Two men that Arsenal fans need to trust to right past wrongs

The history of Arsenal will show different periods of success and decline and never has that been more evident than the last ten or so years and there is a variety of reasons for that and one man can take a huge share of the blame for the mess Arsenal football club find themselves in today.

That man is Ivan Gazidis.

Obviously, Arsene Wenger and others must also accept responsibilities for their roles in the chaos surrounding the club but without Gazidis incompetence it would never have got to the state we are in today.

Gazidis officially became chief executive of Arsenal on the 1st of January 2009 and the ten years that he was basically the chief honcho we won three FA Cups and experienced one of the most disastrous transfer policies ever undertaken by a top-flight club.

I could make a huge list of the incomprehensible decisions Gazidis took but that will get us nowhere now, his time with us is done and we can start fresh with a new vision and new strategy and that is now the responsibility of two men, Managing Director Vinai Venkatesham and head of football Raul Sanllehi, who are basically doing the job Gazidis once did on his own.

One of their biggest decisions to date is the two-year rule which, if implemented, means that any player with two years on his contract either extends or is sold.

This is a necessary step without a doubt, we simply cannot go on losing players on free transfers or for a lot less than their true valuation due to expiring contracts.

But it cannot stop there, they have to be clever with wages and purchases because we cannot have a repeat of the sorry Mesut Ozil salary debacle or the acquisitions of the likes of Shkodran Mustafi for €41 Million or the €45 Million spent on Granit Xhaka.

Venkatesham and Sanllehi have this summer to prove their worth and show the fans that they are the men to right the wrongs of Gazidis and put Arsenal back on the road to greatness again.

We the fans give the support, the club is a cash cow, the stadium is awesome, literally, everything a club needs to build on is right there, all that is needed is for the right men to do the right thing.

As fans we must put our trust in these men, it is not their fault that we are where we are today and they just maybe what we have been looking for since David Dein.

But that trust is tenuous, our faith and confidence has been sorely strained to almost breaking point and there is only so much patience that can be extended.

46 Comments

  1. I have read everyone’s divided opinion on who to blame at the current state or arsenal and respect all that has been said. I agree on most parts but disagree on some. The debate will always continue in circles so all I want to do is remind everyone the dream us fans were sold.

    We moved from our beloved Highbury where our best memories and all our history as a big club were held.

    Even though money was reinvested into a new stadium I’m sure some shareholders profited during these years.

    The fans were sold pipe dreams too keep us quiet and we spent a lot the past 10 yrs waiting on promises to be delivered.

    We have been PATIENT, believing that once the new stadium was paid off we would compete with the biggest clubs in the WORLD and that it was necessary to starve ourselves of luxury buys because better days were ahead.

    Well we have been in our stadium a few years now and yet too see any return from the promises we were fed.

    All we have received in return is a larger stadium and a team that deserves their position in the league.

    Our history/youth set up/training facilities /stadium/international support ect, all suggest we are a big club but we can only be judged based on the players that represent us on the pitch and clearly they are not good enough.

    From promising us for years that we will be able to compete with the best teams in the world once the stadium is paid off to now being told we are a self sustainable club is two different types of stories and I feel betrayed.

    So in my opinion Arsenal football club have a huge debt to repay, US fans and start delivering on the promises we have been fed for so many years.

    My patients is wearing thin, as I feel many of us, have been mugged off.

    1. Financially, there won’t be many changes but just look at Levy at the spuds and what they’ve achieved these past years. Sure, they won f****k all but they’ve ensured UCL repeatedly and almost won the UCL and all that on a super-strict budget.
      With the right management, Arsenal can do that.
      I hope we can all be at peace that Arsenal is no longer a big club it once were and that this is the only way forward. The owner is not here for the trophies, he said it himself so let’s hope our scouting does the job.

      1. Spurs are just starting on the stadium debt trail. It will be interesting to see how they cope with a much larger debt than that incurred by Arsenal with the Emirates.

