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Did Arsenal have the same issue?

lukespurs7

Well-Known Member
Feb 21, 2006
4,833
4,259
The latest Rose sh**storm has got me thinking that did Arsenal have this same issue as we're having when they were building and moving to the new stadium with players constantly being linked with moves away from the club?

I remember Fabregas and Van Persie making big moves to Barca and Man.U respectively but for us it seems like every other week one of our players is linked with a move.

Lloris to whoever, Walker to City of course, Toby to leave, Jan misses home, Dier to Man.U, Eriksen to Barca, Alli to Chelsea or Barca, Kane to PSG or Madrid and now Rose to anyone up north...

I think the reason for this is threefold and I can't really think of any other clubs who have had to go through a similar period to which we are now:
1) Wages! We pay much less than other top clubs so naturally players want more money
2) Culture or not winning: 2 league cups in the last 20 years, players want to win trophies and mabye don't believe they can do that with us.
3) Good players will always be linked so it's actually a compliment.

It used to be that we don't have champions league football so players will leave but I think it's more than that, when Berbatov, Carrick, Bale and Modric left, the club didn't have a manager or squad or vision to be in a position to win trophies. We are now getting close to this on and off the pitch, what is a constant factor is the low comparative wages which have remained more or less the same.

Rose and Walker have been at tottenham a reasonable time and both are northern boys so I can see the appeal of a move to a Manchester club who will pay you more and who has equal or arguably more chance of winning trophies than at spurs. The problem is that losing these players massively weakens our team while strengthening others which has a knock on effect to point 2 that if Alli and Eriksen look around the dressing room and think Walker and Rose have gone and we've not adequately replaced them they will start to doubt they can win things with us.

I believe it will take 5 years or so of revenue from the new stadium for us to start to pay top wages so we will have that issue for a while,the good thing is most of the players aren't banging on the out door so they can't be being paid peanuts, n.o2 if we can keep the manager and most of the good players and invest well then we may finally win something which could kick off a winning habit, n.o3 good players will always be linked away so again this will continue to happen until we are consistently achieving n.o 1 and 2 (paying big wages and winning titles and challenging in the CL latter stages)

Roses comments are so disappointing and at a bad time but I think he will stay this year, the key is now to make some good signings and for this group to win something, otherwise it may fall apart before we get into the new stadium.

I don't think Arsenal had this issue as they were winning league titles before they moved to their new stadium, were paying decent wages and were regularly in the CL so a bit of a different situation to us. We're like a medium size business who has grown very quickly and now big established companies see us as a threat so want to steal our employees before we start to take market share.

I think the club is being run very well and we're laying the foundations but without a billionaire just pumping in millions of £'s I'm afraid our approach is a slow one and we're punching above our weight so these are the consequences.

Thoughts?
Which other English teams in recent years can we be compared to who started to challenge the top 4/6 and therefore started seeing x y z player be linked away? Are we more like an Athletico Madrid and if so I don't see their players jumping ship or being linked. 24/7 but then they did win the league and reach 2 CL finals so again come back to point 2 if we don't get success on the pitch players start to look to leave, ironic isn't it if they don't do their job well they want out or a pay rise, fuckers.

Leeds? Villa a few years back, Newcastle under Keegan? I think we're really in a unique and both exciting but frustrating position as we try to keep progressing the club whilst improving our team and off the field assets but at the same time not going broke by paying wages and transfer fees beyond our means.

COYS
 

NinjaTuna

Well-Known Member
Jul 9, 2017
1,878
7,155
I think we probably notice it a lot more as it's the club we follow. Wouldn't surprise me if arsenal fans felt a similar way to how we do now, 5-10 years ago
 

aliyid

Well-Known Member
Dec 28, 2004
7,008
20,146
They lost a load of players to City too but they were all high earners anyway. With us I feel we're an easy target for other teams to tap up our players as they know they can offer more wages and call it 'ambition'.

Our team spirit and togetherness works well when everybody buys into it but as soon as cracks start appearing that team ethic can quickly turn into suspicion and cliques
 

lukespurs7

Well-Known Member
Feb 21, 2006
4,833
4,259
They lost a load of players to City too but they were all high earners anyway. With us I feel we're an easy target for other teams to tap up our players as they know they can offer more wages and call it 'ambition'.

