There is enough proof out there that spending hundreds of millions can buy you a title, Man City, Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain are evidence of that but only up to a certain point.
Those three teams have just the one Champions League between them and at a guess have probably spent close to £2 Billion to build their teams to the level they are at now.
On the other hand, you have teams like Ajax, Tottenham and even 2015–16 Premier League winners Leicester City that have also proven that they can build top-class teams on a low budget.
Recruitment is as much a key to success as spending ridiculous amounts of money and that is an art form that is very difficult to master.
Look at who we have recruited over the last couple of years, most have been failures and even the players that have performed for us, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette as examples, have not seen their value rise too much, if at all.
But then we have Mattéo Guendouzi who cost us £7 Million and is now reportedly worth £60 Million.
We can look at other clubs, Dortmund bought Jadon Sancho for £8 Million and is now worth £128 Million, West Ham’s Declan Rice came through their academy and said to be worth £54 Million and the same with relegated Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon who is now valued at £37 Million.
And before we criticise our recruitment policy too much you have to consider how often our rivals have made huge errors of judgement in the transfer market, Chelsea buying Danny Drinkwater for £35 Million only to become a fringe player and letting the likes of Kevin de Bruyne leave, Man Utd seeing Paul Pogba depart on a free transfer only to buy him back for roughly £90 Million, Liverpool with Andy Carroll and of course, Man City who spend fortunes and discard players as if they were candy in a sweet shop.
Having huge amounts of money helps of course, but it has to be spent wisely and it is not the only way to build a team for the future.
Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers are great examples of excellent recruitment though even the Foxes do get it wrong on occasions as £25 Million flop Kelechi Iheanacho has so spectacularly proven.
If we can get our recruitment sorted out we will be competitive, we will still be able to buy quality players just not as many as our closest rivals but that does not mean we cannot compete as long as we compliment the big name purchases with unknown talent that will develop to the highest level.
Thank you Ajax
Well said, absolutely on point!!!!
Wowing Ajax… Pure talent… Anyone looking at way this Ziyech guy was running? Pure passion and desire
Anyway, this Neres bloke we are supposed to be watching for Ajax, has he even touched the ball yet? ?
Excellent article. People who said Leicester’s, Tottenham’s and Ajax’s successes are just flukes do not respect those teams’ hardwork
The author is correct about Arsenal’s recruitments as well, most of them are disappointing and have little resale values. I know good recruitment might be one of the most difficult thing to achieve in football business, but it is one of the most important factors in building a formidable squad and it used to be Arsenal’s strongest forte
Not sure about Edu, but I have a high hope in the new Spanish management. They also need to nurture the English talents as well, because we have seen what local players’ spirit could change in a big game, such as Liverpool vs Barcelona
Even when we take the europa trophy (which i hope we will) we must all know that it’s only gonna be an exercise in tidying up the cracks. We have fallen behind the sides that are possessed of true quality – currently we’re light-years behind the best players and teams found at home or abroad…
..and through it all Stan still remains silent..
Don’t talk to soon spuds 2 all please don’t let another miracle happen!!
I,m afraid a number of our acquisitions during the latter part of the Wenger era have proved to be grave errors of judgement.Unfortunately this trend has to a lesser extent continued under the stewardship of Emery in the form of Lichsteiner, Socratis and Suarez.(loan)..However the restrictions on our budget may yet have a positive effect by placing more emphasis on acquiring youngsters with real potential rather than more experienced players with little prospect of an uplift in value.From what I’ve seen this season there are some very able young players in the Premier League and indeed the Championship who would improve our squad and in this connection I would urge Emery to have faith in Chambers and Beleik who have both done very well on loan with Fulham and Charlton.
When you dont’ have billions to spend you need to be given time…and that is mostly by fans. But already we see arsenal fans are divided after a short Time on our management so as much as I agree 200%…we wont see a section of fans allow it.
Personally organic growth is likely because of our type of structure at the club and because of the type of manager we have. Let’s see…
Nice article
At the end of the day, signings are an anomoly. It is a lie to think that the transfer fee makes the team better. As an example there are mustafi and Xhaka that are very expensive for what we paid in the respective market.
Kind of like reminds of no more tears. I’ve rubbed this stuff into my head. Now if there are no tears then why am I in fetal position crying like a baby?
#Think about it……..
“It is a lie to think that the transfer fee makes the team better.” So in your opinion the fact that both the PL and CL are only ever won by the same group of teams, who just so happen to also be the wealthiest clubs on the planet, is nothing more than a coincidence?
