Know exactly where you are coming from VCC, and agree with you on most of it, but as long as the current board are pulling the string on our clubs 'wage caps' then there is no way we are going to attract the calibre of player we need at the club, not only to improve the team, but also to guide our younger prospects.
I dont know the statistics off the top of my head, but for too many seasons now we have always made a profit from selling players, be that us selling our prized assets or kids that are deemed not good enough/too impatient.
We are one of the few clubs that are not in debt through over spending in windows or bad management, ok the stadium does seem like it has prevented us to some extent but that is constructive debt, so we were lied to again when supporters were told at numerous meetings that the stadium would have no effect on transfer budgets ect which brings me back to the point that rarely do we actually dip into the so-called allocated kitty because on the surface we only sepnd a fraction of what we make on those leaving.
I would love to see a report of the actual £'s in & out of the club, profits from gate receipts, merchandise, highbury square ect ect (in more lamens terms rather than auditors)
Its frustrating because Arsenal charge the highest prices in the prem for what return? 6 trophyless years.
Honestly i really do feel for those die hards who pay through their noses to go watch the club week in week out, home & away.
EDIT: I also understand the clubs vision when the emirates was built, and how once paid off Arsenal would be self sufficient & i understand that super rich sugar daddies has not helped, not only us but other clubs who have tried to do things the right moral way.
Rock & a hard place maybe.
*sigh*