Wenger out? Why oh why?: In defence of Arsene
By David Swaden
This week has been a bad one for Arsenal football club, and yet an all too familiar one as well in terms of the last few years.
An understrength side, hampered by the annual spate of niggling injuries, turned up to Norwich, in Steve Bould’s words “jaded”. We came up against a spirited side full of premiership footballers, and unfortunately there was only going to be one outcome with that combination.
It is the very fact that the premiership is the best league in the world, for excitement, passion and unpredictability, that means our club can attract stars like Cazorla and Podolski. But that also means that when we don’t turn up, we will not be given a “get out of jail free” card and will instead be handed exactly what we deserved, a poor loss.
I can’t remember the last time I went to an Arsenal game almost certain of defeat, but that was certainly the case on Wednesday night. We faced a dynamic Shalke team, on a high from a derby victory, made up of hardworking yet technically gifted players. Arsenal, on the other hand, were relying upon the magic of Cazorla, who was again badly let down by Gervinho ahead of him. Don’t get me wrong, I think the Ivorian is a decent squad player and can have moments of brilliance, but to expect performances from him week in, week out seems foolish at this stage. I was mystified why Giroud didn’t start as we looked tactically inept without a focal front-man.
So when Shalke grabbed a 2-0 win, it was hardly a shock. One thing I have learnt about this side over the years is that it doesn’t deal with setbacks very well. It is as if Arsenal are football’s manic-depressives. Either they are playing sumptuous football that makes Alan Hansen’s wife wonder what she needs to do to elicit that sort of praise, or we are in an inarrestable decline that needs another manic moment to pull us out again. Writing this as I am before the QPR game, that is what I expect may well happen today. If we win by 4 or 5, many will say Arsenal are back, but let’s reflect a moment:
Does this pattern not happen every year? Has history not repeated itself ad nauseum for the last 8 seasons? The simple answer is, yes it has. Every year we have had a point where we have hoped for more, and a point where we have feared less. But every year we have finished in the top four and fallen short in the cup competitions.
Now comes my point. And it is one which I’m sure will provoke a lot of dissent from some. I agree with Wenger – that is an achievement in itself. When you look at it, our spending power is dwarfed by the two super-rich teams and the more established Man U. Outside these three, no other team has come close to our consistency, even Chelsea fell short last year. Spurs have had more false dawns than a transvestite conference, Liverpool are now nowhere and Newcastle and Everton merely flirt with the spotlight on occasion. Wenger, on the other hand, despite losing his stars year in year out to the mega-rich and Barcelonas of the world, has yet to fail.
And so, for all those who suggest that the “Arsene knows” mantra is naive, where is the evidence he does not? Ask yourselves an important question: Would you rather wallow in mid-higher table and suffer the Europa League, but without the periodical an infuriating malaise Wenger’s teams seem to suffer each season, or would you rather Wenger’s way which, somehow, achieves the final result every time?
It’s actually an incredibly interesting choice, and I’m far from convinced that everyone would go the same way, mainly because I myself am in two minds. I’d love to see the team fight tooth and nail every week, even if the football suffered. But then I also love watching the magic of Cazorla and Wilshere, and I do worry that without a chance to face the Barcelonas and Milans of this world, they may not only leave on a regular basis, but stop arriving in the first place. But then one has to ask the point of being in a competition we seem to have no chance whatsoever of winning. Is it good enough to just make up the numbers, hoping against hope that one day we can fluke it like Chelsea or Liverpool managed?
If I had to fall on a side of the fence, I would have to back Wenger. This is despite his infuriating reticence to make changes, between, during or after games. His persistence with clearly substandard performers like Gervinho. His blind faith in unreliable players (injury-wise) like Diaby. His refusal to spend money in case it might “kill” our own players, who are then farmed out to Brazil whilst the ones that got away dominate world football. There is a lot that irks me about the boss.
So why back him? Simple, he does as well as I believe any Premier League club manager outside the big 3 could. I simply don’t accept that we underperform in the league. I think that despite listless performances in the short-term, overall it takes every drop of sweat, every atom of energy, every breath of determination for us to finish where we do. To aspire to finish above those whose transfer budgets go in to 3 figure millions? Well that’s just wishful thinking.
