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1. itsRonagain2

   Jul 17, 2019, 14:01 #114410

   AM - Yr right about Kos. We often see players who arent so clever at defending but use pace to cover their errors. It lasts for a few years till the pace drops. Kolo Toure was one. Des Walker was another prime example. Stones too, though he s way over rated in my view. Ferdinand at Utd was a good player but mainly it was his speed of recovery that made him effective. Hansen at Liverpool was no great tackler but his was quick and very intelligent at football. Loads of them down the years. The trouble today is the level of defensive acumen is poor and many players dont want to defend. The age of TV football has made it an objective to have goal fests and all for the cameras and TV companies. The forwards have benefited. Many of these so called great forwards, esp in that PL wouldn't have scored the goals yrs back that they do now when defenders were smarter. Add to that the cheating, the diving and the sheer number of stupid unmerited penalties given and its all added up to defenders actually being frightened to defend properly and the standard has plummeted. Football is a bit of a joke sport now really as i see it, yet its hardly worth laughing at. We live in age when average performers Pogba, Neymar and Kane are deemed the games elite. What an absolute f-----g travesty. None would have played much 30 years ago.

2. Cyril

   Jul 17, 2019, 11:14 #114409

   Colonel Blimp- see my previous post. If josh can’t be bothered to wear an Arsenal shirt and is provocative enough to wear a sports top - he knows exactly what he is doing. Yet, we are all supposed to go out and purchase this year’s top - eh!!!

3. markymark

   Jul 17, 2019, 7:37 #114408

   If I remember right. It was Tony after a bad defeat to Blackburn ( think I was there ) who called a player meeting and demanded Petit and Vieira shielded the defence. Both midfielders had the sporting intelligence to do it. Without that we’d have never had the invisibles. Soon as that message was lost Wenger reverted to type and worryingly under Unai it’s still happening

4. ArsenalMagna

   Jul 17, 2019, 0:26 #114407

   *by static I mean they have to keep in line with the rest of the back four/five - obviously they should move back as one if being countered

5. ArsenalMagna

   Jul 17, 2019, 0:20 #114406

   Interesting points Ron: very true that the defence has not been seen by the team as part of a collective responsibility. The high line only works if the rest of the team presses well or drops off as one quickly. We've also been so vulnerable on the counter for such a long time now, very un-Arsenal! I played in a few different positions for clubs/at school when I was younger, and when I played CB I was appalled when left unprotected by CMs on the counter. You're more qualified to say than me, but I feel like the back line has to be pretty static when being countered, so can potentially do a lot wrong in failing on that front, but not as much 'right', as it were. The midfield/wingers are the only section that can be 'flexible' in defence, and yet we haven't seen that recognition since the Invincibles era. I actually think that's how Kos got his good rep amongst most fans - using his pace to cover us being needlessly caught in behind can look pretty heroic, can't it? I think most would happy to see a long term project with youth players, even if, as you say, they get a few thrashings. I particularly dislike the modern fan expecting instant success all the time, not all helped by the media ready to decry 'CRISIS' when a handful of results go against any team. The truth is that most experiments in football, big or small, need to be thought of in months or years, but usually we'll only see tinkering for a week or two at best...

6. shu

   Jul 16, 2019, 20:55 #114405

   So Josh Kroenke has come out and sai£ be excited , he is the one to target via social media as I thought it was going to be him running Arsenal , so he must have Facebook , Twitter , Instagram etc

7. shu

   Jul 16, 2019, 20:55 #114404

   So Josh Kroenke has come out and sai£ be excited , he is the one to target via social media as I thought it was going to be him running Arsenal , so he must have Facebook , Twitter , Instagram etc

8. CORNISH GOONER

   Jul 16, 2019, 20:08 #114403

   Panic over, every little thing is OK as The Krankies have said they are fully committed ( they should be by the men in white coats) & all the Club needs at the moment is stability! The full statement is in the Trump class for spin & delusion - how long have they owned AFC now? As to transfers can someone explain why we are still in an on/off situation with Celtic for the lad who, as I understand, has a double injury & is clearly not going to be available at the start of the season. And "The Greek Boy" is injured again - what the hell is going on?

