Morning all.
The big Arsenal story over the last 24/48 hours relates to the interview David Ornstein held with Josh Kroenke, details of which have been tinkered with here and there in order to make a good headline on NewsNow. Certainly surrounding the January 2020 transfer window which Josh Kroenke has alleged Arsenal will be busy again which is rather untrue. Being proactive doesn’t mean being busy making signings, it simply means the club are no longer a reactive one, instead it has people running it who are thinking ahead and planning for the future. Not simply responding to a disaster like the one at Old Trafford.
By the time January 2020 arrives, Arsenal might be purring, looking organised from the back to the front and no tweaking is deemed necessary. His comment might also allude to selling players so it’s probably best to not let ones agenda bend the truth. As if we here on HH would dream of doing such a thing eh?
Much of the interview I found interesting, certainly the part about our summer transfer activity not being a result of the letter which the Kroenke family were given whilst the club were on their pre season tour in the United States. As much as ‘some’ (an awful term) like to believe the fans voice spoke and the Kroenke family listened and responded, it was the second half of the Europa Cup Final in Baku which did the trick as you’ll know by now if you’ve read the interview. Our final match of the season, not a heavy defeat just hours before a transfer window closed.
As the second half of the match unfolded, understanding the position we were in and some of the targets as we headed into the summer from a transfer standpoint, we had to rethink some of our strategy based on that last 45 minutes. We knew we wouldn’t have Champions League football and that’s what those type of talents are after.
My main message to Vinai and Raul coming back from Baku on the plane and then throughout meetings all day the following day with them and Unai [Emery, head coach], was: ‘Let’s be aggressive and find out what’s possible’.These guys went out into the market place and – through their contacts and our fantastic new team behind the scenes – were able to find some talented players who are really excited about playing for Arsenal Football Club.
I think we had a very strong summer. We addressed certain areas on the pitch for this season and in the years ahead. We had certain age profiles that we were after. Without Champions League football we weren’t exactly sure, but I encouraged our football operations department to be aggressive and when Arsenal Football Club knocks on a player’s door it’s a different knock.
This summer, even though we weren’t in a position of strength coming out of Baku, I think there were a few people caught off guard that Arsenal Football Club still has the aura that it does. We’re excited to keep pushing that now and into the future.
Pre summer, much was written about our £45 million budget for players which looking back might not have been far from the truth and even though our summer signings cost more nearly three times that suggested amount, much of that spending will be made in instalments over the time frame of the players contracts. The club had a mini clear-out of fringe players too which raised around £50m I’d guess with the biggest one being Alex Iwobi although I’m unsure whether Everton will be paying for him in the same way. Jeff Reine-Adelaide was one of the players sold and right now I’m beginning to think Arsenal might have been a bit hasty letting him go.
From reading NewsNow, newspaper articles and other Arsenal related websites, the Kroenke family level of ambition is often measured against how much they invest in the squad. How much of the families vast fortunes do they hand over to Raul Sanelli prior to a transfer window opening, a question which David Ornstein put to him.
“I’m not going to go into too much detail – people can read between the lines of being aggressive and what that might mean. “It’s going to be a private matter for us here at the club, but I hope our fans understand that by being aggressive that’s exactly what we were.
Going into the summer we knew we were going to have instruments in place that were going to allow us to be aggressive and they weren’t going to be dependent on sales. The guys went out, worked their magic and I’m happy to have them on our side.”
Reacting to fan pressure?
I would say that if you’re reacting and doing club record signings based on public opinion, you’re not going to go very far as a club. We weren’t reactive this summer, we were actually proactive.
It was unfortunate that the summer unfolded publicly the way it did with some of the supporters groups. I tried to answer some of their concerns to the best of our ability.
The transfer market is an evolving, living, breathing thing. We identified key targets, worked on those deals and over time we were able to execute them. That’s hopefully a sign of encouragement for Arsenal fans that, when we’re out in the market place, you might never know what we’re thinking and you could be surprised by some of the names that come up.
Here’s the bit about January…
As for January, I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We’ve got to evaluate some things in the short term and figure out where we might need to address going forward, so when January does roll around we’re going to be proactive again.
