Good Bye RVP!

[Power n Glory]

Yet what more could AW do? He started off this summer by signing one giant player and one highly-rated player. RVP had clearly made up his mind a few months ago. Wenger's shown some intent despite the Euros interfering. If RVP leaves, it's not because of this year's transfer dealings.

We signed Giroud because RVP told them he wasn't staying. He's a replacement, not an addition. RVP had talks before the Euros with the club and he told them he wasn't going to sign a new deal. They slapped gag order on him and then signed Giroud.

Poldoski is Arshavin's replacement or maybe Walcott's. This isn't progress.

[V-Pig]

And now Usmanov is stirring it up too...

[V-Pig]

USMANOV's letter: https://twitter.com/#!/tariqpanja

[Keith]

Robin - "I want a top midfielder to replace Cesc"

Wenger - "Great news, Denilson will be back soon"


'They liked his performances, they liked Denilson’s development. That’s why they want him to return.'

[V-Pig]

We signed Giroud because RVP told them he wasn't staying. He's a replacement, not an addition. RVP had talks before the Euros with the club and he told them he wasn't going to sign a new deal. They slapped gag order on him and then signed Giroud.

Poldoski is Arshavin's replacement or maybe Walcott's. This isn't progress.

So we've lost RVP and got Giroud? Bad but not disastrous. And we've gained Podolski, who's better than Theo, and theo hasn't actually left. So not too bad for standing still. And then there's the rest of the window for progress. It was always likely with RVP and at least that's been addressed relatively early on so he can be shipped out, wages freed up and some more signings.

Optimism :scarf:

[Joker]

If we lose Theo as well that would be disastrous. Although he's a flawed player, he contributed a lot of assists last season, and along with Song were probably the only creative outlets we had. I know people like Arseblog are beating the "Theo is being greedy" drum, but he's still quite young and is progressing as a player, so losing him will be a blow. But it again boils down to the fact that treating our football club simply as a private sector enterprise, with the focus on financial fundamentals and the "bottom line" will alienate some players who didn't enter football thinking it was simply an Accountancy firm. They want more from their careers, and clubs like City, Utd, Chelsea actually still care about what happens on the pitch, which is a very strong attraction for top players (yes, you could go on about how it's simply that these clubs can offer more money, but that's a naive position to take IMO. It's more than simply about money).

[Syn]

More I think about this, the more I feel we should make him play out his contract. We have to stop getting bullied around and make a statement. I did understand PnG's earlier point that working with a disinterested co-worker who knows he's off is not ideal. I do understand that. But I really don't think Van Persie will give anything less than 100% - not because it's in the club's interest...he has made abundantly clear he doesn't care about causing conflict at the club, but because it's in Robin's interest to pull off another 25+ goal season.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

tariq panja ‏@tariqpanja

Also says Arsenal tried to engage Russian company MegaFon in shirt sponsorship talks without realising telecom co is +50% owned by Usmanov

:doh:

[Power n Glory]

So we've lost RVP and got Giroud? Bad but not disastrous. And we've gained Podolski, who's better than Theo, and theo hasn't actually left. So not too bad for standing still. And then there's the rest of the window for progress. It was always likely with RVP and at least that's been addressed relatively early on so he can be shipped out, wages freed up and some more signings.

Optimism :scarf:

That's not the point I'm making. You and few others seem to be under the impression that club tried to appease RVP with these two signings when they're replacement players and not additions. It's not progress and building on what we have which is why he's leaving.

[V-Pig]

More I think about this, the more I feel we should make him play out his contract. We have to stop getting bullied around and make a statement. I did understand PnG's earlier point that working with a disinterested co-worker who knows he's off is not ideal. I do understand that. But I really don't think Van Persie will give anything less than 100% - not because it's in the club's interest...he has made abundantly clear he doesn't care about causing conflict at the club, but because it's in Robin's interest to pull off another 25+ goal season.

Could be a great gamble. Make him play. Be great. Make him realise how wrong he was and beg to stay to see out the remainder of his contract.

Ah, we can dream.

[V-Pig]

That's not the point I'm making. You and few others seem to be under the impression that club tried to appease RVP with these two signings when they're replacement players and not additions. It's not progress and building on what we have which is why he's leaving.

No I didn't mean that. I said he'd probably made up his mind a few months ago, in which case these signings weren't designed to appease him. But these signings can appease those other people who are wavering.

[Syn]

That's not the point I'm making. You and few others seem to be under the impression that club tried to appease RVP with these two signings when they're replacement players and not additions. It's not progress and building on what we have which is why he's leaving.

If Van Persie wants to stay now they would be additions, wouldn't they? If Wenger didn't want RVP to stay he wouldn't have made those guilt-trip comments a few days ago. The club wants Van Persie to stay (even after these two signings). That much is clear.

[Joker]

Usmanov's response:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2169165/Arsenal-crisis-Alisher-Usmanov-attacks-club-open-letter-Robin-van-Persie-snub.html

[Power n Glory]

More I think about this, the more I feel we should make him play out his contract. We have to stop getting bullied around and make a statement. I did understand PnG's earlier point that working with a disinterested co-worker who knows he's off is not ideal. I do understand that. But I really don't think Van Persie will give anything less than 100% - not because it's in the club's interest...he has made abundantly clear he doesn't care about causing conflict at the club, but because it's in Robin's interest to pull off another 25+ goal season.

It's not a good idea. RVP won't want to cause conflict but his presence will cause a problem. For starters, we'd have to strip him of the armband and give it to somebody else. He might not have a problem with it, but some of the other players might. We could have a situation where we still have players looking to RVP for advice and inspiration when he's not even captain. That could be a problem.

Or we keep him as captain and certain players have a problem with it. How can RVP lead by example or bollock players when he's not committed to the cause. That could be an issue.

Also, misery loves company. If Song or a few others are pissed about our transfer policy or the way their contract talks are going, they might just gravitate towards RVP and start bitching about the club private. He doesn't have to say or do anything. He's just there and represents the disillusioned Arsenal player. It doesn't have to be done in the open, but when cliques are formed, you can sort of tell what certain people think just by who they hang with. You can see it most working environments on lunches. The ass lickers and forever enthusiastic don't sit or go for lunch with the moaners and those hunting for new jobs. I see no point in letting him stay for another season. Giroud and Poldoski need to form a relationship with the other players as soon as possible. No point in delaying that.

[KSE Comedy Club]

That's not the point I'm making. You and few others seem to be under the impression that club tried to appease RVP with these two signings when they're replacement players and not additions. It's not progress and building on what we have which is why he's leaving.

Of course they were additions, he is still an arsenal player and the club and wenger have openly stated more than once that they want him to stay, so the plan was to buy these two to play alongside rvp not to replace him.

Rvp's has had his head turned by money, end of.

Only the truly gullible would believe its to win trophies.

They guy is nearly 30 and he knows that means he has weaker bargaining power. Citeh have offered him a ridiculous contract of a quarter of a million a week for 4 years, he must be fucking laughing himself to sleep every night at the moment. Plus he will have less work to do to actually win trophies as he will have plenty of other top players around him to come on and help out.

Just another player interested in joining in with the football fantasy world.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Could be a great gamble. Make him play. Be great. Make him realise how wrong he was and beg to stay to see out the remainder of his contract.

Ah, we can dream.

Yeh, and maybe win a trophy or 2 and see him beg to stay at the end of next season.



Then make him wait a month or so, then release a statement on the club website, saying how we like him as a player but we don't see him on our plans anymore and he can fuck off.

All the best rvp

From Arsenal FC.

:)

[Power n Glory]

Of course they were additions, he is still an arsenal player and the club and wenger have openly stated more than once that they want him to stay, so the plan was to buy these two to play alongside rvp not to replace him.

Rvp's has had his head turned by money, end of.

Only the truly gullible would believe its to win trophies.

They guy is nearly 30 and he knows that means he has weaker bargaining power. Citeh have offered him a ridiculous contract of a quarter of a million a week for 4 years, he must be fucking laughing himself to sleep every night at the moment. Plus he will have less work to do to actually win trophies as he will have plenty of other top players around him to come on and help out.

Just another player interested in joining in with the football fantasy world.

BS. Giroud is slow, he's can't play on the flanks in 4-3-3, he's a central player and we never spend over £10m for a player at that age to sit on the bench. Never.

If they're additions, then we'll buy another striker and another winger if we lose Theo. but we won't.

[KSE Comedy Club]

More I think about this, the more I feel we should make him play out his contract. We have to stop getting bullied around and make a statement. I did understand PnG's earlier point that working with a disinterested co-worker who knows he's off is not ideal. I do understand that. But I really don't think Van Persie will give anything less than 100% - not because it's in the club's interest...he has made abundantly clear he doesn't care about causing conflict at the club, but because it's in Robin's interest to pull off another 25+ goal season.
Except he has caused 100% conflict at the club with his statement.

[BOBN]

yep, giroud was always the replacement. two strikers who can play in only one position, no brainer.

[KSE Comedy Club]

BS. Giroud is slow, he's can't play on the flanks in 4-3-3, he's a central player and we never spend over £10m for a player at that age to sit on the bench. Never.

If they're additions, then we'll buy another striker and another winger if we lose Theo. but we won't.
So even giroud coming out and saying that he didn't join to replace rvp but to play alongside him is BS?

Wenger and the club stating at least twice now to the press that they want him to sign a new contract and stay is BS?

Ok. You seem to know everything that has happened in the club anyway as your previous posts in this thread are stated as if they are fact, so you must be right.

[Kano]

we should just kill the ****.

then rape him.

[KSE Comedy Club]

yep, giroud was always the replacement. two strikers who can play in only one position, no brainer.

Yeh, it's not as if wenger would try and get them to play together and put one of them in a different position to do that at all.

He has no history of doing that.

[GP]

Definitely an addition.

[LDG]

BS. Giroud is slow, he's can't play on the flanks in 4-3-3, he's a central player and we never spend over £10m for a player at that age to sit on the bench. Never.

If they're additions, then we'll buy another striker and another winger if we lose Theo. but we won't.

Tbh, if RVP is sold, or doesn't stay on this season, then we don't need another striker.

He was special, in that he could lead the line, and play deep. He also had the "star" factor of doing something out of nothing.

What we have seen from Wenger over the past season, is a move away from marquee stars and ego's, to a more "boring" structured outfit. Arteta is the prime example. It's been more workmanlike.

If he is going to add to the squad, I see it more to do with creative midfield in mind, as I think we have two "goalscorers" up top in Poldo and Giroud....at least, that's what we hope from them.

Meh. I dunno.

Gonna be an interesting few months.











:ilt:

[Power n Glory]

So even giroud coming out and saying that he didn't join to replace rvp but to play alongside him is BS?

Wenger and the club stating at least twice now to the press that they want him to sign a new contract and stay is BS?

Ok. You seem to know everything that has happened in the club anyway as your previous posts in this thread are stated as if they are fact, so you must be right.

What Wenger and the club say and actually do are completely seperate. After last years debacle I would have thought some folks would grown wiser.

Of course they want him to stay but he wants to go and there isn't a damn thing they can do about it. Giroud...what does he know. Also, why would the club slap a gag order on RVP if there was nothing to hide? They've been trying to keep this situation quiet for while and work out a way to fix it.

[Cripps_orig]

IT started with a trickle and quickly became a stream.

Now the floodgates are wide open and Arsenal are up the creek without a paddle.

Robin van Persie’s announcement that he will not be signing a new contract has left Arsene Wenger and his daydreaming directors in a state of shock.

But the captain’s decision to join the Emirates exodus will come as no surprise to the long-suffering supporters who have witnessed the rapid decline of their team.

Was it really only eight years ago that Arsenal’s Invincibles won the Premier League without losing a single match?

That record-breaking title run should have heralded the dawn of a period of utter domination of domestic and European football.

Instead it proved to be the turning point in the fortunes of a once-great club who have been undone by a lack of ambition and a refusal to move with the times.

True, the team did go on to lift the FA Cup the following year in what was to prove captain Patrick Vieira’s final game for the club.

But the trophy cabinet has been bare ever since that penalty shootout victory over Manchester United way back in 2005.

And Vieira’s departure for Juventus signalled the beginning of a mass migration which has since included (very deep breath)... Robert Pires, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg, Jens Lehmann, Gilberto Silva, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, Gael Clichy, Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Eboue and Samir Nasri.

Now Footballer of the Year Van Persie wants to add his name to that illustrious list after carrying the team on the back of his 37 goals last season.

The skipper has quite simply run out of patience with Wenger’s worthy intentions and empty promises.

Every year the manager insists his promising young team is finally ready to challenge the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Man City for the title.

And every year they get further away from fulfilling those lofty ambitions.

Sure Arsenal have spent much of the money they have banked from the sale of all their superstars. But the replacements are always that little bit cheaper and never quite as good.

Alex Hleb for Vieira anyone? Eduardo for Henry or Arteta for Fabregas?

Wenger is at it again this time, spending £13million on Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud and a further £11m on Lukas Podolski.

But will either prove capable of filling the gaping hole left by Van Persie’s imminent departure? It seems unlikely.

Henry, Fabregas and Nasri all moved on because they could no longer see a time when they would win major trophies with Arsenal.

Van Persie, an 86th-minute sub in that 2005 FA Cup final, has reluctantly come to the same conclusion.

The Dutchman could not have given much more to the club during his eight years in an Arsenal shirt — yet all his best efforts have come to nothing.

And if Van Persie now feels this way, it is inevitable the next generation of Arsenal stars will soon start questioning their own prospects of silverware.

Theo Walcott, like Van Persie, is out of contract next year and has yet to agree a new deal.

He knows that European champions Chelsea are keen on him and who could really blame him for being tempted?

And what about Jack Wilshere, the most talented English player to burst on to the Premier League scene since Wayne Rooney?

Rooney was just 18 when he left Everton for Manchester United, since when he has won four League Championships, two League Cups and the Champions League.

Wilshere is still only 20 and has plenty of time on his side despite missing the whole of last season with a persistent ankle problem.

Yet how long will he be prepared to wait to win his first trophy with Arsenal?

Maybe Van Persie’s bombshell will be the wake-up call Arsenal need to rouse them from their slumbers.

Maybe Wenger will finally accept he has to pay top money if he wants to sign the likes of Eden Hazard, David Silva or Sergio Aguero.

And maybe Stan Kroenke and Ivan Gazidis will stop panicking about Financial Fair Play and realise the new TV deal will provide Arsenal with riches beyond their dreams.

Just don’t hold your breath.

Robin van Persie did that until he was blue in the face. And look where it got him.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4411501/Robin-van-Persie-quits-Arsenal-Wholl-leave-Gunners-next.html

Pretty much spot on

[Xhaka Can’t]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4411501/Robin-van-Persie-quits-Arsenal-Wholl-leave-Gunners-next.html

Pretty much spot on

That is an incredibly lazy piece and it is criminal that people can actually make a living writing such pap.

[Power n Glory]

That is an incredibly lazy piece and it is criminal that people can actually make a living writing such pap.

Shit, any of us could have wrote that. It's a lazy piece and it's all been said before.

[Bergkampwonderland10]

That is an incredibly lazy piece and it is criminal that people can actually make a living writing such pap.
Agreed.
It's just regurgitated crap.
I still say, make Van Persie see out his contract even if he sits on the bench all of next season. We have to make a stand sometime. Same goes for Walcott and Song if they refuse to sign. The money from their sales isn't fully reinvested back into transfers of new players so I say make an example of Van Persie and his agent.
At 30 years old, sitting on the bench for a season, doesn't make you marketable after that does it?
Let him walk on a free - he can try to cause trouble but I don't think he can do any more damage to be honest.
If we fail to make an example of him, then we are well and truly a feeder club.

Like I said earlier - the only thing that I would consider is player swap deals on our terms.

[Marc Overmars]

I know Theo isn't everyones cup of tea but after RVP he's the go-to guy. His productivity compares favourably to other players in the league in his position. It's easy to say oh we can sell him because we have so and so to come in, but there's a reason why we stagnate and it's because we turn over the first team on a regular basis.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Agreed. But we've gained a class player and a very good player in exchange for an injury prone captain, who, though undoubtedly mega-awesome, was a bit volatile and risky. And old.

If, as people are saying, the RVP damage was done last season when we didn't sign anyone massive to reassure him, then all AW can do now to prevent Walcott and Song leaving is make this transfer window as positive as possible. These two are a good start. Who else can we get?

I will miss RvPs fire thats for sure, some of the lip he gave was right and he stuck up for the team. . .last seasons spat with Krull was classic RvP. . .we have no one to yake that mantlt

[Xhaka Can’t]

We can only sell so much is what I was going to say, but we are past the tipping point now. So much so that it is now pretty important to hold on to Theo who is genuinely our only healthy saleable asset remaining.