9. Reddragon

   Jul 16, 2019, 20:08 #114402

   I agree with Ron that the lack of defensive coaching since we had properly coached defenders like Adams, Campbell and Keone, who all new how to defend and organise defenders around them.Oh for the days when we scored first and you knew, more often than not, we would go on to win the game. I'm not advocating a complete return to the 1-0 to the Arsenal days as we all enjoy seeing controlled attacking football, but with a well coached defence to protect hard won leads in games. This headless chicken style of defending is agony to watch. How many games have we taken the lead in and then thrown it away with comical defending. Mustafi is a world cup winning defender but I've seen better centre halves playing for Sunday league teams !! Surely he's coached when he links up with the German squad. Great sides all know how to defend and do the hard work when required. Barcelona, Real Madrid, juventus all coached properly defensively without sacrificing attacking flair.

10. TonyEvans

    Jul 16, 2019, 16:51 #114401

    Mark - agree Gazidis must take his share of the blame. I just kept my percentages simple! I don’t think anyone of influence associated with the club (and that includes the former owners / directors who sold Arsenal down the river) over the last 10 to 15 years come out with much, if any, credit.

11. markymark

    Jul 16, 2019, 14:20 #114400

    Tony Evans - it’s a hard call on Kroenke . I think we can hold him overall blame as he is overall owner with seemingly little interest. What very minor faith I had in Josh has been wiped by his wondering around in LA Rams gear at an Arsenal training ground gathering. That’s a real PR blunder . Shows out worth in how little he though things through. You left one guy out of this and that’s Ivan. He really cocked up Ozil and Sanchez plus his frugal keeping money by when we were on an asset boom in football was very poor. The state we are in up to very recently ( no asset growth to drive transfers ) is Ivan and due to parsimony Wenger. Guen , Torreira, Leno all have asset growth with potential for 150m asset growth across our youth . So at least we are recovering, though very late to the party.

12. TonyEvans

    Jul 16, 2019, 12:41 #114399

    With regards as to where the blame lies with Arsenal's downward spiral - I would say when Wenger was at the helm roughly 70% Wenger, 30% Kronke; and now, 70% Kronke, 30% Emery! I really have my doubts Emery is the man to take us forward, based on his first season. As Ron says he appears to have bought into Wenger's open game philosophy far too much, and defensively we are still all over the place. I yearn for the day an Arsenal side once again steps on to the pitch and bosses a game for the whole 90 minutes, with 'proper' defending and not being 'bullied' out of it.

13. itsRonagain2

    Jul 16, 2019, 10:31 #114398

    AM - Agree wit you that many defenders at Arsenal have been made to look like donkeys this last 12 years because of being exposed and for lack of coaching. Schoolboy centre half's are taught how to fill in for full backs when they overlap as are centre midfield players who are the main players to cover an advanced full back. Its not hard to learn but it calls for discipline and AFC have had none for years. The attackers, middle men and defenders under Wengo never recognised their roles in supporting each other, they just saw defending as what defenders did etc etc. We still play like it! As for kids, its takes a brave Coach and a good owner to put a raft of kids in and allow them to develop. The coach has to know his owner will stick by him and accept a few thrashings. How many do these days? I think until Arsenal rid themselves of this daft notion that they have to play beautiful football (is there such a thing?) then we ll not progress. Its a hangover from the Wengo better years and i think Dick has fallen into the trap of thinking hes got to emulate it. Reality is that even Wengos teams only played scintillating football for at most, 3 of his 22 years but the culture and his legacy has permeated the club to a silly extent. Im all for going back to disciplined football with the emphasis on defence. All the best teams do it. Pep even does it as does Klopp and the great European teams down the decades did too. Wengo made football a difficult game in my book when in fact its simple as long as players can understand each others roles. As far as centre backs go and guys like Mustafi, if hes asked to push high up the pitch at the same time as both or just 1 of the full backs go, its not rocket science for the other teams to put balls over the top forcing him to turn and chase back time and time again. Its when they do that hes scrambling and at desperation point hence lunging tackles. Kos too. Ive never rated Kos but its his exposure thats made him only 50 % effective so often down the years. The lack of skills on high balls is just because we have defenders who cant jump and are too physically weak as i see it down the years. Its ever likely nearly all of our keepers since Seaman have looked dodgy. They've been exposed as much as the defenders.

14. Colonel Blimp

    Jul 16, 2019, 10:01 #114397

    The new away kit is out today! Yippee, and it's yours for a very reasonable 60 notes. Got a feeling there might a few making their way to the bargain bins.

