Non home grown

[selassie]

I think the club firing the mascot was far more ridiculous. It's tone deaf. As football executives and players battle about their share of billions in TV deals and contracts - an extra million here, a lost million there, a swelling trove of millions or the tragedy of a mere heap of millions when it could have been a mountain - the fucking mascot of 27 years gets sacked. Switches me off to the club even more than I already was. And football in general. I really can't think of a single person at that club, or any, to be admired. Can you?

Tell me, who is it the kids are supposed to be looking up to today? Is there one name from all of them?

What's ridiculous about sacking someone who is surplus to requirements right now? Or do you think the club should just pay the mascot for doing sweet FA? I mean they pay millions out to Ozil for doing sweet FA.

Do I admire anybody at the club? Well I admire Arteta for taking on the mess of a job and doing a pretty good job of it so far. I admire the likes of Auba, Saka and Ceballos for putting in good quality performances on a regular basis. I admire Maitland-Niles for his improvement.

The kids should be looking up to players like Saka, he's a great role model for young aspiring kids who want to make it at Arsenal and break into the National team No?

[Niall_Quinn]

Saka is definitely on the right path, working his way through the ranks. If all continues to plan he'll be a key player at Arsenal. Of course he's getting paid a fortune at his tender age to do it. And why not? Everyone else is. But whether every player being paid for success before they actually achieve it is something worth looking up to, I'm not so sure. Football, and everyone in it, has this whiff that's not entirely pleasant. A parade of excess. If we hadn't shelled out big on Saka's contract demands he'd have been off in a flash to somebody who would. We paid. He stayed. Admirable? By today's standard, perhaps. If 10 years down the road he's still here, having put in the performances, then we're talking. That'll be somebody to admire.

[selassie]

Saka is definitely on the right path, working his way through the ranks. If all continues to plan he'll be a key player at Arsenal. Of course he's getting paid a fortune at his tender age to do it. And why not? Everyone else is. But whether every player being paid for success before they actually achieve it is something worth looking up to, I'm not so sure. Football, and everyone in it, has this whiff that's not entirely pleasant. A parade of excess. If we hadn't shelled out big on Saka's contract demands he'd have been off in a flash to somebody who would. We paid. He stayed. Admirable? By today's standard, perhaps. If 10 years down the road he's still here, having put in the performances, then we're talking. That'll be somebody to admire.

I'd say he's a pretty key player already, he racked up a lot of assists and a few important goals last season, he's played at a very high level in multiple positions too.

Yes he gets paid a fortune to PLAY football.

Saka doesn't need to stick around at Arsenal to be admired, players can be admired if they carve out decent and hardworking careers at multiple clubs, as long as their conduct is above board then I don't see an issue with it.

P.S. Everybody has a price and a worth, whether it is in Football or Business, if you got offered a higher salary elsewhere I am pretty sure you would be off to that job too....why should it be any different for footballers?

Discussing the merits of whether he would or wouldn't have stayed is a waste of time because he signed the ting and he plays for us.

[Niall_Quinn]

That's why I didn't want Jack or Ramsey to go. For me, they are probably the last 2 Arsenal players who played for us. Hopefully Saka will be the next but we'll have to wait a while to see. AMN. Willock. Eddie. They all have a chance to carve out a place in club history rather than be travellers passing through. If you compare football before TV money came to football today, I can't see much that's positive. The fans have become less relevant as each year passes. It used to be about the link between the fans and the players, those were the names kids aspired and would grow up with. I was hoping corona might crash these clubs and players back to earth but, as recent on demand greed has shown, it's business as usual.

Nah. I can't get too excited about a league where even the fans now accept and understand it's all about the money and everything else only comes once that money is slapped down.