Some bloggers, from their pompous and melodramatic pedestals, will tell you of a manager who was once great but is now lost in his own ego. I flatly reject that suggestion. It completely ignores the emergence of not one, but two oligarch-controlled clubs, something that the double-winning sides did not have to deal with, save a nascent Chelsea who were still finding their feet. It also conveniently forgets the damaging long-term effect that a constrained transfer budget due to stadium financing has had for a number of years. Lastly, it seems to have misplaced the two capitulations in 99 and 03 when, on course for greatness, a slight setback left us in a rut we could not recover from.
That last point is important, because what I believe it shows is that, in the main, it is not the manager, his tactics and ability that have changed for the worse, those faults were there even when we were successful, it is the circumstances around him. The sad financial truth is that we cannot hope to compete at this point at the top of the premiership because we cannot afford a squad who could deliver that. Given what we have, we do very nicely, compared to those teams in and around our level.
Having said that, Wenger is clearly not without his faults and the acid test will come if and when he finally fails to land Champions League football. He has hinted this in the past, that when that day comes, he will know the time is right to end his formidable managerial stint at our club. He will know he has done all he can and perhaps a fresh approach may help us reach a higher level.
Until that day comes, and he continues to lead us to over-achievement, I for one am bowing to pragmatism and realism. I will absolutely reserve the right to moan at poor performances and decisions in the hope that they may become less frequent; blind faith isn’t my thing. But ultimately, in the long term and based on evidence proven time and time again, I will happily accept that most cliched of sayings: “Arsene Knows”
That is so spot on. Wenger works miracles every season. Some fans seem spoilt by what Wenger has given us without realising how Wenger and Fizman have set this club up for the next 100 years. Wenger IS a modern day Herbert Chapman and has revolutionised English football and delivered what looks to be a lasting legacy. Amazing and a privilege to have witnessed the physical and philosophical transformation of our club. Boring boring Arsenal anyone?
And just what exactly has he given us in the last seven years??? Wenger is busy undoing he’s own reputation. Arsenal my friend does not play good football any more and it is getting worse wake up and smell the coffee!!! All Stan Kroenke’s sporting franchises are on a downward spiral and He’s dragging our team down with them.
Sorry but your points are not accurate. We have money, plenty of it (I don’t need to search for the articles I’m sure you’ve read them all). speculated between 50-70 million. Whatever the number, we have been told countless times that there is plenty of money for Wenger to spend but he chooses not to spend it. Why? For the last three seasons we have been 2-4 players short of being genuine contenders.
I think Wenger should be fired because he has far too much control, this is not his fault, we have an inept board who just fell over themselves to hand it to him. Nevertheless Arsenal has become his pet project, knowing that he doesn’t have to win in order to stay he tinkers with our club to test his theories, mainly ‘can a club win on a fraction of the budget’. The answer is no! It will always be no, but he doesn’t care because he doesn’t have to win to keep his job. YES Wenger is an extremely talented manager (though sometimes tactically naive and I feel that he can’t motivate the players like he once did).
He should go because we are stagnant and stale as a team. He should go because he has no ambition anymore to win trophies.
I genuinely thank Arsene Wenger for all he has done but his “one day my dreams will come” attitude has got to stop otherwise it won’t just wreck his reputation it will wreck the clubs as well.
Bloody spot on stonroy.
are u silly, lol the day arsene leaves is the new era of our demise, we will become worse then liverpool, it is so OBVIOUS WENGER IS NOT IN CONTROL OF THE CASH, if he really was he would spend it why would he want to settle for 4rth all the time we all know if the money was there wenger would definately spend, it is definately the board who are taking us for fools as if you see recently stan kroenke has blatently said he doesnt want to invest until arsenal win silverwar wich may not happen for a while unless he does!! but u cannot blame wenger the man is a genuis, he may of bought a good 10-20 dud players in the last years but hes easily managed to match that with over acheiving ungrateful stars,! who he has developed and him alone into what they are now, put any managed in wengers place and well see what happens to arsenal fc and well be crying for fourth spot!
Why do people keep saying that if we have the funds why don’t we spend??
If you had a house with a £300,000 mortgage and had £60,000 in the bank, would you feel the urge to spend it on a brand new Audi RS6 or save it for a rainy day and possibly even put towards the mortgage?
