Arsene Wenger maintains that he has always had the full backing and support of the Arsenal hierarchy despite suggestions to the contrary aired by Alisher Usmanov.
Speaking to CNBC this week the Moscow-based oligarch, who owns nearly 30% of the club but does not hold a seat on the board, hinted that the manager had been forced to sell players each summer due to financial restrictions imposed upon him from above.
Responding to Usmanov’s latest comments, Wenger claimed he was happy with his relationship with those in the Emirates corridors of power while intimating that he signed off on all player sales whether they were made for football or financial reasons.
“I believe I have always had the support from the board, and am very grateful for that,” stressed the boss.
“We have worked over the years in respecting in what we did, which is to always work within our financial resources.
“Therefore we made decisions which, from outside, looked not based on purely football reasons, but it was based as well on financial reasons.”
In certain circumstances it’s obvious that deals were done for financial reasons, particularly those involving mega-rich Manchester City. Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri all garnered the club huge fees; the latter knowing that he had the club by the balls as he wavered on the precipice of a Bosman.
The departures of both Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie were far more complicated, each making it clear they wanted out, while others like Alex Song, Alex Hleb and even Lassana Diarra left with the boss seemingly confident he could risk losing their on-pitch impact.
There is certainly no ‘one cap fits all’ for the reasoning behind the deals – the only thing that is clear is that the cumulative effect has seen us fall well behind rivals both domestically and in Europe.
Talking about the prospect of dipping into the market in January to add a bit of meat to the bony British spine that he’s assembling, Wenger naturally spoke conservatively about his potential plans.
“Let’s see how far this team can go,” he told media assembled for his pre-Wigan press conference. “If we can add one or two exceptional players, we will do it. What we do not want to do is add players just because people put us under pressure to buy players.
“That is where we have to be strong enough. If we find a player who will give us something special, we will do it – but that in January will not be easy.
“We have money, and why should I not spend it if it is to find the right players? I believe as well the first and most important thing is to keep confidence in the players we have. If we are consistent, we can come back.”
It’s likely that those last few paragraphs will frustrate more than placate Arsenal fans, but there’s nothing new there. The boss has become increasingly guarded in his dealings with the press and more or less chooses to spout the same stuff every week in an attempt to give them no real room for speculative headlines.
It’s not a tactic that has met with much success recently, but he’s a stubborn man is Arsene and you can expect more of the same until we start winning again.
I don’t trust Kroenke or Gazidis at all, i have very hard to understand why Wenger would sell our best players if he had another option. Yeah they wanted to leave and they didn’t got long time left on their contracts.
But i don’t think he would sell our chances of winning a trophy if he had a choice.
And i don’t fancy our chances in january too when he brings back the classic “if we find one or two” line.
Well yes, but what else can he say?
News just in:
Kroenke wants to sell Walcott next month as he needs the money to build a few more toilets in his new £80 million ranch in Montana
Couldn’t have anything to do with fixing our wage structure to be more indicative of relative value to the club? Dein knows the club intimately, and sold his shares to that nutty Uzbek. His son represented people who sought wages that could hinder the restructuring. Increase pay greatly or the player walks. The attempt at leverage was met with an open door. The British 5 penned contracts, TV5 penned one too, without hesitation and clearly want to play for the club. If a player doesn’t want to play for anything but a nice pay packet, I’m fine with them leaving.… Read more »
And btw does anyone know who Spurs got in the draw?………HAHAHAHA
Chelsea?
City?
There u go backslapping urselves….
what if those players said to AW that they would not commit to our cause if we kept them at all cost? Let them rot?
ManUre fans had a kind of media campaign against the Glazers, but then shut up completely after the Red Nose backed the American owners.
If you don’t have a clue about what was going on, then just accept it or ignore it.
Okey, i would really like to see a player destroying his reputation like that, making a terrible season and become a new Torres.
Demba Ba in Jan will be the only signing – I’d take that, gotta keep it real
I hope we do add 2 exceptional players.
huntelaar and Zaha would be great
And how would zaha be great this transfer window?