[selassie]

That's why I didn't want Jack or Ramsey to go. For me, they are probably the last 2 Arsenal players who played for us. Hopefully Saka will be the next but we'll have to wait a while to see. AMN. Willock. Eddie. They all have a chance to carve out a place in club history rather than be travellers passing through. If you compare football before TV money came to football today, I can't see much that's positive. The fans have become less relevant as each year passes. It used to be about the link between the fans and the players, those were the names kids aspired and would grow up with. I was hoping corona might crash these clubs and players back to earth but, as recent on demand greed has shown, it's business as usual.

Nah. I can't get too excited about a league where even the fans now accept and understand it's all about the money and everything else only comes once that money is slapped down.

So are you saying that the player has to be british to be admired? Many foreign players have had long careers with us, do they not count?

Society in general is f*cked, capitalism, social media, narcissist leaders....football is just part of society.

[Niall_Quinn]

So are you saying that the player has to be british to be admired? Many foreign players have had long careers with us, do they not count?

Society in general is f*cked, capitalism, social media, narcissist leaders....football is just part of society.

No. I never mentioned British. WTF? They're the last two who were here for a significant amount of time and made an impact, Theo too, I suppose. The last group you could sort of say was a settled team. Since then it has been player merry-go-round. Maybe Arteta will fix that, but I don't think football works that way any more.

However, as you mentioned it, I do think there should be many more British and many more local players in every team. But the money won't allow that either, because there's so much sloshing around the clubs can shop all over the world and, supposedly, pick the cream of the crop. I don't see it in the boring modern game tbh. And British players cost a fortune too now, even if they can't kick a ball.

The money has gone through the roof, the culture and entertainment and the sportsmanship has been the cost. I don't blame any player for being a mercenary in a league filled with mercenaries. It would be stupid not to take it if you can get it. But that doesn't make the whole thing worthy of admiration.

[selassie]

No. I never mentioned British. WTF? They're the last two who were here for a significant amount of time and made an impact, Theo too, I suppose. The last group you could sort of say was a settled team. Since then it has been player merry-go-round. Maybe Arteta will fix that, but I don't think football works that way any more.

However, as you mentioned it, I do think there should be many more British and many more local players in every team. But the money won't allow that either, because there's so much sloshing around the clubs can shop all over the world and, supposedly, pick the cream of the crop. I don't see it in the boring modern game tbh. And British players cost a fortune too now, even if they can't kick a ball.

The money has gone through the roof, the culture and entertainment and the sportsmanship has been the cost. I don't blame any player for being a mercenary in a league filled with mercenaries. It would be stupid not to take it if you can get it. But that doesn't make the whole thing worthy of admiration.

You only listed British players.

Bellerin has been here an age, as had Martinez. Prior to that Giroud, Kos, Monreal, Sagna etc

This isn't just related to football, it's society in general, companies all over the world both corporate and at a smaller scale hire people from all over the world.

Football isn't the root of all evil in this cold capitalist world, it's part of the problem.

[Niall_Quinn]

You only listed British players.

Bellerin has been here an age, as had Martinez. Prior to that Giroud, Kos, Monreal, Sagna etc

This isn't just related to football, it's society in general, companies all over the world both corporate and at a smaller scale hire people from all over the world.

Football isn't the root of all evil in this cold capitalist world, it's part of the problem.

I didn't say that football is the root of all evil. I said it's hardly something kids can look up to and admire. I listed a couple of notable players who were here from a young age and grew up with the club. And then Theo. Ramsey and Theo chose Arsenal when they had arguably better options for their first significant move. Jack was the closest we got to Adams. People really are hair trigger over this identity politics stuff these days.

[selassie]

I didn't say that football is the root of all evil. I said it's hardly something kids can look up to and admire. I listed a couple of notable players who were here from a young age and grew up with the club. And then Theo. Ramsey and Theo chose Arsenal when they had arguably better options for their first significant move. Jack was the closest we got to Adams. People really are hair trigger over this identity politics stuff these days.

That's your opinion and I don't agree with it.

No idea what you are talking about with this identity politics, I explained why I said what I said.

[Letters]

I didn't say that football is the root of all evil.

The love of football is the root of all evil.



(That is an excellent Biblical joke, although if I have to explain it, not so much)