It would be so easy to laugh at Arsenal right now. In fact, I have, in the not so distance past. Financial restrictions, injuries at the most inconvenient times and your star player wanting to leave. The truth is, it could so easily be us in Arsenal’s place right now.
A couple of important things happened in 2005.
Arsenal won their last trophy and The Glazers took full control of our club, placing a massive debt on to us. Then, in 2006, Arsenal moved from Highbury to The Emirates Stadium, which also put Financial strain on them. At the time, Manchester United and Arsenal were the two teams in the league who were battling it out for the title and the trophies, year in, year out. Chelsea had just started to find their feet after the injection of Abramovich’s cash and won the league in 2005. The difference in Manchester United’s and Arsenal’s fortune since 2005 has been like night and day. While Arsenal have not won anything, Manchester United have won 4 Premier League trophies, 3 Carling Cup trophies and 1 Champions League trophy. Arsenal have not spent much since their last trophy win (if Manchester United had spent as little, I am sure we would be struggling too) They have instead decided to give their young players a chance to shine. This is an ideology shared by both Manchester United and Arsenal.
Whether the lack of spending is down to Arsene Wenger or the Arsenal board, you have to say, it is a problem. The Glazers have taken a lot of stick since they took control of our club. Personal abuse, TV documentaries and fan protests about how they run the club, have been common place over the past couple of years. However, the way they run the club since, is the difference between us and Arsenal. Well, that, and of course, the absolute brilliance of Sir Alex Ferguson. Despite the huge debt we have, the Glazers have made sure that we have kept competitive, not only in the Premiership, but also in Europe. They have made a lot of money available to buy some of the best young players in the world. They allowed Ferguson to spend £30 million on Berbatov, while we still had Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez at the club. They have even allowed Ferguson to take risks in the transfer market, with the signing of Bebe being the biggest example of this.
While Arsenal still boast to have the best young team in the Premiership, they have slipped behind on this front too. They have two of the best young mid-fielders in the world in Jack Wilshere and Arron Ramsay, but beyond that, and the possible emergence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wojciech Szczesny, you have to say that Manchester United have the better young players. Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans, Fabio Da Silva, Anderson, Nani, Ashley Young, Danny Wellbeck and Chicharito would each walk in to the Arsenal first team, with David De Gea and Tom Cleverley probably on a par with Arsenal’s first team. The future off the pitch also looks great for Manchester United. With the sale of a relatively small percentage of the club, it looks as though the huge debt on our club, may be cleared.
This would probably mean even greater power in the transfer market for years to come. It would also mean that the Glazers would own the majority of a club, and in the end, not paid any money. In fact, they may have even made a profit. While Arsenal have fallen behind over the past few years, Chelsea, and now Manchester City, have emerged as our main rivals. While Manchester United and Arsenal both used the money gained by their success to get by, Chelsea and Manchester City are both bankrolled by their rich owners. That is why I have a little soft spot for Arsenal. If you get past the dislike for some of their players, they are a club a bit like Manchester United. Giving youth a chance and using success as a springboard for even more success is the way football should be done.
As a Manchester United fan, I miss fighting for the title with Arsenal. I would much rather have them as our main title rivals, than Chelsea or Manchester City. I find their recent demise really sad, and, although I don’t like to admit it, I really hope they turn things round.
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Hey! Don’t brag by claiming that Wilshere is below class than Anderson, VP cannot beat chicharito 4 a place, Song is lesser than carrick and Nani is miles ahead of Gerv etc etc. I’m forced 2 remind you that while man u has been lucky n free of injuries to their key players, arsenal has struggled in recent times 2 have VP, TV5, Fab…to full season, but still they threatened to run away with the title. I’ve not seen man u beat a fully fit arsenal; the 8-2 thrashing lacked the ‘real’ arsenal. I’m not fooled that anderson can bench song, rooney keeping VP out or sczseny playing 2nd to de gea. If I’m lying then consider the 2nd may clash at emirates when arsenal had some of the fore-mentioned stars entertain man u. To me Wilshere is undoubted the best england MD, Anderson equal diaby while song has emerged as real gold only comparable to essien.
to many of the arsenal squad was broken up to soon.Mr Wenger let the older players move on.where as Mr fergurson kept them and replaced them slowley with the youth.a lot of credit must go to him and your backroom staff for this.
