Time to move on?

Morning all.

Without the promise of big money, what is the point in Stan Kroenke keeping hold of Arsenal football club? There isn’t one in my opinion. The Arsenal squad needs investment ploughed into it but unless we win the Europa League, funds are bound to be limited. I’m not sure where the game is as far as FFP goes but even if restrictions are relaxed this summer as they were last, Kroenke is unlikely to go from trying to make a quick couple of hundred million dollars to spending millions on players. He’s probably sat at home crying into his cornflakes as by now he’ll realise he’s probably disliked by a vast amount of Arsenal fans, the media and in all likelihood, the players too. We’re a week away from a Europa Cup semi-final first leg and all Kroenke has done is cheese everyone off. Great.

For the good of Arsenal FC, Stan Kroenke should do the right thing and put the club up for sale because only ever be seen as the man who was prepared to sell Arsenal’s soul for money. Hopefully, protests planned for tomorrow evening are well attended, safely of course, and the American gets the message. ‘We don’t want him at our club’.

According to The Mirror, Vinai Venkatesham had the task of addressing Mikel Arteta, the coaching team and the players before yesterday’s training where he had to apologise for the clubs actions in relation to the Super League. True or not I don’t know but if it is, I strongly suspect that no one was particularly happy about the direction Stan Kroenke wanted to take the club. After all, it’s the player who might have been banned from playing for their respective countries, the Europa Cup and possibly the Premier League too, the very competition they moved to Arsenal to play in. It should have been Stan or Josh Kroenke dishing out the apologies, not Vinai, not unless he was all for the Super League too. If he was, he’s just as bad as the Americans.

Football needs to put this sorry affair behind it for the sake of the game but that’s easier to say than do as Perez continues to suggest the Super League could still go ahead and that clubs had signed a contract to be part of it.

But Mikel Arteta and his players need to try and move on because tomorrow night we play Everton. Aubameyang and Lacazette are ruled out as is Tierney and Luiz. Odegaard faces a late fitness test but everyone else is fit.

Right now though I’m not sure what’s more interesting, the match or the expected protest against Stan Kroenke before the game.

See you in the comments.

 

 

 

 

 

36 thoughts on “Time to move on?

  1. ScottfromOz says:

    Morning Rico and all.
    Now what about this scenario?
    Stan feels so guilty and/or hated, but doesn’t want to sell so sees one way of appealing fans-SPENDING.
    Nah, who am I kidding?
    Sell, ya bastard 🙂

  2. rico says:

    Morning Scott, all.

    Unless FFP is relaxed, he can’t spend big Scott. The only way to generate funds is by selling or winning the Europa Cup.

  3. Cicero says:

    Good morning Rico, Scott.

    Those who would have been left behind by the ESL, the rump of the Premiership, the Premiership authorities and the Football Association, will be looking to punish the “Big Six” for having the, misguided, temerity to leave for supposedly greener fields elsewhere.

    Before issuing threats of reprisals they must ensure that it is the perpetrators i.e., the owners who are punished and not the completely innocent fans and supporters of those clubs involved.

  4. ScottfromOz says:

    Cicero, I’d include the players and managers in your list as well.
    Gee, this arrogant handful really didn’t think this through at all.
    Rico, let’s win it then 😉

  5. Devilgunner says:

    Good morning Rico and all.

    Unless FFP is relaxed he can’t spend big……is the reason Arsenal (I feel) use only to their advantage. Because dont tell me that City and Chelsea and Man Utd plus Barca and Real spend according to FFP and what they earn. How come these clubs have more spending power? The truth is we have a billionaire as much as Chavs and city. Yet they get players, we shop in bargain basements.

    Yes its true that winning cups generate money but even when they dont win those clubs seem to generate money as well. And we have the highest paid seats in the EPL (obviously not in the pandemic). Plus a 61K stadium. and a world wide fanbase.

    So where is the money going??

    Or more importantly…where is the money coming from for PSG, Barca, Real, City etc?
    .

