Are Arsenal in danger of becoming a club in perpetual transition?

No matter what anyone says, last season was a very good one for the Gunners. Before a ball was kicked, various pundits - including some of us supporters (if we're honest) - were predicting a poor campaign.

Thierry Henry had broken our hearts by moving to Barcelona, Freddie Ljungberg had shifted postcode to West Ham and there were even fairly loud murmurs that we'd struggle to finish in the top four of the Premier League, let alone challenge for honours.

As it was though, Arsenal set the pace for the first half of the season, playing some of the best football yet under Arsene Wenger's reign. The team was scintilating at times and despite not winning any silverware, we came oh so close - just four points behind the league champions Manchester United and two dodgy penalty calls away from a semi-final place in the Champions League.
Had it not been for Eduardo's horrific leg injury, I truly believe we would have won the Premier League. It's impossible to say if that would be the case, but when you look at the ridiculous points we dropped, starting with that draw at Birmingham (then the draw with Villa, the goal-less game at Wigan, the frustrating home draw with Boro) then the margin between winning the league and ending up trophy-less was very narrow indeed.

All in all, it was a great stepping stone to prepare for this coming season. But then the call of the Euro came looming: Mathieu Flamini voted with his feet over an improved deal at the club; Alexander Hleb moved to the quiet picturesque fishing village of Barcelona; and if the newspaper headlines are to be believed, we could also be bidding farewell to Emmanuel Adebayor and William Gallas before the season starts in three weeks time.
Of course when we lose players, Wenger always finds one or two newbies to replace them - either through a shrewd buy or by promoting one of the youth team. But it takes time for new players to adjust to the pace of the Premier League and as a result it feels like Arsenal have been a club in transition ever since we reached the Champions League final in 2006.
And even the most optimistic supporter knows that whoever emerges as this season's revelation in Arsenal colours will automatically become a target for Real Madrid, Barcelona or one of the Milan clubs. Or all of the above.

So the question I have for you lot is whether you think we are in danger of being in perpetual transition - a club that players use as a stepping stone to the so-called European giants? The only thing I see giant about them is the wages they are prepared to pay out to players, but then we all know that salaries are the central issue at Arsenal Football Club. If Arsene Wenger were to be hit by the team bus tomorrow, I dread to think how many transfer requests would land on the boardroom table.

Personally speaking, I'd have no problem in letting William Gallas go to PSG, as I think he's lost a yard of pace and is no longer the player he once was. But having a settled squad who enjoy playing the game together and who know each other inside out is more important, so I'm hoping that Le Gaffer can keep the remaining members of his team happy and perhaps even boost their confidence with an inspired signing or two before the new campaign gets under way.

What do you reckon? Do Arsenal's finances mean that we'll always be a selling club? Perhaps you think that staff turnover is healthy for a football club? Share your comments here

Comments

[Abhishek]

i think the real question is 'loyalty'. If there were english player coming through from academy I really doubt they'd go to spain or italy or wherever. dont you think? players like keown, adams, nigel, you reckon they'd have acted like the scumheads now? no F****n way!! too many international players and hence no loyalty or pride. also when they saw people like paddy/bobby/thierry leave scums like kleb and greedybayor think they are the heart and soul of the club now in jus 1/2 seasons...wenger must understand this fact, why cant he bring some english players through?? but all in all, arsenal is making profits this way, the board is not disappointed afterall arsenal is business whether we accept it or not.

[Terence McGovern]

I believe that this is relatively temporary situation. The wage structure is there to protect the finacial status of the club. Now the new stadium is proving very lucrative on match days but it did cause significnat debt which the borad has determined to pay off over an again relatively short time. The sales from the development of Highbury will shortly start knocking significant chunks off that debt and thus ease the burden on the club. All things being equal I believe that with so many talented players coming through, Our increased revenues from the new stadium and our policy of selling players at a profit when they have passed their peak is manouvering Arsenal into a strategic financial dominant position and that is by design not accident.We as fans have to think long term.Manu are in dire financial straits. Chelsea live at the whim of sombody who traded in the mother of his children for something new and shiny.
A decade from now, we will be debt free with the biggest match day turnover in the premiership. Our squad is fine .Fans want big signings but really all they want is a placebo. Vela has been on our books for years so isnt regarded as new yet he hasn't played for us and Juventus made a significant offer for him.Some fans would have been delighted if we had just bought him for 12 million. It makes no sense.
We had an invincible season after spending just 500,000 on an unknown German keeper,but still so many fans equate spending with success.
We are the second most successful club since the start of the premiership and we are becoming a more powerful force in Europe. We are always in the CL and our brand of football is second to none. We grow some of the mosty prodigious talent in the modern game and are the benchmark in financial management,sports science and youth development.
We dont sell players who want to stay and the ones that want to go wont be much used to us. If other so called European Giants want to overpay us for players who are not committed to our club, that strengthens us and weakens them not the other way round.
We are in this for the long haul, for the rest of our lives in fact.I for one will happily endure a few lean seasons to grow the foundations for sustained success in years to come when the "giants" of football are virtually bankrupt with squads that play only for euros and could care less for the fans that provide them.

[soulrebel]

Terence, I think these are wonderful points you make. Both positive and insightful.

I am also prepared to witness some 'lean' seasons if we are going to end up solvent in a decade, being the most profitable club in the country, especially if being lean means playing the sort of football we play and coming so close (if not actually winning) huge titles!

I'm not too sure of the legislative environment myself, but surely Man.U and Chelsea cannot carry on like this? Explain to me what is so successful about hand picking the best and most expensive players in the world (something a 7 yr old could do) and if you don't have enough money to buy them, obtaining them anyway through some huge conglomerate's debt policy!!??

You know between them, Man.U and Chel$ki are 1.5bn quid in debt??!! Thats a f*cking disgrace!

[Terence McGovern]

Yes it is a disgrace and one that is unlikely to go unnoticed by FIFA if only because of bias against english clubs in general. If Blatter had his way the CL final would be contested every year by Real Madrid an AC Milan.
Platini has already made noises about clubs in massive debt being allowed to buy their way to the CL final and labelled it as cheating. Harsh to a degree but it still requires regulation. Chelsea is effectively insolvent and Man U are not far behind them. In ManU's case they have a large commercial turnover going for them but given the current European Economic downturn, the will need to exploit markets farther afield in the far east to keep this on the boil. If they were to experience a 20% drop in merchandise sales it could well trigger a domino effect. Given that they didn't manage to fully service their debt for the last 2 years, I was surprised that they didnt just flog off their showpony to madrid for 60-70 mil and use that money to scale back their outstanding debt. There is a good chance however that the deal may already be done for next year to possibly co-incide with the retirement of a certain Scottish knight.
Either way times are going to get financially tough for ManU and financially better for us(as long as Usamov the hut(cousin of Jabba) can be held off. If That scumbag gets his way he arrive at a time when we are recouping all our long earned benefits and just take the lot. Criminal is too good a title for him.
In the meantime however its all good on the homefront. One more player to come as promised by Le Boss and the Emirates Cup and Ajax tournaments to whet our appetites.
Can't wait!