devongunner
08-28-2013, 06:50 PM
To win.
Until we moved AW was perfect for both the Fans and the Board.
He was successful, bought well and sold better and balanced the books while delivering titles and cups.
Then the move came, purse strings tightened and MORE importantly the game changed.
Wealthy benefactors came in, Abramovich, Glazers, Mansour who didn't need to balance the budget and rely on CL for money to pay for a new stadium. But still he maintained the financial model while delivering the best results he could ie CL ( it could be argued that he got it wrong for the fans with his cup policies). So last 8 seasons pleased the board but left the fans frustrated. As well by that time everyone had cottoned on to the way AW bought abroad with cheap signings who turned out to be fantastic, hence partly his inability to make brilliant teams.
BUT he has signed some good youngsters and kept them all on longer contracts, Gibbs, Walcott, Ox, Ramsey, Jenkinson, Wilshere, as well as buying a couple of gems relatively cheap, Cazorl, Kos, Vermaelen (initially) Mertesacker.
Now the stadium has been paid, he can compete with others but it is a whole head change for him, the cheap decent foreigners have every club in the PL after them and the price has changed accordingly. So this season he has to get it right with or
without signings.
On another note why this desire to say that only a sustainable financial model is right. I don't care whose money we spend, sheikh or oligarch if that is what it takes. Why is it a badge of pride to say we wont spend money to compete with the rest. Its not my money so I don't care. Eventually even Kroenke will understand that if they don't win, new support will not follow, good players cheap or not wont come and his investment will depreciate.
In theory AW is in the place he was when he was successful before. Stadium paid and money to spend. Lets now see if he can cut it because success on the field is now the ONLY measure.
If he doesn't he is not then the manager he once was. If he does great and give him another ten years
Until we moved AW was perfect for both the Fans and the Board.
He was successful, bought well and sold better and balanced the books while delivering titles and cups.
Then the move came, purse strings tightened and MORE importantly the game changed.
Wealthy benefactors came in, Abramovich, Glazers, Mansour who didn't need to balance the budget and rely on CL for money to pay for a new stadium. But still he maintained the financial model while delivering the best results he could ie CL ( it could be argued that he got it wrong for the fans with his cup policies). So last 8 seasons pleased the board but left the fans frustrated. As well by that time everyone had cottoned on to the way AW bought abroad with cheap signings who turned out to be fantastic, hence partly his inability to make brilliant teams.
BUT he has signed some good youngsters and kept them all on longer contracts, Gibbs, Walcott, Ox, Ramsey, Jenkinson, Wilshere, as well as buying a couple of gems relatively cheap, Cazorl, Kos, Vermaelen (initially) Mertesacker.
Now the stadium has been paid, he can compete with others but it is a whole head change for him, the cheap decent foreigners have every club in the PL after them and the price has changed accordingly. So this season he has to get it right with or
without signings.
On another note why this desire to say that only a sustainable financial model is right. I don't care whose money we spend, sheikh or oligarch if that is what it takes. Why is it a badge of pride to say we wont spend money to compete with the rest. Its not my money so I don't care. Eventually even Kroenke will understand that if they don't win, new support will not follow, good players cheap or not wont come and his investment will depreciate.
In theory AW is in the place he was when he was successful before. Stadium paid and money to spend. Lets now see if he can cut it because success on the field is now the ONLY measure.
If he doesn't he is not then the manager he once was. If he does great and give him another ten years