About 18 months ago a story did the rounds that Roman Abramovich wanted to buy Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.
The press speculated that the amount offered was 80 million, and that certain members of the board seriously considered it because at that time the financing of the stadium had not yet been finalised.
A very interesting piece of information came my way on Friday, regarding the full extent of Roman Abramovich’s approach.
He not only asked the club to name their price for Henry and Vieira (apparently he actually turned up at Highbury with a blank cheque), but he also wanted to take Arsene Wenger as part of the deal.
My information was that he was turned down flat about the players, but that Wenger asked the board to think about his offer over the weekend.
Clearly his answer was no, but I remember reading at the time about the rumour that Wenger was in fact Chelsea’s top managerial target and not Sven-Goran Eriksson. Of course the British press made a huge song and dance about the meetings with the Swede and the approach to Wenger went largely untouched.
Just today the press have been full of crazy figures regarding Jose Mourinho’s new deal. They are speculating that his new salary will be anything between 8-10 million per year.
You may ask what this has to do with Arsenal. Well, the piece of information passed on to me was that when Abramovich approached Arsenal for Wenger the salary he offered the Frenchman was 10 million. More than three times what he earns at Highbury.
It’s not beyond the realms of posibility that a certain Portuguese coach also caught this information, and given the size of his ego, felt that if Wenger was offered 10 million he should get at least that much too. Remember his quote: “Apart from Sir Alex, I’m the only one in this country who is a European champion”.
I also read today that the negotiations on his new deal started several months ago, just about the time he made that quote. Another story which made back page headlines was that the “great one” was tempted to move to Madrid.
This guy has yet to complete his first season at Cheslea, and he’s already thrown his toys out of the pram demanding a better deal.
Some people on this site have questioned whether we have the right man for the job at Arsenal. What I’d say to them is that there is no one better for the long term prosperity of the club and that Dein and Hill-Wood should bend over backwards to make sure he remains part of the club as an executive director when he decides to give up coaching.
What we are witnessing at Chelsea is a shooting star. Their spectacular growth cannot sustain itself financially, and their ability to remain competitive is completly down to one man, and he’s not Portuguese.
Under Wenger the club has a sound financial base, a youth academy that attracts some of the finest young talents around and and a training centre the envy of every club in Europe. In 2006 we will have a stadium to match, and probably surpass, anything in world sport.
Wenger, with the support of the board, has made this club an equal of Manchester United, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus. He’s been courted by at least four of those clubs in the past.
He may not have won the Champions League, and if the ball doesn’t roll for him, he may never win it. But he will still have turned Arsenal Football Club into a one of the game’s superpowers.
Next time you think about whether Wenger is the right man for Arsenal, ask yourself if you would trade places with a Porto fan.
They’ve won the Champions League, but as soon as they did it their manager couldn’t wait to get the first flight to London and sign for a new club and with him went half of their players. That’s what you get with Mourinho. Because of Wenger’s brilliance and loyalty that will never happen at Arsenal.
29 Responses to “What price loyalty?”
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April 10th, 2005 at 5:23 pm
Nice one. Re: Mourinho, one day someone won’t pick up the toys he’s constantly throwing out of his various prams.
April 10th, 2005 at 5:23 pm
Your whole article is based on unsubstantiated rumour.
And Arsenal are not “one of the game’s superpowers” - that is a ridiculous statement. 7 years in the Champions league and we Arsenal haven’t made it past the quarter final once. We have no previous history in the competition either.
No wonder people round here have such stupid expectations about winning the Champions League, when is quite clear we don’t have the financial resources, playing resources or a tactically astute enough manager to deliver it. Let’s have some realism here.
Wenger is an Arsenal legend, perhaps one of Arsenal’s best ever managers. BUT, he has not turned Arsenal into anything like one of the games superpowers. That’s another level altogether.
April 10th, 2005 at 5:47 pm
Dany when you say :
“No wonder people round here have such stupid expectations about winning the Champions League, when is quite clear we don’t have the financial resources, playing resources or a tactically astute enough manager to deliver it. Let’s have some realism here”
What do you want really from people ?
To be as pessimistic and negative as you are ?
But on what basis ? What is your personnal record and reference that might help you convince other people not to believe the team they support is not a big team ?
Even spurs think they’ve got a great big team.
You must be God to know that ARsenal with Wenger will never win the CL.
Th CL’s a cup competition, nobody can’t prove a participant team cannot win it.
You must GOD or just a “STUPID” guy who might think he’s the only intelligent guy.
April 10th, 2005 at 5:54 pm
YES WE ARE A GAME’S SUPERPOWER.
Every ranking on and off the pitch put us among the best.
If you are Manure or Chelski fan, you can think you are bigger than us.
ALL arsenal’s fans think they’ve got a big club.
