Arsenal in Crisis????

[Newguy]

So we have Clichy off to Man City, Nasri off to whoever pays the most wages, Cesc of back home to Barca, Arshavin off to galatasary, RvP now doubting his future at the club and I have just seen a rumour regarding Chelsea and Walcott...What the fcuk is going on at the club right now???

This is a full blown crisis, the vultures can smell the carcass and are circling and taking what they can.

Now obviously not all of these will happen, however I cannot remember a time where things have been so bad in regards to player uncertainty.

I have named 6 first team starters, worryingly, Arshavin, Walcott and RvP only have 2 years left on their current contracts, why would they tie themselves down to extensions when they can see the lack of ambition the club is showing?? I cant imagine the outcry losing Cesc and Nasri, but just imagine losing 4 1st team starters in one summer....only at Arsenal.

We'll be left with the kids and losers. The Denilson's, the Diaby's the Eboue's, the Squiallaci's, it's only a matter of time before Wilshere has no choice but to leave, as will Ramsey, Vermaelen and Sagna.

Crisis??? Most definitely.

[Toronto Gooner]

So we have Clichy off to Man City, Nasri off to whoever pays the most wages, Cesc of back home to Barca, Arshavin off to galatasary, RvP now doubting his future at the club and I have just seen a rumour regarding Chelsea and Walcott...What the fcuk is going on at the club right now???

This is a full blown crisis, the vultures can smell the carcass and are circling and taking what they can.

Now obviously not all of these will happen, however I cannot remember a time where things have been so bad in regards to player uncertainty.

I have named 6 first team starters, worryingly, Arshavin, Walcott and RvP only have 2 years left on their current contracts, why would they tie themselves down to extensions when they can see the lack of ambition the club is showing?? I cant imagine the outcry losing Cesc and Nasri, but just imagine losing 4 1st team starters in one summer....only at Arsenal.

We'll be left with the kids and losers. The Denilson's, the Diaby's the Eboue's, the Squiallaci's, it's only a matter of time before Wilshere has no choice but to leave, as will Ramsey, Vermaelen and Sagna.

Crisis??? Most definitely.

Crisis, what crisis? Are Arsenal going bankrupt? Are they going to have to sell their stadium? Are they going to fold the club completely and disappear off into the sunset?

Sorry, but there have been fans who have demanded activity; who have booed the team; and who generally have acted as if winning championships and trophies is their god-given right. As the saying goes "You reap what you sow".

Simple question: If Arsenal spend the next 10 years languishing in mid-table mediocrity, will you continue to support the club?

[Power n Glory]

Ah piss off with that type of talk. You don't hear anyone questioning your loyalty to the club even though your based in Canada. Do you even pay to pay to watch games?

No fan would be happy to hear about so many of their key players looking to leave the club. We still have a long way to go until the transfer window shuts but when you've seen your coach and club follow the same pattern year after year, you start to anticipate the next moves.

Wenger and the board set the bar regarding fan expections. We moved to the Emirates to compete with the bigger clubs on the pitch. Nobody pays money to see our team qualify for the CL each year and sell off our star players. That part of the deal wasn't disclosed when we were told we'd be moving to the Emirates.

[Niall_Quinn]

Crisis, what crisis? Are Arsenal going bankrupt?

Money first, football nowhere. Yes you do reap what you sow - we're seeing the results of Wenger's neglect aren't we. Even Denilson (Denilson FFS) doesn't want to stay. I guess the players and the fans were just deluded when they thought this was about football. But it's not, it's all about the money.

The directors have done rather well for themselves, don't you think? Bravo. Quite right, no crisis here.

[fari]

Money first, football nowhere. Yes you do reap what you sow - we're seeing the results of Wenger's neglect aren't we. Even Denilson (Denilson FFS) doesn't want to stay. I guess the players and the fans were just deluded when they thought this was about football. But it's not, it's all about the money.

The directors have done rather well for themselves, don't you think? Bravo. Quite right, no crisis here.

does denilson really not want to stay?? last few news reports have seemed to indicate otherwise...ah who knows what is real in this silly season

[AKBapologist]

Crisis, what crisis? Are Arsenal going bankrupt? Are they going to have to sell their stadium? Are they going to fold the club completely and disappear off into the sunset?

Sorry, but there have been fans who have demanded activity; who have booed the team; and who generally have acted as if winning championships and trophies is their god-given right. As the saying goes "You reap what you sow".

Simple question: If Arsenal spend the next 10 years languishing in mid-table mediocrity, will you continue to support the club?

Sorry Toronto Gooner, your normally the most sensible poster on here but that post was very wide of the mark. Demanding activity is not the same as seeing 3-5 of your best players leaving the squad whilst we haggle and eventually get priced out of reasonable transfer targets.

