Almost every day on twitter and on blogs there are voices ranging from the humble and benign to the good and great criticizing the ownership of Stan Kroenke, not only for his refusal to spend the entire £200 million cash reserves on buying players in the fashion of United and City, but for failing to bring on board a manager who would be so inclined. One leading Arsenal blogger lamented:
“Where is the knowledge of, and passion for, Arsenal Football Club? Who is there that knows the modern game, the way it’s developing, the talent that exists throughout the world that might make this club better and more competitive? Not just on the pitch, but in every aspect. Sir Chips is simply a figurehead. The gruesome twosome of Stan and Josh Kroenke? Yeah, right.”
Make no mistake, Stan and Josh are just a convenient foil for this fairly typical type of ridicule by the blogger, but this entire screed had Arsene Wenger as the prime target. It was already argued in the piece that AW’s dominance of the club football-wise is the greatest obstacle to Arsenal adapting to the modern game, i.e. pursuing the not so new idea that football clubs should spend beyond their organically generated resources to achieve success.
To lay bare the poverty of the wisdom of the sage of Dublin, I decided to do some scenario planning and imagine what the club would be like if there had been an alternate takeover. Given the widespread nature of “cognitive fluency” (hat tip to d_c for spotting this piece on the BBC’s website Why are people so incredibly gullible), I doubt any of this will cause the majority of readers of this blog to stop believing the myths they are being fed daily. But at least they may be willing to consider for one moment, if the boot was on the other foot, would Usmanov be really different from Kroenke?
Background
So Danny Fiszman is on his deathbed, agonizingly aware that his days on earth are numbered, but fully cognizant that he must decide on the disposition of his shareholdings in Arsenal Football Club to not only prevent a fratricidal war between existing and potential owners but even more importantly to guarantee the strategic direction of the club which he had helped to define at great cost, not the least being at the expense of former friends and allies.
A life-long Arsenal fan, Fiszman bought his first tranche of shares in the club from its then vice-chairman David Dein in 1991, to acquire a seat on the board. By 1999 he owned as much as 33 per cent of the club. In his first years he took a back seat and tended to be seen only in the directors’ box at games.
But in the late 1990s he emerged to head up Arsenal’s search for a new stadium to replace Highbury, the club’s home for 86 years. Though it was Dein who brought Fiszman on to the board, the two men clashed repeatedly over the stadium project. Dein favoured a move to King’s Cross or to the restored Wembley. But in 1999 Fiszman identified a suitable plot on an Islington council rubbish dump at Ashburton Grove, about half a mile from Highbury, and it was his view that prevailed. The new stadium opened in 2006.
Fiszman subsequently became involved in the battle for control of the club between the Uzbek metal billionaire, Alisher Usmanov, and the American sports investor, Stan Kroenke. In April 2007 Fiszman was instrumental in ousting Dein from the board after differences arose over funding for the new stadium. Dein argued that external investment would be needed to control debt and remain competitive, and proposed to bring in Stan Kroenke. When he encouraged the American to buy ITV’s 9.9 per cent stake in Arsenal for £65 million, Dein was summarily drummed out as a director. By the way, the sacking of Dein by the Board is an inconvenient truth for the perpetuators of the Dein-myth, i.e. the man who would do any and everything for the best of the club. In fact the Telegraph reports it was Fiszman, who was the board member who took away Dein’s mobile phone and marched him off the premises.
When he was cast aside, Dein decided he was free to sell to the highest bidder and in August he sold his remaining 14.5 per cent stake for £75 million to Red & White Holdings, an investment vehicle of Usmanov and his business partner Farhad Moshiri.
