Sane clubs like Tottenham and Arsenal do sell when the opportunity is right.

Posted on by Tony Attwood

By Tony Attwood

Today, Arsenal History Society publish an article on Kolo Touré and points out that Arsenal bought him February 2002 for £150,000 and on 28 July 2009 sold him to Manchester City for a profit of £13,850,000.

On 28 May 2013 Manchester City sold him to Liverpool on a free transfer.  Taking into account Toure’s salary the cost to City was about £300,000 per game played for Manchester City.

It is of course a way of winning the league and many people, at Arsenal and at every other club, would like their club to do the same.  Indeed Arsenal may be in the process of starting to do this, although hopefully not in the same style and approach as Chelsea.

Meanwhile Tottenham might just be in the process (perhaps reluctantly) of “doing a Kolo” by selling Bale to Real Mad for £85 million or more.  He cost £10m including the appearance bonuses built into the original deal.

Of course since I can’t even predict Arsenal’s transfers correctly I certainly can’t predict Tottenham’s, but I do think it is fair to say that Tottenham’s problem in holding onto Bale is not really one of the player wanting to play in the Champs League.  If he had wanted regular Champions League exposure he could, (as one paper put it recently put it) have gone to Celtic.  He is fascinated by the glamour and surrounding insanity of Real Madrid, just as Henry was when he went to Barcelona and cost them £250,000 a game.

But I’m not crowing over Tottenham’s difficulty, because I don’t think it is a difficulty.  Of course if Tottenham sell, some turnip with a limited vocabulary will call them a “selling club” just as Arsenal has been called “a selling club” which is plainly ridiculous.   There are two types of club – those who at least make an effort to keep the books balanced (like Arsenal and Tottenham), and the financial loonies who don’t.

With all the fuss about Arsenal needing to buy, buy and buy again, one has to remember that it is very possible for all clubs to make expensive mistakes.  I am not sure too many Liverpool fans were pleased with wasting the sort of money Andy Carroll cost them when he was sold for £15.5million to West Ham United.   The loss was £20m – and that loss is in part responsible for the speculation that they now need to sell their best player (although of course Liverpool claim they don’t).

Being a club that sells decent players at the right time for a profit is not a problem.  Buying players for huge sums and selling them for nothing is a problem and in any other industry it would lead to bankruptcy.

The warning signs were there – just as they were for Arsenal with Vieira and Henry, and long before that with Stapleton and Brady.   With Bale talking about how one grows as a person when leaving security to find something new you can see what he is thinking.

When Tottenham didn’t and then did sell Modric, Berbatov and Carrick, they were playing the same game as Arsenal – trying to hold on to players, but knowing that in the insane world that surrounds a half a dozen clubs in England, France and Spain, there are some teams that can and will pay any price to ensure that the fans who vote in the club President are kept happy.
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The problem is that even if Bale stays for one more season and the club does then get Champions League football, what then?  We have seen with Cesc how the pressure can mount and how when a player wants a move the whole thing becomes impossible to resist.  We have also seen how if a player’s contract runs down (because he refuses to discuss a new one) it can be impossible to hold onto him.
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The Bale contract runs until 2016, and there is no obligation on Bale to sign a new deal.  If he makes it clear that he will not, then gradually his value collapses, and Tottenham will have to sell Bale at the latest in 2015, just as we had to sell RVP.
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The problem is not that Arsenal or Tottenham are selling clubs.  Indeed the people who write such things are rather like little children in the primary school playground calling each other names.  Name calling generally reflects a lack of argument and logic.
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No, the trick is to sell players high, and buy cheap.  The golden trick is to do it with a player who has recently gone beyond the potential that anyone thought he had.
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As always I think of Hleb sold to Barcelona – Hleb costing Barce about £1m a game – a lunatic fee.  Even the sale of the injury prone Marc Overmars to Barcelona is an example of crazy buying – costing the club about £350,000 a game in transfer fees  and salary.
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In the days of FFP such transfers pile pressure on the buying club, and help get them into ever deeper turmoil.   Thus the sane clubs get a double bonus.  We make a huge profit, and help bring forward the days of difficulty for the financially insane.
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The issue is not just about winning trophies.  It is also about survival through this period of total insanity.
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123 Replies to “Sane clubs like Tottenham and Arsenal do sell when the opportunity is right.”

  1. I cannot believe I am saying this but what a good article…
    As a Spurs fan the whole episode is so degrading. Levy needs to step up and stop the speculation now – either he is not going, so say so publically or it is under consideration, again just tell us and stop all this unnecessary hyperbole!!

  2. An excellent, balanced blog. I just wish some of our respective(probably younger) fans could understand the point.

    jamie (spurs fan)

  3. Great article mate.

    May be Spurs, but I’ll always hold respect for Arsenal for at least doing things the ‘right way’.