That’s why some impatients like you think we’ve got a divine right to win the CL. if we don’t we don’t you think like a machine and say the manager “must be wrong”.
It’s a little bit more complicated than what you think.
April 10th, 2005 at 7:04 pm
While a lot of ppl could see nothing but TROPHIES, you look beyond that with an insight of the dignity, loyality Mr. Wenger has showed and offered us over years. Deeply impressed with this article of you, A_K.
I was, and still am a HUGH fan of George Graham. When he left, I thought it would be a hugh task for anyone to replace him. That’s why I’m so glad that we have Mr. Wenger as our manager.
He may not have won the Champions “Money-Is-Everything” League, yet he has created a brand of football many of the older Gunners fans could not have dared to dream of witnessing it. He has brought us more trophies than we dared to bargain for. He has saved the club a hugh lot of money by spending big. He has developed so many top class talents for Arsenal Football Club. And most importantly, he has put Arsenal back into the football map.
Merely ten years ago, if you ask any Arsenal fan would you fancy a Champions League football every season? I bet 9 out of 10 Gooners would say you gotta be kidding man, we would be lucky should we be in the UEFA Cup every year. That tell us how long a way we have come under the leadership of Arsene Wenger.
April 10th, 2005 at 7:59 pm
Nobody ever considers if wenger is the right man for the job apart from the wankers on this website who support a team from afar.
April 10th, 2005 at 8:12 pm
I’ll bite on this one too Danny.
So, ONLY if you win the Champion’s League you are a “super-power”?
Is Porto?
Winning the Champion’s League doesn’t necessarily mean you are among the elite teams in Europe. It can be a ONE time success story. Right draw. Right place. Right time. Right bounces.
Are Greece a super-power of European or World football? Hardly! They are certainly not.
You obviously don’t believe it. You don’t have to like it. But the reality is… Arsenal Football Club are one of the best teams in Europe. We are consistently top 10 in the rankings over the past 3 years. We will be there as long as Arsene Wenger allows us to remain in his presence.
Success in the Champion’s League 5 years ago, 10 years ago…. is MEANINGLESS!!!!!!
Nottingham Forest, 25 years ago.
They are on their way to the 3rd Level of English Football. ARE THEY A SUPERPOWER? Hey, they ruled 25 years ago… they must be?
Marseille 1993
Dortmund 1997
Porto 2004
These are superpowers?
I think not.
April 10th, 2005 at 8:22 pm
Hmmm.
Rumors was da word!!! What is this article about? One minute we believe the English press next minute is all lies. Please let talk about football.
All I will say to the Arsenal fans is enjoy the season and leave Chelsea alone. Whether they hired, paid for, purchase, brought or whatever the title is all history now. I found it a bit fanny when people spent time chatting about other teams. Even the real spurs fans were happy to watch the Arsenal last season cause they loved football.
Enjoy the beautiful game and stop being jealous about other teams. Like most fans who go to Arsenal each week all we wanna see is a good game not excuses. Is not because of Chelsea we are out of the CL or second but ourselves. Their players have played well this season and let see if they can do it again next season or Arsenal will step up their game.
As my United friend said yesterday why bother about Chelsea if our manager ?SAF? is a C**t. Football is about enjoying the game and can?t be blind about your team. I watch the Madrid and Barce game and like most fans in the pub that is what football is all about. Good game not excuses. I wish Barce had won but at the end of the day you can?t Madrid we wicked
April 10th, 2005 at 8:29 pm
Hey, bite away. That’s what this place is for.
I am not a pessimist, I’m a realist. Now that Porto have won the Champions League, you two seem to think that anyone can do it. Your forgetting that like virtually all teams who win the Champions League, it is based on having a cast iron defence, ie. not a defence as shambolic as Arsenals. Dream on. You can call me a pessimist - but I see two people that are completely deluded.
I wish I could be optimistic, and I was about 3 or 4 years ago. But now I just sit front of my TV when it’s Champions League time and wait for the first horrendous error to occur that puts Arsenal out of the competition, and I never seem to have to wait very long.
And don’t twist my words from changing “superpower” to “big club”, there’s a difference. Superpower means the elite, best of the best. Sorry, but that isn’t Arsenal, and no you can’t be a “superpower” in world football without some sort of pedigree - and that means at least ‘competing’ for the major tournaments. Arsenal don’t compete in the Champions League, they take part then get knocked out.
I’m telling you now, using my intelligence, that Arsenal will NEVER win the Champions League as long as Lehmann, Cygan, Senderos, Lauren, Toure all play together consistently in that tournament. And even if Wenger did buy a quality defender and keeper, I still doubt his tactical prowess to get through the quarters, semis and the final itself.
April 10th, 2005 at 8:39 pm
Stag,
Forest might be in the 3rd or 4th Divsion but they were a bad team during their days. You can’t take take from that team.
