Wenger reveals his frustrations but Stan Kroenke has NOTHING to say to Arsenal fans

Yesterday’s annual AGM for Arsenal shareholders to address the Board descended into farce, as Stan Kroenke lived up to his nickname of Silent Stan by not saying one word to the supporters in the whole two hours of the meeting. At one point the shareholders voted out chairman Sir Chips Keswick and director Josh Kroenke — only for owner Stan Kroenke to reinstate them.

To start with, Ivan Gazidis tried to soften up the fans with a video detailing the Gunners achievements (and profits) and the Chief Executive was booed and heckled as he tried to explain that the club had ‘over-performed’ when compared to the spending of other big clubs, and used the examples of keeping Ozil and Sanchez as proof that the Board were not just financially motivated. Then the Boards front-man Arsene Wenger was again presented as the heart and soul of Arsenal and talked about the values of the club, although even he seemed frustrated with the negative attitude of the majority of fans at the meeting. He said to them: “The only thing I can say is I dedicate 99 per cent of my lifetime to try to make you happy. Looking at what happened today, it’s not easy,”

“I feel that a football club is about the past, the present, the future. On what we see now in the evolution of the game, football is ahead of society. Society always follows the way of the game. And what is for sure, in our game, the weight of the past, the weight of the future has been kicked out of the game.

“The weight of the present has become heavier and the only one thing people want. The present. That means for me it is here and now. Win. It is acceptable but I always guided this club with one idea – a club that is first about, for me, values that have been created by the past.”

But the supporters feel that they have lost any respect that Kroenke and the Board have for the fans, and ahead of the meeting the Arsenal Supporters Trust had written a long plea to Kroenke asking him to make good on his promise to interact with the fans and tell them about his aims and objectives for the club going forward, but as I said the Silent One did not say one word, and it was left to Sir Chips Keswick to show his disdain for their request by saying; “Read the Daily Telegraph and you’ll find out [what Kroenke thinks],” and he was roundly booed when he told the crowd to “write in if you have a problem”.

The problem is that the AST wrote a long and reasonable letter ahead of the meeting, and their requests were totally ignored! This Arsenal Board have always been aloof and secretive, but now they have lost any connection to the fans at all….

Admin

37 Comments

  1. I’m not wengers biggest fan .
    But read this post and about yesterday’s agm or infact last year’s or before that …

    And tell me getting wenger out would fix anything .

    IT wouldn’t …Stan is here long-term. Which means we will never compete ….only fan unrest of proper merit will change that. Which won’t happen . Prawn sandwich brigade .international new fans .

    Our owner
    Our CEO it’s all …sigh

    No respect for us as fans from the board
    We will languish like this for years

    1. “Prawn sandwich brigade” “International new fans”. How are phrases like this going to galvanize the fans?
      Morgan is the definition of prawn sandwich and he is always raving on about the same changes that the working class fans want.
      A gooner is a gooner. Because international fans don’t live here they are less passionate about the club. They don’t pay in money to the club? They don’t get up at silly hours of the day and night to watch the team?
      I’m from north London and have sat down with fans across the world who want to the same thing that all gooners want.
      The only thing they lament is that the don’t live here and can’t do more to affect change.
      But you go ahead Mr local fan typing and moaning on the internet about new international fans, while also doing f**k all to bring about any change. Yup it’s international fans and the middle class that will bring arsenal to its knees.
      A gooner is a gooner.

      1. suppose moaning about me moaning works better for you…mr local fan
        good your focusing on me so much…and not the club

        mr ‘gooner’

        1. Morgan would not lift a finger, he talks because people stuck a mike on his collar and now that is all he does. The Morgans out there without celebrity are grooming horses and going to the opera, you will not find them wanting to mingle with the common man and you wont see them at a picket line.

          I doubt Kroenke even wrote that stuff for the paper. He didn’t want to talk about any of it, although, he supposedly had allot to say, just not in person. He’s terrified someone will throw out a question that a ten year old fan might know ..but he wont know it.