    Matter of time before us, you and probably most of the top 7 become CFC MCFC PSG ASM type clubs however.

    Anyway, I’d say good luck for the season, but, I am Spurs after all.

  4. As a Spurs fan I have to give you credits for a well written and sane piece. Obviously I don’t want to see the back of Bale, but I guess that’s not up to me to decide.

  5. From a spurs fan I enjoyed reading that as it was a pretty accurate account on what goes on regarding our great clubs. I understand the logic in players wanting to achieve things in their careers but how are lesser teams like spurs(cue the trolls after that statement) meant to achieve anything when we get our star players cherry picked each season. Bet it does Levy’s head in as he’s trying his damnedest in building a team and squad capable of a top four/title challenge.. Anyways good luck to both clubs this season..

  6. I’m pretty sure Southampton don’t see you as a sane club when you snatched their talent paying millions!!, they couldn’t compete with you financially but hey didn’t see you producing facts and figures. You are a bitter hypocrite when glory days are not on your side

  7. A proper article reflecting exactly what I’ve been saying for a few years now.
    The only problem is that our game is no longer ‘ours’, and success is measured in terms of having enough money to spunk up the wall on any given player.
    The agents and TV have sucked out any ‘sport’ associated in the game, and it is now a simple competition of who has got the biggest pockets.
    Whilst both our clubs do things ‘the proper way’, in the long term we need to ask how that helps us. We cannot compete financially and therefore a Champions League place is in reality the best to be hoped for. Is that enough? Probably not…..eventually supporters will get fed up with not having the possibility of progress….and the game will stagnate. At that point the arabs and Russians will take their money and buy new toys.

  8. Interesting article Tony. Thank you. Do you think that FFP will be enforced?

    I cannot find any evidence that Arsenal have put in a bid for Liverpool’s Surez. Is there any?

  9. good points – as a Spurs fan, agree with all.
    you are right, us without Bale is a worry – but £85-£100 million? at some point it becomes crazy enough!
    as you say, we reinvest, and largely begin again – however, i would hope a large percentage is spent on proven and ready top class players – but we have the new stadium hanging over us – and you know what that’s like
    interesting times…..

  10. Agree completely. For me the one of the attractions of football is the ability of any club to employ a manager who gradually builds a great team, that before the Cheatski’s and City’s came along was carried out over a period of time because you coudn’t buy a team in a close season because teams had to be run as a business. Aresenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Utd are run as such, but looks who has hoovered trophies galore in recent years outside of Utd? FFP will possibly bring some sanity to football depending on whether UEFA penalise those who don’t comply, but it might be that only the English follow the rules looking at PSG and Monaco- eches of the EU?

  11. Vey well written piece and nice to get A balanced piece. What would have been interesting was the added bit that whilst we have made profit on players we have been still competitive and would Wenger have taken on the emirates plan had he known there were so many trophy less seasosns. However, as a fan I feel we have kept progressing last season we got more points than the season before and that only brought fourth but looking at table we were five points behind city two points behind city ok we were well behind it’d but so were the rest. We need a few players to enable us to beat top six sides this season. However, this season we have good chance to change that with only two top six teams in our first eleven games a chance to get our consistency and confidences high by time we get to games ten and eleven. Last season 6 points from a possible 30 from top six sides is not good enough if we can get 15 points from those fixtures that would be an improvement and give us a great chance to challenge for title this season.

  12. An excellent piece, and that’s coming from a Spurs fan. Right this minute ANY club would love to have an asset like Gareth Bale. Although we would hope to see him for one more season in our colours, common sense tells us that in these days of financial suicide, it would be prudent for Daniel Levy to take £80m+plus (if indeed these figures are correct)in order to safeguard the future of the club and further strengthen the squad.
    Others might say that if you hang on to your assets come what may and spend on top of that to build a championship winning team then big money through prizes, advertising and sponsorship will naturally follow. So too will ‘big name’ players. That may be so, but there is no guarantee of glory through silly spending. Look at Leeds.
    We’ll see what happens to Bale, the so called home-boy with a young family and lucrative deals with BT for driving their new season’s Premier League TV coverage campaign.
    As one Arsenal fan cabbie told me recently, ‘I hope Bale stays because if you sell him you will become an even better team with all that money’.
    We’ll find out soon enough.

  14. First of all Bale cost £7m NOT £10m….secondly do not compare us to Arsenal because although in recent years they have been more successful , they have neither class or soul.

  15. Yes, the selling club label is silly, all clubs buy and sell every year. Who you sell to and the quality of the player does establish a pecking order though.

    There should be no shame selling to Real Madrid (unless ur barca) because they are the biggest and most glamorous club in the world. If they were selling their best player to a club like Everton or Liverpool, that would be very different.

    When we sold RVP to Man U, it established what we all knew, that they are now a level above us. When we sold nasri to man c it was far worse because that created a change in the pecking order, as opposed to when we sold them under performing players for inflated prices because it showed we were still the bigger club.