  6. Aussie Geoff says:

    Hi Rico and all Well said Rico, Stan is the owner he should have got the whole board and anyone else who new about it together and face all the coaching staff and players to apologise and then make a video for the Arsenal FC site to say sorry too the fans and members.
    But to get Vinai to say sorry just show’s how much he disrespects the club and it’s members and fans Stan, Must sell the club and the owner must sack the board

  7. Sheila says:

    I keep reading that the PL clubs now want the 6 clubs to be punished , hearing an 8 points penalty, how likely do you think this will happen. All the top 6 representatives at the PL have been sacked from their positions, so will have no say in it

  8. Aussie Geoff says:

    Devil I maybe wrong but I think a lot of the money is used to pay Stan back for the stadium loan. I still believe we can get Stan to put more money into the club by simply have him get one of his companies to sponsor the club I would suggest maybe KSE sponsor all our toilet blocks

  9. Cicero says:

    Amid all the abject apologies, the crocodile tears and self-serving statements from the boards and CEOs of the “Big Six” clubs it’s hard to discern which is genuine contrition and which is cynical PR speak.

    The greatest example of such an “apology” came at a disciplinary hearing before the FA. A prominent player was up on a charge for an infamous incident in a football match. His statement went as follows:- “I would like to apologise to Manchester United, Maurice Watkins and Alex Ferguson. I like to apologise to my team-mates. I want to apologise to the FA and I would like to apologise to the prostitute who shared my bed last night”.

    Quiz Question, who was the footballer and what was the incident referred to.

  10. Aussie Geoff says:

    Hi Sheila I don’t think the premier league will take any points off any club involved.
    if anything they may ban all clubs from selling, buying or loaning players at the next transfer market but I still don’t think they will do that.

  11. Wavy says:

    How do you hurt a billionaire owner who was part of a soccer coup?
    Answer, hit where it hurts, in his or rather the club’s pocket.
    How? Nan the errant clubs from playing in any UEFA or FIFA organised competitions for, shall we say 5 years, similar to Liverpool years ago. There is some logic in this suggestion in that they tried to form an exlusive money making tree instant karma, cut off the stream that maximises their money making abilities.

    Don’t be too surprised if the punishment is draconian. There will be much crying and knashing of teeth but UEFA will get their revenge and pose a warning to any other would be dissenters and upstarts.

    Grossly unfair on the players and staff but they just become collateral damage in the avenging of a wrong attested insurrection.

    What ever punishment that is eventually meted out to the tatting twelve they will fully deserve it. And sadly we the fans will just have to suck it up.

  12. rico says:

    Morning Devil, haven’t some of those clubs been penalised for overspending?

    Our problem imo, has always been a big squad on far too high wages which to be fair to the club, is now being reduced. We’ve had too many players who aren’t good enough being paid and big contracts given to players who probably should have been sold.

    We’ve also be dreadful as a club for managing contracts, allowing players to leave for free and losing out on transfer fees. Had better player management been applied, the club would be far better off financially than it is right now.

  13. rico says:

    Hi Geoff.

    Wavy, I can’t see much punishment being handed out if any but only because of the overseas clubs involved. Barca usually get away most things, Real too and here in the uk, Liverpool, Man City and Utd can’t seem to do a lot wrong either.

  14. rico says:

    In an open letter, the Arsenal board told supporters that “we made a mistake, and we apologise for it”, and when asked if the same message had been passed on to him, Arteta said: “Yes, starting from Vinai, the ownership and everybody that is involved in the process.

    “All of them with the right intentions to defend the club, and put the club in the best possible position for now and for the future. But accepting that the way it’s been handled has had terrible consequences and that it was a mistake.

    “I have to really respect that when people have genuine intentions to do the best for this football club but, if it’s not the right thing to do, they can apologise. I think the players, staff and everybody working at the club has to accept that and move on.”

    Arteta was then asked whether Kroenke – or his son Josh Kroenke, who is a director at Arsenal – had directly apologised to him, and the head coach said: “Yes, absolutely.

  15. Wavy says:

    I’m not so sure Rico. There were some seriously pissed off senior euro moguls who I believe would be only too happy to punish the over successful English clubs. Sadly we have upset too many of our euro ex partners already, so any excuse to lay into the brits is a good excuse.
    Still we’ll see. I hope I’m wrong but I won’t be surprised if I’m not.

    A very sorry episode.

  16. Cicero says:

    Wavy, that Liverpool ban was not for anything the club did. It was for the actions of their fans. An entirely different scenario to this weeks fiasco. Why should any fan be penalised for the actions of foreign billionaires?

  17. Aussie Geoff says:

    Devil in-regards to Rangers and Celtic I would ask 2 questions to the premier league
    1 = will their fans get on with the English fans or will the fans wind up fighting.
    2= If we bring them straight into the premier league would it be fare on the teams in first division trying to qualify to go up to the premier league.

