be the one to pick up on that wouldn't you.;)


Well I think it's Wenger not rating him, or perhaps like Merson not able to deal with someone who has a distracting lifestyle away from football, & so for that reason I blame Wenger but I'm sure that the only way that AW will get more money to land any transfer targets is to generate money & as he can't sell any of the players that he wouldn't mind getting rid of-Wiltord/Parlour/Kanu then I suppose he's feels that Pennant is the only one with market value.

It's just a culmination of things really that's getting to me, the money situation before the New Stadium project was criminal now it's 10 times worse & now when the time is perfect to unleash all our good youth players we're trying to get rid of the one who appears most ready.

AS I said Fergie despite having loads more money to spend is always well up for bunging in teenagers & seeing how they go.

The cream of our 'youth' players are now 19/20 & really they're men at that age not youth anymore.


Anyway in answer to your question at the moment I blame everyone connected with the club.(except for Thierry Henry who does no wrong-even my favourite player Pires has been a bit of a let down over his contract negotiations & don't mention Vieira).
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #5
Originally posted by Weaver
I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned the stadium. Even my club Southampton are now averaging over 30k people and most clubs are. Many are averaging many more. Arsenal's crowds of 36k are small.

Most of this cash you mention is surely going to cover the resulting difference between wages and revenue from ticket sales.

Yeah but for most of the last 10 years we we're right near the top of average attendances it's only the last 3 years or so that other clubs have finished their stadium work & increased their capacities.

Plus the CL money more than makes up for losing a few thousnad off the attendances.

There is no justifiable reason why Tottenham should ahev spent mroe money on transfers than us in the last 10 years, it makes no sense.

Even under George Graham they were doing the same thing, giving him bugger all money, we didn't have the biggest crowds then but we had the biggest capacity in England & we got bigger crowds than most.
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #7
Originally posted by windyhill
I like Wiltord. Does alot of the donkey work for his fellow forwards, scored some extremely important goals for the club.
I remember you coming out in his defence before but really is he at the same level as the rest of the attack?

Not got great control, touch or passing ability just a steady Eddie.

If you noticed by playing this wekend at centre forward he kept out your hero.;)
 

windyhill

Hall of Famer
Joined
Feb 4, 2001
Posts
30,608
Likes
9,451
Location
East Burwood
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Arsenal
#8
Hmm, true, the great man was left cooling his heels. Agree with you on his control, he is the cough up king Wiltord.
Can not get the image of that goal he scored at old toilet to win the league out of my mind though.
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Posts
1,061
Likes
24
Location
Adelaide
AFL Club
Carlton
Other Teams
Centrals / Southampton
#9
Just what every club wants, a true supporter.
Fook me, if every one of us Saints fans got the ****s over the running of our club over the years then we would have no fans left.

GROW UP!!!
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #10
Originally posted by bulldog pommy
Just what every club wants, a true supporter.
Fook me, if every one of us Saints fans got the ****s over the running of our club over the years then we would have no fans left.

GROW UP!!!

Why don't you go f*** yourself.

What I'm not allowed to vent my displeasure at how the board of directors go about their business?

It would make me a 'true' supporter would it if I just agreed with every decision that they make & said well done chaps I trust your judgement.

I'm having a rant I've admitted that of course I'm not going to desert the cause I've been following them too long for that but this time the whole future of the club is at stake if the Stadium deal c**ks up then the club could bite the dust that's reality.

If you think a **** like you is more of a true supporter than me then you really are deluding yourself.

Enjoy the cup final did you?
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #11
Originally posted by windyhill
Hmm, true, the great man was left cooling his heels. Agree with you on his control, he is the cough up king Wiltord.
Can not get the image of that goal he scored at old toilet to win the league out of my mind though.

Yeah well you've got a point there, it's right up there with Charlie George in 71, Alan Sunderland 79, Michael Thomas 89, Tony Adams 98.

Happy Days.:D
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Posts
1,061
Likes
24
Location
Adelaide
AFL Club
Carlton
Other Teams
Centrals / Southampton
#12
Originally posted by DIPPER
Why don't you go f*** yourself.

What I'm not allowed to vent my displeasure at how the board of directors go about their business?

It would make me a 'true' supporter would it if I just agreed with every decision that they make & said well done chaps I trust your judgement.

I'm having a rant I've admitted that of course I'm not going to desert the cause I've been following them too long for that but this time the whole future of the club is at stake if the Stadium deal c**ks up then the club could bite the dust that's reality.

If you think a **** like you is more of a true supporter than me then you really are deluding yourself.

