Eurosport - Sun, 10 May 15:52:00 2009
Arsenal must "step up" their transfer dealings this summer if they want to compete with Manchester United, according to major shareholder Alisher Usmanov.
Manager Arsene Wenger this week defended his policy of developing his own talents, rather than spending "magic money", in the wake of the Gunners' Champions League semi-final mauling at the hands of United.
But Usmanov, the Russia-based billionaire who owns 25% of the club's shares, believes Arsenal must spend lavishly this summer if they want to pose a greater challenge, saying; "At times it was a bit like men against boys. Does the club need to take a step up? Of course. To be first in the world, to be first in Europe, you must have a much stronger bench."
He added: "Look at United on Tuesday night. They had at least £100million in talent sitting on the bench."
Frustration is growing after four years without a trophy, with envious fans left to marvel at the array of established stars available to Sir Alex Ferguson.
The likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were all left on the sidelines when Tuesday night's second leg kicked off at the Emirates Stadium.
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Comment 34 - 53 of 53
Get rid of Bendtner. He is one uncoordinated blonde. Use Eduardo Da Silva and put Van Persie on the bench.....his time is up and he is not performing at all. Replace Adebayor with a new striker as he has no passion for the club....get rid of him and bring in David Villa. Put Walcott and Nasri on the wings, Fabregas and Arshavin in midfield. Backline is ok but would be a dream if Arsenal can bring in Yaya Toure to play in front of his brother and also get rid of Silvestre.... his passing of the ball is horrible.
I saw today on teletex that wenger only has a £13 million transfer kitty !!!!
what the hell are you supposed to buy to improve the team with that
It would not buy a decent strikers standing leg!!!
so it looks like we will have to sell before we can buy
so thanks to the tight fisted Fitzman we cant improve the squad sell the rest of your shares and get out!!!! after all you live in switerland just bl@@dy stay there
I think wenger should realise he doesn't own Arsenal fc.Its time he brace up or he is shown d way out.Flamini and hleb r young players but he allowed dem leave.So wats d point in raising dem bt cnt gve dem wat dey deserve?Hleb and henry have a trophey 2 themselves just after 1 move away from Arsenal.Arsen Wenger, give us a trophey or step aside for some1 who can!!
Spend big, get a new manager get a new striker,what are all ithe ingredients of a successful team.Consistency,what player got a hugh payrise this year? how many goals did he score. how many times did he cross his chest before his got on the field.what did he do against cheski?nothing. what did bentner do when he came on only score a goal, work hard, attack the defence not to mention the chances he set up for others.he will be a better player than addafewpoundstomysalary who walks around up front like the hard work should not be done by him his only job is to put the ball in the back of the net, which he is not doing.
Spend big, get a new manager get a new striker,what are all ithe ingredients of a successful team.Consistency,what player got a hugh payrise this year? how many goals did he score. how many times did he cross his chest before his got on the field.what did he do against cheski?nothing. what did bentner do when he came on only score a goal, work hard, attack the defence not to mention the chances he set up for others.he will be a better player than addafewpoundstomysalary who walks around up like the hard work should not be done by him his only job is to put the ball in the back of the net, which he is not doing.
I give up! What are Arsenal doing playing like woosies. There is no excuse for their lack of commitment and dreadfull defending. We need some experienced players to change the babies nappies and give us a chance of keeping up with the other top teams and maybe some silverware. It is a good thing that we have the Arsenal Ladies performing well and making us proud.
onyeka j, (40) you are a full for a man of your age don't make me say more than i already have. you need to get some knowledge met.
We dont need to waste money on 'star' players in order to buy trophies. We're already on the right track and would surely have fared much better this season were it not for injuries to key players at crucial moments etc.
No just spending money to buy players but also spend money to keep players. They refused to keep Flamini and let Helb go really hurt their midfield line. In that semi-final game, the oldest player in the midfield is 22.
Now Arsenal becomes a training ground and like PSV, Ajax, they train talent and let the big clubs to pick up. If they simply want to be a selling team, that is fine and then don't be too upset to win nothing. Ajax and PSV have already given up to trace for CL. They are not too upset to be out of it. If Arsenal want to be a big team and be able to win something, change the player policy. The game of soccer is not the same anymore. Chelsea did change the rule and raise the bar. Unless you adopt to the new rule, or you will be out of here.
Arsenal just need 2 or 3 more experienced players specially in center back where they are not so strong and need a experienced player like Barry in midfield then with a combination of these players and young players they will be a strong team which will be ready for next season and CL.
