Quote Originally Posted by Nasri Scoreng View Post
Spot on, mate. While LDG argues very eloquently that AW has the talent to deal with a complete regime change, and the likes of Letters take the supercillious high ground - logic and experience suggest that a mass exodus, including some of our key players, is going to be a serious set back for the club. Consider these facts:

- Even when he was purchasing the players who were to become the Invincibles - the last time he 'spent big' as it were - these players were added to a tried and tested solid base, particularly the back 5. Anyone who thinks that our team, less Cesc, Nasri and Clichy, is a tried and tested solid base is on crack.

- The market for the very best players is infinitely more inflated than it was in the late 90's/early 00's. We know that the club isn't going to purchase in the style of Manure/Citeh/Chavs so we are inevitably looking at second tier players.

- Wenger has a decent track record of buying good players - but they are almost invariably young; foreign and developmental. He is also implacably against paying over the odds (as we have seen with his albeit correct decision re Nasri). The manager may be a bit more adventurous this Summer, but no way is he going to break the habit of a lifetime.

- Since when has a team with a large number of new 'key' players bedded in immediately?

Yes we must wait and see. But for me it is naive to think that what we will see this Summer and next season will be any more than the start of another project. Even the brilliant SAF tends to take 2/3 years for a title winning team to be built. Why do people think that Wenger, without his captain and key player and significant supporting cast members will be any different? Clearly, our want-away players don't. And the difference between Manure and a now diminished Arsenal team is that SAF doesn't keep hemorrhaging players every other year.

So it would be a massive (and very pleasant) surprise to see a team of new faces gelling and competing next season. But this should be acknowledged as the rose-tinted optimism that it is rather than people implying that this is the likely outcome and that all the cynics are immature pessimists.

I agree with most of your post mate but can someone tell me why the bolded part is the correct decision? Ive yet to read an intelligent post about why its a good decision not to do a little bit extra to sign him. Is this all because its a matter of principle? Ive never seen a fan base so obsessed with money moreso than Arsenal fans.

Sometimes as a manager, you have to pay that little bit extra to get that extra special something. You ask any Manager/GM in the world is this is how they operate aside from ours who is as stubborn as they come. This has held us back in our trophy run for years. Wenger is too stubborn to shell out the extra $$$ here and there on players for key positions.

Nasri for me is worth the extra money and this is why:

- Hes 23 and still has not even reached his peak physically or on the mental side

- His first season he was solid. 2nd in our team player of the year on Arsenal.com and voted player of the year on here.

- 2nd season he started out missing 2 months with a broken leg. This affected his whole year and he even admitted that this was the problem. He battled fitness issues all season and this affected his performance.

- This past year he had his most successful year. Bagging 15 or 16 goals from the midfield and was even talked about as WPOY. Sure he tailed off at the back end of the season but he was the MAIN reason why we were so successful at the beginning. His run of goals look awfully familiar to Pires's run back in the Invincible day.

- Hes a France international who his a designated captain. I like to believe that Blanc is a man who knows what he is doing and I highly doubt that he would put someone with a poor attitude into that position. Ill take his judgement over anybodies on here any day.

He is going to get much, much better as he is still learning. I believe that under a different coach he would be up there with Messi and Ronaldo. SO why are some on here so eager to get rid?