Wenger's Plan For The Summer

[Mudi]

The aim of a business is to make money. The aim of a football club should be to win trophies. If the club also happens to be a profitable enterprise, fine, but that money should be going back into the club (within reason) to generate success on the pitch. I watch Arsenal to see us in cup finals, not marvel at the new Carlsberg lounge.

We have the most expensive ticket prices in world football and make tens of millions of pounds in profit from player sales each year, and have been doing so for the last decade. So where is it all going? Doesn't add up.

But how can you win prices if your business is sh*t? Look at Liverpool or Tottenham. They spend more than us in the last 5 years, but now they are complaining that they don't generate enough money to compete with Utd, Chelsea and City. There only hope is to get top 4 and win a domestic cup.
Our policy isn't optimal and for short term, we are far from winning the title. But look at our current situation. We have a stadion that generates almost €100m a year (50m more than Liverpool and Tottenham), we are a top 10 team in Europe and we enhanced our commercial situation a lot since 2009

Arsenal have restructured their executive team at great expense, recruiting Tom Fox from the NBA in August 2009 as Commercial Director to “drive long-term commercial success”, though there has been little tangible revenue growth to date. In fairness, it is probably difficult to re-negotiate the principal agreements (though Chelsea did just that with their kit supplier in 2005), but we might have hoped for more secondary sponsors, which has been the main engine behind Manchester United’s commercial growth.

As we have seen, there were some encouraging signs in the interims, but there is still a long way to go, as annualised revenue is still only £53 million. Some new sponsors have been signed up recently, including Carlsberg at around £3 million a year and Indesit in a “multi-million” deal. In addition, Citroen extended their deal for a higher sum, while there were new agreements with Thomas Cook, replacing Thompson Sport, and on-line gambling firm Betsson. However, Arsenal still have less than half the number of sponsors that partner with Manchester United.

Our Achilles' tendon is our current deals with Nike and Emirates which ends in 2014. But they are working on it:
<a class="postlink" href="http://news.arseblog.com/2012/08/arsenal-cco-were-confident-on-new-sponsorship-deals/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://news.arseblog.com/2012/08/arsena ... hip-deals/</a>

And it's not like the profit we made/make is going into the pocket of the owner. We use the profit to reduce our debt, to improve our facilities, to buy players, ... We are not the same as City or Chelsea, but some people except us to be.

I also like us to win prices and I also want us to buy quality players but I'm a realist and I know it's not easy like people are suggesting.

 

[dpt49]

The aim of a business is to make money. The aim of a football club should be to win trophies. If the club also happens to be a profitable enterprise, fine, but that money should be going back into the club (within reason) to generate success on the pitch. I watch Arsenal to see us in cup finals, not marvel at the new Carlsberg lounge.

We have the most expensive ticket prices in world football and make tens of millions of pounds in profit from player sales each year, and have been doing so for the last decade. So where is it all going? Doesn't add up.

Exactly.
This is the question that should be answered by Kroenke or Hill Wood.
We, as supporters, deserve to know where it has all gone. It is our money.

There is not another club in the world that acts like us in the transfer market.

What is the big secret, why won't they tell us?

 

[glaveror]

@ Mudi: I think that article is right-our main problems aren't contracts with Nike and Emirates but rather the lack of secondary sponsors.
Obviusly we could and should've done on that front;after all we're not forbidden to negotiate new deals,are we?
With that in mind I'd say this is the question we should be asking,especially when you consider those 'reinforcements' mentioned in that article.

 

[mavelous]

The aim of a business is to make money.

not completely true

 

[DJ_Markstar]

The aim of a business is to make money.

not completely true

It is.

A business can make the most wonderful products. If it doesn't make money, it folds.

 

[ArseneKnows-47]

They should use a credit system for transfers. You get more credit the better you do in each competition. Should sort out a load of fairplay problems.

 

[Vinci]

The primary aim of any business is continuation, to achieve this you need to make money. There is no use in winning trophies, when your sugardaddy leaves you when he gets bored and leaves the club with a wage bill that is 150% of the turnover.

