By Jazz Tehara 

At 1830 GMT today the Arsenal Supporter's Trust hold a meeting that will discuss various issues surrounding the club. Simply put, this could possibly be the most important meeting regarding Arsenal FC for years. There are key areas being addressed in the meeting that require a level of transparency that has been lacking from the club to the fans since the move from Highbury to the Emirates stadium.

1) Position on ticket price
The AST wish to debate about the dialogue to the club regarding fixing the ticket exchange scheme to make the experience easier.
They also wish to find their position on the possibility of Europa League and charging full price for the ticket.

2) Arsenal's financial position
The board will present a paper written that will outlay the financial position of Arsenal FC.

3) AST member's survey
Boring admin and statistics and how to collect more.

4) Arsene Wenger
The AST have avoided taking any position regarding Arsene Wenger. They are unwilling to discuss this issue.

5) The role of the board & Stan Kronke's involvement
Equally both as fascinating as each other, and quite possibly the key that will unlock a lot of the answers in conjunction with the publication of the financial results of Arsenal as to where the club go from here.

The outcome of this meeting.

What I hope Arsenal fans can gain from the meeting today is as much of an understanding as humanly possible to true reasons why the club have not invested soundly in the 25 man squad gracing the pitch at the Emirates stadium, and what they plan to do in the very near future regarding this glaring problem.

Immediately, the factors that come into play are the finances of the club, and the board's position on what to do with those finances. It has been reported on various news sources that Arsenal's potential profit sum (including the sales of Fabregas & Nasri and the Queensland road project) is somewhere in the region of £60m (£35m+25m) for players and £25m for Queensland Road. This is not taking into account the figures used in running the club (which I personally do not know at the moment, but once I get a copy of the paper, i'll be able to analyse.) The reported total sum profit will be somewhere in the region of £85m-100m (yearly).

Now, I know what you're thinking... £85m could buy a lot of players. A lot of good players. Or at least two marquee signings of note to start moulding a new team around in the over-inflated market.

However, this is where the real stress of Arsenal football club now lies. What will happen to that profit?

The outcome of the future of this profit will decide the fate of the club over the next decade (at least) and could have repercussions on the club that consign it to mid table stature for the foreseeable future.

If the board decide not to spend money on the starting XI players and wish Wenger to continue his performance, Arsenal can expect to slide down the table.

If they throw money at the wrong areas they will be wasting it and not addressing the real issues.

If Stan Kronke decides he want's to take the money from the club, then either of the above is not an option.

If Arsenal decide to divide the profits between the club and the board, then a delicate balancing act will need to be performed in order to keep the fans and the share-holders happy.

The Daily Mail has led the story that the Arsenal board has given a public figure of £55m for Arsene Wenger to spend on players. It is therefore a strong possibility that the Arsenal board have opted for the latter scenario.

As stated the estimated (speculated) figure for profit is around £85-100m. Therefore one can assume over half has just been offered to the club in transfer funds available for use after this season has ended.

It is plausible to state the rest will be divided amongst the board then. Not totally unfair from a business perspective. However, this is a football club, and emotion is a huge part of this business. It cannot be stressed how much so. A 60/40 split to the club would be understandable if Arsenal were in a better position on the pitch.

But in order to address the performances and the decline of quality players in the club, Arsenal may need to spend a substantial amount more in order to re-level the playing field. 70/30 as a split would seem a far more palatable figure for the majority of fans.  (a 70/30 split of £85m is £59.5m, a 70/30 split of 100m is £70m)

Depending on the results published today, the fans will have a clearer picture of the profits and the announcement of the Arsenal board. Were they offered 55% of a figure close to £100m, or were they offered 70% of a figure close to £85m?

If it is the latter, then Arsenal fans should realise that the board is more than willing to give Arsene Wenger a helping hand this summer and have thrown the gauntlet down for Wenger to spend spend spend. How he chooses to spend is now down to him, and it raises a few questions regarding his management policies.

