Clubs have this belief that signing a player could block the progress of a developing player or youngster. As much as this is true it isn’t a reason to pass on a player who could improve your team especially if you want to be challenging for top honours.
This is the kind of belief that helped the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Hleb, Flamini, Diaby, Adebayor, Eboue, Rosicky, Almunia, Robin Van Persie, Jack Wilshere, Wojciech Szczęsny, Johan Djourou , Theo Walcott, Alex Song become members of the first team at Arsenal. Even though the likes of Matthew Upson, Steve Sidwell, J. Alladiere, J. Pennant, David Bently, and F. Muamba were not that lucky, they were able to make something out of their respective careers. Given the same opportunity would this other set have been better footballers? May be, but would Arsenal have gone Unbeaten for a whole season with them in first team?
Barcelona and Real Madrid know better they don’t mind losing a player at a young age, if he is good enough he would find his way to the top and then they don’t mind spending to get him back, while some might call this approach wasteful i call it an effective one. This is because football has changed; there is a lot of money in football now and the major reason most people get out of their beds in the morning is to go make money.
Footballers used to be so passionate about their clubs that they spent majority of their careers at a single club. Now we have club owners who spent £35 million on Andy Carroll, i think that sums up the whole situation of the current transfer market. Newcastle would have been really stupid not to have accepted Liverpool’s bid for A. Carroll. Even if he wanted to stay they would have begged him to leave.
“A loyalty Reply” an anagram for “Player Loyalty”, a term which is fast becoming extinct in the world of football. Player loyalty is gone and it has all come down to this thought “By the time I have money to burn; my fire will have burnt out.” This is a great problem for footballers as they have a short career in a long life. Just a week after Thiago Silva extended his contract until 2017, he signed for PSG. He definitely didn’t leave in search of trophies or because of what a great team PSG is.
These were Robin Van Persie’s words when he extended his contract in 2009 “My heart is with Arsenal and I just can’t picture myself in a different shirt. I just can’t see it now because I love this Club so much. If you look at the last five years, look at the steps I have made every season, if you look at the support the Boss and the whole Club gave me, the fans gave me, my team mates gave me – this is the right decision.”
Fast forward to 2012
‘I personally have had a great season but my goal has been to win trophies with the team and to bring the club back to its glory days.
‘Out of my huge respect for Mr Wenger, the players and the fans I don’t want to go into any details, but unfortunately in this meeting it has again become clear to me that we in many aspects disagree on the way Arsenal FC should move forward.
‘I’ve thought long and hard about it, but I have decided not to extend my contract. You guys, the fans, have of course the right to disagree with my view and decision and I will always respect your opinions.
It took Robin Van Persie three years to picture himself in a different shirt it only took 10 days for Thiago Silva to jump ship.
The Thiago Silva deal is quite a deal for AC Milan, €42 million would more than fill the gap the departure of Thiago Silva would leave in the squad. If only PSG would sign RVP instead of Ibrahimovic for a fee of €30 million then Arsenal would be adequately compensated for the loss of such a fantastic player.
Arsene Wenger could have signed Franck Ribery when he was 23 after the 2006 world cup, however Wenger believed he had sufficient resources in wide positions.
“At the moment if you look at the flanks we have Rosicky, who’s not an average player, Hleb, who’s not an average player, Reyes, who’s not an average player and Walcott, who’s not an average player,” said the manager. “We also have Ljungberg who is injured. Where do I put a player like Ribery?”
Wenger’s belief in these players cost Arsenal a very good player and to think that Walcott is the only player who’s not an average player among them now or the fact that all others except Rosicky left at the first chance. Can’t tell which is more devastating.
For Clubs to survive they would have to adapt and be more selfish, starting from taking logical decisions. If a player is good enough he would take his chances irrespective of who is ahead. Fabregas showed his quality before Vieira left, Jack Wilshere showed his quality when Fabregas was at the club. The OX is already showing his quality and i don’t think signing Affelay is going to slow him down. Messi entered Barcelona’s first team at a young age also, if a player is good enough performances will tell and if the manager is still not convinced and there is shortage of opportunities,
that’s what loan spells are for.
As Tony Adams said “We live in a society of now”. To prevent these sorts of situations ; Ashley Cole, Flamini, Hleb, Nasri, Fabregas, Clichy, Robin Van Persie and we can only hope Song and Walcott are not added to the list. We have to think of what’s best for Arsenal? and let every other thing fall around this question.
- Overbear In Spin is also an anagram #GoFigure
) Let everyone do a double-check and let’s not talk about Van Persie, I refuse to.
