So the big news this morning is Arsenal Cheif exec Ivan Gazidis took home a massive £1.7 million last year, equating to a bonus of nearly 70%! An incredible salary you have to say. It’d be fantastic to know how much of that is linked to club profits and whether that bonus structure is similar to the one Wenger receives?
It would make sense for their bonuses to be aligned in some way and that would explain an awful lot about the anxiety displayed when we’re asked to pay a million pounds extra for a player we need.
Having said that, it’s difficult to knock what he’s done off the pitch.He’s worked with the fans on all sorts of projects, he’s overseen the ATVO deal with that American company, we’ve got all the players tied down to new contracts and he’s worked hard to improve facilities around the ground. He’s also employed an impressive no expenses spared back room staff to take the clubs commercial revenues to the next level when the property party has died down.
However, there will be a few raised eyebrows looking at that type of bonusing. It’s kind of the opposite to City method. Arsenal have clearly weighted his bonus heavily in the direction of total risk aversion. It means that when you look at signing a £20million player who could win you the title, you’ll probably be looking at it from a personal perspective…
Crude sums here with made up figures
Difference in prize money between 4th and 1st – £3million
Cost of £20million player + Wages = £24million
Loss to clubs profits best case scenario = £21million
Loss to 1.2% of profit share = £276,300
If you stood to lose over £250k personally by purchasing a Pepe Reina, would you do it? Or would you pray to god Almunia could hold it together for a year until Chesney came good?
Now all of the above is complete speculation and guess-work, but I’m not sure how many businesses bonus you on losing money. So I reckon I’m not far off in my assumptions about how that pay is made up. The worry, like I mentioned earlier, is that Arsene Wenger is rewarded in a similar fashion.
Anyway, onto today’s match!
West Ham have been having a disaster this season. I think Gold and Sullivan have been detrimental to the West Ham cause. They’ve kept the team afloat which is admirable, but I think they’re incredibly unprofessional with their PR. They shouldn’t be slagging the players off, they shouldn’t be approaching David Beckham and I’m not sure they should be playing the ‘we’re doing this because we love the club’ stuff. They’re in it because of the property opportunity they have with the vacant Olympic Stadium.
Anyway, Avram Grant is having a nightmare at West Ham. They’ve never managed to shake off that party boy image as a club and I don’t think they’ve got enough quality or spirit to get themselves out of a hole this year. Even their kit smacks of Championship.
That doesn’t mean Arsenal can afford to be complacent, we’ve got to approach this in the same way as we did Manchester City. We have to be more organised at the back this time and we have to pressure them from the off. This is a good chance to get our goal difference up and it’s a good time to build on our clean sheet record. The team is going to be similar to the one we played against City, Diaby is out with an ankle knock and Vermaelen is still out the squad. No Jack for this one, but we should be able to cope. Cesc is in and I’d expect to see Denilson and Song partnering him in midfield. Up top, Arshavin, Chamakh and Theo are likely to start and in defence, the continued backline of Clichy, JD, Squillaci, Sagna and Fabianski.
It’ll be a good game regardless, as an Essex Arsenal fan, I’m massively up for this, bragging rights even against West Ham are as important as the Spurs ones! I’ll be reporting all todays action on our twitter feed @arsenal_legrove !
See you in the comments!
COME ON YOU REDS!
UPDATE:
It appears I’ve got a selection headache of my own by missing out Nasri! I’ll let you sort the line ups out…!
October 30, 2010 at 17:23
Do you know what the best part of this season is?? Arsene Wenger has lost his rose tinted glasses on player selection and tactics.
——————
You really are a freaking plonk!
this is still wengers biggest issue
I hate motherfucking Manure!!!!!
What the fuck is going on in this league?
These fucking refs always help manure!!!
Has anyone seen the bullshit that is happening at old trafford?
Swedish balls, go take up your issue with Wenger, k? If you don’t understand what it means, i can’t be arse’d to teach you.
but since you know nothing about football and you are obvious a teen i will forgive you
What an incompetent ref!!!!!!!!!
