The decline of Arsenal FC

[Nejch]

I don't think I've ever been as genuinely sad about Arsenal as I was after today. Not because the trophy means that much or because we'll be missing out on the CL - we aren't good enough for CL anyway.

It just feels like a culmination of the decline years in the making. The final nail in the coffin. The point at which no one can fool themselves anymore - the club is in ruins. It's unrecognizable.

I'm curious about something: do you think this is our low point from which we'll start to build ourselves back, Liverpool style? Or will we settle in mediocrity or even fall back further? I genuinely don't know and the uncertainty is gut wrenching.

We all knew there would be tough years ahead after Wenger has left, but everyone knew the pains we'd go through were a price we'd have to pay to reinvent ourselves if we wanted to reach for the highest honors again. There is however no guarantee that we're bouncing back and we might just be settling in mediocrity - or regressing even further.

What do you think?

[theHotHead]

We will bounce back, we always do. I don't believe there is a shedload of work to be done, a couple of seasons with the right manager and we are back where we need to be.

[Va-Va-Voom]

Liverpool went 30 years without the title, we're currently at 17 years.

Wouldn't be surprised if we went on a similar arc with some cup wins thrown here and there.

To answer your question we will bounce back Liverpool style, but it will take years before we are able to overthrow the big money boys.

[EliteKiller]

We will bounce back we have the infrastructure and fan base to ensure that we can "buy" our way back to near the top - will we ever compete with City or Utd? probably only if there money runs out or if some kind of salary cap occurs, neither of which are very likely.

Our problem is not the owners themselves but the people they have employed - second rate management from top to bottom - if they don't replace half the senior managers, and Arteta, this summer then they become the problem.

It's plain to see that the 'communist' contract and wages structure under the Wenger/Gazidis axis took us ten years backwards, whilst we messed around with players running down contracts or sitting on the bench earning massive salaries our rivals moved to performance based contracts and caught then passed us.

Even last summer that risible strategy still somehow seems to be in play Auba, Willian even Partey all given massive salaries regardless of performance, we need a new board and a new DoF who finally end that madness.

A year with just domestic football is a great time to trim the squad and blood new players - it's a disaster financially but let's not waste the opportunity that comes with it - first step sack Arteta - thanks but no thanks, learn your trade in Div II not at our expense.

[jayramfootball]

The club was heading here years before Wenger left.
A decade of putting up with him landed us here.
It was inevitable.
There were moments where it could have been addressed, but we never took the plunge to revamp.
Tonight is no big deal, It's a tournament we rightly laughed at for years when Spurs were in it.

I am positive about the future. We have a good crop of young players and I think finally fans can come together in the realisation we need a complete change. Stop pretending we have a good squad. Stop making excuses for average players that never achieved anything at the highest level and never will. Get behind the crop of youngsters.
It's just a shame it took a semi-final loss in a ridiculous tournament for people to realise it.

[swipe right]

I bet Forest and Rovers fans are thinking they’ll bounce back too. But it’s never inevitable. Nobody has a divine right to be at the top. We were for many years because footballing professionals ran the club. But we then got a businessman owner who came to make money and surrounded himself with charlatans. Turns out he’s good at inheriting money, not making it.

[EliteKiller]

I bet Forest and Rovers fans are thinking they’ll bounce back too. But it’s never inevitable. Nobody has a divine right to be at the top. We were for many years because footballing professionals ran the club. But we then got a businessman owner who came to make money and surrounded himself with charlatans. Turns out he’s good at inheriting money, not making it.

I had the same thought - Forest were a wealthy club bringing in five players in 76/77 and five more in 77/78 including Shilton, Burns and Gemmill when they no longer had the financial clout, as other caught them up and outspent them, they soon fell away ... Blackburn were the same "bought the league" but when others matched and passed Walker for wealth they soon fell away ...

That sounds horribly familiar - we had a decade of being one of the biggest earners thanks to our massive ground advantage - but those days are gone now we lag behind all our top six rivals for income and next season with no Europe will only make that gap bigger. Should we be worried?

