Morning all, a quick Saturday round-up for you.
We’ll start with all the takeover bumpf and Arsenal, according to the Guardian, have reported that there has been no contact from Stan Kroenke or his KSE company. This comes in light of Sky Sports News reporting that a bid was ‘imminent’ and that if it was rejected we’re into the realm of hostile takeover.
Funnily enough I got an email yesterday from some Irish bloke accusing me of being a ‘coward’ and a ‘little Englander’. A coward because, get this, I don’t allow any comments on Arseblog so nobody can have their say and a little Englander because of my stance on the takeover – Dein/Kroenke situation. Now, almost since the start Arseblog has had a comments facility called ‘arses‘ which is open to anyone, no matter what their point of view. If you agree with me that’s fine, if you don’t agree that’s fine. I will never prevent you from commenting or calling me a twat or whatever. Of course, in the 5+ years of Arseblog we’ve had to get rid of a few people from the comments but not because of their views on football, simply because they were wind-up merchants, trolls or generally just cunty Sp*rs fans or something.
So, while I will continue to post what is simply my opinion on Arseblog, we can rest easy knowing that there are some right simpletons out there. Then, funnily enough, when I replied to him informing him that he was a simpleton he accused me of not engaging him in ‘intelligent debate’. Honestly, you couldn’t make it up.
So, back to the takeover thing and we don’t really have any new information to go on apart from what Sky Sports News have said – and they reported we were going to sign Rodrigo Palacio. Then comes another twist with a story saying that F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is interested in the club (and funnily enough Bernie’s Ecclestone’s daughter goes out with a lad called Gavin Dein. I’m sure I know the name from somewhere). The Telegraph says that the board would prefer to sell to Ecclestone because, reading between the lines, he’s not foreign. To be honest, I’m pretty sure the board’s objection to selling is the fact that they have done so much work to bring the club to a new level and it hasn’t finished yet. Financially the club will be in good shape if the impatient can get past the promised pot of gold they think Dein and Kroenke will bring.
And as well as that, what’s to say that even if the Orangetache© group (who have been engaging their PR machine again) do take over that they’ll be any more successful at getting Arsene to spend any money? He’s got his way of doing things and there’s definitely money for him to spend now, this summer, if he wants to to, that’s regardless of any takeoever or honey-pot transfer funds. I remain firmly opposed. People say it’s inevitable and it’s true, lots of clubs are now under foreign ownership. ‘Everyone else is doing it’, you hear some fans say but since when did Arsenal and Arsenal fans want to be just like everyone else? Fuck that.
In a quick review of the other stories Liam Brady thinks the club is in good shape, saying:
The future of the club is looking very good and I wouldn’t bother about what people think in the months of June and July. No football has been played yet. It’s always best to wait and see if the first team will gain from their experiences last season and my feeling is that they will.
Eduardo talks about what he’s got to do to make it at the Gunners, AW is ready to give Theo Walcott a starring role and Robin van Persie is shaping up to be the main man up front this season.
Marca is reporting that Carlos Vela will be loaned out to Osasuna next season. I saw glimpses of him in the U20 World Cup and he looks very tasty indeed. A season of top flight football will do him the world of good as well. The deal appears to be a one year loan, with an option for a second. There is no question of him being sold though.
And that’s about it. I look forward to reading all of the no comments people leave here. I feel so lonely sometimes, so terribly, terribly lonely.
