Two words I’ve heard a lot lately. Let’s take a look at some examples from the world of sport, and you tell me what they mean.
Case Study #1 - The Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have a crazy rich owner and play in a massive media market. They sell out virtually every game. There is no relegation in their league. So, for the past, oh, say 50+ years or so, the ownership has been content to put a mediocre product on the field a put the profits directly into their pockets. That’s a lack of ambition.
Case Study #2 - The New York Rangers
Incredibly popular team, huge media market. They’ve decided to spend money on players like a sailor at a whorehouse. They couldn’t spend money on players fast enough. In return they’ve failed to make the playoffs in something like the last five - seven years. That’s pretty tough to do in the NHL. So spending big is no guarantee.
Are these two case studies isolated examples? Of course not. You can see a lack of ambition at tons of clubs: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks in hockey; Atlanta Hawks in the NBA; Kansas City Royals in baseball. Forget a lack of funds, these teams don’t want to take the time to hire the right people. Wasted money? Washington Redskins of the NFL; LA Dodgers, Texas Rangers in baseball, and of course the NY Yankees who are praying to make the playoffs with the largest payroll in baseball history. Money is no guarantee.
Arsenal are a smart, hungry club who try to operate in some economic reality. They’ve done so while consistently (during the Wenger era) putting not just a good, not just a great, but an historically great product on the pitch. How many non-Arsenal fans do you know that have seen their team go undefeated in a whole season. Unless you know somebody who is 115 years old, the answer is no one.
So please, save your ‘no ambition’ rants for somebody else. And please, stop telling me we’ve got to spend, spend, spend.
These two tired refrains just don’t hold up under close inspection.
46 Responses to “Money and Ambition”
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September 16th, 2005 at 7:44 am
Money does not guarantee success. And to say that Arsenal lack ambition would be foolish. But in today’s world, a team has got to keep improving. Standing still actually means going backwards. From that perspective, our team this season is weaker than last, atleast on paper. That is why fans are concerned. Of course, the early season results don’t help either, but that could be irrelevant at the end of the season (I hope).
The question is - can we afford one bad season in search of long term success? Again, the definition of bad could be different for different people, but you know what I mean. If the youngsters do well, then it’s worth it. But if they don’t, people say that Wenger will just go out and buy three world class players. Is that as easy as it sounds? This summer, Wenger tried to get two world class players. Hleb came in but Baptista didn’t. Next summer, will players find it easier to come to Arsenal if say, we end up third or (heaven forbid) don’t qualify for the CL?
We needn’t look far for an analogy. ManU have gone two seasons without winning the title. Worse, they have ended up third in both seasons. We were second last year and could still do it this time, if not better. Did they have trouble in attracting players? It’s tough to say. Last year, they bought Rooney, Smith and Heinze. This season, they got van der Saar and Park. On the whole, I think not. The only difference I see is that ManU failed despite having a strong side. If Arsenal don’t do so well it won’t be because they don’t have good players, but most likely because they lack depth.
So there you go, it’s not about money. And it’s definitely not about lack of ambition. It’s just that Wenger is trying something different. If it works out, then it will be great. But we need to give it some time. If it doesn’t, I am sure there is some backup plan. Till then, let’s enjoy the games.
September 16th, 2005 at 9:05 am
To say that Arsenal are lacking ambition halfway through building a 60,000 stadium is of course absurd. It appears in all likelihood that the club has postponed its current success to achieve successes in the future. It’s good that the club has this long term plan.
In 5 years Henry and the like will be too old to play for Arsenal. No-one lives forever. The club will have to cope then, and it will be in a better position to cope through stadium revenues.
I am certainly not of the opinion that losing Arsene Wenger is the end of Arsenal football club either. Despite his brilliance, I think another manager could come in and do an equally good job, if not better, in the future. But of course, I am more than grateful for what he has achieved, and I would be happy for him to stay for another 10 years.
September 16th, 2005 at 9:27 am
Everyone in his or her right mind knows spending for the sake of spending money is silly. Also one said is how do you define ambition. My ambition might be different from yours.
