Queensland Road – The Final Piece Of The Jigsaw
Oct 1st, 2009 by 'holic
Praise has poured in from all corners celebrating Arsene Wenger’s thirteen years in charge of Arsenal, and rightly so. Even those authors who spend a lot of time criticising him have gritted their teeth and penned tributes, of sorts.
So many have highlighted his achievements that I have no need to add to those thoroughly deserved tributes. I would, however, like to explain further a most significant reason why I will not be joining the dissenting voices anytime soon.
Those who would criticise Arsene by taking him at his word of not needing to spend any more money on the squad are doing him a disservice. The club are now approaching the end of the second of three parts of the stadium development that will be one of the lasting testimonies to his stewardship. The stadium itself and buildings to the north were completed on time and on budget.
Highbury Square hasn’t fared as well in tempestuous financial times, but it looks as though some surplus should accrue in the next year as that phase is finally completed, and the final payments are made. There remains a third and final phase, and one that could yield huge financial rewards, but the risks are great and have dictated many of the public pronouncements from Highbury House, and Arsene himself, in the last year or two.
In an ideal world, envisaged at the start of the project, a nine-figure profit from Highbury Square would now be available to kick start the Queensland Road development. There might even have been a healthy chunk for squad strengthening from the operating profits of the last three seasons. Sadly the real world kicked in.
That Arsenal now have options available regarding Queensland Road, including running with it themselves, is entirely due to the financial restraint shown by Arsene and the board in these last three years. Restraint which has caused them to be heavily criticised in some quarters, and unable to defend themselves, a situation that continues but will become clearer in time.
So what is it about this last phase that makes all of the pain thus far so worthwhile? Well, the only cost estimate I could find was a figure of £160 million in the Architects’ Journal in March, when the planning application was finally approved.
That sort of money buys you five multi-storey, multi-core, tower blocks on the north side of the road, which will have to be re-sited, and a winding four-storey development to the south. Also incorporated is an indoor sports facility which will have to be made available to the local community.
One of the tower blocks will be an office facility, the others will incorporate commercial premises on the lower two floors with residential property above. On the south side the ground floor will be exclusively commercial with the three upper floors made over to residential. A total of over 700 new dwellings are included, around half of which will be offered for affordable rents in association with a housing association partner.
Those potentially providing the finance will have had an eye on the fact that Highbury Square has not sold out in the anticipated time-frame, and that a portion of the funding has had to be extended for a further twelve months. Hence no rapid start for this final phase, but the fact that Arsenal have managed to turn around sales at their former home, and build a significant sum of cash in hand during difficult trading conditions will have restored confidence.
Now Arsenal face significant decisions relating to this last step. The team assembled by Ivan Gazidis has been put in place with this development in mind. If Arsenal do act under their own steam, then do not clamour for the club to splash huge sums on the squad until it is completed. You will be disappointed in the short-term. However the potential returns from a project of this scale dwarf the returns from Highbury Square, it is clear, and could propel the club to the top of the rich list in world football.
For a while yet we will need Arsene Wenger’s remarkable talent for managing a top four club on a budget. He hasn’t let you down yet. Give him that little bit more time. We owe him that much.
65 Responses to “Queensland Road – The Final Piece Of The Jigsaw”
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This.
An amazing, perceptive insight that no-one else has spotted. A brilliant read, ‘holic. Thank you.
And yes, there’s only one Arsene Wenger. One hopes the players understand this as well?
I’ll have a shot of espresso with a drop of rum to start my morning off, thanks. Not a coffee drinker, but you’ve put me in a good mood.
An excellent piece ‘holic. If the club do have the necessary to go forward with this one then its income will be real and not ‘Real’ in nature. It also puts into perspective that the ‘need’ for a future benefactor in the mould of some Oligarch or other is totally misguided. Yes, it is an ‘if’ but so is everything else when you try and predict the future. It’s no more of a risk than opening your arms towards and laying bare your future on the whims of a billionaire.
I’ll have a rather sober pint of mild please.
Great article Holic.
Thanks both.