The Takeover
So let us stop the clock of history. Let us assume that with this move Dein gained the upper hand. Fiszman on his deathbed has long known that the game is up. His leadership in getting a one-year lockdown of directors selling their shares, his engineering of the removal from the board of Lady Bracewell-Smith, Keith Edelman and Richard Carr, was valiant but ultimately an act of futility. So in March 2009 he would have sold 5,000 ordinary shares at a total cost of £42.5 million to an “anonymous buyer”, later revealed as Usmanov, in a deal which increased the Uzbek’s stake in Arsenal to 20.5 per cent. Despite subsequent assurances that he had no intention of selling any more shares in the club, three days before his death, on 10 April 2011, Fiszman would have sold his remaining shares to the business magnate, helping Usmanov to take control of the club with a 62.89 per cent holding.
As the sage of Dublin and others now advocate, wouldn’t such a turn of events have led to Arsenal falling into the hands of modern football men, those with the ambition “to speculate to accumulate.” Surely a man of such enormous wealth, reputedly in excess of his countryman and fellow Premier League owner, Roman Abramovich (Net Worth: £11 billion vs £5 billion).
I would suggest we can only judge the Uzbek on the public statements he has made about his policies for the club. On 5 July 2012 Usmanov and his investment vehicle, Red & White Holding’s PLC., issued the following as their vision for the Club?
“ A debt free Club, with a big enough war chest to buy top talent players who can hit the ground running and who can complement the Club’s long tradition of developing young players and homegrown talent.”
Is this any different from Stan Kroenke’s current policies? War chest? £200 million?
In fact R & W concluded their 2012 letter by stating:
“…in order to formalize our long-term involvement with the Club and put an end to any speculation over our position, we, as the co-owners of Red&White, will proudly retain our holding in the Club as a long-term investment for ourselves and our family members to benefit for generations to come.”
So Usmanov is just another long term investor like Stan Kroenke. Hmmm.
Is it any surprise, after seeing the steady regular growth of the value of his investment, only this week Usmanov was reported by leading Russian publication, Rossiya24 as saying:
“Arsenal’s results are stable,
“They are always among the leaders of the English Premier League. This is a good and large sports business project, and I am pleased with it.
“The only thing is that today such situation occurred, like in any sport, there are ups and downs. The club must retain its major symbol and main asset – manager Arsene Wenger.
“I believe that Arsene Wenger is a great coach, and Arsenal have to give him the opportunity to plan the succession process and leave his legacy when he deems it necessary.
“It is very important for the football club to maintain the principles that were established by those people who created its victories. Arsenal need Arsene Wenger.”
My heavens. Not even Kroenke has given Arsene such an overwhelming endorsement.
Conclusion
So despite the naive, infantile caterwauling by bloggers and podcasters, Usmanov, who is currently the only real alternative to Kroenke as owner of our club, far from throwing Arsene under the bus, not only wants him to stay but is urging that he be able to choose his own successor. Maybe those of us with nothing at stake, except our season tickets and bragging rights (including traffic to our blog-sites), should take stock and simmer down.
Positively Arsenal 
hehehehe
Only half a decade or so after the melodramtic deathbed handover and we get a sentance or a paragraph in that article.
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A very small and isolated avalache, hard to see far off in the distance, inaudible, that concludes with a shrug of the shoulders and a forlorn glance at the Tarot pack.
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Shotts,
Check your email!
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I suppose it is only a matter of time before the shout for Woy to take over at the club rises in volume
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Remi Garde has left Aston Villa by mutual consent
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Colin NOT Collins @ColinUdoh 2h2 hours ago
Egypt win 1-0 and qualify. Nigeria are out of the African Nations Cup
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http://dailycannon.com/2016/03/watch-ozil-scores-penalty-as-germany-beat-italy/?
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Flattish game at Wembley and neither side played much football. Theo had a couple of bright moments after he came on but after that was not much involved. The Dutch, for so long the masters of controlled skilful 11 man football, bereft of quality.
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What is the correct party line on the Egypt Nigeria result Eddy ?
We don’t lose Iwobi for the ANC – or we do lose Elneny – there must be a cloud somewhere to clamber into
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well they are both shit(or so some would have us believe), so it don’t matter. Elneny likely to miss minimum of 4 weeks, and up to 8 weeks, middle of next season.
