Originally Posted by
Power_n_Glory
We may be overthinking this ownership issue. Wenger's influence over the club just paints a bleak picture. Until he goes we won't really know the extent of the problem. In theory, there really isn't much wrong with the way we are run. The high ticket prices and lack of spending on players is a real issue for me but we really don't know if that's the Board's influence or Wenger's. Once he goes, we may find a manager that uses his resources more wisely. For example, if the Board are so tightfisted, I've never understood why they were so comfortable spending so much in wages for mediocre players and being so generous with renewals. Diaby, Ox, Wilshere, Walcott, Ramsey, Bendy..... This goes back before the sponsorship deals and if we were that concerned about expenditure and revenue, surely that wage bill is the first thing to go under the microscope. £50k here and £60k there for players far from ready and warming the bench should raise eyebrows. I don't know how those deals, especially for young players, could have been approved without Wenger giving the thumbs up. We've already heard him talk about a 'socialist wage structure' where everyone is paid equally. That's his theory on how to keep a happy dressing. Now that we have even more money to spend, it seems like he's more than happy to dole out £100k contracts to his favorites.
I think the Board are just happy to go along with what Wenger says. It's foolish in hindsight, but would we really want a Liverpool or Real Madrid situation where the Board are too involved? I think most managers will expect to have to work to a budget and even if it's not a massive pot, it is something. With a better manager, I think we can push the boat out. Also, unless we appoint some over the hill, has been asswipe, I can't imagine we'd find a manager as unambitious as Wenger. The disappointment with Wenger is the fact that his record isn't an embarrassment to him. He gets prickly when pressed on the matter, as seen yesterday, but he won't do anything about it. I really can't see any other manager, so new and fresh into a job being content with the minimal. Not pressing the Board for more support and backing.