Is like Liverpool. They may suck now but anyone that loves football know they were they best during their days. Teams goes down hill but if you asked anyone who follows football Forest/Liverpool were the kings during their days.
Waiting for people to say the same about Arsenal 10 or 20 yrs from now.
April 11th, 2005 at 12:38 am
Love_G…. Nobody can take what Liverpool did away from them, and Nott.Forest too. But neither are a superpower of football because of their illustrious past.
Liverpool isn’t even a top level team in English football in recent past.
Nott.Forest is now a bad joke. They may never get back to Premier League.
We will DEFINITELY be noted for how we have played in recent years.
See: INVINCIBLE. UNDEFEATED.
That record stands forever. It can never be changed. But if we are in Division One if 10 years, it will be a distant memory. Don’t think thats gonna happen on Arsene’s watch. But you never know.
April 11th, 2005 at 12:44 am
Yet, you somehow say that you don’t want Wenger to be sacked?
I still can’t figure that one out. If he can’t get us to the next level, he should be FIRED!!!!!!!!
No 2 ways about it. If I truly thought he couldn’t get us to that level, I would be all over AW and wanting him gone. The window of opportunity can be short. With the talent we have now, the window is OPEN.
Not every team that has one the CL has had a cast iron defense. It helps, but its not essential. Real Madrid. They don’t EVER play a defensive style. Brazil wins World Cups. They don’t play a defensive style. You don’t have a monumental defense to win.
April 11th, 2005 at 1:50 am
Danny,
First of all this piece is not based on a ‘rumour’, I work in the media and the information I receive is genuine.
Abramovich wanted Henry, Vieira and Wenger nad the wage deal offered to Wenger was 10 million per year. These are facts.
As for what constitutes a ’superpower’ it depends on your definition. And I’m a little confused as to how you’d define it.
Man U have won the CL twice while Barca have won it once. But for me it’s not how many times they have won it that makes them a superpower, because Porto have won it twice and Dortmund has won it once.
If you look at Barca and Man U’s record in the Champions League over the last 5 years ours is better. FACT.
But the point I’m making to you is that the echelon of ’superpowe’r team in football is one of those who employs players who are recognised as the best in the world, and keeps them despite the attention of other clubs.
We have sold the likes of Anelka, Petit and Overmars in the past but Henry, Vieira and Pires have and are seeing out the best years of their careers at the club. How many other clubs can you name to me that could do that who and are not ranked in the ’superpower’ bracket.
Even the likes of Barca, Juve, Man U and Inter have ‘lost’ their best players to Real (Figo, Zidane, Beckham and Ronaldo) whereas ‘little old’ Arsenal managed to keep them.
When we move to the new stadium, in my definition of the world football superpower, we will have cemented our place.
April 11th, 2005 at 1:52 am
Thanks.
April 11th, 2005 at 1:59 am
L_G
Please see the comments made to Danny above. The piece is based on facts.
Since we were dumped out of the Champions League by Bayern there have been a number of posts expressing their views on our ability under Wenger to win the Champions League.
I was merely trying to offer an opinion that looked at our success under Wenger from a slightly different angle, and at the same time trying to offer a bigger picture overview of the success and qualities of a coach like Mourinho.
The mention of Chelsea and their attempts to buy our players was merely designed to highlight my point that we can’t be bought.
You want to talk about the beautiful game but if you don’t feel money has any relevance in the current world of football I’m afraid I have to disagree with you.
April 11th, 2005 at 5:29 am
As I have told you TEN times already, to even get the domestic success Arsenal have achieved under Wenger is incredible. I don’t want the club to take the gamble of sacking Wenger and losing that in the hope of getting a manager who might be qualified to win Arsenal the Champions League. Please don’t ask me again.
April 11th, 2005 at 5:32 am
Ok, in your opinion they are and in mine they’re not. Glad we settled that.
April 11th, 2005 at 7:47 am
Well thank gods we’re not all gutless twits who like to visit a website despite it being full of “wankers”.
Move along.
April 11th, 2005 at 8:55 am
DT…
I don’t doubt you are happy with Wenger managing and winning THE LEAGUE. I can’t figure out why anyone would be happy with the league title and SLATE the same manager for not having the ability to win the CL.
April 11th, 2005 at 9:10 am
This is not a rumour, this is ridiculous.
Roman Abramovich, one of the richest men in the world shows up at highbury with his checkbook and the only person that knows about it is you?
Then you keep it a secret until March. Every pub has one and now this site has one. The guy that talks absolute bollocks.
Looking forward to the next one.
cheers
April 11th, 2005 at 9:14 am
Hold on.
I am going to the spurs game in a couple of weeks. I think I will turn up a bit early with my checkbook. I don’t think I have enough for a player but I can probably stretch to a programme seller.
