Fabregas goes to Barca for £35million

[Niall_Quinn]

We're trying to get the best deal, they're trying to get the best deal, I believe it's called 'negotiating' in industry terms.

Is it 100% about the money? Does it not matter at all if the best deal materialises 5 mins before the transfer window closes? If you were in Barca's position, not really needing Fabregas, wouldn't it be wise to string this out until the last possible moment? They know Fabregas isn't going anywhere else, they can always come back and destabilise us next season (with UEFA's consent and support). Plus they've drawn us in the CL twice in the last 2 years so why not screw around and leave us in the shit if they can? We could prevent all that by giving them 48 hours to meet the asking price and declaring the deal dead and buried if they don't. That would be negotiating with the whole club in mind rather than just the accounting department.

[Toronto Gooner]

Past success, you mean? We haven't had any success on the pitch for 6 years. We're living in the past and sliding down the table.

So it is okay to live in the past 6 years but not any any further back? A tad hypocritical wouldn't you say?

If you re-read my comment, you will see that I said that Arsenal have been more successful than the vast majority of clubs in England, Britain and Europe. I am not saying that Arsenal have been as successful as I think they could have and should have been but I do recognise that they have been more successful than most.

However, the board is defining the word success in the share price they'll bank as they jump ship. For a fraction of the greedy pigs' bonanza the team could have been sorted. I'm not blind to what's going on.

Maybe not blind but certainly blinkered. You do realise that the majority of the Board of Directors hold only a tiny fraction of the shares, so any increase in price will have virtually no financial impact on them? If the board (or Kroenke and Usmanov) were truly looking to maximise the return on their investment through increased share price, then letting the club fall back from the top levels of competition is not the way. Business/investment 101 teaches you that share prices are a reflection of of the future value of the company, and a club that is losing its star players and is becoming less competitive is losing its future value.

It seems that you never miss an opportunity

[Grebbo]

We're trying to get the best deal, they're trying to get the best deal, I believe it's called 'negotiating' in industry terms.

Oh behave, Fabregas is already being left out of the team cos he doesn't want to play for us. We're not negotiating now - Barca hold all the cards - Cesc wants to leave and has been left out of the team. It's over - we've lost.

I bet any money you like Barca are now offering less for Cesc as they know they've won.

[Syn]

Cesc doesn't want to stay here, but I fail to see how him being left out for some meaningless friendlies changes our position in negotiations. Barca already know he doesn't want to be here. And if wenger doesn't sell him this summer, do you think cesc is going to refuse to play for us? Of course not. A year out from competitive football is far more damaging to cesc than it is to us.

[Grebbo]

Cesc doesn't want to stay here, but I fail to see how him being left out for some meaningless friendlies changes our position in negotiations. Barca already know he doesn't want to be here. And if wenger doesn't sell him this summer, do you think cesc is going to refuse to play for us? Of course not. A year out from competitive football is far more damaging to cesc than it is to us.

So Cesc's head wasn't right for the friendlies but it'll be ok after we've denied him his move away and the season starts? Nah.

Just because he's been the model professional doesn't mean that won't change.

He wants to go.
He was always going to go at some point.
Let him go.

(And buy a replacement, don't forget that bit Arsene you turd)

[Niall_Quinn]

So it is okay to live in the past 6 years but not any any further back? A tad hypocritical wouldn't you say?

If you re-read my comment, you will see that I said that Arsenal have been more successful than the vast majority of clubs in England, Britain and Europe. I am not saying that Arsenal have been as successful as I think they could have and should have been but I do recognise that they have been more successful than most.


Maybe not blind but certainly blinkered. You do realise that the majority of the Board of Directors hold only a tiny fraction of the shares, so any increase in price will have virtually no financial impact on them? If the board (or Kroenke and Usmanov) were truly looking to maximise the return on their investment through increased share price, then letting the club fall back from the top levels of competition is not the way. Business/investment 101 teaches you that share prices are a reflection of of the future value of the company, and a club that is losing its star players and is becoming less competitive is losing its future value.