If it is the former, then Arsenal and Stan Kronke may have a huge problem on their hands just as the club are looking to secure season ticket renewals for 2012-13, their most vital revenue stream. Fans are despondent with the board already and this could go further to deteriorate a strained relationship. Previously, Arsenal fan groups have created various protest sects, fragmented due to their inability to agree on details of their mandate. If the board fall off the tightrope they are walking, they will land into a pit of alligators full of Arsenal fans baying for blood, unified by one common enemy. Them.

The Finances.

Spending money on players.
As It has now been announced, Arsenal have £55m to spend on players for the club in the coming transfer window.

Arsene Wenger has a determinable amount available and should over the coming months begin to recall on his extensive network to start announcing his intent in the transfer market. Essentially, Wenger is now auditioning for his own job.

The ideal scenario involves resolving a platitude of issues at the same time. Wenger (or the subsequent new manager if it gets that far) will need to decide on whom to keep and whom to expel from the club. He will need to recognise and state the target transfers required to bolster the squad. He will need to decide which of his youth players will be close to ready for the next season to play for Arsenal's first team.

The consensus toward this first task is that Arsene has accumulated a lot of dead wood and will needed to have a very big spring clean of players during the summer to make way for new players.

Manuel Almunia, Abou Diaby, Johan Djourou, Theo Walcott, Sebastian Squillaci, Andrei Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh, Denilson, Nicklas Bendtner, Kieran Gibbs, Tomas Rosicky and Carlos Vela are all names that have been bandied about as potential casualties for the club. Players deemed not good enough to be squad players for Arsenal by many. That's so much as 12 names. Plus Park, who has only played 9 minutes of premier league football.

It has widely been reported that many of these players are simply unable to move on because other clubs will not meet the valuation that Arsenal hold. There is a simple solution to the above. Firesale. Sell the lot at discounted rates. Supplement their wage costings with the bottom line of sales.  For example, If Theo wants £85k a week, then allow him to retain that at another club.

If his valuation is £20m for example, sell him for £8m in exchange for his ability to earn £85k a week somewhere else. Forget the outlay of £12m for him. It will be worth the financial sacrifice rather than keeping him on for four years at cost of £17.7m (£85k x 52 weeks x 4 years) in the future for his contract demands.

With some of the other players, it may just work out more beneficial to cut their contracts and pay the release clauses.

For other players, they should be told in no uncertain terms that if they wish to remain on the books at Arsenal, they will effectively be paid gardening leave and will be frozen from the club activities. Sign up elsewhere or stay and become Alan Smith (MK Dons), confined to no-man's land. Don't expect new contracts and walk away on Bosman rules if you must, but don't come to training either. There is nothing for you at Arsenal any more.

The next step is to get the Arsenal transfer targets in order. Know where to bolster the squad. A keeper better than Fabianski. A left back better than Kieran Gibbs. Centre backs better than Johan Djourou and Seb Squillaci. Midfielders better than Abou Diaby, Andrei Arshavin, Theo Walcott, and Denilson. Strikers better than Marouane Chamakh and Carlos Vela.

Identify the players good enough to come through the ranks. Coquelin, Frimpong, Wilshire, Oxlaide Chamberlain, Igansi Miquel, Nico Yennaris, Benik Afobe, Henri Lansbury, Ryo Miyachi, Wellington Silva, Joel Campbell and Rhys Murphy. All good players, but are they really good enough? It is a question Wenger has to seriously address. In the case of Wilshire, Frimpong and the recently aquired Oxo-chambo, the answers from the fans are a resounding yes. The others need to be looked at, but ifMiyachi can finish as he did for Bolton on a more consistent basis - I don't see him having a problem in the Premier League.

Quite frankly, £55m + any money gained from player sales in this manner is a bonus.

Throwing money in the wrong places.
This is what Arsenal need to be wariest of. Simply throwing money at the situation with no understanding of the repercussions could be the most costly of moves the club makes.