Yeah yeah Ja_Gunner , i am seeing it. I have seen these goals being given and also not given. Not sure what does the rule say.
JA
Yes. The fucking ineptitude of Clattenburg is a fucking joke.
No fucking consultation necessary right there.
SRG, yes. I think Wilshere can do the job. He just needs a bit of experience.
Swedish Gun says:
October 30, 2010 at 19:18
but since you know nothing about football and you are obvious a teen i will forgive you
============
oN THAT NOTE..MOVING ON TO WHAT MATTERS
Anyone watching the crap happening at old trafford?
manU 2-nil ffs! bizarre goal!
Mark Clattenburg + Heurelho Gomes = Comedy Gold.
;D
2-0 game over
DaleDaGunner,
One thing i learned from Arsenal blogosphere is , if somebody uses “good enough” or “never” in the comment then those comments should be discarded there is no way you can talk to them.
AA23 Needs to be dropped
SomeRandom..agreed…
Oh , OMG it was Spurs Free kick
ritesh,
after all the pain we went through to keep Cesc, we drop him??? For me his plays all game, unless he is injured or needed the rest. He did not have the best game today but pppffff! no way he is dropped!
Status quo then except for Shitty, but they dont count really.
When Ramsey comes back it has to Wilshere with Fab4 and Song still. Dare I say it, but I think Ramsey’s potential is even greater than Wilshere’s and I suspect that had Ramsay been fit, Wilshere would’ve probably be loaned out. Its a great problem for any manager to have though.
Ramsay is long way off I fear. I want him play, bu the last thing I want t see is the niggles that did Eduardo and is more or less doing Diaby.
If I have to wait until April to make sure he is absolutely 100% then so be it.
How greeat that we ddn’t get Chris Smalling, had we got him, we would never have gotten Kozzer I believe woulda bee Squilly and Smalling.
rtesh
Yep. Guess money doesn’t talk all the time.
@Zeus
I believe we would have gotten him in anyway. We moved for Koscielny very early in the transfer window, that shows Arsene simply wanted him to be there at Arsenal.
RandomGunner
Have my doubts about that. Didn’t we move for smalling before the window had even opened?
Madrid 1-0 down to Hercules. Can they do the double over barca and Madrid?
Cesc didn’t have the best game; Arsene says his hamstring was tight and thought about removing him at the half.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/35290/wenger-reaction
Yeah watching that match now. I do not believe Smalling was going to be a first team player , contrary to the popular belief Wenger has bought players who came straight into the first team not kids for the future.
Even if he was he would have been fighting with Djourou i think.
Since Fab4 isn’t fully fit, I would not play him at Donetsk, since Wilshere is back.
That 3 match ban for Wilshere has potential costs; he’s been so good and influential for us that despite the depth in central midfield players, we have been missing him.
facking hell, if we keep “maturing” every game they are gonna be OAPs by the end of the season
Zeus, I agree on Ramsey. He would have been a first team regular this season. Now he has to be brought on very slowly. His injury means we really do need to hang on to Cesc for another year or so.
Lime
Yeah, I saw that. No game time for him midweek then. Jacky boy, Rosicky and Sami Nasri will have to do them on their own.
7 games in this asshole month on November. One step at a time though.
Well at least we know the fucking Spuds will once more be shit, like they always are. And what the fuck was the ref’s problem, fucking mug.
we can’t keep carrying passengers
Lol, in cesc!!
Zeus, November has been a bad month for us historically. But with players returning, there is a chance to rest and rotate to avoid more injuries. Have to hope Clichy stays fit since Gibbs is out.
Zeus , oh these were Arsene’s words, I thought it was your comment
. It is quite strange to see that Arsene is also relieved by the clean sheet and it also tells Arsene feels similar to what we feel. He also told Song goes forward too much 
.
on keeping three straight clean sheets…
That’s new, that’s new for me! A day where I don’t have to look on the television slow motion to see why we conceded a goal does not happen often so I am very happy with that.
