Arsenal 2017/2018

[0161_UNITED]

Not sure how accurate this is:
http://www.totalsportek.com/money/arsenal-player-salaries/

But it is an interesting look, after I read some rumour on here that they are strapped for cash because of their wages. I look at it and think, first off, look at the wages of Mertesacker, Cazorla, and Wilshere. They might not even play.

With Gibbs and Ox off, they gained some wages back, and after that you can see they'll get quite a bit back if Ozil and Sanchez are off and from there they can start to rebuild, but as things stand they'll get nothing in transfer fees for them. Mertesacker should be off the books next season, as well as others. Basically, it looks like squad rebuild is primed to happen next year.

The issue still remains, though, if you take Ozil and Sanchez off the books, and the contract expirations, when I look at the remaining players, there so few nailed on starters: Cesc, Kalasinac, Koscielny, Bellerin, Lacazette. The rest still seem to be a mix of rotation players and fringe players.

I'm starting to think that the plan was keep Sanchez and Ozil one more and start the rebuild next season, hoping against hope they'll be competitive this season, while desperately planning an overhaul next Summer.

Maybe the market will stabilize next Summer, but all signs point to transfer fees being astronomical again next Summer. Arsenal may really rue not cashing in on the likes of Sanchez and Ozil. If I was an Arsenal, I'd rather be sitting on a pile of cash and watch players who might actually give a shit like say, maybe Walcott, play this season.

In other words, I'd accept writing a season off as a rebuilding project, build a real warchest, and get exited about, also some of those rotation players might actually nail down a spot.

I always thought of LvG's first season, the same way, he just cleared house to free up our wages. Sure, he made some mistakes. The problem is, and I think we're seeing this not just with Arsenal, but with United as well, is that the massive wages players are on, clubs can't transfer them out. The clubs are having to wait for contracts to expire for the players they want gone, I suspect.

 

[iKnowNothing]

Not sure how accurate this is:
http://www.totalsportek.com/money/arsenal-player-salaries/

But it is an interesting look, after I read some rumour on here that they are strapped for cash because of their wages. I look at it and think, first off, look at the wages of Mertesacker, Cazorla, and Wilshere. They might not even play.

With Gibbs and Ox off, they gained some wages back, and after that you can see they'll get quite a bit back if Ozil and Sanchez are off and from there they can start to rebuild, but as things stand they'll get nothing in transfer fees for them. Mertesacker should be off the books next season, as well as others. Basically, it looks like squad rebuild is primed to happen next year.

The issue still remains, though, if you take Ozil and Sanchez off the books, and the contract expirations, when I look at the remaining players, there so few nailed on starters: Cesc, Kalasinac, Koscielny, Bellerin, Lacazette. The rest still seem to be a mix of rotation players and fringe players.

I'm starting to think that the plan was keep Sanchez and Ozil one more and start the rebuild next season, hoping against hope they'll be competitive this season, while desperately planning an overhaul next Summer.

Maybe the market will stabilize next Summer, but all signs point to transfer fees being astronomical again next Summer. Arsenal may really rue not cashing in on the likes of Sanchez and Ozil. If I was an Arsenal, I'd rather be sitting on a pile of cash and watch players who might actually give a shit like say, maybe Walcott, play this season.

In other words, I'd accept writing a season off as a rebuilding project, build a real warchest, and get exited about, also some of those rotation players might actually nail down a spot.

I always thought of LvG's first season, the same way, he just cleared house to free up our wages. Sure, he made some mistakes. The problem is, and I think we're seeing this not just with Arsenal, but with United as well, is that the massive wages players are on, clubs can't transfer them out. The clubs are having to wait for contracts to expire for the players they want gone, I suspect.

Agree with your post, except for one likely typo.

 

[Minimalist]

Don't think that website is known for it's accuracy.

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

Not sure how accurate this is:
http://www.totalsportek.com/money/arsenal-player-salaries/

But it is an interesting look, after I read some rumour on here that they are strapped for cash because of their wages. I look at it and think, first off, look at the wages of Mertesacker, Cazorla, and Wilshere. They might not even play.

With Gibbs and Ox off, they gained some wages back, and after that you can see they'll get quite a bit back if Ozil and Sanchez are off and from there they can start to rebuild, but as things stand they'll get nothing in transfer fees for them. Mertesacker should be off the books next season, as well as others. Basically, it looks like squad rebuild is primed to happen next year.

