“Arsene, no pressure, but have you got time to sign your new contract now? How about now? Or now …?”
Although few seem keen on Kroenke I’ve long been of the view that the stability he has brought to AFC has been integral to the ability of the club to have remained on track in the very recent past.
For the club to truly reap the rewards of the relative sacrifice made since the move to the Emirates, it’s my belief that our ability to retain Arsene Wenger at the helm has been crucial. It’s hard to imagine many owners/majority shareholders who could have provided the space for AW to regrow his squad and to play his way out of the various setbacks we’ve all seen with our own eyes over the years, whilst permitting, in parallel, the Commercial Team to leverage value out of the Arsenal Brand.
Often much maligned by observers of the club, there is plenty of evidence to my eye that Kroenke’s passion towards Arsenal is unquestioned and remains undiminished. His appreciation of Arsene is expressed at least in part by the following quote taken from the article Fungunner linked to earlier today:
“We were standing out in the rain watching. It rained like hell. This was going on for several hours. I was getting worried about players getting hit by lightning and Arsène was out in the middle of it. He’s out there coaching every day. You’ve got to love that or you can’t do it. That’s a passion.”
These are not the activities of someone winding down from the club. It’s not the commitment of one looking to take supporters and shareholders for a ride or to ‘asset-strip’ the club, another favoured accusation until recently very much in vogue in certain quarters.
So Stanley understands and appreciates Arsene.
As the club becomes ever-more successful, I think more observers will understand and appreciate Kroenke’s role in all of this.
And it’s still my belief that, on balance, both will most likely be around for the long-term.
Positively Arsenal 
Wish there was a way to ease in Wenger’s – long may his reign continue – successor. Changing managers can be so disruptive. As in Manure. Why can’t managers break in their successors in the same way they oversee the generational change in a team?
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Well lets hope so Andrew.
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We are being spoiled with 2 posts in one day.
Both of them being here on the long term is indeed good for the growth of Arsenal.
Mickey, in the comments in the previous blog post, you have said that one needs to be wary of people who do not drink. Your sir are a Soberist!
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Wait for days for a new post, then two in succession…..
Great stuff Andrew.
Is the this the pressure PG is putting the PA posters under now that we are in the big time?
Untold are now banging out 3 a day, ….just saying.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s game, two football teams with excellent managers.
Let’s hope Jonjo gives us plenty of assists.
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DC – There’ll be another one along in a minute …
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arsene wenger youtre the number one
foerver grateful for what you have done
just sign the contract and dont delay
were going crazy eveeeeeery day
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Well, I wonder how the irrelevant fat git from Uzbekistan feels right about now?
The other Fatgooner on arseblog is in meltdown too.
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Well, I wonder how the irrelevant fat git from Uzbekistan feels right about now?
ahahahahahah …..or the AST…who wanted contract talks to be put on hold ….ahahah
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Andrew,
I went back and read the very first PA post.
Mission Accomplished, but the work shall ever go on.
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Hunter,
Haha indeedidooty. No guest list invite for Ivan’s Christmas party I guess.
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Exactly what I have been thinking since almost the beginning.
Years down the line we will look back and see his call un.meddling ownership as god sent in ARSENALS years of transition. meanwhile those wanting a sugerdaddy would be very disappointed indeed.
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Lets hope for many jonjo assist.
Hahaha DC .
Again, well done ANDREW.
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Tomorrow is the chance to see how Arsenal would do in La Liga, against a solid mid-table side, at this stage of the season.
Players to watch for Swansea: Pozuelo, De Guzman and Michu.
Pozuelo is the guy who came in to salvage Swansea’s game against Liverpool. He’s the reason Shelvey was not given the ball for the rest of that game. Hikm and Ramsey are going to compete for MOM.
Michu is on fire at the moment. He is in the same form as he was early on last season. Anything he gets close to the box he turns into a decent chance.
De Guzman was injured at the beginning of the season and now he’s getting back in form. For tomorrow’s game, he’s in better shape than he was against Liverpool.
