I feel a cheap gag mentioning “Time For Action” somewhere
A guest post from Andrew Luck (aka ArsenalAndrew) this morning…
Tony Adams made some interesting points during a recent radio interview in respect of contracts. In the Dein era, contracts were never allowed to run down to the last year; they were settled two years or more from expiry. He credits his continued survival under AW to the fact that he was on a long contract. Tongue-in-cheek it may have been but in his case, the long contract worked to the benefit of both sides.
Such contracts have now come to be seen as a double-edged sword, one which the club is increasingly reticent to gamble on. It’s fine if you nail down a player who avoids a career threatening injury or never loses form. Had Arsenal granted RvP a five year contract 2 years ago, detractors would have doubtless formed a disorderly queue to attack the club for its evident stupidity.
On the other side of this, if the likes of Jack, Ox et al etc., are not nailed down early on long-term contracts, there is every chance they will depart. And sooner, rather than later.
That Theo’s contract has run down is a more perplexing situation given his age and potential for further development. He has had fitness issues in the past whilst his development as a player has been very much in the public eye. A year ago many were critical of the player. Should he end up leaving in January, those same critics will no doubt be demanding to know why he wasn’t re-signed.
How have these contracts come to wind down? Are the players refusing to sign up to deals perceived as ‘below market value’? Or is it due to concern on the part of the club management, a concern that is resulting in a drive to restrict the number of long term contracts agreed? Exactly why was Theo not re-signed two years ago? Was the club being cautious and if so, why? Was it both player canniness AND club caution?
But one player supposedly nailed down on a long contract was Cesc Fabregas and we still lost him. Had he stayed and been injured, we’d have paid a high price in honouring our side of the contract for many years. Could it be our ability, our willpower, to retain players in the years ahead is somehow being influenced by that particular experience? Why take the risk if players can walk away whenever it suits them?
I don’t think back in May, any of us could have possibly conceived of a situation whereby we would go on to fail to re-sign RvP, Song and Theo. Whatever revisionists might now say, that particular triumvirate represented a key part of last year’s squad.
Is the consistency of Kronke in not committing funds a fundamental problem for the club? Is there a very real fear of failure, resulting in players being sold rather than risk losing them on a free transfer, as well as other players not being re-signed early enough in case their injuries or loss of form cause problems tomorrow?
Ultimately, is Arsène’s extraordinary work on the pitch being undermined by a lack of clarity in contract negotiations?
The case of Theo Walcott could prove very interesting. Unlike RvP, clubs are not queuing up to offer him £250k+ contracts. Unlike Cesc or Song, he’s not being chased by an impossible to refuse Spanish suitor. He is also young, improving and, these days, generally injury free.
If he does leave for a relatively modest additional weekly salary like Ashley Cole, this represents a real problem for the club. The threshold at which rival clubs can come in and cause mayhem is reduced to a figure so low that even 2nd tier clubs can enter Arsenal waters and create havoc.
The AGM saw most attention given to FFP and new commercial contracts. Is there far greater pressure being applied from Kronke to balance the books, pressure justified by FFP but also, conveniently, one that overtly acknowledges that there’ll be little in the way of extra funding if it all goes wrong?
He was invited onto the board as a benevolent facilitator, one who would allow the club to be run in a responsible, sustainable and self-sustaining fashion. Is he now obligating the board to adhere to these principles to the point that is causing real difficulty when it comes to managing player contracts? Stan may not have changed position but the market distortion introduced by the Oil Clubs has altered contractual dynamics.
It is one thing for the club to be unable to buy the very best players on the market but quite another to be unable to retain the best players, as this opens us up a whole new front of vulnerability to the activities of predator competitors.
If the club is now unable to retain its key players – and the loss of those key players cannot be explained by Spanish DNA or exceptional Dutch greed – then the lack of will power or perception of our financial weakness by others, could conceivably threaten the longer term security of the club.
Many of us, with good reason, refuse to welcome the long-term risks inherent in getting into bed with a Sheik or Oligarch in favour of short-term glory. Equally, if Stan’s rigid position is such that we are now too nervous to freely sign players on longer-term contracts, then that is as risky to our interests as anything else.
Do we have the willpower to control our destiny in this way? Walcott and an examination of how the club manages the contracts of the currently less-senior players may tell us if there is now a real fear of failure gripping the board. It could tell us if the latitude for error has become fatally compressed to the extent that far from being ‘one-offs’, future player losses could more likely become the norm.
And if you are Arsène Wenger, what’s the point of that? Sobering stuff, Tony.
’til Tomorrow.
are you chinese by any chance JJ?
fair point aman
the stadium got in the way..
but the stadium was the excuse 3 years ago..
weve had 3-4 others since then..
and when you have a ceo who claims we are at the ‘end of a journey’ ‘the stadium debt is under long term fixed control’ and ‘the financial shackles are off’ (2010-11 ish) it makes the stadium arguement look like a none arguement..
i said the other day if the board stopped chatting shit then people would understand, but then they’d have to lower prices and they’d still get drilled for chatting shit to begin with so just keep chatting shit..
if the stadium is whats holding us back then we needed an investor like dein said but to be honest its not the stadium they are hiding behind anymore, its ffp isnt it???
anicoll5,
On Theo, I shit not until boxing day.
no im english, born, bred and proud..
and im off training..
lets hope the team have turned a corner and we get 3 points at the weekend..
by the way aman, bollox to the purple shite, arsenal are red and white..
it could be FFP now as Ivan said.
Is it that terrible?
I prefer long term money man over the “if-not-now” investor.
How many clubs are in the kind of shape we are in today JJ?
This is the bottom line.
The responsible bottom line.
that’ll be purple bollox to you, mate.
ciao.
Finally! A Competition!!