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Look on the bright side Eddy – a few more months and both will have been downgraded to crap by the uber blogging priestocracy
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anyone remember ex Arsenal trialist Sebastián
Pérez who played the pre-season friendly vs man city a couple of summers ago, well the lad made his debut for Colombia v Ecuador last night. Arsenal could not get a work permit for him.
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Have to say, I do enjoy the BlackburnGeorge tweets.
He is very succinct in making some of our fanbase look very silly indeed
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He has his moments Mandy – BG has become more subtle of late, but no less infuriating for the Scarfists.
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Looks like Gary Nev could be on his way to Villa Park
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Are you suggesting I have reinvented myself Andy?
I’ve been accused on many things, being subtle ain’t one of them.
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More stiletto than hammer these days
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Monday nights have improved as well;
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http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160330/the-breakdown-player-special
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On Saturday, 18th January 2003, at a meeting of the AISA, it was revealed that the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust would soon be set up. The Hen and Chickens pub was the correct location for that adventure.
The Steering Committee, was composed of Glyn Taylor, an ever-present, Geoffrey Beddingfield, Nigel Phillips, an ever-present, and Steven Powell.,
AST will also be supervised by the Financial Services Authority, and will be run professionally as a business, but one dedicated to building and supporting Arsenal.
Payments made to AST will be used to buy units of Arsenal shares equivalent to 1% of an Arsenal share (currently around £12 each unit). These units will be your property, and you will always have the option to sell them back at the market value to AST for cash at 7 days notice.
How the chickens have come home to roost and fouled the Emirates!
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Ajax Youth Academy @godenzonen_ 5h5 hours ago
Myron Boadu (AZ) will reportedly turn down Ajax and sign for Arsenal instead once he turns 16.
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http://www.bcfcfollowers.com/news/toral-scoops-double-at-junior-awards/?
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1886 @1886_blog 5h5 hours ago
Neville joins O’Neill, Monk, Coyle and Moyes in the long line of failed managers that Piers Morgan wanted AFC to replace Wenger with
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God forbid I would ever be fair to the assassin of Reyes
However Neville had a bash at managing Valencia, did his best, got slung out, but did far far better than 99%+ of the media windbags who express their brilliance but never ever put their balls in the vice.
You have my respect for your effort.
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Neville’s only mistake was not listening to the pundits and expert fans. Does he not know he will never be a modern manager till he does.
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Well my tickets to the Norwich game have been secured. So many of you guys have been looking out on my behalf. So grateful.
Apparently the City game is a bridge too far.
Cest la vie.
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Eboue sacked by Sunderland only weeks after joining them.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3517009/Sunderland-new-boy-Emmanuel-Eboue-slapped-one-year-ban-FIFA-failure-pay-representative.html
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reports today that Jack Wilshere will play for Arsenal U21’s tomorrow week, v Newcastle. He is said to be back in full training, Wenger is sure to give an update at his presser tomorrow.
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http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/mar/31/arsenal-oligarchs-tv-billions?CMP=share_btn_tw
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15 years ago today, the great David Rocastle died aged 33.
A true Arsenal man, he cried the day Graham sold him to Man City. Many Gooners cried that day too.
Rocastle had a tough upbringing, and due to his family circumstances Arsenal gave him a pro contract a year early. It was a complete injustice that he was only capped 14 times by England. And he never played in the WC or EC, only friendlies and qualifiers, 7 starts and 7 as sub, but was never on the losing side.
He won two league titles and a league cup with Arsenal.
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TEAM NEWS: JACK, ROSICKY, CECH, RAMSEY
Arsène Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Watford:
on the latest team news…
Wilshere and Rosicky are back in full training. Basically they are all progressing well.
on whether Jack Wilshere will play for the under-21s…
Not yet, no, we have not decided that yet. It is his first week back in full training and we’ll see how he responds to that, but the first signs are quite good. We’ll assess our options next week.
on Petr Cech…
Cech is going back to normal training. It’s too early to say if he will be available for the weekend. He might be a bit short to be competitive.
on Aaron Ramsey…
Ramsey will not be available for this weekend, but hopefully next weekend.
on Santi Cazorla…
Santi Cazorla is running again outside so it should be three to four weeks more training for Santi.
on Mathieu Flamini…
Flamini is short for this weekend but could be available next weekend.
on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain…
Oxlade-Chamberlain is progressing well.