It seems that you never miss an opportunity

What are you on about? The last 6 years only assume added significance when compared to what went before so why are you trying to put words in my mouth? Also I'm well aware the majority of board members are now minor shareholders, having cashed in whilst the club was crashing on the pitch for want of investment. But even so, they've left one hell of an asset for the next guy to come in and exploit - no not the team, the stadium. Real estate. If the value of football clubs was genuinely linked to their fortunes on the pitch we wouldn't be worth a fiver. The stadium, the infrastructure, the cash on account, exposure to debt, the revenue streams, the captive audience, the TV deals - this is what Kroenke and his cronies are enthralled by and these are priorities carefully nurtured by the board to the detriment of the team. Provided Wenger keeps Arsenal in Europe then football success isn't even necessary, is it? That's why our slide into mediocrity which haunts the fans (or most of them anyway) is of zero concern to the manager and the board. For them it has been success all the way the last 6 years. Prior to that Wenger teed things up, then the board sold the fans the stadium lemon, followed that by selling out and jumping ship and now the assets of Arsenal are in the hands of a yank and the once spectacular team we used to love watching is a laughing stock. I guess all of it is just a case of the board getting "unlucky", right?

[Darth Vela]

Oh behave, Fabregas is already being left out of the team cos he doesn't want to play for us. We're not negotiating now - Barca hold all the cards - Cesc wants to leave and has been left out of the team. It's over - we've lost.

I bet any money you like Barca are now offering less for Cesc as they know they've won.

So we should drop trousers and bend over for them just because Cesc is being a bitch? We hold his contract so we have plenty of cards of our own, just because Barca are winning doesn't mean we shouldn't play at all.

[Darth Vela]

Is it 100% about the money? Does it not matter at all if the best deal materialises 5 mins before the transfer window closes? If you were in Barca's position, not really needing Fabregas, wouldn't it be wise to string this out until the last possible moment? They know Fabregas isn't going anywhere else, they can always come back and destabilise us next season (with UEFA's consent and support). Plus they've drawn us in the CL twice in the last 2 years so why not screw around and leave us in the shit if they can? We could prevent all that by giving them 48 hours to meet the asking price and declaring the deal dead and buried if they don't. That would be negotiating with the whole club in mind rather than just the accounting department.

Course it's about the money. What else is there to haggle over? We knew Cesc was going this summer and so did Barca, I think we'll accept the next bid as it is dragging on far too long now and as you say we need time to spend the money but 35m now is better than 25m at the start of the window imo.

Also, we ain't getting Barca again this year, we came too close to beating them last time.

[Power n Glory]

What are you on about? The last 6 years only assume added significance when compared to what went before so why are you trying to put words in my mouth? Also I'm well aware the majority of board members are now minor shareholders, having cashed in whilst the club was crashing on the pitch for want of investment. But even so, they've left one hell of an asset for the next guy to come in and exploit - no not the team, the stadium. Real estate. If the value of football clubs was genuinely linked to their fortunes on the pitch we wouldn't be worth a fiver. The stadium, the infrastructure, the cash on account, exposure to debt, the revenue streams, the captive audience, the TV deals - this is what Kroenke and his cronies are enthralled by and these are priorities carefully nurtured by the board to the detriment of the team. Provided Wenger keeps Arsenal in Europe then football success isn't even necessary, is it? That's why our slide into mediocrity which haunts the fans (or most of them anyway) is of zero concern to the manager and the board. For them it has been success all the way the last 6 years. Prior to that Wenger teed things up, then the board sold the fans the stadium lemon, followed that by selling out and jumping ship and now the assets of Arsenal are in the hands of a yank and the once spectacular team we used to love watching is a laughing stock. I guess all of it is just a case of the board getting "unlucky", right?

That Dispatches show was an eye opener and you've made some good points about the commercial potential this club has. We really should be questioning the Silent Stan's agenda for this club. He has said nothing all summer and the only change we've seen is the the Asia tour.

[Fats]

I just wish this guy would fuck off