15. markymark

    Jul 15, 2019, 23:10 #114396

    I think it’s s great idea to get the major social media blogs behind it. However not everyone wants to deal with twitter. I personally don’t need it in my life. Question is, are there any other methods of joining the campaign? I’ve heard 35,000 have joined so far but I reckon it could be good for 250,000 plus if links are easily accessible and multi platform options are available

16. Exiled in Pt

    Jul 15, 2019, 22:21 #114395

    Seriously if these people all mean what they say , let's see all season ticket holders all real supporters that have purchased a ticket for the first game walk out after 15 minutes or even at half time. The only way to show the support of this movement is by something the media will run with. If there is mass exodus during the first game it will show real support for change. If it continues at the next home game the board will start to panic. Boycotting the home games will have an affect this is the only way we will see change. Otherwise like the silly you tube channel AFTV, they will say it whilst following every pointless friendly wearing the latest club shirt.... Either we want change or we accept what we are a money cow for a wank yank who couldn't give a shit. Tell you now we still won't see a team of kids so we might as well forget that one. We will carry on regardless with waste of money signings and Johnny foreigners wannabees that never where and never will be... Whilst are talented youth get loaned out....Just one last dig at the great new set up, we get Edu whilst the man we should of got Overmars says he can't understand Arsenal not getting rid of Ozil and taking up the option of Ziyech for 35mill, look at his stats over the last couple of years at Ajax... What a crock of shit we have become..

17. Pauljames

    Jul 15, 2019, 20:59 #114394

    Thanks to everybody involved with releasing this statement, I’m in agreement 100%. The club is not punching its weight right now, and that’s the bottom line .

18. markymark

    Jul 15, 2019, 20:01 #114393

    Don Howe - thousands stand at Bundesliga games every week along with thousands at gigs in the YJ every week. Standing is not necessarily unsafe. It would be relatively simple to arrange standing season tickets at around 5k capacity or as we have a very well organised silver / red membership easy to manage and they know a fair bit about us due to MI stats. Therefore they have less nutters to worry about. Barriers stopping free movement of supporters and funnelling too many supporters though one entry point was the fatal error at Hillsborough. We should also allow beer as well.

19. CORNISH GOONER

    Jul 15, 2019, 19:55 #114392

    Very depressing where the Club is right now & the comments below are, as expected, right on the money. But is there an easy solution to the problem that is Stanley? What we need is our own version of the EXTINCTION REBELLION Movement so brilliantly executed by the youngsters in the major cities. Just surround that damned stadium & stop the Tourists & johnny come lately people from getting into the ground. The Extinction of Arsenal - a peaceful protest & top sports story on all TV channels. SIMPLES!!

20. ArsenalMagna

    Jul 15, 2019, 18:20 #114391

    Ron - Appreciate that you see the value of my assessment, esp. as you're the poster with the most technical knowledge of football on this site. I suppose there is leeway for arguing that Wenger couldn't control salaries - they are, after all, still inflated even in his absence. Still, I think - even that permitting - his bad coaching was the biggest factor in our failure for that time, and thereby since. Re: the memoirs point by the way - I never trust them anymore having seen too many contrived ones whilst studying history; they're generally exercises in personal reputation protection based on a contrived reading of the past. Given that we're likely stuck with Stan for a few more years anyway, I was really interested in your post the other day (which I agreed with) re: playing youngsters with heart, remoulding club culture and ditching the EL and League Cup. Appreciate what you say about us ending up mid-table maybe serving as a good wake up call, but do you rate the crop of youngsters as good enough to maybe grab a top 4 place with a different system? Maybe something more counterattacking based? I'm not as good on tactics as you, but we seem to be going really wrong away from home, esp. in terms of needlessly bombing on full backs, not transitioning quickly enough, not handling aerial pressure etc.? Do you think our defenders, even Mustafi, look a lot worse than they are because they don't get protected properly?

21. itsRonagain2

    Jul 15, 2019, 17:19 #114390

    AM - I hear you matey and you make great points as ever re his coaching or shall i say, the sheer and clear lack of any! Ive just never quite been able to accept that Wengos say so on salaries was as absolute as we might easily think. He was at the end of the day, just an employee albeit a very cosseted one and would have his views im sure, but the money men must have had the final say surely? You're bang on about his rubbish selection on many transfers of course. The club has actually spent a lot down the years and he often really did miss out on better than he actually bought. It ll be good to read his memoirs when he finally breaks his silence on things though ive no doubt that he ll have been tied down to a strict confidentiality clause as part of his severance, though with Arsenal they perhaps forgot to insert one!.