Like I said above, nothing he said suggests we’re going to have a winter transfer window full of new arrivals, he’s just saying that if Emery feels he needs a player, perhaps one who’d make a difference depending on where we are at the time, they’ll try and get him. Isn’t that what we’ve been asking for for years!
When asked what his father’s reaction had been, Kroenke added:
He is thrilled. As we’ve had a chance to get to know some of the new faces more and more behind the scenes and he’s had a chance to be around them individually.
The hard part is staying patient and understanding that we’re putting plans in place that are going to unfold over the next several years. We’ve done it with our North American teams and we’re trying to implement those type of people and decision makers here at Arsenal. I think this summer is a great example of the quality of people that we have.
What about Unai Emery?
I think he’s doing a great job – has done a great job and is doing a great job. “Turning the page from such a legendary manager and figure as Arsene – not only at Arsenal but in European football – was always going to be a difficult page to turn and as a club I think we’ve turned it as elegantly as we could.
I think Unai’s daily approach is fantastic. He’s out there on the pitch, he’s working, he’s watching video, he’s communicating and his daily energy and devotion to his work is fantastic – it’s exactly what we need.
Not all of us will agree with Josh Kroenke here as like a few of our players, Unai Emery divides opinion. His team selection, tactics and coaching divides opinion. I’m not a football coach so I always steer clear of those debates, although sometimes the beedin obvious is clear. Defending!
There’s no doubting the Spaniard has his mojo back, his reaction to that Willock tackle alone shows that but it’s easy to be jumping around when things are going well. We need him to be equally as enthusiastic and encouraging when things aren’t going our way because that’s when it’s really needed. His touchline antics, which make me smile I must say, waned as our season drifted into mediocrity earlier this year. He, as well as the players, need to be on it from start to finish this term.
So what’s the aim for the club I wonder, where is it going under the Americans, what’s their goal for the future is no doubt something most fans want to know.
Challenging for the Premier League title is always our goal, that’s what we talk about constantly. Based on the strength of our league, which is the greatest in the world, if you’re competing for the Premier League title, you’re competing elsewhere for other silverware as well; whether that’s the FA Cup, whether that’s European silverware. We want to go for it all.
We’re going to have our work cut out. There are some very strong teams ahead of us, starting with the defending champions [Manchester City] and the Champions League champions [Liverpool].
We know what we need to do; we know there are squads ahead of us that are very strong. We’ve come back with a stronger squad than we finished with in May in Baku and I’m excited to see what this group can do because I think they’ve got a mentality, as well, that is… they’re ready to get to work and they know what they need to do on behalf of all of us.”
‘We want to win the Premier League’ sad Josh.
Our ambitions are the same as the fans. We want to win and we want to win as much and as often as possible. And doing it a fun way, where they’re seeing some really entertaining football as well. I think we’ve got the group to do it.
We have the highest of ambitions. In North America, we are trying to win. The [Los Angeles] Rams were in the Super Bowl last year. I can only imagine what a Champions League final is like after being over in Baku.
There are six great clubs in the Premier League and unfortunately only four [Champions League] spots that are guaranteed. The economics involved – to be able to reinvest back into the club, attract different players who only want Champions League football… our goal is to get back and to win the Premier League.”
‘Absolutely here to stay.’
Josh Kroenke also said a galvanised Arsenal fanbase could “probably be the most powerful thing that I ever would have witnessed”.
He added:
Passion can go a couple of different ways, but knowing the passion of the Arsenal supporter community, it would be an incredible sight to behold. Being here on matchdays, it gives me the chills even just thinking about it. But to know that the supporters were united behind our group would be a very powerful thing and I think this is a group they can really get behind.
They need to understand who we are and what we’re trying to accomplish. It’s important for them to try and understand our personalities as people, because at the end of the day we’re fans – we want to win and it makes our job a lot easier when we do.
It’s important for them to know how passionate we are. When I met with some of the fans’ groups last season I told them that trust is earned over time and I would love for you to trust me now but unfortunately that trust has to play out over the next several years. We’re just getting started and hopefully we’ll start to earn more and more trust with the more and more work we put in.
The Emirates is a place that is always going to be special to me and my family. I’m excited about being here, hopefully a long time
Well, if Josh Kroenke and his family achieve what he’s made clear their aiming for, The Emirates will finally become a special place for the fans too.