If this stops just one person from thinking about abusing Wenger or the board for not splashing the cash then I’ll be happy. I’ve tried not to go into too much detail, just give people something else to consider before sounding off.
Everything that Wenger and this board have done has been for the betterment of the club, what you’ve proposed here is an extension of that and more fuel to use against the hand wringers who claim that only someone like Usmanov can “save” us.
Thanks for this article and keep up the good work.
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Hullo, ‘holic. Just a sambuka tonight pease, guv
Really great article Goonerholic. I just wish some of the other mindless bloggers could follow your lead instead of writing mindless rubbish and talking shit about Mr Wenger. Up the gunners!! EIE!!!
Great read ‘Holic.
We have the the most dynamic blogosphere of the premiership (see http://blog.ecairn.com/2009/09/18/arsenal-wins-the-social-media-league/), Arsenal blogs/sites account for close to 50% of the site of all the other premiership clubs combined.
I do read a lot of these even the ones that make me cringe and you and ArsenalInsider are the only one attempting to explain this side of the Arsenal development. A handful of others mention the topics without pointing at the masterplan and that’s about it.
It’s really a shame because it’s an amazingly well designed long-term plan. Between 10 and 15 years after having left Highbury we are going to become the richest club in England and we will be able to afford winning titles with manager who can only do it by buying the highest-rated players of the moment (like Mourinho or Ferguson).
All this is possible because Arsene Wenger is able to maintain us at the top while spending like a mid-table club. When all this will be achieved many will look back and realise how priviledged they have been to witness this extraordinary adventure.
Thank you again for this piece ‘Holic!
Am actually happy with the squad; I don’t think any spending is needed. Am a bit nervous about our chances but also optimistic. It doesn’t matter to me if Arsene ain’t got the money to spend.
Arsene Wenger is like a mother and Arsenal is his son. And you know, mothers know the best. They will make food out of nothing. They’ll know the danger before anyone will. They’ll have answers to all questions. They just know. And whatever limitation they have in raising their children.. they won’t show it cos mother aren’t weak – they always pull it off.
Am a bit senti today. I came to this country in the same year and month Wenger did. Great 13 years.
Best Arsenal article I’ve read in quite some time. Most of the blogs just repeat what the others write and write headlines to hit the top of newsnow. Real quality site you’ve got going on here ‘holic.
Btw, why aren’t I getting the whole RSS-feed from your site?
HI!,HI!,HURRRAAAY,THE PROFESSOR,THE INSTRUCTOR,THE PILLAR,THE BUILDER,AND FOUNDER IS MAKING HISTORY TODAY AS OUR LONG SERVING MANAGER ALIVE,WE GUNNERS FANS IN NIGERIA WISH U HAPPY RETURN,OUR LEADER ”LE PROF”
stick to the fukin football. money side non of ur bissiness so stop borin us trying to be up ur own ass
Excellent, informative and thought provoking piece ‘holic. It makes a real change from the angst ridden ‘trophies at any price’ mentality that seems to prevail in too many places these days.
Thank you
WENGER OUR MAIN MAN AND OUR LEADER,WENGER,ON YOU WE TRUST TO DELIVER THE GOODS,
Good article holic, you are truly a breath of fresh air in age when every armchair supporter and their dog are writing blogs full of drivel, negativity and ‘post match analysis’ (based on Match of The Day highlights). Keep up the good work.
Thank you ‘holic. I almost despair at the lack of insight and the almost grudging thanks given to Wenger today. Even the more respected Arsenal bloggers seem to feel the need to temper their praise due to their perception of the “spending” issue. Either they fail to take the time to look at the wider strategic issues (as you clearly have) or they just don’t comprehend the bigger long term picture.
Either way I fear a significant element of the current Arsenal support will only really appreciate Wenger and his unbelievable achievements when he is gone. Cheers for helping me keep my sanity!
Some one give nn a drink. He needs a cheering up.
Anton, thanks. I’ve not had any issues with RSS up to now. Probably because no bugger subscribes 😉 Drop me a line, gooner(at)goonerholic.com if it is a problem with what you are seeing, or not seeing as the case may be.