Staggering stuff that it has come to this, but it has been like a slow motion car crash, everyone saw it coming.

[V-Pig]

I will miss RvPs fire thats for sure, some of the lip he gave was right and he stuck up for the team. . .last seasons spat with Krull was classic RvP. . .we have no one to yake that mantlt

Maybe JW could start doing more to wind people up. He'll be Like A New Signing in that regard.
Or Sneezey?
Maybe Song could get less cuddly and more vocal?

[Syn]

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/396865_10150884772951886_1307169214_n.jpg

[Letters]

That is an incredibly lazy piece and it is criminal that people can actually make a living writing such pap.
You read KK's piece in The Times too?

[Xhaka Can’t]

You read KK's piece in The Times too?

I couldn't read it because it was behind the paywall.

[Özim]

Every summer it's the same and every time we hear the same old tired excuses about how the club have done their best, their hands are tied, they've been done over, they've been held to ransom, it's all about money, they didn't know this player was going to go etc etc.

This pattern doesn't keep repeating itself for no reason, there's a fundamental problem with the way the club is run, no top player ever wants to stick around which says a lot about the sum of our ambition to me.

You can't keep blaming the players when the same thing keeps happening.

[Cripps_orig]

I dont really blame RVP tbh.

Yeah he more than anyone can show us a bit of loyalty after spending 7 out of the 8 years hes been with us on the treatment table but thats football.

Whether or not he will be classified as a **** by me all depends on who he joins. Barcelona = ****. Anyone else is fine

[Bergkampwonderland10]

To be fair cripps - I think what he has done has pretty much sealed it for me. Releasing a statement which openly slams the club's direction is not exactly helpful and to be fair on wenger he made a huge effort last season to put things right at the end of the transfer window. Van Persie has no right to publicly question that whilst still under contract. Not even Cesc, Nasri or Adebayor or Ashely Cole did that until after they were sold. He has been badly advised and honestly...his statement damages the club and any alters the mindset of any prospective signings we may have had lined up. He had no right to say what he did, none at all whilst under contract and being paid by us. I have lost all respect for him and I for one hope we punish him by making him see out his contract from the bench for an entire season. Let's see the effect of unused hamstrings and lack of match fitness can have. While some say it's wrong to keep an unhappy player...i don't buy that especially if the unhappy player sits and whispers sweet nothings from the bench. It would be the ultimate humiliation and deserved.
Van persie is replaceable - every player is, if he;s not replaced by one player then by two.
Dempsey
Lewandowski could easily be added...especially once Bendtner sold.
I think we should let him rot even more than he has.





I dont really blame RVP tbh.

Yeah he more than anyone can show us a bit of loyalty after spending 7 out of the 8 years hes been with us on the treatment table but thats football.

Whether or not he will be classified as a **** by me all depends on who he joins. Barcelona = ****. Anyone else is fine

[Cripps_orig]

But that as far as i know has never happened where an unhappy player is kept on the bench for a whole season and it wont happen with us either.

He obviously like he says doesnt agree with the vision Wenger and his puppet Gazidis have for this club and tbh neither do most of us including me so i cant critisise RVP for thinking exactly what i am.

Unfortunately he can leave Arsenal. We, as fans cant. We're stuck with them through the good and bad and now we're down to the ugly.

Our reputation has taken a hit with what RVP said but ultimately most of us know what he said is true. We need to get rid of him asap to whoever, get a replacement in plus other players for other positions and look forward to struggling for a CL place next season

[Xhaka Can’t]

I understand the anger - feel the same myself, but letting a player rot on the sidelines would be poisonous and certainly not the best move for the Club.

[Özim]

We were never going to get big money for him in any case with a year left, it was pretty clear to many that he wasn't going to sign, Juve offered as little as 8 million that should have given us an idea of how other clubs see it.

So he came out and said he won't sign, big deal, too much secrecy at the club and it's about time someone was open for once, don't blame him at all. I'm glad he's slammed the direction of the club, because it needed to be done....this has been going on for far too long.

He's entitled to say what he wants at the end of the day, he's also entitled no to re-sign and for his own reasons (good ones IMO) he isn't going to. I've long questioned the ambition of this club and now we have it in a nutshell, we're a feeder club which brings through kids and sells them on. We're never going to seriously challenge or win trophies under the current system as our priority is profits.

[Cripps_orig]

Just as Arsene Wenger's plans seemed to be coming together, Robin van Persie's decision to leave Arsenal has thrown them back into disarray.

If there are any positives to be taken out of the Dutchman's revelation, it is that the Gunners have already secured the signatures of Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud. Wenger will have been hoping, of course, to field his new attacking stars alongside Van Persie, but now the duo face the pressure of having to immediately fill the void.

The two signings make the statement released by Van Persie, in which he announced his decision, all the more puzzling; Wenger and Ivan Gazidis, he claims, do not share the same ambitions regarding the direction in which the club is headed, despite the new arrivals.

Yann M'Vila, in addition, has been linked to the club all summer. Short of a Manchester City-style spending spree, which was never a realistic expectation, it is difficult to see what else the Gunners could have done to persuade their captain to stay.

Arsenal, with Van Persie, looked a stronger proposition than they had done in a long time. Wojciech Szczesny finally seemed to have provided a solution in goal, while Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen have formed an impressive partnership in front of him.

The return of Jack Wilshere was to be looked forward to, although that now is also in doubt.

Most would not have begrudged Van Persie's wish to leave Arsenal in pursuit of trophies – at the age of 28, his time is running out and he carried the Gunners on his back last season.

But to announce in early July - just as clubs return for pre-season training - that Wenger is not moving the club forward quickly enough despite his concerted efforts to strengthen the squad does no favours to himself or to the club he professes to love.

Now, once again, Arsenal's summer has been thrown into disarray. Failure to reinvest the money made from Van Persie's probable sale – and the wise decision for Arsenal would be to cash in on him while they can – will only result in a backlash similar to the one suffered after the departure of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri last summer.

Wenger needs to spend to appease not only supporters but the rest of his squad, but when he has departed from his prudent approach to the transfer market, the results have not always been successful. Per Mertesacker, Andre Santos, Park Chu-Young and Mikel Arteta were last-minute additions ahead of the 2011-12 campaign; only one worked out.

Fabregas, Nasri and now Van Persie – who next? For the second consecutive summer, just as Arsenal seemed to be getting back on the right track, their fortunes have suffered another devastating blow.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/07/04/3220787/arsenal-should-sell-disrespectful-van-persie-before-another

Lazy piece

[Kano]

I understand the anger - feel the same myself, but letting a player rot on the sidelines would be poisonous and certainly not the best move for the Club.

worked out ok for spurs with modric last season

[Mr. Lahey]

I havent read the full thread but im going to add my two cents for what its worth. What can I say about Arsenal these days that hasnt already been said about Afganistan, it looks bombed out and depleted!!!

RVP is just the latest in a long line of players to leave Arsenal because they felt their ambitions were better met elsewhere. Anelka, Overmars, Petit, Cole, Flamini, Henry, Adebayor, Cesc, Nasri, now Van Persie. Vieira nearly as well to Madrid, but he then decided to stay only for Arsene to ship him off to Juve quickly a couple years later (how's that for loyalty?). Each one of these guys had plenty to give but they all left--not citing money or playing time, but because they wanted the chance to win trophies which they felt was more likely elsewhere.


Everyone always write it off--Anelka was just a petulant child, Cole and Nasri money grubbing aholes, Henry was just getting too old, Cesc wanted to go home etc. It was easy to do when Wenger was still grooming world class players. But there isn't any more at Arsenal right now, and at some point you got to stand back and just realize something is seriously wrong here. Every player praises Wenger as they walk out the door (loveable father figure that I'm sure he is), but ultimately none of his stars stay on board for him. And I don't think it's purely about money for RVP--he was the captain, he's said repeatedly that he wants to stay if the team was competitive at the highest level. Really I thought this was a slam-dunk to get him to stay on if Arsenal was seriously about being a top club. Clearly, that's just not the case.

Arsene Wenger out -And the board and owners with him. For those who will defend Wenger in all of this - he sits back and collects 6million to watch this happen. He is just as bad as the rest of them and in NOO way should he be excused.

Time for Usamov or whatever the feck his name is.

[Cripps_orig]

I havent read the full thread but im going to add my two cents for what its worth. What can I say about Arsenal these days that hasnt already been said about Afganistan, it looks bombed out and depleted!!!

RVP is just the latest in a long line of players to leave Arsenal because they felt their ambitions were better met elsewhere. Anelka, Overmars, Petit, Cole, Flamini, Henry, Adebayor, Cesc, Nasri, now Van Persie. Vieira nearly as well to Madrid, but he then decided to stay only for Arsene to ship him off to Juve quickly a couple years later (how's that for loyalty?). Each one of these guys had plenty to give but they all left--not citing money or playing time, but because they wanted the chance to win trophies which they felt was more likely elsewhere.


Everyone always write it off--Anelka was just a petulant child, Cole and Nasri money grubbing aholes, Henry was just getting too old, Cesc wanted to go home etc. It was easy to do when Wenger was still grooming world class players. But there isn't any more at Arsenal right now, and at some point you got to stand back and just realize something is seriously wrong here. Every player praises Wenger as they walk out the door (loveable father figure that I'm sure he is), but ultimately none of his stars stay on board for him. And I don't think it's purely about money for RVP--he was the captain, he's said repeatedly that he wants to stay if the team was competitive at the highest level. Really I thought this was a slam-dunk to get him to stay on if Arsenal was seriously about being a top club. Clearly, that's just not the case.

Arsene Wenger out -And the board and owners with him. For those who will defend Wenger in all of this - he sits back and collects 6million to watch this happen. He is just as bad as the rest of them and in NOO way should he be excused.

Time for Usamov or whatever the feck his name is.
:gp:

[Xhaka Can’t]

worked out ok for spurs with modric last season

He rotted on the sidelines?

[Xhaka Can’t]

I havent read the full thread but im going to add my two cents for what its worth. What can I say about Arsenal these days that hasnt already been said about Afganistan, it looks bombed out and depleted!!!

RVP is just the latest in a long line of players to leave Arsenal because they felt their ambitions were better met elsewhere. Anelka, Overmars, Petit, Cole, Flamini, Henry, Adebayor, Cesc, Nasri, now Van Persie. Vieira nearly as well to Madrid, but he then decided to stay only for Arsene to ship him off to Juve quickly a couple years later (how's that for loyalty?). Each one of these guys had plenty to give but they all left--not citing money or playing time, but because they wanted the chance to win trophies which they felt was more likely elsewhere.


Everyone always write it off--Anelka was just a petulant child, Cole and Nasri money grubbing aholes, Henry was just getting too old, Cesc wanted to go home etc. It was easy to do when Wenger was still grooming world class players. But there isn't any more at Arsenal right now, and at some point you got to stand back and just realize something is seriously wrong here. Every player praises Wenger as they walk out the door (loveable father figure that I'm sure he is), but ultimately none of his stars stay on board for him. And I don't think it's purely about money for RVP--he was the captain, he's said repeatedly that he wants to stay if the team was competitive at the highest level. Really I thought this was a slam-dunk to get him to stay on if Arsenal was seriously about being a top club. Clearly, that's just not the case.

Arsene Wenger out -And the board and owners with him. For those who will defend Wenger in all of this - he sits back and collects 6million to watch this happen. He is just as bad as the rest of them and in NOO way should he be excused.

Time for Usamov or whatever the feck his name is.

But Usmanov wants Wenger managing the Club and always praises him.

Should he sell up and go as well?

[Kano]

He rotted on the sidelines?

well, in the team, which is where rvp would if he stayed.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

amazingly some good points made in the mail:

Wenger, to his credit, investigated (signing van der vaart after rvp asked about signing him), but decided against making a move. Case closed. Apparently not. Van Persie has maintained his Fantasy Football attitude ever since.

This summer he is unimpressed with the signings of a 26-year-old German international boasting more than 100 caps, one of Europe’s brightest young centre-forwards, not to mention the emergence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as full international.

The irony, of course, is that Van Persie was himself a signing much like Chamberlain. Did the capture of 21-year-old with a questionable attitude from Holland convince Patrick Vieira et al of the club’s ambition? If it didn’t, we didn’t hear about it publicly.

And that is the key point. Van Persie wants out. Fine. Yet, unlike Cesc Fabregas who kept his counsel while the club toyed with his heart over his move home to Barcelona a year ago, the new captain has driven a wedge between he and the club who stood by him through a wretched injury record and hopeless runs of form. He owed them more five paragraphs.

Victoria concordia crescit, the club slogan. Victory through harmony. Van Persie hasn’t been singing from the same hymnsheet for several years.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2169179/Robin-van-Persie-right-leave-Arsenal-like-this.html#ixzz1zlC5vIR5

[Syn]

But Usmanov wants Wenger managing the Club and always praises him.

Should he sell up and go as well?

That's a thing that a lot of people seem to miss. Those who think David Dein is more realistic (and isn't stuck in the dark-ages, understands the way football is going etc.) have to also acknowledge that he thinks Wenger is a top class manager who has had his hands tied. Similarly Usmanov says in the open letter that Wenger isn't being allowed to fulfil his potential. If you want a manager change, you're not going to get one no matter who is in charge.

[Mr. Lahey]

But Usmanov wants Wenger managing the Club and always praises him.

Should he sell up and go as well?

If the fat bastard wants Arsene thats fine...But he would have take a different approach - to get off Arsenes nutsack and tell him HOW it is, and if he cannot deliver than they will find someone else who can. Id put my money on Usamov taking this approach.

[Marc Overmars]

well, in the team, which is where rvp would if he stayed.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

amazingly some good points made in the mail:

Well that's just it.

He has alienated himself with the Billy Big Bollocks talk.

[Xhaka Can’t]

well, in the team, which is where rvp would if he stayed.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

amazingly some good points made in the mail:

Yeah, but the post of mine you quoted was in response and referring to a desire by a poster to see RvP rot on the sidelines. Hence the reference to understanding anger.

[Xhaka Can’t]

If the fat bastard wants Arsene thats fine...But he would have take a different approach - to get off Arsenes nutsack and tell him HOW it is, and if he cannot deliver than they will find someone else who can. Id put my money on Usamov taking this approach.

I don't get your point at all. Wenger can't take a different approach if the parameters aren't there for him to do so.

[Kano]

Yeah, but the post of mine you quoted was in response and referring to a desire by a poster to see RvP rot on the sidelines. Hence the reference to understanding anger.

you expect me to read your posts now??

[GP]

Robin you're a cunt, you're a cunt, yes you are.
You live in cunty cottage and you drive a cunty car.

[Ollie the Optimist]

we gave him everything over these 8 years, support when most would have got rid, stood by him during his rape case when something had happened (if im right, he did actually sleep with the girl but was consensual when he was already in a relationship) did what he asked, made him captain. gave him everything and now this.

if he loves the club then he has a weird way of showing it, he knows he is close to theo and song, and knows that they might now leave, he knows that his depature could cause problems and he did it in this way. its shocking, its betrayal and worst of all he has betrayed the man who made him, the man who gave him chance after chance and stood by him when others wouldnt.

[Syn]

As well you know


Wenger KnowsBest ‏@wengerknowsbest
Recent news is upsetting, I accept that. We want to keep our best players. But Sao Paulo made a good offer for Denilson.

[Ollie the Optimist]

ROBIN VAN PERSIE reckons there is one player that Manchester City’s money could never buy — him.
The Arsenal striker is a huge supporter of boss Arsene Wenger’s philosophy not to spend big this summer, even though the Frenchman had the green light to fork out £30million on one player.

City’s new Arab owners, meanwhile, are ready to throw bucketloads of cash at recruiting the top names in world football.

Robinho arrived from Real Madrid on deadline day while City also tried to hijack Dimitar Berbatov’s move to neighbours United.

Van Persie admits he is fascinated by the developments at Eastlands — but he would never be lured by a fat pay cheque.

He said: “I was really surprised when they came in for Robinho. I thought ‘What’s happening? Man City and £30m?’

“No they haven’t put an offer in for me and they don’t have to bother! I’m really curious if Manchester City have a plan because it won’t work by only buying the most expensive players.

“It’s about a team. If all the pieces don’t click then the system will fail.

“In principle, Man City could have success but there has to be a philosophy with a whole staff who have a plan for the next four or five years.”

Wenger kept his hand in his pocket despite his board urging him to splash out this summer.

And his stance has the full backing of Dutchman Van Persie, 25.

He added: “The manager wanted to use a certain amount but not the full £30m. He has a principle and if he believes a player is worth £10m then he’ll only pay that amount.

