Morning all, there’s plenty to get through today so we might as well dive right in.
As you’ll know the Arsenal AGM took place yesterday, and if you haven’t already read Tim Stillman’s epic report from it, you can get it right here – while Arsene Wenger’s typically excellent speech can be found in full here.
I think Tim gets across very well the tone and mood of the meeting, and the ridiculousness of some of the questions asked of the board. I mean, worrying about our players in a World Cup in Qatar taking place seven years from now seems a little odd to me, but then it takes all sorts.
The most contentious issue was the £3m payment to KSE for ‘strategic and advisory services’, Chairman Sir Chips Keswick saying they related to a ‘a wide range of services’. Pressed on the matter though, the answers were tetchy and evasive, and the insistence that the question had been answered in full sticks out like a sore thumb because it’s so unlike Arsenal.
Whatever you think of how the club is run, the one thing you’d say about Arsenal in nearly every situation is that they have a reasonable answer for most things. Often there’s more than a touch of PR to it, that’s the nature of the beast, but in this case the fact that there’s no answer deemed acceptable just adds to the disquiet about the payment. That a club like Arsenal are unable, or unwilling, to provide specifics about the services provided by KSE that cost £3m per year just doesn’t seem right.
My guess is that there’s probably a really simple answer to this, but they’re aware people won’t like it, so they continue to fudge the issue. In doing so they just make it more of a problem because it’s so at odds with everything else. They can successfully deal with questions about transfers, lack of success, beer, the volume of the PA system, some wanker complaining about a true Arsenal man like Ken Friar, yet they flop about like a fish out of water when asked how £3m is being spent every year?
KSE do provide services to Arsenal – the exact nature of them is vague but I sincerely doubt they’re top secret. Whether they’re worth £3m I can’t say, your guess is as good as mine, but ultimately the inability to justify the payment to Kroenke’s company remains a sore point. If it’s a case that the majority shareholder is taking that money as a de facto dividend – and he is on record as saying he doesn’t understand why there would be opposition to this, along with his admiration for the Glazer model at Man Utd – then just say so.
People may not like it, and with good reason, but it’s far better than trying and failing to justify it with evasive, ambiguous and, at times, confrontational answers and language. Perhaps this view of shareholders as custodians is not the way the world works any more. Some will say it’s not the Arsenal way, but nor is this belligerent reaction to what is, after all, a thoroughly reasonable question.
Ultimately though, the whole thing is an exercise in futility because one man owns most of the shares and can do what he likes, pretty much whenever he likes. I think it’s important that people’s objections to that are obvious, and perhaps that’s why Kroenke himself didn’t speak at all yesterday – aware of the reaction he might get from the floor. However, when it comes right down to it, he could pay himself five times that £3m and nobody could do a thing about it, which is both a bit sad and something of a worry.
The other things of note to me were Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis talking quite pointedly about how the analytical side of football has been embraced, and Wenger’s desire to leave the club in good shape ahead of his inevitable departure. The manager said:
I know what it means for people. I know how sad people are when we don’t do well, when we lose a game. The responsibility on my shoulders is much bigger. I am resolute to commit absolutely until the last day of my contract to bring back big success to this club, and leave as well one day in a position where it can do even better when I leave. It is for me very important that I leave the club in the shape that the guy who comes after me can do better.
In the worst moments after the worst defeats you read people who accuse Arsene Wenger of ruining Arsenal. Obviously those people need to look up the definition of the word ‘ruin’. He can be an incredibly frustrating man at times, and he doesn’t get every decision right, but I have never doubted his desire to do the best he can for the football club itself. Sometimes that’s not enough, but it’s inarguable that we’re in better shape now than we were two or three years ago.
The squad is better, the finances are better – the caveat here is that using those financial resources is an area we could probably improve in – and we have won trophies in successive seasons. As we’ve said before though, it’s about making progress from there and using those wins as a platform to achieve bigger things. A Premier League challenge has to be the minimum requirement this season, we’re currently in second, so let’s see where it goes.
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More from yesterday included team news, the boss on Mesut Ozil, and a fantastic piece on Gabriel from Tim Stillman who must have carpal tunnel syndrome like a bastard this morning.
Right then, time for this week’s Arsecast and after the Interlull we can look ahead to football again. There’s AGM chat and more with Jeremy Wilson – including chat about that £3m payment to KSE; team news; a look ahead to the weekend, kinda; lots of laughing at the misfortune of others; and a veritable glut of the usual waffle.
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Right, that’s your lot for this morning. Plenty of reading and listening to help get you through another Friday though. And remember, all our Arseblog t-shirts are on sale this week, check them out here. Thanks for your support.
Back tomorrow with a full preview of the Watford game and whatever crops up in the meantime. Until then, have a good one.