Zaha = future
huntelaar = will be great now
And who do you think arsenal will buy? Falcao and the diving manure cunt? Arsenal develops young players. Be realistic for once, Huntelaar is a great player, exactly what we needs.
Huntelaar is signing a new contract with Schalke; Zaha is overrated and overpriced.
So no to both.
Wouldn’t say no to Ba, don’t think he’s a particularly nice fellow but if we can get him for £7.5m and a bit of a wage bump, he’ll fit in nicely. He wouldn’t be Champs League tied, either.
oh i didn’t know that. Ba comming to arsenal would make me so happy, he is an exceptional striker. It would been kind of nice to have Cabaye as well but he would cost a lot more than £7.5m i guess..
Is Arsenal still going for M’Vila? It was a sure deal last summer until it didn’t happen, allegedly because Arsenal wanted to renegotiate the deal they had with Rennes. Arteta is filling that spot rather nicely but wouldn’t we want him higher up the pitch? I’m not sure. As for strikers, I’m not sure Huntelaar would be that good a choice. Looking over his stats, he’s failed to impress at either Real or Milan and had one good season at Schalke, plus he’s 29. This season he scored 5 goals in 17 matches. Kinda like Theo then? Oh right, Theo-… Read more »
Well, exceptional player comes with exceptional transfer fee and exceptional wage demands… aaand ’cause we ARE NOT paying that, I just can’t wait to see who Mr.Wenger considers exceptional?!
How can we win something when we almost allways buy second-best players?
He got Cazorla for a decent return.
Cazorla and Arteta are exceptional players, and Wilshere will be the new fabregas in the future.
Gervinho – exceptional forehead & Chamakh – exceptional hairstyle
Hmm
Gervinho and Chamakh are probably the worst signings ever, it’s better to sell them in january.
Second-best purchases won us the league several times.
Winning is more than just about transfer policy.
I heard Wenger will be shopping at Poundland in January.
At Poundland, Messi is at the same price as any other player.
Wenger left Poundland in disgust after he heard there was a 99p shop around the corner
IMO they don’t have to be exceptional, but if they’re better than our bench players than they already help out with depth problem
All I know is, a club divided cant stand. We need wenger, the board, players and fans to move in the same direction. So come on Arsenal, get on board!.. Get it? Board?… Well atleast I tried.
I understand and support being guarded on potential transfers. You dont show your hand in poker and the same could be said about transfers. However, it is frustrating to the point I have no hair left when we desperately need players to fill our shortfalls. Yes we want “exceptional” players but when we have un-exceptional” players like Chamak (sp?) Gerhvino (sp? (sorry my head is racked today and I cant spell for the life of me). Why cant we at least get a sstrong player to replace them? The exceptional players Wenger claims to want and never sign hardly ever… Read more »
This is a hindsight issue again.
When Chamakh and Gervinho were bought, they weren’t playing with the form we see them now, so they weren’t shithouses when we decided to pay for them. If we’re talking exclusively about transfer policy, then they’re not the best examples.
He looks fucking mental in that photo!
Just an unfortunate angle I guess.
Is it groundhog day? I feel like I’ve heard this all before.
Super quality signings like Shamakh \m/ COYG
So many contradictions from the club, lets hope the super quality players he’s only willing to bring in are better that park gervinho the squid etc etc
Yeh, I wouldn’t say they were super quality. I would say they were more “special”.
Hindsight is great, isn’t it?
Chamakh did well for us at first and Gervinho was lighting up the French league before, so if they were bought as exceptional then it’s hard to blame Wenger. Squillaci played in a Champions League final and was still someone in contention now and then for the French national team.
How they turn out later after the transfer is probably the problem that needs addressing.
One thing worries me about usmanov. I think it can be summed up with this quote:
“…maybe when I wake up some day I have this Arsenal club.”
I appreciate he’s speaking a language not entirely familiar to him, but it still doesn’t sit right with me.
I think we have the lesser of two evils with Kroenke.