Our club is in debt. Thats the truth. Not crippling debt like Portsmouth and Rangers, nor unrealistic debt like Man United. Our debt is comfortably payable and should something ever go tits up, I’m sure the £50million would be well appreciated by everyone connected to the club. I’d much rather my club was around for another hundred years than to have gone into administration because we bought a Torres for £50million.
End of story is that until 2014 when our debts are paid off and masses of sponsorship money floods in from new deals, we will operate with stinginess. When the day finally comes and our club is mortgage free, we’ll be leading the pack like trailblazers.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Wenger on the back pages of the papers on July 01 2014 with £80million worth of signings. Want my proof? £50million current transfer chest plus sales from next summer should add up to about £80million.
“Wenger is not in control of the cash, if he really was he would spend it”… Oh really! The board have consistently made the point (most recently at the AGM by Gazidis)
1) There is money to spend
2) Wenger is in charge of deciding which players he needs.
Do you think the board are lying when they say there is money to spend? Why would they lie so consistently and vehemently right in front of Wengers face?
The numbers add up that there is money to spend, I just think Wenger finds modern day prices offensive.
You are the one that’s silly. First of all you don’t have your facts straight. Wenger himself stated in numerous interviews that he has money at his disposal but won’t spend it.There is a proverb that says: a wise man foresees the danger that lies ahead, but a fool continues in the way of destruction. Do you know what is happening to all Stan Kroenke’s Sporting franchises? Hockey team, Football team, etc. None of them can win trophies. You are uninformed and naive wake up please!!!
t takes a brave man to stand in front of a room full of irate Gooners – many of whom have typed their fingers to the bone on Twitter documenting every furious reaction from the Arsenal AGM – and boldly claim that Champions League qualification is a trophy.
Yet that’s exactly what Arsene Wenger did – and rightly so.
The Frenchman may have been described as many things throughout his career but he’s certainly no fool, so to see respected people in football ridiculing his philosophy is staggering.
Certain ex-Tottenham strikers, who are perhaps understandably unfamiliar with what excitement the tournament brings, can be forgiven for their outbursts.
However, Gary Lineker wasn’t the first, and certainly won’t be the last, to lambast Wenger’s standpoint. Even respected journalists, who are experts in decoding messages and meaning, seem to have failed to grasp the basic point of Wenger’s statement.
Let’s get one thing clear, as I think this may be a genuine issue for some people to get their heads around: Wenger. Does. Not. Think. Champions League. Qualification. Is. A. Tangible.Trophy.
Champions League qualification is a trophy – it’s just not one you can wave around…
He is not planning an open-top bus parade, nor is he clearing space in the Emirates boardroom to rest the idea of accomplishment on the mantle piece.
He is simply making clear that, should Arsenal not achieve their primary and/or secondary aims of winning the Premier League or Champions League, then re-qualification is a bigger priority – and finer achievement – than winning either the FA Cup or League Cup.
The general perception is that Arsenal have failed in the last seven years, but Wenger rightly wants to stress that even seven ‘trophy-full’ years of winning either of the two domestic knockout trophies every year would not represent the same achievement, or entertainment value, of consistently playing in the Champions League.
If you have any doubts about this, I’d direct you towards a Liverpool fan to ask if they would trade last season’s Carling Cup success for a top three finish and a place at Europe’s elite table this season.
Perhaps track down a Birmingham fan and ask if they feel focusing on Premier League survival would have been a wiser use of their time and energy than claiming cup ‘glory’?
Simply put, you don’t need to – because you’ll either know what they’ll say, or you’ll not want to hear their lies.
Yes, all cups are nice. Yes, Wenger knows Arsenal should have been able to claim at least one in the last seven years and need to be launching stronger assaults on his top two priorities – but don’t for a second think that Champions League qualification is an inferior achievement, or a given (Chelsea, 2011).
It is a trophy. Just not one you can wave around…
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It may be good to say all this and sound very intelligent about it. But here’s a stupid question: Are we playing good football??? Cause all that matters is what happens on the pitch and we are failing dismally.We need results. Arsene Wengers head is not in the right place. He is caught up in boardroom politics and economics while our team is suffering!!! We need a coach period!!!
Or perhaps a Manutd fan or Tottenham fan or Everton fan why not consult these fans and compare. You know why you have no ambition!!!
Arsenal are not bank rolled by a billionaire that is willing to lose 200 million a season. So they should not be compared apples with apples with the spending of City and Chelsea.