“It’s difficult in this overinflated market. He wanted a player but the selling club were asking far too much in his valuation. So he told them: ‘That’s the price or forget it’.

“We have a small squad but achieving a mental hardness and avoiding injuries can make a difference.”

what a lying ****. worse then nasri. stupid lying judas ****

[Mr. Lahey]

I don't get your point at all. Wenger can't take a different approach if the parameters aren't there for him to do so.

Im saying Usamav should and probably would set those parameters. Are you saying things would stay the same as far as targets go if Usamov was on board?

[Joker]

what a lying ****. worse then nasri. stupid lying judas ****

I agree that his fake attempts at showing "love" for Arsenal and these sorts of statements show him up completely. However, we also have to look at the board when explaining why we're losing so many first team players. They treat the club purely as a business, and are completely out of touch with what football really means. Pointing out financial fundamentals may convince an accountant, but football players want more than that, and it's time we got a board that actually cared about the intangible things in football, unlike the current lot who know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

[fakeyank]

You are very silly.

This is exactly the sort of doing things on principle thing you so lambast Wenger for. I say we keep him and get another year out of him. We're not going to get loads for him anyway, he'll probably help us qualify for the CL again which would earn us more than we'd get and the fans would soon come round once he scored a couple, we're stupid like that.

It was a joke, my friend :doh:

I personally dont care what happens with him as long as Arsenal gets a decent deal. 25+ million for him and he can fuck off or he stays and performs. Unless he signs a new deal and makes a 180 degree turnaround, there is no way the Arsenal fans are going to forgive him. He has burnt his bridges for the most part. We never forgave Adebayor and IMO RVP has been a bigger cock than Ade..

[Joker]

Sad to see Arseblog being such an apologist for Kroenke et al. He seems to have swallowed their BS hook line and sinker.

[Ollie the Optimist]

I agree that his fake attempts at showing "love" for Arsenal and these sorts of statements show him up completely. However, we also have to look at the board when explaining why we're losing so many first team players. They treat the club purely as a business, and are completely out of touch with what football really means. Pointing out financial fundamentals may convince an accountant, but football players want more than that, and it's time we got a board that actually cared about the intangible things in football, unlike the current lot who know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

i have sympathy with the board, we should in no way shape or form try to offer stupid money such as 200k a week. 130k a week is outrageous enough, i dont buy this crap either that htey are just looking out for their future, most of us will barely make a million or two in our entire lifetimes of working, these guys can make it in a month. glad the board put their foot down. we will do this the right way and succed. i know we will and i believe. max wages should be 100k. if you want money fuck off, if you want pride stay. dont just spout this bullshit its not about the money when it clearly is. fed up of it and this time with rvp, its not wengers fault, its not the boards, they offered him money and fuck load of it too. his contract offer from us was about 30million for it if reports are right. he can fuck off the money grabbing ****

[Letters]

Apologies if someone posted this already

http://arseblog.com/2012/07/rotten-gone-persie/

[Ollie the Optimist]

Apologies if someone posted this already

http://arseblog.com/2012/07/rotten-gone-persie/

that and matt laws piece in the mirror are spot on. he is no longer a legend but a ****. sad to see the one player we all thought was better then that show he isnt

[Mr. Lahey]

i have sympathy with the board, we should in no way shape or form try to offer stupid money such as 200k a week. 130k a week is outrageous enough, i dont buy this crap either that htey are just looking out for their future, most of us will barely make a million or two in our entire lifetimes of working, these guys can make it in a month. glad the board put their foot down. we will do this the right way and succed. i know we will and i believe. max wages should be 100k. if you want money fuck off, if you want pride stay. dont just spout this bullshit its not about the money when it clearly is. fed up of it and this time with rvp, its not wengers fault, its not the boards, they offered him money and fuck load of it too. his contract offer from us was about 30million for it if reports are right. he can fuck off the money grabbing ****

You call RVP a money grabbing twat but will defend the board and say you have sympathy for them when they are lining their own pockets? They transfer out our best players every year and make tons of money of those transfers. I am baffled at how people can still defend this board. Its pathetic really.

[Xhaka Can’t]

you expect me to read your posts now??

:lol:

[Xhaka Can’t]

Im saying Usamav should and probably would set those parameters. Are you saying things would stay the same as far as targets go if Usamov was on board?
Nah, I'm saying that he has to work with what he has. If he has more then I would expect that he would not want to be shopping in the bargain bin.

[Joker]

You call RVP a money grabbing twat but will defend the board and say you have sympathy for them when they are lining their own pockets? They transfer out our best players every year and make tons of money of those transfers. I am baffled at how people can still defend this board. Its pathetic really.

Exactly, you can't call the players greedy and motivated purely by money and then defend the board whose priority is only the financial "bottom line", ensuring healthy stock prices so that they can line their pockets. The greed of the board is 10 times the greed of any player, substantial though the players' greed may be.

I've seen this on twitter a lot as well. A lot of support from Arsenal fans for the board whose snouts are in the trough, even though it's the board that are fleecing the fans and are behaving purely like capitalists.

[Joker]

Highbury Harold ‏@BlackScarfAFC

Little known fact: A few years back an #Arsenal Board member handed over money to a fans group towards an anti-Usmanov banner. Professional?

Absolutely pathetic.

[Bergkampwonderland10]

Exactly, you can't call the players greedy and motivated purely by money and then defend the board whose priority is only the financial "bottom line", ensuring healthy stock prices so that they can line their pockets. The greed of the board is 10 times the greed of any player, substantial though the players' greed may be.

I've seen this on twitter a lot as well. A lot of support from Arsenal fans for the board whose snouts are in the trough, even though it's the board that are fleecing the fans and are behaving purely like capitalists.

Nah, that's a load of BS. They're not exactly fleecing the fans, we have stadium debt, transfer fees and player's wages along with all the other millions in overheads. Our board have so far run our club in a financially sound manner, look at Leeds Utd, look at Wimbledon, Portsmouth, look at Rangers - ask yourself why it's only Chelsea and Man City spending ridiculous amounts every summer it's not Tottenham, Liverpool, Newcastle or Man Utd for that matter...they seem to always sell to spend too. I don't blame the board, Usmanov is a nutcase along with Dein in their statement which said 'pay RVP what he's being offered by other clubs' - all the more reason to keep them as far away from Arsenal football club as possible.

The problem with football today lies with the governing bodies - end of. You want to blame someone...blame the farce that is Blatter and Pratini and their corrupt cronies...talking about financial fair play is all bollocks - they know it, we know it everyone knows it. They support Barcelona and they can't enforce regulations which will effect their team.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Highbury Harold ‏@BlackScarfAFC

Little known fact: A few years back an #Arsenal Board member handed over money to a fans group towards an anti-Usmanov banner. Professional?

Absolutely pathetic.
That's nothing! Usmanov ate Sir Chips Keswick!

[Joker]

Nah, that's a load of BS. They're not exactly fleecing the fans, we have stadium debt, transfer fees and player's wages along with all the other millions in overheads. Our board have so far run our club in a financially sound manner, look at Leeds Utd, look at Wimbledon, Portsmouth, look at Rangers - ask yourself why it's only Chelsea and Man City spending ridiculous amounts every summer it's not Tottenham, Liverpool, Newcastle or Man Utd for that matter...they seem to always sell to spend too. I don't blame the board, Usmanov is a nutcase along with Dein in their statement which said 'pay RVP what he's being offered by other clubs' - all the more reason to keep them as far away from Arsenal football club as possible.

The problem with football today lies with the governing bodies - end of. You want to blame someone...blame the farce that is Blatter and Pratini and their corrupt cronies...talking about financial fair play is all bollocks - they know it, we know it everyone knows it. They support Barcelona and they can't enforce regulations which will effect their team.

Other clubs also have transfer fees, wages and millions in overheads but they don't pass on the costs onto their fans in such a blatant way. If our so called "sustainable" model requires such exorbitant ticket prices, then it's a pathetic model tbh that shouldn't be applied to a football club.

[Letters]

what a lying ****. worse then nasri. stupid lying judas ****
Seriously. You're going to give yourself an aneurysm.
Calm down, dear, it's only a footballer.

[Ollie the Optimist]

You call RVP a money grabbing twat but will defend the board and say you have sympathy for them when they are lining their own pockets? They transfer out our best players every year and make tons of money of those transfers. I am baffled at how people can still defend this board. Its pathetic really.

i dont have any sympathy for the board lining their own pockets however refusing to break the bank to give a player ridiclous wages is something i do have sympathy with them and i think its right.

[Bergkampwonderland10]

Other clubs also have transfer fees, wages and millions in overheads but they don't pass on the costs onto their fans in such a blatant way. If our so called "sustainable" model requires such exorbitant ticket prices, then it's a pathetic model tbh that shouldn't be applied to a football club.

Granted ticket prices are ridiculous and we get charged the most. But the other london clubs are not far off those prices to be fair. It's all crazy prices. I still have one of my junior gunner ticket stubs from 1992 (v QPR) which cost 4.75GBP, my mum's ticket was 11.00GBP....prices have risen in the last 20 years!

[Ollie the Optimist]

Seriously. You're going to give yourself an aneurysm.
Calm down, dear, it's only a footballer.


its distracting me from the fact that i have no job, no money, and cant go home as got hospital appointments and stuck on my own

[Xhaka Can’t]

its distracting me from the fact that i have no job, no money, and cant go home as got hospital appointments and stuck on my own

Hope things get better for you soon.

[Letters]

its distracting me from the fact that i have no job, no money, and cant go home as got hospital appointments and stuck on my own
:hug:

[Flavs]

All he has to do now is wait for Citeh to sell Adebayor and he can go there to be with his best chum Samir Nasri.

All happy together.

:wave:

[fakeyank]

May be we can get Adebayor back

[Cripps_orig]

May be we can get Adebayor back

Would be the best deal of all time

[Munchies]

At the moment the only 2 clubs that will pay over the odds for him are City and PSG , so hopefully we can start a bidding war between the two.

Or we could just get Heskey on a free :
https://p.twimg.com/AxDnT5ICEAISigI.jpg

[Cripps_orig]

Disgusting how Ivanhoe is treated on here

We wont concede many with him in our team.

Wont score many either tbh

[Power n Glory]

i have sympathy with the board, we should in no way shape or form try to offer stupid money such as 200k a week. 130k a week is outrageous enough, i dont buy this crap either that htey are just looking out for their future, most of us will barely make a million or two in our entire lifetimes of working, these guys can make it in a month. glad the board put their foot down. we will do this the right way and succed. i know we will and i believe. max wages should be 100k. if you want money fuck off, if you want pride stay. dont just spout this bullshit its not about the money when it clearly is. fed up of it and this time with rvp, its not wengers fault, its not the boards, they offered him money and fuck load of it too. his contract offer from us was about 30million for it if reports are right. he can fuck off the money grabbing ****

But in another thread, you said this.


with regards to usmanov, what is stopping him paying rvp the money himself, or paying for players etc?

Why is that acceptable? Or would you be happy if he stumped up the cash to pay for RVP's contract and other players? It's one thing to accuse players of being greedy but it's a bit hypocritical if we're suggesting it's okay for someone like Usamov to write the cheque to pay for all these players. I'm not saying that you're in support of a takeover just looking for clarification.

[Özim]

i have sympathy with the board, we should in no way shape or form try to offer stupid money such as 200k a week. 130k a week is outrageous enough, i dont buy this crap either that htey are just looking out for their future, most of us will barely make a million or two in our entire lifetimes of working, these guys can make it in a month. glad the board put their foot down. we will do this the right way and succed. i know we will and i believe. max wages should be 100k. if you want money fuck off, if you want pride stay. dont just spout this bullshit its not about the money when it clearly is. fed up of it and this time with rvp, its not wengers fault, its not the boards, they offered him money and fuck load of it too. his contract offer from us was about 30million for it if reports are right. he can fuck off the money grabbing ****
It's never Wenger or the boards fault is it? Whatever they do it's always someone else fault, this despite 7 years with nothing to show, losing all our best players season after season, charging the highest ticket prices whilst not really investing.

You'll point to the stadium no doubt, but who owns that? The guys at the top, they're the ones making the money from all this. It must be so great for them to be able to charge huge amounts whilst not having to re-invest and still getting a full house every week whilst selling the best players every summer to make sure we make a profit.

It's no coincidence that all our best players leave and it's not just about money, it's the fact we're not bothered about success, after a while even the most loyal believers stop believing and defect.

The only ones who "believe" are those in the money, Wenger who get's his huge pay packet and the board.

[Letters]

We are bothered about success but the board's definition of success isn't the same as yours.

[Özim]

We are bothered about success but the board's definition of success isn't the same as yours.
You're right, the board and managers definition of success is profit sadly, something the average fan doesn't give a damn about.

[Ollie the Optimist]

But in another thread, you said this.



Why is that acceptable? Or would you be happy if he stumped up the cash to pay for RVP's contract and other players? It's one thing to accuse players of being greedy but it's a bit hypocritical if we're suggesting it's okay for someone like Usamov to write the cheque to pay for all these players. I'm not saying that you're in support of a takeover just looking for clarification.

that was more a point of instead of pissing off the fans and causing problems which will cause damage to the club, why not actually stump up your own cash instead of writing bullshit statements.

[Ollie the Optimist]

It's never Wenger or the boards fault is it? Whatever they do it's always someone else fault, this despite 7 years with nothing to show, losing all our best players season after season, charging the highest ticket prices whilst not really investing.

You'll point to the stadium no doubt, but who owns that? The guys at the top, they're the ones making the money from all this. It must be so great for them to be able to charge huge amounts whilst not having to re-invest and still getting a full house every week whilst selling the best players every summer to make sure we make a profit.

It's no coincidence that all our best players leave and it's not just about money, it's the fact we're not bothered about success, after a while even the most loyal believers stop believing and defect.

The only ones who "believe" are those in the money, Wenger who get's his huge pay packet and the board.

you and i are complete opposites and there is no way we will agree. you blame wenger for everything from not spending to not winning yet i blame the players for not performing. we might as well stop talking, we wont agree.

[Özim]

you and i are complete opposites and there is no way we will agree. you blame wenger for everything from not spending to not winning yet i blame the players for not performing. we might as well stop talking, we wont agree.
It's not a players job to build a winning team, a manager has full say on who he buys/sells, plays/benches as well as tactics and formations amonst other things.

Even a player playing at the top of his game every match isn't going to win you trophies without a good team around him. You blame the players but it's not them that build the team.

[Power n Glory]

that was more a point of instead of pissing off the fans and causing problems which will cause damage to the club, why not actually stump up your own cash instead of writing bullshit statements.

But isn't it a bit hypocritical to criticise RVP for wanting more money but then suggesting Usamnov should stump up his own cash to pay for such a player? Fans claim the morale high ground on this sort of issue, criticise clubs like Chelsea and City but those morals would instantly go out the window if we had a sugar daddy to give us want we want. Not all fans, but you seem to be toeing the line especially if we're happy to accept Usamov's money.

[Dennis Bendtner]

Been mentioned that he's the only one left to have won a trophy with us? No? May as well fuel some more wrist-slitting. I think one Johan Djourou would be our new longest-serving player.

Will feel strange calling the God of last season a ****bag but why the hell not. He whores when he wants...

[Mr. Lahey]

i dont have any sympathy for the board lining their own pockets however refusing to break the bank to give a player ridiclous wages is something i do have sympathy with them and i think its right.

the board cash in on our talent and put very little back into the club. they take a nice big payday while disrespecting the fans with comical sound bytes, telling us to keep our mouths shut and to be grateful of 4th cause its a trophy. its all the same bullshit however you want to wash it. i dont see how you can feel sorry for them in any way? they are sitting on money and wont even pay their world class star player the going price. if anything you should be more upset at the silly contracts Arsene and CO. have signed, they have wasted MILLIONS on shite players when that money could go to our top end talent.

[GP]

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/video-arsenal-fan-goes-crazy-rant-robin-van-persie/

:lol:

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

It's not a players job to build a winning team, a manager has full say on who he buys/sells, plays/benches as well as tactics and formations amonst other things.