I’m exhausted……
Good read Rico
This in the interview stood out for me.
“As the second half of the match unfolded, understanding the position we were in and some of the targets as we headed into the summer from a transfer standpoint, we had to rethink some of our strategy based on that last 45 minutes. We knew we wouldn’t have Champions League football and that’s what those type of talents are after..”
It took them all the way to the second half of that game to notice the train wreck our end of season was ????
‘morning Rico, time for lie down in a darkened room? 😉
The Mustafi to Roma story just took a hit, they’ve signed Chelsea defender Davide Zappacosta on loan for the season. 😕
Thanks TT.
I took that as meaning the penny dropped on no CL football so their original targets perhaps had to be changed. He mentions players wanting CL football.
Interesting read, Rico and thanks.
I`m warming to Josh whereas the only feeling of warmth for his father was to imagine him fueling my BBQ.
Bet the first question Josh asked Ornstein was…..”who we buying in the January window, David ?”
😆
Morning Cicero. I’ve just come out of mine…. lol
Another thought on transfers TT, perhaps we didn’t get Zaha because Palace wanted hard cash rather than instalments. Also, wasn’t their some kind of agreement between club and player that he’d be sold if it was to a club in the CL?
Might have been in the Metro though. Lol
Thanks Lc.
Do you not think they are one as far as the club goes? Josh just happens to be the one who appears more connected to and with the club. As Kev said yesterday, it looks like Josh is in the Uk which is something his father didn’t tend to do unless for a specific purpose.
I’m certainly inclined to have more faith in the owners now, more than I did before.
Le Coq,
— “Bet the first question Josh asked Ornstein was…..”who we buying in the January window, David ?”
Brilliant!! 😳
A nice Post, Rico, thank you — now we need to put Josh through the same questions using a lie detector! 😜
Your question to me yesterday re FA/EPL and agents.
You are correct that following a scandal or two about agents paying naughty coaches, via brown paper bags, to clinch a transfer, and some agents representing both the club and the player there was a hue and cry, and strict rules were going to be applied by the FA, and then the Premier League — so it was quite a while ago.
Naturally, when agents’ lawyers started to get involved (Human Rights don’cha know) it seemed to fade away. Anyway, it would have needed very big paper bags to bribe anybody at today’s prices. 🤪
Well articulated Rico. Glad to hear him agree that trust is earned. Earning it is not in what we do occasionally, but consistency is key. We are not asking them to buy Messi, but only to be proactive and address the needs of the team. Not when for more than a decade we do not have decent defenders and the club will be dithering.
The current mood of arsenal fans is instructive of what they had always wanted – whether it is Kroenke or whoever buys the club, keep it competitive. Finally, his father was not nicknamed “silent Stan” for nothing. He kept everyone in the dark on his plans or lack of it for the club. Now that Stan urn is opening up, we will only watch and see if this is really a new Kroenke or a one off PR spin.
Stan urn.
Stan junior
Thanks Daniel, RA.
I’m rather inclined to believe Josh but of course, it’s early days and one good transfer window. The big question marks will be raised when/if there’s a need to change manager…
Morning All, nice post Rico, it’s still very much the current Arsenal news item as we can see with the fabricated headlines/stories on No News Now.
So in January we’ll see it the squad needs anything (injuries etc) but there was nothing definitive about entering the market, so all those reactive headlines on No News Now are just the usual bull shit on a website that’s creditably has plummeted in recent years, to a level where it’s just a parody of a news outlet…
The Mustafi rumours are so so depressing!
Thanks Kev. I didn’t read any comment suggesting players are signing in January either, or how much money we’ll have to spend. Funny that, eh…
Still, that doesn’t sell newspapers etc…
Nothing like the truth ruining a good story…
The Express, The Mail and the Mirror were running headlines that suggested that Josh had revealed the clubs intentions for January, but when has the club ‘ever’ revealed its plans in advance, so clearly click bait headlines there?
Of course No News Now isn’t going to reprimand the big hitters on its discredited site, so there ya go, Metro, Football.London and the Star have no doubt ran similar click baity headlines, I’m not really sure, but they usually do.
I’m beginning to worry that Mustafi is going to stay…
Monaco haven’t signed a centre back yet so we still have hope.