Those that think it is normal to run any club at a huge loss just to win a trophy is deluded, the same people wouldn’t run their own affairs spending more than they earn, so why should it be any different within football?
Wenger has worked miricales at the club, and deserves far more credit that he is given.
To say “Wenger doesn’t care” is just pathetic, or that he is not intrested in winning.. is beyond a joke.
LOL @ Spurs have had more false dawns than a transvestite conference….
in wenger we trust , we need to keep it this way before whatever replacement comes in if its a big name hell leave after a few years (unreliable, not a arsenal faithful, cant achieve what wenger has been doing year in year out with the resources is the main issue), and unless we find another wenger from a unknown league who has brilliance in every department and who can transform a meadeocre player into a thierry henry, a robin vanperise, a fabregas,a robert pires, a viera, a overmars, a anelka, a samir nasri, a freddie ljunberg,a adebayor even, a bergkamp, a gael clichy, a kolo toure, a flamini, a wilshere, and i could go on all day really we have no chance of ever acheiving a thing for many years to come all we need are a few big named signings to tweek our current team up a few 20-30 milion buys would do wonder, benzema goucruff a falaco( i wish ) can do wonders to our team who may not be doing the best in the last few games but come on, it happens to the best of us, at the start of the season people where quick to judge, we win a few games where back on track and the best arsenal team in years, a few games later where one of the worsts, santi carzola has 6 amazing man of the match games, he doesnt play well for a couple but sitll manages to show the odd signs of brilliance and hes a under performer, we are to quick to judge and are just as bad as the media that loves to portray us negatively,all i can say is we must spend some money bring in a good 2-3 players maybe a better wide player, a left back to challenge gibbs ( please add santos to the list of chamakhs bendnters and parks ) and a top striker, if we could ever manage to get our hands on benzema it would make me exstatic, its saddening that i can not dream of falaco playing for arsenal as i would know its just a dream n unless i become a millionaire and funded arsenal fc myself to buy the cnut it would never ever happen!, but please wenger get those fcking yanks to put abit more cash in the bank or release the $$$$$$$$ thats already in there and get this team back to where it should be!
Forget everything else, Wenger’s in game management is now shocking.
Can anyone tell me how he can sit and watch us play so poorly against Norwich and wait until the 65th minute to make a sub. Even then it was like for like, a wide man for a wide man. Ramsey I dont usually slag of like most, but he was abysmal that day and lasted 87 minutes.
Same story vs Schalke, shocking from kick off, first change comes in the 75th minute, again like for like, a striker for a striker. I know Bould was in charge but Wenger had went through scenarios, and Bould doesnt have the power to change things at half time, Wenger would have a panic attack if he did.
Whereas is the variation in formations, in tactics when things arent working. If our passing game isnt breaking teams down and the midfield is congested, where is the positive changes from the touchline, to maybe get the ball wide and get balls in for a genuine threat in the air like Giroud. Or maybe get some1 up near Giroud with some pace and play more direct and get some1 working off his knock downs.
There is just no in game management from Wenger. He doesnt effect games, he just hopes his way works,if not then he has no ideas to change things.Truth is our passing game relies on us moving the ball quick, if some of the players are having an off day it effects the whole team because it breaks the tempo and fluidity.
Time for a change.
the change will happen one day n lets pray its for the better but i cant see it being for the better without wenger
Stopped reading when I realise that this article was to worship Wenger. As far as I am concerned this man is a joke. (I hope I am wrong), But I don’t believe Aesenal will win another trophy with him at the helm.
I believe he has taken Arsenal as far as he can take it. We need fresh creative ideas and this man can’t provide it. The fourth place cup is as far he will ever take Arsenal!
“Arsen knows” gimmie a break. Delusional
I admire your staunch, passionate defence of our manager, but for me, the line in the sand was the 8-2 at OT. No Arsenal side, and no Arsenal supporter should ever have to endure such a humiliating hiding, and the preparation was amateurish. Part of the problem is that we don’t use our resources wisely enough, which is exactly what Mr Wenger said we must do when the petro-dollars arrived at MC.
