Has Josh Kroenke failed to appreciate Arsenal’s Twelth Man?

THE TWELFTH MAN by Aaron

IT ALSO HURTS JOSH.

I think those who coined the saying that “look before you leap” were really wise and must have had people like Josh Kroenke in mind. It has been a long time since I last wrote anything related to my favorite football club Arsenal but after coming across what Josh said concerning Arsenal football club I couldn’t help but scribble my thoughts on my phone.

Let me start by saying that it also hurts to admit that the Golden trophy holders have become perennial punching bags.

I read with a deep sense of anger, sadness and shock. Some of the comments made by the son of Stan Kroenke, the majority shareholder of Arsenal FC, in response to a petition by fans demanding recognition for being interested and passionate stakeholders. I can’t believe a man who is supposed to realize that the twelfth man at Arsenal is key to the growth and continued existence of the brand called Arsenal is so disrespectful. Its is strange that instead of choosing his words wisely he publicly chose to prove his contempt for the people who sacrifice their hard earned money to oil the machine we affectionately call the Gunners.

I know its natural for a man to drift into the defensive shift when he is being accused of doing everything wrong ,but it’s so wrong for a man who took over a successful club to be ignorant of what the most important man for the club thinks or feels about the Club. Since 2004 a lot has happened to suggest that the Kroenke’s treated Arsenal as an investment vehicle. We all know about the years of austerity when the club had to operate on a very thin budget, but the stadium debt which brought the austerity measures has been paid up.

Josh needs to be reminded that Roman Abramochich came and invested in Chelsea and they have been very successful on the pitch and in financial terms. I know that the terms and objectives for investing may not necessarily be the same for both Roman and the Kroenke’s but there is a need to respect the real owners of the football clubs, the fans. Stan may claim he doesn’t have oil money like Roman, but the truth is he came to Arsenal because it was a big brand. It is an open secret that big brands are big because there are millions of consumers for that brand..

Can someone please ask the Kroenke’s if they would have been interested in Arsenal had it not been able to attract huge numbers of people to the stadium.. Can someone please ask Josh if the Kroenke Sports & Entertainment group would have been interested in investing in the Arsenal brand if the club had no history of success.. It is really disheartening to realize the level of hypocrisy that Josh exudes… I am not one of those who have the financial capacity to be a season ticket holder, but I derive emotional benefits from being just an armchair supporter of Arsenal football club.. Josh says he is not in the business to make friends but to win, how convenient for you to say Josh.. You say that the club has a UCL wage bill in Europa but that’s just pub talk..

We lost RVP when the team was still participating in the UCL which proves that all you are saying about being in the business to win is nothing but a pure fictious claim Mr Josh. I am not trained in the field of public relations but I think there was need to just assure the fans that you are committed to turning around the situation and make Arsenal great again. Choosing to go against the wind being blown in your direction through a petition by fans demanding that the Kroenke’s show respect for the fans is ill-advised Mr Josh. It’s time you prove your claim that you are in the business to win. You will definitely lose the war with fans unless you will be happy to pay for empty seats in case the fans who signed the petition to force the contemptuous response from your mouth is anything to go by. It will be sad if the antagonism you are trying to create with the fans continues.

Your obvious disregard for the twelfth man who has remained loyal despite the mediocrity which has become synonymous with the name Kroenke should be extinguished through real ambitious actions, in sync with the winning team which we all crave for..It will be sad to see Arsenal becoming a shadow team for you know who……..

Loud Thoughts From Africa.

@Amagore #ZimArsenal

Aaron Magore

24 Comments

  1. If kroenke can spend on arsenal then he should sell his share to richer guys and stop use the club for profit making only..

  2. Well put Aaron Josh must also understand that we are losing future suporters to our rivals,

    I’m sure he knows well that sponsors weather be kit brands, stadium name, visit Rwanda or even live tv games pay/show according to clubs quantaty of supporters

    1. We’re losing future supporters veeeery slowly. Arsenal will be popular for at least ten years WITH a constant downward spiral in performance. Just think about 11-year waiting list for the season tickets. As long as that is in power, they don’t need to change anything for the better, only for worse, if possible. Take more money for “counseling” as the team remains as popular being tenth with the biggest player wage at 70k a week.

      What I hope for, is to see Arsenal win the Premier League once in the next 40 years (that’s my estimate of how long I’ll live). Oh to be a gooner… 🙁

  3. Patience is the word… I believe we are getting quality players in soon. this summer will end up an exciting one for us. The window is not yet over. we have to wait and let the men in charge do their work as they have promised.

  4. I didn’t see too much to be offended about in his interview, I saw it as quite encouraging and good to actually hear something come from those in charge. This summer looks/sounds like it may just be starting to come together (fingers crossed)

    I might be being blindly optimistic here though ?

    1. I agree with you Will. I think there is obviously some degree of corporate PR fluff to Josh’s letter and his interview, however I too felt like the swiftness and length of the response, covering almost all of the points in the letter from the fans, was positive. I don’t think Stan has ever cared enough to get involved and that has cost us as a club, particularly with the mismanagement of funds by Wenger and Gazidis the last few years. I do think Josh seems to want to be more involved though, and it appears that he has essentially taken the “custodianship” of Arsenal as his direct responsibility on behalf of KSE.

      I understand why people want more than just an interview and a letter. I actually think the transfer news this week seems to show exactly that, more exciting things developing. We just need to be patient and trust that things will improve. At the very least, we know that Josh and KSE understand the pressure from the fans, as must everyone else at the club. I think it’s best to give them the benefit of the doubt for this season and see how we go!

      1. Cannonboy, How many times do you want to give them the benefit of the doubt.I am taking what he said with a large pinch of salt.