Ultimately, the club sets expectations with ticket prices. They where high before, higher now. I'd gladly support the club even if we where fighting relegation, but the reason why where pissed is that we have been "paying harrods prices whilst the club shops in primark" - Until this disconnect between the fans expectations and the clubs has been corrected, we will continue to be in crisis

[alexander]

I have been supporting Arsenal (and going to a few games each year) since 1988, when I was 8. I know the media is so much more open these days, and I read a lot more about the club than I ever did in my teenage years, but this seems like the worst it has ever been. I know from 1992 until Wenger arrived, we were mid table really, with a few cups here and there, but this is so much different. Im not worried about the club going under, but the player/contract situation is really bad. I mean, as fans we are pissed off at paying high prices and not winning, but the players earn so much, that winning must be the most important thing for (most). I mean, whats the real difference between 80k a week and 100k. When Sol came here, he could have got that money at Spurs, but he wanted some silverware, so went to a team that could do that. It seems like all our contracts are coming up at once, and players are thinking I can get more money and WIN at other clubs. Who wouldnt want that.

Wish I had not renewed my membership really, not sure I want to pay a premium for a team of mostly 2nd class players.

Cant see a way out of this mess tbh.

[Tony Tuesdays]

Well said Nigel.

Troubling times
Expected big-name departures concern former Gunner

Nigel Winterburn has labelled Arsenal's summer so far as a "disaster" as several of their key players look set to leave the club.

Sky Sports sources understand that Gunners duo Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy are on the verge of moves to Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas is expected to end years of speculation by returning to Barcelona before the start of next season.

And these seemingly imminent departures have left ex-Gunners left-back Winterburn worried about Arsenal's future prospects.

"It looks like Clichy and Fabregas could be gone by the weekend and Nasri could go, too; it's so disappointing," Winterburn told Sky Sports News HD.

"These players have gained experience with Arsenal and two of them could move on to your title contenders.

"Not only are you weakening your own team, you're strengthening the opposition; it's a disaster."

Re-focus

Nasri and Clichy's Gunners contracts expire at the end of the season, which Winterburn admits puts Arsenal in a tricky situation.

But he has urged Arsene Wenger to use any incoming funds to buy players who can take the Londoners from perennial nearly-men to Premier League champions.

"If a player gets into the last year of his contract and says: 'I want to move to Manchester United or Manchester City', I think Arsenal will admit they can't cope financially and take as much money as they can," said Winterburn.

"But it's sad because I feel this is the first time Arsenal are starting to lose players that haven't reached their peak. All you can do, though, is re-focus, get that money and strengthen the team.

"Over the last two seasons, Arsene Wenger really believed this young team was good enough to win the title. They pressed for long periods over both seasons, but came up short.

"I think Arsenal need players who have played in the Premier League, they may even need to bring some English players back in to give them that mental strength they had in years gone by.

"It looks like Gervinho will come in and fill that centre-forward role which will make them stronger from a forward perspective, but then you look at the back four, it has to be strengthened.

"Laurent Koscielny, who I still think will be decent player, is very raw and was very rash with some of challenges; Arsenal need players who can compete physically and mentally with the Premier League."

Strong

Winterburn disregarded with the notion that Arsenal need to make a 'marquee' signing, insisting that the quality of a player is more important than their cost.

But he says the pressure will be on Wenger to get the right bodies in, with Arsenal supporters getting frustrated by the club's lack of progress.

"When Arsenal signed Patrick Viera and Thierry Henry, there was no suggestion of £30million," Winterburn added. "It's about getting the right player for the right money.

"Arsenal have to be really strong next season because some of the supporters have been voicing their concerns.

"And with the increase in the prices of the tickets, they want to see their team really strengthened and push the likes of Man United, Chelsea and, to a certain degree, Man City."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...013451,00.html

[Ollie the Optimist]

it may seem like we are in crisis now but come august 31st when the window shuts, i dont think we will be. i honestly do not believe wenger is doing fuck all right now, the man is intelligent ffs, we will not be sitting around, he knows what the fans want, he knows the team needs improving. how do we know that with the nasri and clichy deals that we havnt managed to get a player to be involved it in to come to us? we have been linked to lots of players, wenger has shown he is ready to splash out, he bid 16million for jones and there is no blame attached to wenger there for not getting him either.

[Joker]

If we don't replace the players departing with top quality signings, then yes it will definitely be a crisis. Unfortunately, Wenger's peformance in the transfer market in the last few seasons has been abysmal, so I don't have high hopes that he'll get things right this summer.

Ultimately, all this is not surprising when we have a board and manager who put profits before success on the pitch. They are like parasites, leeching from the fans but giving very little back in return apart from empty platitudes.