Usmanov or "Silent" Stan?

[Goonereagle]

Usmanov excites me because for no reason I think he'd splash like Roman Abramovich did, but I feel Stan is more of a 'set-plan' type of guy. He'd want us to be on top as a club on and off the pitch.


Not happy with any of this sugar daddy lark anyway. S'killin' the game. Players and manager will barely stay a few seasons and players become whores and mercenaries.

 

[NIPOLOPO]

I wish none of both was involved in our club.

Ditto. But if it comes to it, I take lesser of two weevils.

 

[Mastadon]

It's very easy for that fat, ugly criminal to spout whatever he thinks anyone wants to hear, a different matter if given an actual chance.

He's not an AFC fan, so if running and pumping his illegal funds into a club is really his desire, go 'bail out' another club.

Personally, I wish he was nowhere near our club.

Amen. It's very easy to talk a big talk when it means nothing and you have no power. The Liverpool fans were overjoyed with all the big talk of Hicks and Gillett, they're not so popular now...

Usmanov has actually shown that he is willing and ready to put money into the club via the rights issue proposal a couple of years back which he was prepared to underwrite. Correct me if I am wrong but he is the ONLY person in recent years who has made a genuine proposal which would involve money going into the club in the form of equity. Call it a gimmick, call it whatever you want. The fact is that he was ready to put money into the club and the board turned it down. Make of that what you will.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

I like Usamov's money, but learning he's a manure fan scares me. Not to mention his shady dealings. He just doesn't seem like someone you could trust to put the club's interests ahead of his own.

Not that I think Kroenke is a shining paragon of virtue, but Usamov seems really slimy.

 

[alboots101]

Football is all about the money, sad but true.

I hope the the new fair play rules benefit all football clubs and the "big tit" that feeds football has a reduction.

 

[yuvken]

What Ant said.

and

Football is all about the money, sad but true.

is sad, but it's not true - at least not all about money. our own recent history shows that (though it clearly shows how it is partly true).

 

[AnthonyG]

It's very easy for that fat, ugly criminal to spout whatever he thinks anyone wants to hear, a different matter if given an actual chance.

Unfortunately most Billionaires in the world are fat, ugly, criminals, so I don't think Usmanov is particularly different to any other prospective billionaire Arsenal owner

While there might be some truth in this, there are, of course and as always, degrees and, as such, this comment stands as a gross over-generalisation.

Ultimately, if the level of misdeeds in Usmanov's 'Politburo-erased' past does not bother you (heck, even our friend Roman has some shade in his background and he's been accepted by most all), then that's your call. For me I'll not let the blind pursuit of winning and having transfer-slush reconcile my misgivings.

I think on the issue at hand: Usmanov vs Stan, it's too early to call. People better get used to Stan being a silent figure, because that's what he is and does. It's hard to attribute any of the current 'mess' to him, but, then again, I don't know any of the particulars.

Finally, saying that Stan doesn't attend matches and knows nothing about "soccer" (as if him, as an American, referring to the game as this is a crime) are neither here nor there, and seem to suggest he's calling all of the shots when in fact his modus operandi is to let other more qualified people do so.

 

[dpt49]

Finally, saying that Stan doesn't attend matches and knows nothing about "soccer" (as if him, as an American, referring to the game as this is a crime) are neither here nor there, and seem to suggest he's calling all of the shots when in fact his modus operandi is to let other more qualified people do so.

My concern is that Kroenke is not a big football fan and doesn't siim to keen to put his own money into the club.

He is, foremost, a businessman whose main hobby is making a fortune for himself so why is he so keen on having control over our club.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that it is no more than a money making venture for him

 

[celestis]

It's very easy for that fat, ugly criminal to spout whatever he thinks anyone wants to hear, a different matter if given an actual chance.

He's not an AFC fan, so if running and pumping his illegal funds into a club is really his desire, go 'bail out' another club.

Personally, I wish he was nowhere near our club.

Thats about it really .

 

[yuvken]

It doesn't take a genius to work out that it is no more than a money making venture for him

That's an Usmanov pitch? he's gonna be in it for the arsenal fire burning in him?

This is not the first time this debate is on. As in the past, it is yet to be shown there's anything at all in the Usmanov support but the amount of money he has, and the dazzling effect it has on some (usually desperate fans). No indication how he'll use it, no reason to think he'll establish anything like a reliable model for us, not even a reason to think that the fact "it's small change for him" means it'll be spent building the team.

A goon is not a gooner. Wake up.

 

[AnthonyG]

My concern is that Kroenke is not a big football fan and doesn't siim to keen to put his own money into the club.

He is, foremost, a businessman whose main hobby is making a fortune for himself so why is he so keen on having control over our club.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that it is no more than a money making venture for him

His own money? What did he use to purchase the shares? Your money?

He already has a fortune and while it would be naive to think he doesn't want a return on his investment, he has not ruined any of the sports teams he currently owns. I can't really speak for his hobbies, but who knows, maybe he likes stamps more.