Football is a big business now and with every business you have to spend wisely. The PL is all about money and profit and to achieve that you need to be on top of your game. Asked why United Vs Liverpool moved to 11am on Sunday morning?
Arsenal have done very well under Wenger and even a Spurs fan will admit to that but remember at the end of the day you can?t compare what Arsenal have achieve under Wenger to United or Liverpool when they were on top of their game.
It has been said even Chelsea a club with know history is doing something more clubs will be force to do one day whether it works or not. If they manage to retain the title and win some great i.e. CL with all their money,10 yrs from now people will be talking about them like Liverpool not their resources.
With your case study you can?t even think to compare any cub in the league with the Cubs. 2 different sports and culture. NY Rangers reminds me of Newcastle United but remember with Newcastle and most of the teams in the North 95% of their supporters are local. Boro, Sunderland and most of the crap teams up North is a sort of community team but London and the South East in not. Less the 50% of folks from North London Supports Arsenal and less than 25% of London supports Arsenal.
So for Arsenal to grow in ?the new PL? special now that we are moving into a big stadium they have to spend money on players and wisely. No one is saying we should buy for the sake of buying buy as Wenger said himself we need some new players or blood. The fact is nothing is guarantee but if the club don?t do well this season where are they going to get the money from. That is what I mean by ambition and read Peter Hill own views on the future of Arsenal FC and the new stadium.
September 16th, 2005 at 10:55 am
I agree comparing 2 sports and 2 cultures is very different. But I agree with Rick that spending big does not guartnee you winning. We saw Real Madrid …they are as good normal spenders like Barca and Juvi … I am sure Chelsea is no better than the clubs the likes of Arsenal, Man Utd, Barca ,…
This money helped to life Chelsea from (ok big mid size) club to bigger team. Not the best yet ! One EPL title does not make them the best.
September 16th, 2005 at 10:58 am
Off Topic :
How many of you would see Bergy as Arsenal new manager when AW leaves ?
Or who do you think (from ex or current Arsenal) players can take AW place a year or 5 or 10 years from now ?
September 16th, 2005 at 11:08 am
Good question, faresk!
I always wanted Tony Adams to be manager of the Arsenal in the future, as I think he’d bring back some blood-and-guts back to Arsenal. I see him as a Stuart Pearce type of manager. However, judging by his experiences at Wycombe alone it’s hard to say whether he has it in him to manage. Now that he’s at, what, Feyenoord? I think he might gain a bit more valuable experience. I also think he probably should have finished his sports sciences degree.
As for Bergkamp, I really have no clue as to how well he’d fare in management. I also think that the style of play he’d try to bring to Arsenal would be similar to Wenger’s - that is, sharp passing, quick play, and pleasing to the eye. I don’t see him taking the reins right after Wenger leaves though. That would be just too risky.
September 16th, 2005 at 11:51 am
As much as I loved DB10 that is not possible. A manager who doesn’t fly is not gong to happen.
The sme way we got Wenger we might have someone good if not better than Wenger. I remembered the first question asked was Arsne Who?
September 16th, 2005 at 12:01 pm
I’m not saying spending more means you going to win something but it gives you the chance if you spend the money wisely. Nothing is guarantee in life.
Asked any bank manager or any business bloke which club they will invest their money in if they have the chance. Arsenal or Real Madrid? Yes RM lost to Lyon but I guarantee you they will go further than us in the CL.
As I said if they “Chelsea” manage to retain the title and go on to win something good things will change for the club. It doesn’t matter how much they spent in years to come.
September 16th, 2005 at 12:08 pm
yup, almost forgot that too! it’s quite impossible to have a non-flying manager!
September 16th, 2005 at 12:35 pm
MONEYBALL - I think Wenger is our Billy Beane
September 16th, 2005 at 12:51 pm
Billy Beane has managed to win F***-ALL… and will win NOTHING again this year.
Is Thierry Henry gonna leave just like Miguel Tejada, and go on to drive in 140 runs for Barcelona?!
Please… the A’s and Billy Beane completely LACK AMBITION… its about dollars.
September 16th, 2005 at 1:33 pm
Awww, c’mon! Mourinho managed from a hotel lobby!
