Written by Mean Lean on Sunday, 26 June 2011 17:06

Where on earth has this sunshine come from? I am currently sat on a train, pushed up against a window and the sun is peering through the window, smashing my face in. My skin is starting to stick to my Arsenal short sleeved training top and I imagine this is how the snowman from the erm.. snowman felt when his life began to end due to meltation. Is that even a word? If it is then I may look a little silly but feeling silly is the last of my worries when my skin is dropping to the train floor.

I am not complaining though, which is a little white lie I guess. I am complaining but would still rather the sunshine than the freezing cold. This could be the part where I have to say the truth lies somewhere in the middle, well I am not saying it, you can't make me.

Ok, I guess I better start talking about the Arsenal because if you haven't already then Arsenal Vision would have been red x'd (internet page closed down)

The truth be told, there is not much to talk about today hence the waffle but the two tiny bits of info that is coming out is contract stuff.

Firstly, Jack Wilshere is being handed out another new extended contract.

Disgruntled Gunner: 'WHY ARE WE HANDING OUT ALL THESE CONTRACTS TO PLAYERS WHO HAVE YET TO ACHIEVE ANYTHING' (caps for effect)

Disgruntled Gunner's mate: 'Oi, erm.. its for Jack Wilshere'

Disgruntled Gunner: 'Oh, that's ok then. I think *scratches head and looks confused*

This is the thing, we as Arsenal fans love to bemoan the fact that our wages are so high and that 'average' players are being paid far too much money. I am not quite sure why this is of so much importance these days to fans. Football players have been way overpaid for donkeys years and I am not sure how this changes my life too much but let us look into this in stages.

1) Arsenal purchase player from other club. Often the player is on a wage that we can afford. We usually have to improve the wages from the previous club which is the same for pretty much every job around the world.

2) Players contract starts to tick away and said player is either an important part of the squad or have potential to turn into top players.

3) Players agents sniff around other top clubs and find out what their client can be paid at Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid etc etc

4) If Arsenal want to keep their players then they have to pay those players the going rate, even if that player is yet to win trophies with Arsenal.

There are several other points I have missed but I will keep this simple. So plenty of fans are annoyed at players like Denilson for being paid pretty much what a first team squad player is paid at a rival club yet in the same breath we are distraught that 'Why wasn't Nasri's contract dealt with earlier?'

I make elephants look like goldfish. I remember a certain Mathieu Flamini was being portrayed as a useless midfielder who couldn't pass, couldn't control the ball, didn't score goals and was generally Denilsonized. He was not good enough for Arsenal and should be replaced. This was until the next season where he replaced Gilberto and then he was gods gift to football. The all action hero that we let go.

'Why didn't Arsenal pay him what he wanted?'

It didn't occur to some that he was a young player who needed to develop, mature and get a long run of games under his belt so we could see the best of him. We could have sold him to Birmingham City the season before his career high season but we didn't.

This does not mean that all our players will develop into the players we want them to as is the case with Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson who seem to be heading out of the door. As with everything nothing is a guarantee but it is worth putting faith in the players we have coming through.

I am sure many wouldn't be very happy if a young Cesc or Van Persie were not given a competitive contract when the time came and they went elsewhere to turn into the players we see today.

In other contract news, Arsene Wenger has spoken of his desire to keep Gael Clichy at Arsenal.

Wenger said: "We have started talks with Gael and want him to stay,"

Firstly Arsene Wenger has previously spoken about wanting to keep players who have shortly left the club and this could also be the case with Clichy. Having said that, I do not remember Wenger ever previously saying that he has started talks with a player who then left the club.

Clichy is a name that divides opinion amongst the Arsenal fan base, his name has come up several times recently on various blogs, mainly because of the defensive statistics that have been going around. Those statistics weighed heavily in his favour over the likes of Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines and company which was very interesting.

I happen to be a big fan of Clichy and think that his strengths are undervalued. To be fair there is no way of knowing when these quotes from Arsene actually came out, but if this is recent then I am a happy chappy.

Enjoy your meltation Sunday,

Back tomorrow

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Comments (33)

• 26-Jun-2011 17:29 | | stonroy
  

  You really do waffle on you know that

• 26-Jun-2011 17:38 | | Steve O
  

  You are a big fan of every player that pulls on and Arsenal shirt.You are blind

• 26-Jun-2011 17:38 | | Gooners4Life  - roflcopter!
  

  meltation that is all!

• 26-Jun-2011 17:42 | | Gooners4Life
  

  Denilsonized

• 26-Jun-2011 17:42 | | MeanLean
  

  Oh the irony of it.

• 26-Jun-2011 17:51 | | MeanLean
  

  Thank you. I take that as a compliment. I work very hard at improving my waffle. Cheers buddy.

