Daniel Jones
All that matters is that we picked up three points against Blackpool. It was our first Premier League victory since we beat Stoke 1-0 on February 23rd 2011. Since then, we’ve gone out of three cup competitions and lost ground on leaders Manchester United. I’m hoping that Sunday’s result will remind the players of that ‘winning feeling’, which will ultimately spur us on to win on a consistent basis. We have seven games left. If we win them all, we’ve got a real chance of becoming champions. However, we must take one game at a time. Every game is now a cup final.
At the end of the game Arsene was asked about maintaining this intensity for the remainder of the season. He said; ‘I think we can maintain this intensity. We now have a rest, then we play on Sunday and then Tottenham the Wednesday after. We know that we have to give 100 per cent in every game’. I just hope the players do give 100% and show more urgency than they did last week against Blackburn.
I thought we deserved the three points, despite the fact that Blackpool should have been awarded two penalties, because of the rash and late challenges from Koscielny, one in each half. We had flair going forward. Fabregas was instrumental. Wilshere was unsurprisingly full of energy and Diaby played the best I’ve seen him play for some time. Van Persie missed a few half-chances but got the goal he deserved come the end of the game. I also felt more comfortable with Lehmann in goal and he made a good save late in the game.
There you go. We were all set up for an enjoyable week, on the back of our first victory in nearly two months. But then, there’s never a dull moment supporting this football club and soon after the game it came to light that Stan Kroenke is poised to launch a full takeover at Arsenal after agreeing deals to buy shares owned by Danny Fiszman and Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith. Why is this happening now? Can it not wait until the end of the season? We were aware of some discussions in the boardroom after the Blackburn game, but the last thing we want is for the players and manager to become unsettled because of the affairs within the club. The board should have waited until the end of the season. In most cases, the mood in the boardroom stems down through to the team. Will Arsene feel under more pressure because the board is now inviting Kroenke to spend his millions on players to boost the strength of the squad? Does this undermine Arsene’s philosophy? Again I emphasize, at least make this decision until after the season.
The thing is, we are all frustrated that Arsene hasn’t bought a goalkeeper, a centre back and a holding midfielder etc. However, he has been instrumental in our clubs development over the last decade and when our stadium is finally paid off in eighteen months time; we have money to spend of our own. Since Arsene has relied on bringing youngsters through instead of spending money, we’ve consistently finished in the top four, which secures a healthy amount of Champions League revenue and we have challenged for honours, even though we’ve lacked that cutting edge to win something. Is it really that much of a disaster to be throwing our toys out of the pram? I don’t think so. Since 2006 we’ve moved stadiums and in two season’s time, we’ll have money to spend on transfers with the money we’ve been giving to the bank in order to pay off our stadium debt. At least, that’s what would have happened if it wasn’t for Kroenke’s takeover bid.
I’m angry that the ‘takeover’ is being discussed now, just after we beat Blackpool to keep our ‘title hopes’ alive. We should have at least played our remaining seven games before the board made such a decision. Have the board allowed Kroenke to takeover the club, to block Alisher Usmanov’s attempt of buying the club? So many questions, with so few answers at this stage.
Anyhow, the American businessman already owns 29.9% of the club and if Kroenke is to acquire the 16.1% owned by Fiszman and the 15.9% owned by Lady Nina, it would give him 62% and control of Arsenal. It’s now inevitable this will happen. Arsenal is therefore the last of the ‘bigger’ Premier League clubs to have foreign ownership.
Personally, I’m not happy. I have faith in Arsene Wenger. I can see his long-term plan for the club that will benefit this club for years to come. When the stadium is paid for, we’ll have more than enough money spare to buy ‘world-class’ players to boost the strength of our squad. I love the principles of Arsenal Football Club and I think if Kroenke takes control of the club, he will put all of Arsene’s hard work into jeopardy. UEFA describe Arsenal as the example for other clubs to follow for financial fair play. Some Premier League clubs are at serious financial risk and will forever rely on rich foreign owners and banks to bail them out. For me it’s not about winning, it’s the pursuit of winning that matters.
My opinion hasn’t changed about British shareholders and foreign owners. I refer to my own article from ‘The Gooner’ in May 2009:
‘I can’t emphasise this point enough; if Usmanov (or another foreign owner) takes over our club, we will no longer be a football club, just another worldwide franchise like Man Utd and Chelsea where cash is thrown in every direction, causing debt to rise and the loss of history. I promise if that day comes, I will no longer support this club, as my support and passion would have died along with Arsenal Football Club’.
This is what scares me. That day has come or is at least looming. Do I keep to my promise? Will I find it difficult to ‘unfollow’ the club I love? The club that possesses the way I live, act, think and breathe. You may question my loyalty to Arsenal, but I’m a great believer of principle. Why should I spend over £900 per year on a season ticket when that money is worth nothing to the owner of a football club? Where that owner has an unlimited pot full of cash, where to me that £900 is nearly a month’s wages. My money that I spend on tickets and merchandise is ‘dead money’ to a football club that has an unlimited cash injection every transfer window. The players will also be paid double to what they are now, which entitled one to question whether they are playing for the red and white shirt or their pay cheque. I use Man City as a fine example.
However, there is no guarantee that Arsenal are heading in that direction and my point of view could be interpreted as a bit drastic. The AST (Arsenal Supporters Trust) released a statement last year, which said;
‘The AST has a good relationship with both Stan Kroenke and members of his team at Kroenke Sports Enterprises (KSE). We have stressed to them the importance of custodianship and that the club will be stronger if it has supporters directly involved in its ownership model. While we cannot vouch for their future actions we are encouraged that they have said they see the AST having an important role to play at Arsenal’.
At least Kroenke has an understanding about AST’s priorities, which means he hopefully won’t be rushed into making decisions without consulting the rest of the board and the fans. However, it concerns me that it’s only a matter of time before Kroenke will have full control over our football club and at the end of the day, he can do what he wants! He can treat Arsenal football club like a game because he can afford to. This is our club. I’ve been in love with my club since I was eight years old, and so was my Dad. How long has Kroenke been in love with this football club?
There is a split of fans that watch Arsenal. One set backs Arsene Wenger whatever the circumstances. The other wants chops and changes as soon as bad results accumulate. The latter I’d imagine is in favour of the takeover. But I ask you this; ‘Is that what you really want?’ I ask, ‘Is this the beginning of a new era or the end of what we know as ‘Arsenal Football Club?’