Enjoy the cup final did you?
I thought you would bite :D
Yes i did enjoy the cup final thankyou.
Did i say i agree with all the decisions our club has made? No.
My point is you have hinted you won't be watching until after the rugby world cup. I would love my club to win a trophy nearly every year. Would you like a band aid for the fish hook that is hanging out of your mouth? :D
 

Shinboners

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Feb 18, 2000
Posts
27,229
Likes
25
Location
pellegrini's espresso bar
AFL Club
North Melbourne
#13
Originally posted by DIPPER
Anyway in answer to your question at the moment I blame everyone connected with the club.(except for Thierry Henry who does no wrong-even my favourite player Pires has been a bit of a let down over his contract negotiations & don't mention Vieira).
Arsenal have always have been a financially conservative club - I really cannot recall any time where Arsenal have been in the race to smash transfer records.

Do you think that this culture has led to the current situation of not adding to the squad. As you have said in regards to attendences, the Champions League money, and comparisons to clubs like Spurs, AW really should have had more money to spend.

Onto the kids, and I can see how it would rile an Arsenal fan not seeing the players coming through the youth ranks breaking into the side. Manchester United have always had the odd few kids breaking through to the senior side, I can't see why Arsenal wouldn't get a similar drip feed breaking through.
 

windyhill

Hall of Famer
Joined
Feb 4, 2001
Posts
30,608
Likes
9,451
Location
East Burwood
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Arsenal
#14
Originally posted by DIPPER
Yeah well you've got a point there, it's right up there with Charlie George in 71, Alan Sunderland 79, Michael Thomas 89, Tony Adams 98.

Happy Days.:D

Haaa, and Charlie in `86. Littlewoods cup v Liverpool, two very, very deflected goals, but he didn`t score many did Champagne Charlie, so good luck to the boy.

( This was the first time Ian Rush had scored in a game Liverpool lost)
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #15
Originally posted by bulldog pommy
I thought you would bite :D
Yes i did enjoy the cup final thankyou.
Did i say i agree with all the decisions our club has made? No.
My point is you have hinted you won't be watching until after the rugby world cup. I would love my club to win a trophy nearly every year. Would you like a band aid for the fish hook that is hanging out of your mouth? :D

So you thought I would bite, so why do it?What fun is there in purposefully winding someone else up, as far as I can remember me & you have never had any previous problem so why does the thought of provoking me give you satisfaction?

Of course I'm gonna bite if you put in capitla letters GROW UP.

There's no need for it.

If you'd made a point along the lines that I should be grateful that I support a club that challenges regularly then I'd have agreed with you, but at the same time we all know what sort of level our club is at & I can't understand why mine has been short of money not only compared with other 'big' clubs but even some rank average ones.

Anywya I've got no urge to continue any sort of feud with you, it's up to you how you take it.

Yeah I said I would renew my interest after the rugby & cricket but the point is as I said at the end I was ranting, surely one of the uses of a forum like this is to have a rant, I wasn't taking a pop at anyone elses club (like some on here) just my own.

I would have thought that the tone of my disappointment & dare I say it passion would have shown that it's the fact that Arsenal does matter to me that has led to my frustration.

I love em & I always will but just when I thought we had the chance to break into genuine European scale greatness with probably the best side we've ever had rather than build on that (& it wouldn't have taken a great deal of money to take us to the next level, 1 top class central defender that I'm sure AW could have picked up for nowhere near the price of Rio, a new top notch goalie (maybe we've done that jury still out) & someone like Harry Kewell who would have come if we could have afforded his transfer & wages).

As it is the direction the club is taking is unclear & a crisis is not out of the question & there's even the possibility of bankruptcy if the new stadium project doesn't work out.


As for the running of the Saints I would have thought they've done a pretty good job, for years they've been one of the smallest clubs in the division but have been there for ages & have even managed to succesfuly move to a brand new stadium(& called Tottenham a bunch of oiks or something like that:D).Well done I'd say even if the chairman is an uppercrust buffoon.
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #16
Originally posted by Shinboners
Arsenal have always have been a financially conservative club - I really cannot recall any time where Arsenal have been in the race to smash transfer records.

Do you think that this culture has led to the current situation of not adding to the squad. As you have said in regards to attendences, the Champions League money, and comparisons to clubs like Spurs, AW really should have had more money to spend.

Onto the kids, and I can see how it would rile an Arsenal fan not seeing the players coming through the youth ranks breaking into the side. Manchester United have always had the odd few kids breaking through to the senior side, I can't see why Arsenal wouldn't get a similar drip feed breaking through.

