How Skint are the Ars*nal

[fluke]

Interesting article from the Sunday Telegraph.

"The £12 million deal that took Walcott from Saints to Arsenal in January is a tribute to the negotiating skills of both Wenger and Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe. While the £5 m down payment is enormous for an untried teenager, the sort of fee normally associated with an experienced international, Arsenal are committed to further £1 m instalments only after every 10 first-team starts, during which time they can assess his chances of becoming a major success."

The reason they haven't played him is that they couldn't afford to. This begs the question of how Erickson could have his arm twisted into selecting him so that the England Nation Team has effectively become a trial team for Arsenal. This is an absolute joke.

It also shows how we could have shafted them completley by getting fourth and how desperate they must have been. Desperate enough to resort to foul play perhaps?

full article worth checking out; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2006/05/14/sfnwal14.xml

[Chinaman]

The arsenal has blown.

[Welsh Spur]

I wondered why Walcott hadn't played yet....

[shoot_ffs]

it's a decent piece of journalism for a change. wenger gets a free shufty at him and saves himself a few quid. If walcott has a bad time he'll probably say i didn't think he should be taken. And he can't be that good or he would have used him last night eh?? Sven's a numbnuts

[Chinaman]

I wondered why Walcott hadn't played yet....

He's not good enough. They've paid megabucks for unseviceable goods.

[TomMcLaren]

He's only a kid! Give him a chance Actually, what am I saying, he's a gooner...

[fluke]

I think the what is interesting about this is that he probably is good but things are so tight moneywise at Ars*nal that they can't afford to really find out and that is business fair enough.
The thing that really gets up my nose is the ability Wenger and Dein have to manipulate English national team selection. It is scandalous that untried players can be blooded at international level when the club can not afford too find out and develope the talent themselves.
As always with that lot something smells really really bad and I'm surprised more isn't said from higher authorities on this matter.

[mjbmedia]

personally i hope walcott gets a bad injury in one of the warm up friendlies and has to be dropped, thats cos im English and want the best for England, if he cant dislodge Reyes even if it is financial he must be utter crap

[Chinaman]

Dein should be investigated much like the Juventus chairman is.

[SurreySpur]

You are completely right Chinaman. The FA needs to be shaken up and it has to start at the very top. Having David Dein at the head table of the Football is such a massive conflict of interest. Im still stunned that Wenger got away with calling Martin a liar live on air and that Henry will get away with all of his many accusations following Wednesday nights defeat. It is just another case of one rule for one, and other rule for everybody else. The FA had no problem banning Neil Warnock for bringing the game into disrepute so he'll miss the first 2games of his first season in the prem. Very Unjust.