Our team spirit and togetherness works well when everybody buys into it but as soon as cracks start appearing that team ethic can quickly turn into suspicion and cliques
Good points mate. I forgot they sold clichy and Nasri to city as well. As much as they're our rivals it speaks volumes that since the billionaires have come in the only teams to win the league are Chelsea and man.city (oil money), man.u(richest and biggest or 2nd biggest club in the world and Leicester a one off fluke. We'll run decent clubs like us, Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool can come close but ultimately the guys with the big squads and multimillionpound players have won the league for the last 15 years. It's pretty depressing really.
 

aliyid

Well-Known Member
Dec 28, 2004
7,008
20,146
Good points mate. I forgot they sold clichy and Nasri to city as well. As much as they're our rivals it speaks volumes that since the billionaires have come in the only teams to win the league are Chelsea and man.city (oil money), man.u(richest and biggest or 2nd biggest club in the world and Leicester a one off fluke. We'll run decent clubs like us, Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool can come close but ultimately the guys with the big squads and multimillionpound players have won the league for the last 15 years. It's pretty depressing really.
to follow up the question in your OP I think we're probably more comparible at the moment to Lyon 5rs ago or Monaco 3yrs ago with players heads being turned by big money.

We need success of some kind this season or we'll struggle to keep motivation levels high (motivation needs to be high with Poch's style)
 

lukespurs7

Well-Known Member
Feb 21, 2006
4,833
4,259
to follow up the question in your OP I think we're probably more comparible at the moment to Lyon 5rs ago or Monaco 3yrs ago with players heads being turned by big money.

We need success of some kind this season or we'll struggle to keep motivation levels high (motivation needs to be high with Poch's style)
Yea Monaco and Lyon are good comparisons, Monaco have had an up and down since then, Lyon mostly just downs.

Let's see how we go.
 

spurs9

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
11,893
34,373
Good points mate. I forgot they sold clichy and Nasri to city as well. As much as they're our rivals it speaks volumes that since the billionaires have come in the only teams to win the league are Chelsea and man.city (oil money), man.u(richest and biggest or 2nd biggest club in the world and Leicester a one off fluke. We'll run decent clubs like us, Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool can come close but ultimately the guys with the big squads and multimillionpound players have won the league for the last 15 years. It's pretty depressing really.
And Kolo Toure, Sagna & Adebayor too.

Edit: and not forgetting Herny and Song to Barcelona
 

SUIYHA

Well-Known Member
Jan 15, 2017
1,739
8,650
And Kolo Toure, Sagna & Adebayor too.

Edit: and not forgetting Herny and Song to Barcelona

Add to that - Cole to Chelsea, Hleb to Barca, Flamini on a free to Milan, Vieira to Inter, and of course...their CB and captain getting frustrated with their lack of success and walking out on a bosman to sign for us in 2010 :)

Even before they were actually building the stadium they were cashing in on players like Anelka, Overmars and Petit. What they did exceptionally well was to re-invest the money into cheaper but better alternatives in Henry, Pires, Ljungberg etc. 90% of the time this strategy miserably fails, but in his early years at least Wenger was excellent at it.
 

lukespurs7

Well-Known Member
Feb 21, 2006
4,833
4,259
And Kolo Toure, Sagna & Adebayor too.

Edit: and not forgetting Herny and Song to Barcelona
Jeez yea! So it's not just us then!!
Makes me feel a little better now.
Mabye we will win some fa cups in a few years time
 

TottenhamMattSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
10,925
16,007
The latest Rose sh**storm has got me thinking that did Arsenal have this same issue as we're having when they were building and moving to the new stadium with players constantly being linked with moves away from the club?

I remember Fabregas and Van Persie making big moves to Barca and Man.U respectively but for us it seems like every other week one of our players is linked with a move.

Lloris to whoever, Walker to City of course, Toby to leave, Jan misses home, Dier to Man.U, Eriksen to Barca, Alli to Chelsea or Barca, Kane to PSG or Madrid and now Rose to anyone up north...

