Kevin Whitcher
Firstly, let me state that Ivan Gazidis is relatively powerless when it comes to turning Arsenal’s fortunes around. Stan Kroenke effectively owns the club and is very happy to let Arsène Wenger have the complete control he enjoys at Arsenal without significant board involvement. When facing Arsenal supporters as Gazidis did last night, he is effectively a stooge. A highly paid one, but a stooge nevertheless. He can work away in certain areas – some of which bring financial benefit to the club, but if he spots something the manager is doing that needs changing, Wenger is not interested. This is a consequence of the manager picking his own boss. He is only answerable to Denver, and Stan Kroenke is perfectly content with what Wenger is delivering in business terms. And make no mistake, Arsenal is a business more than a sporting concern in the eyes of the majority shareholder.
There is no compulsion for Gazidis to answer to supporters. Events such as yesterday evening’s Q&A at the stadium are held because of the relatively healthy relationship between the club’s board and executive team and the various supporters groups. Gazidis spoke about the importance of interaction and difficult questions. A consummate politician, at no point was he uncomfortable with the questioning from the assembled audience. The session finished at 8.40, but he remained for a further 30 minutes to discuss minus a microphone with those that gathered around him. It was a bit of a rugby scrum, so I can’t report on what was said there, although I got the feeling the challenges were more interesting.
However, with ten minutes wasted at the beginning of the event with a video of last season’s main moments, and certain long-winded answers, there was a feeling of the CEO keeping a metaphorical ball near the corner flag to eat up the clock during the hour of questions that I assume will be available to view on arsenal.com at some future point.
The main thing that came out of the evening for this observer was Gazidis’ total faith in UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules. The clubs all want it, he told us, feeding back his views as a member of the working group that developed the FFP proposals. The problem here is plain naivety. Yes, Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid will pay lip service to FFP, but actions speak louder than words. The supposed sanctions that are to be applied to transgressors by UEFA will be typically insignificant. UEFA cannot make as much money without the top clubs involvement, however they are funded. Already, everyone has more or less given up on FFP, except Ivan Gazidis.
One assumes, he is not actually this naïve, and that he is covering for his owner. Kroenke does not want to fight fire with fire by investing into the club rather than its shares, so – as money from China, the Middle East and Russia gradually buys up more Premier League clubs, Arsenal will be left as a team with high principles and no trophies. The business model was fine when the new stadium was planned back at the turn of the century, but Roman Abramovich changed the stakes in England, and the Gunners have struggled ever since, the title in 2004 and the FA Cup in 2005 secured before the pattern of 3rd and 4th place finishes became the norm. Manchester United kept up due to a mixture of commercial nous and a quality manager who could adapt and change enough to meet the new challenge. Now Manchester City have bought their way into the party.
Gazidis admitted the lessons of last summer were to do business early, and not leave things until the last minute. And he is paid £2 million a year to learn a lesson pretty much any supporter could have told him on June 1st 2011. Poor show. “You can accuse us of being incompetent,” he said at one point, “but do not accuse us of not caring.” Nice to know they feel bad about their incompetence at least. That really softens the blow. Robin van Persie has agreed not to go public on the fact he will be playing elsewhere next season, although Gazidis worded it slightly differently.
Regards overpaying potential in terms of wages, the way Arsenal operate means they have to take more risks on young players. It is a consequence of a strategic business model that continues to be based around youth. But the problem with this – as far as this observer is concerned – is that although the value of certain of these players will grow to deliver decent profit when the best ones (habitually) move on, it disadvantages the club in terms of its ability to win trophies. And fans are more interested in trophies than a healthy profit and loss sheet. Just ask Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Regarding any chance of Alisher Usmanov getting board representation, “The board are long term fans of the football club. Regarding any further additions – we do not disturb unity or create conflict. This is the critical issue going forward.” So no rocking the boat by the Uzbek who may see trophies as more of a priority. A cosy atmosphere in the boardroom is so much more important. I despair.
As for players such as RVP and Walcott being allowed to get within a year of their contract ending, “If Arsenal allow players to renew too early they are not operating efficiently”. In other words – we do not want to pay these guys more than we have to and will take the chance on them leaving – because if they do – we will get good money for them.
Gazidis gave the usual guff about sharing our frustrations, but asked us to understand the journey the club is taking. He is optimistic about the future, but, “I acknowledge it will be a bumpy ride along the way.”
So more of the same for at least a couple more seasons then. And if I were a betting man, I would be very surprised if Wenger were not offered a three year extension in the summer of 2013. Still, every other club in the world admires the way Arsenal conduct their business. Shame there isn’t a trophy for that…