22. Exiled in Pt

    Jul 15, 2019, 17:03 #114389

    Saturday 17th of August first home game against Burnley lets have a mass walk out after 15 minutes everyone that backs this action get up and leave the ground . Or just boycott this game if people really want to make a stand against the owner , nothing will bring more attention to the cause than the first home game of the season . Unfortunately i believe the majority that will have signed this letter will still attend the game and that is where the problem will not improve. Action outside the ground barely gets taken serious a mass walk out would have the media all over it and i think the game is on sky also ..

23. ArsenalMagna

    Jul 15, 2019, 16:45 #114388

    Have to disagree with you Ron re: Wenger - he is the single biggest reason we are in this mess. He was the one who started this arbitrary policy of overpaying player salaries, meaning we had to sell our best players for years. He failed to instill a culture of hard work, defensive solidity and respect for the opposition (he didn't even study the opposition or let his teams do so!), something which is still lingering to a certain extent. 2011-2017 was a time when the EPL's top teams were abysmal, hence why Leicester were able to win the league despite such small funds (don't get me wrong they had great players, but the weakness of the other 'top' teams was also significant). We could have moved on so far in that time but regressed because of Wenger. The reality is, if Wenger had actually used the transfer funds he had properly (like not buying AOC when we needed CBs, or getting Alonso over Arshavin, Higuain over the hapless Ozil), had not paid vast sums to deadwood squad players, and had coached the team properly, we wouldn't be in this mess.

24. Don Howe

    Jul 15, 2019, 16:23 #114387

    Sorry, you lost me at safe standing. It's an oxymoron and anyone who supports it is not going to be taken seriously. By all means try and influence the owner by persuasion - that's the sensible way to do it. People come to Arsenal because it's safe to do so. Let's keep it that way. Of course we need money to compete with the Petro-clubs but we can build something decent by adopting a different model. We have to get rid of the big earners and pay our youngsters properly and get them to be part of the team.

25. Redshrtswhitesleeves

    Jul 15, 2019, 15:52 #114386

    Tony- yes I remember the pride I used to feel about supporting the great old Bank of England club- even through the relatively barren years of the early to mid eighties when I was growing up. Even my grandad, a Spurs supporter, would tell me about the old marble halls and how great a club Arsenal was, a cut above the rest. As you say though, it’s very hard to feel affectionate anymore as the club that we knew and loved feels like it no longer exists in the hands of this American parasite

26. itsRonagain2

    Jul 15, 2019, 15:51 #114385

    Hi Tony - Dead on. Its become the Kroenke issue now opposed to the Wenger issue. Truth is that its always been the Kroenke issue but many of our fans just saw Wenger as the root of the problem and as the Coach is the closest to fans mentality, Wenger alone copped the flak, such as it was. The club is as stale as last weeks Hovis, full of character less, colourless people in the primary positions and players who in the main we d need persuading to look out the window if they came to play on the front lawn. The apathy is milk and honey to such as SK though. AM has it weighed up. SK doesnt need the club to have much of a profile to make from it what he wants. Hes not so different to Ashley at the Toon, if at all. Both couldn't care a f--k about what fans or others think of them, thats why theyre so wealthy. In SKs case , hes not even here to listen. Main interest for him is the land value on what the stadium sits on. I know theres Henry at Liverpool who seems to buck the trend, but really American owners of PL footie clubs have all been disastrous, even at Utd but Ferguson kept the lid on it there.

27. Sarflunden

    Jul 15, 2019, 15:09 #114384

    I wish you the very best of luck but, as an ex AST member (only for a few years), I don't think KSE will be bothered. I'm not been apathetic. Just realistic. As long as the TV money keeps rolling in that will keep the books looking good as the loans finally pay off. Incremental increases in commercial revenue will see off the decline in matchday revenues as fans stay away. We "might" be able to get closer to Chelsea thanks to them losing Hazard, the transfer ban and new manager. We're not that far behind Spurs who have probably peaked. City & Liverpool are out of sight. Utd - well who knows will be the manager at Old Trafford by the new year. I don't see a new Leicester breaking into the top six although Wolves might do it. So KSE will sit this one out as they have every other attempt to change the club since they got the majority shareholding. Now they're in full control they have even less reason. As PH-W said "Thank you for your interest in our affairs".