;^)
September 16th, 2005 at 1:38 pm
Got my daily email from the guys over at World Soccer Weekly and one of the stories was that Joe Cole and Gallas are rumored to be unhappy at The Bridge. Just a rumor, so I would keep the celebration to a low roar.
And RvP gets a one match ban. This should p*ss off old stormin’ Orman, but I think they almost got it right.
September 16th, 2005 at 1:50 pm
Good question. I think Bergy would make an excellent Manager, but the flying thing does pose a big problem. Adams would be another intriquing possiblility, although I don’t know that he would build a team with the same kind of flair.
I’m also curious if anyone has any thoughts on Paul Le Guen the former Lyon coach. He turned Lyon into one of the best, most entertaining teams in Europe very much in the mold of Arsenal.
September 16th, 2005 at 2:20 pm
yup heard the same things. Apparently Joe Cole said either he plays, or he’s out (can understand his position, as this is the World Cup year). Gallas believes he’s “underpaid”.
September 16th, 2005 at 6:23 pm
Even if the Joe Cole and Gallas story is not true, sooner or later, other players will complain. These players egos are bigger than their greed for money, trophies or fame. If they ain’t playing, they won’t be happy. And Mourinho does not look like a manager who will stand whining and complaining.
Makes me wonder how SAF kept Ole Gunnar happy for some many years. Ole Gunnar played better coming off the bench so maybe Ferguson pointed that out.
I have zero sympathy for any player who complains about being unhappy at Chelsea or Real Madrid. What did they expect? A red carpet treatment with money falling out of the skies? Did they expect that every week they would take the field, do a few jigs for 10 minutes, score some goals, and have the club owners applaud them and send 5 super models as a gift to help massage and relax them after the game?
In Madrid did they not see scenes of the fans throwing seats at their players after yet another disappointing 1-0 win over a lowly team? Did they not see highlights of the home team being booed despite winning? Heck if Mourinho were to become manager of Madrid and used his style of play, each home game would be booed.
Van Gaal ruined the game at Barcelona, regardless of the trophies he got.
Oops, I seem to have drifted off into a different topic all together
And when the cash disappears at Chelsea, what then? I have tried seeing some of their games and I can’t stand watching them. I don’t care if they win all trophies, they are seriously boring to watch. If there are no Arsenal games on the tv here, between watching Chelsea and Liverpool play their highly boring style, I rather not watch any EPL football at all.
I have complained about Serie A being boring but in the last few weeks I have watched some good attacking football there. The opening game between Fiorentina and Sampdoria was quite entertaining. But again these are not the big teams. A few years ago, Chievo Verona shook the system for a few months by playing some attacking football.
Sooner of later the big money teams will find it hard against the lower placed teams. Also I have wondered how can a player on one team who earns 40,000 pounds a week pass to another team-mate who earns 100,000 pounds a week? Sooner or later, their will be unrest. And ego will surely reign in.
September 16th, 2005 at 8:28 pm
Uhhhhhhhh… I’m not sure what you mean by a crazy rich owner for the Chicago Cubs since they’re owned by the Tribune Co. They’re the people who bring you the Chicago Tribune newspaper and cable superstation WGN. They are a huge conglomerate and act like any faceless, bureacratic corporation.
The criticism of the Tribune Co. for years is that they DON’T run the team like had a crazy owner ala George Steinbrenner. They tend to screw the common fan and refuse to pony up the kind of funds necessary to compete with other teams of their market size. In fact, the general consensus is that bureaucratic corporations are ill-prepared to deal with the dynamics of modern sports business (see: LA Dodgers & Mighty Ducks).
Corporations like the Tribune (the Cubs), Rupert Murdock’s News Corp. (just sold the Dodgers), and Disney (just sold the Mighty Ducks) are in business to make a profit and, as such, put such nicities as winning on the backburner to $ to shareholders. They’re not equipped deal with the fluid nature (i.e. losses offset by ego) of modern sports business.
The irony here is that running sports teams in the US like a traditional “business” has meant that both New’s Corp. and Disney just about ran their franchises into the ground. They have since both sold their teams to “crazy owners.” Most Cubs fans pray for the day that the Tribune finds their own crazy.