Marquee signings will be of no use to Arsenal's first team one iota. For the fans calling for Eden Hazard - wake up. Arsenal are staring down the barrel of a very long gun and as attractive as the pillow of Eden Hazard is, he's no teflon vest. Arsenal need players fit for purpose. In a previous blog I mentioned the names Leighton Baines, Yann M'Vila and Demba Ba. Recently, other names thrown out (that I agree with) were names such as Sahin, Sturridge, Vertonghen, Hoylett, Colback, Flamini, Fernando Gago and Guthrie. Other names Arsenal have previously also been linked to such as Felipe Melo would also be a huge addition. Add any combination of those names into the pre-existing squad of Arsenal players: WS13, BS3, PM4, TV5, LK6, MA8, RvP10, AS11, AOC15, AS17, JW19, EF26, G27 and FC39 and all of a sudden there is a quite formidable Arsenal squad.

The landscape of the Premier League demands that a team needs to be consistent over a determinable period of 38 games in a season. This requires a strength in depth as opposed to singular spectacular players surrounded by players simply not good enough to support them. The current squad have relied heavily on Robin van Persie this season and he has put in a shift. He is beginning to wain under the enormity of the pressure and Arsenal need a squad that can distribute that weight equally over a sustained period of a season. Note that the premier league is the only trophy mentioned at this point.

The role of the board.

Arsenal are no longer a team - they've truly morphed into a football factory. However, many feel there is a set of fundamental flaws in the implementation of the behind-the-scenes mechanism of this factory. There are question marks around the running of the back room, realistic targets for the team, Ivan Gazidis and the quality of the self-sustainability model itself.

The back room.
The current back room structure should have a full audit and examination by the board room. It is apparent for all to see that there is a problem with the Arsenal team. Injuries have become a systemic problem with players and is consistently destroying the growth of both the individual and the collective effort. The consensus here is that Primorac, Rice, Lewin and Colbert are not effective any more.

The board need to address this and intervene on Arsene's behalf. New personnel is required and new positions need to be created for the training room.

A defensive coordinator, an attacking coordinator, a new goalkeeping coach, a set-piece/dead ball specialist and a fitness coaching team including rapid muscle growth training specialists (as at Manchester Utd,) are all positions required to fully fine tune the players on the pitch. (It may also be to Arsenal's detriment that all the players at the club are acclimatized to playing on "carpet pitches." They need some training in playing on clogged or damaged surfaces. It's an observation long held.)

A "fact," that was tweeted earlier in the year stated Arsenal have not fielded a starting XI since September 30th 2008. Arsenal beat Porto in the Champion's League 4-0. (I tried finding the tweet, but to no avail. If anyone has it, please re-tweet it for me and I will add the link to the article.)The line up read like this: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Fabregas, Denilson, Walcott, Adebayor & RvP. Player injuries are the biggest determining factor to team performance. If top players are injured, they cannot be selected. The 8-2 loss to Manchester Utd saw a culmination of a depleted squad and a tactical ineptitude due to inexperience.

The targets of next season.
The board at Arsenal need to seriously address the issue of Arsenal being a top drawer attraction to players. The statement of intent from the Arsenal board earlier in the year suggested that Arsenal could survive without Champions League football. However, Arsenal fans demand this from the team. Such is the expectation of making the top four slots for the club that this statement is simply the easiest way to annihilate fans that want Arsenal to succeed.

Arsenal have previously entertained the idea that sufficient progress in all competitions is better than success in one. This needs to stop. The focus needs to shift entirely towards the Premier League trophy and the procurement of winning back to back leagues. Only once a strong base of domestic domination returns, will players be able to contemplate Champions League, FA Cup or Carling cup progress. The policy for blooding younger talent in the carling cup and FA cup should return, along with a decreased emphasis on winning the Champions League. Progression to the knock-out stages should be the realistic target set. At least for three seasons, this should be the prevailing set of targets.

Ivan Gazidis.
This is the man charged with making the deals at Arsenal. He is the corporate face and needs to create some positive energy.

