What to do during nationalism week (hint: argue about transfers)

Good morning. I’m taking this week off from blogging. We have a 10 day break for the flag waivers to enjoy their nationalism football and then we get back to the real stuff on the 15th. So, until then, enjoy the time off.

Additionally, I forbid any of you from commenting on any other web sites until I return. You must also shut down for 7 days. It’s the best for your body and mind. Alternatives to reading about Arsenal: The Guardian’s Long Read, Carol Rumens’s Poem of the Week, take a walk, drink some kambucha, write a poem, or make a delicious red curry paste. It’s up to you what you do with your time. I have a bunch of reading to do and I’m going to start every day with reading and a walk. TAKE THAT, BRAIN.

As your last article for the week I want to share something LGAmbrose shared on twitter. It’s a site called The Transfer Index. What they do is take historical transfer fees and then pretend that they were made now using a bunch of really simplistic math (use the average transfer fee now compared to then to show inflation). It’s funny because I did something similar on here about 7 years ago and people got very angry with me and called me all kinds of names.

The reason they got so mad was because I was basically saying “Arsenal used to actually buy titles” because we did. Not only did we pay record fees for players like Bergkamp but we also paid record salaries for players like Sol Campbell. That Arsenal title-winning team in Wenger’s first decade was often praised for its economy but that’s only because there were other clubs willing to pay so much more than what we were paying at the time. But if you look at the cost adjusted for inflation of the 2001-02 title-winning Arsenal side, that team was well over £450m in today’s transfer fees.

Seaman £0m
Lauren £32m
Campbell £0m
Keown £44m
Cole £0m
Vieira £35m
Parlor £0m
Ljungberg £19m
Pires £29m
Bergkamp £71m
Henry £66m

Wright (GK) £24m
Jeffers £46m
Wiltord £53m
van Bronkhorst £36m

For me, this is not really an insight. What is an insight is how cheaply Wenger assembled that 07/08 team that should have won the title. Even adjusted for today’s transfer prices, Kolo Toure was just £400k, Clichy £1m, Eboue £6.5m, Fabregas £9.5m, Diaby £9m, Song £12m, van Persie £13m, Denilson £16m, Flamini (free), Almunia £15m, Sagna £21m, and so on.

Almunia £15m
Gallas (free)
Eboue £6.5m
Sagna £21m
Fabregas £9.5m
Flamini (free)
Toure £400k!
Clichy £1m
Hleb £44m
Gilberto £18m
Adebayor £30m

Bendtner £0m
Walcott £31m
van Persie £13m
Eduardo £32m

That’s a total of £221m in transfer fees. Half the cost of the side that won the League at Old Trafford.

Imagine getting a player like Fabregas for just under 10 million… that’s crazy.

The site is here, https://www.totallymoney.com/content/transfer-index/data/

Enjoy responsibly.

Qq

23 comments

      1. The Empires may stand, but, dang… I’m #OneMoreTurn-ing myself into some serious sleep deprivation. 🙂

    1. “Long knives ” indeed. Can’t wait to have Arsenal back and playing so we can ignore D. C.

  1. Guendouzi’s £7m will be investigated by some trading standards authority. That’s an absolute heist.

    Very interesting, adjusted transfer fees

  2. Enjoy your Nationalistic break Tim, but best of luck with the forbidden commenting on other blogs. I actually quite enjoy the internationals (yes I know I’m in a minority) and with this new Nations League (or whatever it’s called) at least some of the games will have a bit of edge.
    Glad you enjoy the Long Read. Check out Marina Hyde (she knows her football) while you’re there….especially today’s Nike article. A bit polarising!

    1. I’ll definitely check that out. Today, there was a good take by LZ Granderson on CNN re: the conservative responses to Nike, insofar as they valorize military sacrifice and support Trump at the same time.

      1. And on the heels of that we have an op-Ed in the NYT which basically brags that our president is a lunatic who hates freedom but is held in check by people who are basically claiming that they are the shadow government.

        Should be an interesting week for Trump. The phrase “long knives” springs to mind.

          1. Yeah! Good read though. She writes about three times per week and always in such and acerbic manner. Seen her on TV, just the same.

  3. Interesting, how “free” does not need to ne adjusted for inflation. Maybe someone should take note and run with it.

  4. Give credit where it’s due…the man was a genius. I still think the title has to be bought….forget Leicester…always an exception.

  5. I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing, which is trying to find more and more true crime and sports podcasts to listen to while doing menial tasks, and trying out more and more new recipes. Always open to suggestions on either or both! Those are pretty much my only hobbies right now, but hey, I have a lot on my plate with work, and I have four kids, all under the age of 13, so…

    Anyway, enjoy the break, Tim. But, since you enjoy writing, and since I enjoy reading your writing, I’d welcome anything you wanted to write about anything. ANYTHING!

  6. Who needs PL football when we’ve got the Trump reality tv to keep busy with.
    In tomorrow’s episode: “Will Trump fire his entire backstabbing cabinet and staff and hire a high on loyalty, an all Russian crew?”

  7. Thanks! I never knew about the poem of the week column. Slight digression, but the believer magazine has also put its archive online for free, and I think people here (or anywhere!) would like a look too!

  8. We should have won the league in the 07/08 season but for the thuggery of this league.

    I think that put out Arsene Wenger the revolutionary, although he continued fighting, it was not with the same fire and belief like before – even the 03/04 players didn’t believe they were invincible but Wenger did and even publicly predicted that they would be.

  9. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/sep/07/santi-cazorla-villarreal-injury-arsenal-interview-sid-lowe

    I can honestly say what happened to Santi Cazorla, based on this interview, is absolutely, crushingly horrific. We missed arguably our best player for the best part of two years because of what can only be called medical mismanagement. Hot on the heels (pun intended) of what happened to Rosicky and Vermaelen, among others, it’s a troubling pattern in British sports medicine. Making mistakes is human; being cocksure that you’re right despite what the patient is telling you (either verbally or on exam) is inexcusable.

  10. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/sep/07/santi-cazorla-villarreal-injury-arsenal-interview-sid-lowe

    I can honestly say what happened to Santi Cazorla, based on this interview, is absolutely, crushingly horrific. We missed arguably our best player for the best part of two years because of what can only be called medical mismanagement. Hot on the heels (pun intended) of what happened to Rosicky and Vermaelen, among others, it’s a troubling pattern in British sports medicine. Making mistakes is human; ignoring a problem despite what the patient is telling you (either verbally or on exam) is inexcusable. For me, repeatedly just stitching up a wound that keeps weeping and not bothering to get a culture is negligent. So sad that THIS is what ended his Arsenal career, and almost cost him his leg.

    1. “They never took responsibility or said sorry, that they hadn’t realised. I’m convinced they think they did the right thing, that it wasn’t because of the bacteria that wasn’t spotted, that it was just bad luck. I don’t think they feel guilty. And Arsène always supported me. He renewed my contract before the first operation, which was an incredible gesture. He called me in: ‘Santi, I’m going to give you the optional year. It’s here, sign it, have your operation with peace of mind.’ That helped me focus on my rehabilitation without fear. I’m eternally grateful for that.”

      Applause!

  11. Got a lump in my throat reading that.

    Last night, in my weekly bible study, the topic was persistence.

  12. Pavard just denied links with Bayer Munich… would make a good signing as he’s a versatile player..

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