September 16th, 2005 at 9:14 pm
Actually this will piss of Fergie whom I am sure will now accuse Dein of wielding too much power with UEFA.
September 16th, 2005 at 11:06 pm
great post rick.
and excellent responses by everyone except stag, who gave us the same old song and dance routine we’ve been subjected to for the last few months.
i tell you, stag is the old man sitting on the porch shaking his fist at everyone who dares drive by, while guarding his pen full of dead horses (the ones he’s always beating), fellowship of the miserable memorabilia, and legion of gloom action figures.
enough is enough already.
September 16th, 2005 at 11:19 pm
Nope ? I just don?t buy it.
First of all the worn out ?money doesn?t guarantee success? argument is completely misses the mark. Sure, we can all point to big spenders who never win a thing and teams who have won on a shoestring budget. But the overwhelming evidence is that greater spending power will generally translate to greater success on the field. Baseball is the perfect illustration. With no meaningful revenue sharing or salary cap, the disparity between teams spending power is extraordinary. Year in and year out the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals and Braves are at or near the top of the spending and year and year out they are successful. Conversely, the Devil Rays, Brewers, Pirates and Roylas spend the least and win the least. It ain?t coincidence. If you want more proof, just look at the Marlins and Diamondbacks ? when they broke the bank and spent on talent, the won World Championships. So yes, spending isn?t a guarantee of success, but it sure helps and penny pinching doesn?t mean you can?t win sometimes, but over time it?s a one way ticket to mid table or worse.
Second, with regard to Arsenal?s ambition, I don?t think anyone doubts the team?s general desire to win, but even the most biased apologist for management has to concede the following — 1) over the last two years the management has let the talent and experience level of the team slip. 2) the steps taken appear to be attempts to save money and 3) management has miscalculated the degree of damage that this tightfisted approach has caused to the team. Whatever the reason, everyone (except for the most wishful of wishful thinkers) knew that the team had been severely depleted. Certainly Wenger had to know it ? the man is practically a footballing genius; you can?t convince me that he really thought he could challenge for the Premiership title (much less the Champions League) with Cesc and Flamini replacing Viera, Bergkamp, Reyes and RvP partnering Henry and no meaningful back up for Lehman.
You have to conclude that a conscious business decision was made to save money at the expense of the quality of the team. Maybe it was necessary. Maybe the new stadium drained cash to the point that
September 16th, 2005 at 11:34 pm
You must be kidding.
You think players are calculating salaries on the pitch? and there surely will be unrest?
They haven’t lost… and they haven’t even let in a goal yet… thats perfection so far.
I don’t really remember Arsenal fans complaining about George Grahams style of play, when he started the team winning.
You think Chelsea and the supporters care if they play a defensive style… and win all the trophies?
Think just a bit. Please.
September 16th, 2005 at 11:36 pm
Huh?
what are you on about Seanie?
All I said is Billy Beane is a failure at winning titles.
September 16th, 2005 at 11:38 pm
I believe you are CORRECT.
September 17th, 2005 at 1:34 am
Read a bit carefully please. I didn’t imply the players are thinking at the ‘exact’ moment they are making the pass.
After the game man. For god’s sake!!
Off the field, it takes just one comment from someone to unravel someone. The players are humans too. You think they can just put their heads down and go about like perfect little people. If that was the case, then why the Cole incident?
What happenned with Anelka? His brothers put the idea in him. Why did he suddenly want to leave? Money?
Ofcourse their supporters don’t care if Chelsea win all trophies.
Tell me stag, starting tomorrow if Arsenal started winning all their games 1-0 and won all trophies this year, would you be happy?
I can’t remember but were you one of the people who complained after Arsenal’s F.A Cup win? If so, then why did you complain? They won the trophy, didn’t they?
You seem to read whatever you want to man. No matter what comment there is, if you don’t get it, you jump the gun. Wow man. WOW
September 17th, 2005 at 2:41 am
Apparently I needed to reply in two seperate messages.
I remember GG’s style of play. I quite liked it. But I have been spoiled by Wenger’s style. If I had to make a choice today, I would go for Wenger’s style. Now that is just the style of playing. No talk of trophies.