    If the people in charge want to help teams like rangers ect then maybe make it the 2 top teams in say the Scottish league home and away season qualify for the FA Cup Play off rounds the next season.

  18. Cicero says:

    DG, Rangers and Celtic have been trying to weasel their way into English football since the second half of the last century.

    Whatever reasons they have given for inclusion in both the old 1st division and now the Premiership we all know the true answer is money. The Scottish leagues are virtually bankrupt. The only matches that attract large tv audiences are the Old Firm Derbies.

    From what I have seen of Scottish football the two Glasgow sides would struggle to survive in the Championship let alone the Premiership.

    If they were admitted to the English Football League it would have to be at the lowest level, would they be prepared to work their way up through the various stages?

    If the Sturgeon woman gets her way Rangers and Celtic would be excluded from English football as they will be treated as from a foreign country.

  19. allezkev says:

    Hi Rico, thanks for the post, as far as investment goes it’s not a case of how much, it’s more a case of how it’s spent as it’s not been spent very wisely for most of the last 5 years or so.

    I mean how much of a plan have we had in the last 10 years.

    Remember when we were crying out for a centre half just before Mertesaker and Koscielny and Squillaci were signed? But no, those in charge knew best.

    Then there was the goalkeeper situation, which hasn’t really been adequately solved since David Seaman left, with the exception of Lehman and we’ve still got issues in that position.

    Who could ever forget a few years ago when we badly needed a quality striker and that summer we went for two top top goal scorers in Higuain and Suarez and ended up with Ozil……

    Even when we signed Lacazette and Aubameyang was there actually a plan?

    So yeah investment is important but intelligent squad building is paramount.

  20. allezkev says:

    Cicero, by bringing Rangers and Celtic into a British Premier League you would cut Sturgeon off at the pass. A lot of Scottish Nationalists would suddenly change tact if they thought their clubs could be in the big league with the big bucks.

  21. Cicero says:

    Yes Kev, but think of all those poor Scottish football supporters left with a rag tag bunch of second rate clubs as well as a second rate Scottish government.

  22. rico says:

    Hi Kev. As you know, I totally agree with you re recruitment, spending and the type of players we signed. As said earlier too, the contract situation has been awful over the last 10/15 years.

    And people wonder why the club is hard up.

  23. Wavy says:

    You’ve got it wrong Kev you’re thinking of naan, lovely with a ruby. Nan is quite a different affair and is usually small and comes with a permed purple rinse👩‍🎤

  24. ScottfromOz says:

    Swansea and Cardiff aren’t English clubs.
    Just saying.
    Morning all.
    Kev, our player purchases have definitely been a case of whoever is available, at times, and to be fair, the lack of money didn’t help the situation but Arteta won’t be picking up the dregs, he will bring in the type of players he wants.
    The only way the Scottish clubs could be integrated would be to stray them in the Championship and make them earn their spot in the PL.

  25. Cicero says:

    Welsh clubs have always played in the English leagues, I don’t believe that they have a professional league of their own.

  26. ScottfromOz says:

    Cicero, I know, but I don’t get the argument that Rangers and Celtic should not be the English league because they’re not English.
    Some feel that way.
    To be fair, it’s not something I’ve thought about, but I see some positives.

  27. Aussie Geoff says:

    I don’t care were any club is based however if the premier league want to strengthen it’s league all new clubs should start of in first or second division and work their way up not just walk in.

  28. potter says:

    At the inception of the Premier League ( Premiership ) the premise was to reduce the number of games by having 18 teams instead of 22 in the old first division . They were forced to compromise on 20 so adding a further two would create either a situation where two extra teams would have to drop out or they go back to 22.

    if two extra drop out from Premier then extras would have to drop from the other leagues and at the very end two more drop out of the league altogether.

    I can’t see the chairmen of the other 72 clubs going for it or the ones forced to drop down for that matter.

  29. potter says:

    I think the global fan wants to see Arsenal vs Barcelona regularly, as much as possible.”

    “I think the European fan wants to see more big matches between top clubs because their domestic league is so predictable.”

    So says Josh Kroenke , totally missing the point . The clues in his statement comes from 2 words , Global and European . Any thought of domestic football is long gone . To him and the other American owners it is of no importance other than to supply players for their elite league just as the colleges bring forth the players to be drafted into the NFL ,

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