As Gooners it’s high time we face facts. We are no longer a team which fights for the title, it was an elephant in the room for most of last season and the last few months of the season simply reinforced that.
I am not being overly negative, but it is simple fact. We for various reasons WONT’ buy or rather pay “over the odds” for players according to the manager. So, to cut a long story short, what this means is that in an overly inflated transfer market where mediocre players at best are going for ridiculous prices (except if we are selling of course) we will have to stick with our youngsters and hope that they step up.
Now at this point many of you will begin chants of “Wenger out”, and my response to that would be — then what ? Thats the hard bit, a change will not automatically mean trophies. Chelsea with Torres (4 Gervinho’s and 1 Koscielny in terms of transfer fees) had to struggle to beat a West Brom side, which if I may add is worth less than what City is willing to pay us for Nasri. Last year Chelsea spent 50 million on Torres, and God knows how much more. And after all that, all that spending can you spot a difference between their and our trophy cabinet for the 2010-2011 season?
Liverpool had only a couple of shots on target (before the red card) against our defense which comprised of two teenagers making their debuts and our right back playing at left back. Moreover, this make-shift back 4 was aided by another youngster playing as CDM and making his debut. So to put this in persepctive – After spending over £100 last year did they score 2 against us, that too both goals coming when we were 1 man down.
If Wenger were to leave there is no guarantee that we would be any better off, but without his talent at bringing forth young talent we might as well be a Bolton Wanderers.
In my opinion the only light in the tunnel is that after the financial fair play rules come into practice next year and depending on how well Blatter and his Fifa implement them we might have a fighting chance. Personally, I have a feeling that Wenger is simply trying to weather the storm before these rules come into play.
Now getting back to the title of the article, we have to face the fact that we will go nowhere in the champions league. At most, I can see us reaching the quarter finals, that too with the aid of lenient fixtures. However, the Europa league is a completely another story. It is a trophy we can realistically challenge for and it would give us the opportunity to rebuild some confidence after the initial shock of being forced into the Europa league is over of course.
For example, the FC Barcelona of the Euro league would be a team like Udinese and we’ve shown we can beat them with a ‘bare-bones’ team, well over one leg at least. And if we were to somehow actually win the Europa league, it would surely be a turning point just as Liverpool seemingly bounced back from the brink of becoming a Newcastle or God forbid a Leeds United.
Yes, the champions league has its advantages and more so compared to the Europa League. I picked this up from Wikipedia, to make a quick comparison.
For reaching the group stage of the Champions League, UEFA awards €3.9 million, plus €550,000 per group match played. A win in the group is awarded €800,000 and a draw is worth €400,000.
A group stage participation in the Europa League nets €640,000, with a €60,000 bonus per group match played. In addition, a victory in the group pays €140,000 and a draw €70,000.
UEFA pays teams reaching the first knockout round €3 million, each quarter finalist €3.3 million, €4.2 million for each semi-finalist, €5.6 million for the runners-up and €9 million for the winners.
Reaching the knock-out matches triggers additional bonuses: €200,000 for the round of 32, €300,000 for the round of 16, €400,000 for the quarterfinals and €700,000 for the semi-finals. The losing finalists receive €2 million and the champions get €3 million.
In comparison, any team that reaches the UEFA Champions’ League group stage will be paid €3.9 million.
Ideally we SHOULD never be in this situation and I would much rather we play Champions league football this year. But as Wenger said, it’s not all “doom and gloom” if we were to lose tonight.
Sure, it would mean we don’t see Arsenal in the league of Europe’s Elite, but everything does happen for a reason. Well, atleast lets hope it does.
Submitted by Sid the Sloth from Armoury Square
