Filed under: Football
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has told the fans exactly what they want to hear - that the club will take the transfer market seriously after six years without a trophy.And now the onus is on Arsene Wenger to deliver in a summer when Manchester United and Liverpool have already signalled their intentions with big-money buys.
As usual, the Gunners looked like contenders in the season just gone until it all unravelled in April, straight after the Carling Cup final was tossed away by a defensive clanger.
Gazidis engaged in a question and answer session with Arsenal Supporters Trust members and admitted he felt the same way as many of them.
"We had a season that promised a great deal but in the end a familiar story began to tell itself, he said.
"It is very clear we had some shortcomings and we are going to see some turnover of players. As Arsene has said, it will be a busy close season for the club. But also it is important to recognise that it has not been a disaster. We have a young squad and we don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. The trick will be identify which parts to keep and which parts to turn over."
But those supporters who have already lost patience with the Frenchman and believe it is time to leave will be disappointed, he insisted.
"Arsene is ultimately accountable to the fans - they ultimately make judgment," he said. If you are seeing the relationship between the fans and the manager break down over time that is unsustainable. But I don't think we are anywhere near that.
"We 100 per cent support Arsene. I 100 per cent support him and feel he has done a fantastic job in a difficult period for this club. You have to remember that we have been up against clubs with unlimited spending power and others such as Manchester United who generate far greater revenue than we do."
Ah yes, the bigger boys with bigger toys argument so beloved of Wenger himself. So who does he think he can afford then?
Gervinho, Lille's Ivory Coast forward, is keen to come and would cost £14 million and Premier League defensive pair Chris Samba of Blackburn and Bolton's Gary Cahill would probably cost a little less and a little more respectively.
And then there is Southampton's highly-rated teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is regarded as a potential England player but would cost in excess of £10 million at a time when Wenger needs to spend his money on experienced performers who can make an impact straight away. Unsurprisingly, Wenger has also been linked with a host of players in France, his usual recruiting ground.
Gazidis would not go into the specifics of any potential deal, or the future of existing players, but was praised afterwards for answering the questions candidly, or at least as candidly as he thought prudent in the knowledge that every word would be scrutinied by the media.
One issue he faced head on was the club's decision to hike ticket prices by an above-inflation 6.5 per cent despite a 0 per cent increase in success on the pitch.
"Since we moved stadium we've only made two price rises in six years," he countered. "We've been very restrained and balanced. There's no question we could have driven ticket prices higher. Some utilities in this stadium in the last two years have gone up 100 per cent, our electricity has gone up a third, costs are going up dramatically. At some point we have to increase, and I don't expect that to be a popular decision."
It's a big summer for Arsenal therefore - and for Arsene Wenger in particular.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/06/14/arsenal-chief-executive-promises-a-busy-summer-of-transfers/
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