It has been a remarkable week for Arsenal football club. On Monday the #wecaredoyou campaign was launched with a hard-hitting open letter from a group of Arsenal fan groups, websites and blogs urging the club owners, the Kroenke Family, to start listening to the fans, among many other demands/requests.
Well, yesterday Josh Kroenke responded, twice, in an interview and via an open letter to the fans and he had a lot to say.
It is easy to dismiss what he had to say and to a large extent we have here at JustArsenal, however, he does deserve credit for at least responding and giving an insight to the clubs thinking, strategy and vision.
Here are five things we have taken from both the interview and letter.
The Kroenke family are listening
Well, that we cannot deny, you may not like their response or you may well be heartened by what Kroenke had to say but they cannot be criticised for ignoring the fan’s statement from earlier in the week. Josh Kroenke has at least had the courage to take the criticism head-on and give a strong response.
There will be more signings
Kroenke never actually came out and said 100% there will be more signing but he did say “be excited” when asked about transfers and there really is no ambiguity in that. He really is saying there will be new additions to the squad and that they will be exciting. I just cannot read that any other way.
Wage bill is burdening the club hugely
These words are rather damning
“It’s no secret we have a champions league wage bill with a Europa League budget right now. That’s a fact.”
Now, we can all lay the blame at whosever door we want to but that does not change the fact the wage bill is strangling the club and that too many players are overpaid based on the competitions that we are competing in.
Edu is the last appointment in the new structure
Kroenke has now confirmed that Edu is the final appointment at the club following the overhaul that has been in place over the last 12 months or so.
“Edu represents the final piece of a very important jigsaw puzzle that is our new football operational structure”
That is significant, it means the club at that level is now stable and that all the focus can now be on the team. Having a structure in place is of course of the highest importance and it has been a mess over the last year with resignations and departures.
Josh Kroenke is asking for patience
At least he is being very honest here.
“It’s a daily approach. There are no shortcuts. As much as we would love to say that we’ll be competing for the top trophies tomorrow, we know that that’s not the case and that we have to get to work on that”
He has basically told us straight, do not expect to win the big trophies next season, the revolution that Kroenke is trying to implement at Arsenal is not going to happen overnight, it is going to take time and he is asking us to be patient.
should we call this hope??
If they are really concern they should try please the fans.
We are already lagging behind clubs like spur & Co
Leicester, Everton and West ham are coming through.
Bring us back our arsenal please.
After josh’s statement I’m just hoping we have already agreed one or two top players but keeping it close to our chest so the competition won’t go out and do better
The message has been sent by the suporters and Josh responded saying there will be more signing’s, that’s a promise made in my books now let’s see what happens I’m quietly optimistic so don’t let us down Josh
Kroenke did not say anything but tricks us again.
If pétition worked, do another one to say, no one to stadium nor bying shirts if we don’t see a major move on Koulibaly, talented speed creative M, L&RB, beast in front of défense and a winger.
Europa League or not, top clubs as we supposed to be, build a team to compete with ambition to do better next year.
Westham just but a player for 45M, Leicester for 40 and more. Because they build a team to compete and go on top of us.
To hear that we not competing this season or 2, need Time mean it will get worst. Incapable of selling ans to cheap to buy is what Kroenke is.
How much to qualify for CL and lose before quarter finals brings to the club?
More than make it to Europa final? I doubt that and it is not where they make most profit at all but on shirts, tickets, PL TV rights, sponsors.
They reacted on this letter, send another one and Say ” we not buying this nor shirt nor tickets. That’s BS!
They keep all the money and very satisfied with that.
No money means no players meaning no shirt worth buying nor tickets.
Empty stadium means no money as Kroenke does us. Enough complaint,
WE disagree Mr Kroenke, Arsenal for years now does not put money as supposed to and are behind,in order to readjust; we need to announce 200M as a budget. Not save it for yourself but invest as you build a hole by keeping money.
