January Transfers -- Speculation & Shit?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I think with Wenger being a long-time admirer, the bargain of Cazorla would've been too good to pass up. I think it's more likely we wouldn't have bought Giroud instead. That doesn't make up all the Van Persie money but that's exactly what I'm arguing - the club don't have their priorities right if it's true that it's not a disaster to take a one-off hit of an extra £15-20m. There are no guarantees of a title but that's the risk the club don't want to take.

The same criticism holds from my POV. Suppose we had passed up the opportunity to buy Cazorla - then that £15m is potentially the cost of the title that the club aren't prepared to pay for, knowing, as you say, that it could help to partly prevent top players from wanting to leave. The sale of Van Persie just makes it more transparent - that we had the quality of a title-winning side and then we handed the best player to Man Utd.

Well yeah I suppose so, I suppose Cazorla would have more relevance to Song in fairness. If it hadn't been Giroud joining then that would've left us strikewise not a huge amount better than last season, without RVP, not much after. We wouldn't have Gervinho confusing the hell out of everyone, to our apparent benefit!

I think we already know that the clubs priorities are not what we as fans want though, selling Nasri and Cesc in the same window so late on made it transparent enough last season. However with regards to Man Utd, it makes little difference, Fergie will get them to 80 points at least no matter what the state of their squad.

I'm ok with what we have done this summer though.

[Fist of Lehmann]

My point was, that all we kept hearing is RVP wanting to leave to win things, so giving him £200K plus would not have made him to stay.

Actually, I think it would have.

There are only a few motivations we can accept from professional sportsmen. Love of the game, wanting to win things, wanting to improve. Most players don't have the guts to come out and say I want to move for money, that's just not palatable to the world at large. So they dress it up in something laudable.

Had we offered £200k+ what is the betting he would have walked straight back in the door and announced that it was a sign of Arsenal's ambition, that he was now happy with the direction of the club, that it was the only team he wanted to win things with?

In a way, personal ambition is every bit as selfish as personal wealth. Or do you suppose when he celebrates with the Stretford End he's doing it for the fans, the same fans who used to sing their rapist songs at him, or the club or manager with whom he has no previous history? No, he's doing it for himself, and in that, he's not so different from most of them.

[Niall_Quinn]

Actually, I think it would have.

There are only a few motivations we can accept from professional sportsmen. Love of the game, wanting to win things, wanting to improve. Most players don't have the guts to come out and say I want to move for money, that's just not palatable to the world at large. So they dress it up in something laudable.

Had we offered £200k+ what is the betting he would have walked straight back in the door and announced that it was a sign of Arsenal's ambition, that he was now happy with the direction of the club, that it was the only team he wanted to win things with?

In a way, personal ambition is every bit as selfish as personal wealth. Or do you suppose when he celebrates with the Stretford End he's doing it for the fans, the same fans who used to sing their rapist songs at him, or the club or manager with whom he has no previous history? No, he's doing it for himself, and in that, he's not so different from most of them.

Good post. Who is fooled by these shits any more? This is one of the worst examples of disloyalty and pure kick in the teeth selfishness. The way the club stuck with him, paid him for the equivalent of five seasons spent with his feet up, not his fault he was injured but certainly to his benefit the club stuck with him. In fact if you average out his wages over the games he actually played I wouldn't be surprised if he made that £200K a week. Our facilities, our staff, our expense and as soon as he was right and could put in a full season he fucks off out the door. You have to be pure scum to behave like that.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

I don't even know what you're talking about any more.

Yeah well..

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Actually, I think it would have.

There are only a few motivations we can accept from professional sportsmen. Love of the game, wanting to win things, wanting to improve. Most players don't have the guts to come out and say I want to move for money, that's just not palatable to the world at large. So they dress it up in something laudable.

Had we offered £200k+ what is the betting he would have walked straight back in the door and announced that it was a sign of Arsenal's ambition, that he was now happy with the direction of the club, that it was the only team he wanted to win things with?

In a way, personal ambition is every bit as selfish as personal wealth. Or do you suppose when he celebrates with the Stretford End he's doing it for the fans, the same fans who used to sing their rapist songs at him, or the club or manager with whom he has no previous history? No, he's doing it for himself, and in that, he's not so different from most of them.

Very true. My point was there is not point in saying it was not because we did not give him in the money, if before you said it was because he was ambitious. (not you) Just in general.

[Fist of Lehmann]

Very true. My point was there is not point in saying it was not because we did not give him in the money, if before you said it was because he was ambitious. (not you) Just in general.

I don't even know what you're talking about any more.

[GP]

[Olivier's xmas twist]

I don't even know what you're talking about any more.

Yeah so's your face

[Power n Glory]

So wages wouldn't make a difference....would Wenger stick around if he was paid a lot less compared to his peers? I doubt it. He's put up with the lack of silverware for years. When you're paid well, your willing to compromise on a few values. That's why he's stuck around for so long. There is no wage structure for him and they'll role out the red carpet for him when negotiations for his new contract start. No bullshit about making him a fair offer, take it or leave it, we can't pay what Chelsea and City pay type talk. If Wenger asked to be the highest paid manager in the Prem they'd have to give it to him.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Jesus, change the record and stop being so fricken miserable all the time.