Kreshnik, my man, those Spuds have no belief they can even get a point at OT. Useless to us. With the squad they have, United should not be level with us on points. It is a bit frustrating that they have pulled a couple rabbits out of the hat, so to speak. I don’t know if they can keep this up while Rooney is out and not fit. We’ll see. Damned United!
Lime
Agreed. He is the closest thing to Fabregas in this squad. NOt the static playmaker that Fab4 used to be, but the go everywhere you want and make the play happen and score when in the final 3rd type. hehe. (Thats a long description of what I think he does)
Wenger describes him as a more attacking Roy Keane. He knows I suppose.
Wilshere could be more iniesta type with bite and a better record in front of goal. But I still see him as a Hleb type, behind the main striker pulling the strings, but that is a 4-5-1/4-4-2 formation thing like when Hleb was behind Adebayor in 07-08.
Wilshere’s Iniesta to Ramsey’s Fabregas when Cesc eventually leaves though.
looks like wenger is seriously considering bringing benzema from madrid.
this season is definitely vP’s last chance to show consistency..
http://www.as.com/futbol/articulo/wenger-insiste-fichar-frances-karim/dasftb/20101030dasdasftb_4/Tes
after all.. *he speaks french* (whisper)
Interesting comparisons, Zeus. But I hope Wilshere will always be more direct than Hleb–prefer Iniesta with bite!
Imagining a post Fabregas midfiled future (hopefully, as I say, not for at least a couple years). I think that is why Wilshere and Ramsey can play well together with a Song, Denilson or new holding/dm player. I don’t think it works so well with Diaby.
@Chop-Suey
That french article tells that ” English press tells ” and tomorrow i think the English press will quote this french press, a vicious cycle indeed.
Chop-Suey, I wouldn’t put too much stock in this Spanish paper rumor. It is premature. Bendtner is just back and started off with a bang and RvP will be coming back in two weeks, probably. If they don’t play well or injure themselves between now and January, then you could say Wenger might be looking. But right now this has no credibility.
Madrid 1-1. Di Maria equalize.
Ronaldo shoots from about 30 yards out, the ball ends up in the keeper stomach and for some reason instead of just collecting he allows it to parry off him to Di Maria, who slots home in the roof of the net.
Oh well, I want Barca to burn so I suppose this is something good.
“English press” probably means some blog rumor cycling into Spanish print journalism and then back into English papers, as you say SRG.
Lime, it’s fuckin true isn’t it buddy. That’s the one thing that the red nose beats Wenger hands down. He can still be ruthless and get results, even out of some shit players. Spuds on the other hand, let’s just say twitchy got twitched again. Worthless bunch. I hope they end up mid table or lower, where they deserve to, and then lose their dutchie in the summer.
smilling
I see that we have some damn difficult fixtures the coming weeks.
wolves a
everton a
tottenham h
aston villa a
man united h
fulham h
chelsea h
Does someone know why we play man united and chelsea on monday? It’s really weird, all ppl who are loving football have to wait to see those big games on monday. Very strange to me.
sorry, i mean man united away.
I can’t wait for the United game. We’ll properly fucking do them. It’ll be embarrassing. I say this every season, but I sincerely believe it this season.
United are a fucking 2 bob outfit.
We play Chelsea at home so soon?
What will decide the season is who of us or Chelsea get more out of the games against City, Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham and to an extent United.
FACT!
Just slept out the last10 mins of the Madrid game. Bored.
Yeah rohan, and i have a good feeling about those games. We will have to be good to beat those teams but we have the squad to beat them.
But isn’t it strange that we play chelsea and united on monday??!! A big game has to be in the weekend!
Madrid 2-1. Ronaldo. And they run and hug Mourinho. They really like him.
Madrid 3-1. Ronaldo again.