‘holic can you put this in perspective in terms of size and opporation compared to highbury square? I say this not really knowing the specific details regarding HS (you have clearly provided on QR though.)
With the relative failure of HS (compared to initial projections anyway), should we not tread carefully with non-football related projects? Or is the reasoning as follows- build during the downtimes, open and sell when growth has happened and the money is there to reap? (HS happening the other way around!) How much money is QR expected to earn us, does anyone know? Will we learn from our HS mistakes?
Often I like to think of myself educated on the ways of modern Arsenal but this is very much a blind spot for myself (and presumably many gooners). With investment hitting 9 figures (!), we have to approach with caution and understanding. Of course, if it does pull off loose phrases about being the richest club in the country and possibly the continent seem something to salivate over and this can all make us optimistic, especially considering Wenger hasn’t actually spent money in years and made profits in the transfer market for what seems like countless years. (I quipped to a friend the other day that I will literally jump for joy the summer that Arsenal actually come out in minus figures in transfer market because you know it will be for something absolutely special.)
So cautious optimism, and great article, I just wish we knew more.
I had no problem finding this in my google reader.
A few words on Wenger for such an occasion: One thing I haven’t heard or read is how easy he makes it all seem. Open a new stadium and stay competeting on all fronts – easy. Go unbeaten for a season – simple. Buy unknowns that no-one has heard of and play the most beautiful football this side of Cryuff’s noggin – sure, why not. Take a bunch of boozehounds and turn them into the most dynamic side in the country, prolong their careers and change the fitness and training techniques of a whole country’s sporting wisdom – ok. Spend so little in the transfer market, even make a profit a couple years in a row that there are now Championship teams that rival us in spending and be Champions League semi-finalists on such a budget – alright.
No-one has worked harder than this man in the past 13 years. The only manager that is remotely comparable is Pelligrini for his work at Villareal but he didn’t build a stadium, he just inspired one. His wife and daughter must have resented the shit out of Arsene treating Arsenal as his masterpieces, always needing more and ever closer to being perfect (in itself a novelty idea, there were the invincibles and then they retired or got old or crocked or greedy). All mostly done with a smile on his face that said, “I worked harder than you, so I deserve to watch my team pass triangles around your lacksidaisical team. He put in the hours, wait, no, he put in the years creating the scouting networks, the youth team, the youth coaches, the youth training ground, the actual training ground, the new arsenalised stadium, the total football team, the places to go in pre-season (to train, not to pimp us out) and to send our youngsters as feeder clubs, the backroom staff and the great minds trying to make us a financial and footballing powerhouse. He did it all and when I have children and then have them grow old enough to go see what will be the greatest team on earth, it will be him that provided it for us to enjoy.
Samuel,
Thanks for an intelligent question. If only I had an intelligent answer!
In simple terms the development at Queensland Road incorporates around 50 homes more than the Highbury Square project, and then a significant commercial aspect which did not exist in phase two.
Timing is everything. Construction costs will start to rise as the economy improves, but the values of the properties have to keep pace with those increases, and they will largely need to transact the sales within the timeframe of any finance agreement, or face potentially crippling secondary finance arrangements. This is what nearly happened at Highbury.
The options open include getting a property developer to ‘partner’ in the project and share in the risks/spoils. Obviously it is a lot more complex than this, but hopefully you have a flavour of the sort of decisions that need to be taken, and their potential effects, both positive and negative.
Interesting perspective. I read somewhere, may have even been in this weeks report on the financial statements, that the club was in serious talks with Newlon Housing Association to pre-sell all the affordable housing on the Queensland Road Development. It’s not absolutely clear how much is designated as social/affordable housing but it is at least a third and possibly two thirds if I read it correctly. This should mean the development costs could be substantially funded if the deal is done.
Cheers ‘holic.
I’m told it is fifty percent, Amos.
The money from Newlon is largely earmarked for the initial costs involved with site clearance and preparation. Obviously the big money in the residential side of the development comes from the other half of the construction.
