A couple of years ago Arteta, Edu, BFG and Josh Kroenke had a conversation that would change our history.
They didn’t need to sit down, and self-reflect. They could have continued being complacent like the club had been for years, our owners making money off Arsenal the brand, not caring what position we finished in.
Our manager spoke from his first day as a manager about lifting the mood around the club, non-negotiable principles, and making a connection with the fans.
Was our ex-captain telling Gooners what they wanted to hear?
Or did he genuinely have ambition to return us to our previous levels?
The Spaniard viewed two 8th place finishes (our lowest finish in 25 years) as unacceptable. See I wasn’t the only one!
While some readers argued it was progress, Arsenal not being in Europe for the first time in a quarter of a century was our rock bottom.
Arteta sat key figures down to discuss how we ensure that never happens again?
The action plan wasn’t just tactics on the pitch, every department of our club was scrutinized.
Arsenal are richer for that conversation. Financially we can rely on Champions League revenue once again, the Emirates has the best atmosphere since it was built, we have an identity in how we want to play, there is a specific profile of talent we want to scout and buy.
As evidenced this week, we are now willing to pay the going rate in the market, something the Kroenke Family didn’t do the last time we were in the top 4.
Arsene Wenger perhaps loved the badge too much to have those conversations, out of loyalty and being his employer’s shield.
We are of course a work in process, with not every aspect of the club perfect.
Perhaps the next area to work on is our conduct when it comes to offloading individuals?
It’s well documented that too many players were perhaps paid salaries they didn’t warrant. Meaning that when this was realised, we couldn’t get them off the wage bill, because no one else would be willing to match their pay.
That’s how we ended up with so many players paid to sit at home, or their contracts ripped up.
It has led to Arsenal manipulating the loan market. We used to use this market as part of a youngster’s development. That still is our policy but more frequently we loan players out as a way to reduce the wage bill, because we are unable to find any potential buyers.
If you think of a Pepe, Cedric, Mari, before that, Maitland Niles, Bellerin; these players are being loaned out knowing they have zero future in North London no matter how they perform, it’s something to do till their deals expire.
They still get the money promised to them, while the club get help covering their salary.
The issue is that we have done that so many times it’s the equivalent of showing everyone your cards.
If we use Rob Holding as an example, of course he’s good enough for someone to pay a fee for him.
Why would an interested party pay a fee when you know that if you wait Arsenal will accept a loan?
Holding played 14 league games last season which unfairly some felt coincided with our loss of form.
He understandably feels he might drop further down the pecking order if Timber is signed.
It would be wrong to say he’s being financially motivated; I can understand why you might want to play 15-20 fixtures for a team who might want to win something, rather than 38 for a mid-table club.
Understandably though, why he should walk away from a year’s pay that he probably won’t get again in his career.
It’s like a game of poker, Arsenal want to sell, but potential suitors know they will cave in and eventually agree to a loan.
Maybe Arsenal have to set a precedent?
Refuse to sell Pepe or Holding unless it’s for a fee.
If we have to keep them for a season that will be better long term because it encourages clubs to pay a transfer fee.
Too many assets have been allowed to leave without their value being met.
Dan
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I won’t argue that we do a terrible job of offloading unwanted players in monetary terms. That said, we need to get them out of the club one way or another. Putting the money piece to one side, it took MA a while to get the right team/squad spirit where it needs to be, and to get there he had to get the disgruntled non playing players away from his chosen disciples. We still have a considerable pile of deadwood to move and we will not be able to sell them all. Cedric, Elneny, Holding, Pepe, Sambi, Tavares and Viera to name a few.
I don’t think Timber’s arrival will threaten Holding’s place as Saliba’s backup. I believe Timber will rotate with White/ Tomiyasu for the right CB and RB roles
However, Holding might need to move to another club, if he’d like to be a main CB. He played well when Saliba was injured, but our attackers gave the ball away too often and it made our defense suffer
As for Pepe, he blew his last chance in France and Marquinhos is waiting for his turn, so Arsenal had better sell Pepe as soon as possible
gai I firmly differ! I see Holding gone for sure before next season and rightly too, He is a great guy but miles below the level we are steadily reaching.
He needs to go too, for himself as much as for us!
I’m sure there are many EPL clubs lining up to sign Holding because of his experience and homegrown status
Not disagreeing but more curious – what if he is okay with the role? do you still move him on? I have this sense that he is content with the role and likes being part of the team – he certainly gives every indication of being a good team player. I think Elneny fits the same bill. Do you keep these guys because they can help in a pinch, know their roles and do their jobs?
I like Holding’s abilities and hope he will stay next season. Unfortunately, Arteta replaced him with Kiwior after a series of disappointing results, which was obviously not Holding’s fault
I think these experiences players like holding and elneny should be kept. Experienced back up and can play in the cups with some of our younger players
i do think some players warrant sticking around and being part of the squad
You will always need good squad players who knows they wont make the first 11 but are happy to assist when called upon. i heard that Holding does a lot behind the scenes in integrating new players. organising stuff and is good in and around the club . whilst we all agree we could upgrade on the field and i am sure he will full down the pecking order as new players come onboard. in but in his defence i like players who seem to wear the badge on the heart and sleeve and keep the up beat mood going when certain time we are down. we have lacked that togetherness in the team and in the fans for many a year. if he is part of tat key member group that helps us in that direction and MA sees that then keep him.
cant speak for players like Pepe and co and maybe it is we need a small fee before we release them, only the top bods will know that.
i do think £105m is to much for a player but on the other side i am over the moon we are competing for top players and having to break records in the transfer market again to secure them. i am not going wax lyrics about Rice as time will tell but IMO he will better us on the park. which hopefully goes a long way to justifying his price tag.