Rohan,I am with you. Time to show United who really has class now. It’ll be us and Chelsea; perhaps our squad depth will prove decisive.
Agree re the Mancscum, I have been writing them cunts off for years as I truly believe they have average players but they get away with so much it doesn’t just even things out it gives them an advantage.
Am I alone in wanting the little team up the road to beat them wankers today?
They have gone 22 games unbeaten, what a load of bollocks that is. They are totally fucking average.
Rather see that cunt Moaninho burn than Barca lose the league.
If we were to replace RVP with Benzema it would be top business IMO.
Barca up now.
Would Benzema fit well into the way we play? I haven’t seen him play much–couple of games last year for Real, a few games in the CL with Lyon several years ago.
In fact, he hasn’t been playing much, so it is hard to say how good he is at this point.
Messi opens the scoring with his 1 billionth goal.
Its almost a problem.
Chamaone. Alex dimitri Song Billong in the nick of time.
Strange we used to associate that phrase with TH14
Juve doing AC Milan at home 2 nil
Melo scored
Barca 2-0. Messi with the assist this time. Messi splits 2 players drives forward plays in Villa in the right channel, he cuts in on to his left foot and curls to the far corner. Quality goal.
I don’t rate Benzema frankly. He makes Nasri look like a skinny kid for one and his allround game and vision/creativity is poor.
A half-fit RvP is twice the player.
Plus, Rohan, you don’t want any competition for your beloved Bendtner! RvP is out injured often enough to give him games.
Have to say though, he has come back with a bang. I think he should start at Donetsk and Chamakh should be rested. Similarly Walcott for Arshavin.
So happy with the late gift from song…i’m still ecstatic……i hope to meet wonderful arsenal in Donetsk….I cant wait to see Fab and the rest of the squad live in Donetsk…..what a week for me
That too, Limestone. hahahaha
Agreed, do think Chamakh needs to be rested. He was a bit off-colour today. Bendtner does offer something different in that he plays better than Chamakh when facing goal although Chamakh is better with his back to goal.
As for Arshavin, he shouldn’t be rested. He should be dropped.
That Nasri free-kick today was great wasn’t it. God knows how he got that much power and speed on it with such a short run up. He struck it ever so nonchalantly. All I have to say is, the lad’s special.
On that note, I’m off-somehow sitting in the library seeing everyone studying their asses off kinda motivates me to get some work done you know?
Happy studying–in Moffit or Doe?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1325197/PIERS-MORGAN-Manchester-United-imploding-Arsenal-soaring-England-win-Ashes.html
missed the game today just seen motd
fuck we were unlucky but all you wankers said clichy cant cross
we look like we are becoming a side all of a sudden
Missed everything today, managed to stay away from all news outlets and forms of media until the extended Sky highlights and going to watch MATD now.
An hour of watching the ref look around the stadium trying to find where he’d left his Yellow and Red Card, Green having an excellant day like he usually does against us and us somehow magnetising the ball so that it gravitated towards the post if Green missed it.
A scrappy win, but 3 in a row now and 3 clean sheets, players coming back, Fabregas seemed a bit off, but another Alexander goal and from a Clichy cross with his right foot.
A goal from a a right footed Clichy cross might be rare, but it’s still not as rare as a Tottenham win against the top four, weird how they constantly get ripped off at Old Trafford, a little bit funny, but you’d have to be seriously spazzing out as a Spurs fan.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1325197/PIERS-MORGAN-Manchester-United-imploding-Arsenal-soaring-England-win-Ashes.html
Great article by Morgan…until he starts mentioning the crazy thought of England winning the ashes…must be still intoxicated after celebrating the Arsenal victory
He writes that P.Diddy and Hamilton are Gooners…which is interesting.
Up the Arse!!!!!!!
Arshavin should start midweek. He would be used to the cold weather in Ukraine whilst playing for Zenit (I know it’s 2 different countries but the weather is the same…as would be the playing style).