Even a player playing at the top of his game every match isn't going to win you trophies without a good team around him. You blame the players but it's not them that build the team.

id say the past 7 years has been a collective fuck up and an accumulation of consistently bad decisions made from a variety of different people; all of which has resulted in the progressive downgrading of our club from genuine title contenders to tournament fillers.

people can go as far back as blaming david dein because he was the first to sell to an outsider (usmanov), creating a multiplier effect that still poisons our club to this very day. or you could blame hill-wood for being a backwards senile twit who has embarrassed the club by keeping to his values, many of which are antiquated at its core. equally, you could blame wenger for believing in the youth project even when the project clearly degenerated our club into a chaotic mess, something our players have finally started seeing hence the mass walkouts. so i dont think its fair to point fingers at one person even for the on-field shambles; the manager believed in a youth project but the board let him run it for so long that in the end, it defeated even our own club. meanwhile, the board sat back and milked higher ticket prices, selling us a false vision of the future. during all of that, the man who's supposed to love us the most, mr dein, sold his soul to an oligarch but still insists his intentions were good.

everyone has consistently f*cked up.

one by one.

absolutely everyone.

the biggest worry is that we as an entity allowed this to happen without any strong opposition. the regime repressed the fans and still dismiss the critics as a minority. well now the 'minority' are turning into a 'majority', but one fears its too late.

[Xhaka Can’t]

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/video-arsenal-fan-goes-crazy-rant-robin-van-persie/

:lol:

:haha:
Bendtner Bendtner Bendtner! Fricken Bendtner!

Are you fricken kidding me?

[KSE Comedy Club]

Rumours at the moment are that we will be looking at lewandowski as a potential rvp replacement :coffee:

[Power n Glory]

:haha:
Bendtner Bendtner Bendtner! Fricken Bendtner!

Are you fricken kidding me?

:lol: in stitches. I'm frickin done! What a lunatic.

Someone has to do the Downfall Hitker remix.

[Syn]

Rumours at the moment are that we will be looking at lewandowski as a potential rvp replacement :coffee:

Doubt it. But I do think we'll have to get another name on the same stature as Podolski and Giroud. It better in midfield though.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Doubt it. But I do think we'll have to get another name on the same stature as Podolski and Giroud. It better in midfield though.

The mirror reckons juventus are in pole position to sign rvp with an improved offer and £180'000 a week contract.

They say we're looking at lewandowski and Jovetic as potential replacements.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/robin-van-persie-transfer-juventus-1134276

I'd be less annoyed with him if he fucked off abroad tbh, don't want him to join citeh or utd.

But if we are genuinely looking at replacements then it proves that podolski and giroud were additions and not replacements.

[Syn]

Call me deluded but I'm starting to think what Keith said on here could turn out. I called Rooney staying even after he said he wanted out (still waiting for that cookie tbh). He got an improved contract offer and he signed. A similar Vieira style 11th hour BS u-turn about how he loves the club too much to leave shouldn't be written off. It could happen even now.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Call me deluded but I'm starting to think what Keith said on here could turn out. I called Rooney staying even after he said he wanted out (still waiting for that cookie tbh). He got an improved contract offer and he signed. A similar Vieira style 11th hour BS u-turn about how he loves the club too much to leave shouldn't be written off. It could happen even now.

That would be all well and good but I think the writting is on the wall.

He would have a lot of making up to do for that reckless statement he put out.

I'm more inclined to think selling him to juve and buying lewandowski or someone else maybe a better option. As long as there are still other targets that we are after of course.

[Syn]

He would have a lot of making up to do for that reckless statement he put out.

Nah...we were well on the way to forgiving Adebayor after he scored a few early on. Man Utd fans were right behind Rooney after he scores a few. Liverpool with Gerrard...fans are fickle. If Van Persie starts playing well for us, he could pretty much turn into Joey Barton and he'd still have a lot of support.

Forget about another striker IMO. The club's done its business on that front. The area that needs a lot more work is midfield and I'm sure - if the M'Vila interest is genuine - the club is looking very much on that right now.

[Master Splinter]

Anything happen in the last few days?

I heard some disloyal, injury-prone, chocolate-legged, one-season wonder posted some mischievous ghost-written nonsense on his self-promotion portal rather than simply request a transfer.

But of course, because of his immeasurable respect for his fans, his fellow players and his ever-loyal manager, the dignified course of action was to disrespect the aforementioned parties by ensuring they and the club he so dearly loves were collectively mired in the worst possible situation.

Can this be confirmed? I am a fan and I need an update.

[Alpha]

When I saw RVP replacing his Arsenal picture on twitter with his orange-jersey picture ( his national team ) , I started to worry about him . This could be a blessing in disguise . RVP has taken the blame for instigating his exit but yet he has spoke out what we were saying too low . Through our" hero " RVP , the board have finally heard our voice and are aware of our long-term concern . Forcing Van Persie to stay is not the ideal solution . Persie has made it clear he wants out . What the point of keeping him against will ? Why stick with an unhappy " captain "? the best way would be to replace him with another quality player and invest in other areas such as defence and midfield . Fellaini from Everton and Vertoghen , anyone ?

[LDG]

Anything happen in the last few days?

I heard some disloyal, injury-prone, chocolate-legged, one-season wonder posted some mischievous ghost-written nonsense on his self-promotion portal rather than simply request a transfer.

But of course, because of his immeasurable respect for his fans, his fellow players and his ever-loyal manager, the dignified course of action was to disrespect the aforementioned parties by ensuring they and the club he so dearly loves were collectively mired in the worst possible situation.

Can this be confirmed? I am a fan and I need an update.

Nooooo, silly. It was Wengets fault.

[LDG]

Nah...we were well on the way to forgiving Adebayor after he scored a few early on. Man Utd fans were right behind Rooney after he scores a few. Liverpool with Gerrard...fans are fickle. If Van Persie starts playing well for us, he could pretty much turn into Joey Barton and he'd still have a lot of support.

Forget about another striker IMO. The club's done its business on that front. The area that needs a lot more work is midfield and I'm sure - if the M'Vila interest is genuine - the club is looking very much on that right now.

Difference is age. And I just can't see us giving RVP a long deal. He'll be 30 by the end of the season.

Get shot I reckon.

[Power n Glory]

Why are people so shocked by RVP's reaction and statement? Don't you think he's reacting to what's been written about him in the press and these sort of statements from the club.

PHW


Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has revealed that Arsenal will not break the bank to keep hold of star player Robin van Persie.

The Dutch hitman has been in imperious form this season, notching an impressive tally of 30 Premier League goals on his way to becoming PFA and FWA Player of the Year, and has attracted interest from champions Manchester City, Italian giants Juventus and wealthy Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala.

The forward still has one year remaining on his contract at the Emirates, but despite holding contract talks with manager Arsene Wenger before reporting for Euro 2012 international duty with the Netherlands, the 29-year-old's future still remains unclear.
“He is vital to us and has been an extremely good captain,” Hill-Wood told The Sun.
“But if somebody comes along and offers Robin £250,000 a week then I am afraid we cannot compete with that.
“With players, you never know what they are going to do.
“Some players say they want silverware but when they have the chance to earn *extraordinary money that has been pumped into the game, then you just have to hope they will stay *because they are happy and loyal where they are."

Van Persie joined the Gunners back in 2004 for just £2.5 million and has since taken the mantle after the departure of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, and although Hill-Wood insists he will not make alterations to the club's strict wage structure to keep the Dutchman, he is hoping Van Persie's loyalty will be rewarded with a Premier League winner's medal next season.
“There are players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes at Manchester United who have been loyal to one club but players like that are few and far between," he added.
“Hopefully we can reach *agreement with Robin and ideally he will extend his contract.
“We have already brought in one new player in Lukas *Podolski and I believe we will bring in more. I am confident we will, in fact.
“I just hope that Robin will be with us next season because I genuinely feel we can make a real challenge for the *Premier League title.
“We had an atrocious start to last season but we recovered to finish third which was a marvellous achievement when you look at the problems that we had with *injuries.”

This was released after he already rejected a contract extension. That must have pissed him off. It was agreed by the club and RVP that there would be an announcement after the Euros and everything that was discussed in that meeting would be kept private by both parties.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11670/7797118/Gazidis-No-rush-on-RVP


Gazidis told Arsenal's official club website: "Robin sat down with us at the end of the season and we had a good discussion.

"What we agreed at that meeting was that we would keep all the discussions we had over the summer to ourselves and make announcements when it is the right time.

"We have to respect the fact we have agreed to keep that among ourselves.

"Robin is clearly focused on the Euros at the moment and we wish him well, and at the right time we will make the right announcements."

So what the heck was PHW playing at? He openly questioned his integrity and linked the case to money over trophies with full knowledge of what was said in that meeting. Robin had a gag order placed on him and wasn't able to dispute the claims. He comes back from the Euros and the club still haven't made an announcement, yet Wenger is still saying he's confident RVP will stay, we've supported him, we're not selling him to Juve....the club kept on stalling and suggesting he's staying while we're all under the impression that the sticking point is the wages or he's waiting to see who we sign, when a decision was made before the Euros.

This is why RVP made a statement. It was a bad move and it doesn't look good on him but I get the feeling he felt as if the club tried to smear his image while gagged and make out as if it's about money. This is why it has turned ugly.

[Joker]

Why are people so shocked by RVP's reaction and statement? Don't you think he's reacting to what's been written about him in the press and these sort of statements from the club.

PHW



This was released after he already rejected a contract extension. That must have pissed him off. It was agreed by the club and RVP that there would be an announcement after the Euros and everything that was discussed in that meeting would be kept private by both parties.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11670/7797118/Gazidis-No-rush-on-RVP



So what the heck was PHW playing at? He openly questioned his integrity and linked the case to money over trophies with full knowledge of what was said in that meeting. Robin had a gag order placed on him and wasn't able to dispute the claims. He comes back from the Euros and the club still haven't made an announcement, yet Wenger is still saying he's confident RVP will stay, we've supported him, we're not selling him to Juve....the club kept on stalling and suggesting he's staying while we're all under the impression that the sticking point is the wages or he's waiting to see who we sign, when a decision was made before the Euros.

This is why RVP made a statement. It was a bad move and it doesn't look good on him but I get the feeling he felt as if the club tried to smear his image while gagged and make out as if it's about money. This is why it has turned ugly.


Having read those statements from PHW, you're right that he deserves a fair amount of the blame as well. It does appear that, knowing that RVP was not going to sign a contract, they decided to engage in some propaganda so that when the decision was revealed, fans would automatically think he was leaving for the money.
That doesn't excuse RVP's statement though IMO.

[IBK]

Why are people so shocked by RVP's reaction and statement? Don't you think he's reacting to what's been written about him in the press and these sort of statements from the club.

PHW


This was released after he already rejected a contract extension. That must have pissed him off. It was agreed by the club and RVP that there would be an announcement after the Euros and everything that was discussed in that meeting would be kept private by both parties.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11670/7797118/Gazidis-No-rush-on-RVP


So what the heck was PHW playing at? He openly questioned his integrity and linked the case to money over trophies with full knowledge of what was said in that meeting. Robin had a gag order placed on him and wasn't able to dispute the claims. He comes back from the Euros and the club still haven't made an announcement, yet Wenger is still saying he's confident RVP will stay, we've supported him, we're not selling him to Juve....the club kept on stalling and suggesting he's staying while we're all under the impression that the sticking point is the wages or he's waiting to see who we sign, when a decision was made before the Euros.

This is why RVP made a statement. It was a bad move and it doesn't look good on him but I get the feeling he felt as if the club tried to smear his image while gagged and make out as if it's about money. This is why it has turned ugly.


Sorry mate but I disagree totally. RVP made his statement because he wants to agitate a move away from the club, probably because he's been tapped up with a mega offer from Citeh, and neither wants to lose money (which he would do if he put in a formal transfer request), nor be held to the fial year of his contract. The idea that its in 'revenge' for anything the Chairman said is bollocks, IMO. If revenge was his motivation he'd have come clean on a decision he clearly made some time ago, before now.

[GP]

I know people like to bash PHW, but I don't see a lot wrong with what he's said there.

'If x offer £250k a week we can't match it'

Wow, I'm surprised RVP didn't sue for that.

:rolleyes:

[Joker]

I know people like to bash PHW, but I don't see a lot wrong with what he's said there.

'If x offer £250k a week we can't match it'

Wow, I'm surprised RVP didn't sue for that.

:rolleyes:

The implication was that if RVP was going to leave, it was for the money. He shouldn't have been saying anything, given that there was a gagging order on RVP. It was propaganda to cover the board's back, so that when the inevitable happened and RVP announced he was going to leave, the fans would automatically assume it's for the money.

This is not to defend RVP, who thinks he's a better player than he really is, but to show that the board have once again shown themselves up to be completely out of touch.

[Kano]

before png associated those two articles, not one person on any board i read has referred back to what phw said. not one.

everyone has made their own minds up about why he wants to leave.

perhaps arsenal fans are not as naive as you like to think they are.

[LDG]

The implication was that if RVP was going to leave, it was for the money. He shouldn't have been saying anything, given that there was a gagging order on RVP. It was propaganda to cover the board's back, so that when the inevitable happened and RVP announced he was going to leave, the fans would automatically assume it's for the money.

This is not to defend RVP, who thinks he's a better player than he really is, but to show that the board have once again shown themselves up to be completely out of touch.

The fans know it's for money regardless. You only have to read RVP's statement to realise that it's for money.

P diddy to the HW, is a knob at times, but on this occassion, he was completely right.

[LDG]

before png associated those two articles, not one person on any board i read has referred back to what phw said. not one.

everyone has made their own minds up about why he wants to leave.

perhaps arsenal fans are not as naive as you like to think they are.

:gp:

[Joker]

The fans know it's for money regardless. You only have to read RVP's statement to realise that it's for money.

P diddy to the HW, is a knob at times, but on this occassion, he was completely right.

So nothing to do with trophies whatsoever?

[Xhaka Can’t]

The fans know it's for money regardless. You only have to read RVP's statement to realise that it's for money.

P diddy to the HW, is a knob at times, but on this occassion, he was completely right.

Yeah, the guy who was part of a cabal that profited from the Club to the tune of half a billion pounds was spot on when he talked of player greed.

[GP]

So nothing to do with trophies whatsoever?

No.

Otherwise he'd be off to Celtic.

[LDG]

Yeah, the guy who was part of a cabal that profited from the Club to the tune of half a billion pounds was spot on when he talked of player greed.

"knob at times"

and

No, we can't pay £250k per week.

and

Yes, he is a greedy ****. As are the rest of the board.

They all are.

Filth.

[Coney]

I know people like to bash PHW, but I don't see a lot wrong with what he's said there.

'If x offer £250k a week we can't match it'

Wow, I'm surprised RVP didn't sue for that.

:rolleyes:

Well, did he want to leave just for the money? Or was it for a chance of a trophy? And is that any different from other players who have left overall.

If we had not been haemoraging players over the last few years - if RvP had been the only player in this situation then I'd be looking at him a lot more critically. However, since it is part of a general trend, I think we should see this in the same light. Even if we are really going to buy the players we need to make a serious title challenge (or any trophy challenge, come to that), he and the others are still in the position that they can't be sure, the same as we can't either. Until we actually win something and mount a serious title challenge, this is the kind of story that going to run and run, again and again.

And until we show a real challenge for the title, I am not going to blame players who want to move to win a trophy at a club that is showing that kind of intent.

As far as the money is concerned for players in general, how much of the wage demand is for the actually dosh itself as against how much is it the amount of money compared to other players' income as an indication of the player's status in the rankings. Once you are getting past 50k a week, does the amount of money in the bank actually matter as you can pretty well afford anything you want 100 times over. Surely it is more to do with your relative position as a player than the actual cash.

[Coney]

Yeah, the guy who was part of a cabal that profited from the Club to the tune of half a billion pounds was spot on when he talked of player greed.

:haha: Right on!

[Coney]

No.

Otherwise he'd be off to Celtic.

:haha: :clap:

[Joker]

No.

Otherwise he'd be off to Celtic.

The Scottish League Title wasn't particularly worth much before the Rangers debacle, now it'll be worth even less in terms of prestige. Certainly in comparison to the Premier League/La Liga trophies, Champions League etc.

[LDG]

Jesus wept.

City wouldn't be anywhere without money.

They can challenge for trophies, BECAUSE they can pay higher wages than everyone else.

What do higher wages do?

Attract players.

RVP is going for trophies? Bullshit.

If he signs for city. It's about money, nothing else.

[Power n Glory]

Sorry mate but I disagree totally. RVP made his statement because he wants to agitate a move away from the club, probably because he's been tapped up with a mega offer from Citeh, and neither wants to lose money (which he would do if he put in a formal transfer request), nor be held to the fial year of his contract. The idea that its in 'revenge' for anything the Chairman said is bollocks, IMO. If revenge was his motivation he'd have come clean on a decision he clearly made some time ago, before now.


How is that bollocks and why are you in total disagreement? Of course he wants to move and that's the purpose of the statement. I'm not suggesting that it's not. The question is, why has he come out and given both barrels to the club in this way?