Agreed. At least Kroenke doesn’t interfere with the club’s running. Who knows with Usmanov? He might sanction vanity ‘Torres’ transfers Abramovich style and tell the coach to make it work. Obviously, Kroenke isn’t ideal, but at least he is no longer an unknown. Uncertainty is the enemy of stability.
Moves like Jagger! +1
Don’t understand the thumbs down on Jagger. With Usmanov it seems more like an Abramovich Mark 2. Anyone for their umpteenth manager in three years?
Usamanov is not like Abromavich at all. Didn’t you see in the CNBC interview saying that he would only ‘dip into his wealth’ to make exceptional player purchases “if he was asked to do so”?
@gunnertropytime
That is what he says. I read the transcript. But I do not think we should be as naive as to believe him. He did not get to where he is by letting people do things their way.
To be fair, Abramovich has worked out quite well for Chelsea.
Alisher Us-man-move-your-arse…
I don’t fully understand the anti-Gazidis mindset. He’s there to do a job, primarily a non-footballing one. I really believe Wenger can overpower him on any football matter, but Arsene understands the club both footballing and financially and makes sensible decisions without being too risky.
When a club stretches itself and spends all it can afford to, they may leave themselves toothless in the market for years. Villa after O’Neill and Liverpool after Dalglish are perfect examples.
Check out how Leeds are faring these days. They paid the price for over-stretching oneself without having contingency plans for the prospect of finishing outside the top 4. I would take 10 years of prudence (and champions league football mind you) over recklessness that could cause a generation’s worth of damage any day of the fucking week.
Exactly this. In the States, the Florida Marlins won the World Series in 1997, then immediately purged salary to regain financial profitability. The team lie fallow for years, building from the lower leagues, and the core of young players won again in 2003. Immediately, a fire sale and the team lie fallow. In 2012, the moved into a new stadium and splashed the cash- when attendance suffered, largely because fans didn’t trust the ownership, a fire sale commenced mid-season. Anyone who wishes for a spend heavy to win, cope with the fallout after plan is asking for trouble. Stability and… Read more »
Frustrating to hear this little from a fans point of view but its nice to know the clubs busy behind the scenes trying to address the player situation. Lets just hope hes looking in the right places, for the right players, for the right positions because we are not as far away from success as the rest of humanity seems to think. In Arsene We Trust.
do you blame Arsene for his response to press when many vilify the man and are pushing for him to ousted. You very rarely hear anything about ferguson even when utd don’t qualify for cl like last season or get beaten 6-1. Yet Wenger get criticised on a weekly basis. Secondly he never has and never will do his business in public frustrating for us fans for sure but you never want somebody else knowing exactly who your targets are.
If this is true then wenger’s financial management is a shambles. I’m sure Financial Fair Play will continue to be touted as our promised land, and that remains to be seen, but to sell two key players three seasons running is unacceptable even if he kept achieving 4th minimum on the pitch. Hope we spend, and spend well in january. This team needs a lift. An injection of width, defensive solidity and leadership. I know this sounds like crazy talk looking at our transfer policy and wage structure but honestly fuck that if we bring in genuine quality. I for… Read more »
I trust the man, but does he know, or maybe more accurately, care how his words can be construed by us fans? Are we to assume because he bought Chamahk and Gervinho, and he believes in only buying exceptional quality, that he believes those players are quality? And then doesn’t play them?
Does he realize his words can lead to fans believing he will buy no one in January and either sell Walcott or let him leave on a bosman next summer?
Chamahk came to Arsenal on a free transfer, which was great business at the time.
*Chamakh
If you look at his contract he has not been free, if that is your point.
What do you mean by “free?” If you mean no wages I doubt you can find anyone who’ll do that. The wages were reasonable before Chamakh managed to chuck his form into the Pacific Ocean.
If you want to add players please add them at start of Transfer window. Yes you get bargain at the end of window, but we are fucking desperate.
As per usual this transfer window I do not see Wenger going out and buying a few players. He might get the odd one. I think there will be a few frustrated fans given how weak the squad looks.