A yeah, you do get the odd anomaly like Leicester, but I’m talking about the other 99.99% of the time.
OMG ??
Sorry sue. What a game
Sue,
Now we have Liverpool and Spurs final, I know we don’t want either of them to win it, but one has to, so who would you prefer?
Argh…. as much as it breaks my heart to say this.. it’ll have to be Liverpool ? this week has been absolutely horrible…. I take it you’ll be going with them too, Goonerboy? What a bloody nightmare scenario… I don’t think I’ll be watching that final ?
Liverpool v Spurs final it is. Would be typical of us to not go through tomorrow (or Chelsea)
And I was upset last night I feel physically sick!!
Playing dpnt worry about a thing at half time is a sure fire way to fire up the opponent.
Come on liverpool is all I can say now!!
Stuff of nightmares!!
What a week Kieron…. absolutely gutted! I don’t even know what to expect tomorrow……
Sue tomorrow will be fine. I know because Emery knows Europa League, even if he doesn’t know what to do with us, something will work in our favour.
Hahaha….. tomorrow we gonna bottle it as always. Nothing good comes easy, if we dnt play well, then we shud get dumped out. Pathetic bunch of players. Frankly, the team bar laca and Sokratis just irritate me. Never seem to care. They dnt give a damn bout us. How did we ever get here….. there was a time when our players were warriors. Taking every game with passion and an hunger to win. Hard to say this, but congrats spurs!!!
Oh Pat… I hope so, honey… I need cheering up!
@sue
Hi Sue
Yes what a week I dont know what to expect ever with Arsenal these days I was doom mongering and expecting us to go out to Napoli and then the real Arsenal turned up to shock me let’s hope they do tomorrow.
It just all comes back to disharmony and transition I think to see Ramsey in tears at the weekend and the faces of our players looking on. I do hope with the help of edu Emery is bold this summer and aggressive in the transfer market.
We need change also be nice to have bellerin and holding back next season!
Kieron.. it’s hard not to doom monger these days!
Right.. so I’m glad we have a 2 goal cushion (although Ajax had that) I think we’ll need it..the only thing that worries me, is the pressure is seriously on now, with the spuds making the final (damn)… we have to win.. and it doesn’t usually end well when we’re up against it! Certain players worry me, our away form really worries me… haha have I got any positives?! ?
PS yes I agree about Rob & Hector – we’ve missed them, big time. The window will be interesting… I hope this is the start of something good… one can dream, hey?!
That was hard seeing Ramsey crying ☹
We have to support Liverpool. We just have to hope they win 🙂 oh arsenal, look what you make us do.
They are both as hateful as each other, mmmmmmmmmmmm I hope the ref can win…………..what a disaster. I will have to emigrate to mars or Jupiter for the next 2 months.
? agreed, Bur… I think I’ll go for 3 months
The cup is now Liverpool’s to lose.
like I said it’s gonna be a week of comebacks.
it would be a shock if we were to go through
F ref and his extra time, this is a horrible season.
spuds get to the final by moura hatric – an indication of the swallow dive season we had – now all of us are behind the Reds or else one of our worst nightmares is the only other option. Pochitino has said that if he wins the competition only then will he leave…
One thing is certain the europa league as well as the champions league cups will be coming to UK
I’m too numb to feel broken these days
With the way things are going I see a valencia comeback what I week
Will be intresting to see Liverpool vs Tottenham
Arsenal vs chelsea
Ramterta
Going by the comebacks, it will be Frankfurt Vs Valencia for the final….lol
I fancy Tottenham to win it big time
@ramterta
Stop being such a doom monger please!
I’m nervous too and you may be right as we never do too well with a lead it seems no team does this week.
Lets just hope the EL is a different kettle of fish.
I’m just praying spurs dont win the CL just no no!!
Imagine Spurs parading the champions league trophy in their new stadium at the start of next season. Bad enough they are in the final of the champions league right now as it is while we’re hoping to get to the final of the europa league in an away match tomorrow. Scary how times have changed for us…
It goes to show how far we have fallen behind the top clubs. The Europe league is our level now, we are nowhere near champions League
our players need to take an example of this
STAN IS TO BLAME
No are players attitude is to blame.Could you honestly see the Arsenal players fighting back from 3-0.I don’t think so and when the going gets tough tomorrow,and it will,we collapse like a pack of cards
..STAN sees the demise and does nothing – imo he’s got lot’s to answer for
We are to blame. Wenger should’ve been booted AGES ago and we should’ve been more forceful. This is still his mess that we are enduring.
if spuds win CL, don’t think i watch anymore football for the rest of my life untill arsenal win it.
