16 Aug 2026 15:47:18.
Watching Arsenal in the Charity Shield, and I think if Konza goes to them he will be sitting on the bench most of the season. I think the "big six" buy players from the likes of Villa just to ensure they will always qualify for the rich European tournaments.
16 Aug 2026 17:37:57
Pluffy, they will look at it as weakening Villa.
16 Aug 2026 19:41:45
I agree, Dave, it does seem that the top 6 want to qualify for Europe every year and the easy way to do it is to weaken teams like us.
I still can't get my head round why debt for ground development should be any different to going in debt to improve the playing side.
Football is probably the only business where owners can't spend their money to compete with other businesses.
I can see the day when football will be less attractive if your team are not allowed to compete.
16 Aug 2026 20:17:40
Pluffy, as we've seen, they just change the rules to suit whoever's involved. I definitely think if Konsa goes, it's to try and weaken Villa, they know with the season starting, we will have to bed in another C/H. Good job we've got Lindeloff, who once again can prove just how important a signing he's been. With the goalie, I think it's a case of getting him as cheap as we can, because, if you give it another season, his price would have rocketed.
It is a rebuild, and with what we are doing, the fans won't know half the players. HaHa. If we can keep our core, and more importantly keep them fit, with the kids who've come through, I think we could still give it a go. UTV.
16 Aug 2026 20:20:12
100% they just do it to weaken their competitors. They could buy from other leagues much cheaper, their big revenues allow them to have pretty much 2 full teams of players who would start on any team outside the top 5 or 6.
Villa and City were the teams who were running Arsenal close until we lost 3 of our midfielders. I know we ended up having a great season, but I'd love to know how it would have panned out without that period where we lost the boys.