For the first time in this century, we did our business as fast as the situations allowed. We had an agreement in place for Rice and though there were some tussles, it was never off the table. We paid the money West Ham demanded, got our target and that’s done and dusted. Same happened for Havertz, an opportunity arises, Mikel wanted him so we went to Chelsea with a bag full of cash and brought him to the better side of London.
We wanted Ben White’s back up, who can play at LB if the need be and Timber arrived. With Champions League games this season, we needed more of a Ramsdale competition and not a back up. David Raya signs for Arsenal and Brentford agreed to our demands to keep the FFP happy.
Good, right? Not really. We spent some serious money, exactly what the buying clubs wanted and one of those deals include 65m for Kai, who hasn’t really been pulling trees. But when it comes to selling, it feels like we are John Snow – bending the knee and knows nothing.
Yes, my frustration is with Kieren Tierney deal. KT is a brilliant fullback, just because Mikel thinks he can’t do what he wants, doesn’t mean he is a player you have to send out on a loan. Loaning an Arsenal player and Scotland international who is only 26 years of age and has 102 appearances for Celtic and 91 for Arsenal, on loan to Real Sociedad is maddening; even when you don’t consider the Timber injury and we are in a for a LB now who will take time to settle at the club. A readymade player for peanuts, a replacement for the price of a buggati which will need some maintenance to its exhaust system.
Anyone saying a loan deal will improve his price tag is fooling himself. It doesn’t happen when an Arsenal player joins Real Sociedad. It didn’t happen with Pepe, Maitland-Niles, Cedric, Bellerin and it will not happen with Tierney.
Another case is Tavares. We wanted to sell him, Forest wants a loan and an option to buy. The only positive thing about Nuno’s forest move would be that he will get Premier League game time and he has both potential and age in his favor.
Rumours are out there that Chelsea wants ESR. It’s only a rumour, but heck if it turns out to be true, I have a feeling we will agree for 25m, for a player who was priced 80m before injury and is back to fitness after being operated for a permanent fix to his injury concerns. We are so bad at selling, we let go Maitland-Niles for free, after rejecting 20m from Wolves a season back. We sold Leno for less than what we were okay to pay for a reserve keeper in Turner.
Our biggest sale till date is 34m for AOC to Liverpool, ages ago. Sums up everything I guess.
—
I understand we are the biggest club in London. And we have several revenue sources, in Season Ticket Sales, advertisements, MatchDay earnings, and Merchandise sales. However, player sales can be an equally good source. Chelsea has been doing it for ages, while competing for titles for years. I’m not asking for a Dortmund/Brighton model, because we have better ambitions but identifying players not needed for the system and generating good sales on them should be a must.
Because, your inefficiency in generating sales will not stop you from buying players. And because the difference will be paid by the public through the ticket prices. I’m sure the 120 bucks I spent on buying just a tshirt contributes to Havertz salary and I’m sure it could have been KT’s 40m added up with 15m for Tavares.
We had/have been poor in selling. Everyone knows that. There’s no attempt to fix that, is what is baffling me. Club don’t need to worry if they take up a stance to stick to their valuations and a deal falls off, because the fans who are supporting Tierney loan and ESR sale to Chelsea will support that too.
Anyone against us buying Cucurela from the Chavs? I doubt they want to sell us a player that would improve us, would they? They just shift their misfits or past their sell by dates onto us laughing all the way to their bank.
Anyone against us buying Cucurela from the Chavs
Hi Tony
Err that’ll be me for one. Gallas, Willian, Cech, arguably Jorginho, possibly Havertz (although I’m fence-sitting in hope more than expectation that he’ll cut it). We need to cure ourselves of our addiction to buying their rejects/cast-offs.
Remember Colin Pates? We signed him from Chelsea back in 80s. I’d say he, Hollins (RIP) and Alan Hudson were the last 3 reasonable successes to come from the Pensioners.
I’m just not sure about Cucurella. Crazy barnet and all that but I’d rather have kept KT. I’m sorry but I’m still in the camp if not giving him any more money. Sink or swim time.
Anyone against us buying Cucurela from the Chavs
Hi Tony
Err that’ll be me for one. Gallas, Willian, Cech, arguably Jorginho, possibly Havertz.
+1. That’s a hard NO for me as well. KP, don’t forget David Luiz.
in regards to Cucurella, it appears as if he’s on his way to United, but that’s certainly not written in stone…I’ve spoken at great length about my concerns regarding the noton of bankrolling our not so dynamic duo to such an unprecendented level, as I’m not convinced they know what the fuck they’re doing from a recruitment and/or boardroom standpoint…furthermore, if they fuck this shit up, we could be thrust into another extended period of mediocrity, as we would likely need to sell off our most cherished young assets just to stay right the ship once again…right now our most coveted pieces weren’t even recruited by him, minus Ode, and the other peices they added we paid above the number for the vast majority, which means they would need to produce here in order to even maintain their respective market values…at this moment in time, we would struggle to break even with Ramsdale, White, Jesus, Zinchenko, Tierney, Vieira, Partey, Rice, Havertz, Timber, Tomi, Kiwor, Jorginho, Trossard and Lokonga, for a variety of self-inflicted and injury-based reasons…just saying
Tony,Cucurella is going to utd by the looks of things so the point is moot I’d say. Utd look like they’re getting Arambat also,a decent player also.
Balogun officially gone to Monaco for £38.7 mil with 17.5% sell on.
Big news for me is that Ryan Gravenberch could be leaving Bayern for Liverpool. Would hate to see him in Klopp”s hands,quality player. Thank fuck Klopp has run out of time and money before he fixed that defence or he’d be back ahead of us already ( and it’s debatable that he’s not).