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First Gary Neville emerges from a playing career spent trying to thwart Arsenal, to talk nothing but good sense about his former adversaries, now this, from Jamie Carragher in The Daily Mail:
“Wenger was responsible for some of the most harrowing and unnerving days of my career.
Arsenal conquered all before them from 2002-2004, culminating in them being called the Invincibles after going unbeaten for a whole season. Outstanding footballers and also supreme athletes — they had everything. When you stood next to them in the tunnel before a game, the panic would roll in.
They were the best I ever faced, the only team that left me feeling technically and physically inadequate. From goalkeeper to striker, they were built like tanks. If you tried to tackle them, you would bounce off them.
Arsenal were the first team to start using creatine — a supplement to help increase strength and power and aid muscle recovery — and we used to hear how they had changed their diets and took the right vitamins. You couldn’t outmuscle Wenger’s sides, nor could you outplay them.
Playing right back against that Arsenal team was the most difficult job in football at that time. Henry, Ashley Cole and Pires would terrorise you from the left flank, moving the ball at dizzying speeds. So quick was their movement, you didn’t have time to think. It was an awful feeling.”
Well worth reading the rest of the extraordinary article in which he surprisingly exhorts the rest of football to “support Arsenal this season” if it means avoiding the devastating loss of Arsene Wenger from English football as his current contract draws to a close:
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2435540/JAMIE-CARRAGHER-Why-I-want-Arsenal-fans-season.html#ixzz2g9hwjng0
Jamie Carragher, eh? Who’d have thought it ….
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This is the first time Arsenal plays in the 12:30 EST time slot in the U.S.. We’re basically the headlining act. Thankfully we’re playing Swansea.
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Boom!!! AA testify brother that’s some righteous she## t there bro, love it & I’ve loved these past few years such exciting football almost all the time & the excitement of the stadium move & battle against the oillygarchs, am so hoping we shut up j moanyhole. Its been great to spend it in all of your esteemed presence shout outs to the PA crew.
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Andrew
Thanks for directing us to those interesting pieces.
Wow! Let the detractors counter all of that! We have what is tantamount to confirmation of what we were piecing together with regard to Arsenal’s ‘difficult’ period.
Yesterday evening I went to a fund raising ball for a male cancer charity. It was organised by Chesterfield’s local ex-pro players. Mark Crossley, was the after dinner speaker and John Stiles, son of the famous Nobby, was host and stand-up comic (rather blue). They flogged a load of football memorabilia, including a pair of Aaron Ramsey’s (described as the best player in the UK right now) Adidas boots for £350 and Gareth Bale’s for £800……
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Morning Leon, Georgaki – great cause that; would be interesting to bid for what remains of something like Jack’s shin pads, shredded as they must be after every game.
Today’s post has arrived:
http://www.positivelyarsenal.com
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Great links there ANDREW. thanks.
Mandatory reading for all GOONERS , ARSENAL BLOG MASTERS & media hacks in the papers. Same with STANS interview.
This should set a whole LOT of them on the correct path of understanding and empathizing. Will it? I doubt but can only hope..
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Right back at you LEON….
now time for little thing called payback to the swans. For last year first game .
COYG…
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There was an enthusiastic appeal for Arsene Wenger to sign a new contract on Untold Arsenal a few days ago. I told the others on the thread with utmost confidence that they should not fret over the matter as AW will DEFINITELY sign a new contract. I think the genuine support they have for the man was spilling over to paranoia regions. While it is true that there are many loud idiots calling for his head, most Gooners love the man. The players absolutely love the man. The board members love the man. Even Usmanov has repeatedly vow to keep the man if he ever gets his grubby hands on our club. Now the main man himself has just come out as an AKB.
I have never for one moment ever doubted Arsene’s love of Arsenal and this is why I believed very strongly that he will extend his contract. For goodness sake, how many people have their name rhyme with their job title: Arsene Wenger – Arsenal Manager!
AW loves the club and the club loves him. I think those who ever doubted his contract renewal because of the moronic and tiny AST/BSM/Media gave these detractors too much credit. I don’t.
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