Well we have spent up big from time to time, going back to the ealry 70s we broke the English transfer record when we bought Alan Ball for about £200k.
Then when we bought Ian Wright for £2.3 m in 1991 it was up there with the biggest deals, I think Dean Saunders had just broken the record at £2.9m but I think there were a few tied at 2nd place like Gazza & Cottey at £2.3.

We also (when it was too late & the team had broekn up a bit) tried to let GG spend a bit in the mid 90s we actually offered more for Chris Sutton than anyone else & we were prepared to pay the price for Roy Keane but obviously they didn't want to come to us at that time.

But you're right we haven't been BIG spenders in comparison to the other big clubs since the 1930s.

I don't mind that, I like picking up young players & improving them but I see no justification in being outspent by some of the teams I mentioned earlier over a 10 year period.

I think the only reason why were not adding to the squad at the moment is the new stadium project, that's what gives me the sh1ts, because it's clearly not going well & the majority shareholder has come out & said that it hasn't affected transfer funds at all, I mean that is a ridiculous statement it treats us all as idiots.

As it stands we've already spent £80m on the new stadium project over the last 4/5 years.What do we have to show for it?A bit of land on part of which we still have to compensate the businesses that are there & the other bit on which we have to build a bloody waste disposal sight for the local council.

I mean £80m!Going by what AW has done in the transfer market just think what he could have done for the team with just a fraction of that, even less than £20m say.

I remain convinced that with that sort of figure(£20m) he could have dominated Man U domestically for the next 3/4 years & had a real tilt at the CL, which despite what some people think IMO we haven't actually been in a position to do yet.

The thing that worries me is that if we build the new stadium but fail to make the CL every year because we can't buy players then we will be in big problems financially.We won't be able to pay for the stadium if we don't make the CL nearly ever year but can we gaurantee that if we don't add to the squad with quality?


The kids is a different issue & lies more at AW's door & is the only real criticism I can have of him, maybe it's unfair becasue his record for us is superb but I can't believe that Cygan is better than Upson, or that Oleg was a batter bet than Volz last season.
Or that Pennant wouldn't make us better at least as a squad player.
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #17
Originally posted by windyhill
Haaa, and Charlie in `86. Littlewoods cup v Liverpool, two very, very deflected goals, but he didn`t score many did Champagne Charlie, so good luck to the boy.

( This was the first time Ian Rush had scored in a game Liverpool lost)
The funny thing with that is that Liverpool played Norwich the next week & Rushie scored again & they lost.:D


As for Champagne Charlie it's funny he remained a fans hero his whole time at the club but he didn't really do much, I think we loved him because he turned down Man u & Liverpool to join our struggling side(he'd scored 52 goals for Celtic the previous year, Henrik Larsen eat your heart out:D).

The thing is it shows how far we've come as a club because if we had him now everyone would be on his back for not doing anything & for being flash with no substance, but (& here I admit my hypocrisy) I still look back fondly at him in a way that I won't with Wiltord who actualy deleivered to some degree.
 

moomba

TheBrownDog
Joined
Oct 3, 2001
Posts
52,374
Likes
15,732
Location
Timperley
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Man City
#18
Just thought I would mention that the UEFA rep at last weeks TNS game has rated the City of Manchester Stadium as already one of the top 10 stadiums in the world, and has placed it on the list of possible locations for next years UEFA Cup final. All for a nett outlay of only £20 million.

Something we should all be happy about :D

Moomba

PS - If this news upsets you greatly Dipper, you can take comfort in the fact that Richard Dunne is still in our squad, and is only an injury away from a rematch with Henry :eek:
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #19
Originally posted by moomba
Just thought I would mention that the UEFA rep at last weeks TNS game has rated the City of Manchester Stadium as already one of the top 10 stadiums in the world, and has placed it on the list of possible locations for next years UEFA Cup final. All for a nett outlay of only £20 million.

Something we should all be happy about :D

Moomba

PS - If this news upsets you greatly Dipper, you can take comfort in the fact that Richard Dunne is still in our squad, and is only an injury away from a rematch with Henry :eek:

:D

It's probably a fair trade isn't it Moomba a brand spanking new stadium for peanuts but having a drunken (rubbish) Irish defender in your squad.

I hope he makes an Arsenal game this season I'd love to see him strut his stuff again.