In regard to transfer dealings, Gazidis should take a list of players - realistic targets (as identified earlier) and set about the wheels in motion regarding the buying of said players. Schmoozing the right agents will get you everywhere. Begin flirting with players publicly, but professionally. There is a moral and legal implication of tapping up players, but there is no shame in approaching clubs and agents regarding players in the right way. Create a buzz that this summer, Arsenal are really on board to cause a storm and certain players need to get in on this movement to secure Arsenal their first trophy in seven/eight years. This is going to be Wenger's biggest achievement yet. The back room is being re-developed and this is the time to make history. Sell the dream!
Re-develop Arsenal. Basically, point the PR machine at some Agents and spin them a yarn. Get the best you can from them. It will become a mutually beneficial relationship.

The self-sustainability model.
This ties in with the back room issue - once the correct staff are in place, the Arsenal academy needs to follow suit. A leaf needs to be taken from the Barcelona and Ajax training facilities and development teams should work in unison to create a conveyor belt of talent from the younger teams up. Players should be well versed in their positions and should have had experience in holding them consistently from the age of 16.

Arsenal are starting to see the benefits of having one of the best academy set ups in the country, the under 18 team is currently on course for their league title. It needs to be tweaked slightly in ethos in order to create continuity for the future. Currently Afobe, Miquel, Yennaris, Wilshire, Frimpong and Coquelin are young professionals nearly ready to break into the first team on a permanent basis.

Final thoughts.

Fans of Arsenal need to be careful that their tempers don't boil-over and explode over the coming weeks. The prospect of Arsenal slipping to mid-table is a very real threat. Analyse the fixtures list. Tottenham(h), Liverpool(a), Newcastle(h), Everton(a), Aston Villa(h). The current state of the squad dictates that Arsenal will not fare well. Essentially, this will be a mauling that lasts for a month. Players whom the team has relied on to claw up to fourth are not around and the understudies are just as few in numbers. Simply put the squad is threadbare. Immediately, this is no one's fault. Mertersacker’s ankle, Coquelin’s hamstring, Kosielney’s knee, Ramsay’s ankle – they’ve all been injuries sustained in the battle. The deeper analysis above indicates issues that may have culminated in this situation and how to remedy it in the future, but seeing as the transfer window is firmly shut there is nothing that can be done except to rally behind players that have survived and will them to victory.

The fans cannot allow the team to face this alone or else they will all be gone come summer. If the team cannot or will not play for the manager, perhaps they can for the cheering fans that bother to turn up to the games (I've been trying to get a seat for Tottenham - I'm masochistic though) at home. Vitriolic jeers at the team will be pointless. Jeers towards Wenger could result in his premature dismissal. Wenger should be allowed time to state his intentions and begin this new approach. It’s better than being rudderless until the end of the season. Arsenal fans need to remember the state of affairs regarding George Graham’s dismissal. It was not pretty. Similarly, fans need to take the “advice” of some ex-Arsenal players with a pinch of salt. Vieira now works for Manchester City, as does David Platt. George Graham and Paul Merson have always seemed to cut envious jibes when the going is tough for Wenger. That is not to say all criticism is misplaced – just look at who it is coming from. The words spoken by God himself to Alan Smith can be deemed to have come from a good place, no matter how much they sting.

Tottenham is realistically a write off, although anything can happen in the NLD. Liverpool away, facing the Kop will not be pretty. Newcastle could possibly be turned over if they are having a bad day (because by this point it will be four losses on the trot), Everton away will be a dogged affair and I don't think the team has it in them - they could get rolled over, and by time Aston Villa come to Arsenal, the writing could be very much on the wall for Wenger.

There is a very very fine margin for error on all the above issues. The AST meeting today will be the beginning of a new cycle. Whether or not Wenger is around to see it will be determined in the very near future by his own actions.

You can follow me on twitter @JazzTehara for my ramblings on a lot of things.