[swipe right]

I bet Forest and Rovers fans are thinking they’ll bounce back too. But it’s never inevitable. Nobody has a divine right to be at the top. We were for many years because footballing professionals ran the club. But we then got a businessman owner who came to make money and surrounded himself with charlatans. Turns out he’s good at inheriting money, not making it.

I had the same thought - Forest were a wealthy club bringing in five players in 76/77 and five more in 77/78 including Shilton, Burns and Gemmill when they no longer had the financial clout, as other caught them up and outspent them, they soon fell away ... Blackburn were the same "bought the league" but when others matched and passed Walker for wealth they soon fell away ...

That sounds horribly familiar - we had a decade of being one of the biggest earners thanks to our massive ground advantage - but those days are gone now we lag behind all our top six rivals for income and next season with no Europe will only make that gap bigger. Should we be worried?

Should we be worried? Hahaha...fck yeah

[Nuggets]

I bet Forest and Rovers fans are thinking they’ll bounce back too. But it’s never inevitable. Nobody has a divine right to be at the top. We were for many years because footballing professionals ran the club. But we then got a businessman owner who came to make money and surrounded himself with charlatans. Turns out he’s good at inheriting money, not making it.

I had the same thought - Forest were a wealthy club bringing in five players in 76/77 and five more in 77/78 including Shilton, Burns and Gemmill when they no longer had the financial clout, as other caught them up and outspent them, they soon fell away ... Blackburn were the same "bought the league" but when others matched and passed Walker for wealth they soon fell away ...

That sounds horribly familiar - we had a decade of being one of the biggest earners thanks to our massive ground advantage - but those days are gone now we lag behind all our top six rivals for income and next season with no Europe will only make that gap bigger. Should we be worried?

Should we be worried? Hahaha...fck yeah

[jayramfootball]

I am not worried at all.
I am however prepared to settle in for the long haul.
We have an odd fan base that seem to make excuses for and support players individually over the club. It seems it's never the players fault.

As a club we've spent a fortune and done plenty to be winning leagues.

What has really set us back and got us here though is bad recruitment and bad contract management.

That needs to change or we will never get to the start line of our recovery.

[Nuggets]

WE need a new owner and definitely need a new manager then we can start the long haul back, we can do it but we need a clear out of the rubbish first.

[greengoonerie]

only way to halt the decline is to get rid of those responsible for teh decline.

1. Owners
2. manager
3. players who don't care/don't have it any longer.

in the absence of the 3 above happening, its going to be mediocrity at best, or disimprovement at worst.

[Luzh 22]

I'm a big believer that if the club was owned by people who wanted to achieve sporting excellence, we wouldn't be in the position we are in.

I strongly believe that the current predicament we find ourselves in, is the culmination of years without the drive to achieve the above, gradually seeping its way into every area, aspect and operation within the club.

This didn't start when Arsene Wenger left the club. It didn't start when Nina Bracewell-smith sold her shares to Kroenke. It didn't start when David Dein got Usmanov to buy shares.

This all started the day Danny Fizsman died. The last man on the board who wanted Arsenal to succeed, above all else, on the pitch.

[swipe right]

only way to halt the decline is to get rid of those responsible for teh decline.

1. Owners
2. manager
3. players who don't care/don't have it any longer.

in the absence of the 3 above happening, its going to be mediocrity at best, or disimprovement at worst.

Wouldn’t it just be easier to start a new club?

[jayramfootball]

only way to halt the decline is to get rid of those responsible for teh decline.

1. Owners
2. manager
3. players who don't care/don't have it any longer.

in the absence of the 3 above happening, its going to be mediocrity at best, or disimprovement at worst.

Wouldn’t it just be easier to start a new club?

Now you are starting to understand the task.
The club is rotten to the core - brought about years ago.
Now, we're just seeing the rotten fruit of that labour.