SAF is the greatest manager of all times, i’m sorry to say.
Man City and Chelsea are cheating, and destroying the game. The FFP rules should not only stop them, it should get them into serious trouble. Mancini is a joke. Hes constant moaning about all the players he need. What a joke. I wonder if SAF or Wenger could manage those players better…
Abromovic and the owners of City are madmen. They are scumbags who happen to get their hands on oil money, and they are playing FM in real life, just to show off. Its pathetic. The oil sheiks would still be riding their camels, if western technology hadn’t invented the enigine.
Scumbags.
I’m a united fan and agree with the post. There has always been a begrudging respect to arsenal coz of the way they play and doing it whilst balancing the books.
City and Chelsea’s sugar daddies could have done what they have at any club and struggle to see how it’s actually an achievement.
Having said that I do lime the idea of Manchester being THE city for football around the world. It’s good for our economy and raises our status.
i think the main reason why arsenal has fallen appart since 2005 is that they have been saling their best players without proper replacement while man u keep their’s and also spent huge amount of money in transfer market. Since 2005 Ronaldo is the only important player that left man u but arsenal has lost Veira,henry,hleb,flamini,toure,gallas,adebayor,clichy,fabregas,nasri etc.
Nice little article here, coming from an Arsenal fan through and through.
I remember when City and Chelsea were wallowing in the middle of the table before their respective oil injections, rightfully where they deserved to be on their footballing merit. And Arsenal and Manchester United were where they deserved to be also, at the top battling it out. And now the oil clubs owners are slowly eroding the beautiful game with their flagrant money throwing. That sort of abuse attracts the wrong kind of fans to those club, always looking for that next hit so to say.
That’s why I’m immensely proud Arsenal FC for being self-sustaining and doing what they have done without Sugar Daddies, hats off to Man United for more or so of the same in recent years.
You can’t find a decent United fan here in London to have some proper banter, most of them have never been to Manchester, let alone Old Trafford. ‘Shakes head’
That’s why I generally say I don’t hate Manchester United as a club, I hate their obnoxious majority of fans who hardly know their team.
Of the list of Utd players mentioned above, I only rate Nani, Chicharito and De Gea. Rest are just having a good time at the moment. Especially Wellbeck, Fergie will sell him soon to lower EPL clubs proabably Sunderland … !
Arsenal’s defence has been a joke the last five years thanks to Wenger.His tactics is now so obvious to all but himself that opposing teams need just to concede possession. When the gunners spurn the chances created,that will be the time to hit on the counter.
Don’t be surprised Bruce uses such tactics and send Wenger to the bottom three.
Ferguson is the difference.
The bloke is a god, whereas Wenger got very lucky early on at Arsenal and since 2005 has been living in his own private mind garden on seven million quid a year.
After the Birmingham defeat in the Carling Cup the club have almost gone into freefall with 4 wins in 18 PL games.
Us Goons miss the United Vs Arsenal battles as well, real players fighting for the title.
But the recent years haven’t been kind. City have now bought 45% of our first team in 4 – 5 years, and when your competing against bottomless pockets it is impossible to retain players let alone buiild a squad. 4 broken legs to first teamers in the same time, some of which never recovered.
Those that blame Wenger generally have never seen Arsenal play under another Manager, but still under the above condition he retained CL football for 15 years.
The good times will return, and one thing I know is that Chelsea and City will always have the issues of Clownish players always wanting to start or be the highest paid, a turn over of managers etc. where Arsenal and United at least are built in higher morals and with Managers like Ferguson and Wenger a team ethic is installed.
Don’t feel sorry for us too long as we will be back, don’t worry about that.