Kroenke Leapfrogs Usmanov, Melo Goes to Juve

Morning everyone. A couple of things have been happening in the world of Arsenal in the past few days so I figured I'd keep everyone up to date.

First of all, it's only 8 days until the first preseason match! We'll get to see that annual match vs Barnet, which while not an overly competitive match usually, it is the return of football each year and that is something to be celebrated. I'll get more into a preview for that match in a couple of days.

The big news I guess this morning revolves once again around one Alisher "The fat Uzbeki money grubbing cunt" Usamanov and one Stanley Kroenke. A few days ago, Usmanov offered to inject 60 million pounds into Arsenal's coffers for transfer activity. Mind you, all this money is questionable and sketchy at best. Needless to say, Arsenal rejected the offer. Ivan Gazidis had this to say:

With regard to players, the Board decided not to issue permanent capital in the hopes of signing one or two players in an inflated transfer market. Instead, the focus continues to be on securing the services of talented young players we have on long-term contracts and making very selective acquisitions, only where a new signing will add real value to our already strong squad.

Some of you will say, "Shite, why would you turn down 60 million quid to spend on the team?" Well because it's not how Arsenal does business. It never has been that way, and I hope it never will be that way. The club is built on a sound business model that, while sometimes is frustrating, is crucial to the club's long term success.


Along these same lines, Stan Kroenke has today increased his shares by 1,600 shares to now own 28.5% of the club, making him the club's largest shareholder, passing Usmanov. Some people are still skeptical of Kroenke, but I personally place my faith in the Arsenal board, who have been around Arsenal for decades. There's a reason they invited Kroenke to join the board and continue to reject Usmanov. Kroenke, they feel, is someone who has the club's interest at heart, while Usmanov is a horrible person who eats kittens for lunch and baby seals for dinner.

This increase does put Kroenke awfully close to the limit of 30% before you are obligated to make a full takeover bid. It seems almost inevitable that there will be an eventual bidding war between Kroenke and Usmanov, and I'm fairly sure the board is doing their damndest to make sure Kroenke wins that war. And I'm backing him too. While I'd rather have the ownership split up like it is right now, if it's going to be one of these two it's not even a question.

In other news, Arsenal target Felipe Melo has signed for Juventus, effectively ending that transfer saga. I did think he would be a perfect fit for us, but I guess we didn't want to spend as much as Juve did. The question is who do we look at for that holding role now? There's Inler of course, and Veloso, but my guess is that Arsene will go for someone totally off the wall that we've never heard of. Your thoughts?

That's about all I've got today. Thoughts on Kroenke, Usmanov, Melo, and Barnet are all acceptable, as well as anything else you want to say. Have at it. Cheers.

International Injuries and Kroenke Ups His Stake

First post in like a week or so, and you know what? The break has been good for everyone I think. You don't have to read posts about nothing, since there is nothing going on, and I don't have to try to think of anything interesting to tell you when there is nothing interesting to tell at all. Be right back I need to start the coffee pot. Alrighty the coffee is on it's way. I effing love me some coffee. So today we actually have a bit of Arsenal news, which is mostly bad, actually. Internationals have been going on, and of course, where there are internationals there are injuries for us. Such is the case this week.

First of all, Robin van Persie has managed to get injured while playing for Holland. It's a groin injury that has forced him to withdraw from the squad, and what a bloody awful time to get hurt it is. He's been healthier this year than in any of the last few, and now right at the end, when we need him the most, he's gotten injured when he's not even playing for us. I don't know how long he'll be out but hopefully he is back fit soon and this isn't an injury that will linger for a long time.

Robin also has been talking about a new contract, saying he would be willing to sign an extension as long as the club "match his ambitions."

"Financially Arsenal's last offer is fine, but that isn't everything for me. It's about my ambitions and how they can be fulfilled. The club and I want the same, and it's our intention to achieve that. We have all the other factors in place - fantastic stadium, dedicated support and money in the bank. Now it's about making that final push. In the last four years, I've only won one prize, the FA Cup - and that is too little. I want to push through to achieve more."

I think that's about the dumbest argument I've ever heard from any player. It seems to be a more and more common one lately though. The problem with is is this. EVERY PLAYER WANTS TO WIN TROPHIES! And how do teams win trophies? By keeping their best players with the club. So if van Persie wants to win things at Arsenal, then it sure seems to me like he needs to stay to help us accomplish that. It doesn't work out for players that leave Arsenal. Just ask Anelka, Vieira, etc. Keep that in mind Van Persie.

Stan Kroenke, Arsenal board member AND American (I am proud there is an American on the Arsenal board, yep), increased his stake in the club to 20.5% after he purchased 8 percent more from Danny Fiszman. That makes him the second largest shareholder next to Alisher Cuntmanov. Ivan Gazidis spoke highly of the Stan Man:

"Stan really is a model owner. I think the fact that Danny has felt comfortable selling his shares to Stan speaks volumes."