It is covered in the financial report. It seems that 729 residential units are to be built of which 213 to the south of a realigned road will be affordable housing and 2 of five towers to the north housing the remaining 516 units are also affordable housing. There’s a fair amount of commercial development involved as well so the numbers are going to be hard to understand but the affordable content is in value terms likely to be a good bit less than 50% I guess. The club has always maintained that the property finance is ring fenced from the football side. That may be true in that any loans are secured against the property development but I guess there is only one source of funds from which to service the loan interest payments.
Absolutely correct Amos.
I cannot go into why that much talked about ‘ringfence’ is important, but it is true that if anything went perilously wrong with the property deals, the football club would survive.
Trust me though, the football income and cash in hand is critical to any funding.
Your becoming HolicOracle (or does OracleHolic sound better?), old timer. Great piece.
How could I not trust you ‘holic? I think the earlier loan covenants also required a commitment to holding a solid cash balance. At the end of May the club were holding almost £100m in cash. They have since reduced the Highbury Square loan by £90m. It seems £41.4m of that came from the block sale to London & Stamford. The other £50m could have come from further sales but also the £40m from the Adebayor/Toure sale. The club should still be sitting on the majority of that £100m which should be added to over this season from football income and the rest of the 200+ HS properties as they are hopefully sold off. I agree that until the Queensland Road development is completed there’ll still be a level of financial caution but I reckon that the brakes will still be coming off progressively over the next season or two.
Well if Kenyon can make Man utd and Chelsea that well known across the world, then Gazidas should be able to do a much much better job.
The only problem Arsenal face is that Wenger will never take an Arsenal team out of Europe so no fans in asia or USA could ever watch them live to get more fans.
I believe that Arsenal have a greater selling point across the world with some of the younger players comming through and our style of play compared to Chelski. Already there is a large base of fans in Africa and USA.
I take it we all saw the Hill-Wood piece?
Hill-Wood said: “He seems happy in his job here, it is very fulfilling for him. I can see him doing it for another 10 years – but that is up to him.
“I don’t want him to leave but he is very much his own man. He has a nice job here – he is well paid and has no interference.
“He doesn’t have a president buying players for him and telling him how to coach them and also to pick the team for him. He would tell us where to go if we ever suggested that. Not that we ever would.”‘The way we play is all credit to him’‘I can see him here for another 10 years’
There is an interaction between those two that people don’t, or won’t, appreciate.
Some people see the love but don’t appreciate it ‘Holic: what makes ANR and legrove rant even harder is that they know the board loves Arsene. They don’t understand one bit of what’s happening at the club and would like nothing more than a take-over to have us become the next Madrid / Citeh and buy our success with the stars of the moment . The transfer frugality, perseverance to grow players and good financial results are what makes Arsene’s performance even more appreciated by the board to the despair of these lost souls.
BTW today Jammathon exposed Palmer for who he is. Great post that!
PS: apologies for all the spelling errors in my previous comments, it’s unworthy of your blog. I promise to proof-read my stuff before posting, please don’t ban me meanwhile 😉
Goonerholic,
Thanks for your wonderful article. Your blog, Untold Arsenal (http://blog.emiratesstadium.info/) and Arseblog are the best, You guys offer far away fans such as myself a lot of insight to what is really happening in London.
Best Regards,
Otariq
Great stuff, ‘holic, as always. Good to have a different perspective that is not reported elsewhere really.
And I’ll have a brandy to celebrate this piece and Arsène, before hitting the sack.
Thank you.
while all this is all very well and good it is of no concern to the fans in the here and now. arsenal’s primary goal is to win first and foremost on the pitch and not build property empires. if wenger’s team fails again this season then it is time to change policy and start spending money on men not boys. wenger said as much last season and he will be held acountable if his pampered wannabes fail to live up to his and our expectations. i will say good luck to mr wenger because we are going to need it as it’s a dirty football world out there. let’s hope your boys have toughened up and are ready to fight…
arsenal holdings should sell that land to a real property developer and be done with it like they should have done with highbury, and start to work again on the football club.
