Greetings from a mild Yokohama. Christmas here really is a bit rubbish when compared to back home in Ireland. The shop decorations usually start coming down on Christmas Day! At least there is the small matter of a big game against Chavski to look forward to.
Before getting to that in a later post, there was the announcement yesterday that Danny Fiszman has transferred 16.1% of his shareholding in the club to a new nominee company called DF Nominees Limited. On the face of it, this seems like a strange move. However, when you take into considerations Fiszman’s long-running health issues, then move would seem to be a way of preserving and maintaining stability at the club should the worst case scenario happen.
The move also seems to be aimed at keeping Fiszman’s holding out of the hands of Usmanov. The question now would seem to be, does Kroenke Tonk Stan (KTS) have the money at his disposal to be able to make a full takeover move for the club. Should he buy Fiszman’s shares, he would be required to make a full takeover bid and should that takeover bid fail he would then be required, under market rules, to sell enough shares to bring him back down to a holding of 29.9%. That could potentially result in those shares falling into the hands of Usmanov. Therefore, the timing of any such move is critical.
It could be that this new nominee company is some kind of holding company that will retain the shares until KTS is in a position to make a full takeover bid. Of course, that is assuming that KTS actually wants to make a full takeover bid. There are some sections of fans that would like to see Usmanov seize control the club as the perception is that he might bring around an era of spending and a winning mentality. However, I am dead against Usmanov gaining control of our club as he would undoubtedly bring around an era of managerial instability and judging by his comments in the media, he seems intent on just earning a quick buck. He generally just comments on how the share price will continue to rise. It is rare to hear him talk about the actual long-term future of the club.
Now, I know that that last point will be countered with people saying that we never hear KTS say anything. This is true. But, if you look at KTS’s history of investment in sports clubs/franchises, he doesn’t sell. He stays in for the long haul. He also doesn’t spunk away his money through heavy investment in playing staff, which may not be to the liking of those that would prefer to see Usmanov gain control. There are three points to think about here; the first being that Arsenal have never been big spenders and have always lived within their means, so KTS is more in line with the traditions of the club; second, we have no real idea of the intentions of Usmanov, apart from the fact that he wants to turn a profit. Just because he is a rich Russian does not mean that he will throw money at the club and, if he does invest in the club it would be through private loans, which the club would need to repay at some future point. Nothing is for free.; three, the silent approach by KTS is more in line with club traditions of keeping everything in-house and maintaining stability at the club. If Usmanov were to seize control, it would seem inevitable that a lot of our business would be done in public with endless stories in papers and a lot of both managerial and player instability at the club.
I don’t know about you, but I know which of the two main protagonists that I would like to seize control of the club, were it to be sold. I also don’t agree with the idea that Usmanov would instill more of a winning mentality at the club more than KTS would. There is simply no evidence to back up that argument.
Anyway, that’s about that for today. I’ll be back at some stage over the weekend with a look towards the Chavski game.
Hope those that have been travelling back to England and Ireland from here in Japan made it home safely and without getting stranded in an airport!
Until then, take it easy and Merry Christmas!
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The North Bank - "It's got va-va-voom" (An Arsenal blog) 
I am one who wants Usmanov.Stan has done nothing in the time that he has been the majority shareholder, to put pressure on anyone at the club to start winning trophies.No-one says we have to spend more than we earn but we are not even spending that.We were told we had to move out of Highbury in order to compete against the best in Europe.Our records against the best and the also rans in England prove that was a pig in a poke.We can’t even compete with Spurs for quality players.Wenger spends “his” money on 3rd rate French players and kids who in three yrs will end up going on loan, to some lower division team in England or Spain.There is a distinct lack of ambition in the club.When your manager says that 4th place is success, then you know the future is bleak.A shake up is needed too many members of staff are accountable to no-one and all the board care about is profit.I want trophies,I want bragging rights again,I want our Football Club back.
Anyway have a great Christmas and a happy New Year and hopefully Arsenal will make 4th place and Arsene can say how successful we were.
i ve never believed wenger when he says he wont buy to prevent the dev. of the young players.the fact is the board is not willing to spend huge sums of money on new players unless they pay off the debt on the stadium.wenger does what he does to protect the board’s interest and to shift the blame all to himself.there is not a single coach who will refuse signing quality players to win trophies.by the way i hope the financial fair play rule comes to existence although i ve my doubt it will it will come to use
Arsenal has the money there for player acquisition, should the manager choose to do so. Part of the problem is that he wants to see ‘project youth’ through to its conclusion and so has been reluctant to spend if that investment would block the progress of our younger players.
Well, at least that is the line he uses. Not sure I agree with it myself because surely competition in the squad can only help to make the players strive for improvement and therefore improve the squad.
Admittedly we have been outspent by our rivals for a number of years now, but I think that the forthcoming financial fair play rules will bring the transfer market back down to a level wherein we can compete with our rivals without need for outside investment.
ideally that is what we all want but clubs we are competing with do not do and that will make it difficult for us to compete with them.a coach like mourinho wastes substantial amount b4 he achieves eg 27mil on quaresma 15mil on mancini.saf has always spend far more money than wenger.u need money b4 u can compete and what if the club continues with this spending 4 the next 7yrs.if that happens we shouldnt cry or complain 4 not winning trophies if we win, fine
I’m not saying that I don’t want the club to spend the money that it has available.
But, I don’t want that money to be provided by a rich benefactor. It should be money that the club itself has generated.
do u want our club to be cont’sly ran like this where it is unheard of for arsenal to spend just 20mil on a player yet we compare ourself to the barca,rmd,man u.I will choose to have the abramovic’s 6 year period with the chavs if usmanov can give us that than the previous 5yrs with arsenal.GUNNERS 4 EVER.