A truly sober minded and profoundly wise summing up of how, til recent times our club was badly drifting, off the field even more than on it.
Those were the bad old days which seem, in near miracle fashion , to have banished to the past, hopefully never to rerurn , thanks lagely to the far sightedness of such as MA, Edu and thrillingly, Josh Kroenke too!
Rightly, optimism abounds, throughout the club AND the team!
The loan market can be of massive help if used correctly.
It’s like a try before you buy in some cases, in others you are getting a talented, motivated young player for a period which you would never be able to afford.
Instead of paying a huge out lay and agreeing an agreeing an expensive contract that would be for years with the player you can pay a loan fee and see how it does.
The players will often eager and motivated to show how good they are he or she could go back to parent club and get a permanent deal there
Or it may be an experience player who doesn’t fit into the style of his parent club but has a lot to offer they will be motivated to try and turn the loan deal into something longer.
But Arsenal can and should use the loan market better to their advantage
Yip our strategy makes zero financial sense.
– Refuse to sell because offers don’t meet our valuation, which simply means our value is arrogant and incorrect.
– Player is frustrated at not being allowed to play but also not being allowed to leave (zero squad rotation)
– Choose to loan out player instead which benefits zero parties
– We almost always have to subsidise wages while on loan
– Player often gets minimal game time on loan
– Contract runs down, player leaves for free or peanuts
Instead of taking what we can get we cut off our nose to spite our face by losing millions on lost revenue and paid wages. If you have zero plsns for z player would you rather have 5 mil + saved wages ….or……0 mil + payed wages a year or 2 later.
Can someone logically defend this for players MA deems not good enough?
Ofcourse we definitely need up our game in the selling department. While most of the time we rip up contracts it’s because nobody will buy them on the inflated wage we gave the players to compensate for a lack of CL and good selling pitch, we have also messed up by not selling at the right moment. That said taking a loss then is what enables us to give compelling wages to the like of Saka and Rice.
I have a different view point. I think the club have executed a brave plan to clear out players for the betterment of the team, sometimes at huge cost to the club. We have a significantly lower wage bill now than our main competitors and is a big reason we have cash available to spend now. Auba and Ozil just two names. IMO that sent a clear message to the remaining players and so last season we start to actually see the plan that was already a couple of years in. And now arsenal have sent a message to rivals we are back in the mix and not just here to make up the numbers.
Arsenal have always been dreadful at managing sales to a high standard ,what’s our record sale 35 million ?apart from Tierney and Partey I cannot see that changing this season (that’s even if they are for sale )and even then the fees that I’ve seen quoted are not exactly earth shattering.
Obviously that will have to change sooner rather Than later when you see the outlay that Stan as given to this management,nearly 600 million (still counting )in 3 years and 80 million back in return .
Just a note: We can’t sell Tierney without a good replacement. Zin get injured and we are done.
As for Pepe, he blew his last chance in France and Marquinhos is waiting for his turn, so Arsenal had better sell Pepe as soon as possible….
If Pepe blew his chance with 8 goals and 1 assist in 28 games then why did Arteta’s bought Haverzt with 9 goals and 1 assist playing as a CF in 47 games. Please don’t come up with weak reason like he wants to use him in Xhaka position as nobody no for sure.
This not me criticizing Haverzt’s acquisition, though I think we pay too much for him, but just trying to understand how you think one failed to impress him and the other justified his acquisition.
The truth is we sign too many average players on huge wages and they are not saleable. Being successful in the league and CL will lift the profile of Arsenal and the players and gradually, if that happens, the players values will go up. Even our top players (until this season) were valued less than they should have been. The bigger the profile, the more you can ask and get. The big payers in our league, don’t or didn’t want our players because they have not won anything. The lesser clubs can not afford them. That is why we are stuck with players or cant move them on.
Mason Mount on 250k rising to 300k per week! More than what Decs will earn! Read Decs will be on around 250 after bonuses!
@Gotanidea on Pepe….I really marvel at the bigotry when people weave up all reasons why average players like Rob Holding should be kept but completely rubbish talented and far more productive players as Pepe.
Fans read a game differently Cypo. Pepe had his opportunities but was so predictable at making the wrong decisions and considering his speed was ever do easily dispossessed. How many times did he trap himself into a corner or failed to pass to a supporting player. The goals he scored mostly came against the run of play, almost a case of where did that come from or where have you been over the past three weeks? At best I would say that he was a one season wonder in France and whoever was responsible for signing him at Arsenal took a gamble, more in hope than anything else.
You do know a coaches responsibility is to enhance the good aspects of a player and minimize the bads ones through a process called………what for it…………coaching
Unless you are a cheque book manager of course
It’s a serious topic and I’m glad someone highlighted this. It’s quite interesting that many overpaid deadwoods were just let go without transfer fees by the club initially. It turned out to be the correct decision. Perhaps now, we can recoup some funds as the loan system can be adversely used as an advertising platform to sell unwanted players.