Maybe clubs are waiting until the last minute in the hope of Arsenal getting desperate and them getting a better deal, but if he stays, he stays, he can play with the Kids in the League Cup and UEFA Cup, just keep him away from the EPL squad…
According to Sky Sports the European transfer windows close as following on September 2nd;
Bundesliga…@5pm
Serie A………@7pm
Ligue Un……@11pm
La Liga……..@11pm
So there’s still a chance that Mustafi or Elneny etc will be moving on, but if they don’t then we may as well use them in the cups with Ozil…
Ha ha RA, would that be a Jeremy Kyle lie detector ?
What a load of poppycock Kev, he said nothing of the sort.
Still ten days for Mustafi to move.
If we don’t move Mustafi on this summer we might have to take a financial hit as his contract runs out in 2021, so it’s possible that he’s gonna sit tight and leave on a Bosman in two years time, with Elneny, his contract runs till 2022.
Surely he’ll want to play though rather than simply take the money…
Well the Josh Kroenke interview has really energised everyone, the fan base has been absolutely buzzing with enthusiasm…..zzzzzzzzz
Nketiah has scored the only goal in the Leeds/Brentford Championship match. He scored in the 81st minute just four minutes after coming on a s substitute.
Josh is sure getting his moneysworth out of his PR advisors. It all sounds pure bull shit to me, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Morning Rico and all. I’m not complaining. After years of Wenger at least Josh seems invested in moving the club forward. The summer buys seem good to me and the place seems to have a fresher feel to it.
Wow,
Eddie Nketiah cannot do much more.He scored after coming on as sub last night,He scored in the league cup last week,he even scored for Leeds U23s.
Leeds play with one striker,the main man is Patrick Bamford.To be fair he scored two himself at the weekend.
Maybe Bielsa will change the system.
Morning All,
Hi Limey,
I just saw your question regarding the sort of lie detector to use on Josh Kroenke.
I would not bother with the Jeremy Kyle version (sorry I do not know who he is), and instead I would employ the most reliable one available.
Simply stand in front of any football club owner — and if he moves his mouth — he’s lying.
A lovely morning here in Norfolk, sunny warm and dry, having cut the grass I settled in front of the telly to watch the cricket and what did I find? It’s raining in bloody Yorkshire!! 😠
Hi Rico
I have a feeling, no more than that, that Josh is becoming a genuine Gooner, which would be great news. – his father wasn’t.
Dream business for the January window – Ozil to DC and Cebalos signed permanently.
Eddie’s goal was a tap-in, all the best strikers get tap-ins.
Brian
Afternoon House Mates,
Very good RA – spot on. Us football fans are a cynical bunch.
Jeremy Kyle was just a low grade TV presenter in the UK, notorious for innacurate lie detector’s.
Hi Adam, Brian, all.
I agree Adam, summer signings very good, Josh sounds really positive and all seems to be heading in a much better direction.
There’ll always be sceptics as far as the Kroenke family goes but I like what Josh is saying and doing. We seem a much better club now the stench of Wenger and Gazidis has gone.
He certainly comes across as caring about Arsenal Brian.
The perfect January would see Mustafi, Ozil and Mkhitaryan gone. Elneny too although I’m not as fussed about him as he’s a steady Eddie.
Ceballos signed up and a midfield beast and happy days I reckon. 😆
All rise for Sir Jofra Archer OBE
😂😂
He’s something else Kev.
Yep, Archer’s something else alright-he’s West Indian 🙂 🙂
Morning all.
One hell of a bowler already but what is it with our Batsmen?
Talk about collapses-we can certainly find one and too many are getting out from half hearted prods at the ball.
Rather seem them have a crack and at least go down fighting ffs.
Still, we have a decent enough attack and can do plenty of damage.
Stan has been the target of abuse and criticism for years, not Josh who flew under the radar but it seems he’s really stepping up and as far as I’m concerned, Stan can stay on his ranch and leave us alone.
Emery has told Mustafi and Elneny that they have no future at Arsenal and should find other clubs. From this morning’s Telegraph.
I guess Cricket Australia missed a chance to sign Archer when he was playing for Hobart Hurricanes.
6 for 48. The greatest Archer since Robin Hood!!! 😉
Morning all
New post up now