    This is the same problem with Liverpool/Suarez. We all know that we have pulled away from them in recent seasons (or rather they have fallen behind), but for them to sell us their best player would be an admission that we are on a different level now.

  16. Spurs must not fall into the same trap as Arsenal, selling their best players and winning no silver ware

  17. @gary Rodgers- that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. No matter how poor we might perform, we have always been know as a classy club that tries to do things the right way. Funny how none of my Tottenham freinds ever say dumb things like that.

    Back under your rock now troll

  18. Garry,

    tell me which part in this sentence was too difficult ? “He cost £10m including the appearance bonuses built into the original deal.”

    Maybe appearance bonuses?

  19. If Bale is sold for £85M it represents a quarter of the development costs for renovating their dump of a stadium .As a result the Mayor can withdraw his funding saving London taxpayers the burden of supporting this scheme and helps them pay their own way. I’d like to see them maintain their status as the top of the middle tier clubs in the premiership minus their best player.

  22. Hi Walter,to provide you with a bit more info re Bale which as a gooner you understandably wouldn’t have followed(Gary – don’t know why you need to goad as this is clearly not written as a Spurs v Arsenal piece) We bought Bale out of his remaining £5m add ons and reduced them to £2m hence the final fee being £7m a few years back when they were in financial difficulty. More importantly this included removal of the 15% sell on which has turned out to be substantial based on todays market value!

  23. @gary; we’ve been more successful in recent years… 25 years since you finished above us, 50 since you won the league, you can count your clubs major trophies on one hand. We have always been a bigger and better club. Most spurs fans o er 14 know and are able to admit this, there’s no shame in that. Spurs are one of the 5 best run clubs in England, we’re one of the biggest 5 clubs in the world, get over it.

  24. Sane clubs also buy top players at the top of their game when the time is right. Neither spurs or arsenal have done much of that recently. It’s not enough to pair talented youngsters with average imports. It doesnt inspire them. Neither clubs seem to see this. Both clubs are cut from the same poor quality cloth.

  25. Blueshy,

    Are you sure you understand the article? I didn’t see Tony using the C. Ronaldo example even though he cost £80million. He is still a good investment for Real Madrid. Knee jerking commenters with poor comprehension skills like you are the ones who bring discord to otherwise sane conversations.

  26. Thanks Christian Spur and others to set the money right. 😉

    And for most for their sensible and sane comments.

  27. Arsenal are a selling club, however you look at it.
    YEs they sell for profit, the bonus of a poor situation. What you fail to show is how the lack of any silverware impacts the fans… who pay the highest in the land to watch a team capitulate out of all comps in the same 2 weeks.

  28. From an Arsenal point of view the best thing for us would be that Levy holds on to him as long as possible. I would prefer to somewhere around August 29 or so. Then gives in with almost no time to replace him.

    But I think he will give in earlier to RM (that could be the foundation for a new stadium after all) and spend a bit of that money also on new players. Then you might suffer from it.

    I do think that not all the money will be used to buy new players. And from the moment you sell Bale for that kind of money you can be sure that when Levy wants to buy someone new the prices will go up with 100%.

  29. @ Blueshy – Southampton’s financial issues stem from the same problem as Portsmouth and Bournemouth (Harry Redknapp).

    The youth policy at Southampton is proving to be very successful and is helping them to rebuild. The money they have had from both Arsenal and Tottenham have been key to this.

    Its not nice losing key players, we have suffered it due to the cost of building The Emirates, Southampton suffered it for other reasons. Should Tottenham manage to start building their new ground they will suffer too.

  30. Typically sanctimonious Arsenal view of the World of Football. Granted – Arsenal have been the most efficient Premiership Club at “balancing the books” but that has been born of necessity ( new stadium ) and at what cost ? – is it 8 years since they won a trophy ? No Sugar Daddies at Arsenal then ( excepting of course Mr Fiszman, oh and Mr Usmanov/Kaupthing, oh — and historically the Glossop ( my local town ! ) Hill-Woods. Oh, and no Arab Sugar – Daddies excepting – of course – Emirates ) Still, they do things right and there’s never been transfer disasters ( except Arshavin, Denilson, Gallas, Santos, Jeffers, Squillacci, Wiltord .. and so on !!! )

  31. Just thinking: what would you prefer that happens with the Bale money? Spend it immediately on new players and let us say a chance of CL qualification. Or keep the money to start the building of the new stadium and risk a time with less money available for the squad?

    We have taken the second option as you will know. The long and difficult one. But one that will help us for many many years. But interesting to see what you would prefer.

  32. @archie; Daniel levy is a very shrewd man, I honestly think that he’s just holding out for more money. £80m was an opening offer, you’ll get at least £100m if bale doesn’t hand in a transfer request, which I can’t see him doing.

