The boss and the board have chosen to secure the clubs long term viability by building a world class stadium, instead of a short-term stubborn desire to line our player’s pockets with luxurious wads of cash

By: Nathan Church

So Flamini’s off to the San Siro then. Is it to be a part of the beautiful game that is Italian football? To be inspired under the wisdom of Ancelotti? I think not. Bottom line – they dangled a wad of cash under his nose and in the words of an Italian (that may or may not have been Silvio Berlesconi), “made him an offer he couldn’t refuse”. So more power to him I say. He’s a prime example of a footballer taking his opportunity when it presented itself. I wish as a team we could be like that more in front of goal…

While his departure is undeniably a loss to the team, it’s certainly not an occasion to break out the ashes and sackcloth. As many have rightly pointed out, Flamini has surely been a revelation this season, but twelve months ago he was a squad player, and not much else. Bearing this in mind, for Arsenal to match Milan’s offer of wages would have been a clear act of stupidity. Simply put, the money is not there in any sustainable fashion, and this would have set a dangerous precedent for the club’s viability. It is a known fact that our players are not ‘well paid’ – relative to other top European clubs. But the fact that clubs such as Chelski and Milan underwrite their wage bill with debt should ring out a significant warning. If Ambromovich eventually tires of propping up his hobby club and pulls out his roubles, do you honestly think the team will happily take a whopping wage cut to play for their gallant leader Avram ‘I’m only here cause Mourinho got the hump’ Grant?

Another example is Valencia in Spain. After being serious contenders for domestic and European success in the past few years (and even winning the Copa Del Rey THIS year!), they find themselves not only in the thick of the relegation battle, but in severe financial trouble, with an expected fire-sale of top talent at season’s end. The moral of this story – winning trophies is no magic ticket for long term viability. In fact I would go so far as to say the success of a football team has as much to do with what happens off the pitch than what happens on it. And this is why, while it’s disappointing to see Flamini leave, if we did cave in and shell out the big dollars it would have significant negative repercussions. Firstly, by in effect tossing out the wage structure as it stands, it would lead to dressing-room volatility where players (and agents) would be constantly playing wages catch-up, with cries of ‘he earns more than me’ and then when contracts are resigned the whole mess just perpetuates. How could we keep players like Fabregas and Clichy when they knew the player in the next locker was earning double their salary, little own some mug at Stamford Bridge.

At the end of the day it’s simply a matter of having your cake and eating it too. The boss and the board have chosen to secure the clubs long term viability by building a world class stadium, instead of a short-term stubborn desire to line our player’s pockets with luxurious wads of cash. There are consequences – Flamini’s departure an obvious example. But I for one have faith in what our Gunners are doing. If Flamini’s brilliant season has shown us anything, it’s not that he is the best midfielder in the world and cannot possibly be replaced, but rather he has set a STANDARD, within a great footballing STRUCTURE. The greatness of Arsenal is not that they are all superhuman athletes, like some kind of footballing version of the Harlem Globetrotters, but that they always have a good chance of producing goals, and therefore victories – against any opposition. Arsenal play football that brings the best out of players, regardless of their transfer fee or history. Under Wenger the vast majority of our squads has been BUILT of players who were under-rated acquisitions, and yet we consistently challenge for the title, and are a regular fixture in Champions League football. That, as a true fan of the Arsenal, can be all I can reasonably ask for. To suggest we have to win everything every year, you might as well get Wenger (or Fergie, or Grant, or Benitez) to turn water into wine while they’re at it.