Keown: Arsenal are at a cross roads

Coach Martin Keown has said that his club are at a "cross roads", with the prospect of financing short-term success or sacrificing that for the benefit of the long-term future of the club.

Arsenal have found it difficult to compete with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, both on and off the field, mainly due to the financial clout of both clubs in the transfer market and the burden of the debt by the Emirates Stadium project.

That has allowed the two rivals to strengthen their squads whilst the North London club have been forced to gamble on less experienced but equally talented youths.

The recent purchase of Russian international Andrey Arshavin has emphasised the need for experienced players within the squad, and the club have been offered cash in return for Rights by billionaire investor Alisher Usmanov.

Speaking to Sport.co.uk, Keown said: "I think the club realised quite quickly that they couldn't compete on financial matters. Building the Emirates made them even more hamstrung with their finances.

"It was an enforced move for Arsenal, they had no option but to use kids. Arsène had to try and unearth the next Patrick Vieira, the next Emmanuel Petit and go that root. It has by no means been a disaster and I think there have been some astounding players coming out of the club.

"What has happened though is that having groomed players like Aleksandr Hleb and Mathieu Flamini into top replacements, they've suffered the blow of losing them. Tomas Rosicky is another who could have helped last season. Gaps having been filled were suddenly open again; those guys would have brought the experience to the side that was missing last term.

"Andrey Arshavin has great quality and great experience but for a couple of years that type of high-quality acquisition they just haven't been able to buy. The board haven't been able to compete with the likes of United and Chelsea.

"The club is at an interesting cross-roads, there is a board meeting today (Friday) where they will be discussing this Rights Issue. The details of what that means still appears sketchy or what impact that will have on the long-term debt of the club. It's an interesting angle as it appears that rather than buy shares in the club somebody is still willing to inject money. If that is what it means then great, but it does appear a tough decision to make.

"In recent weeks Arsène Wenger was linked with Real Madrid and he was quoted as saying its an 'exciting project.' Arsène must have been excited at the amount of money that they were willing to spend.

"If Wenger was given that warchest, through this Rights Issue, it would make Arsenal an equally exciting project. I'd love to see how he'd do it, because up to now the stadium has tied his hands behind his back and restricted his access to cash. The youth system is great for the future of the club and beyond but for him it has been stifling the success of the current group.

"Arsène would love to have £100m to spend on big name players, of course he would. However, if you haven't got that money available you train and encourage and talk up the people you have at your disposal. He has a fantastic belief in the current crop and those guys must feel ten feet tall to have his belief.

"I would say it's only a sprinkling of experience that has caught them out in the biggest games this season. If I was a young player in the two semi-finals in the FA Cup and Champions League I'd have liked to have been able to look around that dressing-room and seen a bit more experience, just to keep me calm. There was plenty of raw ability but not quite enough experience."

User Comments

ShifuArsenal

Posted on 8 Jul, 2009 at 01:13 PM - Reply

Wenger as done a fantastic job.
Spending vast amount of money on players does not always work. You only have to look at the first galatico with Beckham only manage to win one Spanish league title in 5 year. Closer to home you can look at Spurs and Newcastle.
One billionaire owner going on a spending spree is not in the longterm best interest of Arsenal.

kshitij

Posted on 7 Jul, 2009 at 06:54 PM - Reply

WOW ! man what an article .... Truth!! that Arsenal is going through some of its toughest time cause another experienced player(cesc) is going to bacrca :( .which leave them Vulnerable a(+) for youth side but c(-) for experience.

Need Some good & experienced players DESPERATELY.

Kaymax

Posted on 7 Jul, 2009 at 06:24 PM - Reply

Interesting article.
Arsenal is a great club.I love my club.It is not as bad as people paint it.AW is a great coach but at times, he sticks too long to some players.People over rate flamini.The season he left was his best season.I still believe in song.He is not getting the credit he deserves.AW can try Randall as a stop gap for song and denilson.We just need to identify that missing link in the mid field and de-emphasize beautiful football.AW should leave his comfort zone.We can achieve greatness next season and beyond.

David Mulokwa

Posted on 7 Jul, 2009 at 02:08 PM - Reply

I agree with Martin but let’s be honest here. Wenger has on several occasions said that big names do not buy you success. This is the reason why he did not buy Alonso after the departure of Flamini. In fact he even says that he will stick to his policy of glooming young talented players. So is it about availability of money or the policy of the club to gloom young talented players?

Keith

Posted on 7 Jul, 2009 at 01:14 PM - Reply

Even before the new ground Arsenal where making profits on transfers the new place was supposed to let us compeate with the top teams but all we have is an old fashioned board who seem to keep the money
The Emerites is one of the most expensive in the world to watch a game of football the fans who turn up week after week expect more the transfers are a joke just one unknown defender for 10 million time for a change at the top the currant board are cheating all Arsenal supporters and taking the vast amounts of Money in tickets to watch kids amounts to fraud GIVE US SOME BIG NAME SIGNINGS NOW

billp79

Posted on 6 Jul, 2009 at 11:05 PM - Reply

hleb and flamini were mercenaries...not trained by wenger but used by them to fill gaps left from viera and pires, nothing more.
but to go down the road of having a team of pure mercinaries is a road you'll never be able to return from...we may very well see the collapse of the 'new galacticos' with this philosophy...there are too many 'ifs'...and surely finger pointing if it doeesn't work out...but from arsenals perspective it is hard for both player and manager when funds are spent so foolishly elsewhere...a point the media is well aware of... by always quickly reponding to rumors and inuendo, to try and unsettle our players, coaches and admin...

PISTOL PETE

Posted on 6 Jul, 2009 at 10:15 PM - Reply

Well what did dein get kick off the board for saying. he could see that two years ago that we would need to get a billionaie that is going to dip into he pocket to kept us in the running. Don't think for a minute that we will compete this year with a budget of a relegation team. What really pisses me off is that we have 2 billionaires at the cluband the one on the board with all the backing won't dip into his pocket , but the other one without the backing is prepared to. Something is not quite right there. Wenger is set up the fail this season. get rid of that wally hill-wood, over the hill and past it.

Arsenal1Again

Posted on 6 Jul, 2009 at 10:06 PM - Reply

Martin, forever the articulate spokesman for Arsenal. He's what the likes of Wrighty has aspired to be, but they failed. Have you ever heard Martin speak negatively of our club. He was a class defender and he's still a man of character.

Chris Nent

Posted on 6 Jul, 2009 at 09:25 PM - Reply

Wenger is a good coach in all ramification. I doubt if most of the current big names coaches will be able to operate in the environment he is operating at the moment. This is obvious. I don't think Wenger or Arsenal are a failure. In fact, it is huge success. With very little resources achieving great results. Consider Chelsea, what is the outcome of all their buys? I think they are under achieving considering their inputs. What of Real Madrid? How far have they gone in Champions league in how many years now?. The situation is not as bad as it is being painted. I understand the expectation is high. I think Arsenal just need a magic touch to make the difference. A mid field stopper and a deadly striker as a stop gap in cases of injuries.

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