    Your lot DESPERATELY need a striker, with that kind of money you can get a world class striker and two replacements for bale. Yes they won’t be as good as bale, but with a decent striker that won’t matter, you’ll have a much more balanced team which will make you better.

    Hopefully you hold onto bale and he underperforms 😉

  33. @archie; Daniel levy is a very shrewd man, I honestly think that he’s just holding out for more money. £80m was an opening offer, you’ll get at least £100m if bale doesn’t hand in a transfer request, which I can’t see him doing.

    Your lot DESPERATELY need a striker, with that kind of money you can get a world class striker and two replacements for bale. Yes they won’t be as good as bale, but with a decent striker that won’t matter, you’ll have a much more balanced team which will make you better.

    Hopefully you hold onto bale and he underperforms 😉

  34. Excellent article, a refreshingly balanced view. Shame that some of the comments consist of the usual imbecilic, tribal c**p

  35. Bale is going to be sold, this is why spurs are buying players like mad now to keep the team competing for CL. Wish them all the best. Would prefer a top 2 rivalry between Afc and Spurs, both leading the pack in a few years.

  36. It is quite refreshing to read sensible, balanced comments from both Arsenal and Spurs fans on here. For what it’s worth I would like to write that although I’m an Arsenal supporter, I’m fundamentally a lover of football. This is paramount for me as it means that I am free to enjoy the game whoever is playing. So, dear spuds I also look forward and enjoy watching Spurs because they play great and entertaining football. Therefore, believe it or not I wish them to win…most of the time…except against us or for tactical reasons….

  37. Gooner jack – Arsenal are one of the 5 biggest clubs in the world are they? Yeah, and my cock is 14 inches on the slack, on a cold day!

    Great article btw Tony.

  38. Excellent pragmatic article. Tottenham and Arsenal are thriving due to clever owners with foresight and we have bright futures to look forward to. Both of our Great Clubs will Challenge regularly and have C.L. football. Hatred amongst our fans is pointless.(IMO)

  39. James,

    I am a paying Arsenal fan and the lack of trophies has had absolutely no impact on me. May I suggest that you put the burden of positive influence in your life on other things that you have control over. That way, you’ll feel less sad when the “team capitulates out of all comps in the same 2 weeks”.

    Your statement about Arsenal fans paying the “highest in the land” shows your ignorance of the issue. You come across as a parrot of the agents of misinformation in the media.

  40. Why should we be surprised to read such a sensible article (and largely sensible comments) just because they are written by our rivals? What a refreshing change from the usual diatribes from knuckle draggers! Come to think of it that includes a lot of so called jornalists. Nothing sanctimonious, just realistic comments – buy cheap, sell expensive is a sensible strategy for anyone.

  41. @Mike Hunt at 11:11 am

    You don’t have a cock, your name proves that…..

  43. Good news for all the spuds visiting. The Premier League have blocked any move by Bale.The reason is that their rules explicitly state that there has to be 20 sides in the division.

  44. I stumbled upon a video of 2001 season (cant find the link). It was from ARSENAL TV archives. It had a section where (december time) where they showed ARSENALs emirates project in the conceptual stage. And Mr Wenger was asked about the same. And his reply was how it would help the club to be a major force and help the club to compete at the top for next (in his words) “50-60-70 years”.

    So @RICHARD, yes Mr Wenger would had known what he had to face (financially and on the pitch) when he signed the extension.

  45. Bootoomee – I stand corrected.

    Georgaki-Pyrovolitis – For you I stand erected!

  46. Well written but unbalanced article. Unless the purpose of the article is merely to salve the hurt from another failed transfer window its a huge over simplification of the lose lose situation Arsenal’s strategy puts the supporters in.

    1. Arsenal have been happy to spend money to gain success in the past (Dennis Bergkamp was, at the time, a world record transfer fee for example)
    2. Arsenal led the way in exploiting the youth policies of France and other European countries – again happy to use their financial advantage.
    3. Arsenal have been happy to use financial muscle to capture players from smaller clubs in the UK (Walcott for example).
    4. Fabrigas, Nasri, and Van Persie situation showed naivety about the effect of no silverware on their squad as well as fans … its only a downward spiral from here unless some bravery is shown by the board.

  47. @Mike Hunt at 12:25 pm

    That’s just not possible your name proves that…..

  48. How funny – more spuds fans on here than arsenal fans. What a great Arsenal blog! V funny.

    Usual apologist nonsense. This post makes no sense, at all.

    Of course arsenal are a selling club. Wenger used to sell at the right time (Overmars, Petit)

    Now he sells without adequate replacements as he refuses to pay the market rates (and markets set transfer fees – always have always will).

    Cesc, Na$ri, Clichy, Toure, RvP, Ade-buy-whore – were all sold at the height of their powers.

    And now we struggle to sign anybody with a suitcase full of cash.