I think the reason for this is threefold and I can't really think of any other clubs who have had to go through a similar period to which we are now:
1) Wages! We pay much less than other top clubs so naturally players want more money
2) Culture or not winning: 2 league cups in the last 20 years, players want to win trophies and mabye don't believe they can do that with us.
3) Good players will always be linked so it's actually a compliment.

It used to be that we don't have champions league football so players will leave but I think it's more than that, when Berbatov, Carrick, Bale and Modric left, the club didn't have a manager or squad or vision to be in a position to win trophies. We are now getting close to this on and off the pitch, what is a constant factor is the low comparative wages which have remained more or less the same.

Rose and Walker have been at tottenham a reasonable time and both are northern boys so I can see the appeal of a move to a Manchester club who will pay you more and who has equal or arguably more chance of winning trophies than at spurs. The problem is that losing these players massively weakens our team while strengthening others which has a knock on effect to point 2 that if Alli and Eriksen look around the dressing room and think Walker and Rose have gone and we've not adequately replaced them they will start to doubt they can win things with us.

I believe it will take 5 years or so of revenue from the new stadium for us to start to pay top wages so we will have that issue for a while,the good thing is most of the players aren't banging on the out door so they can't be being paid peanuts, n.o2 if we can keep the manager and most of the good players and invest well then we may finally win something which could kick off a winning habit, n.o3 good players will always be linked away so again this will continue to happen until we are consistently achieving n.o 1 and 2 (paying big wages and winning titles and challenging in the CL latter stages)

Roses comments are so disappointing and at a bad time but I think he will stay this year, the key is now to make some good signings and for this group to win something, otherwise it may fall apart before we get into the new stadium.

I don't think Arsenal had this issue as they were winning league titles before they moved to their new stadium, were paying decent wages and were regularly in the CL so a bit of a different situation to us. We're like a medium size business who has grown very quickly and now big established companies see us as a threat so want to steal our employees before we start to take market share.

I think the club is being run very well and we're laying the foundations but without a billionaire just pumping in millions of £'s I'm afraid our approach is a slow one and we're punching above our weight so these are the consequences.

Thoughts?
Which other English teams in recent years can we be compared to who started to challenge the top 4/6 and therefore started seeing x y z player be linked away? Are we more like an Athletico Madrid and if so I don't see their players jumping ship or being linked. 24/7 but then they did win the league and reach 2 CL finals so again come back to point 2 if we don't get success on the pitch players start to look to leave, ironic isn't it if they don't do their job well they want out or a pay rise, fuckers.

Leeds? Villa a few years back, Newcastle under Keegan? I think we're really in a unique and both exciting but frustrating position as we try to keep progressing the club whilst improving our team and off the field assets but at the same time not going broke by paying wages and transfer fees beyond our means.

COYS

Crikey people forget easily..

Henry, Vieira, Pettit, Clichy, Adebeyor, Nasri, Pires, Anelka, RVP, Fabregas, I'm sure there's shit loads more.
 

whitesocks

The past means nothing. This is a message for life
Jan 16, 2014
4,652
5,738
If a player comes from another country then he has given up his friends and family for his career.
His priorities are already clear and if another club come in for him offering more, then you can't be surprised if he is off.
The only British player I can remember arsenal losing against their will is Cashly, but admittedly they don't bring many Brits through these days. He is surely one of the most hated footballers of modern times.

Putting aside fruit-cases, it is the Brits who left spurs that hurt me the most - Carr, Carrick, Sheringham and sure Walker too.
They know the football culture in this country - if a player forces through a move to a club in the same division, then they have no integrity. And they know they will never be fully accepted by the club they join. A footballing purgatory.

Walker may well laugh at that sentiment as he counts his money - it is just guys running up and down chasing a bit of plastic and if fans want to spend a fortune and project deep tribal meanings on it, that is their mistake... he might think if he ever tried that.
What a cynical waste of his life then. Someone who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing. It really is his mistake.
 

Archibald Leitch

Active Member
Aug 3, 2017
247
383
Walker may well laugh at that sentiment as he counts his money - it is just guys running up and down chasing a bit of plastic and if fans want to spend a fortune and project deep tribal meanings on it, that is their mistake... he might think if he ever tried that.
What a cynical waste of his life then. Someone who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing. It really is his mistake.