The issue still remains, though, if you take Ozil and Sanchez off the books, and the contract expirations, when I look at the remaining players, there so few nailed on starters: Cesc, Kalasinac, Koscielny, Bellerin, Lacazette. The rest still seem to be a mix of rotation players and fringe players.

I'm starting to think that the plan was keep Sanchez and Ozil one more and start the rebuild next season, hoping against hope they'll be competitive this season, while desperately planning an overhaul next Summer.

Maybe the market will stabilize next Summer, but all signs point to transfer fees being astronomical again next Summer. Arsenal may really rue not cashing in on the likes of Sanchez and Ozil. If I was an Arsenal, I'd rather be sitting on a pile of cash and watch players who might actually give a shit like say, maybe Walcott, play this season.

In other words, I'd accept writing a season off as a rebuilding project, build a real warchest, and get exited about, also some of those rotation players might actually nail down a spot.

I always thought of LvG's first season, the same way, he just cleared house to free up our wages. Sure, he made some mistakes. The problem is, and I think we're seeing this not just with Arsenal, but with United as well, is that the massive wages players are on, clubs can't transfer them out. The clubs are having to wait for contracts to expire for the players they want gone, I suspect.

The fact is that is difficult to rebuild if you don't qualify at least for the Europa League. I can't see us doing it this season.

 

[Crackers]

The fact is that is difficult to rebuild if you don't qualify at least for the Europa League. I can't see us doing it this season.

United did it? Why can't Arsenal? I don't think Europa League is your problem here. It's Wenger and Kroenke

 

[RedPed]

The only way out of this mess is for Arsenal to get relegated and do a Man City. They need to have a Phoenix-like rebirth. I know fans won't give up their season tickets, which is fair enough. But if they really want to effect change for the greater good, they really need to stay away from the Emirates in numbers. Somehow it needs to be a concerted effort but it'll never happen.

 

[giorno]

No top manager will save them. They need to spend. And spend big. Anyone who thinks that a top manager will go there on the budget of Wenger and win the league is deluding themselves.

Their wage bill is only some £20m less than city/united/chelsea. It's a myth that they don't spend big. They do, they just spend a lot of it on fringe players that never get to play. And even despite that, their team is good enough that it should have at least been able to put in a proper challenge for PL title in the last 4 years. The amounts of times they got absolutely slaughtered in big games is also a huge indictment against wenger's ability as a coach

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

United did it? Why can't Arsenal? I don't think Europa League is your problem here. It's Wenger and Kroenke

The fact is that Wenger and Kroenke have dragged us so down another manager would have a mountain to climb.

 

[Nevilles.Wear.Prada]

Arsenal is finished. They will do a blackburn in 10 to 12 years time.

 

[Dirty Schwein]

Stan Kroenke effectively saying he's not competing on spending with the big boys throws water on the whole Wenger out campaign to be honest.

Fans thinking Wenger stepping down is the dawn of a new day will be in for a huge shock.

Given all the turmoil in the support base you have to ask why Arsenal get away with charging fans insane amounts for those tickets. A boycott would bring the club to it's knees but years later I'm still in the dark as to why this is off the table.

But Kroenke didn't play Liverpool with Lacazette, Kolasanic and Giroud on bench, Bellerin at LWB and Montreal as CB the week before

 

[Liver_bird]

They should have built a team around Ozil. He's won cups but he's wasted his peak years there, such a talented player and an absolute joy to watch. Incredibly underrated cause he doesn't run 50 yards back to his own box and make a sliding challenge cause Welbeck happened to shin it back to his own goal attempting to shoot.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

A boycott would bring the club to it's knees but years later I'm still in the dark as to why this is off the table.

Problem with boycott is the vast majority of match day revenue comes from the elite hospitality market. So even if 20k from the 'blue collar' seats boycott if all the corporate hospitality seats still apend money Kroenke won't even take notice.

I agree we should boycott more but I fear those protests need to be on some ranch im Texas to register with silent wanker.

 

[AshRK]

They should have built a team around Ozil. He's won cups but he's wasted his peak years there, such a talented player and an absolute joy to watch. Incredibly underrated cause he doesn't run 50 yards back to his own box and make a sliding challenge cause Welbeck happened to shin it back to his own goal attempting to shoot.

I was a huge fan of ozil but to call him underrated is a joke. If any thing he has been the most overrated player. He has made zero growth to his game, becomes a liability when things get tough. He is not a leader to have a team built around him. Yes Wenger is doing him no favour but he himself doesn't do any favour for himself. He has to do more.