Thanks for mentioning us and all the best to Arsenal !
Arsenal has had a great plan based on real estate since they embarked on this project. I just wished they could speed up the devlopment of the shirt-selling and sponsor bit also. That is an area we are really underperforming in.
Yes , Yes , Yes,
Sounds great doesnt it !
We want the investment in the team now, we want to win things now,
The new development sounds great until the next problem crops up.
I have heard it all before.
I and lots of other senior fans want to see us win things now as it might be to late for some of us if we are always told its tomorrow,
Come you Gooners
Thank you ‘holic. You always point to the right direction.
If this new news that all the fools don’t know about is true then that may be great for some 5 year old to wait until they are 20 to reap the rewards but there are thousands paying through the nose right now who want to win things. What do the people paying get out of this investment apart from loving the Team they support. Will Arsenal give them all a share incentive?
Why should the people who stick their hands in their pockets every year not be able to have a say on whats happening, and why should they have to wait years for things to happen only for our rivals to get further ahead and ruin the dream.
I agree that abusing Arsene and Co isn’t right but being unhappy with what he and others at our Club are doing isn’t a crime also. Arsene HAS been great for Arsenal but for those who can remember we have a great history before he arrived. We are not Arsene FC we are THE ARSENAL.
By the time we get to where we want to be there will be a couple more Sugar Daddy’s in place and who knows that mob up the road might get one for themselves. What then Arsene lovers? What will happen to the Project we are on now?
The League are already trying to penalise the Clubs who invest in buying abroad so what will happen when we get these Millions to spend on top players but not able to use them because they are not British or own grown?
Arsene Wenger I am as proud as all Arsenal fans that you are our Manager and for what you have done but a God you certainly are not. I hate the lies you tell and I hate the way you play players who are simply not good enough to fit into your own Team. There are lots of negatives simply because there are other Managers more successful than you with poorer players. You know a decent player better than anyone but still you persist in playing 8 decent players with 3 really average ones.
I guess in 2/3 years time if young Jack will wait we will be saying great player but no experience. The fat Chav playing at the Mancs is still a baby in football terms but look where he is at in his career.
We are greatness ready to happen but we are being held back by Arsene and his regular little crew who simply aren’t good enough. If the Kids are as good as everyone says then play them and keep the money, OH and tell us the fans the truth.
I couldn’t care less about the flats and development going on outside the Stadium but I do care about my Team.
13nn
stick to the fukin football. money side non of ur bissiness so stop borin us trying to be up ur own ass…..
Really dude, are you that incredibly short sighted and stupid to not understand the two go hand in hand? Dumb fool
All this talk about profits and the secure future is fine.But i do sometimes wonder why should arsenal fc,a football club, get into property development and stuff which obviously requires a lot of effort and which also involves huge ‘non-football’ risk and creates a pressure on the footballing side too. Just assuming for a moment wenger was tempted for real madrid or france(i know he won’t) or arsenal don’t qualify for ucl or property market crashes even more than it did, it would have resulted in increased debt and even lesser spending on players,losing the fan base and an empty emirates.
Lovely article Holic. Emirates Stadium is a great project and already we are seeing the results – our gate receipts are more than £3m each game which is fantastic. Most clubs would give an arm and a leg for that. Yes, there have been distractions because of slump in property market, but I dont think its doom and gloom as people make it out to be.
35now, not 2mrow & 40el tel
Let’s go through some things:
People pay (or they wait on the longest season ticket queue in the country) to watch beautiful competetive football from a team they love. There is no devine right to win anything but considering we have made 3 finals in the past year, a couple more semi finals, once gone unbeaten, once came close second and once finished 4 points adrift in the past 5 years then I cannot take anyone seriously when they say we haven’t competeted for honours. If you wanna kick that up a notch and say people aren’t getting beautiful football for their money then you need to see the inside of a psych ward.