• 26-Jun-2011 17:57 | | Umar dhikrullah tolani  - Bitter truth
  

  All am curious about is arsen wenger really cares about winning truphies..... Well shout out to him that archievement in football is measured by trophies........ Gunner fans are growing impetience

• 26-Jun-2011 18:02 | | MeanLean
  

  Why would any manager at the top level of the game not want to win trophies? This idea that the club just want to finish top four is utter shite with no substance.
  
  The thing is, there are other clubs who are also trying to win trophies. Some clubs do not care about putting their clubs in danger. Arsenal (not Arsene) have never been a club to risk the saftey of the club.

• 26-Jun-2011 18:26 | | Tony
  

  In January we were in the race for the title but we needed to buy a CB.Wenger didnt thats why fans believe he is only interested in 4th place.Remember his two statements "4th place is the same as winning a trophy" and "i would be happy to finish 2nd for the next 20 years" does that tell you his aim is to win trophies

• 26-Jun-2011 18:40 | | MeanLean
  

  Wenger didn't say either of those statements. They have been twisted out of context and lapped up by fans.
  
  Wenger said 2nd is not a crisis and if that is a crisis then he would be happy to sign up for that type of crisis for 20 years. Do you disagree with that? Do you think 2nd is a crisis? Obviously we ended up fourth but when that question was put we were 2nd.
  
  I really believe that people understand what he is saying but choose to go the other way just to put him down.
  
  As for top four being more important than trophies. Can you find the quote when he said that? I can't.
  
  What I do remember him saying is being in the Champions League is more important to clubs than winning the FA Cup. As fans all we care about is winning tin pots but clubs are businesses and the Champions League generates far far far more income than the FA Cup.
  
  I doubt that any manager anywhere would rather win the FA Cup and not get into the CL.

• 26-Jun-2011 19:10 | | Philbet
  

  I personally feel Wengers team could win the quadruple, Go through the season unbeaten and some would moan, he could then hire those moaners a £2000 a night hooker (who takes it bareback up the arse) and some of the same moaners would still say he had not done enough in a fast enough time and still grumble, after that, the first sign of another club signing a good player or The Arsenal been held to a goalless draw, some one somewhere on the internet would be having a bloody good MOAN......
  Its either an impossible task or Arsenal fans are the worlds biggest moaners

• 26-Jun-2011 19:30 | | Podge
  

  How may of you would leave to see Wenger call a press conference and just say "to Arsenal fans, shut the fuck up, you have no idea what you are talking about, now let me get on with my job and try supporting me and the team as there is a reason you have a reputation as the worst fans in England"? I wonder how out of context that would be taken.

• 26-Jun-2011 19:31 | | Segun  - judge me in May!
  

  But u rememba where Wenger said we shld judge him in May? Well it's June!

• 26-Jun-2011 19:40 | | MeanLean
  

  Yes, you are correct. He said judge him in May and the team failed. When it mattered, we were not good enough and that has been the judgement now it is time for changes. Wenger has said this, Gazidis has said this, so all we can do now is sit back and wait to see what changes.

• 26-Jun-2011 20:50 | | Danish Gooner  - Wenger.
  

  Mr.Wenger is dragging his feet once again.There will be a total melt down if he fails to deliver adequately this summer.

• 26-Jun-2011 21:03 | | Jekylll
  

  The reason fans are concerned about some players' wages is that it prevents us getting rid of them. Who is going to pay Denilson what he is on at Arsenal? Why do you think there have been no takers for the likes of him and Bendtner?
  
  He is not on the average for a squad player in the PL, he is grossly overpaid relative to his ability and contribution to the Arsenal cause.
  
  It is this policy Wenger has been following the last few years of overpaying unproven players in order to try and keep the squad together that prevents the changes required being made now. It is a failed policy because a) it has not fostered loyalty and b) we are stuck with players that have failed to develop.

• 26-Jun-2011 21:06 | | Iron Man
  

  "This is the thing, we as Arsenal fans love to bemoan the fact that our wages are so high and that 'average' players are being paid far too much money. I am not quite sure why this is of so much importance these days to fans. "
  
  Extortionate ticket prices is why.

• 26-Jun-2011 21:15 | | MeanLean
  

  I very much doubt that if Denilson, Eboue and Almunia for example were on lower wages that the ticket prices would be lower.
  
  The tickets are so high because there is a demand for the tickets and that the club have had to gain so much debt due to the stadium.
  
  We have a high wage bill because we have to pay competitive rates with the clubs around us.

• 26-Jun-2011 21:19 | | MeanLean
  

  But what about the other side of the coin? It is not always easy to know which players will make it and which players will not.
  
  Would you have not improved the contracts of Ramsey, Song and Walcott before they took a step forward? Would it be good business sense and footballing sense to not try to keep hold of players who could make it.
  
  We would then be in a position where we are complaining that Ramsey and co have walked away on a free like Flamini

• 26-Jun-2011 21:29 | | Iron Man
  

  The logical conclusion people draw from the outrageously high prices is that because the club is using the money to pay players. Reign in player wages and there would be less need to molest our wallets so much.
  