Tapping up....that's speculation and bollocks. It doesn't take a genius to work out how much he'd earn if Man City were interested in signing him and let's face it, if anyone of our players were linked with Man City, we'd all assume they'd be on megabucks and compare what their top stars earn. RVP hasn't all of sudden had his head turned either. He's been delaying contract talks for the whole season. He doesn't want to be here and it's not as if he has it so sweet here that it takes the big bucks of Man City to get his attention.


If revenge was his motivation he'd have come clean on a decision he clearly made some time ago, before now.

Did you read my post properly because you're missing the point. There was a gagging order on him during the Euros, the club said we'd make an announcement when the tournament was over but we were still talking about keeping RVP even though he said he didn't want to stay. They were trying to drag the saga out right in front of the press saying that we're keeping him, we're not selling, the usual nonsense. That must have pissed him off because they said everything would become clear at the Euros but it looked like they weren't holding up their end of the deal. Why keep talking to the press about him staying if he's already told the club he's not? Yes, he wants to move and that's why the statement was so aggressive. Whether you agree or disagree with what he did is different matter.

[Coney]

Jesus wept.

City wouldn't be anywhere without money.

They can challenge for trophies, BECAUSE they can pay higher wages than everyone else.

What do higher wages do?

Attract players.

RVP is going for trophies? Bullshit.

If he signs for city. It's about money, nothing else.

Not necessarily. They indicated they were prepared to spend money to buy the players they needed for a challenge. Of course the top players demand the top wages - that is true in any market place - so if you want to challenge for the title quickly, you need a load of money to pay for the top players. However, now they have produced a top quality squad you can attract other players who want a trophy or two to go on the mantlepiece. But if you say, sure, we want you to play for us but we are only going to give you 50% of what the other guys are getting you would rightly be told to fuck off. So if RvP were to go to Citeh, I would expect him to be given a hefty salary even if that was not his prime motivation. And who is anyone to say they would turn it down under those circumstances?

[Letters]

If he signs for city. It's about money, nothing else.
I don't think he's just leaving for money. Unless he does join City in which case...yeah.

[Keith]

We could sell to City and take a player in part ex. Now if only they had a proven goal scorer who could play in our formation that they wanted rid of...

[GP]

The Scottish League Title wasn't particularly worth much before the Rangers debacle, now it'll be worth even less in terms of prestige. Certainly in comparison to the Premier League/La Liga trophies, Champions League etc.

Oh really?

Thanks, I had no idea.

[Kano]

:haha: Right on!

didn't he sell his shares many years ago?

[Power n Glory]

Fact of the matter is, we decide who we sell him to and we don't even have to disclose which clubs have made an offer. We're going to whore him out to the highest bidder and that's likely to be City. We're after the money too so this 'greed' thing works both ways. The club need to be criticised for constantly flirting with City each season.

[Kano]

im pretty sure the idea wasn't sell him but keep the player. so why not sell to the highest bidder?

[LDG]

Quite like this Tim Stillman dude.

Anyway...


From the player’s perspective, Robin has burned his bridges with the supporters and the club. I’m not convinced he’ll care too much about that. He’s not after popularity here. The message is clear. He wants to leave. This statement, with its below the belt blow at the CEO in its final sentence, its position of out and out mutiny at the club, is designed to make his position at the club untenable. For all of our talk about Robin’s diminishing status in our eyes, this statement will achieve what he and his advisors want it to.

It’ll push through a transfer, whilst safeguarding his signing on fee at his next club. A transfer request that doesn’t preclude him from the financial rewards that an actual transfer request would revoke. In that respect, it’s a cunning piece of legalese. The noises coming from the club suggest that they were well and truly prepared to hold van Persie to the duration of his contract. We can see from his announcement that he definitely doesn’t want that, hence the quite aggressive play from his advisors


Rest of it is on http://arseblog.com/

[Boss]

The Manchester City (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/manchestercity) defender Kolo Touré (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/kolo-toure) believes his former Arsenal (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/arsenal)team-mate Robin van Persie (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/robin-van-persie) would boost their chances of winning the Champions League if the striker decided to move to the Etihad Stadium.City had been linked with the Holland international even before he announced on Wednesday he would not be extending his contract at Arsenal, which has a year to run.
Having played with him at Arsenal, Touré is well aware of what Van Persie can offer a side and would welcome him at City.
"Robin is a top player. I've played with him, I know him and he's a great man," the centre-back is reported as saying by the Manchester Evening News.
"At City we have great players and the club does what it wants in transfers. But for me, if Robin comes it's great because I know what he can do.
"You have to build your squad every year to do better; to win the Champions League is very difficult as we have seen."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/06/robin-van-persie-arsenal-manchester-city

[Power n Glory]

im pretty sure the idea wasn't sell him but keep the player. so why not sell to the highest bidder?

Then why is a double standard for the player to go to the highest bidder?


before png associated those two articles, not one person on any board i read has referred back to what phw said. not one.

everyone has made their own minds up about why he wants to leave.

perhaps arsenal fans are not as naive as you like to think they are.

Also, if the media and PHW never linked him with a move away to City, would anyone assume he's moved for the money? It's weird because all season we've said we're going to lose him if we have a shitty season and that's exactly what's happened. We've all said we lack ambition as a club and after seeing how our season has panned out and speaking with the boss and Gaz, RVP has reached the exact same conclusion. All season, every fan had RVP down as a stand up guy and a player that wants to win trophies. A few press stories here and there and he's a different person. Yes, I think fans naive. Money will be a factor in regards to who gets his services, but it's not why he's leaving Arsenal.

[PGFC]

Ffs just take the £8 mill.

[LDG]

Ffs just take the £8 mill.

:gp:

Time to move on.

Pre-season next week.

[Kano]

Then why is a double standard for the player to go to the highest bidder?


Also, if the media and PHW never linked him with a move away to City, would anyone assume he's moved for the money? It's weird because all season we've said we're going to lose him if we have a shitty season and that's exactly what's happened. We've all said we lack ambition as a club and after seeing how our season has panned out and speaking with the boss and Gaz, RVP has reached the exact same conclusion. All season, every fan had RVP down as a stand up guy and a player that wants to win trophies. A few press stories here and there and he's a different person. Yes, I think fans naive. Money will be a factor in regards to who gets his services, but it's not why he's leaving Arsenal.

i'm not sure i said it was double standards did i?

most people were under the impression that he 'loved' the club. being supporters, we are naturally upset that we are losing our best player and our captain, hence the reaction. everything isn't linked to a media report or a statement from the club - in most cases it is based on anger and frustration. that's how being a supporter works, nothing too complicated. people read his statement on its own and that was enough. if a player wants to stand up and talk in that way, then expect a backlash.

[Power n Glory]

i'm not sure i said it was double standards did i?

most people were under the impression that he 'loved' the club. being supporters, we are naturally upset that we are losing our best player and our captain, hence the reaction. everything isn't linked to a media report or a statement from the club - in most cases it is based on anger and frustration. that's how being a supporter works, nothing too complicated. people read his statement on its own and that was enough. if a player wants to stand up and talk in that way, then expect a backlash.

Anger and frustration is understandable. But RVP hasn't said anything unexpected, we all assumed he wanted something more for his career way back last summer but knew he'd leave. But now, a few stories linking him with a move to another club, it's all about the money and his head has been turned. Rubbish. People are emotional right now. But months earlier, everyone knew we'd never offer him a massive contract and every single top level club has that advantage over us. Whoever he'd be linked with, they'd be able to offer more than we could. We all knew this. But this is heat of the moment talk and it's like common sense has gone out of the window.

[Kano]

fans have turned on rvp after reading his statement. they didn't like the tone of it.

this isn't about being sensible or implementing logic, it's called being a football fan. reacting to news that our best player is leaving - what did you expect? emotion is one of the biggest parts of being a fan.

[Power n Glory]

fans have turned on rvp after reading his statement. they didn't like the tone of it.

this isn't about being sensible or implementing logic, it's called being a football fan. reacting to news that our best player is leaving - what did you expect? emotion is one of the biggest parts of being a fan.

Please stop with that talk about 'being a fan' because you have no problem applying sensible logic to other areas we discuss such as the benefit of selling RVP now over keeping him out of spite.

[Kano]

i'm explaining why people have reacted as they have. i haven't.

if it derails your point that's not my problem - it's just an explanation.

[Power n Glory]

I can understand the reaction is based on emotion which is why what everyone says about the player we've watched and supported for 8 years isn't all that accurate. He's never come across as a guy motivated by money, we've seen it over the years and we've all said said over the past year that if he leaves, it won't be because of the money.

It doesn't derail the point I'm making at all because I understand why people are upset and there is no need for an explanation. In the heat of things, people just want to vent and shout abuse. But when the dust settles, we can probably return back to this point and people will start to see some sense and realise we're in serious trouble as a club if we don't sort out certain polices.

[Syn]

In my expert opinion, I'd have to say van persie has a good touch for a big rapist.

[KSE Comedy Club]

I can understand the reaction is based on emotion which is why what everyone says about the player we've watched and supported for 8 years isn't all that accurate. He's never come across as a guy motivated by money, we've seen it over the years and we've all said said over the past year that if he leaves, it won't be because of the money.

It doesn't derail the point I'm making at all because I understand why people are upset and there is no need for an explanation. In the heat of things, people just want to vent and shout abuse. But when the dust settles, we can probably return back to this point and people will start to see some sense and realise we're in serious trouble as a club if we don't sort out certain polices.

Yes I agree, RVP is a **** :good:

[Özim]

I don't know how you guys didn't see this coming, we signed two strikers which IMO was a clear sign he was on his way out. I said in fact that I felt Podolski was his replacement and it looks very likely.

RVP wants to pick up a few medals at his age, he doesn't believe he has a chance here, I agree with him. How can you not after 7 years of failure and the same pattern.

We need a change, we desperately need a change because we're just treading water at the moment, it's shameful how small time we've become in 7 years.......we honestly believe we can keep top players but coming 4th every season and investing peanuts, this club is in total denial!

I say good luck to RVP, hope he picks up a few medals before the end of his career, he'll certainly be working under a manager that lives in the real world as oppose to this pipedream Wenger lives in.

[Unai Tea]

I don't know how you guys didn't see this coming, we signed two strikers which IMO was a clear sign he was on his way out. I said in fact that I felt Podolski was his replacement and it looks very likely.

RVP wants to pick up a few medals at his age, he doesn't believe he has a chance here, I agree with him. How can you not after 7 years of failure and the same pattern.

We need a change, we desperately need a change because we're just treading water at the moment, it's shameful how small time we've become in 7 years.......we honestly believe we can keep top players but coming 4th every season and investing peanuts, this club is in total denial!

I say good luck to RVP, hope he picks up a few medals before the end of his career, he'll certainly be working under a manager that lives in the real world as oppose to this pipedream Wenger lives in.

Maybe if that disgraceful **** wasn't made of glass we would have won something already. He's as much to blame as anybody for not being part of a trophy winning season. He can go fuck himself - hope he breaks all his fucking limbs and never plays again.

[Power n Glory]

And I thought Stoke fans were bad!

[Unai Tea]

And I thought Stoke fans were bad!

They are. They'd participate in the limb breaking.

[Özim]

Maybe if that disgraceful **** wasn't made of glass we would have won something already. He's as much to blame as anybody for not being part of a trophy winning season. He can go fuck himself - hope he breaks all his fucking limbs and never plays again.
One player can only do so much, it's the manager's job to build the team and make it successful, the buck stops with him. One player isn't going to win you trophies alone.

It's a joke how bitter people are, did you honestly expect him to stick around when this club's has no ambition? Wake up and smell the coffee, the board and manager are the problem not the players, they keep leaving as they all know we're small time and there's nothing to be had by staying.

[Unai Tea]

One player can only do so much, it's the manager's job to build the team and make it successful, the buck stops with him. One player isn't going to win you trophies alone.

It's a joke how bitter people are, did you honestly expect him to stick around when this club's has no ambition? Wake up and smell the coffee, the board and manager are the problem not the players, they keep leaving as they all know we're small time and there's nothing to be had by staying.

Perhaps, but this one player did largely fuck all for 8 years. I think all that billy big bollox in the Holland camp was true in the end.

And fans who are bitter are a joke? You're having the time of your life, mucking about in the misery, seems to me you're the joke.

[Joker]

Perhaps, but this one player did largely fuck all for 8 years. I think all that billy big bollox in the Holland camp was true in the end.

And fans who are bitter are a joke? You're having the time of your life, mucking about in the misery, seems to me you're the joke.

His goalscoring record is actually pretty shit, and only looks decent because of his purple patch last season. I don't think he's a big loss.

However, the bigger issue is that we keep losing first team players, and most of these players are saying it's because of trophies. Yes, he's being billy big bollocks and I don't respect him for that, but the point about our lack of ambition is true, and the blame lies with the board and Wenger.

[Unai Tea]

His goalscoring record is actually pretty shit, and only looks decent because of his purple patch last season. I don't think he's a big loss.

However, the bigger issue is that we keep losing first team players, and most of these players are saying it's because of trophies. Yes, he's being billy big bollocks and I don't respect him for that, but the point about our lack of ambition is true, and the blame lies with the board and Wenger.

There certainly do seem to be underlying cracks and we're not among the big spending clubs; not that we ever were. Having said that, he's still a ****. I couldn't care less about his reasons - none are adequate and demonstrate a complete lack of character. I'm disappointed in having felt that he had some.

[Özim]

Perhaps, but this one player did largely fuck all for 8 years. I think all that billy big bollox in the Holland camp was true in the end.

And fans who are bitter are a joke? You're having the time of your life, mucking about in the misery, seems to me you're the joke.
:lol:

His contract has one year left he's entitled to do what he wants, he'd have to be a plank to stick around and play for Wenger anymore, the guy is a clown and if people like you didn't keep supporting his incompetent actions we might actually get somewhere.

Funny how people change their opinions just like that when things don't go as they thought they would, if anyone is the joke it's you not me my friend, I stick by my opinions unlike you who changes them the minute things don't go the way you expected.

[Unai Tea]

:lol:

His contract has one year left he's entitled to do what he wants, he'd have to be a plank to stick around and play for Wenger anymore, the guy is a clown and if people like you didn't keep supporting his incompetent actions we might actually get somewhere.

Funny how people change their opinions just like that when things don't go as they thought they would, if anyone is the joke it's you not me my friend, I stick by my opinions unlike you who changes them the minute things don't go the way you expected.

Foolish consistency in the hobgoblin of small minds. Sticking to your rubbish opinions, regardless, makes you a foolish simpleton.

[Özim]

Foolish consistency in the hobgoblin of small minds.
Listen to yourself will you, is this how you react to things not going your way? Wake up and grow up is my advice....because I'm not the one making a fool of myself with childish words.

If you lived in the real world you'd have seen this happening and might not be so bitter.

[Unai Tea]

Listen to yourself will you, is this how you react to things not going your way? Wake up and grow up is my advice....because I'm not the one making a fool of myself with childish words.

If you lived in the real world you'd have seen this happening and might not be so bitter.

Yeah, that was Ralph Waldo Emerson said that. I was just quoting. Maybe he should grow up too.

Your advice is basically, 'stop being a fan, be a mealy-mouthed realist instead'. Yeah, no thanks mate. I'll take the rough with the smooth rather than sit on the sidelines hating the club and hoping my shitty opinions about my club will come true so I can feel my unchanging opinions have been validated.

You give shit advice.

[Özim]

Yeah, that was Ralph Waldo Emerson said that. I was just quoting. Maybe he should grow up too.

Your advice is basically, 'stop being a fan, be a mealy-mouthed realist instead'. Yeah, no thanks mate. I'll take the rough with the smooth rather than sit on the sidelines hating the club and hoping my shitty opinions about my club will come true so I can feel my unchanging opinions have been validated.

You give shit advice.
And? There's a reason you used those words and it had nothing to do with football.

My advice isn't to stop being a fan, it's to wake up and smell the coffee and recognise there's big problems at this club and things need to change. You can bury your head in the sand and blame departing players but guess what, this will keep happening cos the problem isn't the players my friend.

This isn't the rough and the smooth, this is money men taking their cut and not giving a toss about anything but money and taking you for a ride by feeding you BS. This isn't the normal scenario for a football fan, this club has been going downhill sadly and I hate the direction we've been heading in and I'm very vocal about it.

You keep living in this dreamworld where you put the blame on all the wrong people if you like though if it makes you feel better.

[Unai Tea]

And? There's a reason you used those words and it had nothing to do with football.

My advice isn't to stop being a fan, it's to wake up and smell the coffee and recognise there's big problems at this club and things need to change. You can bury your head in the sand and blame departing players but guess what, this will keep happening cos the problem isn't the players my friend.