Don’t want to see kids? Well, we have achieved all of the above with the likes of Theo and Cesc etc. as teenagers or young adults. There is a reasoned ideal of 27-31 being the peak ages of a typical outfield footballing career and the invincibles had an average age of 28 if I remember correctly. You know the average age of the team that played in the Champions League semi-finals? 23. And that is excluding the age gap between Vermaelan and Toure, proof that we actually got younger and better. So you don’t want to see these players already competiting at the highest levels grow up? Quite frankly, we don’t need anymore players until contracts break or players retire unless Iker Casillas becomes available. Learn as a team, love the club, learn from your mistakes (the mistakes you were making as the lowly types who made 4 points off the top of the league or destroying Premiership teams on your Carling Cup professional debuts) and become the best. It will happen, you are fucking stupid if you think otherwise.
You know the last time we spent money in the transfer market? I honestly can’t remember. And yet we keep getting better. Why buy a DM when Song is already looking like the best in the league this season? Need another one? Why can’t we assume that the fella who found Petit and Vieira and Edu and Gilberto and Flamini and Song and Denilson put his faith in Frimpong and Coquelin for good reason? Too impatient to wait? Well then it is good that Song will be in the first team for the next ten years! If we ever do have a problem area, or see the next Arshavin oh how actually spending some of the money acquired from Adebayor/Toure or Bentley/Diarra sell on fees or whatever would cover it easily. Can the world obviously say that Blaise Matuidi is worth more of our money and effort than waiting around for Coquelin though?
Anyway, as (I think) Amos pointed out upthread, now that Highbury Square is starting to look safe, the training wheels can come off. We can start spending a little of that money you are so obviously annoyed to be spending seeing such beautiful competetive football. The conundrum? Song’s starting to look the best in the league, Theo’s starting to bring consistent performances of excellence, the teenagers are growing up, turning into players of the highest class and really starting to look like a team to fear. People call for more Vermaelan-esque purchases but where would they go exactly? Was Sagna himself not a Vermaelan-esque purchase? Replace Diaby? Ok, we only have Nasri and Rosicky and god forbid Denilson, Ramsey, Merida or Wilshere (only 1 of which is over 23 but all extremely talented). Clichy? Some more obscure parts of the internet are already contemplating Gibbs going to South Africa as Cole’s understudy. Spending isn’t needed on rash ideas of those unhappy with their team – a team that made two semi-finals last season – would also mean less money when we want to buy a superstar or more likely replace Gallas, Silvestre and Senderos when their contracts expire at the end of the season.
You say that there might be more sugar daddies in other teams futures, so why bother? Well let’s look at this two ways:
1. Sugar daddies are notoriously unreliable. 2008 was plagued with rumours that Roman Abrahamovich was going to sell Chelsea and leave them owing him HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS for all that he loaned (not invested) from his own pocket and these rumours are still here today. He certainly doesn’t seem happy and the ‘investment’ in the team has dried up. They certainly look like they will have a shakey next decade considering the majority of the team is around the 30 mark with no-one to replace them and Abrahamovich not happy to replace them. Portsmouth and Notts County are supposedly not paying their players correctly – they are literally treating them like plaything slaves! Do we not want to compete against these types abusing the game we cherish and hopefully change a few minds about how to play with dignity and respect?
2. So what if there will be more sugar-daddies? These three buildings (Ashburton Grove, Highbury Square and Queensland Road) were projected knowing the richest pockets in the world were starting to take an interest and to help us seriously compete. Not only would we be in an extremely rich standing when it ends, we will also have the respect and trust of any bank as the richest and smartest run business so if we were to have a future manager go mental and do the Arsenal Galacticos, we would be able to accrue the loans to make it possible on the strength of our past achievements. That is not to say we won’t be able to make our own Leo Messis, Xavis, Puyols and Iniestas – our academy system is not 10 years old but has already produced Wilshere for pittance, and there is talk of that Afobe kid being the best English striker since Owen – making how much other clubs have in their sugar daddies pocket seem irrelevant.
varun: The ‘ringfence’ is mentioned many times for a reason – the footballing side is not effected by additional non-footballing investments. Wenger is not attracted to other clubs so it is a moot point of scaremongering. We do things like QR even though they are ‘a lot of effort’ because dispite there are little risks (even throughout its problems HS is still to produce a profit), the outcome might be worth it to the tune of being UNDOUBTEDLY THE SELF-FINANCING SPORTS TEAM IN THE WORLD if it pulls off.