Moffit-Main Stacks. Doe which I prefer is closed on the weekend which sucks.
gooneroo
The Ashes is still up for grabs, & so is next years Rugby World Cup
One thing is for sure, I’m 5,000,000,000% sure that India will never either.
…….. & a great, great result last night/day. Geoff must be tearing his hair out about the great Sheeps Head Song
Its 3 points like that that make Champions in May.
COYRRR
Dated a few weks back but is still quality……
At the end of September Manchester City announced their financial results for the previous year. The loss for the period was $189M (£121M). Only Chelsea in the year after Roman Abramovich bought the club has such a loss been beaten – although “beaten” does give the impression that other clubs should strive to “improve” upon it.
Back when Chelsea recorded their $225M loss everyone was initially aghast but the issue withered quickly. However, now with UEFA financial regulations being phased in, the losses mean something more than a large red number at the bottom of a piece of paper.
Losses, particularly of the magnitude recorded by Manchester City, can no longer be blown off as the logical consequence of allowing ownership of a football team playing in a league with a global profile to fall into the hands of people with access to what is tantamount to unlimited wealth.
Financial targets are in place and the message has gone out from UEFA mountain that clubs must live within their means. The logical question is how does City intend to comply with the regulations?
Manchester City CEO Garry Cook had an answer ready because that is what a proper CEO does – “The plan is to grow the financial revenues further, control costs, and have young players come through eventually to replace some senior players. We want to be sustainable, and intend to comply with financial fair play.”
Cook’s answer was actually three answers – 1. Grow revenues, 2. Control costs and 3. Develop young players – all of which need to come together in various permutations over the next two or three years. And it was the third point that was particularly interesting because before the influx of new-wealth, City was regarded as having one of the best youth development programs in England.
However, the assumption has to be made that it was not good enough otherwise the level of investment made in new players would not have been required – or certainly not to the same extent.
So what standard does City have to aim for? Arsenal is widely regarded by fans as having the best young players in the Premier League and as a leader in the development of young players.
This perception has been reinforced over the years by Arsene Wenger’s predilection for fielding youthful sides in the Carling Cup. The fact that fans, media and Harry Redknapp were all shocked and surprised when Wenger sent out a battle-hardened line-up to face Spurs in the last round of the Carling Cup reinforces the notion.
So let’s for the sake of argument accept that Arsenal has been the most successful in this area of over the last few years. How many of these youngsters who have played in the Arsenal Carling Cup teams in the last six years have become legitimate absolute top class soccer players?
A quick check back through stat sites can quickly produce the Arsenal line-ups in the Carling Cup over the last six seasons. For the sake of sampling let’s look at players less than 20-years of age who played in the game in which Arsenal got knocked out of the Carling Cup each season.
The players have then been placed into six categories:
Moved to other clubs
Definitely time to move on
Need to improve – some more quickly than others
Jury still out
Almost there
Legitimate – top class player
Moved on to other clubs (15)
Fran Merida is with Atletico Madrid
Justin Hoyte is with Middlesbrough
Philippe Senderos is with Fulham
Jérémie Aliadière is currently without a club
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie is currently on loan at Malaga, his seventh club since leaving Arsenal in 2006.
Arturo Lupoli is with Ascoli of Serie B
David Bentley is now with Spurs after making a break through with Blackburn Rovers under Mark Hughes. However, Bentley has only been a first eleven regular sporadically since his move in the summer of 2008 from Ewood Park.
Paul Rodgers a young defender started against Burnley last December but only completed a half. He was released last summer and signed for Northampton Town.
Jay Simpson a striker who much was expected of is now with Hull City.
Rene Steer an English born left back was released by Oldham at the end of last season and is still without a professional club.
Kerrea Gilbert at last reports was still without a professional club.
American Danny Karbassiyoon, although still only 26, has not played professionally since 2006.
Another American, Frankie Simek, left Arsenal in 2005 and after five years with Sheffield Wednesday he is now with Carlisle United.