April 11th, 2005 at 9:33 am
Once again, I agree with you Danny. In all the copious amounts of news I consume daily, I have never once read this story. (Not to say I believe everything I read, but that this claim definitely needs some supporting evidence here.) As love_gunners says, “Back to football.”
April 11th, 2005 at 9:36 am
I should also add, however, that I do not disagree with Arsene_Knows’ ultimate conclusions here. Wenger is certainly deserving of the deepest respect and admiration for what he has done so far with Arsenal.
April 11th, 2005 at 9:48 am
You clearly had a little trouble understanding what I wrote, perhaps it wasn’t well written.
But facts are facts. That you didn’t catch the strories that were published at the time in the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail about Henry and Vieira only you know why, that an approach was made for Wenger was reported by Henry Winter in the Daily Telegargh.
The amount he was offered to manager Chelsea was the piece of information I received recently and I thought made an interesting read in the light of Mourinho’s wage demands.
You may maintain your belief that this was all just ‘bollocks’ as you put it, but in my experience the person who comes out looking stupid in the end is the one who doesn’t have all the facts.
Having said that, I’m really looking forward to your next contribution.
April 11th, 2005 at 10:18 am
I would say we both have about the same amount of facts. Zero.
I think we were all under the assumption that chesea wanted Henry but it was made fairly obvious[as it has to all other teams] that as well as not being for sale he is also happy at arsenal.
As for PV, that story never got off the ground seeing as they were pretty much focused on getting Gerrard.
My problem is the Wenger part, especially’ the showed up at highbury with his checkbook’ bit. i don’t pay much attention to tabloids but even they didn’t come up with this cr@p. For Mourinho to be getting 6-8 mil is staggering,so for Wenger to be offered 10 I find unbelievable.
I think someone is telling you porkies.
Listen, I apologize about the sarcasm, and to tell you the truth,I enjoyed the post way more than
the usual ‘will we win the CL?’
Lastly, thanks for not directly insulting me. My old mate Paul usually just calls me me stupid.
l
April 11th, 2005 at 11:00 am
I’m not trying to outdo you (or anyone else on this site) by saying this to you but my job is a Sports Editor on a national daily. This has made me more sceptical than most people about rumours because the chief role is to sell papers and entertain rather than inform, but I also do get a lot of information that other fans do not. This was one of those days. And I accept that it is possible it was a porkie, but I respect the person who told me far too much to doubt him (he’s a columnist for another paper who is a big Chelsea supporter).
I contribute here because I can write purely about the team I love without having to justify it to anyone, and because this is an audience of very much like-minded people (despite the difference in opinions).
As for insults, I save them for the opposition, not my own kind. It just proves that people can have two totally different opinions and yet follow the same cause as passionately.
April 11th, 2005 at 12:58 pm
Try to remember that Sports Editors are mis-fed information too. Why do you think the tabloids are so full of absolute shite every day?
April 12th, 2005 at 10:54 am
ArseneKnows.
I understand where you are coming from but your last last point missed the mark. WE are not yet members of the ‘game’s Superpowers”
What Arsene has done is to allow Arsenal to compete with the rest of the established european elite in the future more readily than has ever been possible in our history. The financial / infrastructure support base that took these superpowers years to build as being achieved at Arsenal in a remarkably short time (Arsene been the cheif Architect.) The benefit of which is that we should be able to have more money, buy better players, hopefully have better team results, to complete for the top honours more readily and establish our position in the middle tier of european elite’s table hopefully progressing to the top.
So we cannot be defined as a superpower yet. Only Achievements, History and consistency over the years allows you that right.
We are rightly famed in England as our illustrious past and current present standing reflects, particularly under Wenger’s tutelage.
Illustrious in the sense of been famed and celebrated for what you’ve done or achieved in the past or present.
HOWEVER In Europe, we are admired…from a distance, but still counted as kids, the promising star that has yet to achieve its full potential.
Look at the passion shown by both sets of supporters of the Liverpool / Juve clash last week. Liverpool rose to the occasion because of the passion and will of the fans who clearly remembered how the team performed in their illustrious past, challenging the present team to live up to their predecessors which they duly did. All major clubs in Europe know the Kop’s Anthem. They heard it before, often has there team was loosing.
MAn U have this history quality (an illustrious past) that’s why their European nights seems to have so much adventure. Real Madrid we know certainly has and they demand it of their new players to live up to this past.
Arsenal Fans cannot draw on such History yet as we haven’t created it yet.
Note also we have not imposed our style of play on the European stage often (PSV and Inter match part)
THe bottom line is that Arsenal do NOT as yet have an illustrious European pedigree and cannot be counted to do so till they start achieving in Europe regularly..
April 13th, 2005 at 12:13 am
I sincerely hope that this DannyT is not a gunner fan. If he is, it is pitiful. This type of pessimism just gives Arsenal fans around the world a bad name. With this type of pessimism, Arsenal will never win the CL.