Will We Finish Top 4

[Niall_Quinn]

You say closest rivals and then include Utd, Bayern and City in there? Make up your mind. Our closest rivals are Spurs, Everton, Fulham etc.

That was a reference to the post before the one you refer to. The post you're reading goes on to discuss our (non) performance in key matches. There's no ambiguity.

[Cripps_orig]

It's in our hands now which it wasn't before today's games.

Not sure if that's an advantage or not

[Niall_Quinn]

Some good points made in your various posts, mate. I think we'll sneak 4th - but even ignoring the other issues, sneaking 4th every year (and we have habitually 'sneaked it' for years) is a sad indictment on a club that has clearly, clearly lost its way. It feels humiliating, whatever we say about the money available to the competition. The EPL sucks this year - yet Manure - with a proper winners attitude has smashed it open, while we filed what I agree is the poorest team ever under Wenger. We used to expect to win. Now our hearts are in our mouths against Norwich, Fulham.

Spurs lack consistency, but what worries me is that they have a bold, hungry manager who is capable of changing games when needed. This is why it feels like they are on the up. We feel like we are floundering - and the sad thing is that it feels more basic than simply buying better players.

We are not shite, relative to the performances around us - but given that Chelsea are suffering from managerial changes; Citeh have yet to build a team that isn't just mercenary and AVB is only in his second full season - our club needs to take a long look at itself.

They must sit down at the start of a season and plan things entirely around the finances with football as the secondary concern. When you look at it from a financial perspective we've been very successful and that success is growing year on year. But we don't look at that, one way or another we pay money (contribute to those finances) to watch what's happening on the pitch (the secondary concern of the club). And we don't see success, that's for sure. The message from the club is to be patient forever because eventually there will be so much money the millionaires will finally be able to let a few quid drop from their table. Really, that's the foundation of their message when you boil it all down. Once they get their share (which is just about the whole pie) then we'll get our crumbs and if the next guy in gets a big pay off too and things continue to grow then, who knows, those crumbs may turn into morsels.

As you say, in the meantime we just have to hope the likes of Chelsea and City keep shooting their own feet off so the gap remains at least respectable. Utd are out of sight. Not because of money but because they are a well run club that places football as the number one priority, though let's not entirely forget some of their dubious commercial practices. Nevertheless you can see that in the way they work so hard to knit together a bunch of players that (like for like) really aren't that much better than what we have here. Not 20 points better anyway. And they have a manager who measures winning and losing by what happens on the pitch rather than on the balance sheet.

Our club (like others) got infiltrated by business sharks but our ex-shareholders' had their heads turned from the main purpose of the game. The stadium plan was hijacked and the team left to rot. They know the fans will keep coming back because the inertia in sport is probably greater than in any other industry. These are clever and ruthless bastards. They won't be spending £70mill in the summer either. Surely nobody is buying that bullshit? The £70mill is the carrot to get those season ticket sales rolling in. Every year we think the same, don't we? Surely, surely they can't pull this stunt again? But they do and they'll do it again.

The fans have to hold their nerve though. People clamouring for a Russian gangster to take over just so we can become another Chelsea drenched in blood money ought to think again. There's a middle ground rather than the two extremes you see when comparing Arsenal and Chelsea. Besides, here we are, a team starved of cash competing to the last few games of the season with a team that has blown billions trying to buy prizes. That's because the chavs aren't about football either, not since Mourinho left. Mourinho and Ferguson. It's all about the football and all about winning with them and the rewards keep tumbling in. Wenger? For him it has become pure business management and he does it really well. To the detriment of our football club but the delight of the board as they have said many times.

No, it won't be changing any time soon and I could even live with it if they would only put a bit more effort into producing entertaining football. Or football that doesn't plod at 2mph. But they won't even make that small concession.

[Niall_Quinn]

It's in our hands now which it wasn't before today's games.

Not sure if that's an advantage or not

It's in our hands provided we beat Utd next week. So it's in our hands in much the same way as having your hand run over by a car.

[IBK]

They must sit down at the start of a season and plan things entirely around the finances with football as the secondary concern. When you look at it from a financial perspective we've been very successful and that success is growing year on year. But we don't look at that, one way or another we pay money (contribute to those finances) to watch what's happening on the pitch (the secondary concern of the club). And we don't see success, that's for sure. The message from the club is to be patient forever because eventually there will be so much money the millionaires will finally be able to let a few quid drop from their table. Really, that's the foundation of their message when you boil it all down. Once they get their share (which is just about the whole pie) then we'll get our crumbs and if the next guy in gets a big pay off too and things continue to grow then, who knows, those crumbs may turn into morsels.

As you say, in the meantime we just have to hope the likes of Chelsea and City keep shooting their own feet off so the gap remains at least respectable. Utd are out of sight. Not because of money but because they are a well run club that places football as the number one priority, though let's not entirely forget some of their dubious commercial practices. Nevertheless you can see that in the way they work so hard to knit together a bunch of players that (like for like) really aren't that much better than what we have here. Not 20 points better anyway. And they have a manager who measures winning and losing by what happens on the pitch rather than on the balance sheet.

Our club (like others) got infiltrated by business sharks but our ex-shareholders' had their heads turned from the main purpose of the game. The stadium plan was hijacked and the team left to rot. They know the fans will keep coming back because the inertia in sport is probably greater than in any other industry. These are clever and ruthless bastards. They won't be spending £70mill in the summer either. Surely nobody is buying that bullshit? The £70mill is the carrot to get those season ticket sales rolling in. Every year we think the same, don't we? Surely, surely they can't pull this stunt again? But they do and they'll do it again.

