Another major problem no one has considered is Arsene.

[The Tony]

His ability in the transfer market to locate suitable replacements and still get the team to achieve a Top 4 position is pretty sensational.

Unless the financial dynamics of football change considerably we will be seriously screwed when he leaves the club.

I can easily see us becomming an Aston Villa type club.

[holywood gunner]

then it will be marquee signings all the way, the most frustrating thing of the last 7 years is the knowledge that we have the weapons in the collective armoury to compete with any club on the planet but are instead living with a board whose only interest is paying the debt down to increase the value of their holding. A manager at a top football club nowadays shouldnt earn more than the top players at the club, arsene is the highest earner at arsenal, says it all.....

[Stroller]

Fail to see any sense or logic in that. Why should football be different to any other profession? I've no doubt that Arsene puts in more hours than several players added together plus he's got more responsibilty and more experience within the club. Player power/ego would coninue unabated.

[Ashberto]

new players, apart from his ability to identify them at the right price.

[holywood gunner]

if u want to win the prem/champs league you now need to have that class of player on that sort of wage, im not saying its the way to go, im saying its the way its gone since chavski/city rocked up. we havent went that way and as a result have won neither of the big prizes, is that what you want?

[Stroller]

Sure top players demand top money but what's that got to do with the manager's whack? I don't think our policy is not to pay players more than the manager, it's more to do with having a wage structure that covers all players. The manager and coaches probably have their own structure.

I would imagine that the Board benchmark Arsene's pay against what other clubs are playing their managers, not what players are earning.

[Peter]

And benchmark that against other clubs. But they wont do the same with the players.

And isnt it harder to refuse to pay players x amount when the manager already earns at least that?

It feels slightly hypocritical.

[Stroller]

I'm sure RVP wasn't basing his demands on what Wenger earns but what other clubs might pay him. Same for any other player in the market - they look at what clubs are paying other players.

Managers will look to what equivalant size clubs are paying their managers. Different jobs, different criteria.

In our case it's generally recognised that Wenger's brief goes well beyond the average manager/coach, so will be near the top of the pile.