Overspending would be crazy - Wenger
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Arsene Wenger is under pressure to spend this summer
Arsene Wenger has launched a staunch defence of Arsenal's transfer policy, insisting the idea they should spend money they do not have is the reason "the whole world is bankrupt".
Arsenal have come in for heavy criticism in the wake of the Champions League thrashing at AC Milan and FA Cup exit to Sunderland, with many feeling the club have failed to adequately replace the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.
There have been reports that, with captain Robin van Persie approaching the final year of his contract, the Gunners are now prepared to spend in the summer to avert a decline.
However, Arsenal have always emphasised the importance of their self-sustaining business model, and Wenger feels taking the kind of financial risk advocated by the club's critics would be foolish.
"What is unbelievable is that we run the model that should be absolutely normal and we look crazy. That is crazy," Wenger said. "People will do anything stupid, but we are not crazy, we are all right.
"We spend £1 if we make £1 and [then people say] 'What are they doing?' That is what is absolutely mad in our world, but the whole world is bankrupt because of that."
Wenger feels Arsenal would be genuine challengers this season without having had to invest in world-class signings had Fabregas and Samir Nasri not departed and Jack Wilshere not missed the season through injury.
"Last year we were very close to the top and there was a rupture in the building of our team with losing Fabregas, Nasri and Wilshere," he said. "We could compete with anybody in Europe with our midfield."
Wenger acknowledges that Arsenal's refusal to match the wages on offer at other clubs is an issue, and he added: "When we play a young team you have to understand as well that we have chosen that policy.
"What is difficult to take once you get close is that the players move, and that is where we are in trouble. It is not the policy, it is not keeping our players once they arrive in a mature way."
Given Arsenal's recent poor form, Sunday's game at home to Tottenham could hardly have come at a worse time. Spurs go into the game ten points ahead of their arch-rivals, but Wenger says players have every chance of taking all three points.
"At the moment I believe that Tottenham are a good club, with a massive support, which they have had always, but I believe we are highly capable to compete with them and if you look at the consistency we have produced at the top level, there is no comparison," he said.
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IF YOU WANT A GOOD EXAMPLE OF IRRESPONSIBLE OVERSPENDING TAKE ALOOK AT WHAT HAPPENING WITH MY CLUB RANGERS WE SPENT SPENT SPENT TO GET THE SUCCESS WE HAVE HAD OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS AND IT HAS ESSENTIALLY COST US THE ULTIMATE PRICE NOW OF ADMINISTRATION AND INDEED GREAT UNCERTAINTY OF THE FUTURE OF THE CLUB. WE WERE , AS ARE MANY OF THE CLUBS IN THE PREMIERSHIP , A CLUB RUNNING AT A CONSTANT FINANCIAL LOSS BEING SUBSIDISED BY A RICH BENEFACTOR/OWNER IF THE CLUB CANNOT BE SELF SUFFICIENT FINANCIALLY WITHOUT A RICH OWNRER PUMPING MONEY IN YOU HAVE TO ASK SHOULD IT BE ALLOWED AS ANY OTHER BUSINESS WOULD BE INSOLVENT.
I FEAR GREATLY THAT THE ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP WILL ABSOLUTELY IMPLODE ON ITSELF ONE DAY IF FOR EXAMPLE RUPERT MURDOCH REALLY TAKES THE HUMP WITH BRITAIN AND THE PRESS WITCH HUNT THATS AFTER HIM JUST NOW AND PULLS SKY OUT OF THE TV DEAL FOR THE PREMIERSHIP OR THE OBRAMOVICH'S OF THIS WORLD DECIDE TO PULL THE PIN AND EXTRACT THE MONEY THEY HAVE PUT IN AND LEAVE THE CLUB TO FEND FOR ITSELF WITH PLAYERS ON MILLIONS OF POUNDS A YEAR WAGES TIED TO 4 AND 5 YEAR CONTRACTS.
FOR MY MONEY ONE OF THE FEW CLUBS WHO WOULD SURVIVE THIS BE ARSENAL FOR THEIR RESPONSIBLE TRANSFER POLICY AND YOUTH PROGRAMME HAVING NOW BUILT THEIR STADIUM THEY HAVE BEEN WILLING TO SACRIFICE TROPHY SUCCESS FOR THE LONG TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY OF THE CLUB.
TO ALL GUNNERS OUT THERE BAYING FOR WENGER TO EITHER GO OR SPEND MILLIONS ON PLAYERS PLEASE BE CAREFULL WHAT YOU WISH FOR AS AGAIN A WEE LOOK OVER THE BORDER AT MY CLUB SHOULD SERVE AS A WARNING TO ALL FANS LIVING IN THE PREMIERSHIP MONEY NO OBJECT BUBBLEOF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN THE CASH COW MOVES ON.
Arsene is right about overspending and I think the team have done very well in qualifying for champions league season after season. So they haven't won anything but their not bust like so many other clubs are and will be in the future. It's like the house of cards and I'm convinced there is a financial disaster awaiting English football and England too come to think of it following the Greek debacle.
A lot of criticism about Mr Wenger but Arsenal fans are afraid who will take over after Arsene, and what the club will be like without him. Please put forward your ideas for managers then. I'm happy for Arsenal to sit 4th and qualify for Champs league each season as long as they continue to play the beautiful football they can play and not go bust.