  2. “Meet the boss, same as the old boss”

    Roger daltry, the Who

    I’ll believe it when I see it!

    The thing is…middle and upper managers or whatever you want to call them are only as good as those above them.

    With Stan only interested in seeing the books look good for him, I see no change afoot.

    Only when the owner loves the club enough to put money into as opposed to taking money out of it do I see any chance of change.

    Stamps a safe ball/money ball kind of guy and won’t take risk like a Russian or other oligarch. If you invest serious money you want serious results but in the self sustaining model with no-one that accountable accept the books I see no change..

    Sorry to wee on the parade!;)

    Hope I’m wrong, but doubt I am.

    1. Spot on man. The directors and the managers can only be as good as the one above them

      Let’s see whether they stay true to their words about the two years policy or not. If it’s true, Aubameyang, Ozil, Mustafi and Mkhitaryan have to be sold or extended

      Can’t wait until I see the back of our useless no 10s

  3. Couldn’t agree more, although I feel you have understated Wenger’s role in the reckless mismanagement of our finances. He had a lot of power, and influence off the pitch. I got the impression that a lot of the hierarchy would seek help from Wenger, being he was the only real person with superior footballing knowledge at the club. Whether Wenger wanted this extra responsibility, or felt obliged to help out, who knows? Would be very interesting to know exactly what went on, because the writer says, it was chaos! But this did lead to Wenger taking his eye of the coaching side of things.

    Such a shame how far we have fallen since going a season unbeaten. It’s amazing to think we haven’t even challenged for league title since then.

  4. Kroenke will be the owner until he dies and then his offspring will take over

    Usmanov ended any hope when he sold his share to Kroenke

    I hate Kroenke but we need to Accept this fact.

    Being in denial and demanding he leaves is pointless

  5. You mentioned the two words that extract the club from it’s present downward spiral to mid table mediocrity.. David and Dein. I have no faith nor do I trust those who are the current custodians of the club’s future progress, including, no especially the present manager. Ozil’s words to his face “you are no coach” will come back to haunt us..

  6. Hopefully they will do better than January with the Suarez misfire. We’ll find out how good Raul is, or was he riding the coattails of the Barca brand.

    Kronke is more of a banker than an owner, and “didn’t get involved for titles” quoting his words. Why get involved then? He should have bought Everton instead; he could make money without the constant demand for titles.

    Bad juju for us when that Snake slithered into the garden of Highbury.
    He builds stadiums while his clubs flounder and collapse.

    I despise that man; I’ve seen him for over 20 years infect clubs in the United States. Flatter and deceive, lie, spout false promises, and poison fanbases.

    That man has to go, some way, somehow. Even if we win the EPL, he’ll sell off the talent; he loves money and profit, not glory and titles.

  7. You talk about trust and faith, truth is as long as Kroenke owns the club he will always replace puppets with puppets, master of spin, sold us a dream 10 years on we are still waiting and our neighbours are flying by. Galzidis and Wenger have been replaced by the 2 Ronnie’s and have no faith in them whatsoever. Our funds, revenues, extortionate gate money, sponsorship deals wheres all the money being hidden?!! They are trying to manage our expectations again, setting a 2 year player contract rule wowww, ain’t being fooled by none of that crap. We’ve shown no ambition, no strength in the transfer market, we are being left like a scavenger club picking up crumb players that no other teams want. Have trust in what? That we will continue in this downwards freefall? We as the fans are the custodial owners of this mighty club and we have to take it upon our hands to get rid of this benign disease of a owner, hes like a cancerous tumour sucking the life of this club. We are now rubbing the shoulders with the likes of Everton and west ham and watching over our shoulders for teams like wolves and palace. #yankeedoodleout #kroenkeout #coyg

    1. You mean “malign” disease of an owner”, not “benign”, which is the exact opposite of what you meant. MALIGN is harmful; BENIGN is harmless.