The perpetual cycle of dealing with disgruntled fans: ‘A tragic Game’ Board: “hey guys relax…reeeellllaaaaaaax. we have LOADS of cash and Arsene can spend the lot in the next transfer window. totes promise.” Arsene: “There is money there. I can say I will probably bring in two players” —transfer window approaches——- Arsene: “we don’t need to add, we need to get the most out of the players we have (points to best most recent result) see? I will only add super quality, but that is difficult in Jan” we don’t buy anyone that impacts the first team and we scrape… Read more »
A Diaby replacement and a striker is a must
“We have money, and why should I not spend it if it is to find the right players?”- does anyone else the Mata with this statement?
Dont get me wrong im not a wenger out, just dont like the press conferences 🙁
To be fair, he says this evey transfer window, and then bemoans the lack of quality, their price, etc etc ad infinitum. I expect us to sign a Congoleses Zygote and be told that Diaby returning will be like a new signing. Balls to the transfer window I say!
What the fuck? Demba Ba is on the cusp of leaving Newcastle and he said he wants to go to Arsenal! Don’t give us the usual crap Arsene, and sign him up.
And give us a potentially barely surviving shooter? People have made his knee out to be tying his leg together with a shoestring. While I’m confident it is not literally that bad, I don’t want to have that concern about a player who may turn out to be so pivotal. Our players are always l around the top in terms of injuries on a seasonal basis, for whatever unknown reason as it is. I like Ba, don’t get me wrong. But I’d rather take comfort in a Llorente or Walcott reliance (literally, I’m saying anyone so injury prone) than concern… Read more »
Fabianski out – Gordon in
Chamakh out – Lopez or Villa in
Diaby hospital- Unavailable Dmf in
One good backup GK, Reina is fine, he is welcome to sit on the bench, but well we know he ain’t coming then. So well who else. He should idea be “home grown” so we r not wasting a squad space on a guy we rarely will use. I have Djourou is leaving so we need a 4th choice def. An english def from one of the strugglers will fit the bill. I mean no one else will be willing to be 4th choice. Unless Miguel will step up, I am not sure he is ready though. Santos has not… Read more »
FUCK WENGER. I’M IN LOVE WITH SURF!!!
FUCK WENGER. I’M IN LOVE WITH SAF!!!
He’s back!!!
Do what is right.because arsenal board are underestimating fans..we lack quality.it pains me that we have not solve the problem affecting our team over the years and years to come..
He wont sign anyone decent. Season ticket holders will tell club to piss off next year if not in Champs League. He has to gamble now and bring in game changing players.
Yo, you willing to sell your season ticket? I’ll be more than happy to buy it off you. With a contract that it’s mine forever.
It’s the usual bullshit then. Arsene, I love you, but I would prefer if you see out your contract and we can get someone in that will spend the money – which is always there by what you state – on players that are actually better than the players we already have.
Enough gambling.
Enough of the platitudes and dream.
Let’s start wining again and remember that’s actually what the club is here to do.
Baffling heading, ‘Wenger backs the board’, for an article that’s saying that the board backs Wenger. Interesting slip, though. I mean, we don’t get to read articles about how Benitez is backing Abramovich, or Mancini the Mansours, or AVB Daniel Levy. Are you thinking that Kroenke unlike any previous owner in the history of football depends on the manager’s support? That Kroenke would be in a pickle if Wenger walked out is obviously true, but I doubt he’d feel obliged to sell up. Not that it matters. Wenger and the board are backing each other, totally, unconditionally, always have done,… Read more »
Danmit, somtin is wrong wit arsene statement. He’ll sign no player comes January nd theo wil go sure. Fans shld jst be patient till 5yrs b4 anytin can happen again.
The same bullshit as always. We wont sign anyone and the team and the club will stumble like a drunk without direction for another year. With a great deal of luck we might stumble in on fourth place.
To the “Nutty Professor”: Use the fucking money and develop the fucking team instead of bleeding it dry on talent by selling to make a profit!!
