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There are two schools of thought doing the rounds at the moment surrounding the finances of Arsenal FC.

Before looking at those it is important to have a think about football finances in general.

Using a different club (not Pompey for once!) as an example (first hand experience), I can say that in moving stadiums the way Arsenal did they are set up for the long term.

The economic slowdown will have slowed down their 'big pay off' of stadium loans but this other club went through a fair few owners before being picked up by a property developer just as the credit crunch hit.

This left them with no money and the area surrounding the stadium was 'sold' to him to offset the loans he had provided the club. Since then they have lurched around admininstration to liquidation as they have no asset to sell (i.e. the stadium) anymore.

Who else would buy it other than the person who owns the surrounding land? and would they give a proper and fair price?

Therefore the fact that Arsenal own (albeit via a mortgate) the Emirates Stadium is enough to ensure they are in a better position than many clubs.

Ok, so the two schools of though on their current strategy...

1.  Arsenal are short of cash (as predicted by many) during the first 5 years after their relocation. Despite protestations to the contrary the club is in no position to compete for either players transfers or salary's.
2. Arsenal are careful with money. But, if M Wenger did want to spend then there would be ample funds available. People talk of the transfer fund being completely seperate from the business element of the club which is the Emirates Stadium and Highbury flat development.

Either strategy is fine by me and I truly hope that it is number two and that reinforcements on the playing side of the club are forthcoming in the summer.

But if it is the first, would an element on honesty not be the better way to go?

I speak to fans frustrated at the perceived ease with which we gave up on this seasons Premiership title by not spending money in the transfer window. If they knew there wasn't money available would they not be more likely to cut the manager and the team some slack whilst making themselves more likely to spend a bit more on club merchandise or trying to go to games.

I have had an attitude recently that if the club cannot go for better players or even play their best team in some matches, why should I invest time and money in watching them?

Dangerous?

Arsenal should never play in white and they should always have white sleeves. Stick to these basics and Nike shouldn't go far wrong.

The fact they have managed to cock up so many of our recent kits costs the club revenue. Not everyone collects the shirts and will buy every one every year.

Going back to the simplistic red shirt with white sleeves as predicted by this site will eanble fans to wear the most traditional of designs and a classic shirt.

There will be some who say that it would be better to buy a true retro cotton shirt from somewhere like Toffs, but if Nike get the detail right I might start buying kit again.

Due to a scheduling conflict at home with Holby City, I was banished to the conservatory with a pile of ironing and a DAB radio for Arsenal's clash with Porto last night.

It was like returning to an innocent time before Sky Sports existed where you would huddle round a crackly radio trying to hear whether Niall Quinn or Martin Hayes had managed to score a crucial goal in the 1989 run in.

It's funny the stuff you remember about matches. As opposed to Anfield, my abiding memory of that season was of being caked in mud after playing football and sitting in the bath listening to a Saturday evening match between the Gunners and Middlesborough at the old Airesome Park.

On that night it was Martin Hayes who go the go-ahead goal, but I was happy to claim an assist at the time thanks to a ritual of throwing a sponge at the tiles and if it took 5 seconds before it slid back into the bath I would believe Arsenal could win the league.

It has been a while since I have thrown myself into a superstition such as this... 2004 I had a lucky Paris St-Germain jersey which had to hand on a specific coat hanger on the end of the wardrobe the night before a game.

Am I mental?

So with all this nostalgia flooding back the work ironing was done before half time and I managed to just sit and enjoy the second period taking in the atmosphere and performances.

Was Nasri's wonder goal less thrilling without the sense of sight in play?

Not at all.

Due to a scheduling conflict at home with Holby City, I was banished to the conservatory with a pile of ironing and a DAB radio for Arsenal's clash with Porto last night.

It was like returning to an innocent time before Sky Sports existed where you would huddle round a crackly radio trying to hear whether Niall Quinn or Martin Hayes had managed to score a crucial goal in the 1989 run in.

It's funny the stuff you remember about matches. As opposed to Anfield, my abiding memory of that season was of being caked in mud after playing football and sitting in the bath listening to a Saturday evening match between the Gunners and Middlesborough at the old Airesome Park.

On that night it was Martin Hayes who go the go-ahead goal, but I was happy to claim an assist at the time thanks to a ritual of throwing a sponge at the tiles and if it took 5 seconds before it slid back into the bath I would believe Arsenal could win the league.

It has been a while since I have thrown myself into a superstition such as this... 2004 I had a lucky Paris St-Germain jersey which had to hand on a specific coat hanger on the end of the wardrobe the night before a game.

Am I mental?

So with all this nostalgia flooding back the work ironing was done before half time and I managed to just sit and enjoy the second period taking in the atmosphere and performances.

Was Nasri's wonder goal less thrilling without the sense of sight in play?

Not at all.