And he's absolutely right. If Danny (who is a long serving Arsenal board member himself) is comfortable selling his shares to Stan, then they are convinced he only has the best interest of the club at heart. Inviting him to join the board was the first sign of trust and now this.

I have this envisioned as sort of a scene from the movie Gladiator. The board are building up Maximus (Stan Kroenke), who is a fan favorite, well liked and battle tested (Stan has owned several other sports teams), and on the opposing side is the fat, ogre looking cunt Alisher Usmanov, who nobody cheers for but he bullies his way through most opposition. We all know that Maximus wins this battle so hopefully Stan will overcome that Usbeki wanker who should spend less time stuffing his pork hole and supporting Man United.


And more injury news, Abou Diaby and Nicklas Bendtner have also suffered injuries. I don't even know how Diaby gets called up to the France squad honestly, but he's been forced to withdraw. You'd think with a guy as big as him he wouldn't get so many little niggly injuries, but maybe he's just a pussy. Suck it up Diaby and play through the pain. Bendtner has injured his knee with Denmark, and there is no word on how long he will be out.

That's about all I've got today. Hope it was exciting and that you liked the Gladiator movie reference. Maybe a Die Hard reference tomorrow. Cheers.

Early Bolton Preview, and Kroenke Joins The Board

Morning all. The match preview is a day early this time because I'm headed to Tallahassee tomorrow to watch Florida State beat Wake Forest. I'll be back Sunday and will hopefully get a match preview up then.

So we've got Bolton at the Reebok Stadium tomorrow. This used to be really a tricky fixture for us, although since Fat Sam left for Newcastle they haven't been the same. Last year was that incredible game where we were getting murdered in the first half, then had Abou Diaby sent off, so we were 2-0 down, away from home, and playing with 10 men. In the 2nd half however we made the greatest comeback I remember seeing from Arsenal, with Gallas, RvP, and an own goal somehow giving us the win 3-2.

Injury news ahead of the match isn't too bad as we haven't lost anyone that was healthy for the Kiev match. We still have Nasri, Diaby, and Silvestre out though. Nasri is one that I'm worried about. I think the injury he picked up was supposed to just be a little one but it's putting him out for a lot longer than expected. I really hope it isn't like a Rosicky or RvP injury that never really goes away and we end up having to give him a bionic leg.

The lineup will probably look like this:

Almunia
Sagna-Toure-Gallas-Clichy
Eboue-Denilson-Cesc-Walcott
RvP-Adebayor

I actually really liked the setup we used against Kiev with Song in the middle and Denilson playing out wide and Eboue not on the pitch. It was great but I think we'll probably see Eboue back in the side since it's a league game.

Like I said, Bolton haven't been the same since Fat Sam left, and it's a match we could really use three points from. Bolton are pretty much shite, and we are of course, not shite. Cesc was in and out of the game a little bit against Kiev so let's hope he gets back on track this match and hopefully the ref won't give any terrible penalty calls like the one he called against Sagna. That said, I think my score prediction will be 1-3 to the Arsenal. I think we just have too much quality for Bolton to match up with man for man. They will put everybody in front of the goal and try to make a wall but I think we'll be able to break them down. I really hope I'm right.

So that's enough for the match preview. There is a SLIM possibility that I'll be able to get a podcast done before I leave for Tally tomorrow but I have to pack and have practice today, then I have to coach my team in the morning and leave right after that. But there is a slim chance still because I haven't gotten one done in a while.

The other big news of the day is that Stan Kroenke, that's right, an American, has joined the Arsenal board. I think it's great because not only am I American of course but Mr. Kroenke has had a very successful career running sports franchises here in the states for those of you who don't know much about him. Kroenke has agreed not to increase his stake beyond 29.9% of Arsenal's share capital in the next year unless a takeover bid is launched by the fat Russian cunt, in which case he could buy more of the club with the consent of the rest of the board. So basically this is all to prevent Usmanov from trying to get into a bidding war for the club because guess what, the shareholders will sell to Kroenke before they would to Usmanov, and the board clearly feel that they can trust Kroenke.

A statement from the club read:

"Mr Kroenke fully supports the approach the board has taken in setting the direction of the club," the statement read.

"The board believes Mr Kroenke's experience in sports team commercial management, sports marketing, media and new media rights as well as real estate development will be of great value."

So we'll see how it works out but I think it is a great move for the club.

Again, please visit our new sponsors at SoccerPro.com for everything you need football related. They have the new Arsenal kits at good prices and everything else you could want.

So that's about it. Hoping for 3 points tomorrow, and a big win for FSU. Go Noles. Cheers all.