Well If the board had always supported Wenger then it is him who is a failure seven years without a trophy is not a joke.
arshavin chamakh, Bentder out squilacci out
Ben Arfa, Momo Diame and David Villa
Yes, yes, and Fabianski and Denilson and all the rest of them that fans are endlessly announcing we should dispense with in the next window. You do realise, don’t you, that you can’t just get rid of players because you think they’re no good? You can sell them if you have a buyer and if the player wants to be sold to that buyer – which in Bendtner’s case he generally doesn’t. Otherwise you continue to pay them their wages until their contracts run down. That’s what a contract means.
Wenger knows clubs would increase prices if he came out and said, “we got money, let’s spend!” Instead, he’s saying, “I don’t need your player, I like my squad.” He’s all about posturing for negotiations and gives zero fucks that the fans have no idea what he’s up to. It’s really quite hilariuos. Next time I buy a car, I want to bring Wenger along.
So you and how many other arsenal fans find the state of our club and the upcoming transfer market hilarious then?
Straw man. He’s saying it’s hilarious how people are blowing up over what is obviously a negotiating ploy.
yet he still takes gambles on average players on the cheap each window -_-
It may very well be that you have to have players who are only there for the wages. If we have only players who “want to wear the shirt” and they are shite, what then? I want to wear the shirt, but have a fake hip and frankly drink and eat too much. Loyal players who can’t play won’t win anything. The wage structure is the root of the problem. If you aren’t going to pay higher wages at least to one or two impact players, you aren’t going to get better players at all. Someone might take slightly less… Read more »
Happy 32nd Birthday to Ashley Cole ! Ungrateful, Unloyal, Dick sucking Cunt……….more adjectives please?
Someone should alert Wenger that we lack a little quality in the final third. Maybe he could fix that with a signing.
And don’t forget we look a little bit jaded and lacked a little bit of sharpness.
Yeah, like the only way to improve on Gervinho is by buying “exceptional” talents.
Holy Fuck. I truely did not expect the same pre-january statement this year. “we will buy only if we find exceptional quality” No offence wenger, but i can name atleast 2 wingers in each team in the premier league who are miles ahead of Gervinho. Honestly, if he thinks there was an uproar on transfer deadline day this year, then i cannot explain the fury the supporters will bring out if we do not sign anybody in January. I would be fucking gutted, especially after we have been told time and time again THERE IS MONEY TO SPEND. This squad… Read more »
Gomez left a big Impression on me during the world cup. His ability inside the box is amazing. it’s a shame that he probably wouldn’t want to come to England when he’s already playing for a top European side.
theres only room for one big fucking german at this club.
Gomez has a hairstyle problem, if he came to Arsenal maybe Chamakh could teach him a thing or two about hairgel.
[…] 来源：[arseblog news] […]
The major ongoing problem has benn failure to keep players because of the tight wage structure. Cesc is a rare exception being a player who didn’t leave for money. Some go for maximum, like Nasri, and we could never keep them. Some, like Flamini/ Walcott/ RVP, would likely have stayed given a bit more. All this has caused a deeper problem than loosing star men. The team now is disjointed and unfamiliar. The players are not bad; even excellent in the case of the midfield three. However, so many new faces and departing old faces has left us struggling for… Read more »
Na$ri… good riddance. He should be fined and then neutered for hiding behing Dzeko to avoid being hit by RVP’s free kick. Little whore.
Wenger should no longer be allowed to have any involvement with transfer dealings or the financial side of the club. He should be concentrating on matters on the pitch for goodness sake. Because we don’t have anyone at the club with any acceptable knowledge of football and players, we are pretty much f**ked. As for signing players in January, this just proves the club’s transfer activity and strategy in the summer was a shambles. This squad is unacceptably weak and it’s impossible for it to compete for anything as it stands right now. Don’t be suprised if we sign nobody… Read more »
We need a defensive midfielder, like Strootman or Tioté, to help Arteta and allow him to go forward; and a world-class striker, perhaps Lewandowski (Huntelaar is too old if we want to prepare the future).
With that reinforcement, we could have a very competitive side.
Not having a pop Allen…..but without checking the author, I can always tell its you by your flagrant use of ‘the Emirates’. Please desist and refrain. The ‘Emirates’ is temporary. The Grove is permanent. Thank you.