This isn't the rough and the smooth, this is money men taking their cut and not giving a toss about anything but money and taking you for a ride by feeding you BS. This isn't the normal scenario for a football fan, this club has been going downhill sadly and I hate the direction we've been heading in and I'm very vocal about it.

You keep living in this dreamworld where you put the blame on all the wrong people if you like though if it makes you feel better.

And you can keep living in your dreamworld where, thanks to your vocal exploits here on goonersweb and by not actually watching games or having anything to do with the club, Wenger, the Board and the owner will all commit seppuku and magically we will win trophies again. Who's the bigger fool I wonder. I think it's you.

[Özim]

And you can keep living in your dreamworld where, thanks to your vocal exploits here on goonersweb and by not actually watching games or having anything to do with the club, Wenger, the Board and the owner will all commit seppuku and magically we will win trophies again. Who's the bigger fool I wonder. I think it's you.
This isn't a dream pal, it's a nightmare a nightmare watching the club go down the pan like this.

Yeah I'm the fool who's been calling it for years that's right, let's stick with a loser of a manager for another 7 years and see where we are then shall we? You blame the players but as I said before the don't build the team, or set the tactics, or pick the players, or discipline the players, or buy and sell the players, or study the opposition, or plan for the teams future etc etc.

It's easy to blame those who in reality have little to do with the problem, but you keep it up if it makes you feel better, then we can have the same conversation in a year's time and a year after that, and a year after that etc etc

[Marc Overmars]

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/399438_10151061846506348_1530606156_n.jpg

[Özim]

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/399438_10151061846506348_1530606156_n.jpg
:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Power n Glory]

They are. They'd participate in the limb breaking.

After 8 years of service to Arsenal, you wish his career to be over? Technically, he's still our player as well. I know it's heat of the moment talk, but damn..show some class.

What also cracks me is that everyone on here to some extent agrees with what RVP said about the club. We lack ambition and CL qualification isn't a trophy. We can all agree that there are fundamental problems at the heart of this club and it needs fixing. Whether you blame the Board, Wenger...we can all agree that there is a problem and we all want to see a change. If we want to see that, why wouldn't the players? And why should RVP sit under this regime as accept a new contract if he disagrees with the direction we're going in? He released a statement. So what. We're going to nitpick over it's tone, timing or whatever other bullshit? He could have done a Henry and tried to release an emotional video message and there would still be cynical people on here shouting abuse.

[KSE Comedy Club]

More like 1 year of service to arsenal.

[Tipsychubbs]

I think we should clear up this 1 year out of 8 nonsense. I used to think RVP was inconsistent as a younger player, and he was for a while, but, I remember he always used to go on scoring runs before getting injured, sometimes winning player of the month etc.

If you look at his records which I think has already been pointed out in this thread:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/18858/robin-van-persie?cc=5739

for a guy who was almost always perennially injured for large parts of a season, he's always into double figures for goals and a decent number of assists. The fact is whenever he's been fit, he's contributed to the team, its not his fault if he's been injured. A lot of people are taking notice, even opposition fans are saying that he's only had 1-2 good seasons with this scoring run, but that's because this is the first time he's had an extended run of fitness.

The guy has contributed when he could, part of your contract means that the club covers your medical treatment for injuries, yes, even for internationals as distasteful as they are. He's got one year left and he wants to move on, he's not the first and won't be the last until the direction of the club changes.

Nasri said last year he wanted to leave at the start of the summer, but the cesc stuff that kept dragging on and on and the fact wenger didn't want to lose both him and nasri, till the board and kroenke told him to take man city's money eventually made it happen. RVP wanted to go a long time ago but has been gagged. The way he's gone about it seems sour, but remember the club were trying to make out in the summer he was only after wages, so he's hit back.

Its also a bit rich, considering the club care more about profit more than the pitch. Who were the ones selling their shares, making a tidy profit whilst the team is ailing on the pitch. PHW admits in his reply to the Usmanov piece that he made a tidy sum of money. Last year we were only too happy to take £20m off the hands of city for nasri in the final year of his contract, so the money argument should be levelled at the club too. RVP wanted investment in the team to compete. Podolski and Giroud are nice, but thats not enough to win the league, which has been happening season after season, and lets be honest, they're both replacements for Arshavin and RVP, not additionally really strengthening the team. I doubt we'll win anything else under wenger.

Fans shouldn't let the way RVP's gone about it deflect from the real problems, namely why a club like arsenal has its best players leaving or with the threat of leaving every summer. Why does that keep happening I wonder?

[GP]

The way he's gone about it seems sour, but remember the club were trying to make out in the summer he was only after wages, so he's hit back.


No they didn't. PnG tried making that link but was proven wrong.

[Joker]

Fans shouldn't let the way RVP's gone about it deflect from the real problems, namely why a club like arsenal has its best players leaving or with the threat of leaving every summer. Why does that keep happening I wonder?

I agree with that. I'm not a fan of RVP but the big issue is the board. I know PHW no longer holds shares, but read his comments in the Guardian article linked to show how lacking in ambition these people really are.

[Tipsychubbs]

No they didn't. PnG tried making that link but was proven wrong.

Well wasn't it wenger who said that if he was after wages he'd join city. And PHW has now come out with the old we can't pay 200k a week for a player with our wage structure etc. Even Gazidis I'm thought hinted at wages during some of his comments, unless I've got it wrong. It smacked of PR. Season ticket renewals were coming up so the club gagged RVP from announcing his future, got in Giroud as a replacement, and had noises coming out that 'well, we tried, BBC sport and SKy Sports "understands" that we want all three to play together, but if Van the ma wants higher wages he'll go.'

[Xhaka Can’t]

I think we all need to relax a little and have a nice cup of tea.

[Cripps_orig]

Read somewhere that before last season, his average goals per season for us was 9

One season wonders :bow:

[Joker]

Read somewhere that before last season, his average goals per season for us was 9

One season wonders :bow:

Don't think that's true tbh, he's scored 96 league goals for us, at an average of 12 per season. Overall in his Arsenal career he's scored 132 goals, at an average of 16.5 per season.

But all that ignores the fact that I think with RVP in the team, he benefited while the team suffered. He's not really an ideal centre forward, and when he was playing up front in a 4-5-1, our game was based purely around his strengths, which diminished the quality of the team play and made other players more ineffective.

I think Chamakh is pretty crap, but when he was playing upfront at the start of 10-11, our play was much more fluent than in the second half of that season, when RVP came back. Sure, RVP scored a lot of goals when he returned, but the quality of our overall game dropped, and I think it's no coincidence.

We saw how poor RVP looked when a team (the Netherlands) refused to bow down to him and play simply to service him. Moreover we saw he was a disruptive influence in the camp probably because he wasn't being treated as a king.

[Özim]

Well wasn't it wenger who said that if he was after wages he'd join city. And PHW has now come out with the old we can't pay 200k a week for a player with our wage structure etc. Even Gazidis I'm thought hinted at wages during some of his comments, unless I've got it wrong. It smacked of PR. Season ticket renewals were coming up so the club gagged RVP from announcing his future, got in Giroud as a replacement, and had noises coming out that 'well, we tried, BBC sport and SKy Sports "understands" that we want all three to play together, but if Van the ma wants higher wages he'll go.'
It was PHW, but year you're spot on the club were trying to make out that he's. Don't have a problem with his comments, good for a player to come out and make the idiots at the top look like fools IMO. Too much secrecy allows them to BS their way through things.

[Marc Overmars]

One of the reasons I was never in favour of selling RVP when he was plagued with injuries is because despite his standard 3-5 months out, he was actually still very prolific for the amount of games he managed to play still ended up as one of our leading scorers.

But of course it was often those 3-5 months where our seasons fell to pieces, if he had been available we may well have chalked up a trophy or 2. So it does leave a bitter taste in the mouth that he's opted to do one at the first opportunity.

[GP]

One of the reasons I was never in favour of selling RVP when he was plagued with injuries is because despite his standard 3-5 months out, he was actually still very prolific for the amount of games he managed to play still ended up as one of our leading scorers.

But of course it was often those 3-5 months where our seasons fell to pieces, if he had been available we may well have chalked up a trophy or 2. So it does leave a bitter taste in the mouth that he's opted to do one at the first opportunity.

If anyone owes us a bit of loyalty, it's him.

But he's now shown he doesn't have the character to stay and put in a shift.

Fuck him.

[Xhaka Can’t]

It was always going to be a difficult situation. It could be argued that it was poor planning to end up with our star striker with one year remaining in his contract at 29. but I think this was by design. His contract runs out at 30 and we all know what the policy is in relation to over 30s.

It is easy to say with hindsight that this was a ridiculous situation to get in to, but two years ago, who would support a contract extension then?

This is a terrible situation in almost every way because I just don't see the practicality for the club in agreeing a long term contract on what is likely to be serious money for a striker that will almost certainly be in decline for the latter half of it. Nor do I see the benefit of Van Persie signing a one or two year extension at his age - and with our policy for over 30s.

It is the perfect storm of shit and we're all caught up in it.

[Unai Tea]

One of the reasons I was never in favour of selling RVP when he was plagued with injuries is because despite his standard 3-5 months out, he was actually still very prolific for the amount of games he managed to play still ended up as one of our leading scorers.

But of course it was often those 3-5 months where our seasons fell to pieces, if he had been available we may well have chalked up a trophy or 2. So it does leave a bitter taste in the mouth that he's opted to do one at the first opportunity.

This is my point and it doesn't take away from other arguments regarding 'lack of ambition' by the Board, by Wenger or by the groundskeeper and all that. We have lost a number of players in the last 3-5 years who claim they need to go elsewhere to win trophies when the lack of trophies is in large part down to them. Yes the manager and the Board should shoulder a significant part of the blame - but so should the players. For instance, if Koscielny and Sczeczny claimed they had to go due to their desire to win something after being significant players involved in us losing a trophy, would we accept their 'ambition' without bitterness because Wenger and the Board didn't buy player X?

Van Persie has been part of a team that could have won trophies in the last 7 years but didn't. He should shoulder a significant proportion of the blame for that failure. And him fucking off as if the lack of trophies have nothing to do with him and at a time when we have at least begun to transition from a youth policy to one where we are buying experienced players in their prime, I find deplorable. Yes, maybe we are strapped with a self-sustaining business model. Maybe we won't spend £100 this summer. Obviously that's a challenge to competing with other teams on an equal footing. Clearly he doesn't want a challenge but would prefer to leave the hard work behind and plop his arse onto a team that's in pole position to win somewhere else. Do I not understand his reasons? No, I understand them. That doesn't mean I have to respect them.

[Unai Tea]

It was always going to be a difficult situation. It could be argued that it was poor planning to end up with our star striker with one year remaining in his contract at 29. but I think this was by design. His contract runs out at 30 and we all know what the policy is in relation to over 30s.

It is easy to say with hindsight that this was a ridiculous situation to get in to, but two years ago, who would support a contract extension then?

This is a terrible situation in almost every way because I just don't see the practicality for the club in agreeing a long term contract on what is likely to be serious money for a striker that will almost certainly be in decline for the latter half of it. Nor do I see the benefit of Van Persie signing a one or two year extension at his age - and with our policy for over 30s.

It is the perfect storm of shit and we're all caught up in it.

And that's the other side of the coin. If VP wanted £150k per week for 4-5 years, would we be right in accepting that? Highly unlikely. Maybe that shows lack of ambition - it certainly shows a lack of faith (that he will a) stay healthy and b) not decline significantly in the next 2-3 years). I doubt VP would be seeking a 2 year extension, regardless of the money. That probably goes to the root of the impasse. Totally different issue with Fabregas who had his reasons for wanting to go and Nasri, who's a ****.

[Alpha]

Read somewhere that before last season, his average goals per season for us was 9

One season wonders :bow:
Even though he has disappointed lot of fans , RVP remain a force to be reckoned . He 's been injured through all his Arsenal career bar last season and yet managed to reach 100 goals . That is a fantastic achievement for an injury-prone player . On top of that he finished best player and scorer in the hardest league in the world , I bet you can't name anyone who can match .

[Özim]

RVP only has one career, why would he choose to sit and play for a team and manager that have shown they're incapable of winning trophies, you can't blame one player for lack of success....success is down to a whole team and requires every part of that team to be right, if you have 2-3 top players and some average to below average ones who also lack the hunger you're not going to win anything.

I can totally see where's he's coming from, he's been at the club for a long time and has seen the methods fail time after time (which you can see from the players reactions is soul destroying to watch), when discussing change with club it seems they've been unwilling to change a losing formula in any way, there's only so long a player can believe in this failing policy.

His contract is running down (our fault as we chose not to tie him down, you might argue it's down to his injuries but that's tough luck, part and parcel of the game the injuries aren't his fault after all) and he's coming up to the last few years of his career at the top and it's totally understandable that he'd want to try his hand somewhere else, at a club who do have a genuine chance of winning and don't see a CL place as the holy grail.

I'm sorry but Wenger and co have had enough time to make this policy work, they haven't and yet they persist with it, if there are still believers out there, IMO they are delusional. If you want players to stay they have to believe in the vision, none of them do anymore and who can blame them!

[Power n Glory]

No they didn't. PnG tried making that link but was proven wrong.

If PHW didn't make that statement after the contract talks and if the club hadn't have made any other statement about RVP staying then you can say I'm wrong.

I'll give you another example of how some fans can be gullible and easily manipulated by the press. Take Theo Walcott's case. He hasn't said a thing in public about contract talks, the club haven't said anything either. But a few months ago, there was speculation about how much wanted to sign a new deal. A few Arsenal blog sites reported on it, it was mentioned on here and you could see the reaction. 'He can fuck if he wants £100k a week'...'He's not worth the money'.....the usual and that's without the club or player saying word.

Some people aren't so gullible and know it's mere speculation but the dialogue has already started and seed planted. The conversation is about whether or not Theo is worth a big contract and if he's asking for too much when nobody knows anything. If he moves to a bigger club and they will obviously pay him more than what we can offer, the assumption will be that the money was a sticking point. We will see if that's the case, but it's a clear example of how a discussion and ideas get sparked junk gets reported. Check the Theo thread now and you'll see a couple of comments sparked by some report about his wages.

The club were trying to pull a fast one with RVP and Wenger tried in months ago when he suggested you won't get value for money when offering a massive contract to player hitting his peak at 30. Why would he even suggest such a thing in public? Whose he speaking to? That's not a message for the player, that's prep for so the fans know we're not offering this player whatever he wants even though the media were hyping up the importance of keeping RVP and everyday we'd get a reminder about his contract situation and people saying the club needs to pay the man what he wants. Some of us were going along with that and saying we need to offer him a massive contract to stay and break the bank for him. Wenger's statement was an attempt to control the situation.

We all knew this day would come. It's a bad break up and we know the reasons why it's gone sour, but if people want to vent and shout abuse...whatever really. Again, when the dust settles, we'll all probably be in a more reflective mood.

[Özim]

If PHW didn't make that statement after the contract talks and if the club hadn't have made any other statement about RVP staying then you can say I'm wrong.

I'll give you another example of how some fans can be gullible and easily manipulated by the press. Take Theo Walcott's case. He hasn't said a thing in public about contract talks, the club haven't said anything either. But a few months ago, there was speculation about how much wanted to sign a new deal. A few Arsenal blog sites reported on it, it was mentioned on here and you could see the reaction. 'He can fuck if he wants £100k a week'...'He's not worth the money'.....the usual and that's without the club or player saying word.

Some people aren't so gullible and know it's mere speculation but the dialogue has already started and seed planted. The conversation is about whether or not Theo is worth a big contract and if he's asking for too much when nobody knows anything. If he moves to a bigger club and they will obviously pay him more than what we can offer, the assumption will be that the money was a sticking point. We will see if that's the case, but it's a clear example of how a discussion and ideas get sparked junk gets reported. Check the Theo thread now and you'll see a couple of comments sparked by some report about his wages.

The club were trying to pull a fast one with RVP and Wenger tried in months ago when he suggested you won't get value for money when offering a massive contract to player hitting his peak at 30. Why would he even suggest such a thing in public? Whose he speaking to? That's not a message for the player, that's prep for so the fans know we're not offering this player whatever he wants even though the media were hyping up the importance of keeping RVP and everyday we'd get a reminder about his contract situation and people saying the club needs to pay the man what he wants. Some of us were going along with that and saying we need to offer him a massive contract to stay and break the bank for him. Wenger's statement was an attempt to control the situation.

We all knew this day would come. It's a bad break up and we know the reasons why it's gone sour, but if people want to vent and shout abuse...whatever really. Again, when the dust settles, we'll all probably be in a more reflective mood.
It's never the clubs' fault, this despite us going through the same thing every summer. It's that players a greedy, disloyal, selfish.