Kroenke To Join Arsenal Board

Morning. Let's get right down to it. The Independent says Arsenal are going to offer Stan Kroenke a place on the board. This is a far contrast from the way they feel about Usmanov, and indeed felt about Kroenke some time ago. When Stan from the States first bought into the club everyone thought that he was part of a takeover plan which never came about. He simply bought 12 percent of the club and has worked well with the board ever since, even signing the lock down agreement to not sell his shares before 2012. The moral of the story is the whole team of Arsenal board members and shareholders are doing their part to keep that fat oaf Usmanov out of the club and it appears to be working.

Good news on the injury front sees Tomas Rosicky had a successful surgery on his knee. The surgery was yesterday and was supposed to be an exploratory procedure to try to find out the problem but they discovered and then reportedly fixed it by attaching the tendon with two titanium anchors, which should keep it in place. The doctor that performed the operation said that after his rehabilitation he should have no problems and get back to having full functionality in the knee. Great news and I can't wait to see Tomas back next season.

We've been warned off Obafemi Martins by Kevin Keegan, which is fine because we don't want that cunt anyway. It does say we haven't approached him thank God because we really don't need Martins and if we paid 15 million for him I'd shoot myself.

It looks like we're going to be loaning out some potential first team players next season, as Armand Traore may be going to Portsmouth with Alex Song going to West Brom. I have no problem with Song going to West Brom because I think he will get games there and get to have good experience in a team that will almost certainly head right back down to the Championship. The only problem I have is with Traore going to Pompey, where I wonder if he will get games on the wing. Don't they have better options for the wings, including one we're trying to buy? Either way, let's hope they both get good experience if they do get loaned out and they'll be better off for it.

The Times reports that Yaya Toure would be interested in a move to Arsenal if there was a bid for him. He had this to say today:

"I am conscious of interest from certain Premier League clubs. I can't say anything for the moment, but it's true that it would be great to play for a big club with my brother. That would be fantastic, but you never know."

I love Yaya as a player. I thought he was immense against Man United in the first leg at the Nou Camp. He's a ready made Flamini replacement and he would never want to leave Arsenal. It'd be a brilliant signing in my eyes, and I just have a hunch that it may happen.

There is a poll on Sky Sports for the goal of the season. Adebayor's goal versus Sp*rs is in the lead so let's keep it that way.

So now it's time for player review number two, about our favorite number 3, Bakary Sagna!

In the Past: As Sagna just joined Arsenal last summer we don't have much of a past on him besides that he played for Auxerre before coming to Arsenal and nobody at all had heard of him when we signed him. He made 87 appearances for Auxerre in Ligue 1 and 17 appearances in the UEFA Cup and was part of the team that won the French Cup in 2005, and he was also named in the French team of the season that year. He moved to Arsenal for 6 million pounds.

This Season: Sagna pulled off something that doesn't happen very often when foreign players move to England, he hit the ground running. Wenger said when he came in that he didn't expect Sagna to play right away and that he had intended to give him half a season to adjust before throwing him into the league games, but his performances in the pre-season gave him the starting right back slot and he fit right into the English game. Many people a season ago thought Emmanuel Eboue was one of the best if not the best right back in the Premiership, and it shows how well Sagna has played that he has fully replaced him and made that spot his own, forcing Eboue to the wing. He scored his first goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge off a beautiful header from a corner kick. He got injured later in the match which turned out to be what ended his season unfortunately. He was rewarded for his performances by being named in the 2007/2008 Premier League Team of the Year. He notched a total of 5 assists and 1 goal in the league this year, which is quite an impressive tally coming from right back. In defense, he only received three yellow cards all season, received 40 fouls while only giving up 12, and won 39 tackles while only losing 17. He is also a candidate for the Arsenal Player of the Season award.

Next Season: I think you have to say that going forward we should count on Sagna to be one our most reliable and best players. His impressive first season gave evidence of what he can do for the team and I think he will be able to build on that due to the great attitude you see from him. He is a very humble guy and a hard worker who seems to genuinely love playing. What we don't want to see is injury problems of course. We have to hope the injury he suffered near the end of the season this year won't come back and cause him problems because that will effect his consistency in his performances. He certainly has the right back spot locked up though, which may end up forcing Justin Hoyte out of the club because it doesn't appear he will be getting very many games. If Sagna can keep up the level of performances he's had this season, or even raise the bar a little more, it will make that right side of defense one that no striker or winger wants to come up against. And yes I am a fan of his hair.

One last note, I'm still looking for contributers for the upcoming ArseNole podcast. If you would like to co-host with me I am looking for one and if anyone can think of anything funny or interesting to put on there that would be great. Just add it on the comments, forums, or email me, ArseNole@arsenole.com