28. TonyEvans

    Jul 15, 2019, 14:56 #114383

    Ron - you hit the nail on the head for me with your comment about not losing your affection for the club. Us older fans have seen plenty of downs - early to mid 60s pre Double Side (not me personally for that period) the mid 70s and the 1981 -1986 years, but we never lost that special bond with the club did we? We were still 'The Arsenal' and you always had hope things would get better. That is definitely not the case now - our club has descended in to a farcical parody of what it once was, with no light at the end of the tunnel. The all too brief joy of Wenger's sacking has been replaced with a 'numbness' and a despondent acceptance of the cold, hard reality of Kronke's Arsenal. There is certainly not much (if any) of that old affection for the club left is there!

29. Cyril

    Jul 15, 2019, 14:13 #114382

    Dear Josh, if you can’t be bothered to wear an Arsenal top- then why should we!

30. ArsenalMagna

    Jul 15, 2019, 13:59 #114381

    Until very recently I actually believed in the potential viability of our self-sustaining model, and to be fair I think it still might be feasible to succeed with it. FFP and EPL rules have tightened what can be spent by wealthy owners, and we have got the point where transfers/wages in real terms are so large that in real terms, even the wealthiest of billionaires would be reluctant to put forward huge amounts of money. I also have always feared what might happen if funding was withdrawn by a benefactor and what might befall us if that happened. On the other hand, I think more and more that we need a wealthy owner to help out. Firstly, because the EPL's top teams are really recovering now: a few years ago they could barely make the CL quarter finals, last season we had two English teams in its final! Secondly, because we don't need a City-esque budget to succeed - we just need supplementary funds on top of what we're doing already. Can't guarantee it wouldn't be based on debt which might get called in, but it seems we would have to accept that risk. All that said, it is worth pointing out that were it not for the idiots running the club paying Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Mustafi, Elneny and other deadwood some £50-60m in wages, we'd have a healthy operating profit of £30-40m each year. Added to that, Emery could have done a lot more to develop a defensive doctrine since Wenger has left. Final thing to say is that to oust Stan you have to understand his motive. I don't think he's looking to make a lot of money for himself (even if he pinches the odd dividend as with the £3m a few years ago), it seems he's merely sitting on an asset which will naturally rise in value, that he can pass on to his son. The expectation being that his son can sell up for a handsome amount. Therefore only SUSTAINED pressure over a long period of time, involving marches, merch/matchday boycotts and other forms of protest/criticism would, in theory, make Stan consider selling.

31. TonyEvans

    Jul 15, 2019, 13:55 #114380

    Redshrts - 'profitable mediocrity' does indeed sum up the plight of our once proud and great club. I remember well how proud I once was of the 'Bank of England' club I supported, with the marble halls; now we're more akin to Lehman Brothers and Ikea! For an owner like Kronke there is hardly any incentive to invest heavily in Arsenal; he's quite obviously not the slightest bit interested in aspiring to anything of note on the playing-field side of things, and there is more than enough money in the game to amply reward what most Arsenal fans should / would see as nothing but failure.

32. itsRonagain2

    Jul 15, 2019, 13:55 #114379

    Reddragon - 'low and lacking in feeling' - you sum up perfectly the feelings of many of us matey. Its heresy i know, but to be honest i wont object to us going on a severe slide. Its ll get at Kroenke and also lead to change. Some times in life, in many things, matters need to hit rock bottom before change occurs for the better. The sad thing is that people such as you and i and a few others of us on here have all seen bad times before but we ve never lost our affection for the club have we. Perhaps we were too naive before in yrs gone by. Its partly due though to how football has become and the way its governed etc etc, not to mention the silly money in it. Its rotted it from the inside. Arsenal just have a skeleton left now in my view. Its not a likeable Club at all and i know others clubs fans are revelling in its mediocrity. For yrs other clubs fans were envious of Arsenal, now they pity our fans in many instances. We all blame the latter Wengo years but in truth, he got the best from the hand he was dealt by the rubbish Board who governed him and rolled with the punches. We ve never been so featureless or lacking in definition as we are now in my view, not even in the middle 60s were we as insignificant to the top clubs as we are now. We at least had 2 or 3 quality players back then.