If you want players to stay give them something to stay for and I'm not just talking about money.

[Joker]

If PHW didn't make that statement after the contract talks and if the club hadn't have made any other statement about RVP staying then you can say I'm wrong.

I'll give you another example of how some fans can be gullible and easily manipulated by the press. Take Theo Walcott's case. He hasn't said a thing in public about contract talks, the club haven't said anything either. But a few months ago, there was speculation about how much wanted to sign a new deal. A few Arsenal blog sites reported on it, it was mentioned on here and you could see the reaction. 'He can fuck if he wants £100k a week'...'He's not worth the money'.....the usual and that's without the club or player saying word.

Some people aren't so gullible and know it's mere speculation but the dialogue has already started and seed planted. The conversation is about whether or not Theo is worth a big contract and if he's asking for too much when nobody knows anything. If he moves to a bigger club and they will obviously pay him more than what we can offer, the assumption will be that the money was a sticking point. We will see if that's the case, but it's a clear example of how a discussion and ideas get sparked junk gets reported. Check the Theo thread now and you'll see a couple of comments sparked by some report about his wages.

The club were trying to pull a fast one with RVP and Wenger tried in months ago when he suggested you won't get value for money when offering a massive contract to player hitting his peak at 30. Why would he even suggest such a thing in public? Whose he speaking to? That's not a message for the player, that's prep for so the fans know we're not offering this player whatever he wants even though the media were hyping up the importance of keeping RVP and everyday we'd get a reminder about his contract situation and people saying the club needs to pay the man what he wants. Some of us were going along with that and saying we need to offer him a massive contract to stay and break the bank for him. Wenger's statement was an attempt to control the situation.

We all knew this day would come. It's a bad break up and we know the reasons why it's gone sour, but if people want to vent and shout abuse...whatever really. Again, when the dust settles, we'll all probably be in a more reflective mood.

Yeah there has been a propaganda campaign from the club to paint players as "greedy" to divert attention away from them. Theo has been completely professional to be fair to him, and yet the amount of venom aimed in his direction by fans has been extremely harsh. And yet we get PHW get away with disrespecting the fans at every opportunity.

It's a bit like a company that spreads lies about trade unions or workers' intransigence during an industrial dispute. We shouldn't swallow the BS being fed in our direction by the board, they're clearly taking us for a ride.

[Cripps_orig]

Even though he has disappointed lot of fans , RVP remain a force to be reckoned . He 's been injured through all his Arsenal career bar last season and yet managed to reach 100 goals . That is a fantastic achievement for an injury-prone player . On top of that he finished best player and scorer in the hardest league in the world , I bet you can't name anyone who can match .
There have been plenty of players who have been the best player and top scorer

As for RVP, expected him to leave as soon as he said he wont talk about contract til the summer so i'm used to the idea of him fucking off.

Hes a good plaer no doubt but at a time when he needed to show us the loyalty we have shown him, he stabs us in the back.

In short hes a ****. How big a **** depends on who he goes to

[Power n Glory]

And that's the other side of the coin. If VP wanted £150k per week for 4-5 years, would we be right in accepting that? Highly unlikely. Maybe that shows lack of ambition - it certainly shows a lack of faith (that he will a) stay healthy and b) not decline significantly in the next 2-3 years). I doubt VP would be seeking a 2 year extension, regardless of the money. That probably goes to the root of the impasse. Totally different issue with Fabregas who had his reasons for wanting to go and Nasri, who's a ****.

This is what I'm talking about. I'm curious to find out how we're discussing this point about the value of offering a 30 year old player a big contract. Were we talking like this when Bergkamp was in his final years with us and he had that awful season where he didn't know if it would be his last season with Arsenal? Did this come into considering when Henry was in contract talks with us? Adams? Keown? When did value for money in contracts become part of the discussion? What happened to wanting to keep our best players at the club so they can teach the youth the Arsenal way and become legends?

You've got Wenger talking about value for money and peak performance like these guys are race horses and then on the flip side you've got pricks like PHW making reference to players like Giggs and Scholes and using the word 'loyalty' when players choose to stay with their club from start to finish. It's hypocritical. Those Man Utd players are paid well for their services and they at least know that Fergie will treat them fairly and they'll also be paid well for their long service.

[Joker]

This is what I'm talking about. I'm curious to find out how we're discussing this point about the value of offering a 30 year old player a big contract. Were we talking like this when Bergkamp was in his final years with us and he had that awful season where he didn't know if it would be his last season with Arsenal? Did this come into considering when Henry was in contract talks with us? Adams? Keown? When did value for money in contracts become part of the discussion? What happened to wanting to keep our best players at the club so they can teach the youth the Arsenal way and become legends?

You've got Wenger talking about value for money and peak performance like these guys are race horses and then on the flip side you've got pricks like PHW making reference to players like Giggs and Scholes and using the word 'loyalty' when players choose to stay with their club from start to finish. It's hypocritical. Those Man Utd players are paid well for their services and they at least know that Fergie will treat them fairly and they'll also be paid well for their long service.

Again I agree, I remember the way we treated (badly, IMO) players like Pires, Edu and especially Bergkamp. This seems motivated by Wenger's strong belief that after 30 you're on a steep downward slope in terms of performance. Of course the penny pinching board were especially happy to oblige. Sometimes we're far too quick to criticise player "greed" when the genuine greed is upstairs.

[Alpha]

RVP only has one career, why would he choose to sit and play for a team and manager that have shown they're incapable of winning trophies, you can't blame one player for lack of success....success is down to a whole team and requires every part of that team to be right, if you have 2-3 top players and some average to below average ones who also lack the hunger you're not going to win anything.

I can totally see where's he's coming from, he's been at the club for a long time and has seen the methods fail time after time (which you can see from the players reactions is soul destroying to watch), when discussing change with club it seems they've been unwilling to change a losing formula in any way, there's only so long a player can believe in this failing policy.

His contract is running down (our fault as we chose not to tie him down, you might argue it's down to his injuries but that's tough luck, part and parcel of the game the injuries aren't his fault after all) and he's coming up to the last few years of his career at the top and it's totally understandable that he'd want to try his hand somewhere else, at a club who do have a genuine chance of winning and don't see a CL place as the holy grail.

I'm sorry but Wenger and co have had enough time to make this policy work, they haven't and yet they persist with it, if there are still believers out there, IMO they are delusional. If you want players to stay they have to believe in the vision, none of them do anymore and who can blame them!

RVP has been at the club long enough to know it . When he was injured he couldn't disagree with the policy of the club . Now that he has one full season injury-free , he " disagrees" and walks away . You can understand that it is simply a money-motivated agenda . What is sad is Van Persie was representing the value and moral of the current squad . He was the last player you would think he could defect from the team . The fans , the manager even the media trusted him in that aspect . It is very sad and very disappointing .

[Özim]

With regards us showing loyalty to RVP, let's be clear that even if we had released him clubs would have signed him up based on his talent. By not offering a new contract to him we'd have been the losers not him.

Had we really been that bothered we'd have signed him up well before this thus avoiding this issue, we didn't and just like many times before one of our top players barely has any time left on his contract.

We knew his contract was running down, we took a chance and we've paid the price.

[Power n Glory]

RVP has been at the club long enough to know it . When he was injured he couldn't disagree with the policy of the club . Now that he has one full season injury-free , he " disagrees" and walks away . You can understand that it is simply a money-motivated agenda . What is sad is Van Persie was representing the value and moral of the current squad . He was the last player you would think he could defect from the team . The fans , the manager even the media trusted him in that aspect . It is very sad and very disappointing .

When I heard RVP and Cesc went on holiday together, went to visit Henry and mentioned about what's important in football, I knew he was thinking along the same lines as Cesc and wasn't going to stay.

As for the injury thing that keeps getting mentioned...whose to say he isn't pissed about the way he's injuries have been handled here? Arshavin wasn't impressed with our medical staff and thought they handled him badly and looking over Wilshere's case and how he was rushed back, Cesc's last couple of seasons with his hamstring, when we rushed him back from injury and let him play for 90 minutes every game, the time it took for the club to diagnose Rosicky's injury problem, diagnose Diaby's injury problem....he might think our medical staff are poor. We've only just brought in new tech to assess a players fitness level and whether or not they are playing in the red. After RVP went to the Netherlands to see a specialist he was fine. I think our medical staff are rubbish and have contributed to some shit. JW's case is unforgivable. They crocked the kid.

[Xhaka Can’t]

It's never the clubs' fault, this despite us going through the same thing every summer. It's that players a greedy, disloyal, selfish.

If you want players to stay give them something to stay for and I'm not just talking about money.

Hookers?

[V-Pig]

Better fan forums?

[gillilocks]

If we have offered RVP £5m signing on fee and a pay increase from £90K to £130K to sign a new 3 year contract it costs us
Year 1 £7m
Year 2 £2m
Year 3 £2m

By keeping him to his contract we get another season out of him and the equivalent of a £7m transfer fee + the removal of his existing £4.5m salary from the wage bill at the end of it. I'd say unless we get an offer of 15m+ it doesn't make any sense financially to sell.

[Cripps_orig]

Manchester City and Juventus are set to up the ante in the race to sign Robin Van Persie, after the Dutchman returned to London for more crunch talks with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis, according to the Sunday Mirror.

The Arsenal captain last week revealed that he will not renew his contract with the club, but Wenger and Gazidis want to speak to him without interference from his agent Kees Vos, to establish if there is any chance of keeping him in London until the end of his contract.

Manchester City are yet to formally announce their interest in adding 29-year-old Van Persie to their already strong squad, and it is believed they will not pay over-the-odds for a man with a poor injury record and with little resale value.

The Premier League champions are also looking to offload former Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor before launching any bid for the Dutchman and, as Goal.com exclusively revealed on Saturday, they are hoping to sell the Togo international to Tottenham for a bargain £5 million.

Although City have kept quiet on any pursuit of Van Persie, former Emirates favourite Kolo Toure and Mario Balotelli have declared they would like to see him join them in Manchester. It is also believed Nigel de Jong has been encouraging his international team-mate to join the Citizens.

Italian champions Juventus are also set to step up their efforts to capture the Gunners captain, and believe they stand a better chance than City as they are not a domestic rival.

Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are also keeping tabs on the situation, whilst club insiders are also wary of a potential bid from Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid.

Meanwhile Wenger is also looking to ensure another transfer battle does not develop over forward Theo Walcott, who is out of contract at the end of next season. The England international is said to be a target for London rivals Chelsea.

In a week of bad news for Wenger, there has been a slight cause for a smile however with Arsenal fans giving the Frenchman a big vote of confidence.

The Arsenal Supporters Trust are set to reveal figures that 80 per cent of their members believe 62-year-old Wenger is doing a good job with the club, a dramatic rise from the previous campaign where 42% said he had taken the club as far as he could.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/07/08/3228695/van-persie-set-for-more-arsenal-talks-amid-increasing

AST :doh:

[Özim]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/07/08/3228695/van-persie-set-for-more-arsenal-talks-amid-increasing

AST :doh:
F*ck me, 7 years littered with mistakes, bad signings, teams that bottle it and still 80% are behind him....what's wrong with these people? I despair!

[Globalgunner]

Battered wife syndrome.

[GP]

Battered wife syndrome.

You have battered face syndrome.

[Xhaka Can’t]

You have battered face syndrome.

You have battered sausage syndrome.

[GP]

You have battered sausage syndrome.

Delicious.

[Letters]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-2169935/Arsenal-trust-Arsene-Wenger-Robin-van-Persie--Des-Kelly.html

(Apologies if someone posted that already)

[Özim]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-2169935/Arsenal-trust-Arsene-Wenger-Robin-van-Persie--Des-Kelly.html

(Apologies if someone posted that already)
Read that earlier today, thought it was nonsense.

Anyone with the name "Des" should not be writing newspaper article tbh.

[Ollie the Optimist]

Read that earlier today, thought it was nonsense.

Anyone with the name "Des" should not be writing newspaper article tbh.

you mean you thought it was bollocks because it didnt say wenger was shit :rolleyes:

[Letters]

Read that earlier today, thought it was nonsense.
Of course. Your extreme, blind hatred of Wenger doesn't allow you to even consider any thoughts that Wenger might not be the stupidest person in world history and entirely to blame for everything that goes wrong at the club.
There is clearly no middle ground and Wenger isn't doing anything right. That's why we got relegated again.

[Power n Glory]

Wenger is part of the problem and the writer is ignoring that fact.

[Letters]

Wenger is part of the problem and the writer is ignoring that fact.
He is part of the problem (that we're not winning trophies) but he's also a bit part of the fact that we finished 3rd last year as opposed to in mid-table.

No-one on here thinks Wenger is faultless, some think he can't do anything right.

[Özim]

you mean you thought it was bollocks because it didnt say wenger was shit :rolleyes:
No rather he was s*cking Wenger's cock!

[Xhaka Can’t]

No rather he was s*cking Wenger's cock!

I'm sure you meant sucking Wenger's c*ck!

[Özim]

Of course. Your extreme, blind hatred of Wenger doesn't allow you to even consider any thoughts that Wenger might not be the stupidest person in world history and entirely to blame for everything that goes wrong at the club.
There is clearly no middle ground and Wenger isn't doing anything right. That's why we got relegated again.
I want him out, he's not doing a good job IMO......simple as that.

All this "it's not Wenger's fault", "oh but his hands are tied" and he's a victim nonsense gets up my nose. He's on 7 million a year....yes 7 million....he's at a top club and yet in 7 years he has been unable to deliver anything....in addition he's not manager one European trophy in all the attempts he's had.

He's not up to the job, he can't cut it and 7 years is plenty of time to show that....how long is he going to get to get it right exactly? Why should he get the luxury no other manager ever gets?

[Özim]

He is part of the problem (that we're not winning trophies) but he's also a bit part of the fact that we finished 3rd last year as opposed to in mid-table.

No-one on here thinks Wenger is faultless, some think he can't do anything right.
He's happy with 3rd/4th.....that attitude stinks and isn't the way the manager of a club like ours should be thinking. Everytime he harps on about how proud he is of getting a CL spot and how amazing it is....but what does it actually mean to the average fan? Very little IMO, I don't want to make up the numbers in a competition and sacrifice everything just to qualify for it.

The way I see it he's had his chance, had a successful stint in his earlier days but you have to question how good he is when he's been unable to recreate a winning team again...in 7 years. He's not even managed to pick up one trophy in that time and that says a lot about how good he is IMO.

[Özim]

I'm sure you meant sucking Wenger's c*ck!
Good point :lol:

Very foolish

:lol: <--- See?


;)

[Power n Glory]

He is part of the problem (that we're not winning trophies) but he's also a bit part of the fact that we finished 3rd last year as opposed to in mid-table.

No-one on here thinks Wenger is faultless, some think he can't do anything right.

He's a big part of the reason the board get away with their nonsense and his silence has been bought. Last year, he said some nonsense about us needing to raise ticket prices to compete and if the Le Grove article is true, he's out of order because he's helping to mislead the fans.

This is a tired conversation and it needs to get to the point where he's actively trying to change the direction of the club. He shouldn't be satisfied with this and he's out of order to tell his players to accept their lot when he's one o the higest paid managers in football. It's easier for him to compromise on certain goals when you're getting paid well. You can't expect your players to do the same when they et paid less than their peers.

[Master Splinter]

How much does Wenger earn?

I'm not sure this fact has been conveyed on this message board.

[Cripps_orig]

How much does Wenger earn?

I'm not sure this fact has been conveyed on this message board.
Not enough for what he does

[Master Splinter]

Not enough for what he does

Pretty much.

Considering how much money he has made for his employers over the years, he probably deserves a raise on whatever he gets.

[Cripps_orig]

Pretty much.

Considering how much money he has made for his employers over the years, he probably deserves a raise on whatever he gets.
Pretty much

His job is to make Arsenal and the board richer and he does it easily.

Managing Arsenal and winning trophies arent important

[Özim]

Pretty much.

Considering how much money he has made for his employers over the years, he probably deserves a raise on whatever he gets.
Woohoo, he makes money...maybe we can have an open bus tour for football losers that make money.

France job has gone sadly but I hear there's a job vacancy at Barclays, maybe he should apply, you don't need to win there either and they pay more! If he gets it everyone wins :lol:

[Power n Glory]

Pretty much.

Considering how much money he has made for his employers over the years, he probably deserves a raise on whatever he gets.

He'll probably rewarded shares or something when leaves Arsenal.

[Joker]

Pretty much.

Considering how much money he has made for his employers over the years, he probably deserves a raise on whatever he gets.

Football shouldn't simply be about profit maximisation.