I also thought we did things like HS and QR as it was investing in Islington and the surrounding infrastructure. The original case for a new stadium was based on a long term commitment to put something back. Why would our classy outfit want to renege on that?
el tel: Thank you for making us us laugh big time (unwillingly I’m afraid). The day you crawl here to write “but a God you certainly are not”, Cesc Fabregas begged to differ the SAME DAY in an interview with the Sun, aptly titled “ARSENE IS OUR GOD” http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2664942/Arsene-is-our-God.html . Timing couldn’t be more perfect…
BTW rather that splashing your uninformed venom here, just crawl back to le-grove which is your base and where anyone who begs to differ with your like-minded fellow tantrumers/unsupporters gets shouted down or banned?
Excellent article ‘holic.
The proportion of affordable housing in the new venture seems to be extremely high, no doubt due to the high profile nature of the club. But that number of low cost/ housing association properties will require a major commitment from the local authority, which will be used as a plus to tempt the new investors as they come with guaranteed payment schedules and shows them in a very good light.
That wasn’t me back there, ‘holic, honest. Thanks for putting it in language that anyone could understand, even a thick old sod like me. I honestly believe the club could have come out with something similar without pissing off any potential investors. More of the supporters would have understood and shown more patience I reckon. Still, at least they have you batting for them. Gazidis should give you a job. Keep it up mate.
Heh!
Thanks all for some great comments (on both sides of the divide!).
old, I don’t think they will employ me now, having turned me down over thirty years ago for a vacancy in the ticket office.
Funny how different things could have been.
They obviously saw some sort of tout in you ‘holic! I once met a bloke in a pub who worked in the accounts department at Arsenal – he said he wasn’t even a fan – typical isn’t it.
As it’s Friday I will have to have something from the top shelf, how about one of them French brandies, the ones with all the dust on…
Actually, Snail, I have treated myself to a bottle of Calvados. You are more than welcome to a drop. It is scrummy in the extreme 😉
Calvados? Hmmm, don’t mind if I do.
…and Samuel, half a dozen times now I have gone back and considered your last comments. You should be writing a blog, and I should be adding my opinion. Thanks for dropping by. You are an asset to this place, and there are a growing number of those.
Cheers.
Great article and some interesting comments.
I am more than aware that we are in the middle of a financial crisis and I am also more than aware that we need to continue to keep a close eye on our own spending. But what frustrates me at times is hearing or reading the various statements that come out of the club. The ones that say how great our turn over is. The ones that show us as one of the wealthiest sports clubs in the whole wide world. And the ones that say we have millions to spend.
It costs me a great deal of my hard earned money to follow my beloved football club. But I guess I am no different to the vast majority of people that read these pages in the fact that I think we are weak in certian areas, and that I wish we had added a few players to the squad in the summer. AW apparnantly had 30 mill to spend. He spent 10. We managed to increase the coffers with sales amounting to a total of 40 mill. That should leave AW with 60 mill to spend, if he so decides. For some reason he decided that he did not need to spend. Despite admitting in the summer that we lacked experience, and despite the fact that we let 2 more expereinced players go. I am still trying to figure that one out.
Does the current climate mean that we have to sell each season just to survive and pay off the debt? Yes, I am fully aware that in years to come that we should be making millions. But my fears are for now. If we finish out of the top 4 this season, who do we have to sell then? Cesc? Arshavin? RVP, Theo?????
I guess that what I would really like is to actually hear an honest statement issued by the club at some stage. I am a massive AW fan and can not thank him enough for what he has done. I also hope that he stays for many years to come. But if he really does have that amount of cash to spend and he has chosen not to use it then another blank season will not go down well. Remember, the current economic situation hits supporters as well. I take it I am not the only who has noticed the increase in games that have gone on general sale this seasn??????? It is a very fine balancing act. I just hope the club come down on the right side.