The fans have to hold their nerve though. People clamouring for a Russian gangster to take over just so we can become another Chelsea drenched in blood money ought to think again. There's a middle ground rather than the two extremes you see when comparing Arsenal and Chelsea. Besides, here we are, a team starved of cash competing to the last few games of the season with a team that has blown billions trying to buy prizes. That's because the chavs aren't about football either, not since Mourinho left. Mourinho and Ferguson. It's all about the football and all about winning with them and the rewards keep tumbling in. Wenger? For him it has become pure business management and he does it really well. To the detriment of our football club but the delight of the board as they have said many times.

No, it won't be changing any time soon and I could even live with it if they would only put a bit more effort into producing entertaining football. Or football that doesn't plod at 2mph. But they won't even make that small concession.

Because central to the club's policy is Wenger. And because we have a manager who seems happy to play the business percentages, he will deliver for the board but never for the fans. And I am afraid that despite my massive efforts to remain objective about my club, while we have Wenger we will have this inertia.

[Cripps_orig]

Pretty much.

We might as well accept being in 5th place from today cos we are losing that.

Can't see Swansea or Wigan doing much v Chelsea and Tottenham.

[Power n Glory]

Because central to the club's policy is Wenger. And because we have a manager who seems happy to play the business percentages, he will deliver for the board but never for the fans. And I am afraid that despite my massive efforts to remain objective about my club, while we have Wenger we will have this inertia.

That's also my opinion. He's ethos on how a club should be run and fiancially responsible is what's keeping this cycle in motion. Without Wenger this strategy just wouldn't work. The danger we have now is that the philosophy of the club has been so deeply woven that once Wenger is gone the Board will continue on with this strategy and go for a 'yes man' manager. If they go high profile, then there is a chane of things really changing from the core on outwards. But if they adopt a Moyes type manager then you just know where we're headed. I hope they're not that stupid because Europe is the main draw here.

[Gooner23]

They must sit down at the start of a season and plan things entirely around the finances with football as the secondary concern. When you look at it from a financial perspective we've been very successful and that success is growing year on year. But we don't look at that, one way or another we pay money (contribute to those finances) to watch what's happening on the pitch (the secondary concern of the club). And we don't see success, that's for sure. The message from the club is to be patient forever because eventually there will be so much money the millionaires will finally be able to let a few quid drop from their table. Really, that's the foundation of their message when you boil it all down. Once they get their share (which is just about the whole pie) then we'll get our crumbs and if the next guy in gets a big pay off too and things continue to grow then, who knows, those crumbs may turn into morsels.

As you say, in the meantime we just have to hope the likes of Chelsea and City keep shooting their own feet off so the gap remains at least respectable. Utd are out of sight. Not because of money but because they are a well run club that places football as the number one priority, though let's not entirely forget some of their dubious commercial practices. Nevertheless you can see that in the way they work so hard to knit together a bunch of players that (like for like) really aren't that much better than what we have here. Not 20 points better anyway. And they have a manager who measures winning and losing by what happens on the pitch rather than on the balance sheet.

Our club (like others) got infiltrated by business sharks but our ex-shareholders' had their heads turned from the main purpose of the game. The stadium plan was hijacked and the team left to rot. They know the fans will keep coming back because the inertia in sport is probably greater than in any other industry. These are clever and ruthless bastards. They won't be spending £70mill in the summer either. Surely nobody is buying that bullshit? The £70mill is the carrot to get those season ticket sales rolling in. Every year we think the same, don't we? Surely, surely they can't pull this stunt again? But they do and they'll do it again.

The fans have to hold their nerve though. People clamouring for a Russian gangster to take over just so we can become another Chelsea drenched in blood money ought to think again. There's a middle ground rather than the two extremes you see when comparing Arsenal and Chelsea. Besides, here we are, a team starved of cash competing to the last few games of the season with a team that has blown billions trying to buy prizes. That's because the chavs aren't about football either, not since Mourinho left. Mourinho and Ferguson. It's all about the football and all about winning with them and the rewards keep tumbling in. Wenger? For him it has become pure business management and he does it really well. To the detriment of our football club but the delight of the board as they have said many times.

No, it won't be changing any time soon and I could even live with it if they would only put a bit more effort into producing entertaining football. Or football that doesn't plod at 2mph. But they won't even make that small concession.

Excellent post this. The war chest stories have become so formulaic in terms of content and time of year released, its a complete piss take.

Difficult to see how or when we will see any real change though. Wenger is here for another season at least, and under the current regime there are no guarantees a new manager will make much of a difference. One things for sure, I DON'T want to become another City or Chelski. As you say there should be a middle ground, look at the model of Bayern or Dortmund for inspiration.

[selassie]

It's in our hands provided we beat Utd next week. So it's in our hands in much the same way as having your hand run over by a car.

GOLD!

We've got to make a thread of some of your posts NQ, where's the classics thread.

[selassie]

Excellent post this. The war chest stories have become so formulaic in terms of content and time of year released, its a complete piss take.

Difficult to see how or when we will see any real change though. Wenger is here for another season at least, and under the current regime there are no guarantees a new manager will make much of a difference. One things for sure, I DON'T want to become another City or Chelski. As you say there should be a middle ground, look at the model of Bayern or Dortmund for inspiration.

Yep, I second that. Arsenal must be one of the only clubs in world football that is linked to stars outside of the transfer window. As soon as that window opens we remain static and then risk buy...normally after gutting half of the team.