[fakeyank]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-2169935/Arsenal-trust-Arsene-Wenger-Robin-van-Persie--Des-Kelly.html

(Apologies if someone posted that already)

Completely one sided article by Ollie

[Cripps_orig]

It was a bit shit

Blaming everyone else but Wenger :lol:

[Master Splinter]

Syn and GB. would be rolling in it if they'd placed bets on who would reply to my post.

Opportunity missed.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Dein was on SSN again talking about RVP and trophies; he didn't say anything different from what you'd expect a board member to say.

[Letters]

Football shouldn't simply be about profit maximisation.
Neither should it be about the team with the richest owners cherry picking the best players and mopping up the trophies, but it is.

[Joker]

Neither should it be about the team with the richest owners cherry picking the best players and mopping up the trophies, but it is.

Never said it should be, and in an ideal world both "business" models wouldn't see the light of day in football. However, we are where we are and if I had to choose at gunpoint one of the two models, I have to say that the "sugardaddy" model at least maintains the pretence that what happens on the pitch matters, probably because these rich owners aren't actually acting as businessmen, but are rather owning football clubs in the same way they own art work. True, it's a vanity project for many of them but you get the sense that people like Ambramovich and the Sheikh are true football fans, and therefore understand that treating football clubs like any other business is not right and the fans won't stand for it. People like Kroenke have no interest in football, and are acting purely as businessmen, which is why they keep emphasising the "self sustainable" business model.

[Letters]

He's happy with 3rd/4th.....
No he isn't, although in the current climate I think it's about as good as we can expect.

[Özim]

No he isn't, although in the current climate I think it's about as good as we can expect.
I don't agree with this, I do think he's happy with it as he proudly talks about achieving this. Someone not happy with getting 3rd/4th wouldn't talk about it like he does. I'm not saying he doesn't want to win, but he's happy enough with where we are.

As for being as good as we can achieve, I don't agree, investment in the right places will have us challenging, at the end of the day there's only so many players you can play in one game.....if we had the team of 10 years ago we'd be right up there and there's no reason why we couldn't get players of that quality in again IMO.

[Letters]

I don't agree with this, I do think he's happy with it as he proudly talks about achieving this. Someone not happy with getting 3rd/4th wouldn't talk about it like he does. I'm not saying he doesn't want to win, but he's happy enough with where we are.

As for being as good as we can achieve, I don't agree, investment in the right places will have us challenging, at the end of the day there's only so many players you can play in one game.....if we had the team of 10 years ago we'd be right up there and there's no reason why we couldn't get players of that quality in again IMO.

I think he's happy in the sense that finishing 3rd behind a side who spent a billion to buy the title and a side managed by the best manager arguably in football history isn't that bad an achievement. Certainly not one which could have been achieved were Wenger as incompetent as you maintain. I do think he feels the lack of silverware is a failure though, he certainly should do, and I don't believe for one moment he's happy about that.

Investment would certainly see us closer and we should be pushing harder, I'd agree with that. And I agree if we had the quality we had 10 years ago we would be challenging much harder. But I don't agree there's no reason we can't get players of that quality. 10 years ago we didn't have a stadium to pay off, we weren't competing with teams backed by billionaires and we weren't in a climate where those uber-rich clubs could inflate transfer fees and wages to the point where no 'normal' club can compete. I forget the figure exactly but it was something like 117% of City's income that City spent on wages last year. Just wages! Obviously all the transfer fees, not to mention the running of the club, is on top of that. Is it reasonable to lambast Wenger for finishing below a team who can do that?

Wenger certainly has his faults and his stubbornness and princibles (which I don't entirely disagree with but a bit of pragmatism would have been nice) has probably cost us silverware over the last 7 years. But you don't finish in the top few every year by being completely incompetent and the rise and rise of the billionaires have made it far harder to compete and get the quality we once could.

[Power n Glory]

I think he's happy in the sense that finishing 3rd behind a side who spent a billion to buy the title and a side managed by the best manager arguably in football history isn't that bad an achievement. Certainly not one which could have been achieved were Wenger as incompetent as you maintain. I do think he feels the lack of silverware is a failure though, he certainly should do, and I don't believe for one moment he's happy about that.

Investment would certainly see us closer and we should be pushing harder, I'd agree with that. And I agree if we had the quality we had 10 years ago we would be challenging much harder. But I don't agree there's no reason we can't get players of that quality. 10 years ago we didn't have a stadium to pay off, we weren't competing with teams backed by billionaires and we weren't in a climate where those uber-rich clubs could inflate transfer fees and wages to the point where no 'normal' club can compete. I forget the figure exactly but it was something like 117% of City's income that City spent on wages last year. Just wages! Obviously all the transfer fees, not to mention the running of the club, is on top of that. Is it reasonable to lambast Wenger for finishing below a team who can do that?

Wenger certainly has his faults and his stubbornness and princibles (which I don't entirely disagree with but a bit of pragmatism would have been nice) has probably cost us silverware over the last 7 years. But you don't finish in the top few every year by being completely incompetent and the rise and rise of the billionaires have made it far harder to compete and get the quality we once could.

You've done your defensive part for the past 7 years or so and it's getting tiresome. You have the same conversation with Zimm each week and make constant excuses for Wenger. It's the stadium, sugar daddy, the board...whatever.

Man United found a way to beat City last year with a very weak team and City won the league this year on goal difference. City have the money but it is impossible for them to win the league each and every single year just because they buy top stars. That model leads to self destruction. Real Madrid screwed themselves over when they kept on buying superstars. It leads to in fighting and squabbling. Plus, it's very hard for a coach to keep his team focused and hungry season after season when they've won the league. What happened to Real Madrid, also happened to Chelsea when they bought Ballack and co just for the fun of it. City won't win the league every year that way.

Okay, Wenger isn't incompetent, but what is he going to do to turn things around because it's not impossible. Is he the man to push us on? Will he actually stand up to the board and demand change or will he sit comfy while he picks up a pay cheque? He's a big part of this and has actively mislead the fans about our situation and has to be accountable for that. Without him, the Board would never be able to get away with what their doing. He backed their move to raise ticket prices and suggested we needed to do in order to remain competitive. How can that be excused and overlooked?

[Ollie the Optimist]

Never said it should be, and in an ideal world both "business" models wouldn't see the light of day in football. However, we are where we are and if I had to choose at gunpoint one of the two models, I have to say that the "sugardaddy" model at least maintains the pretence that what happens on the pitch matters, probably because these rich owners aren't actually acting as businessmen, but are rather owning football clubs in the same way they own art work. True, it's a vanity project for many of them but you get the sense that people like Ambramovich and the Sheikh are true football fans, and therefore understand that treating football clubs like any other business is not right and the fans won't stand for it. People like Kroenke have no interest in football, and are acting purely as businessmen, which is why they keep emphasising the "self sustainable" business model.

sorry what? if you think these guys really care about football then there is no point anymore. you say our board just concern themselves with making profit etc, these guys care about that too, if they dont win, they woudl fuck off so quickly because they would be losing money, while the clubs make them money they stay, as soon as they get board or club stops winning they will go. they couldnt give a shit about football, its just like rich bankers having a nice car, its to show off but ultimately once their mates get bored of looking at it they will bin. thye couldnt give two fucks about it. i bet if you ask either the arabs or abromvich, they could barely name their first team squad

[Power n Glory]

sorry what? if you think these guys really care about football then there is no point anymore. you say our board just concern themselves with making profit etc, these guys care about that too, if they dont win, they woudl fuck off so quickly because they would be losing money, while the clubs make them money they stay, as soon as they get board or club stops winning they will go. they couldnt give a shit about football, its just like rich bankers having a nice car, its to show off but ultimately once their mates get bored of looking at it they will bin. thye couldnt give two fucks about it. i bet if you ask either the arabs or abromvich, they could barely name their first team squad

Do you think our board could name the first team? And they were all pretty quick to cash in on their shares. They're no better.

[Letters]

You've done your defensive part for the past 7 years or so and it's getting tiresome. You have the same conversation with Zimm each week and make constant excuses for Wenger. It's the stadium, sugar daddy, the board...whatever.
All these things are factors. Wenger is also a factor. It's tiresome some people on here ignore those factors, act like Wenger is an idiot and that all our problems would disappear were he replaced. He isn't. They wouldn't.

Utd have the best manager around, arguably the best manager ever. They managed to beat them? Not according to the league table. Goal difference or not, City are champions and beat Utd twice in the league. You're right that they won't win it every year but we now have two billionaire fuelled teams in the league and Utd to compete with. It wasn't like that when Wenger joined.

How do you mean by turn things round? We haven't slumped into mid-table? We're not in decline we're in stagnation. Whether he's the right man to push us on - I agree it's unlikely. Would many managers do better? I doubt it.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

In the article Ach posted from The Express (I know, its a rag :blahblah: but still offering a point to debate - so save it)

Wenger had reservations over RvPs history of injuries and that we shouldnt stand in the way of a decent offer. . .so maybe he isnt such a pussy because there is an argument that we will save money by not busting the bank to keep him, maybe that is why the contract was run down. . .maybe the same is being done for Theo, last chance to prove he isnt shit!

[Özil's Panoramic View]

Finishing 3rd/4th makes me feel no much better than midtable as a fan tbh. It only suits those that want to ensure that a profit is made every year. I think it is high time now we quit harping on this CL spot as some kind of achievement as all we do is make up numbers in that league - we're not winning sh** there.

Some people call last season 3rd place finish a success, but it really wasn't. We were never in the thick of things and a 3rd /4th place finfish was our major goal as opposed to challenging for the league title which should really be our aim every season. Therefore, even though we limped across the line ahead of Spurs, I will loudly trumpet that they had a more successful season than us, as they were real contenders for the title - you know that thing that a club/competitor set out to do every season, right? - though they faltered on the last lap.

Fact is, we compete in various competitions season after season to which we have failed to get our fingerprints on a single silverware. This is inexcusable and must be seen as nothing less than an indictment on both Board and Manager.

[Letters]

Balls. You'd have been moaning your tits off if we'd finished in mid-table last season.
You are anyway I guess, but moreso.

[Power n Glory]

All these things are factors. Wenger is also a factor. It's tiresome some people on here ignore those factors, act like Wenger is an idiot and that all our problems would disappear were he replaced. He isn't. They wouldn't.

Utd have the best manager around, arguably the best manager ever. They managed to beat them? Not according to the league table. Goal difference or not, City are champions and beat Utd twice in the league. You're right that they won't win it every year but we now have two billionaire fuelled teams in the league and Utd to compete with. It wasn't like that when Wenger joined.

How do you mean by turn things round? We haven't slumped into mid-table? We're not in decline we're in stagnation. Whether he's the right man to push us on - I agree it's unlikely. Would many managers do better? I doubt it.

Man Utd won it the year before when Mancini was first in charge, also City had the period where Mark Hughes was in charge and bought Robinho. Point is, you still need to build a team and get everyone working as a unit. People don't ignore the factors because we've had seasons where we should have won the title but lost points to lesser teams because the pressure got to the team and coach.

[Coney]

Finishing 3rd/4th makes me feel no much better than midtable as a fan tbh.

I kind of understand that. For me, the repeated finishing in 3rd/4th when it seems that by just getting rid of one or two bits of dross and spending 10-20 million, we might have won a title or two. Perhaps not, but the the lack of trying that out and the feeling that we could nick a trophy or two is what I find very frustrating.

Wenger does generally do a good job but I think he has fallen into a rut and we need him to break out of that.

[Flavs]

God have we not sold this **** yet

[Özil's Panoramic View]

Balls. You'd have been moaning your tits off if we'd finished in mid-table last season.
You are anyway I guess, but moreso.

It's not like the EPL subscribes to round robin format so I can feel excited about my team being in the semi-finals so.......

[Letters]

It's not like the EPL subscribes to round robin format so I can feel excited about my team being in the semi-finals so.......But it does qualify us for the CL so......

[Fist of Lehmann]

Nope, and thanks to Van Persie's statement every bugger knows he wants to leave this summer.

Any interested party can just let it drag on and on, screwing us over on both price and limiting our ability to get our own business done. On the flipside, the board need to decide how much they're going to hold out for.

Potentially it could be death by 1000 cuts again this summer...

The only hope is that Rvp is willing to go to more than 1 club, we forment a bidding war, prompting buyers to try to get things sown up earlier.

[Özil's Panoramic View]

But it does qualify us for the CL so......

Please re-read my post prior to that one and then maybe you'll then realise that I could care less about a CL qualification. Until we have something to show except making money from the qualification, that sh** is meaningless in my eyes as a fan.

Such great ambition holding down a CL spot to just be there is:bow:

[Kano]

Nope, and thanks to Van Persie's statement every bugger knows he wants to leave this summer.

Any interested party can just let it drag on and on, screwing us over on both price and limiting our ability to get our own business done. On the flipside, the board need to decide how much they're going to hold out for.

Potentially it could be death by 1000 cuts again this summer...

The only hope is that Rvp is willing to go to more than 1 club, we forment a bidding war, prompting buyers to try to get things sown up earlier.


i'm not sure rvp wanting to leave makes much of a difference to the options available to the club. by saying he wants to go it only confirms the beliefs of a vast majority of people who thought it would turn out that way - probably a 70/30 ratio. so it isn't that much of a shock really, it was more the manner in which it was done.

arsenals options before the statement were to keep or sell him if he refused a new contract and those still remain in place now. in terms of price i think the figures haven't changed either, given the cost of nasri last season. clubs would ideally like to drive the price down but i think playing a waiting game on such a hot property would mean missing out - he'll either be sold or told to sit down and get on with it by the end of this month.

[Syn]

David Dein's view: http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,,16429_7884076,00.html

[fakeyank]

God have we not sold this **** yet

We have sold him twice now.. :lol:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zKksMZdJdgY

[Fist of Lehmann]

i'm not sure rvp wanting to leave makes much of a difference to the options available to the club. by saying he wants to go it only confirms the beliefs of a vast majority of people who thought it would turn out that way - probably a 70/30 ratio. so it isn't that much of a shock really, it was more the manner in which it was done.

arsenals options before the statement were to keep or sell him if he refused a new contract and those still remain in place now. in terms of price i think the figures haven't changed either, given the cost of nasri last season. clubs would ideally like to drive the price down but i think playing a waiting game on such a hot property would mean missing out - he'll either be sold or told to sit down and get on with it by the end of this month.To the options? No. To the pretence that he might stay for another year? Yes.

There is a world of difference between belief and knowledge.

We're in a weak bargaining position, that pretence was pretty much the only card we had.

[Cripps_orig]

Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein says he expects Robin van Persie to leave the club this summer but says the Gunners will do "all they can" to keep him.

The Netherlands striker, who has just one year remaining on his contract, signalled his intention not to renew his deal in a statement on his personal website last week.

The 28-year old striker has been strongly linked to a number of clubs including Serie A champions Juventus and Arsenal's Premier League rivals Manchester City.

And, given that the Dutchman could leave on a free transfer at the end of next season, Dein believes it is vital that the north London outfit resolve the issue quickly.

"He has had such a wonderful season and he's been there eight years. He's the club captain, he means a lot to the club and to the fans," he told reporters.

"Once a player comes out and says something like that it's normally the prelude to a departure. But no doubt they will do all they can to try and keep him and make sure he sees out his last year.

"All I would hope, for the stability of the club, is whether he stays or whether he goes, it happens quickly. You don't want to see what happened last year when you had Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas stringing it out.

"Clubs this week are going back for pre-season training. You want to have a settled squad. I hope that whatever happens with Robin, it happens quickly."

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/07/09/3230930/david-dein-expects-van-persie-to-leave-arsenal

Time to get Dein back

[Master Splinter]

Time to get Dein back

The guy who's Wenger's best friend?

Is your WUM Radar malfunctioning?

[Kano]

To the options? No. To the pretence that he might stay for another year? Yes.

There is a world of difference between belief and knowledge.

We're in a weak bargaining position, that pretence was pretty much the only card we had.

i'm still not convinced of that myself. if a club wants him, they would've come in anyway, whether the decision had been released or not. the whole final year of his contract thing put us in a weak position, his statement hasn't made it any worse from how i see it. and let's not forget that this information was probably shared between agents etc anyway.

[Özim]

The guy who's Wenger's best friend?

Is your WUM Radar malfunctioning?
Nah, we now know he made Wenger what he is, without him Wenger has failed to deliver.

Maybe Dein was the mastermind behind all the success after all! Would make sense tbh

[Ollie the Optimist]

Nah, we now know he made Wenger what he is, without him Wenger has failed to deliver.

Maybe Dein was the mastermind behind all the success after all! Would make sense tbh

pretty sure dein still wants wenger in charge. would you be happy with that?