1. Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!

Am I missing something......

Discussion in 'Arsenal' started by omogooner, Feb 9, 2012.

  1. omogooner

    omogooner Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2011
    Messages:
    1,821
    Likes Received:
    171
    Why is finisihing 4th more important than winning the FA Cup? Agreed, in an ideal world, it would be nice to achieve both. I have noticed an obsession with us finishing 4th.... I even hear some commentators say it would be a disaster if we fail to qualify for the champions league.

    What is the big deal? I know not qualifying would mean lost revenue...... But is that it? Are we really in the champions league to win it or just to enjoy the nice gravy train while it lasts?
     
    #1
  2. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2011
    Messages:
    115,802
    Likes Received:
    64,353
    Erm... I think we go into the champions league with the intention of winning it, rather than for the 'gravy train', but you can't ignore the massive revenue (and prestige) that it brings.

    Would I rather finish 4th or win the FA Cup. Whilst I'd love to see us do both, I'd have to say I'd rather we finished 4th and secured Champions League football next season.

    (or we win the CL and finish 5th, with Spurs in 4th and they miss out <laugh>)
     
    #2
  3. EmirAleks

    EmirAleks Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 31, 2011
    Messages:
    1,267
    Likes Received:
    68
    At this period of time money first, trophies second for Arsenal. The club is being run as a business at the moment. So the question is what would you rather prefer - a nice watch, a bottle of Champagne and a letter from your management for being the best in the office or a pay rise? Same with Arsenal.
     
    #3
  4. omogooner

    omogooner Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2011
    Messages:
    1,821
    Likes Received:
    171
    I still think finishing out the Champions League places and knocking spuds out or beating them in the final is a much better proposition! :D
     
    #4
  5. omogooner

    omogooner Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2011
    Messages:
    1,821
    Likes Received:
    171
    I would prefer we won something, I know there is prestige qualifying for the Champions League, being out of it for 1 season is not really a disaster is it?
     
    #5
  6. Grizzly

    Grizzly Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2011
    Messages:
    2,738
    Likes Received:
    16
    Trophies aren't everything, any fan over the age of 25 would recognise that, finishing 4th and qualifying for the CL means not just greater revenue but securing competition at the highest level which gives us more chance of retaining players like RVP and attracting top quality players as well.
    It's not vital for the club but failure to qualify would damage us....
     
    #6
  7. lazarus20000

    lazarus20000 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2011
    Messages:
    9,338
    Likes Received:
    1,641
    Absolutely spot on. The fact that winning nothing for the 7th consecutive time isn't as bad as not getting 4th place speaks volumes. One point Piskie, to win something like the champions league, you have to start off from somewhere. You can't expect this team to win the biggest prize of all and not have any foundation of winning anything. They won't know how to win to begin with. We've been in the most elite tournament for 7 years in a row, yet not deserved to be there. It used to be the best teams playing in the champions league, teams that have won something or another to deserve a place, now 4th placed teams get in.....
     
    #7
  8. lazarus20000

    lazarus20000 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2011
    Messages:
    9,338
    Likes Received:
    1,641
    Trophies aren't everything? Why on earth are we in the champions league then? To make up numbers?
     
    #8
  9. Grizzly

    Grizzly Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2011
    Messages:
    2,738
    Likes Received:
    16
    If trophies were everything then why are there more than 4 clubs in the country ?
     
    #9
  10. lazarus20000

    lazarus20000 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2011
    Messages:
    9,338
    Likes Received:
    1,641
    The aim for everyone in the league is to get a trophy. We have Sunderland, Liverpool etc all targetting the FA cup as they want to win a trophy. Aiming for 4th place is aiming for 4th place and that is it. You enter the champions league but get no trophy for it. Winning the FA cup, you win England's domestic cup. This trophy will show fans and everyone else that we have a good team, a team to be proud of.

    Im suprised that this is even a talking point.
     
    #10

  11. omogooner

    omogooner Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2011
    Messages:
    1,821
    Likes Received:
    171
    I am honestly scratching my head (quite literally!), that trophies aint everything..... I really really wonder.....
     
    #11
  12. omogooner

    omogooner Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2011
    Messages:
    1,821
    Likes Received:
    171
    @lazarus
    I agree FULLY, our team needs to win something, they have to get used to winning......
     
    #12
  13. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2011
    Messages:
    115,802
    Likes Received:
    64,353
    I don't think winning the Carling Cup and then the FA cup is a prerequisite to winning the Champions League. There's no reason why this team couldn't win the CL without having first won a 'lesser' trophy. In fact I think our style probably suits us better in the CL than it does the domestic cups.
     
    #13
  14. Grizzly

    Grizzly Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2011
    Messages:
    2,738
    Likes Received:
    16
    This 'win at all costs' mentality didn't exist when I first started going to Arsenal, the love of the club was about a day out, beers before the game cheer the team on them beers after, away games were great fun and it didn't matter if you'd driven all the way to York and got dicked in the Cup.
    Money comes along and everything changes, suddenly we have to win a trophy, so do Man Utd, so do Liverpool, so do Chelsea, so do Man City, so do Tottenham etc etc etc - well guess what there aren't enough trophies for everyone to be happy.
    I support the club for more than bragging rights in a pub
     
    #14
  15. goonercymraeg

    goonercymraeg Amnesia
    Forum Moderator

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2011
    Messages:
    18,041
    Likes Received:
    1,099
    I couldn't have put it better myself <ok>
     
    #15
  16. lazarus20000

    lazarus20000 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2011
    Messages:
    9,338
    Likes Received:
    1,641
    It's all about learning to cope with certain situations. If you've never won something in your life, winning the biggest thing around would make it even harder. All our players started from somewhere. People like Wilshere etc all won stuff when they grew up, it was part of there development. If this team wins something, would it improve the way they play? Would it make them more confident of themselves to progress to the next level? Of course it would. Winning is necessary for this team and Wenger would say the same thing.
     
    #16
  17. PeterRICK

    PeterRICK Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2011
    Messages:
    2,341
    Likes Received:
    351
    Likewise.

    ... I do enjoy a good brag too though.... and it's been a while.
     
    #17
  18. lazarus20000

    lazarus20000 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2011
    Messages:
    9,338
    Likes Received:
    1,641
    It has nothing to do with bragging rights, its to do with what the players want, its what the manager wants and what the fans want. The ultimate goal for all our players and manager is to win something. You think that Wilshere would be happy to just coast by and not win anything? You think that another year of not winning anything wouldn't affect the confidence of the players? Let me tell you one thing, even if we won the local raffle it would boost the confidence of the players and improve the way they play.

    Everything about the way we are setup now is to win things. You think they built the Emirites stadium for a laugh? You think that Wenger hasn't bought anyone because he's super tight. It's because they want to challenge for major honours, challenge the best in the world and win those honours....
     
    #18
  19. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2011
    Messages:
    115,802
    Likes Received:
    64,353
    <applause>
     
    #19
  20. lazarus20000

    lazarus20000 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2011
    Messages:
    9,338
    Likes Received:
    1,641
    Im getting what you guys mean now. I suppose the mentality of modern day football fans have changed, but so have football clubs too. Most top football clubs are run like businesses now. The romance of the game has largely gone. I remember the days when the FA cup meant someething, now it's a whatever cup....
     
    #20

Share This Page