We don’t have a goalkeeper worthy of the position, and must be the only major club in world football relying on their 3rd choice. How many storming/good games have either Abou Diaby or Tomas Rosicky given us in six years? Arshavin has never justified his huge transfer fee, neither has Theo Walcott. Santos isn’t good enough, questions remain about Vermaelen, particularly his leadership qualities, Aaron Ramsey. Gervinho, and Olivier Giroud just aren’t what’s required to take us to the next level.
We have two billionaires (one richer than Roman who isn’t allowed on the Board), and of our majority share-holder ‘silent’ Stan Kroenke, it was admitted at Thursday’s AGM that rather than invest funds into the club, he could take ‘dividends’ out.
We are a club with the hand-brake firmly on, a stale, boring product that is turning fans away, because they no longer identify with what we’ve become. We are having our collective chains ‘yanked’ and are slowly being ‘looney-tooned’. Why leave Highbury just to meekly surrender?
PHW is a bigger dinosaur than Gunnersaurus, I haven’t a clue what Ivan Gazidis brings to the table, and the rest of the BoD don’t care what happens on the park as long as their bank balances are showing a healthy profit. Would any self-respecting manager with a hunger and ambition to challenge for major honours accept those conditions? Is he on such a huge salary to buy his compliance? We’re not the only club to qualify for the cash-cow that is the Champions League 15 years in succession, but of that exclusive club, we’re the only one’s who lack the ambition or minerals to actually have a go at winning it.
‘Silent’ Stan has neutered the club while we’ve had to sit back and watch, and the manager is perfectly okay with that. If you’re charged with entertaining and satisfying hundreds of thousands of paying ‘customers’, you better be damn good at making crucial decisions and the large majority of those need to be right. It’s been a long time since the right decisions were made for Arsenal Football Club, or their supporters.
I do agree. Wenger did his best every season. But, because the way he sold our best player, this really frustating. Doesn’t matter what the reason, he is in charge manage this team. So, sold or buy also his responsibility. It is really sad to leave a good manager like him. But, for a better future, maybe not a bad decision to sacked him. Unfortunately, board seems always behind him, they all have the same perception. Wenger act is part of Board action.
I would go just short of replacing Wenger. What Wenger needs is a reality check. A good kick in his butt to drag him into the world of football in the 21st century will do him a world of good. Lets face it, we are heading backwards! Sigh!! When we struggle against bottom of the table teams – we are in serious trouble.
If any of you watched the Everton v. Liverpool and Chelsea vs United game, you will realize that we don’t stand a chance in hell against that kind of opposition. The pace, the work rate, the desire, the sheer class of the players – sadly we don’t have it anymore. What happened to our flowing football? Other teams used to fear us – now, we are seen as an opportunity for lesser teams to pick up 3 points!!
Lets face it – Giroud is a flop. AW’s partiality for his fellow Frenchmen works against us. We would have done better to have kept Bendtner. But AW’s ego is getting in the way of using what we have to the fullest. Andrei Arshavin should figure more prominently – definitely ahead of Ramsey, who can’t yet string 2 passes together to save his life. But, Ramsey is one of AW’s favorite toy boys, so he invariably gets ahead in the pecking order. Since Giroud couldn’t score from the penalty spot even if there were no goalkeeper – why not give Walcot the chance he craves in strike position? How much worse than Giroud could he do?? Again, AW’s ego is in the way. We need a top class goalkeeper – but NOOOOO … AW will always back his toy boys at the expense of results.
I dread the clash against Manure next week ….. we are going to get clobbered! Sigh!!!!
Scare monger!! What do you know about football? Even the great Monrinho left chelsea and a smart savvy Di Mateo went on to win the champions leaguea. You response and this post is the bane of Arsenal. U celebrate mediocrity!! What other coach in the world world cluster together a team of Ramseys, Diabies and Walcot to challange for the champoins league for instance!! Only a coach who from the begining wants to have an excuse for failing at the end and you nit witts oblige him!! Are u saying dat in the whole of Europe all 10mil pounds could buy was Giroud and you even play gervinho ahead of him!! Its prepoustrous!! Ur stupid coach made dat call and he now has to really on excuses for loses against Norwich. Excuses!!