The main concern for us, though, are Kroenke and the board. For Kroenke we are nothing more than a safe investment; he simply picked the club that no matter what would try to even the numbers and on the back of the new stadium we would keep growing. Probably safer than most other investments and with a good return.

The stadium aids in the continuation of the club, but I wouldn't know if the board-members were looking after their own shares as well or had the continuation of the club in mind.

 

[mavelous]

The aim of a business is to make money.

not completely true

It is.

A business can make the most wonderful products. If it doesn't make money, it folds.

you're confusing aim with means. anyway, this is straying off topic, maybe we can pick this up in the dump. has always been an interesting debate really.

i would say that the most important thing for a business is customer - if customers aren't happy, they won't buy your product and you won't make money. as it stands, there are enough happy customers that makes enough money for the club..

but that nullifies my assertion that customers are most important for a business - so either

1) AFC aren't a business or

2) they aren't doing good enough as a business with so much discontent among the fans, i.e. not enough commercial and sponsorship revenue.

 

[ArsenesNO1Fan]

The aim of a business is to make money.

not completely true

It is.

A business can make the most wonderful products. If it doesn't make money, it folds.

Ever heard 'speculate to accumulate'? Make short term losses for long term gains. Right now we're losing massive amounts of plastic supporters who would spend on Arsenal merchandise and push up our sponsorship values. Example my Nigerian girlfriend went to Nigeria for the first time in 4-5 years. 4-5years ago most were Arsenal fans, now pretty much no one supports Arsenal anymore over there. Now you could say 'that market isn't worth that much' but it's a sign of our declining world wide recognition and value to sponsors and the value of world wide revenues

Spending an extra 20-30million a year would see Wenger have the players to win things, increasing the value of the club and it's revenues.

Investing now to win things now, means we make more money in 2014 when our sponsorships are up for renewal as they'll be worth more to the sponsors. Wenger now needs to perform a miracle to get good value in those sponsorships as the board are showing no ambition in their investment. They're short sighted in their policies, possibly because they're looking to cash out in selling their shares

 

[Buhry]

The goal should be to break even really, if we make a profit on top of that it should be invested into the team.

Maybe they are using the saved money to make extra payments on the loan? That would make sense, allthough it doesn't really seem like a great idea if it comes at the cost of continuously weakening the team. Some debt is not that bad as long as it's manageable and under control.

Either way the way we're being run at the moment is not great. They are pissing off the fans and our commercial value and growth rate in terms of new fans and income must surely have taken a hit as well following our continued lack of success and departure of several star players.

Ever heard 'speculate to accumulate'? Make short term losses for long term gains. Right now we're losing massive amounts of plastic supporters who would spend on Arsenal merchandise and push up our sponsorship values. Example my Nigerian girlfriend went to Nigeria for the first time in 4-5 years. 4-5years ago most were Arsenal fans, now pretty much no one supports Arsenal anymore over there. Now you could say 'that market isn't worth that much' but it's a sign of our declining world wide recognition and value to sponsors and the value of world wide revenues

Spending an extra 20-30million a year would see Wenger have the players to win things, increasing the value of the club and it's revenues.

Investing now to win things now, means we make more money in 2014 when our sponsorships are up for renewal as they'll be worth more to the sponsors. Wenger now needs to perform a miracle to get good value in those sponsorships as the board are showing no ambition in their investment. They're short sighted in their policies, possibly because they're looking to cash out in selling their shares

Well said, this is pretty much what I meant in my last paragraph. The current people in charge are cashing in short term at the cost of decreasing our brand value and money making potential longer term. It seems awfully short sighted and dumb to me at least, unless their goal really is to just keep battling it out with Sp**s for 4th in the forseeable future and they have no ambitions of being a big club and increasing our revenue beyond new shirt and tv deals.

I feel like we have so much potential both on and off the pitch but it's being wasted by the current management.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Would like to respond to Mav and Arsène'sNo1fan, but Mav is right. Wrong thread.