 

[WackyWengerWorld]

They finished below Spurs in a season when Leicester won the league, Chelsea imploded and Utd completely stagnated.

The regular pastings they received also can't be chalked up to lack of spending. Half of Europe don't get those season in season out.

We shouldn't have done but we finished above the Spuds that season

 

[WackyWengerWorld]

They should have built a team around Ozil. He's won cups but he's wasted his peak years there, such a talented player and an absolute joy to watch. Incredibly underrated cause he doesn't run 50 yards back to his own box and make a sliding challenge cause Welbeck happened to shin it back to his own goal attempting to shoot.

We pretty much have built around allowing him luxury of. Whether we've given him enough runners is another matter.

The problem with Ozil isn't merely he doesn't track back. He can be easily pushed off the ball at times. He often doesn't bother to beat his man when he could. He doesn't sprint often enough at all, whether forward or back. He doesn't have a shot on him and he's scared to have a shot most of the time. He's the quintessential lazy playmaker because he does pick passes, dribble and moves into space very well.

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

So the Daily Mail already calls Lacazette a flop. No doubt about it. They just hate us.

 

[Loke]

Problem with boycott is the vast majority of match day revenue comes from the elite hospitality market. So even if 20k from the 'blue collar' seats boycott if all the corporate hospitality seats still apend money Kroenke won't even take notice.

I agree we should boycott more but I fear those protests need to be on some ranch im Texas to register with silent wanker.

Also loads of tourists that come from all over the world to have a chance to watch their team. They are not going to give up one of few chances they get to do it.
Also a reason why atmosphere is rather dull most of the time, not everyone can be vocal like the locals

 

[Rooney in Paris]

So the Daily Mail already calls Lacazette a flop. No doubt about it. They just hate us.

Are they actually calling him a flop? Cos they've indicated the same with Sanches and he hasn't even played yet.

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

Are they actually calling him a flop? Cos they've indicated the same with Sanches and he hasn't even played yet.

They have chosen the best summer signings, tbh. It sounds like Sanches and Lacazette are not gonna do well for them.

 

[Rooney in Paris]

They have chosen the best summer signings, tbh. It sounds like Sanches and Lacazette are not gonna do well for them.

They're idiots then. Lacazette will be fine (a bit expensive I think but overall fine) and Sanches has bags of potential, how can you label him not good for the Swans now?

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

They're idiots then. Lacazette will be fine (a bit expensive I think but overall fine) and Sanches has bags of potential, how can you label him not good for the Swans now?

Exactly. It's a stupid choice by the Daily Mail.

 

[M18CTID]

Problem with boycott is the vast majority of match day revenue comes from the elite hospitality market. So even if 20k from the 'blue collar' seats boycott if all the corporate hospitality seats still apend money Kroenke won't even take notice.

I agree we should boycott more but I fear those protests need to be on some ranch im Texas to register with silent wanker.

Spot on. It's easy to call for a boycott from afar but unless pretty much everyone joins in then it's pointless. Not only that, as someone else pointed out Arsenal is one of the most well known clubs in the world playing in one of the world's most famous cities and there would be literally thousands of tourists, etc, more than willing to fill the seats vacated by those that decide to boycott and as a result the club wouldn't lose any significant revenue.

Boycotts are far more effective at smaller clubs as those clubs don't have the luxury of fans to come in and take up the slack. Blackpool fans have been boycotting their club in their thousands in protest at the disgraceful behaviour of the Oyston family and while they haven't yet succeeded in getting shut, it's definitely having an effect.

 

[JSArsenal]

Not sure how accurate this is:
http://www.totalsportek.com/money/arsenal-player-salaries/

But it is an interesting look, after I read some rumour on here that they are strapped for cash because of their wages. I look at it and think, first off, look at the wages of Mertesacker, Cazorla, and Wilshere. They might not even play.

With Gibbs and Ox off, they gained some wages back, and after that you can see they'll get quite a bit back if Ozil and Sanchez are off and from there they can start to rebuild, but as things stand they'll get nothing in transfer fees for them. Mertesacker should be off the books next season, as well as others. Basically, it looks like squad rebuild is primed to happen next year.

The issue still remains, though, if you take Ozil and Sanchez off the books, and the contract expirations, when I look at the remaining players, there so few nailed on starters: Cesc, Kalasinac, Koscielny, Bellerin, Lacazette. The rest still seem to be a mix of rotation players and fringe players.