My worst fear. Spurs will win it before Gunners.. and north London will lose his Pride. Kroenke OUT
Worse still, doing it without signing any players both during the summer and in January…
Shame on Arsenal
i really see Spurs winning this trophy
..need to go Specsavers?
Sunday Liverpool win the premier league after 3 weeks Spurs win the champions league
Worst part of this is Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea are all guaranteed Champions League for next season regardless while we have to win the Europa League to even get in the thing.
Enough rubish ans waist of talk. WE are not happy for years and take it on team and coach.
We had thé best in Wenger, Emery a good one but new to EPL doing frankly well.
Look at Spurs, as Wenger built foundations, keeping us on CL, stadium built, it is unity and hzpoy fans as thé building up, staying on top 4 as well used go with no money when we have more.
Wenger loves this club and made his best to keep us happy,. Very protective, take and deal with this board on daily base so many years without a word on respect for thé club. Swallowin his pain with his loving czring smile.
If you take Arsène out of Arsenal, club lose identity!
Wenger was paid to do his job. Stop defending the man. Football is about winning trophies. Chelsea sack an interim Manager who won them the CL. Conte won the league in his first season at Chelsea. He was sacked also..Ranieri won the league with Leicester City. And got the sack the next season. It is a game whereby your results is what counts. Why didnt Arsene bid 45m pounds for Luis Suarez. We could have won the EPL with Suarez then. Arsene Replaced an injured Ramsey with a injured Kallstrom. We had the Spanish waiter(Almunia) for years with his comedy goal keeping. We had Silvestre, Senderos in our ranks. We could not afford to pay Bolton 10m pounds and good wages for the services of Gary Cahill. We could not go all out to get Eden Hazard. The more quality players you have, the better the team. Success brings about more revenue. Other teams investing are not fools. We need top quality signings in order to compete with the very best. Wenger with the board are to blame. And the fans who accepted the mediocrity over the years
Sorry Skills1000, Liverpool would not have sold Suarez to Arsenal for any price. The truth about that deal was Suarez had a £40,Million buy out clause in his contract that under transfer rules should have been accepted. However Liverpool broke the rules and refused to accept them and the deal never happened. In Wengers defence, why should he offer £45,Million when £40,Million and a pound was always enough to set off the buy out clause. Wenger took a lot of stick because of the extra pound but all he done made economic sense. Remember, the man did have a degree in economics.
Apart from that you wrote an excellent article
Wenger is the reason we are awful right now. How can you say you want AW back when he consistently failed in UCL, and was never close to getting EPL in over a decade. You’re ridiculous and your reasoning is why we are bad right now. Thanks for the contribution.
Who’s saying I want Wenger back. I was one of the first who wanted him out as far back as 2008. If you can’t read properly go back to school
RSH, I think your post was aimed at Mogunna. If that was the case accept my apologies.
One of Klopp and Posh is winning something this season, something very big. The only way our days as arsenal fans will be saved next season is to win EL otherwise it will be along season ????
You know how they got to a champions League final? With what money can’t buy.
Us and Man U are shackled by players on big wages that don’t do shit, that’s why we are where we are, and even though we Gunners could still salvage our season, we’re coming up against a “Very Inspired” Valencia side so we shouldn’t write off the possibility that we don’t win a trophy. Especially since Chelsea are after them.
Pochetino is a good coach. Respect. He did not sign any player and is in the final..Sisoko is an engine. Wenger really messed us up. His indecisiveness in bringing in the right players at the right time. We missed out on Mata, CR7, Zlatan, Hazard, Gary Cahill, Sisoko, Drogba, Etou and Suarez. Luiz Suarez had a release clause of 40m pounds. We could have tabled a 45m pound offer to Liverpool and got Suarez. The league could have been ours. Other teams have stepped up. Liverpool with 96 points and still won’t win the league. We need a reality check. Spend big. Invest. No time for trial and error.Invest over 100m pounds. Bring in 3 players. A quality winger(Nebil Fakir). A midfield General(Doucoure) and a Top Central Defender(Koulibaly). This is what we need. We must force the club to invest in these top players. These 3 players would improve the squad tremendously. Even Liverpool spent 75m pounds on a Defender. 60m pounds on a keeper. We pay the highest ticket prices in Europe. And we can’t afford 3 top players. We need to put pressure on the board and the manager. If not, we will continue to play Europa league for the next couple of years.