Wenger is very stuborn , he doesn't want to spend money like the other top 3 or tottenham and man city (big spenders, low achievers). but i hope that after seeing the effect that a player like Arshavin brought to the team (he came to form and took the team with him) can be very positive, taking pressure of the youngsters. and decide to spend on a good central defender like Vidic or Terry, well made in that mold, Buy back Flamini. And next season we will see Chelsea fall to piece (getting on the old side) Man U, no motivation after winning twice the PL in a row. our only adversary would be liverpool but they got Rafa as a manager so no luck there. and will win something :-)
This guy in comments 41 + 42 resembles a monkey .He calls himself Onyeka.To hell with you and your disgraced Chelsea.Bloody okoro man.You better retire to either Ikoku or Aba where your brothers are selling used motor spare parts alias ngbuka.You know nothing about football.Stupid noisemaker.Who are you to lampoon Professor Wenger?
comment 23 spot on , how can we compete if AW thinks that is wife is much better looking then AF, Mr Wenger got to get over is obsession with Sir Alex he wont win nothng with kids because the times have changed the Market has changed therefore the DEMAND is higher and we need two good players in evry other position if AW wants to win CL because MANU got more power then us even Chelsea, Camon Wewnger just buy and buy big we all know u got a Master gedree in Economics but for God sake how much more humiliation and defeats its enough its not u money buy the bloody Villas and Buffons I am so sick of Eboue's and Aluminias they DONT EVEN MAKE THEIR NATIONAL TEAMS, CAMON BUY ARSENE WENGER BUY STOP THIS DEFLATION OF AFC
no trophy in 5 years,hmmmmmmm,whats the difference between arsenal and maybe bolton.nothing,afterall both have not won anything in the last five years.
dont bother yourself usmanov,even if you give him the bank of england,he is not goin to spend a dime,like all miser's everywhere,they rather sleep with the cash than spend it,my worry is that even with his legendry tight fists,he is one of the best paid managers in the epl,hipocrite
Ajao Olufemi.Lagos,Nigeria.I personally so much believe in Arsene Wenger's idea of developing the young player and i do appreciate it.If you continue to buy big player,whats then the essence of you having an academy and developmental program.All Wenger should do next season is to look for two or three experienced back liners.We see how Clichy position was terribly exposed?We need another Gallas,Clichy and Kolo Toure.Let him do all possible to get Yahaya Toure,Danny Shittuand one more defender.With Arshavin our attack is ok and please send Bentner away,he is a minus.
I wish Wenger and the Gunners best of next season.Up Gunners!!!!!!!!!!.
arsene has already started to bring in some older more experienced players. take for example arsharvin. I Wenger can get another 1-2 as good as him then arsenal will be at the top of the table come may next year.
The problem with Arsenal is not just about money for buying good experienced players but more importantly the wage ceiling Arsene is not willing to break to accomodate them. Football is all about money now and the best player would go to the highest bidder and payer - no two ways about it - the EPL is now enslaved by and a victim of its own success. It is not just Arsenal its also about the 16 or so teams below them. Unless the cycle is broken the gap would unfortunately widen and the EPL would become an unexciting predictable league.
How often Arsene admitted that he wanted to bid for a player but he could not afford it. The most well known one was Ronaldo. There were quite a few others. Man U also buys young players. But they also keep their good players, not trade them. If we had kept Henry we probably would not be in the position we are in now. They act as a club, to please and make the supporters proud. If you make a policy of having only young players and if you can see that there are some flows in that policy, you don't have to stick to it till the bitter end just to prove a point. That also does not mean that you have to change the whole team. As "rob.notquitezombieyet" rigtly points out, one or two skilled, experienced players would be a benefit to help bring out the young in our teem. As Gallas's absence proved several times how important experience is. Experience along with agility and stamina of our young energetic gifted players in the hands of our great manager would be a formula hard to match.
How often Arsene admitted that he wanted to bid for a player but he could not afford it. The most well known one was Ronaldo. There were quite a few others. Man U also buys young players. But they also keep their good players, not trade them. If we had kept Henry we probably would not be in the position we are in now. They act as a club, to please and make the supporters proud. If you make a policy of having only young players and if you can see that there are some flows in that policy, you don't have to stick to it till the bitter end just to prove a point. That also does not mean that you have to change the whole team. As "rob.notquitezombieyet" rigtly points out, one or two skilled, experienced players would be a benefit to help bring out the young in our teem. As Gallas's absence proved several times how important experience is. Experience along with agility and stamina of our young energetic gifted players in the hands of our great manager would be a formula hard to match.
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