I'm starting to think that the plan was keep Sanchez and Ozil one more and start the rebuild next season, hoping against hope they'll be competitive this season, while desperately planning an overhaul next Summer.

Maybe the market will stabilize next Summer, but all signs point to transfer fees being astronomical again next Summer. Arsenal may really rue not cashing in on the likes of Sanchez and Ozil. If I was an Arsenal, I'd rather be sitting on a pile of cash and watch players who might actually give a shit like say, maybe Walcott, play this season.

In other words, I'd accept writing a season off as a rebuilding project, build a real warchest, and get exited about, also some of those rotation players might actually nail down a spot.

I always thought of LvG's first season, the same way, he just cleared house to free up our wages. Sure, he made some mistakes. The problem is, and I think we're seeing this not just with Arsenal, but with United as well, is that the massive wages players are on, clubs can't transfer them out. The clubs are having to wait for contracts to expire for the players they want gone, I suspect.

I'm sorry but Walcott does not fall into this category. He routinely puts in the least effort on the pitch time and time again. There have even been games where he's made no crosses and had the fewest touches of the ball of any outfield player.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system....

Cazorla won't play, Wilshere and Mertesacker might. I just don't understand why he gave Mertesacker a new contract, its the Arteta situation all over again. We're a football club not a charity where we reward players new contracts because of their past service, its the same with Cazorla. I know he got injured, but there's no reason for us to give him a new contract, knowing hes unlikely to come back this season, I haven't even heard anything about it being a pay as you play deal.

If Cech is a nailed on starter next season and Wenger hasn't bought a new goalkeeper then its another case of short term planning, I think we should have brought in a young keeper this summer to learn from Cech and get him ready to become our number one. However knowing Wenger he'll wait till Cech's contract is up then throw Emi Martinez into the deep end.

I doubt Wenger will oversee a major rebuild next summer. He will only have one year left and will want to let the new manager bring in his own players to fill the holes in the squad. Plus he always says he doesn't believe in buying more than three first teamers at once. It will also be a world cup summer so prices will be even more inflated and it will be harder to do business. We will do what we always do, make do with what we've got.

 

[0161_UNITED]

I'm sorry but Walcott does not fall into this category. He routinely puts in the least effort on the pitch time and time again. There have even been games where he's made no crosses and had the fewest touches of the ball of any outfield player.

I doubt Wenger will oversee a major rebuild next summer.

Fair enough, I'm not too up to speed on Walcott, and how a true Arsenal fan would rate him. I suppose my only point is that maybe someone from that pool of rotation players might step up given the opportunity if Arsenal had cashed in Sanchez, and/or Ozil, although it appears there was limited interest.

I suppose I cited Walcott because there are periods when he plays really well. I play fantasy premier league with the lads at work, and it always seems every season you can catch lightning in a bottle with him, then he gets dropped due to injury, form, or rotation. A seasoned Arsenal fan would have a much better perspective, but I've always wondered how he'd have fared with a sustained run in the team of Sanchez. We'll never know. At the very least, with all that playing time, Arsenal would probably get a good fee for him from a mid-table club.

I actually think a few things, seeing how this played all played out. I honestly think there is rebuilding planned for Arsenal next season, and I think keeping Wenger was a key part of that. I think maybe they realized bringing in a new manager this season would have doomed a new manager who wouldn't have been able to rebuild a team, and stay competitive. Wenger won't buckle under that pressure this season, at least, and his eyes on the longer term.

Next season, I think they'll clear out quite a bit off the wage bill, and start the rebuilding. They'll clear more out and set it up for a new manager after next season to build on whatever is done next season. They'll probably have loads of cash available, then. I think that's the plan.

There are still more parallels to LvG at United and Arsenal than I think most let on. It was the same complaints, a team of rotation/squad players with no spine. It was also shockingly poor how few of LvG's panned out. I mean, nobody would've thought Falcao, Schweinstieger, Schneiderlin, DiMaria would have ALL been complete busts. But he did oversee a massive overhaul and clear out, in some minds he cut a little too deep. Hell, his best signing, Martial, was probably his biggest gamble.

I can see Arsenal taking a similar approach. I can see a clear out next season, starting the rebuild, with a view towards having quite a bit freed up in wages and a transfer kitty waiting for a new manager season after next. This place was absolutely hysterical under LvG - no clear starting 11, nobody will sign for us since we're in the Europa League, culminating in the "We're going to become Liverpool and go 20 years without winning the league." Look at this place now.

