Arsene Wenger has confirmed that his first team squad will only receive bonus payments if they achieve personal and team targets pre-agreed with the club.
As shocking, harsh and unfair as it is, the boss made absolutely clear that bonus payments won’t be handed out willy-nilly.
Wenger stopped short of offering an example but it does suggest that now the Gunners are out of the Champions League and EFL Cup, the first team squad probably won’t get the cash they would have got if they’d won the tournaments. Poor form.
Here’s how he outrageously outlined his attitude towards incentives, when quizzed by a journalist on Thursday.
“Is there a bonus incentive in place for the players for finishing inside the top four?”
“We keep our rules of contracts internal, we don’t have to say…there’s always bonuses for achievements. That’s true.”
“Do those bonuses get removed if it doesn’t happen?”
“Yes, when you pay bonuses for achievements it means when you don’t achieve you don’t get the bonuses.”
[an awkward silence ensued for a few seconds as the assembled media came to terms with such a harsh reality]
Here’s hoping this kind of logic doesn’t catch on in the real world or this author won’t be coining it in at the end of the year when Google still outranks Arseblog News as the most visited site on the internet.
I sometimes wonder how he can just sit there and answer these questions without replying, “Are you some sort of idiot?”
Blogs,
I’m still on moderation for some reason.
Sorry, dunno why!
Mine too on another post.
Too much ego
Perhaps your name requires that you are kept on a short list.
Have you had any incidents with taxis recently?
I mean come on, cant the British sports press start asking the questions that we, the fans, really want the answers to? Such as: ‘Arsene, how many chocolate Cadbury’s mini-rolls can you fit in your mouth at one time?’ Or.. ‘Arsene, you know when you sip on a soup from a soup spoon (or a broth), and to your horror it turns out that it IS too hot to eat; do you also get that furry numb feeling on your tongue as clear indication that, yes, YOU have burnt yourself?’ Or ‘Arsene, when you’re eating a Dominos Pizza in bed;… Read more »
Wenger is known to not punish underperforming players. For new contracts Arsenal should make a bigger proportion of players income, bonuses. This is a serious issue in football. Lot of players collect huge amount of money, hugely underperform and even hold clubs to ransom for getting even more somewhere else.
A bit tricky in a team sport. My bet is that the bonuses are in line with what other clubs offer and just like in any job the employee would expect a base rate with incentives on top. Why would you sign a lower base with a higher portion of variables?
A bit tricky in a team sport. My bet is that the bonuses are in line with what other clubs offer and just like in any job the employee would expect a base rate with incentives on top. Why would you sign a lower base with a higher portion of variables?
Apologies for the double up, not sure what happened there.
He has to take it to get his press conference bonus.
I actually reckon electroshock therapy would work as a deterrent against underperformance. Bit old fashioned I know but hey if you don’t try it you’ll never know
Loool, Loon Ranger for Arsenal Director of Football.
He never replies with “are you some sort of idiot?” because he already knows the answer.
Do reporters really ask such stupid questions?
They’re on a scheme where they get extra money if they ask a certain amount of stupid questions.
If they do not ask the required amount of stupid questions, they do not get the extra money.
If they don’t ask enough stupid questions, do they still get the extra money?
That qualifies as a stupid question.
You have met your quota for the day, and will receive a CASH BONUS.
Hahahahaha o my!
The innovative and forward thinking Pep Guardiola would have trouble answering the press question as to why he continues to play 2 ex Arsenal full backs from 10 years ago?
..and John Stones.
Perhaps even more troubling would be explaining why one of those fullbacks was perhaps his best player as his team crashed out (this is the required verb for being eliminated from any cup competition) of the Champions League. If only he had played Otamendi.
Yup, I assume it’s somewhat calculated though so that it can be spun into a headline like….
Arsene SLAMS UNDER PERFORMING gunners for early cup exists.
Arseblog should allow Google only through it.
man alive , these journos are fucking idiots. do you think he has been asked a more stupid question in the last 20 odd years ?!
Hey, maybe this could get interesting! Sitting in that room what would you ask Arsene if you had one question?