Europa League is a BS excuse to justify to be even cheaper.
CL football would not allow to compete, 200M will. Then you will make more money and have fans happy in stadium and not empty. Do some bloody math. WE aint bying shit nor this is Arsenal but the end of a great club and work it took Mr Wenger 20 years to build with a paid for New stadium. You ruined in 3 to 5 years Time, with a stadium paid for! Arsenal is finished, Kos should leave, nothing left.
Those executives at Arsenal were the ones that gave the divas Champions League wages
They knew that the divas were underperforming, yet they still rewarded them with obscene salaries. Just because those executives didn’t want to lose the money they spent when purchasing the divas and the merchandising potentials
Instead of getting more profit after letting the underperformers stay, Arsenal suffered in financial department and their performance worsened. I hope they would be more thorough when recruiting and when giving the contract extensions
Or you could look at it this way-This management team at the beginning of last season handed new improved contracts to under performing mediocrity in Iwobi Xhaka Mustafi.Every one of them failed to perform last season as well.So while you continue to be obsessed with Ozil and his wages let’s her some perspective.These three were no better or worst than Ozil in terms of consistency and performances.Its not all on one single player.
you cannot deny ,dear Phil,that Ozil is the biggest problem of all given his wage compared to what he offers in return…Iwobi may be raw right now but he’s not ,at least ,on an astronomic salary….
@pires-I cannot but agree Ozil must simply step up and perform consistently this season.But the player has talent.The three I mentioned have none.
Phil So you have finally said, in your own words too that even Iwobi, whom you constantly berate, with much justification too, (plus the dreadfully useless Mustafi and Xhaka) are no worse than OZIL IN INCONSISTENCY AND PERFORMANCE. Hallelujah! Seems reality is finally dawning on you. I, who have long wanted Ozil gone, freely admit that in sheer talent, though not produced other than once in a blue moon, Ozil dwarfs these deadwood . But in order to be of any use you have to produce it and regularly. That even you of all people are having to compare him with and list him in the same sentence as those tripe players is entirely his own fault. Had he had a scintilla of character he would and should have been compared to Brady, Fabregas at his peak and that ilk. And NEVER to the tripe you list above. How awfully sad is his utter waste of a sublime talent.
He was telling us not to expect ‘big’ signings. If we got big signings, in defence, in midfield, and in attack we would challenge for everything. Interpret as no big names. No Fekir, no Zaha, no Lewis Dunk. Yes to loan players, 8,mill players. No to the best players. His track record is he promised the Colorado Rapids the world and did nothing, Did you hear the Colorado supporters interviewd? The Kroenkes are blood suckers.
For how long more do the fans have to wait, it’s been so long without a major trophy, children born the last time Arsenal had a major trophy are already giving birth too. And the fans have to keep waiting. We will wait but not because he plead for it but because we love.
Its good Josh responded but it was still to vague and cryptic for my liking.
“Be excited” does that mean we have filled all our problem areas and we have a team to compete.
Competing is going to take time, well how long? Are we going to have a team that can at least compete next season? Or so we have to wait a couple of seasons?
“We want to win silverware and trophies” well which one is it? Silverware or trophies??
Mesut blonde ?
Yes Sue, like getting a new player……??♂️
?
It’s like we signed Megan Rapinoe, great signing.
Hahahaha good one NMC
???
My thought`s too………RapinOzil !
Not to disrespect anyone, but he now looks like a butch lesbian, maybe he did it to impress Erdogan……….
Butch ?
I will treat this with the utmost scepticism, It was a response but maybe a response geared to getting the fanbase off their backs for a while,lets see what happens,I am guessing not a lot.
“patience” , “potential”, “foundations” ,”in the future”..
Year, after, year, after, year, after year…don’t you see the patterns or does their empty promises and dreams sold turn us all to goldfish?
Pfff blood sucking vampiric, Satan best get out my club before he burns it to the ground.