DO YOU COME FROM MANCHESTER ?
DO YOU HAVE RELATIVES IN MANCHESTER ?
DO YOU LIVE NEAR MANCHESTER ?
If you say NO to these three questions, you are an ideal person to become a fan of MANCHESTER UNITED.
Yes, this is your big chance to join the ever-growing army of glory hunters who can be seen around the country in the colours of The Sc*m. To join the newly-formed club, simply send in a map with a cross, marking where you think the city of Manchester is. In the unlikely event of there being two correct entries and thus a tie, fill in the tie-break question at the bottom of the page.
* YOU COULD WIN *
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SECOND PRIZE: One years supply of newly designed Manchester United replica shirts. These will be despatched to you weekly.
THIRD PRIZE: A complete supply of Manchester United programmes from the games that you have attended. Both will be sent in the same envelope.
Tie Breaker ( in no more than 12 words )
I feel it necessary to follow a football team that I have absolutely no connection with because: ………………………………………….. ……………….. ………………………………………….. ………………..
Name: ………………………
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I still don’t understand what JJ thinks is a better way of running a football club. Also, relying on Champions League qualification each year to balance the books is some gamble…I’m confused…
@irishgray at 8:03 pm
What the fuck are you on man? Have you been swimming in Poitín?
If we went on to win the league cup, arsenal would lift a trophy before United and RvP this year. that would be so sweet.
And it would make him understand what a great mistake he made. Infact if Unite win nothing this year hes achieved nothing neither. except a fatter wallet ofc…
Irish
I’ll be printing out your form for distribution!
On a vaguely related note, given that Irish is based on the US of A.
Anyone know of a bar – decent one, mind – in Dallas or Houston that will show the Bradford game on delay? Might need one in Charleston as well as a back-up plan.
Georgaki – I wish!!!
Sadly no my friend, just feeling very ‘off’. Spent the morning volunteering downtown Manhattan today, very disturbing. I think I might be going back down tomorrow again si it is off for a few beers now with some friends, try and unwind a bit. Weird seeing so many buildings without power, with so many elderly and disabled stuck in highrises with no elevators. Pets too. Gas stations are out of gas, does that now make them simply ‘stations’? Delis and supermarkets are running low on everything, yet people are being so fucking good to each other it blows the mind!! My legs are fucked from walking up flight after flight of stairs. The 11th floor was the highest I made it today, in a 28 story building, carrying-
20 boxes of 1 dozen eggs
20 loaves of bread
30lb bag of dog food
My relay met me and carried on climbing with it to the top floors. Fucking crazy!! But still, seeing the looks on some of these peoples faces (especially elderly living alone) really made it worthwhile. Exhausting but worthwhile
Now off for a pint, laters fellow Gooners!
YW – I am pretty sure Bill will have an idea, any chance of you hitting NYC on your visit?
Irish
I wouldn’t put it past it happening. So far that’s about the only bloody airport we’re not flying via at the moment!
I don’t think so this time but might be Easter time next year.
YW – The Bull and Bear Tavern in Houston is apparently a good spot to catch a game, decent bar too from what my friend says. Check it out at thebullandbear-tavernandeatery.com
YW, coming to my town? H-Town! when, if you don’t mind?
I am not sure about any replay’s but I have watched football in this pub before.
http://www.brianoneills.com/modules/wfchannel/
here is another list, I really can’t help past that. Sorry!
http://www.worldsoccerbars.com/houston-soccer-bars
YW – Well then, I will be expecting one of those Toblerone Easter Eggs then. Bloody impossible to get them over here!
Yogi, I have a comment in moderation.
JJ;
You really are getting like those sad repeptitive doomer twats whose names I dare not speak. Same shite every fucking day.
Change the fucking record man.
Wenger has money to spend, and he hasnt bothered to spend it.
This obsession with blaming Stan is hilarious. He is doing nothing different to how the board had the club running previously. I’d rather he wasnt anywhere near the club, along with Usmanov TBH, but to say its all him is crap.
You are like a doomer on le grove, only too scared to slate Wenger on here, so you continually stick the boot into stan and gazidis when you dont know the full facts, as none of us do.
You still didnt understand the concept of a wage ceiling FFS. How many times did someone try and explain that one? How many times do we need to go other things?
Cesc; left to go home to mama.
Nasri; wanted obscene Oil wages
Song; went with almost everyone’s blessing.
Lying Dutchman; See Nasri.
Its sad but true, there is seriously outrageous moolah out there for players who want it and we have suffered as a result.
The club have fucked up along the way, they should be tieing down players and Theo should be given a good contract. BUT how many of those saying that now, were telling all and sundry he wasnt worth shit and wasnt up to much?
AW has money to spend, he hasnt spent it. I think you should be directing your ire at him, seeing as you insist bleating on about this shite every fucking day.
Outrageous moolah ?
Even outrageous ice cream
I blame Stan
Dexter ,have you knocked twitter on the head?
George
Yes I have. Got way too much Uni stuff to do man. Its touch and go getting on here most days TBH.
dex..
firstly, i never said it was all stan, ive made references to dick law, tom fox, ivan gazidis, phw several times..so get your facts right..the whole management is to blame..
secondly, ive slated wenger several times on here.. mainly about his ignorance towards formations and his uncanny ability to make a team lose shape with his square pegs in round holes technique..and yes i agree hes a tight git but you said it as well so dont go all mother theresa on me..
thirdly, i understand the concept of a wage ceiling perfectly..it appears the club and you do not..we sell our best players and the wages go up..nuff said..
Paul
2 links in one post is the reason for moderation.
Thanks, we’re flying into Houston on the 8th then onto Dallas and Charleston that week before coming home on the Friday.
Friday’s here:
http://www.aclfarsenal.co.uk/arsenal/pantomime-villains/