“Why are you ruining your legacy?”
Do you reckon new zips are necessary in coats?
I would definitely discuss football tactics with him!
In their prime, Bergkamp or Henry?
I think it would be interesting to run a poll on this question. I say Henry
Bergkamp.
A player with his ability and vision, it’s almost irrelevant who is infront of him, he will spot you, and you will score goals!
Ozil is similar, but no one is Bergkamp!
Watched the press conference on the website and it was hilarious. Definitely reporting for the Daily Mail!
Wait a minute. You saw this go down. This article isn’t a joke. Some idiot actually asked those questions and was being serious.
Think the culprit was Amy Lawrence, who’s usually more thoughtful about her questions. But the press is the press.
Wenger gets asked these kind of stupid questions every presser, and still people lap up what these silly journos trot out in their columns and blogs, and think they are being informed about football.
Remember when the journo from Japan would ask about Ryo at every presser. How Wenger hasn’t told most of these journos to “just fuck off”, I don’t know, he must have the patience of a saint.
…What the fuck?
How does such a dumb fucker even get a job?
Thats a bit harsh on Arsene.
He asks stupid questions, to write stupid articles for his stupid readers
Clearly the journo was just looking for AW to say something that would enable them to run a story about Arsenal paying bonuses to players who don’t achieve targets.
Fortunately AW isn’t a muppet and the BoD don’t pay bonuses to under achieving members of staff (the players)
Now, I do hope journalists are not in danger of losing their hard earned bonuses by asking idiotic questions, it’s not like they should be held to account or anything for not being very good at their job…
Was that a real question? Jesus Christ
Yes, it was.
To be fair, here in the UK the thicker and more incompetent you are the bigger the bonus you get
Most clubs give bonuses for winning things.
We give bonuses for making top four.
There is your first problem with the setup at Arsenal.
I wonder what Arsene’s goals are to achieve his bonuses? Hmm.
You’re not really dumb enough to think other teams don’t give a bonus for making the top four… are you?
Every players agent knows the extra income earned by a top four place and would want a cut of it (through their layers earnings).
I’d guess you’re just using a newspaper type comment to try to make a point…
Glocken, I already know you are a dumb fuck. You don’t need to show it.
Damn it Mr.Wenger! Not so quick please
Now explain to us again from the beginning, but slowly this time so I can write it down properly
…with pictures please.
Diagrams presented to us through a series of interpreted dance?
I might just understand it then ?
The second question absolutely should have been answered sarcastically.
Given the amount of money they. An spend Chelsea, Cityand Utd have no right to finish below 3rd!
That means that whoever finishes 4th has won the next division!
Wenger had to watch as Chelsea grabbed Drogba et al. Meanwhile Manchester grabbed his better players!
So, how the fuck do you win a title in those circumstances??
In fact, I’m astonished that he won those three titles given ManU’s money followed by Chelsea’s!
Wenger’s Arsenal was like today’s Everton. Do you see them winning a title?
Arsehole’s!
Stupid question should have been answered with a stupid answer to stupid reporter.
Maybe Arsene gets a bonus if he has to answer a certain number of stupid questions each year. I’d say he’s hit the quota this year for sure.
The media are always trying to manufacture stories out of the mundane. A prime example was the press furore about Arsene “not knowing you could recall players early from loans” (re: Jack vs Ake). Wenger has previously said he thinks loans should be season long and previously neglected to stop our own players playing against us even though he could have. The idea of him “not knowing” about such a clause is garbage, particularly as we have recalled many players previously.
Slightly off-topic, but highlights the angles the reporters always try and dig out of mundane facts.
Well let’s hope with his poor performance as manager he for goes any bonus too.
That’s a legitimate question. I would like to know if the target for bonuses is reaching the CL instead of actually winning the league or CL.
There are different amounts of ‘Bonus’ for each level achieved. A smaller amount for reaching the CL and a large amount for winning the PL, just like at every other team in the PL.
Reporter: But why male models?
AW: Are you serious? I just told you that a moment ago.