  8. One thing’s for sure – they can’t be as bad as that snake, Gazidis!
    Who knows what they’ll come up with – I just hope they’re not another promise you the earth/moon type of guy(s), for then nothing to materialise, time & time again!!

  9. 2 years ago today, we signed the Bosnian beast.. in the article, was a clip of his best goals/assists (yes ok it wasn’t a long clip ?) but what a way to start the day ??

    1. Unfortunately he has turned into the Bosnian donkey, Sue. He’s got to be really dreadful if fans can actually debate about replacing him with Liverpool’s Moreno.

      1. I know, QD ? the place is full of donkeys right now! Perhaps we’re turning the Emirates into a sanctuary ?

  10. We are where we are supposed to be putting into consideration how the club was run in the last ten years before Emery. Kroenke’s fault in all that is standing by and watch as the club upended by The administrators. Aside this what else was his fault. Yeah, he didn’t put his personal money but the club was making enough money that if it had being properly utilized we won’t be where we are today. We kept so many injury prone players in the past cont giving them a new contract despite not playing. Giving more money to players who don’t deserve, allowing players to run down their contract and go for free. Like I said in one of my post. Hazard is fetching Chelsea 100m plus, how much are we getting for Cech, Ospina, Ramsey, Welbeck, etc. Jekinson is on fcuking 70k weekly for doing nothing. We refused 60m for Sanchez and were ok to Miki for him six months later. Are all these actions taken by Kroenke.

    1. Exactly. Chelsea have accepted Hazard won’t extend and have acted decisively. The club gets money for reinvestment and their reputation is preserved. If Hazard was our player no prizes for guessing what we would have gotten out of his departure, a big fat cheque worth £0!

    2. If Kroenke is motivated by money, then refusing 60m for Sanchez and replace him with 180k a week deadwood 6 months later (for free), is definitely not his doing.

      Nor is spending 70m on Xhaka and Mustafi. Nor giving Jenkinson 5 year contract 50k a week.

      1. @McLovin
        should Sanchez still be a reference point of arguments TODAY taking NOTE of the fact that he did not measure up to the Mikt since he has been gone.

    3. Exactly the Kronkes are not to blame for poor management of the club. They own it pay people to run it. Unfortunately have taken the stance of use your own money of which there is plenty of if the club is managed efficiently on and off the field. If we sell players that gets automatically put towards new purchases. The Sanchez, Ramsey and Ozil scenario like so many others in the past is down to Gazidis not the owners

    4. Mobella, In the real world of business, which Prem clubs are, the owner takes ultimate responsibility if a club or any business is badly run with the wrong people in charge. IF, which he is NOT, Kroenke was remotely interested in the club , he would NEVER have stood by and let GAZIDIS AND A FAST FADING WENGER, RUIN OUR HOPES. He would and should have sacked them far earlier. He did not , so he is guilty. Simple as that. To pretend otherwise, as you have,is naive and plain wrong.

    5. @Mobella”Kroenke’s fault in all that is standing by and watch as the club upended by The administrators” Really standing by ???????
      What do you think was left to do after he held the strings to the purse????????????????????????????

  11. Well at least we can put a halt to players walking out of this club for free! Lost about 60M for Sanchez and anywhere from 20-50M for Ramsey. That’s about £100M worth of transfers down the drain due to the sheer incompetence of Gazidis and Wenger. Anyway, what’s done is done! We’ll have to make do with £40M this summer.

    1. And what do you expect to do with that when that sum also includes salary and agent fees?
      Better to have not bothered giving any money…

  12. They’re next move will be to sell auba,he has two years left on his contract so he is probably going to be their first chance of putting their plan of sign or be sold to the test, personally I think they will sell him,like most players their careers are relatively short and at thirty he probably has three to five years left at most and this could well be his last contract, if the chinese rumours are true then you can bet there are going to be more offers pouring in for a golden boot winner that he probably will not want to miss out on.
    Its no secret that the club need funds to buy and this could also be tempting for the club so either way Auba is probably on his way out of our club.