33. Goonhogday

    Jul 15, 2019, 13:37 #114378

    We certainly appear to have attracted the wrong kind of billionaire owner and been high jacked! If we must continue with our outdated self sustainability model, perhaps KSE should at least find the footballing equivalents of Andrew Strauss and Trevor Baylis ! If only...

34. Redshrtswhitesleeves

    Jul 15, 2019, 13:19 #114377

    Dein, fitzman, bracewell-Smith, Gazidis, wenger (and probably more entitled, super-wealthy leeches that Ive forgotten or can’t remember)...’Arsenal’ people my a**e...their one-eyed greed and selfishness has led us to where we are today...a club that is a laughing stock around the world and held in complete and utter disdain and apathy from its own fanbase...with a truly vile, disgusting owner only interested in lining his own pockets.....what a horrible, lying, insignificant club these people have led us to become....and nothing will change whilst Kroenke is making money. I read somewhere that somebody had summed up his ethos as ‘profitable mediocrity’ and that is exactly what we’ve got

35. Reddragon

    Jul 15, 2019, 13:08 #114376

    Didn't Liverpool have a co-ordinated protest against their previous owners by organising mass walk outs at a specific moment in their home games? It received a lot of publicity and certainly had the desired effect on the owners. As RobG has said Kroenke will just pass it off with a shrug. The existing board are just a talking shop and are not proactive in trying to push the club forward. We have had over ten years of steady decline under Kroenke's tenure which allowed Wenger to run things from his untouchable and blinkered Ivory Tower. Wenger and Kroenke have done untold damage to this once great club who I have supported since 1960 and have never felt so low and lacking in feeling for the club as I do now. I feel sorry for Emery having to sort the mess out on the field as well as off. Unfortunately I do not have the confidence in him to do it. I fear a car crash season which will end with us scrapping in the lower reaches of the premiership. The likes of Leicester, Everton will be ahead of us this season. Sad times. As the letter states we need board members who have Arsenal DNA and not just in it for the money. But where are they !!

36. TonyEvans

    Jul 15, 2019, 12:01 #114375

    Whilst I support any cause that may make a difference at Arsenal, realistically I can't see anything but all out demos at and inside the ground, and / or mass boycotts of matches making much of a difference. That's not to say don't try a more subtle approach, but does Kronke deal in subtlety - I don't think so. As Ron says enough fans are still turning up, and as long as that continues to happen not a lot will change I fear. May be Arsenal plumbing the depths even further and dropping down the league a few more places might make some sort of impact, but even then probably not enough to propel us to the very top of the game again.

37. RobG

    Jul 15, 2019, 10:17 #114374

    Well thought out letter. And I can't imagine even one per cent of Arsenal fans disagreeing. The problem is Kronke will shrug it off, even if he notices it. Or even if it is brought to his attention. It could come to the point, if this really its a car crash of a season, that after - say - eight or ten home games, the supporters start to stage regular anti Kronke protests and each home game becomes a protest venue. The press would pick up on that and run with it ; and it would then have a life of its own. Kronke may well sit up and take notice then. But the trouble is that anything less, he will dismiss.

38. itsRonagain2

    Jul 15, 2019, 10:06 #114373

    They're not that marginalised, they keep paying up and turning up. I appreciate that membership system is a yolk that imprisons supporters, but those who are truly marginalised have given up on it and the Season tickets. Many of us never did buy the rubbish merchandise.

39. nozzer

    Jul 15, 2019, 9:27 #114371

    A well balanced and accurate appraisal of the club under the KSE regime. They have shown nothing but contempt for the fanbase and traditions. Shame on the arsenal directors who courted Kroenke and sold to him. The Emirates stadium project was about lining their pockets. That was their reason for leaving Highbury not to turn us into a champions league winner

40. nozzer

    Jul 15, 2019, 9:27 #114372

    A well balanced and accurate appraisal of the club under the KSE regime. They have shown nothing but contempt for the fanbase and traditions. Shame on the arsenal directors who courted Kroenke and sold to him. The Emirates stadium project was about lining their pockets. That was their reason for leaving Highbury not to turn us into a champions league winner