Hello People,

How do ?

I haven’t blogged this week 1)The first half of the week – I had a battle with WordPress and lost.. 2) So many things have unfolded this week, I wanted to sit back and watch… So, I have decided to do an end of week extravaganza. Well, you know what I mean

July 4th - It begins….. –  UPDATE FOR THE FANS - Robin Van Persie will not be signing a new contract and wants to leave.

*Head in hands*

The sequel of last summer begins…

In my opinion, He IS our most crucial player, without him we are a weaker unit. But saying that, I WOULD sell him to the highest bidder. Most likely – Manchester City. Having him around will only mean bad news for the dressing room.

For me, the saddest aspect of the whole situation – Robin leaving us in a terrible position to strike a great deal. Either the petulant RVP of old or his agent, knew what this statement would do for him – get him a move away from the club pronto.

I could sit here and slate him but I wont, I will let this man show him up - video.

The main concern for me is what damage will this do to the existing first team ? Last summer, the main delay in all things transfers was the amount of players that actually wanted to leave.. repeat this summer, maybe ?

This year Walcott is tittering on the idea of actually leaving, which would be bad news in my opinion 1) Another club would use him correctly = Goals, leading to another public ‘Arsene slaughtering’. 2) Would future youth starlets ‘want’ to move to Arsenal ?

Will the likes of Song (who’s has 2 years left on his contract), Sagna, Vermaelen want assurances ? I know I would…

July 5th – Alisher Usmanov throws a hand granade - A letter from R&W holdings

He shoots, he scores ! Timing was perfection. Civil war anyone ? NO, tough…

Arsene has said, I could have written a book about last summer. You had better get your Quill and ink set out again Arsene…We have a best seller on our hands !

He (Usmanov) isn’t going to go away…Should we let him have his seat on the board ? Some would say yes ? Some no ?

For me, BOTH of the ‘camps’ are holding back information…but why ?….I doubt we will ever know….and that is that the problem, causing the unrest, fans being left in the dark ?

This statement ‘is’ too good to be true isn’t it….

So what is Red & White’s vision for the club? It is simple. A debt free club, with a big enough war chest to buy top players who can hit the ground running and who can compliment the club’s long tradition of developing young players and homegrown talent. Together they can help the club win the most prestigious trophies – because it is the trophies which are the crowning achievement for everybody at the club. The trophies are also key to the commercial success of the club – they increase the value of the players, the value of the brand, attract the best sponsors and maximise the value of our commercial contracts which should in turn mean that the club does not have to squeeze any more income from hard pressed fans. We also believe in the transparency that a stock market listing brings so we are committed to the club remaining listed on the stock exchanged and to greater fan involvement both through share ownership and also board representation for the fans.

BUT ‘if’ it is…

Why not let him have his seat ? It could mean a decade of success ? Would Arsene be able to say ‘No, this philosophy isn’t working 100%, time for a slight change, for the club and the fan’s’  ..Im not so sure he would be able to do it…but to try to sell it to him…

Arsene Wenger (2007) – “We don’t buy superstars, we make them”

That could still be the case, and personally the way I would like it – If the money was used correctly, why not ? We could plug the gaps in the first team and still bring through the youth players GOOD ENOUGH for the first team squad. Not paying, bribing, the youth players with large wages to stay on-board with our philosophy. If the player doesn’t succeed, we are left with Denilson, for example, on huge wages and not being able to move them on to a new club, when he/they don’t make the grade.

But thinking from the player’s point of view for a second…Why would they want to leave ? They might not be god enough for a top club, so why leave ? They ‘play’ for one of the top eight in europe, with a massive salary. Why not see out for contract ? Football has changed – for better, or for worse that’s your opinion… but we have to keep up the money machine….

July 7th – Peter Hill-Wood statement

“We give the manager as much money as we possibly can, and all we can do is continue. We have run the club sensibly, and we haven’t done badly; it’s not as if we have been relegated.”

‘We’ give – Peter Hill-Wood has just answered one of the major question in the Arsenal hypocrisy.

Clearly it’s not Arsene ‘being tight’ or ‘its like it’s his own money’. He has been restricted with the philosophy. By his own doing, arguably yes. The board have seen an opportunity and grasped it with two hands…

Financially the philosophy it is working, doing its job, (Not thinking about sponsors etc, just the purpose of paying of the stadium). The Football side, winning things, no.

When we started on the rocky road to self sustainment, we where 3rd challenging for 2nd. In just over 2/3 seasons we are challenging for 4th. decline anyone ? Yes we came 3rd last year, yes, but let’s be honest, only because Chelsea had a terrible year (Premier League wise) and Sp*ds chucked it away. I don’t think we can keep counting on others to keep falling at the final hurdle…

Peter Hill-Wood is like Arsenal’s crazy uncle who always shows himself up at a wedding *palm to face*… he loves Arsenal and has done his WHOLE life…. But for me the statement sums up the whole affair at Arsenal – there is to many business men and not enough ‘football people’ in the boardroom…

Prepare yourself for a long… arduous summer…Things will go down to the wire, again.

I hoped and longed for a calm summer after last year..Nah, Don’t be silly, this is Arsenal FC and we love it ! Strap yourself in ! *Roller coaster launches*

Cheers for Reading

As always please share your thoughts

Ben