Worth making a new thread or is there one this debate can fit into? Doesn't seem to fit into the Ownership threads as it isn't to do with the pros and cons of a specific owner, rather the aims of the club in general on footballing product vs. financial gain.

 

[bingobob]

The aim of a business is to make money. The aim of a football club should be to win trophies. If the club also happens to be a profitable enterprise, fine, but that money should be going back into the club (within reason) to generate success on the pitch. I watch Arsenal to see us in cup finals, not marvel at the new Carlsberg lounge.

We have the most expensive ticket prices in world football and make tens of millions of pounds in profit from player sales each year, and have been doing so for the last decade. So where is it all going? Doesn't add up.

Exactly.
This is the question that should be answered by Kroenke or Hill Wood.
We, as supporters, deserve to know where it has all gone. It is our money.

There is not another club in the world that acts like us in the transfer market.

What is the big secret, why won't they tell us?

I dont think it is a big secret as we have been told on numerous occasions we are run as a business. Our aim is to be self sustaining and funded only through revenues that the club generates. If we only generate 10m in profits that is all we can spend.

 

[dpt49]

I dont think it is a big secret as we have been told on numerous occasions we are run as a business. Our aim is to be self sustaining and funded only through revenues that the club generates. If we only generate 10m in profits that is all we can spend.

But surely we have more than 10m.
There was a 20m profit on last seasons transfer window and 15m on this one and the famous 40m "war chest" that has never been touched.

2/3 world class players would lift everyone and keep our best players from walking out.

They would also sell a fortune in shirts and merchandising.

Apart from Cazorla, who has only just got here, we have no real star players, this is just unacceptable for a top tier club.

I know we have to be run as a business. but a football club is different from any other business, all the profits should be reinvested into the club.

I couldn't care less if we make a profit unless I see that profit on the pitch.

 

[bingobob]

I dont think it is a big secret as we have been told on numerous occasions we are run as a business. Our aim is to be self sustaining and funded only through revenues that the club generates. If we only generate 10m in profits that is all we can spend.

But surely we have more than 10m.
There was a 20m profit on last seasons transfer window and 15m on this one and the famous 40m "war chest" that has never been touched.

2/3 world class players would lift everyone and keep our best players from walking out.

They would also sell a fortune in shirts and merchandising.

Apart from Cazorla, who has only just got here, we have no real star players, this is just unacceptable for a top tier club.

I know we have to be run as a business. but a football club is different from any other business, all the profits should be reinvested into the club.

I couldn't care less if we make a profit unless I see that profit on the pitch.

10m was just an example I have no idea how much profit we actually make without looking through the accounts. I agree 2 or 3 world class players would make us contenders but I believe at present we still have a top team and if we play as a team we can seriously challenge. The last two summers have seen us change a lot we have brought in experienced talent perhaps not from the top tier but the second and third tier of top players. For the first time in a long time we have depth but we are perhaps a bit short up front and I would have liked us to bring in another striker.

Ideally we would be spending millions but we have a budget and we work well within that budget. We compete without really competing but I think now, especially with the presence of Bould and a team displaying a different more workmaneque attitude, we can seriously challenge. We just need to keep doing what we have done in the last 4 games.

 

[dpt49]

10m was just an example I have no idea how much profit we actually make without looking through the accounts. I agree 2 or 3 world class players would make us contenders but I believe at present we still have a top team and if we play as a team we can seriously challenge. The last two summers have seen us change a lot we have brought in experienced talent perhaps not from the top tier but the second and third tier of top players. For the first time in a long time we have depth but we are perhaps a bit short up front and I would have liked us to bring in another striker.

Ideally we would be spending millions but we have a budget and we work well within that budget. We compete without really competing but I think now, especially with the presence of Bould and a team displaying a different more workmaneque attitude, we can seriously challenge. We just need to keep doing what we have done in the last 4 games.

I agree with most of this, especially about Bould influencing the team defensively, but with a couple more players the quality of Cazorla, we would have a real chance of challenging for the title.