    It’s pathetic how low we’ve fallen and how unambitious people on this site are.

    Bootoome – you don’t care about winning trophies? Then why even watch football, fans don’t sing songs about financial fair play and prudently run clubs – they sing about past glories and great players.

    We have only past glories and precious few great players.

  49. @Oh Theo Theo! at 1:29 pm

    Not true. I’m very, very ambitious. Maybe not quite as ambitious as you…but I do bow down to your superior knowledge and wisdom….

  50. There we have our successful and ambitious Oh Theo theo! again. The missionary who wants to convert us happy Gooners in to negativism and moaning.

    Sorry Theo, will not really happen.

  51. AKBs and Spuds have one thing in common…they love Arsene Wenger.

  52. Interesting article Tony.

    Arsenal may have acted within the realms of sanity recently but if the reports in the media are to be believed then Arsenal are just about to board the crazy train. Take the Suarez rumours/BS as an example. If Arsenal were to purchase Suarez for £40m and pay him £110K a week over a four year contract period, with Suarez playing 50 games per season over those 4 years he’d still end up costing the club over £300K per game. Of course there may be a large sell on fee, but that isn’t guaranteed as any player could break a leg or have other injuries that reduce the players sell on value significantly.
    The transfer fee’s being quoted for most players at the moment is all a bit mental, with players who have not proven anything being quoted at £20m plus. Its crazy and is probably the reason why the only clubs buying players at the moment are Chelsea, City, Real Madrid, PSG and Monaco (and of course Napoli, but the less said about that the better). There is no value in the market at present so I’m not expecting Arsenal to make any signings any time soon.

  53. As an actual AFC fan I find the entire spectacle of this blog as an affront to my good senses. It is clear that there are more Spuds that frequent this blog than AFC supporters. I’ve always maintained you Tony are a traitor to the cause, and there is no better evidence of that than this article and this page.

    As I’ve maintained always, you all, the “A.K.B” only serve our competitors, you are the seed of destruction sown throughout our own ranks. You are the reason we do neither intend nor deserve to win. You disgust me and please know that I truly despise you.

  54. Oh Theo Theo, point if view is slightly twisted. Arsenal were pretty much backed into a corner with the sales of RvP, Nasri and Cesc. The formers both being in the last year of contract and Cesc wanting a return to his boyhood club. In each of these cases Arsenal would not have sold if they didn’t have to. This does not make Arsenal a selling club. We are a club burdened by financial restriction due to the building of a state of the art stadium. There is a long term goal at Arsenal, which should start coming to fruition in the next couple of seasons. Patience young Theo Theo, we are nearly at the promised land!

    Or…. we’ll end up signing no one and end up scraping for 4th place again. Things could be worse…. you could have been born in Tottenham!

  56. Walter – soooo funny. Happy complacency.

    Negative ambition.

    Interesting how negatives attract.

    So under your logic – we spend no money, we promote kids, we never win anything, so as long as you’re happy that’s OK? Strange world view.

    I suspect the atmos will be a little testy at the Villa game if no signings landed.

    I mean y’all can live in lala land on here, but in the real world most gooners want to actually compete and win things. Like, you know the first 8 years of wonga’s reign.

  57. Oh poor Alan,

    You are new to this blog I suppose and you seem like a kind-hearted fellow but you are wasting your time reasoning with Oh Theo Theo. You either mock his stupidity or just ignore him. Reasoning with him is a waste of time.

  58. Sorry , … your might . I felt a slight titillation in the force ! Boobs do that to you !

  60. Alan – don’t patronise me, I am probably older than you, young man.

    If we don’t sign anybody we certainly won’t be scrapping for 4th! With all our immediate competition having actually spend money for – shock horror – additional players. The cads, how unfair. I’m with wonga – spending money in football is, dirty, wrong. Wibble.

  61. And if the scum have thick end of 50-60m (Levy will spend) to spend on additional reinforcements from the bale money.

    Makes 4th place this year a little bit tougher than scrapping for 1pt.

  62. Alan,

    I told you so (about Oh Theo Theo)! Funny how quickly he vindicates me.

  63. Bootoomee – what an interesting bunch you are on here, dripping with mediocrity.

    So you obviously have a job that pays an average amount, you play badminton and scrabble to come 2nd and you drive your ford mondeo as exactly the speed limit…

    Living it up!! Whoohootoyou

  68. What I don’t quite get Guninurback is why, having decided that, despite my holding an Arsenal season ticket, doing a round trip of 170 miles for each home game, and also chairing the Arsenal History Society (www.blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk) plus our society having a page in the programme this season (as we did the season before last), and being the author of two books on the club, I am a traitor, you bother to read Untold.

    Beats me.

  73. Hey Brickfields, how did you find the picture of Theo so fast?
    Spot on.

    Must be nice for do many Spurs fans to venture on to Arsenal turf and not get trounced.
    Best of luck for winning next season’s mid-tier premiership guys. 🙂

    Good stuff Tony.