I didn’t realize you were a consultant , Holic. That was a great article.
‘Holic – Ha, thank you! In all honesty, I have thought about it but I don’t have the knowledge or the originality to attempt something I’d consider worthy of kicking it with yourself, goodplaya and Young Guns (as my favourite three Arsenal blogs).
(Like everyone in the free world though, I do have a blog: http://samuel-and-the-new.blogspot.com/ Alas it is not actually very interesting and I only use to it to encourage myself to try new things and organise myself a little. I only started it the other day because my journal ran out and I couldn’t find one I liked around town! So if you want to read about jazz, an undying crush I have on a girl that lives hours away and whether I remembered to apply for jobs today or not, go ahead.)
Oh and I forgot 1 website I love – Vital Arsenal. Which reminds me, Amos! – I have attempted to sign up to vital arsenal a while back but was never sent a password or confirmation email or whatever it was I was supposed to be sent and now I try to sign up with my email and it says I already have an account (one I cannot sign in with). Any tips?
Drop a line to Rocky, he’ll sort you.
Yes – do mail Rocky via the Vital Arsenal front page – he should be able to put things right. Or if you have another e-mail address try re-registering. Would be good to see you over there sometime. The handful of decent blogs are worth your patronage. It’s not unlike having a pint in each of a few pubs to and from the ground.
I emailed the editor. Cheers for the help.
Steve T – A quick one before I go watch ‘im from Countdown: We make a healthy profit year on year so we obviously do not need to sell players. Considering it hasn’t been spent doesn’t mean it disappears – if we wanted to buy a ‘special’ expensive player or two, we would be more likely to do so due to from saving up! And your other point – why not buy if we lack experience? The simple answer is that for that we would have to buy a whole new team. We do not lack quality in any position, in fact one could make a case of being the strongest side in the league in quality, but we went the oft-awkard way we did because Wenger obviously values being able to train players in our way of playing and to garner a love for the club from a young age more than experience. And experience will come naturally anyway! (Look at Song for example, he seems to have earned his chops a little more every game!). My third point is that this week we have really learnt that there may not be any real players out there to buy. Wenger has admitted the extent of how much he has watched football, of top leagues and obscure, and how much he can talk to anyone about any aspect of the game in various interview anacdotes. This morning I also had the misfortune of being sent an article from the Daily Star written by Paul Merson but it also seemed very worth reading on this matter from someone who has seen Wenger’s transfer dealings a lot closer to hand and had the pleasure of meeting and playing for the man!
Going back, that spirit and love for the club is an underrated quality, while I think about it. Eboue, by all rights, would not have been blamed if he threw up two fingers and left the club after how we treated him but he is still here and playing out of his skin in the name of the badge and the boss. These players might not be the most experienced but they certainly will do anything they can for the club and don’t you forget it.
Nice blog Samuel – I see you hail from Berkshire too – another M4 corridorite!
Samuel. You make some interesting and valid points but I must say that I do not agree with everything you say. I think one of our biggest problems is that we lack experience. I have said this many times. There are the players out there and some indeed have moved in the last 12 months. But we have not been interesed. If we had kept the likes of Flamini, Diarra, Hleb, Kolo etc etc I would be far happier. We did not and in my opinion have not found adequate replacements. Our centre back pairing is as god as anyones. But beyond that worries me. You can not tell me you fancy Big Phil up against the likes of Torres, Rooney or a Drogba? For me it is all about the ballence between youth and experience. You only need to look at the impact that Arshavin and Vermaelen have made, to see examples of that.
I understand what you say about the improvement Song has made but I must admit that at this stage I m far from convinced that he is the answer. I sincerely hope that I am very wrong.
My worst fears are that when the games are coming thick and fast and we start to pick up injuries and suspensions at the wrong tme that lack of strength in depth will again be our un-doing. That would be criminal if we are sat with an unused transfer kitty of 70 million. As I have said re Song, I sincerely hope that I am wrong and come May we are all celebrating.
Looking forward to a good 3 points tomorrow. Results today have done us no harm at all.
Keep the faith.
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