Walker left because Poch wanted to get rid of him, despite his contract. You surely can't reasonably expect any other player at Spurs to honour their contract after that.

As for loyalty to the fans, you are deluded mate. They are professional footballers. It's their job.
 

thefierycamel

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2014
2,015
5,128
Ashley Cole in 2006 is the big one really. Was one of the best LBs going around at the time. Similar to rose and walker albeit I'd say he was better than them
 

guiltyparty

Well-Known Member
Sep 21, 2005
9,023
13,524
What we've got to look forward to...

Sales to 'bigger'/richer clubs in last 10 years (not inc this season)

SPURS

Bale - Real, 85m, 2013

Modric - Real, 33m, 2012

Berbatov - Utd, 31m, 2008

Keane - Liverpool, 21m, 2008


ARSENAL

Vermaelen - Barca, 15m, 2014

Sagna - City, free, 2014

Song - Barca, 15m, 2012

Van Persie - Utd, 24m, 2012

Nasri - City, 24m, 2011

Clichy - City, 7m, 2011

Fabregas - Barca, 30m, 2011

Toure - City, 16m, 2009

Adebayor - City, 25m, 2009

Hleb - Barca, 11.8m, 2008

Henry - Barca, 16m, 2007

Reading / hearing a lot of Arse fans not just having sympathy but almost watching us as a test case to see if their club really did do the best it could in the situation. They won cups while selling (if not league) and stayed in champions league for a decade. Will we?
 

Bobbins

SC's 14th Sexiest Male 2008
May 5, 2005
21,600
45,154
We're ahead of schedule and we weren't supposed to be challenging for the title until after we'd moved to the new stadium.

That means some players have got all Billy Big Bollocks that they're worth more.

We'll lose some players over the next few windows. The only thing that matters, apart from keeping Kane, is keeping Poch. The big hope is that he has the patience to wait until we've moved and started gaining the revenues to pay players more.
 

Hitch

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2012
3,040
2,636
Big problem Arsenal had (same as now) is that they were incredibly lax on tying down players to long term contracts. As I recall, quite a few of the above had only a year left at their time of departure, others had two. Arse ceded them the power and lost out on a fair amount of money in the process.
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
34,320
83,590
Arsenal's issue wasn't so much the stadium.

It was that City had a lot of money at the beginning of their project and were very willing to spend. Clichy, Sagna, Adebayor, Nasri and I'm sure there was one more were more than happy to double their wage for a club living off oil money.

Clubs have huge money now. Regardless of Levy's negotiating tactics it will be difficult to keep some of our players if they feel there is a better option elsewhere.

Though I don't expect a mass exodus.
 

whitesocks

The past means nothing. This is a message for life
Jan 16, 2014
4,652
5,738
Walker left because Poch wanted to get rid of him, despite his contract. You surely can't reasonably expect any other player at Spurs to honour their contract after that.

As for loyalty to the fans, you are deluded mate. They are professional footballers. It's their job.
Why would MP want to get rid of Walker? Walker and Trippier fighting it out is exactly the kind of competition we want for every position.

Fans are expected to be loyal. If we all refused to watch teams that were not winning trophies or weren't the most entertaining, then professional football could not survive. And the best way to encourage this is by the players being loyal themselves.
Footballers should be held to the same standard as fans - certainly between clubs in the same division.

It is different for foreign players - they have no long term interest in the health of clubs or the game in general over here. So arsenal can have no complaint when their mercenaries are picked off one by one.
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
34,320
83,590
Walker left because Poch wanted to get rid of him, despite his contract. You surely can't reasonably expect any other player at Spurs to honour their contract after that.

As for loyalty to the fans, you are deluded mate. They are professional footballers. It's their job.

I think it's fair to say Walker wanted out.

Walker was very much Poch's first choice RB before his head was turned.

Loyalty is a very strange thing. If a club buys a player then they want to upgrade people expect the player to leave.

If a player wants to join a different club that is more likely to win things and pays more then the player becomes a mercenary.

Essentially the thought process is it is fine for a club to upgrade on a player, but it is not acceptable for a player to upgrade on his club.
 
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