  76. Oh Theo Theo (@ 2.16pm),

    Are you kidding? You just describe a pretty decent life! My life is a little better than that but you just described the life of the average British person/family.

    You really are clueless or childish or both. You can’t even insult people properly.

    You need to spend less time here. Grab a book and get some education, it will serve you well.

  83. Walter, on the previous article “Why does it feel so good to be so negative?”, the consensus seemed to be that we should be more tolerant of the unfortunates who apparently enjoy making themselves unhappy by backstabbing the club.

    I am not convinced on this toleration – you can see here that the twit “Oh Theo Theo” just wants to disrupt, he does not want to debate. My view is ban the git, he can vent on Le Groan, where he normally resides – and let everyone else here get on with the debate. There is a danger that you will lose some good contributors – who do not want to put up with idiots like OTT.

    On the other hand is good to see Spurs fans debating the main points with us. Long may that continue.

  86. “On the other hand is good to see Spurs fans debating the main points with us. Long may that continue.”

    Wow – says it all. Closet spuds. Shameful.

  87. I had so much fun here that I was drooling ( my dentures are loose !) and giggling ( you know why !), that my wife thinks I’m watching porn !
    I’d like to see in a future post if posters can post their replies or opinions in the form of famous quotes or sayings.
    Wouldn’t that be intellectually stimulating ?

  88. Have you lot forgotten that you’re gooners??

    And that the point of football is to win games/beat the scum/win title/win trophies?

    It’s a competition. Not a form of entertainment. Not a show.

    It’s about winning – that’s why there’s a league table. What a terrible, terrible reflection of gooners you are.

    Why not call this blog Untold North London then if you’re entertaining spuds as well.

    You’re right, not a place for me. Makes me physically sick to think you could be sitting next to me at the em. Yuck.

  90. First time poster, despite being in my fiftieth year! It is so refreshing to find an Arsenal blog with proper Arsenal supporters and not the moaners that frequent the protest site LeGrove.

    A true supporter stands by the club during the good and bad times. I detest the modern Arsenal fan, they just embarrasses our club. Arsenal has been through a difficult period, building the stadium and the financial future for long term competitiveness and it has been a huge success in that regard. But the fan that protests and abuses the players, the manager and the board can never be classed a supporter. People like OTT are not supporters, they only ‘support’ the club when it is winning, hurling abuse at all other times. Abusing the manager, the board, the players and fellow Gooners is their way of supporting the club! They are just selfish little moaners. Look at Spurs fans, they have been in our shadow forever, yet they stick with their club, they don’t abuse their board because they have been 5o years without a title.

  91. Steady on bjtgooner, every circus needs a clown. It might get a bit dull without OTT and his mates. Those if us blessed with the luxury of more than just the one brain cell can easily put up with the silly little squawks from Theo and co.
    As I believe they might say in parts of your country, “bless his little cotton socks”, (strange nation the British) but still, without ye we wouldn’t have Les Gunners. 🙂

  92. Quod idiota vobis vere sunt. Spero te penis infirmabantur decidit et manboobs provocabit apud hominem lac!

  93. Hello, my friends with small brains and small male appendages. You cannot satisfy any woman with something smaller than a toothpick and not quite as wide!

  95. Oh Theo Theo what a gem you are! Schoolboy humour at it’s best! The gobbledygook is a nice touch, well done.
    Strangely, your sister always seems more than satisfied, but then she’s probably a proper Gooner!!!!
    Time to move on now, all this nonsense is almost making me nostalgic for British comedy of the seventies. Almost, but not quite.
    Allez Le Boss et les Gunners.

  96. Yes, but Arsenal don’t invest the money in quality players. Wenger is always searching through the dustbins in League One, League Two dross…Cheap replacements.
    Dortmund had to sell top players but they have been spending their resources wisely. They don’t put shite or unproven kids on inflated wages making almost impossible to shift them. And their wage bill is much lower than Arsenal.
    If Spuds have made UCL, things would be worse. They would have invested the UCL money while Wenger and Kroenke put the money in the bank allowing Arsenal squad to deteriorated…
    Wenger had to sell Fàbregas and RVP because he created an enviroment of failure. These players have been proven right to leave the club. Wenger is no longer a top manager and anyone can see this. Imagine who have to work under him at the club. They know he is fininished. He is so out of touch and outdated that people calling him Wengersaurus are spot on.

