‘The Self-Financing Model Will Remain”!!! by Dan Smith
When the future of Arsene Wenger was dividing the Emirates, my stance was always ‘things change yet stay the same’. In other words, no matter who the manager the problem of ‘who owned us’ remained. From a PR perspective, it makes sense to wait ’til the team are on a run of victories to quietly announce ‘the self-financing model’ will remain.
So, players will continue to run down contracts to join our rivals, we will put value ahead of quality in the transfer market and we won’t pay over the odds to take that extra step. What’s worse about the club’s statement this week is the use of words, ‘we continue to believe our model works’. Sorry, when since Stan Kroenke arrived in England has his model worked? We are the furthest away from being champions during his tenure. Unless he means us, being a well-run business who make money?
Then there’s the noble idea of by us only spending what we make, the new regime is respecting our proud traditions of doing things the right way. The only thing is we heard that line before. When Roman Abramovich was buying titles for Chelsea, we were commended for building a young team thanks to hidden gems found abroad. Once other millionaires invaded Manchester we learnt that while finding value in the market was credible, the game was going in the direction where you had to accept huge wages and fees.
Apart from Leicester, history shows the more ambitious your owner, the more likely to be champions. City, United and Chelsea are all willing to throw cash around until they win things. When Liverpool, like us, need a defender, look who they brought compared to us! Don’t hide behind the fact we are in the Europa League. For most of his time in North London we had Champions League under the American’s regime and that didn’t change his approach. We still don’t know if Ozil’s contract is a change of policy or a one off, with the club not wanting fans to see the German leave at the same time as Sanchez.
So, nothing will change, the same model as the last decade being used. We will continue to spend more on match days then any fan base in Europe, be part of a TV deal which increases every year while Adidas will soon be paying 60 million to have their logo on our shirts. Yet we won’t change the model? That would have scared away so many coaches from joining us.
Things change yet stay the same? Plus ca change…..
Dan Smith