    2. Will, I DO think you ARE being “blindly optimistic” mainly for the following reason: Kroenke and Son have owned us now for over a decade and have not so far ever put in remotely enough money to keep pace with our rivals. I see this past action as firm evidence for what we should continue to expect in future. Unlike you, I never rely on unfounded in evidence sheer HOPE! I always urge folk to look at actions above mere words, esp when a full decade of virtual non action by the Kroenkes has preceded these empty words of Josh the TOSH!

      1. I disagree and Matthew Mcrudden has explained it very well for me below as I don’t believe it is the Kroenke’s that are the main reason we are where we are. Recent steps the club has made since they took sole ownership have been positive but we are in a period of transition.

        I am entitled to my opinion and your are entitled to your opinion (however consistently negative)

        And c’mon, “Josh the Tosh”? Is that really the best you can do? Not exactly the most creative of insults ?

        1. To be fair, Gazidis and whoever else thought it’s a great idea to give Ozil 350k a week, Mkhi 200k a week, and get Mustafi are the very reason we’re in the current pickle.
          Then, Emery should take at least 50% of blame for not winning one more game that would take us to the Champions League.
          kroenke is to blame for not investing, but the men above are guilty for not doing the best with what they’ve got.

          1. And of that 50%, how much is assigned to Aubameyang missing the penalty against Spurs, the officials for missing a clear offside goal in the same game, missed chances time after time in front of goal, Mustafi, Xhaka and other defenders making stupid errors in defense, including conceding penalties which cost points?

        2. Your post reeks of naivety sadly As you say you are entitled to your opinion . But that merely means that you will be far more disappointed than I ever will. I AM A REALIST AND DO NOT EXPECT MIRACLES UNTIL WE FREE OUR SELVES FROM THE CLUTCHES OF BOTH KROENKES. I HAD TO SHAKE MY HEAD IN AMAZEMENT WHEN READING THAT YOU DO NOT THINK THEM MAINLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHERE WE ARE, even though Wenger and Gazidis were responsible too.

      2. @Jon Fox
        I am in the same boat as you. Very very skeptical of the Kroankes. Been telling us how we have more than £200 million on hand blah blah for the last 10 years or so seasons. Been telling us how we have money to spend each season but then end up selling our best / star players all the time without replacing them.
        Told us that we can compete with everyone for big name players apart from the likes of Messi / Ronaldo.
        Told us that the Emirates Stadium move will propel us upwards. We were sold a a dream.

        I just think that the Kroenkes have ground us down little by little in the last 10 or so years that now our mentality and attitude has changed. We are at a stage where “Any nee signing will do (Cheap, free, on loan etc)”. We are just greatful that we are being linked to new players after what our current overrated, overhyped and overpaid players have put us through. We are up for any new signing if it means getting rid of our current loser players.

        Just imagine if it was City, Liverpool, Chelsea, United being linked to to current players we are being linked with. Would they be as excited as we are? This tells me that the Kroankes have succeeded in their quest to lower our expectations as club / fanbase.

        But i am willing to give them another chance time again. But the cheapness of the players we are being linked with, the talk of us begging to pay clubs in instalments for chea players etc is telling me that we have not changed.

        Same old big talk from the Kroankes with little to show for it. But i might b proven wrong. This world is unpredictable.

        And as i keep saying, i would prefer cheap unknown players that will work hard / fit in our team than the so called BIG NAME players that will drain our clubs wages while giving absolutely nothing in return. Won’t name names.

  5. Kinda agree with most people. Stan may be silent but Josh has done several interviews. We wanted wenger out, he came in March 2018 for 6 weeks, evaluated and got him out.

    We wanted a more modern structure. So we got Raul, Edu and Fahmy in and we got a young proven football fanatic who is a proper tactician I.e.emery as our manager.

    We broke our transfer records twice within 6 months of eachother with Lacazette then Aubamayang.

    We don’t have the same commercial deals as United nor Arab money bag owners like City. We’re on par with Pool, Spurs, Chelsea. Poor management from Wenger and Gazidis over the past 6 years meant Pool and Spurs caught up with us while Chelsea always had a billionaire who heavily invested.

    Ramsey, Sanchez, Ozil, Cesc, RVP, Welbeck fiaacos have all been issues stemming from Wenger and Ivan. The new boys in are tryna clear up the mess.

    We’ve got a cracking set of players, strikers that are envied from all of Europe, some seriously talented youngsters who I’d argue are some of the very best in england.

    I have done some crying and moaning over the past few years and demanded change but it’s been happening under our noses and instead of realising this and getting behind the team like Liverpool fans have since Klopp came along were too busy demanding Stan Kroenke talk to us everytime a bad result happens, be at every match, spend more money than everyone else.

    Since when was it our god given right to get top 4 every year? There are 6 quality teams all going for those spots. 4 of them had a meltdown at the end of the season and just scraped top 4.

    Bit of rant but it just seems articles like this are all over news now and it makes us looks so fkn pathetic. 12th man? We’re more of a hindrance to the team right now more than anything else. The toxicity of the Emirates last year shows that.

    1. I don’t want kroenke to talk to us,he never does,why should he start now he sends his boy to do his talking and i bet most of that is just appeasement to get us off his old mans back,yes we have two great strikers and some young talent but in between them is a whole load of rubbish players getting rich off The TWILTH MANS HARD EARNED WAGES,don’t speak to us Stan,SELL and CLEAR OFF!!!

  6. Cracking article Aaron and totally the sad but obvious truth too. There are , fortunately, very, VERY few Gooners who remotely buy into the rubbish spewing from Josh the Tosh!

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors