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It’s really important people understand that the problems at #Arsenal are structural. Economics graduate Arsène Wenger’s policy of implementing a unique flat wage structure - whereby *Bendtner* got *£52k a week* - is the root of our problems. #AFC
It demotivated those players whose wage was hugely inflated relative to their ability. It unsettled those few world-class players we did have who couldn’t understand why they were paid sub-market wages while rubbish were driving too-of-the-range Mercs.
It meant the top players were content to leave while the rubbish could not be shifted, continuing to stink the place out with every pisspoor performance. And when they did finally go, it was on frees as they picked up signing bonuses to compensate for lower wages elsewhere.
The sole purpose of the policy was because Wenger could not bear to be challenged. And no one would come knocking on his door if they were paid fortunes to be crap. Those who did get upset with it could be moved on because they were top players.
In this way we lost Vieira, Henry, Cesc, RvP, Adebayor, Sagna, Clichy and others and had Bendtner, Andre Santos, Arshavin, Chamakh, Podolski, Mustafi etc leave on frees.
It has been an intractable problem that remains an issue to this day. It is the albatross that weighs on the neck of Arteta just as it did on Emery before him. We can sack managers but what then? The next man (or woman) has the same structural issue to contend with.
The Kroenkes’ misunderstanding of the football business (as evidenced by successive executive appointments, transfer-window catastrophes and the ESL farce) exacerbates the problem. We are a mess. And as I’ve said before, it doesn’t take a Cassandra to state we could well go down.
