It’s no secret that the club is in desperate need of change. The Gunners have had the same manager and most of the same coaching staff and managerial support for the last twenty years and to no surprise it’s starting to go stale.
One factor of management that does change quite regularly is the ownership and control of the club, most notably the Chairmanship and majority shareholder. The Gunners current majority shareholder is American Businessman Stan Kroenke, otherwise known as Silent Stan by the fans. Kroenke has a majority stake in Arsenal and thus has a big influence in the club’s affairs, however since he has held the majority stake, in 2011, he’s done very little for the successful growth of the club.
Kroenke’s main rival in the shareholder ranks is Russia’s richest man until 2015, Alister Usmanov. Usmanov is reportedly worth twice the amount of Kroenke and has his sights set on making a takeover bid for the club. Yesterday he was rumoured to have launched a £1 billion bid for Kroenke’s share of the club.
The news quickly generated reports of which the Arsenal fans showed excitement. The idea of having Kroenke out of the club and replaced by Usmanov, a more desirable and willing owner, is one that is surely going to please the fans.
The Arsenal legend, Ian Wright had his say on the matter, in a statement quoted from the Evening Standard. Wright said: “He [Usmanov] has put in the bid and it is great news. Something has to change, whether it is the manager Arsene Wenger or whether it is the board upstairs.”
“Top players may want to leave. Too much is up in the air. Something has got to happen for Arsenal to go to that next level. This bid will galvanise the fans.”
Wright’s statements are nothing but truthful and we all know that the club needs an overhaul. A takeover bid and new ownership of the club would be a major change and perhaps the one that is needed to shake up things at the club. I have no doubt that if Usmanov was to take more of a charge of the club affairs, then he would put forward for a change of manage, overhaul the squad and see improved methods whether the club generates finances (and profit for him) through being successful winners, rather than through Kroenke’s buy to sell regime.
The offer is likely to be rebuffed by the American, with his own intentions to one day make a bid of Usmanov’s shares. However the fact that Usmanov is showing intent and to make a change, will hopefully spur an act of rejuvenation at the club.
By AH