One thing you can't help noticing pre season is our reluctance to put ourselves on the marketing

[7evens]

dollar stage.
The likes of Chelsea, City and United parade themselves infront of the worlds richest economy, perhaps contributing in some way to the MLS PR campaign but also featuring prominently alongside the worlds elitest clubs, punctuating their position for even more investment opportunity.

The Asia cup possibly helped shirt sales in that corner of SE Asia but rather soberingly, the club seemed happy to put ourselves under the same spotlight as Stoke and Everton.
The Emirates cup has also become a bit of pre season kick abouts for the also rans.

I don't pretend to understand how things work but you can't help feeling the clubs drive towards even greater revenue streams and longer term stability is a bit de-railed by going along this bland pre season route.

[PSRB]

[Luis Anaconda]

which one of those is the world's richest economy? Isn't there a finite amount of resources to be mined in the US - surely making inroads into that little corner of South East Asia that is growing rapidly financially and has a fair amount of people living there makes equally as much sense as prostrating the team before the great God The Dollar. Besides, imagine if Arsene bumped into GSTB - he'd top himself

[7evens]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

I doubt the Asian dudes sat down last summer and thought “we must get Stoke”.

It is a competition organised by or in conjunction with the Premier League who have a massive market in SE Asia. I am not sure if the club was happy or unhappy to be lumped in with Stoke and Everton, actually I would suspect that none of the clubs are really hugely joyous about having to schlep over there at such a crucial point of the season.

Running around the Emirates on a sunny weekend in front of your own fans is as beneficial from a preparation point of view as playing ‘bigger’ clubs in exhibition matches in the US.

I imagine Arsene would much rather be in Borehamwood and two weeks in Austria but maybe those days are gone.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

and what with how TV companies in China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia will have carried highly excitable coverage of the event, I think one may safely conclude that you are entirely correct and don't understand how things work. Obviously, you're not going to let a matter as unimportant as a lack of comprehension hold you back from getting your negativity in, are you?

[7evens]

Canada, US and now SE Asia.
There has to be some sort of middle ground.
On the other hand, they have a huge amount of catch up to put themselves on the global canvas, although playing teh likes of Madrid and Roma has to be more preferable to Villareal and Everton http://www.awimb.com/images/smiley_icons/ohwell.gif

[7evens]

the most out of the tour.
I doubt the Arsenal second XI v Singapore select pulled in too many viewers across the region, if we're being totally realsitic.

[Berni]

ever could from our fat, absurdly-trousered friends.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Happy?

The least important part of that trip, I would guess, was the football. The events and the opportunity for the marketing types to create a buzz would be of far more importance in terms of growing the brand, I would imagine. On the other hand I am not a marketing professional with red-framed spectacles and a 6 figure salary who is supposed to know the ins and outs of this stuff. I'd tend to trust their judgement, really.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

So safe to assume your average SE Asianer was all over it.

Take this lad for instance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AhzPihLlKk

[Berni]

So I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest you're massively wrong.

[7evens]

Chelsea v PSV or City v Madrid.
These types of fixtures help stamp elitisim in a far stronger way than putting 6 past Lyon.
None of this is a massive issue, it's only an observation that our pre season fixtures tend to shy away from games against the super clubs. :shrug:

[7evens]

It really wasn't that much of a contentious or damming point old boy.

[7evens]

behind our leading competitors.
Putting United aside, Forbes figures for last season alone showed income from commercial actvity had Chelsea at $383m against $268m for us.
Brand a lot closer with $185 against $164.
I'm pretty sure our fanbase is still far higher than CFC and in real terms we are the larger club by some distance.

[PSRB]

(and football reasons) why our pre-season makes sense

but
PL is massively popular in SE Asia, whether it's United , Stoke or Everton.
SE Asia is a strong market for us, so not to attend would be silly and gain further inroads in a massive market in which we already strong
Compete in the US with the super clubs as you refer to them, why? MLS is growing, you could argue that the market for European clubs is set to diminish if the MLS continues to grow as fans will have their own clubs to support

Emirates Cup we played the 2nd best sides in both the French and German leagues, hardly shabby opposition

[Luis Anaconda]

from say a very wealthy businessman whose endless contribution to the club may well have been slightly curtailed by the possibility of financial FairPlay sanctions

[7evens]

We're a bigger club by some distance. Match day revenue alone should swamp theirs.
Presumably they're audited in a way where you could see any finacial doping, in a similar way to City's stadium sponsorship farce. Slapstick but visible comedy at least..

[redgunamo]

[Luis Anaconda]

take a step back and read your own working - a side with a smaller fan base takes much less in match day income but has a rich owner has a higher commercial turnover :rubchin: Not sure the ffp ever was there to take into account who went into shops and spent loadsacash on merchandise tbf. I am sure there are other ways of doing it as well

[Snin]

bringit back old skool