apologies if you find my following comments harsh or anything but …rolling a joint on the top deck of a ship while navigating through 7-8 beaufort storms, now that is commendable.

surviving a 5 day bachelor party in ibiza is commendable.

building a stadium in the mid 2000;s, paying it all through your means, and getting 4th in the EPL with untested teenagers, against clubs who could/can spend three times what we could is not commendable. that is the work of an organised and meticulous genius. it was programmed to be this way. and there are no BUTS.

” yeah yeah its pretty nice we built one and remained in the champions league BUT…”

no, no, no that is a real bad way of putting it.

surely you who has seen a lot , you have the wisdom and understanding to realise that getting to 4th ( champions league money) while repaying our club’s infrastructure (from alpha to omega) has been priority number 1 since moving. a “but” has no place in what arsenal has been doing the last ten years.

stability and sticking to the plan has been way more important than any “adventure” for shiny metal cups…..

i know it might suck from a fan’s point of view to admit this simple concept, BUT thats the way of business and football is first and above all an industry, then anything else.

if the period of transition meant that we had to approach the subject of football strictly on financial and business terms then we as fans bite the bullet, accept it, support and move forward together as one.

lets not act like men who ve been waiting for sex for 9 months that now after all the “sacrifice” we take our dicks out and start sticking it in her ear nostrils armpits mouths, both down there etc etc

lets keep some class and perspective still.

Without the move there is no way that I would have been able to take my kids to games as I have done in recent years. That said, it saddens me that they never got to see a game at Highbury. The Grove is massively different, but it is up to us as fans to make it as close to Highbury as we can possibly can.

FFP has long been something that I have had grave reservations about. H2H and others highlight many valid points. The MS interview is also damning. The point highlighted by ESSO also tells you all you need to know. If someone like Abramovic can spend in excess of £80 in compensation to sacked managers do you not think that he is able to employ a creative team of solicitors and accountants that can find a way to circumnavigate FFP???? The fact that Platini says that it is his baby and then goes on to say that he is no financial expert tells you all you need to know in my opinion.

I really do not see FFP working at all. I can not see any club of note being expelled from European competition. It just wont happen. If it even comes close then it will constitute the first move towards an European Super League. Money talks. Money will always talk. Sadly we will have to live with that.

ABB, your kind words are always a pleasure to read and gratefully received. Thank you for your contributions. You must surely see your way to making a trip to these shores to take in a couple of games next season? The Tollie and the Grove are calling.

Good morning all!

Oxon, enjoy the final tonight!

What do you guys think? Does Vermaelen have a place in our starting eleven?

This is a suggestion that I, personally, find quite appealing but one it’s one that I’ve never considered before and would have to think about a lot harder before deciding whether I prefer it to the current FFP proposals.

The first two thoughts that occur to me are:

1) It’s so far away from Mr Samuel’s employers’ normal opinions that I’m surprised he’s allowed to express it in their publication; in fact I rather suspect that if it were workable or sensible they wouldn’t publish it; and

2) I’m unsure of the exact figures, but again, I rather suspect that the UEFA prize money pales into insignificance beside the amount that the financial dopers pour into their playthings.

Like many people, I am seriously sceptical as to whether FFP will be strongly enforced, and whether it will bring about the effect that I desire even if it is strongly enforced. However, until a realistic alternative emerges, it’s the only game in town so I, cautiously, support it.

Samuel:” When it started, I would imagine one of the people that you were looking to control would be Roman Abramovich [owner] at Chelsea, because of the idea he is financial doping. Roman Abramovich ended up on your side, on the same side as you. So if he is in favour of your regulations, is that not a clue that the regulations are actually protecting the elite, rather than solving the problem overall?”