Slightly off topic but not really.
At the start of the 2002/03 season, Arsenal looked amazing. Remember the Leeds away 4-1 win? They were unbeatable until a last minute strike from a future 16 year old brat. Wheels stopped in motion.
Two years later, Arsenal started the season off in good form. This time the same kid stopped us but with a dive. Wheels came off again.
Now even if I believe there will be unrest among certain Chelsea players (the few that are on the bench), this will not stop them from winning their games. Mourinho would bench or transfer the players who speak up. He would have no problem doing that. Even Ferguson had sent Stam packing in record time (surely that was a record, one day?) when Stam spoke against the Manager. So in Chelsea’s case, unless team steps up and beats them tactically, they won’t drop points.
Yes I agree Chelsea’s record is perfect. And you know what, they will not change their style if they can keep winning 1-0. Simple as that. But they would hate losing 1-0. Like Liverpool’s loss. Oh that stung. Mourinho made the same comments about only one team playing football that Rijkaard made about Chelsea.
Today Charlton host Chelsea. Do I think the result will be any different from the previous 5 games? If there is any signs of life in this league, then I hope so.
September 17th, 2005 at 10:07 am
Yet he went for Baptista (say what you want about how determined he was) and wanted SWP, which would have put our expenses in the area of 30 million and change. Is that too frugal? Too suggest it is a touch Blue, I think.
Wenger goes for only the players he wants and has made the choice to have faith in his young talent that has shown him they deserve it. That’s his gamble. Yes, the new grounds factor into it, natch. But he believes we can win and contend. Do you really think he, or the club ot both, would set the team up to fail in this commemorative year? I can’t imagine that we supporters are the first to think about the seats he needs to fill at The Grove.
Had we spent that 30+ mill elsewhere, there is no gruarantess the team would be better. You can think so, Stag thinks so, but I believe Wenger doesn’t from what he’s seen out there.
It comes down to who thinks Wenger’s being honest and who thinks he’s cuffed by the club. That’s the rub here, and its all based on a scientific, wild-ass guess.
September 17th, 2005 at 11:15 am
I actually said I was HAPPY WE WON the FA CUP.
Many folks were mad, even though we won. I was THRILLED that we won the match.
If we won all our matches 1-0, I’d be ecstatic. For me its about winning. Playing beautiful football has been GREAT. I loved watching us play our style.
Its painfully apparent that teams have figured out how to slow us down and stop it… it doesn’t work any longer for us. Time to adapt, instead of playing the same way with the same bad results, over and over.
September 17th, 2005 at 11:18 am
Our ability to play teams off the pitch brought endless smiles to my face. We danced all over Leeds on 2 occasions. One in which THEIR FANS at Elland Road, applauded our players off the pitch for their display.
It was BRILLIANT.
But its not working any more. We have to change, its that simple.
I hope Charlton beat Chelsea… but its more likely they lose 1-0.
September 17th, 2005 at 11:20 am
It really doesn’t matter what I think.
What do the PLAYERS think? What does Thierry Henry think? Ash? etc etc.
What they think matters. If they think we screwed up and are going backwards… then they will depart if we don’t improve.
At the end of the day, those are the facts.
September 17th, 2005 at 11:47 am
Totally, agree. But at the end of the day, who has a better drop on what the player’s think? When has anyone up and abandoned Wenger? Only one to my knowledge has ever threatened it repeatedly.
I still believe that the players understand that they have to take some responsibility for their performances, and that goes for vets and youngn’s alike. It is possible that Henry decides he wants off to supposed greener pastures, I guess. Anything’s possible. But if anyone knows HOW possible, its Wenger.
Like I said, every scenario has been thought through by Wenger and the Board. Its unlikely to me that suddenly they would be off the same page. We can only sit back and watch. Which sucks.
September 17th, 2005 at 1:00 pm
Danny, kelvin, and any other Highbury regulars, I’d like your opinions on this. Some people have speculated that if the likes of Henry were to leave, then we wouldn’t see sellout crowds at the Grove. However, as one Soccernet writer claimed, Arsenal proved its big-club status by managing to sell out the home tie against Thun. I think this was also meant to be a bit of a jab at Chelsea, who had an embarrassing number of empty seats for their game against Anderlecht.