If we can get something out of the games against Man City and Chelsea, I will start to think we can do better than fourth place
In previous seasons it has been injuries that have defined our seasons and if we had an injury to someone like Cazorla I'm not sure where the creativity would come from.

It's a shame that we didn't go all out and buy the sort of replacement for RVP that we deserve, and another creative winger, it could be the difference between us winning a trophy and not.

 

[bingobob]

I think we have a few players that while being different in style from Santi could slot in and do the job he does. Wilshere, Diaby and to a lesser extent Ramsey and Rosicky. For a change we have decent options on the flanks we have Podolski, Gervinho, Walcott and the Ox all of whom can play the position comfortably enough. Through the middle we have Cazorla, Wilshere, Ramsey, Diaby, Arteta, Coquelin, Rosicky, Frimpong and Arshavin there is a lot of depth there. For the first time in a long time I feel comfortable as I know we can now defend a 1-0 lead and that is the hallmark of Champions.

Im quietly confident we can be there or there abouts come the season end and I hopeful in the January window we can add one or two smart additions to the team particulaly if Giroud keeps up his current form.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Wenger's plan for the summer looks pretty good now that fall is arriving, doesn't it?

Francesc who? Samir who? Robin who? Alex who?

Arsène Knows (TM).

 

[DiamondGooner]

Wenger's plan for the summer looks pretty good now that fall is arriving, doesn't it?

Francesc who? Samir who? Robin who? Alex who?

Arsène Knows (TM).

Yeah he does, just a shame he didn't know last season.

This is the Arsène Wenger I've been hoping he'd turn into for 5 years now!

How many times did I hope for Wenger to learn from his enemy (Fergusson) and see how they instil discipline and a fighting spirit to go along with his ideology for the team.

Wenger was used to his stars being the glue that kept everyone wanting to be here at Arsenal, when he started losing them he looked lost, now after he got screwed by RVP he's drawn the line and turned a corner .... and he's twice the manager for it. :mrgreen:

I honestly can't fault any decision he's made since the window, ruthless Wenger might actually bring us some silverware this season.

 

[pikey2000]

If Wilshere, Rosicky and Sagna can come back clean from their injuries you really feel we have the basis for something good this season.

I think we are short a winger that will allow us to deploy Gerv/Podolski at CF if Giroud doesn't find his scoring boots but apart from that I haven't been this optimistic for a few seasons.

Two massive matches coming up, a couple of results and we really will have built up a head of steam.

 

[redanddread]

The aim of a business is to make money. The aim of a football club should be to win trophies. If the club also happens to be a profitable enterprise, fine, but that money should be going back into the club (within reason) to generate success on the pitch. I watch Arsenal to see us in cup finals, not marvel at the new Carlsberg lounge.

We have the most expensive ticket prices in world football and make tens of millions of pounds in profit from player sales each year, and have been doing so for the last decade. So where is it all going? Doesn't add up.

Exactly.
This is the question that should be answered by Kroenke or Hill Wood.
We, as supporters, deserve to know where it has all gone. It is our money.

There is not another club in the world that acts like us in the transfer market.

What is the big secret, why won't they tell us?

No it isn't. when you buy a product from a store, it now becomes the stores money. You can choose not to purchase from that store or demand a refund if you are unhappy with the product. I'm not sure what the returns policy is for Arsenal but once you hand over your do$h it ain't yours no more. So if I were you I'd get rid of that idea.

Many clubs wish they could act like us in the transfer market. You think it's a detriment to the club that we can get in class players and still show a profit? Sure we could have been more proactive in the market but we don't know all the facts surrounding our transfers. I can't fathom how fans are knocking the club when we have purchased almost 90m GBP in players in the last 2 transfer windows and still had the audacity to break even on transfer dealings. We should be lauded for having the gonads to make as much as we can on players that wish to leave the club. Remember, even when we were winning things Anelka, Petit, Vieira and Overmars left the club for richer and bigger pastures.

Let me see anybody who runs a mutli-million GBP business that doesn't want to make make a profit where it can. Even a football club. We have been canny and wise IMO in our transfer dealings.