Spuds win or lose the final they make minimum of around 60M if Winn 100M same for Liverpool which means we go further down the pecking order next season
This is what I have been saying all along. It doesn’t matter what players you have; it’s most importantly the COACH. He buys/chooses players to buy and most importantly instills passion, desire and heart in players. This great team of ours should take a leaf from Champs league and get a better coach otherwise expect more of the same.
Ozil is on that fat contract, if he sees off Emery like he sees off Wenger then he’ll see off whoever our next manager is. We need to change the culture first!
Any sane person can see this coach is bullshit.
1. Players he buys and chooses to play; guendouzi, xhaka, mustafi, Ramsey, Niles. Championship kind of players who are most importantly very slow in decision making.
2. He has successfully made us a backpassing team.
3. No drive, passion, heart in players.
I wish the world can end now ?????
I understand how you feel. Spurs in a CL final. We need to Invest in the team. It will be worth it if Liverpool wins the CL and Arsenal wins the EL. We need to invest in the Club. Emery needs to be brave.
???
I am having headaches, running stomach, joint pains etc. I can’t just believe it.
Palpitations, cold sweats, the shakes, uncontrollable crying…. ?
English teams in the European cups potentially.
Forget the tournaments, if Chelsea and Arsenal make it to the final then this is huge for the clubs.
Forget all the doom and gloom of Spurs winning tonight, sure we will all be liverpool fans on the 1st June but if Spurs win it, does it take away from the success of the Wenger years? No, the league is something I dont see anyone else other then liverpool and City fighting it out (like the days of AFC and MU) for the next 5 years…it might mean Spurs do something but if they deserve it, fair play…I wont let it shape my opinion of arsenal.
They will brag about it and we will need to live with that but that’s footy, that’s life. Let the best teams win the Cups
On the other side it’s a great sign for arsenal. A mini league amongst us 4 and we are not so far off the task at hand.
Everyone keeps saying we are fully of poor players, we are not showing the same consistency, we are an unbalanced squad… but yet we could be one of 4 dominate European British clubs this season…and with this ‘poor’ situation of arsenal, it’s only a good sign surely.
Liverpool 14pts
Arsenal 8pts
Chelsea 8pts
Tottenham 4pts
I know what you are saying Tom, as a ten year old I went to Edmonton Town Hall with half a dozen mates and watched the Tottenham double celebrations in !961, hurt me at the time but had to take it on the chin. Anyway we bounced back and ten tears later we won our own double and went on to even greater heights. Meanwhile Tottenham are still waiting for their next title almost 60 years later.LOL
Tottenham score 1 score 2 still putting more pressure till they got the third goal…Emery will be in such situation he will remove a striker and bring in a midfielder ….. Lacazette out Guendouzi in that’s UE for u.
Emery just start Iwobi tomorrow… don’t be stupid and experiment with this Valencia game I beg of you.
@Mayert
Exactly well said.
If you look at the higher teams poch klopp and pep all seem to be like one of the boys or even one of the team members. The players like them and will do or die for them.
I believe Emery with a Spanish core at Sevilla and Valencia had this. I expect some him within the budget with sold players to start making changes big time. IRS started with Ramsey Cech and welbeck’s wages gone to spend elsewhere.
I hope we buy wisely, heard we were linked with Zaha today!
What lost Barcelona the game yesterday was a decision to put vidal instead of Arthur. I could see it even from the first game that they were clearly dominated in midfield. These are the kinds of stupid decisions associated with poor coaches like ours.
This has to be the most thrilling champions league semis so far….. I’d hate for either of the teams in the final to win it, but at the end of the day…. they earned it, they dug deep and worked hard…… congrats to them….. I don’t think I would watch the final tho…… been a horrible week of football for arsenal fans so far….. I just hope and pray the streak doesn’t continue tomorrow…….. but honestly, I wish our players would see this as a feat worthy of imitating, and not wuss out under pressure every time……. I would have preferred for us to have either of their coaches too…… I should just go to sleep…. good luck to us tomorrow
Haha Guendouzi £60M! You can’t make this up! At least you have given me something to laugh about in this horrible, forgettable night.
Been a horrible 2 days, QD…
Let’s hope it won’t be 3 days Sue, though as an Arsenal fan I’ve had plenty of experience dealing with disappointment. I hope Xhaka doesn’t have another brain fart in the box, Mustafi too. In fact, I hope the prima donnas understand just how important this game is. Surely we can’t screw this up, can we?!