Tell me, if Arsenal were to lose Wenger, Henry, Ashley Cole, and any other star you’d like to throw in there, would we still manage to fill the Grove for every game? How much impact do ticket prices have on Arsenal supporters’ attendances at games? I really appreciate all your input in this.
September 17th, 2005 at 2:03 pm
Good. Atleast you are consistent then with your comments. I was happy as well.
When it comes to teams like Man U and Chelsea, a win is more important than the style of play.
Yes teams have figured us out. I just wish we go for plan B but we don’t have one. Frustrating as hell.
September 17th, 2005 at 2:10 pm
In being realistic I figured Chelsea would win 2-0 or even 3-0. And sure enough, they won 2-0.
As far as Arsenal goes, equation is simple now. Keep winning every game until that Dec 18 encounter when we can hopefully keep the gap to 6 points. And then we need a win then.
Last year, on Dec 12 we were 5 points back. And if we had snatched a win that day, atleast we could have had a chance. We never made that gap up.
And now we can’t expect any favours from other teams. We need a white hot streak. But before that streak starts, a change in thinking/tactics is required. Chelsea’s run makes me think of how ManU walked over teams a few years ago. Teams were afraid to play against them, so they lay down. But against Arsenal, teams were not afraid. So once again, Chelsea with their run and money are probably intimitading teams. Not to say that the team does not have the depth to actually hurt teams.
Argh! I wish Arsenal’s game was today and not on monday. I don’t like when they have to play catch up. Last year that happenned. And when we lost the title to Man U in 2003, we were playing catch up then as well.
Ofcourse, Arsenal played catch up perfectly in 1998. But we had a defense then.
ARGH!!!!
September 17th, 2005 at 2:21 pm
What sucks more is that we have to wait even longer for our Arsenal games. I wish our game was not on monday but today.
It has been the strangest year in terms of supporting the team. I can’t ever remember it being like this. The summer felt like a long drawn out waiting period. And then the season started, more questions popped up. The long 3 week gap didn’t help.
September 17th, 2005 at 3:08 pm
We are notoriously bad in November. We haven’t even reached October yet and are way back.
I don’t think winning the league is possible. I don’t think it is for anyone.
Chelsea have played 6, won them all, and not conceded at goal. They have already beaten us twice… and even with injuries, there 2nd team is as good as most 1st teams.
Give credit where it is due… they are scary, and yes, teams are afraid to play them.
September 17th, 2005 at 5:00 pm
it’s your tone.
always negative.
last season was always positive, now it’s always negative.
don’t you have a middle ground?
and while billy beane hasn’t won a world series (has won many division titles over the last 5-7 years though), he has built a solid team over the last decade with a tiny budget and empty seats in the coliseum.
and the team has wanted to move out of said coliseum and set up shop in san jose in a baseball-only stadium, but bud selig won’t allow it. says it is giants territory.
ambition is often relative to one’s means, and partially regulated by uncontrollable circumstances.
leeds had ambition that outstripped their means. now look where they are.
the comparison between arsenal and the a’s is valid.
September 17th, 2005 at 5:17 pm
Honestly ,… who is ganna stop Chelsea …
They are cruising around in the EPL.
I am really worried.
September 17th, 2005 at 10:48 pm
Arsenal = Red Sox…
both play in the best stadium in their sport
great tradition
both spend more money than most teams, but both are dwarfed by the amounts their nemisis spends (yankees & ManU respectively)
This is why Fever Pitch was adapted to the story of the Red Sox… closest thing to it, in baseball.
and thanks to last season, both stories end up with the team WINNING.
The A’s are downright stingy, and Money ball ain’t won a thing… Arsenal certainly do NOT want to grow great talent, and then sell it off when they can afford the player any more… thats pathetic.
September 17th, 2005 at 11:51 pm
Your right Scotty we did go for Baptista but I don’t recall us ever getting too serious about SWP and it never seemed like we were really going to try for both of them.