And if you're going to keep beating this irrelevant and baseless drum about Stan's level of interest in soccer [sic], then relax, his son loves it:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...for-the-long-haul-says-son-and-heir-Josh.html

 

[Dave_Ja_Vu]

Even if Bill Gates took over tomorrow and offered us a bottomless pit of money, could anyone honestly envisage Wenger going on a frantic spending spree? And that's the main thing the fans care about, regardless of who our owner is, isn't it?

As NIPOLOPO said, Kroneke is the lesser of two evils.

 

[Spork]

I definitely think that Arsène would use it to at least boost some areas. He can obviously see that all of our competitors are able to strengthen their squad without ripping out it's heart and soul, which is what we have had to do in recent seasons, and we haven't even improved our squad.

 

[Lord Dula]

Get uzzy in

 

[justinmitchell]

My concern is that Kroenke is not a big football fan and doesn't siim to keen to put his own money into the club.

He is, foremost, a businessman whose main hobby is making a fortune for himself so why is he so keen on having control over our club.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that it is no more than a money making venture for him

His own money? What did he use to purchase the shares? Your money?

He already has a fortune and while it would be naive to think he doesn't want a return on his investment, he has not ruined any of the sports teams he currently owns. I can't really speak for his hobbies, but who knows, maybe he likes stamps more.

And if you're going to keep beating this irrelevant and baseless drum about Stan's level of interest in soccer [sic], then relax, his son loves it:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...for-the-long-haul-says-son-and-heir-Josh.html

That's great that they're financially responsible and prudent, and it's a nice PR exercise to boost the international image of a relative unknown business executive. It would be even better if they were a bank or an investment agency, or another American sports team that has to operate inside of a salary cap.

But that is not the case. There's an unprecedented amount of money being invested into the EPL. Just ask Chelsea, Man Utd and Man City. Without the ridiculous amounts of money that has been invested in those teams, they're likely to be in the same situation as we are, the middle of bloody no where.

Sure it's great to be financially responsible. But considering that we're operating in an environment where that means **** all, and the fair play rules are so far a joke and easy enough to bypass, we're going to be left in the pages of history. I don't want this club to become Liverpool - **** that. Sure I don't want Hicks and Gillett type owners who can't afford to run the football club, but believe it or not, our beloved owner doesn't have that much money compared to some of the other premier league owners.

A good comment earlier about the more desperate fans wanting Usamov and the more prudent, responsible fans wanting Silent Stan. This was relevant 12 months ago, even 6 months ago when we were still competing in 4 competitions.

Do you want this team to fall behind and become Tottenham or Liverpool? I certainly hope not. It would be the worst thing possible regardless what our CEO and Wenger says.

 

[ebouenolike]

United don't get loads of money pumped in by their owner, they are saddled with debt from their owner. In fact if they hadn't been taken over they would've had ludicrous sums to spend in recent times due to their commercial success.

Using Man United as an example of why we need an owner is frankly ridiculous.

 

[Godsend_Gooner]

Ideally nobody wants Usmanov near the club because it would be hypocritical for us Arsenal fans to accept what we have been despising since the arrival of Abramovich.

The club needs change to make it more adaptable to the present environment. I like Kroenke and I would not mind Usmanov either. But the thing with Kroenke is that he is happy with the status quo and that is not what the fans are happy with. Gradually as our failures continue, more and more fans will turn towards Usmanov. You can already see that 30-40% fans are OK with Usmanov whereas whence he first came in the percentage would have been a meagre 5-10%. Even if Kroenke is only in it for the business, as the profits dwindle because of lack of CL football and seats remaining empty, commercial revenue coming down because of lack of success, his share prices are also going to be affected. So if he thinks that everything is OK, he might be digging a grave for himself. Usmanov will keep on garnering more support and Kroenke will start becoming a hate figure if things stay where they are and there will be a break point to the relationship somewhere down the line.

So unless Silent Stan becomes more louder, it might not be a question of Silent Stan or Usmanov. It will be Usmanov, however hard the board try to resist.

 

[AnthonyG]

@justinmitchell, I think you quoted the wrong post, 'cause I can't see any real relation between the two, though I respect, even if I disagree, with what you say. This might be worth a read though.

 

[dpt49]

His own money? What did he use to purchase the shares? Your money?


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...for-the-long-haul-says-son-and-heir-Josh.html

I think it is fairly obvious I meant spending his own money on players, like Abramovich does at Chelsea, rather than buying the only top club in Europe that has made a net profit on players in the last ten or more years.

I can't imagine why Kroenke was so attracted to our money making club, with a manager who makes a net profit in the transfer window season after season.

Just so there is no misunderstanding in this post, I am of course being sarcastic :wink:

 

[Shue]

You are aware that Abramovich hasn't spent any of his own money buying players for Chelsea, right? He has loaned them the cash to buy players which he may or may not choose to write off when he no longer wants to own them.