 

[haram]

So the Daily Mail already calls Lacazette a flop. No doubt about it. They just hate us.

I mean the papers called Martial a waste of money before he had even kicked a ball for us.

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

I mean the papers called Martial a waste of money before he had even kicked a ball for us.

The Daily Mail is truly the worst in any sense. Would love Laca to score 30 goals and prove them so wrong.

 

[Sigma]

Swipe to read his message.

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

Great PR!

 

[ADJUDICATOR]

Aye, good PR. Never heard someone describe Ozil as greedy in my lifetime.

 

[horsechoker]

Swipe to read his message.

He says stop talking and start supporting but give the fans something to support. Nobody can be expected to support you when you can't be arsed to put in a shift. The fans whether they be ex-players or your average Claude are at their wits end after a decade of stagnation and even regression!

 

[adkb]

Could Arsene Wenger be playing the Blue Whale challenge?

I reckon Arsenal are still going to stay out of the top 4. They have a good squad. But not good enough. They lack squad depth and its clear as day Wenger has lost the plot. Losing matches so early in the season hurts big time.

Simply put we have to knock Spurs out to be in top 4. But its shocking how Arsenal is run. Something like this happening at united would have made me fume.

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

Could Arsene Wenger be playing the Blue Whale challenge?

I reckon Arsenal are still going to stay out of the top 4. They have a good squad. But not good enough. They lack squad depth and its clear as day Wenger has lost the plot. Losing matches so early in the season hurts big time.

Simply put we have to knock Spurs out to be in top 4. But its shocking how Arsenal is run. Something like this happening at united would have made me fume.

If Wenger still had any ambition he would just focus on the E.L. this season. But he only cares about the F.A. Cup in the last years.

 

[Adisa]

Swipe to read his message.

Very patronising.

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

Very patronising.

He has to pay his PR guys a lot!

 

[Hojoon]

He has to pay his PR guys a lot!

I'm surprised his PR guys approved the part where he says he doesn't know how his career will look after this year. That can easily generate more speculation, all he had to do was not say the part about his future.

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

I'm surprised his PR guys approved the part where he says he doesn't know how his career will look after this year. That can easily generate more speculation, all he had to do was not say the part about his future.

It was a message to say he is giving his best for Arsenal, but also wants to leave.

 

[K2K]

I'm sorry but Walcott does not fall into this category. He routinely puts in the least effort on the pitch time and time again. There have even been games where he's made no crosses and had the fewest touches of the ball of any outfield player.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system....

Cazorla won't play, Wilshere and Mertesacker might. I just don't understand why he gave Mertesacker a new contract, its the Arteta situation all over again. We're a football club not a charity where we reward players new contracts because of their past service, its the same with Cazorla. I know he got injured, but there's no reason for us to give him a new contract, knowing hes unlikely to come back this season, I haven't even heard anything about it being a pay as you play deal.

If Cech is a nailed on starter next season and Wenger hasn't bought a new goalkeeper then its another case of short term planning, I think we should have brought in a young keeper this summer to learn from Cech and get him ready to become our number one. However knowing Wenger he'll wait till Cech's contract is up then throw Emi Martinez into the deep end.

I doubt Wenger will oversee a major rebuild next summer. He will only have one year left and will want to let the new manager bring in his own players to fill the holes in the squad. Plus he always says he doesn't believe in buying more than three first teamers at once. It will also be a world cup summer so prices will be even more inflated and it will be harder to do business. We will do what we always do, make do with what we've got.

I think Wenger will sign a new one.

 

[Fridge chutney]

I guess my assertion that Veratti would move to Arsenal this summer was wrong. They should do everything they can to get him on 2018.

 

[Sandikan]

If you're beginning to feel a modicum of pity for Arsenal, do yourself a favour and watch the following video.


Believe me, there is no greater cure for your pity.

Agreed. Very quickly re-inforces the delight that is to be taken in their pure ineptitude.

The way London fans tend to massively inflate their thoughts on their team too. I see it as i'm based down this way.
Tottenham fans being the latest, based on a couple of consecutive top 4s.

 

[Sandikan]

I guess my assertion that Veratti would move to Arsenal this summer was wrong. They should do everything they can to get him on 2018.

Are you for real? Barcelona couldn't get him, so Arsenal are not in a million years getting him.