Talking of being a hermit crab & just leaving your own home to live in another one it's still being mooted about us moving to Wembley, apparently the FA are more keen than us, I'm not sure about it though, Wembley's right over the other side of norht London.
 

moomba

TheBrownDog
Joined
Oct 3, 2001
Posts
52,374
Likes
15,732
Location
Timperley
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Man City
#20
:D

Only three games for Distin, Sommeil and Sun to get through between now and next week, I don't think the Dunney monster coming back in for Arsenal would do anything for my health, let alone sobriety.

Arsenal to Wembley seems a pretty smart move, I read somewhere the price of the new Highbury had gone up to £400 million, and that has got to hurt the club on the field for a long time. The heart probably says go it alone, but the head would come up with a pretty good argument to make the move.

Moomba
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #21
Originally posted by moomba
:D


Arsenal to Wembley seems a pretty smart move, I read somewhere the price of the new Highbury had gone up to £400 million, and that has got to hurt the club on the field for a long time. The heart probably says go it alone, but the head would come up with a pretty good argument to make the move.

Moomba
Yeah it has gone up to £400m, there's now talk of getting Aussie builders Multiplex in(who are building Wembley) to build the new Arsenal ground at a smaller size with costs down to £300m, but what's the point?A smaller ground would presumably be about 50,000 & then it hardly seems doing for an an extra 12,000 on the gate.

Anyway I blame the scousers, without them we'd still have terraces & in those days we had the biggest club capacity in England at 55,000.
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Posts
1,061
Likes
24
Location
Adelaide
AFL Club
Carlton
Other Teams
Centrals / Southampton
#22
Originally posted by DIPPER
So you thought I would bite, so why do it?What fun is there in purposefully winding someone else up, as far as I can remember me & you have never had any previous problem so why does the thought of provoking me give you satisfaction?

Of course I'm gonna bite if you put in capitla letters GROW UP.

There's no need for it.

If you'd made a point along the lines that I should be grateful that I support a club that challenges regularly then I'd have agreed with you, but at the same time we all know what sort of level our club is at & I can't understand why mine has been short of money not only compared with other 'big' clubs but even some rank average ones.

Anywya I've got no urge to continue any sort of feud with you, it's up to you how you take it.

Yeah I said I would renew my interest after the rugby & cricket but the point is as I said at the end I was ranting, surely one of the uses of a forum like this is to have a rant, I wasn't taking a pop at anyone elses club (like some on here) just my own.

I would have thought that the tone of my disappointment & dare I say it passion would have shown that it's the fact that Arsenal does matter to me that has led to my frustration.

I love em & I always will but just when I thought we had the chance to break into genuine European scale greatness with probably the best side we've ever had rather than build on that (& it wouldn't have taken a great deal of money to take us to the next level, 1 top class central defender that I'm sure AW could have picked up for nowhere near the price of Rio, a new top notch goalie (maybe we've done that jury still out) & someone like Harry Kewell who would have come if we could have afforded his transfer & wages).

As it is the direction the club is taking is unclear & a crisis is not out of the question & there's even the possibility of bankruptcy if the new stadium project doesn't work out.


As for the running of the Saints I would have thought they've done a pretty good job, for years they've been one of the smallest clubs in the division but have been there for ages & have even managed to succesfuly move to a brand new stadium(& called Tottenham a bunch of oiks or something like that:D).Well done I'd say even if the chairman is an uppercrust buffoon.
Dipper. Sarcasm is my strong point. I don't take to much seriously and am always looking for a laugh. I have no gripe against you as i don't know you and i apologise if i have upset you. I am also a passionate fan that the club sits proudly on my chest. Well worth the pain and $130. :D
Don't forget where you are and who you watch every weekend ( i assume you are a ticket holder), unlike me who is on the other side of the world and havent seen my Saints for 25 years.:mad:
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #23
Originally posted by bulldog pommy
Dipper. Sarcasm is my strong point. I don't take to much seriously and am always looking for a laugh. I have no gripe against you as i don't know you and i apologise if i have upset you. I am also a passionate fan that the club sits proudly on my chest. Well worth the pain and $130. :D
Don't forget where you are and who you watch every weekend ( i assume you are a ticket holder), unlike me who is on the other side of the world and havent seen my Saints for 25 years.:mad:

OK mate no grudge held, I also apologise as I'm aware that my reaction was OTT.Was half expecting a message in my inbox from the mods.:eek:

To be honest I always quite liked the Saints especially as they often tend to turn Man U over down there.:D
 

Dipper

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Posts
7,434
Likes
2,117
Location
London,England
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Allies FCC
Thread starter #24
Originally posted by DIPPER

To be honest I always quite liked the Saints especially as they often tend to turn Man U over down there.:D

You can make things happen if you believe in them hard enough.
 
Top Bottom