Van Persie and Torres

[TheBear]

This is proof that you can run a club successfully without throwing your money like it's water. It's just a shame that we live in times where the billionaire and the dodgy (Barca and Real), are kings. The problem is, to fully justify our model, we need to start winning stuff soon, otherwise our best players will continue to leave us. Hopefully with the fair play rules in place and with more investment from the tight wads up top, we will see a winning Arsenal again.

The thing is I think our model would have worked if we had'nt cashed in on soo many top players over the last 7 years.

[lazarus20000]

The thing is I think our model would have worked if we had'nt cashed in on soo many top players over the last 7 years.

I think with some of the younger players coming through, we should have the potential to challenge once again. But the big IF is Arsenal keeping our best players over the next 5 years.

Everyone will agree that this will be Wenger's last bite of the apple. If we lose any of our top youngsters - Shez, Wilshere, OXO etc, then our model would have failed, Wenger would have failed. The last thing we want to become is a selling club.

[The Bonstar Wandit]

Everyone will agree that this will be Wenger's last bite of the apple. If we lose any of our top youngsters - Shez, Wilshere, OXO etc, then our model would have failed, Wenger would have failed. The last thing we want to become is a selling club.

Absolutely. The difference is, the youngsters are now more English than before. English players don't tend to move abroad - I can't think of any decent English players playing overseas at present save Joe Cole?

Chesney seems to love the club, Gibbs, Jenkinson are in it for the long-term, Song is a dedicated family man and will stay long-term, Wilshere & Ramsey will stay as they're British, Theo hopefully will sign a new deal & Oxo has years left on his contract. That's a decent list of players who should be around long-term.

[lazarus20000]

Absolutely. The difference is, the youngsters are now more English than before. English players don't tend to move abroad - I can't think of any decent English players playing overseas at present save Joe Cole?

Chesney seems to love the club, Gibbs, Jenkinson are in it for the long-term, Song is a dedicated family man and will stay long-term, Wilshere & Ramsey will stay as they're British, Theo hopefully will sign a new deal & Oxo has years left on his contract. That's a decent list of players who should be around long-term.

I agree a lot of them are more likely to be loyal to the club. But there is no guarantee that our best players won't be swayed by the top prem teams if we continue to win nothing. Top players will always want to win something...