  13. I have no faith in anyone at Arsenal to do anything right.
    I cannot and do not need to say any more than that…

  14. Martin, A fine , albeit too short article, full of truths. I think you could have said far more about his faults and reasons why Gazidis got the job and who were his accomplices in “crime” and lies but on the basics you are spot on.

  15. You are correct in highlighting the failures of Gazidis and Wenger who between them have turned an ocean liner into a flat bottomed barge.Let’s hope the new “dynamic” duo are more competent, but as a matter of interest who was responsible for sanctioning the purchase of the 30 year old,very average Socrat is for £20m?

  16. I trust them as much as I trust the man who`s bum they lick !

    VV looks like Apu from The Simpsons and RS looks like he just put a hit out on The Sopranos dog.

    1. Le Coq, you judge on physical looks? How shallow is that! What does it matter whatever they look like or who they remind you of? Yes I like comedy too, but comedy based on how someone looks? Oh come on now, you can do better than that surely.

      1. Evening Jon
        Apu is a cartoon character and his lines are written for him, just like Kroenke probably has his hands up VV`s backside working him.
        I joke about them because I feel that we(Arsenal) are in no better position now than when Gazidis was doing their jobs, cant help it Jon, but I dont trust any of the fcukers. I dont mind Emery as he is going to take all the flak, I feel sorry for him as he is pissing against a hurricane with a job and a half to do, but minus the funds he needs to do it with.
        I do apologise though if anyone on here does look like Apu or a mafia looking hitman and takes offence as none was intended………………No cartoon characters were hurt in the making of this comment. 🙂

        1. That’s quite a reply and put my own my daft comment in its place. WELL EXPLAINED! Quite seriously, Le Coq , you have a rare gift for comedy and should make more of your talent if possible to a wider audience too. I am NOT being sarcastic either. A fertile and quick brain with a gift for words should take you far,if you really tried for it. Ever thought of comedy script writing? I am NOT making fun but being totally serious.

          1. Thanks Jon, but I have been on a few sites where eventually my humour got me banned and my defence was always that my comments should always be taken in the way that they were meant and that is of the lighthearted manner. Problem is when writing something on blogs is that it can be taken in the wrong way depending how someone reads it, there`s no tone or face expression to look too.
            Without going into to much detail, I like many others have had some crap times to put up with, with illnesses and loved ones passing away and any other circumstances which bring grief…… my attempts at humour whether succesful or not are an escape for me.
            This is not an attempt at trying to get sympathy, life ia always trying to trip us up, especially when in later years as most lose their friends and loved ones, when young we dont think or take much in about………oh to be young again and care free !
            Fcuk !……I`ve probably now made you feel suicidal ! hahaha

      2. I also called Emery “Dick” on another post and hurt someones feeling who told me to bugger off !.
        I had to reply and tell the person that Dick Emery was an old Brittish comedy and me using Dick was in an endearing manner not someones private parts…………..thought everyone even young had heard of Dick Emery, aparrently not!

        🙂

        1. The difference is Dick Emery was a brilliant comic Unai is not a very good one.It doesn’t hurt to bring a little humour into the discussion now and then Le coq,crack on mate, Kroenke has made us a laughing stock anyway,but on a more serious note lets give the two new guys a chance and see how things develope.

        2. Le Coq, On that too young to have heard of so and so comment I worked in theatre and was telling a 17 year old to think of Tommy Cooper when delivering a line , in a comedy show. She looked at me and I could “hear” her thinking “Who the hell is/was Tommy Cooper?” I WAS THE FOOL THOUGH, NOT HER, AS HOW COULD ANYONE EXPECT A YOUNG GIRL BORN IN 2000 TO KNOW ABOUT TOMMY, WHO DIED ON STAGE, BACK IN 1984! We were all young once though, as Shakespeare once said to me whilst we were both at School together!

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