I cld quite agree more wit u. And I will go a step further to say Arsene has to go. When u stay in any station in life, u can either become d long term solution (Fergie) or the long term problem (arsen). The logic is simple!! Since u are probably d oldest around everyone would relay on u to understand d organisation. Success and failure becomes defined tru your prism. Plus Arsene sees himself as the true hero of arsenal. The dude earns 6mil a year yet you cannot pay your best player a good salary!! However u cut it, the players while they are at the club are king dats why C ronaldo would get watever he wants and rooney a mindblowing payraise!! Arsenal has lost its way and its because Wenger handed everyone the wrong map!! He has to go. Get in Guardiola who knows football and Barclays bank may hire Wenger!!
I am no soccer expert. I know that football wants teams to score asap and not pass allover the pitch. If you see how teams like Reading can score from outside the box,why can’t the gunners do likewise. If they dither around the box,they will be ripe for the swift counter from Mu and lose.
Believe me ,it will happen.That is unless Wenger plays anti soccer by flooding the md. If not ,get ready for a minimum of 2 goal loss. I hope I am wrong.
Let us embrace what Arsene Wenger has done for the club, and let us be reminded by the saying ‘better the devil you know than the devil you don’t’ Arsene Wenger has his flaws and sometimes can be too stubborn, but in the end if he started listening to what every fan has to say about how he should play the team or what player he should buy, he would lose control in what he believes in. And believe you me while Ferguson may seem untouchable there are times that even United fans go “what the f*** was he thinking”
Didn’t Ajax beat City with a team compiled for about 3.5m? In terms of spending how are the Bundesliga doing against Premier league sides that have billionaire owners spending money left and right on players with ridiculous wages while stricken poverty countries people are dying by the numbers? (quite not a football point but where do you draw the line?)
This was taken from http://www.financialfairplay.co.uk
“The Bundesliga already operates in a Financial Fair Play environment. The majority of German clubs break-even and there is political pressure used by the Bundesliga to discourage overspending. Other than Wolfsburg and Levekeusen the clubs operate on a model whereby the fans own 51% of each Bundeliga club. Consequently, there is no scope for wealthy owners to inject huge funds into buy success – the wealthy benefactor model doesn’t operate in Germany. The Bundesliga is dominated by Bayern Munich, who occupy a similar historic position as Manchester United. As in the Premier League, the large clubs usually take part in the Champions League most seasons and enjoy the benefits of the Champions League money. So, if the nightmare scenario of the post FFP future is correct, we would expect the Bundesliga to be significantly more dull and predictable compared to the Premier League. However, the German reality is actually somewhat different.”
Fact of the matter is, Wenger wants this to transform in English football, bring back some level of reality…50 million on Fernando Torress? How do you justify 50 million on one player?
” Although this presents a more comforting view of the future, there is one notable differences between the two national leagues; debt. When FFP is fully up and running in the Premier League, a large number of teams will have significant historic debt issues to contend with – this simply isn’t the case in Germany. There is a risk that the cost of servicing debt may restrict clubs ability to compete and generate even less variety of league position we currently have in the Premier League.”
FIFA is corrupted, and don’t put it past the UEFA to be corrupted as well, how many financial scandals have taken place in Italy over the last decade? What about the financial crisis in Spain (La Liga), don’t put it past them to backhand some of the UEFA officials to keep FFP away, otherwise where does it leave City, Chelsea who are “whoring” English football. And of course the sponsor Barclays…with their financial scandal.
While Wenger’s philosophy is not agreed upon by many supporters around Arsenal, I for one stand firmly behind him. Yes, we all want trophies but at what cost.
In Arsene we trust
I am behind Wenger’s philosophy and the clubs plans in general but feel they would benefit greatly from adding 2 star players. They have lost the face of the club in each of the last two seasons and their only 2 true world superstars. The question I have is do they not understand by not having RVP or Cesc they lose out on recognition on a global marketing level. That is why I think it makes ton of sense for them to pursue Neymar aggressively. He is the next true global superstar and the kind of player (ala Messi or Ronaldo) who will draw huge marketing opportunities to the team. Yes, he will cost a ton and get paid a lot but between the money from the sales of Cesc, Nasri, RVP, Song, and potentially Walcott their is more than enough in the transfer and wage budgets to bring in a Neymar or other big talent. Instantly you raise the profile of the club worldwide, increase jersey sales and advertising, and become credible with the fans again. I understand this is not a typical Arsenal idea and also not likely to happen but the board needs to look at the big picture. Supposedly they are neogiating new deals for all kinds of new revenue and by adding some real marketable players to the squad they would be increasing that value.