  97. A century from now, students of our national game will doubtless try to discover how or why the professional side escalated into financial oblivion.
    I will try to help them.
    Following the end of World War Two, a gradual rise in the standard of living for much (but not all) of the world became the norm. The search for material goods increased,
    one of the most significant being television and later its natural supplement, satellite TV.
    Inevitably, advertising via television was born and “a licence to print money” ensued.
    The availability of world-wide, colour, satellite television into virtually any building with electricity, had the result that professional sport, particularly football, naturally began to reap the rewards from the exposure throughout the globe. Advertising in all its forms had arrived.
    So much so, that the wage wheel has turned full circle. From pay restraint to the quite obscene bubble of escalating rates of pay which eventually, like all bubbles, will burst.
    The financial riches derived from global advertising are, in my view, directly responsible for the present madness in the pay of professional footballers. A return to sanity cannot come soon enough.

  98. Oh theo theo YOU ARE NOT AND WILL NEVER BE A GOONER. You don’t even know what it means. Quite clearly from the volume and timing of your posts ur either some dumb kid or a lazy fucker that needs to get a job. Which one are you btw?

    “Remember who you are, what you are and who you represent.” Rocky (bet you don’t have a clue who he was, do you.)

  99. @sperez; yeah, stupid wenger bringing in no name players like Henry and Koscielny from France, and playing useless young players like fabregas and wilshire.

    I bet you don’t realise how dumb you really sound. Go and support Chelsea their about the right class of club for you.

  100. True Nicky. Sadly some societies have been lavishing vast sums of money, untold wealth and even limitless powers on often talentless individuals just because of who they happen to be, regardless of what they do or what skills they might possess (sorry George)!!!
    It’s called monarchy and amazingly still survives to the present day in some places.
    If a society’s prepared to pay millions to somebody to wear a funny hat and wave, paying thousands to poor footballers doesn’t seem so bizarre.
    Vive la Republique !!!

  101. Henry happened years ago and he was quality but Koscielny?
    Koscielny improved in the last games of the season but he is still an error-prone defender. The dumbing down at Arsenal is really scaring.
    Henry left to win the UCL.
    I didn’t use the word ‘useless’ but ‘unproven’ about the youngsters.
    Fábregas: There were recomendations from all over Spain and Wenger signed him. He is really top class material but he is also the poster boy for the failed project youth. Not Fábregas’s fault by the way. If Wenger had added two or three good players, Fábregas would probably have won a PL trophy, something he always wanted.
    Anyway, where’s Fábregas now? Why did he leave the club? To win trophies. Something he knew was not going to happen under Wenger and his outdated methods.
    Wilshere: Had a good season. he was run into the ground by Wenger ( he even admitted playing him in the red zone). He has potential but he is not a top player yet. He has to prove himself. He is overhyped by the media (because he’s English) and Arsenal fans. I pray Wenger hasn’t turned him into a crock with his terrible over-reliace of key players. This is not good for a young player like Wilshere. I believed he was 19 when Wenger run him into the ground.
    It seems you are very selective when you mention players. Why not mention all the failures Wenger has brought to Arsenal then? They far surpasses the success. Especially the young ones.
    One of the greatest myths trotted out by Wengerites says that Wenger is a great developer of youth. No! He has a very poor recording in developing youngsters. What makes the situation worse is the fact that Wenger has put a lot energy, time and money on youngsters.

  102. sperez

    Yes. Arsene Wenger is a terrible coach. He doesn’t know how to buy good players. He doesn’t develop youngsters. He doesn’t know tactics. He’s not a motivator. He doesn’t know how to get a team to defend. He doesn’t understand economics. and whatever other gripes you and others have and blame him for.

    Let’s say I want to believe you. Please explain to me then that if this is the case, why has he been able to keep Arsenal in the CL places? If his recruitment policy, wage policy, transfer policy, tactics, motivational skills are all terrible, why hasn’t Arsenal fallen below where we are, for all these years? Surely a team that doesn’t spend money on transfers, buys useless players, doesn’t do youth development, and has a has-been coach should not be finishing in the top 4 of the Premier League every season? Explain this anomaly please?

  104. Dec

    Yeah. He still hasn’t taken up my challenge to come up with an alternate wage distribution pattern for Arsenal that would have worked better. Yet he insists on assigning blame to it.

    I am almost certain that there was no option that would have worked better in terms of distribution of wages. I’ve tried to do it.

    But this is an even more sweeping statement from him, isn’t it? Lists all of Wenger’s ‘faults’, to bust all of the ‘myths’ about Wenger, in order to discredit all his achievements. Let’s see if he can logically explain them without contradicting himself. I bet you it’ll be more cliched nonsense, but maybe he’ll surprise us with some great insight.

  106. Another balanced, intelligent article on the Untold site, just right for the crazy transfer window. Roll on the first match!

    Brickfields, the cat staring contest was a really good one.

  108. The very fact that so many Tottenham supporters have taken time to contribute positively to this dialogue between them and AFC fans is proof positive that neanderthals like Theo,Theo and a few others are relics of passing, myopic, blinkered tribalism and will soon be relegated to the scrapheap of fanatical pessimists (LeGrove) whose sole raison d’etre is to denigrate anyone who isn’t demeaning our current Club.
    Tony, this was a superb article and displays the love of Great Football which transcends such pettiness as Theo,Theo prides himself (or herself) in displaying. Well done and well done to the majority of Spuds who have proven my point from my previous article….opening doors lets in more fresh air and light than closing them.