Actions speak louder than words!
Yes Sue, he’s spoken so let’s see what happens over the next couple of weeks.
If nothing does, we should get rent-a-mob from Extinction Rebellion to surround the stadium????????
Aren’t they the climate change lot? ? You do make me laugh, Declan!
Yes they are Sue. We need to change the climate around our club at present as it’s getting toxic ?
Very good, Declan ???
Oh, my, my, my, how we love to read between the lines and read what we want to and not what was written. Who of us have managed a football club with all the things that need to be considered when taking decisions. Wenger created a complete mess with the players he signed in his last few years, unfortunately Emery is now sitting with this mess (and admittedly he did not improve it with last term’s signings). The structure was not in place to administer the club properly (Mislintat, etc…). Then the are all the transfer rumours, of which most are bullsh… Let’s all just be a bit patient, as Josh asks. Sorting out the salary mess, trying to get rid of players that nobody wants, like Özil and Mustafi, is not making their task easier, and whether we like it they have to balance the books.
Give them the benefit for now and stay loyal!!
I am a loyal to Arsenal football club and not its owner who unlike some billionaire owners of clubs owns more than one sports franchise, illustrating to me quite clearly that he does not care for AFC as a club but only as one of several investments he wants to maximise.
That isn’t in the best interests of our club.
Where has Stan and Josh been for the last god knows how many years? They are likely absent landlords and we all know what happens to houses that have those don’t we.
You wait, I already know from past experience what is more likely to happen thanks.
Excuse me,please, what salary mess are you talking about today in 2019. Players were jumping ship, in chase of bigger wages, that was restructured and today it is Arsenal that is paying wages out of this world. Really? Really? Really???
That was what the boy Kroenke just did now. Summarised shallow comments like this Wenger left salary mess, give it back to you, and it did not take you much time to repeat it. O Lord save my soul.
He said the club recently start a new process/phase last year, Edu is d final piece of d puzz, so we need patience with the new structure. I agree and i agree we need to hire and fire some players. If we buy new cb, kos shd go, if Tierny come monreal should go, we dont know how far Holding will be integrated. Elneny and Miky should go while a loan of ceballo/malcom and 1 winger is needed
How true is the Everton report. We agreed 36m deal?
As true as the Pele one probably!
Now we know why he is known as “silent Stan”, he gets his Son to do his dirty work and take the flak.He calls for a period of “consolidation” which refers to the Club’s Management structure when on the pitch a revolution is needed.He calls for aggression in the transfer market.Aggression without an adequate army behind you, in this case financial muscle,is a recipe for disaster, witness the Tierney saga.What we need basically is to get rid of the raft of overpaid dead wood and replace them with quality young players.Replace aggression with astuteness.Forget all the usual business type jargon and focus on shipping out the players who are responsible for our decline.Give them away to get our wage down substantially.It’s not rocket science.Football is a simple game which is being complicated suits in high places.
Grandad, I often think we must be identical twins separated at birth but who both think the same on everything. Just the latest fabulous summation from you of our Kroenke and Son problem!
Well, considering Josh Kroenke visited Emirates and soon thereafter Wenger was sacked, I think he has some interest in the club. Though he should have sacked Raul and that other Vashkquwgsjd567 guy and left Sven as the CEO and director or football
By the way it’s renew season ticket time!
Err,,,, your about SEVEN WEEKS LATE PAL
Phil… Mesut has gone blonde – don’t go getting any ideas ?
Is it in a pony tale Sue? ?
????
I follow him Sue-got it cut into a very fetching bob and gone peroxide blond.I look lovely
?? oh I bet you do, Phil ?
Correct Phil, my son bought his two a few weeks ago.
I was merely making the point that it all needs to be taken with a pinch of salt Phil, like when we have had positive statements around the time of season ticket renewal.
The problem is it’s almost a cry wolf situation, we have been lied to or kept in the dark for so long we don’t what to believe.