One other worry,strong links of Fati to spuds. If he’s fit,he’s class. Hope life is treating you and yours well.
KP,thanks for the kind words and advice.Health is ok. Gave up the cigarettes 20 years ago so there’s no way I’m going teetotal,but the odd few pints only. Believe me,Arsenal are far more of a danger to my health! Good comeback by Haverfordwest the other night,2 late goals. Good win for Cardiff also. Hope all well in Wales.
Art Fraud,
You’re not Irish by any chance? You have a marvellous grasp of the best way to use the word ‘tool’!
TRVL,
Couldn’t agree more. I’m like a broken record but this is our time. The Kroenkes have released the funds. It won’t last forever. Blowing the money and celebrating ‘closing the gap’ is a ludicrous mentality that has consumed some fans. When the money and opportunity are gone it will be too late to start talking about botched transfers,wasted money,ridiculous contracts.
omit “stay” in “just to right our ship…”
Cheers Almunia…take care
Between the amount spent this summer and the fanboy’s pushing the narrative that we were actually fighting for the title last season Arteta might just have pushed the bar high enough for enough fans to turn on him.
Going to sit back and enjoy every minute of it.
Almunias.
I dare say there is some Cork in me.
Manchester City can sell Palmer for £45 million, who has hardly featured for them, we can’t even get a fee for a Scottish International player in Tierney.
Compared to them and the other clubs, we are a fucking joke.
As you say, the money won’t always be there , probably not for the next manager, clever bollocks Arteta would have spunked It.
Money wasted means higher ticket prices ultimately.
spot on AF…of course, the fact that MA would rather shoehorn a myriad of players into the RB position than play Tierney surely doesn’t help matters…furthermore, MA never puts anyone in the shop window and rarely, if ever, does his due diligence when it comes to finding proper loan partners, which invariably leads to a players’ depreciative value
Art,
I should have guessed the Cork link.
Yeah,the failure in selling players is pretty stark. Balogun’s value didn’t plummet because he wasn’t at Arsenal long enough for Arteta to fall out with him and brand him a trouble maker. Poor old Edu probably feels like he’s being asked to sell second hand false teeth by the time Arteta has finished ostracising players.
Marc,
There is a remarkable irony in the idea that Arteta may be a victim of his own hype as the veil is slowly pulled back.
No poor old Edu from me, Almunias he is another grade A tool.
He would not be out of place working in the British museum, where they have just realised all the artefacts have suddenly gone missing.
Would not be surprised if he completely fucks up FFP.
I simply can not deal with fuckin idiots like him.
Art
Edu’s in the job because he doesn’t call out Arteta – if he did Arteta would’ve manipulated a situation where they fell out, it looked like Edu had fucked up and Arteta would say its him or me.
They are millions on a year, they get it regardless if they win, lose or draw, Marc
They are are not walking away from that, because they are not getting plum jobs elsewhere.
You have to crow bar these fuckers out.
As long as we are selling the merchandise and tripe , everyone seems happy at the club.
Hardly an elite organisation or business is it?
Upstate
Quite right. How could I forget sideshow Bob? 😊
Almunia
Cricket over, back to some or other sport that vaguely interests me….
My schadenfreude-ometer was flickering as England polished off the run chase against NZ to discover…
Everton are losing in the Carabao to 4th flight Doncaster – oh dear what a shame (again!). 😊Draw for the next round is straight after so I’ll let the lads know in india who we’ll be playing.
Cardiff in the draw too after looking good against Birmingham. A certain on-loan Icelandic goad keeper pulled off a great save from a free kick and got stuck in when Jutkiewicz went studs up on Cardiff’s rb. So hope for him yet. Fingers crossed for Cardiff v Arsenal in round 3.
What about County eh? I’d given it up with 10 minutes to go. I might venture up to Colwyn Bay on Saturday. The alternative is seeing the Bluebirds away at Ipswich which is fucking miles away!
KP,
I was just writing how rangers were back in it when they went and conceded again. 3-1(5-3) now to psv. Difference in quality is pretty obvious but rangers have that stereotypical British ‘spirit’. I did consider watching the Doncaster Everton game but switched back after a couple of mins,atmosphere was funeral-esque compared to Eindhoven. Have to say I do think Todd Cantwell should be playing at a higher level and I watch and enjoy the spl every week. But he is a prem player for me,albeit a mid table team for now.
Gave up on the cricket when the football started, didn’t look like it was going to be remotely close. Presume England cantered home.
You have me keeping an eye on both County and Cardiff. What about Charlton,Dean Holden 1st sacking of the season. Brutal times at the Valley.
Rangers hit the post,PSV go down and score,football is a bitch.
Pity Celtic didn’t loan Tierney back,he would’ve flourished back there. I presume his wages made it impossible. The Rodgers return is not going well,he may not last very long this time a lot of fans didn’t want him back,felt he betrayed the club when he walked away for the Leicester job. They don’t forgive and forget too easily in Glasgow!
Personally I’d love a handy draw in the cup and a deep run,all the way to Wembley, Can’t beat the thrill of a cup win. Fingers crossed for the draw.
Almunia
Charlton are south London’s answer to Watford I fear. A proud storied club run by utter loons these days! There are cowboys throughout English professional football and they seem to get even worse the further down the leagues, although Vinai, Kroenke and Garlick et al take some beating!
Yeah, England (and Wales!) beat NZ pretty straightforwardly. I hope the remaining games are a bit more competitive. Draw coming up!
I’ve not delved too far into Scottish fitba this year other than agonise about Hibs’s results. Every year it just gets a little more distanced from the calibre of the bigger leagues it seems.
KP-the headline in the Daily Cannon reads “Arsenal loanee makes winning start with debut Cup victory”….good times ahead for one and all?!?