  This current is side consists of underachieving players who are letting down the club and manager who have trusted and paid them so much. The players are not delivering so don't deserve to be paid 'competitively'. If it means they want to leave as a result, then let them go. It's not like they've won anything. EVERY player is replaceable.

• 27-Jun-2011 08:07 | | Al T
  

  There's no way we could reign in wages! I already feel like we're getting left behind! To compete with the likes of City, Utd and Chelsea we have to pay 'Market' rates. I couldn't believe it when I read we were going to offer Nasri £90k (dont quote me), he'd get £150k easy at Utd or City. To keep players like that or to get players like that we have to pay those sort of wages. That doesn't make me happy but that's life.

• 27-Jun-2011 11:12 | | Jekyll
  

  Signing players up to longer contracts makes sense, but pay them commensurate to their current ability and experience so you can offload them if necessary.
  
  Song, Walcott and Ramsey all still have an awful lot to prove I'd say.
  
  There is no way a squad of AFC's average age and track record should have one of the highest wage billls in the country. That squad is being paid way over what it needs to be to get them to stick around. The top performers want to leave anyway.
  
  And you'd think an upside of the policy is there is no way that one of our top performers in Nasri would be allowed to run into the final year of his contract - but no. Why has this situation been allowed to develop?

• 27-Jun-2011 11:43 | | sapman
  

  so just because the fans THINK that ..it makes it REAL ?
  
  
  lol the fans ..in their majority are clueless customers ..with no modicum of logic in their complaints.
  
  arsenal;s aim is to remain as competitive as it can till it can spend again or until they pay off the stadium ...until then yes 4th place is damn fkn good considering arsenal annual budgets for first team investment have never been more than 15 million and our rivals can afford such money just for one player. ..and they dont even get to play champions league either (totnm liverpool)

• 27-Jun-2011 11:45 | | sapman
  

  not at all ..in fact i pray everyday that wenger or someone from the club comes out to take the heat form all these moaners and tell them all to eff off to white hart lane stamford bridge or wherever they see their personal ambitions being fulfilled

• 27-Jun-2011 11:46 | | sapman
  

  noone puts a gun in your head and tells you : buy the ticket buy it !
  
  you do it ...if you want

• 27-Jun-2011 11:48 | | sapman
  

  and how long can city chelsea and united operate their club as they have been doing lately ? .......
  
  wenger has driven them all to financial mismanagement just to marginally beat his 23 year old kids
  
  why cant arsenal fans see it that way ? whats wrong with you?
  
  booing your players ? yoru manager? youre nuts
  
  you dont deserve a manager like wenger ...and if you get yoru wish and arsenal becomes a mid table parody of a football club with no direction or leadership lets see if those who moaned and complained will come out to get spat in the face by us who love and support our arsenal torphy or no trophy

• 27-Jun-2011 12:56 | | dkgooner  - Here here sapman
  

  "the fans ..in their majority are clueless customers ..with no modicum of logic in their complaints."
  Exactly. Joey Barton once said that most players are knobs - same goes for supporters (including me haha).
  All these dickheads who go on about "how slow Wenger is, why hasn't he signed X, Y and Z yet, Moneybags FC will get him while AW fannies around." All these fans are of course skilled and experienced negotiators of football contracts and are sharing with us the benefit of their expertise.

• 27-Jun-2011 12:57 | | dkgooner  - ME
  

  Oh please AW - that's exactly what I want to hear.

• 27-Jun-2011 12:58 | | dkgooner  - Told you so.
  

  (see my reply to sapman above)

• 27-Jun-2011 13:02 | | dkgooner  - And again sapman...
  

  ... you take the words out of my mouth.
  Yes, I know I'm a moaner and complainer too, but I hate myself for it and I've decided that next season I'll remember to take my medication.

• 27-Jun-2011 13:05 | | dkgooner  - London Evening Standard
  

  Quoting "an Arsenal source" (hope it's not Le Grove), the LES says we are on the point of signing Cahill and have put in a fresh offer for Gervinho.
  Now I guess Cahill will turn out to be rubbish and there will be a season of "why didn't he buy Samba?".
  Che sera, sera.

• 27-Jun-2011 13:08 | | dkgooner  - Daily Mail
  

  And the Mail says that Lille say Arsenal "have not made a concrete offer" for Gervinho.
  Go on AW - 50 tons of the stuff should be enough.

• 27-Jun-2011 15:29 | | Iron Man
  

  You know full well it's not as simple as that. If you support a team, you're happy to pay to watch them. I don't expect a team I support to price me out of watching them.
  
  There is a little thing going on known as a global recession don't you know. You may still live in a gold plated house and drive a rocket car but that isn't the case for a lot of people. We are no longer able to wipe our arses with £50 notes and drink champagne for breakfast. Some people unfortunately have suffered massively financially and when they're football club insists on taking the piss price wise, you might understand why people might feel a little disgruntled.

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