Patrick Cregg headed for Scotland but was released by Hibs last summer and recently joined St. Mirren
Ólafur Ingi Skúlason is an Icelandic midfield player who now makes a living playing in Denmark.
Definitely time to move on (1)
Armand Traore (on loan Juventus)
Need to improve – some more quickly than others (11)
Henri Lansbury – scorer of the first goal against Spurs in the last round
Craig Eastmond
Sanchez Watt – on loan at Leeds United
Mark Randall
Vito Mannone
Gavin Hoyte
Francis Coquelin on loan at Lorient
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
Havard Nordtveit
Lukasz Fabianski
Emmanuel Frimpong is out injured with a return date of late winter or early spring.
Jury still out (6)
Aaron Ramsey – would have been a category higher if not for the horrific leg break
Theo Walcott – controversial to place him here but until he consistently delivers there is a question mark next to his name
Denilson – you get the feeling that one of these summers a Spanish team is going to come for him and he will be allowed to leave
Carlos Vela – probably a dynamite player at practice and when your team is 4-0 up but until he scores some clutch goals many remain unconvinced
Nicolas Bendtner – a word of advice. When you are sitting on the bench keep an eye on Chamakh. His effectiveness is down to how simply he plays. No ridiculous flicks, no attempts at outrageous passes and no running down blind alleys. Better still get the DVD and watch repeatedly.
Johann Djourou – needs to stop playing like a 5’ 8’’ 150 lb centre back
Almost there (3)
Alexander Song – up to Sunday’s match he was not enjoying his best start to the season. But he has shown that he has the skills and temperament
Jack Wilshere – enormous pressure and expectations but he does seem to have what is needed
Kieran Gibbs –just needs more first team opportunities
Legitimate – top class player (1)
Gael Clichy – can be error prone and sometimes is rash in his decision-making but he is still a left back that most top clubs would love to have.
Cesc Fabregas – a star in anyone’s books.
Out of a sample of 32 players over the last six seasons, only Fabregas and Clichy can be considered as unqualified successes with three others on the cusp.
Others could still break into the upper echelon but nonetheless the morale of this story seems to be analogous to kissing a lot of frogs in order to find the Prince.
Pucker up Gary and give it a shot but don’t be surprised if answers one and two prove to be more realistic options.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM3Zy3i801E&feature=player_embedded
Zeus, top post there.
But I dont think clichy can be called a top success yet !
Am sure am not the first to say this but, why can jaguar and gambon take a Break and apprEciate the games as they come? It becomes old when they come onto an arsenal blog just to moan and moan and moan about how shit the team is. Ok, we get it already.
Whats happening?
No new post yet?
Would’ve given Song a 3, until his goal got us all three points, then I’d give him a 9.
Pedro’s using his ‘experience divided by participation in match outcome-deciding factors’ algorithm to make sure he gets the match ratings bang on.
I found it really funny the difference in speed before and after our goal, that West Ham took to take goal kicks and make substitutions. Fuckin hilarious.
Wakey wakey, Pedro!
Pedo,
Yes, I do commute. Born in Enfield and raised in Islington makes me a born and bred north Londoner. You’re a confused Essex boy with all the class that implies.
I bet you feel sick about yesterday’s results!?
pedro
The Media really can be pretty thick.
The latest is from the Mail on Sunday who reckon Barca have switched their attentions from a 29m offer for Cesc to look at offering in excess of 30m for Modric.
Dont get me wrong Modric is a good player, but lets face it, he still is not good enough to lace Cesc’s boots.
Why would barca offer in excess of 30m for him???
Face it.Fab is off in the summer,if we dont win a trophy.If we win the league,he will stay for one more season.
Jaguar I don’t think whether we win anything or not will have a single thing to do with whether Cesc stays or not.
If Barca can stump up the cash for him then he’s gone, if they can’t then he’s staying.
Were you at the game yesterday?
NEW POST!