I hope not, but I’m not feeling overly confident right now.. I wonder why ?
The players have to step up, all of them! Oh they’d better not screw it up, I’ll be so angry! ?
Leno, koscielny, mavropanos, sokratis, kolasinac, torreira, suarez, mkitaryan, iwobi, aubameyang, lacazette. Tomorrow if you don’t see a lineup close to this, expect a loss. I am tired of stupid coaches. I was telling people this pochettino guy was also starting to play the stupid delle Allis ahead of Moura now he ironed out his mistakes.
Suarez is injured
Oh how unfortunate! He’s the only decent CAM we have in arsenal. He’s better than ozil, guendouzi, xhaka, Ramsey, Niles etc.
If he doesn’t play then use ozil but only in no. 10 just behind lacazette; and iwobi as the CAM.
If you look st Leicester they didn’t have a bad squad and then they’ve added just a few players such as Ricardo Msdison and Tielemans, (loan) and they look young and dynamic now where as we have Ozil who looks old disinterested and stagnated.
Wolves got their timing right and made use of an unusual situation. Their manager being Portugese raided Sporting Lisbon during their period where the players got attacked by fans and left the club mid contract Everyone says wow How well Eilves have done well yes! Nountiho in his pomp was one of the best, neves, kota, rui Patriciao etc.
This combined with the steely solid championship hardened players like Coady makes them a great proposition.
SPURS are borne on togetherness and Pochs influence and even Everton and Watford are doing better now due to a few subtle signings and togetherness combined with respected managers.
I read an article by Ian Wright saying that Emery had abandoned his philosophy of playing out from the back quickly and pressing hard etc
I think it’s true to some extent last part of the season we have looked lost and almost tacticless, pass the ball and hope for the best.
Our wing backs overlapping when a back 5 seems to be pur relief on but predictable method of attack as we no longer have the skilled players to cut through the opposition as we used to.
We need Ozil to become consistent and influential overnight or leave, we need xhaka to get with the arsenal way ot leave, we need better players than iwobi and niki and Guendouzi needs to spend his season off in the gym.
Ramsey needs replacing as we need ar least two creative midfielders of a high level
Who ever it’s been ozil has always needed another creative eye to play off, Sanchez Ramsey Cazorla, (oh how I miss Santi!) Abd even Griroud allowed Ozil a player to bounce off
Iwobi does it on a good day but not often enough.
How we can have such a poor set up behind two excellent strikers is beyond me and I think leave it to long they’ll feel the same and be looking to leave
@Quantico dream.
Dont worry about mustafi he will no doubt find someone close by to throw his hands up and shout at to clame for his misgivings, that’s the main thing that pi**es me off about him mess up just hold your hand up and get on with it!
Ot and irrelevant to us but city have an issue in an ageing Fernadinho who will they or should they buy to replace him? Personally I think they could go for Kante. Hed fit nicely I reckon and hes not too happy at Chelsea due to Sarri playing him further forward This is not totally irrelevant as my main positive from the season is Torreira. I fear that another club could come up in for him with a large bid
To return to your good and relevant article,the fact that Spurs are in the CL final and have spent less than we have totally vindicates your views.
No sensible fan denies that fact that shrewd buying and selling is a vital component of building a team, alongside the still obvious need to invest substantial funds as well, IF you intend to actually challenge at the VERY TOP. But, we are way, way behind mainly due to the many faults of the last regime in vastly overpaying serial non producers and indulging spongers and poor players with silly contacts which are hampering us daily right now. At the risk of further boring folk, I once again point out the decade long amateur stupidity of indulging the serial shirker Walcott on huge money for hiding on thr field and often being injured of it. A total waste of countless millions for so little in return and virtually no effort on his part at all. Also the constant waste in keeping serial injured players around , not fit but still draining our finances. Then the total waste of millions more on dreadfully sub standard players like Mustafi, Xhaka, Elneny and many more going back years . This will now stop BUT we are running what amounts to a hundred metre sprint whilst starting twenty yards behind our rivals. This is firmly the fault of WENGER, GAZIDIS AND KROENKE, not Emery. Yet still many unthinking reactionary fans on here choose to blame the wrong man. The damage is done and with KROENKE UNWILLING TO STEP IN TO PUT IT RIGHT, WE HAVE TO SOLDIER ON AS BEST WE CAN. ANYONE WHO EXPECTS MIRACLES ANY TIME SOON THOUGH IS LIVING ON PLANET ZOB!