One of the most annoying things about this summer iwas that SWP and Essien are great young players that would really have fit in with Arsenal — to have them whisked away by Chel$ki was a bitter pill, but $$$ talks I guess.
September 18th, 2005 at 3:53 am
Watch your mouth…or I’ll pull this website over. Don’t make me come back there!
September 18th, 2005 at 4:09 pm
Arsenal has always been a very well supported club, better than any other team in London. I have been to Arsenal games when I was in my twenties that had crowds of 55,000 - this is pre-all seater stadiums. And we didn’t have Wenger/Henry etc. then. And neither was Arsenal winning regular titles.
Football is much more high profile now, so there are a lot more Arsenal supportes now than there was then. So I think the stadium will be a big success. However, Arsenal do have to keep their eye on ticket prices. 10-15 years ago it was affordable for everyone, now it is more expensive than it has ever been. So if the team is not performing it is hard to know whether people will decide that the extortionate prices are worth it or not. Time will tell.
September 18th, 2005 at 4:12 pm
Chelsea are nothing to worry about, it is Arsenal you have to worry about. We “should” be good enough to beat all the teams that Chelsea beat, therefore, we should be able to compete. The fact is, we won’t compete. And that has nothing to do with Chelsea, but everything to do with the fact that Wenger has neglected the team and it’s moving backwards.
September 18th, 2005 at 4:51 pm
If it’s worth saying once it’s worth saying again.
Money is the root of all evil and all it does is help you buy company when in misery! “Spread the misery” must be the moniker hanging over Chelski’s change room and corporate offices. Therefore they continue to lie steal and cheat in terms of tapping up and the likes. All it’s really doing is ruining EPL Football.
That said you have to spend money to make money. I think Arsenal have a fantastic team we just need some better luck. Let me change that: we need to make ourselves some better luck as they say — lucky to be good and good to be lucky.
I think this next game will be more telling than our loss to Chelski and our unfortunate loss to Boro.
September 18th, 2005 at 5:46 pm
Sometimes you have to go “backwards” to move forward. Wenger threw a lot of faith at his young players in the hopes they would come good this season, but more importantly, to build a world beater in the new stadium without a silly bidding war shackling us every summer. What can you do about Chelsea? You have to play the cards for the club and hope that other clubs soften them up, too.
We’ll have a strong team over the next few years in a new stadium that will compete with every billionaire on the block. Its the only way to do it, grass up.
Now imagine being Madrid, right now. Excess with no return. Baptista gets a straight red for mangling some poor b*stard’s ankle with 3 seconds left in the game. Not sure we didn’t dodge a bullet with this guy, either. There’s a lot yet to shake out this season.
September 19th, 2005 at 8:07 am
Hey, gerard. Long time no post, eh?
And now Chelsea are in for Vincent Kompany. Like Madrid, they’re buying surplus to needs, but have enough cash to keep them happy sitting for at least a couple years. And the rest of us are supposed to wait around for their cast-offs. While their transfer market power is not the whole story of their success, it does “buy in” to the success of their opponents by stripping the league of available talent. The repercussions of Roman’s inclusion have only begun to be felt.
Sux.
September 19th, 2005 at 1:42 pm
Yes, summer takes me to those wonderful places I love to spend my time with little technology and lotsa nature - the cottage.
I still stand behind what Johan Cruyf had to say about Cheslki. clash between the league leaders of Spain and England had “done everything to make me loathe football”.
It comes as no surprise to read the soccer legend and Dutch master Johan Cruyff comment that Chelsea?s style of play is harm to the game. Cruyff considers Chelsea are a real turn-off. Cruyff goes on to say that before long, an empty Stamford Bridge will stand testament to the fans’ disgust at a style of football that makes watching paint dry vastly more appealing. Loathsome Chelsea, said he, is a blight on the modern game. Boredom in blue.
According to Cruyff, the result should never justify the means. He said Chelsea’s performance in the first leg of the Champions League
Cruyff added: “Barcelona must knock Chelsea out for the good of football. The Chelsea way of playing is clearly results above everything else.
As for me Chelsea?s play is as frustrating as owning an Aston Martin DB9 on an American thruway - prestige without pride.
GP