Renewing season tickets is not a problem with an 11-years waiting list. They’re just spewing out generic phrases to make it look like they give a single fawk about where on the table Arsenal is and where it should be. Hell, even in the relegation zone, the lizardmen that hide behind the name kroenke will still turn a profit enough for them to be happy with the overall situation. I honestly don’t expect anything better than top 6 in years to come.
Arsenal are trying to sign some “very big, very expensive players” this summer, says manager Unai Emery.
“Our target is to achieve three or four players who really improve our team and our squad now,” said Emery.
“We have very good players and very good young players who can progress to take and get big performances with us. Other players can come here to help us.
“We are being very, very demanding and we are first speaking about the possibility to sign very big, very expensive players.”
EMERY’S interview
All this talk of buying and yet they still need to off-load some crap first! Got to think of the wage bill too, right?!
I don’t trust Emery with transfers, neither do I trust Raul. I don’t think that Vanksh.. guy even knows what an offside is. I think he is good in cricket or dancing. I hope Edu knows his way around, otherwise, we will dither and dither and end up with Suarez type buys☹️☹️
“Very big, very expensive players”.
Is Peter Couch coming out of retirement already?
?
The “Wage bill is burdening the club” interests me more that any other point!
We’ve taken on some crap over the years. And even some of the more “Experienced” players have let us down. Fact is, for a huge wage some of these players have let us down big style. Embarrassingly so (Mustafi, Xhaka, Ozil etc.). Maybe it’s about time football clubs had clauses in favour of the club based on performance? Mustafi would have earned £105.69 last year and Ozil would have owed us at least £6m!?
Kroenke said this
“As much as we would love to say that we’ll be competing for the top trophies tomorrow, we know that that’s not the case and that we have to get to work on that,”
Is that because of players….buy them
Is that because of supporters..think like them.
Is that because of management….change them
Is that because of coaches…get better ones
Is that because of you….are you a parasite
It all seems very negative on the whole and yet a ball has not been kicked and the window remains open for a while yet. We need to be realistic in where we currently sit in the football world so I would be happy with 3 or 4 quality signings such as those consistently linked. As long as we improve this season coming, play an attractive style, become more consistent, avoid the 3/4 hammerings we received past seasons and challenge hard for a top four place and silverware I would take that for the season. There will be a few youth players bedding in and I like to think the long term youth investment will start to pay off in the coming years. Top 6 should be a given but my ambition for the club this year and next is to achieve top four and build a premier winning side by year 3. This is me being reasonable as I know we haven’t got 150 million to spend and the deadwood is with us for a year or two to come unfortunately
If things don’t change they stay as they are.
Other than a few new players coming in what else can change now. The management structure has had an overhaul and I like the no.2 swap out as I didn’t rate Bould in that position. The structure needs a season to see if it all works, Emery will be in the judgement year as it’s his second season so improvement should be expected now on the playing field regardless of new faces and a few youth team promotions will be made. I can’t see any of this as negative just yet and the targets for new faces seem good additions if we get them.
Dan, under Emery’s contract the coming 2019/20 season is his last unless Arsenal activates the option to extend further.
My concern is that a lack of the required 3 or 4 transfers in to address the obvious deficiencies in the team, will consign Emery’s tenure to failure, particularly in the eyes of supporters. Kroenke and the Board will sacrifice Emery, because it is less expensive to churn through coaches than to address the player deficiencies, balance and depth of the squad. Many supporters will blame Emery and have their expectations falsely lifted when he leaves and a new coach appointed, only for the process to continue.
Finally we have an accurate,true,word by word transcript of the 2 interviews!it looks like the statement by the different groups of fans had some effect,it has been publicly answered,we were given some explanations, facts and informations…thé club has taken notice and that’s a start I guess!
Remember dada’s sports empire(in cowboy country )win FA but makes loadsa money.Sounds familiar ?