  109. Imagine waking to a headline of “Wenger quits Arsenal to seek a new challenge”.
    Worst nightmare stuff for most of us and hopefully will never happen.
    The question for Sperez, Oh Theo and their buddies, is to say how many coaches (if any) in the world would be comfortable in their jobs that morning. Methinks you could list them on one finger (and still sctatch your nose). Conversely guys, feel free to guestimate how many sacks of mail/emails his agent would receive from chairmen/owners/presidents of football clubs sround the planet (and probably umpteen multinational companies outside football) offering him riches beyond anything Arsenal can offer. Probably a number bigger than ‘loads’!!!!!

    We should (and most of us are), be hugely delighted that Le Boss is Gooner. I hope and suspect he will always be so.

  111. now im glad wenger seems to be failing in the transfer market. it seems to be breaking down the arrogance of the average gooner. suddenly, tottenham is a sane club and its fans welcome to arsenal sites. in the other article, arsenal is no longer ‘aa club that does things its way, it just follows the common template used by most clubs’.
    let brotherly love continue, long maay wenger live

  112. @dec,
    i was also uncomfortable when chelsea signed AVB, it didnt take long for my comfort to return though

  113. oh, and tony please do calculate how much players like squid, park,arshavin and the failed youth players have cost us per match(minutes) too. i kind of remember henry playing some matches for barca, did squid ever play for arsenal???

  114. That Arsene Wenger would be welcomed and valued by both owners and supporters of virtually every club on the planet is undeniable. That anybody who claims to be a genuine Arsenal supporter can ridicule and dismiss his skills is plain barmy and downright unforgivable.
    @uk
    In the scenario I offered, every coach working at a club no matter how big would feel vulnerable if Mons. Wenger was to become available to replace him, equally every owner would see an opportunity. You being uncomfortable is irrelevant.

  115. @BJT,

    I have had enough. It’s become too much now, and I have other things to focus on.

    Shame, how things turn out. The minority always spoil it for the majority.

  116. @ Adam – This old prose always soothes the savage beast within since my university days .

    Desiderata

    Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
    As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
    Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
    Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
    If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
    for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

    Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
    Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
    Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
    But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
    and everywhere life is full of heroism.

    Be yourself.
    Especially, do not feign affection.
    Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

    Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
    Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
    Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

    You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
    you have a right to be here.
    And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

    Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
    and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
    With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

    © Max Ehrmann 1927

  117. And if all else fails , there’s always humour !

    1. Confucius Say: It’s OK to let a fool kiss you; but don’t let a kiss fool you.

    2. Confucius Say: A kiss is just shopping upstairs for downstairs merchandise.

    3. Confucius Say: It is better to lose a lover than love a loser.

    4. Confucius Say: Man with a broken condom is called a Daddy.

  118. Or sex jokes .

    After an excitingly hot 69 position with his girlfriend, Jerry remembered he had a dentist appointment. He was afraid that the dentist would smell pussy on his breath so he brushed his teeth 7 times, used dental floss 8 times and on top of that gargled 1 liter of Listerine.

    As he arrived at the dentist he sucked 2 strong mints. His turn came up & the dentist told him to take a seat.

    Feeling confident and relaxed, Jerry opened his mouth wide.

    The dentist got close enough and said,
    “Man, did you have 69 before you came here?”
    Jerry said, “Does my breath smell like pussy?”

    The dentist replied, “No, your forehead smells like shit.”
    ·

  119. @dec
    i dont disagree with you. let me make it easier for you to decode; coaches in england and europe probably felt scared when AVB(the new mourinho) was hired by chelsea… however, how long did they remain scared? if wenger becomes available, other manaagers may feel vulnerable, but for how long?

  121. You still don’t get it uk.
    No need to get scared or uncomfortable when somebody is HIRED, they would all get very nervous for their position should AW suddenly become AVAILABLE.
    Simple point was that AW would be hugely sought after worldwide and we should appreciate the great asset he is to our club, duh!!!
    Anyway time to move on, face Tuesday and savour another day ‘Sans Suarez’. Such pleasant times may be getting rarer if speculation comes to pass. Being a Gooner won’t be quite as much fun should the little Uraguayan ***** arrive.
    Have a nice day y’all.

  123. @dec,
    let me try and make it simpler. you’re the coach of madrid. wenger becomes available, your scared. he goes to psg, you breathe a sigh of relief. 4months later he’s available again(psg realizes the best they can hope for is 4th place trophy under the man, promptly give him the boot), this time you’re no longer scared. you’re like, surely perez aint sacking me to get the 4th place trophy

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