Copyright 2016 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160331/team-news-jack-rosicky-cech-ramsey?#dU0q44ltJ2CyW6jP.99
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AFCPressWatch™ @AFCPressWatch 2h2 hours ago
Arsenal players have averaged 125 minutes of playing time during the international break, the most by any side in the top three. #AFC
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eduardo
I love that Leo Messi can never come to Arsenal even in the make-believe world of transfer rumours
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JB™ @gunnerpunner 2m2 minutes ago
Can’t wait to see tomorrow’s April’s fools about Arsenal spending money on new players
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Piers Morgan has become a Buddhist! And supports Arsenal.
-Mills the April fool!
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http://news.arseblog.com/2016/04/arsenal-to-introduce-amplified-chanting-next-season/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
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TEAM NEWS: CAZORLA AND CECH UPDATES
Arsène Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Watford:
on the latest team news…
All the players who were on international duty have come back in good shape. Wilshere and Rosicky are back in full training. Basically they are all progressing well.
on Santi Cazorla…
Santi has started to run, but is still a few weeks away I think. I hope [he will play again this season] because he has started to run. We have to always be a bit cautious, because you never know how people will respond to training sessions, but at the moment he looks like he has a chance to be completely fit to respond again before the end of the season, and to be competitive.
on Petr Cech…
Cech will join in training today, but I haven’t decided if he will be in the squad or not
.
on whether Jack Wilshere will play for the under-21s…
Not yet, no, we have not decided that yet. It is his first week back in full training and we’ll see how he responds to that, but the first signs are quite good. We’ll assess our options next week.
on Aaron Ramsey…
Ramsey will not be available for this weekend, but hopefully next weekend.
on Mathieu Flamini…
Flamini is short for this weekend but could be available next weekend.
on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain…
Oxlade-Chamberlain is progressing well.
Copyright 2016 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160331/team-news-jack-rosicky-cech-ramsey#WObet77igPPK4SfX.99
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Arsenal U21’s are away to Blackburn U21’s this evening, and Steve Gatting says all the U18 FA youth cup team will be rested, so that will mean “lots of debuts” for younger lads today.
http://www.arsenal.com/match/report/1516/pre/under-21/u-21s-blackburn-v-arsenal-preview
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http://arseblog.com/2016/03/the-madness-of-king-george/
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http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160401/arsenal-train-ahead-of-watford-match
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so despite Gatting saying he would not pick any of the FA youth cup team, he has 3 likely starters in his U21 line up tonight.
Arsenal Under-21s starting XI: Huddart, Moore, Pleguezuelo, Bielik, Pileas, McGuane, Sheaf, Dasilva, Gnabry, Crowley, Malen
Arsenal Under-21s substitutes: Keto, Eyoma, Mourgos, T.Bola, Nketiah
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MiniBus FC @MiniBusFC 10h10 hours ago Lambeth, London
If Arsenal ever spent £350m then finished 5th would any journalists write this?
Fucking hypocrites
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Ah! George Graham
17 Coombehurst Close.
25th April, 1988 The Arsenal Football Club, George Graham and Mary Graham, a mortgage with the Barclays Bank.plc.
No comment.
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 2m2 minutes ago
FULL-TIME: Blackburn Under-21s 1-0 @Arsenal Under-21s #AFCU21
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Express Sport @DExpress_Sport 25m25 minutes ago
Ozil and Sanchez will both pen new deals with Arsenal this summer | @TonyBanksXP http://express.co.uk/sport/football/657447/Arsenal-Watford-Alexis-Sanchez-Mesut-Ozil-Arsene-Wenger-Watford-Premier-League-Flores-News … #afc
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Ah! Match day is here again!
Steww’s kitchen is serving…
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