Stupidity would be buying back ozyakup for 90 million and finishing 6th after a long unbeaten run.
Although it was difficult to tell on the website, it sounded like those questions came from Amy Lawrence who, (a) is not stupid, and (b) knows a lot about football in general and Arsenal in particular. If it was her, it just shows that it’s not about the individual journalist, it’s something about the way football coverage (and maybe all journalism) works in Britain. So, a headline: “Underachieving Arsenal players risk cash penalties.”
“Is there a bonus incentive in place for the players for finishing inside the top four?”
“We keep our rules of contracts internal, we don’t have to say…there’s always bonuses for achievements. That’s true.”
The stupidity of the questions not withstanding, Wenger’s response once again highlights the issues of ambition that are rampant at the club.
Top 4 is an achievement. No its not. Its no different than finishing 17th, both teams just get to stay in the league the next season, thats all. The only extra is that Arsenal get to exit a competition in Feb every year.
It must be some form of achievement as there are 16 PL teams (plus every team in every league below the PL)that would desperately like to be in the CL and don’t succeed.
tdtbo, you deserve a bonus for being able to use the internet with the learning disabilities you exhibit, every club in the BPL want to be in the top 4, this season the managers at Chelsea, Spurs, City, Liverpool, Man Utd and Everton have all stated that it is important for their club to get top 4, clubs have been spending 100’s of millions for years trying to get top 4, and their players are on bonus payments for achieving it, but you think you know better than all the clubs.
Thank you for the bonus. You deserve a bonus for total absence of ambition. 4th place in itself means nothing. It should be nothing more, nothing less than the byproduct of challenging for the league title. Teams not in the top 4 care for it as it is a stepping stone for greater things. To other teams, its an opportunity to attract better players so they can then step up and challenge for the title. Its not a destination, but merely an opportunity to achieve bigger things. Arsenal have over the years come to treat it is the pinnacle of… Read more »
Also whats with this talk of what other teams want to do. A lot of teams treat not getting relegated as an achievement. You think Arsenal should follow their lead too? How long before Wenger tells us that not getting relegated is a trophy? Most teams would get into UCL and say yeah right, now lets target the title and build a team that can win the UCL. With Wenger though the ambition never rises. Even after finishing with UCL football for so many years the target for this season is still lets sneak into the UCL for next season… Read more »
There are 20 teams in the PL and every one of the players at every one of those teams will have a bonus clause for getting in the CL, even in 4th place.
Point is don’t give a bonus. By all means do. Have clauses for finishing in top 15, top 10, top 5 also, while the club is at it. Its all okay. But its time the club started chasing real targets and trophies. 4th place just to sneak into UCL is a target unworthy of a club like Arsenal. Its a shame that every season Wenger and the board think of it as the only achievable target. Club needs to work towards higher goals, and it is clearly not doing that under Wenger. I reiterate, believing that its okay to just… Read more »
No matter what you think the club is OK with, the players agents will always have theirown agenda. The club gets a load of money when it gets into the CL and the agents want their share through their player. If we didn’t have some form of bonus for making the CL (or to a lesser degree thursday night football) then players wouldn’t sign for us. The important thing is that their bonus for winning the PL is much bigger than the 4th place bonus (or the 3rd or 2nd lace bonuses), just like it is at Chavski, $iteh, Liverpoo!,… Read more »
(Whispers)
I know that no one has told you yet, but the 17-th place in Premier League gets relegated!
So, yes! There’s massive difference between 4-th and 17-th
Really Einstein!
So the teams that get relegated are the ones that finish 20th, 19th, 18th … AND 17th!
So tell us all more about how things are in that parallel universe.
18th, 19th, 20th!
A bit perplexed as to why people are incredulous that this question was asked. There are plenty of other industries where people are paid bonuses for failure such as bankers, tech ceos etc. Marissa Mayer is getting a $20m “bonus” for running Yahoo! into the ground, and there are countless other examples where an employee receives a moderate salary then a huge bonus on top. Probably so the company can quote a low salary total.
Wenger must be dreaming. Can’t he announces his retirement from arsenal and give us a breathing space.????