There are players that are not up to it but I wont get into running them down I trust Arsene. Some say he is stubborn but I like that he has his own way of thinking. He has to do what he thinks is right. I am guilty of saying things about him and the club but its the wrong attitude to have. Arsens's attitude is correct. Good luck Arsene and Arsenal. Do what you believe Mr Wenger. To quote JFK "you can please some of the people some of the time but you cant please all of the people all of the time."
It is clear that despite the saving of money that Arsenal football team has regressed over the last couple of years, in Wenger I see a studious professor of football and shrewd operator in the transfer market.
but something needs to happen, I dont know if a so called marquee signing is the answer to the problem but there is surely a problem, I dont know what shrift the manager has with the board but I do feel they will back him in most decisions on players he scouts and then pursues.
but hearing all these people baying for his head is ridiculous, he is a damned fine manager and has already gone down in Gunners folklore for the wonderful Magnificents who went a season unbeaten, Wenger was the man that instigated that and its a feat that won't be matched for years and years,
football is a fickle world but we have some grand masters of the game in the Prem and Wenger is one of them along with SAF, only the fool hardy would try and ditch him, he is part of the furnisher when it comes to the Prem and I for one would be sad to see him go.
and I dont even support Arsenal
What has happened at my beloved club is that there is too much deadwood there, now if Mr Wenger sold players that have done nothing for the club and are all on high wages i.e - Chamakh, Rosicky, Bendtner, Denilson, Diaby, Alumnia. We could fund money for a couple of decent players, you dont have to break the bank either, i admire Wengers stance on not paying highly inlated prices for players, but with the sale of the deadwood, and unfortunately scrap the wage structure just to compete, then we could start getting top players back to the Emirates,
Is not keeping the players a flaw in your policy? Which makes it part of the policy? Why are players moving?
Nasri said in June last year he was waiting to see the developments at the club in July he didn't see any progressive developments so he handed in a transfer request!
Cahill (an Arsenal target) Parker (should have been an Arsenal target) both went for under £10m. Per Mertersacker came in for £10m which in my opinion considering his performances was an overpayment!
It's not just about overpayment Aresnal have been selling quality players for huge sums and replacing them with poor quality poundlad replacements!
If Arsenal brought in some proven recognised talent from time to time and were achieving trophy success then I'm sure we players wouldn't be running at the door every five minutes.
Vieira was complaing years ago and then Henry also complained because they had the foresight to see that it's about balance not just developing talent but adding proven additions to the squad for the whole team to go forward and progress!
Been a Arsenal fan all my life.......through the 70's , 80s etc.....
And i still say that getting Arsene Wenger is right up there with the best things that have ever happened to the club......and still wouldnt swap him for anybody.
Totally agree with him about spending crazy money and going bankrupt......
Ok i realise we havent won anything for 7 years but UNTIL THIS SEASON we have always been in there challenging for something without spending what we cant afford.
All the fans that are on Arsene's back just rewind to last February a second when we were still in with a chance of 4 trophies(that is just over a year ago)......
We lost to Birmingham(Man Of The Match , Foster(Birmingham keeper)) , we lost to Barcelona who were on a different planet to every other team then and went on to win it(although we were totally outplayed we were still in front in the tie when Van Persie got sent off!.....then only lost to a penalty and were still only a Bendtner kick away from going through!!!).....
We then lost to Man U in the FA Cup(Man Of The Match , Van Der Sarr(Man U Keeper)).
Be honest.....even though we hadnt won anything for 6 years who wanted Wenger to leave then?????
Last season we were really unlucky not to win at least 1 trophy but i dont think it was down to Wenger not spending loads of money(remember we were still in with a good shout of 4 or realistically probably 3).
This season has been disappointing and im sure Wenger feels it too and probably in his heart knows this bunch of players are not good enough.
Probably/possibly after last season he thought the players we have may have been good enough to push for something(even without Fabregas/Nasri)
I personally think he will realise now that they are not and in the summer he will bring in some players(but without breaking the bank).
Spending fortunes is no certainty to work......
What if we had brought in Fernando Torres for 50m and Andy Carroll for 35m to spearhead our attack!
Frightening thought!!!!!!!
I think us fans should all get behind Wenger(and the team)......yes he gets it wrong sometimes(he's human) but i still think(this season apart) he gets it right a hell of a lot more times.
100% correct in what he is saying, yes football should be run on the fiancés the individual club makes, yes if we still had Fabregas and Wilshire hadn't been injured we would have a great midfield, don't agree about Nasri, in my opinion we did real well in selling a player for that much money after only half a good season and City must now now they paid well over the odds for him and for me Oxlaid excites me far more than Nasri ever did, Wenger has been a fantastic manager for Arsenal and the fact that every top european club has at some stage been after him proves that in the football world he is respected and his methods are wanted, calling for Wenger to go is crazy unless its a straight swap for Pep, all this stupid chat that Van Persie is the only decent player we have just proves to me the lack of knowledge there really is out there, we are a few players away from a top team and i admire Wenger for his loyalty to his club and his players i just wish he got it in return from certain players and certain supporters, we expect nothing different from headline readers and there calls for his head.