      2. Jibe,
        Well said I’m an international fan from Adelaide South Australia, obviously you know the commitment it takes to watch every Gunners game live where I live but I do it every week and almost every game , I mean EPL , Europe , FA Cup and League Cup ties. I maybe miss 2 or 3 live games a year . I’m one off the biggest WOB’s out there but I truely now believe that getting rid off the gaffer wouldn’t do anything unless Kroenke goes 1st. I would actually like to see what. Wenger could do with the investment in the team from an owner like Alisher Usmanov. The only thing I can do to help the cause in London is donate money to a Kroenke out movement. You guys should sort out a plan off attack put jt on the net for all Gooners to read and set up a Just Giving account so we international Gooners can donate money towards the movement. Come UK fans it’s up to you guys . I’m happy to support financially in any way I can and I’ll think you will find heaps off fans worldwide that would be willing to financially back this movement.
        #KROENKE OUT

  2. FINALLY ADMIN! WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG! Total scandal and the club will pay dearly for treating its life blood, the supporters with such arrogance , disdain and nastiness. I still love the club but actively despise all who make its decisions. Eventually hatred kills love, as thousands of fans have been trying to tell these creatures , not real people , who “run” our club.

    1. wenger is not the problem. The biggest problem we facing is the owner (main shareholder) of this club.
      if wenger left, we finished. why? wenger can Atleast manage the available resources for maximum achievement. look at totenham, man city, man utd and chelsea.. look at their squads in comparison to ours. look at their team bs. we lucky to be competing with them.. give another manager the same squad we got and we will vanish

  3. I thought yesterday’s meeting was an AGM attended by members (shareholders) not fans per se. Why Should other shareholders want another shareholder to address them at the AGM? An AGM is for the board to talk to shareholders about how the company performed and its prospects going forward. The correct person to talk about those issues is the board chairman and to some extent the CEO.

    It is clear that the AST has some misguided sense of entitlement. That it claims it represents Arsenal fans does not give it a right to behave like some trade union of sorts. There are millions of Arsenal fans who are not affiliated to AST, and it is not surprising that its members probably represent less than 1% of the club’s fanbase. That they are an organized group of noisy fans gives them no right to abuse club management. It is not even surprising that some of their members are the ones that abuse the club and players on social media.

    1. You speak real sense @The Analyzer and I agree with you but must make it clear I believe Wenger should have gone with his head held high at the end of last season. As for Kroenke I really don’t know, he said he loves winning the FA cup and also wants to win the League and Champs League but why then re-employ Wenger and if doing so, not insist on better results in the other two main competitions. Stan also said there are a lot more easier ways of making money than investing in a football club. He certainly has not profiteered from the club, barring 3 million quid a year which is sweet F all with the money we are making. Something isn’t right but I’m not sure what it is. The fact is though that Stan is not going anywhere but it has been confirmed that Wenger’s position will be reviewed at the end of this season. I think that whatever happens this year, Wenger will leave of his own accord.

      1. I must take you up on your comment that The Analyser talks sense.May I suggest you read my reply to him which, since you agree, clearly applies equally to you.

    2. You are clearly an educated man and can use words to make your point. But your words are nonsense and choose to avoid the reality of fans lives. If you actually think the shareholders there yesterday do not represent Arsenal fans at large, in thoughts and spirit, though clearly not in the legal sense , you are living in a legal world only and have no real understanding of the fan passion that is footballs life blood . This passion is what makes football breathe and you would be well advised to think clearly on this key point. Frankly you sound like a legal man or even worse Sir Chips Arrogant Keswick himself. Knocking fans who care passionately, when those in charge clearly couldn’t care less is a very bad and frankly arrogant way to write. I speak as a fan for over sixty years and I fancy I know far more about footballs reality, from fans perspective, than you ever will. You are the sort who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing, which fits our owner and board too.

      1. I agree with you that Chips is a prize nob and I also have supported Arsenal for over 60 years. You obviously didn’t read my post though with an open mind,

      2. So in your view how you feel as a fan should be what every fan feels? That you might have been a fan for sixty years does not your perspective the universal attitude of a typical fan. Like I said in my earlier post being noisy on social media does not necessarily mean you represent the view of the majority of the fans. There are millions of fans who do not bother coming on social media platforms because of the lopsided perspectives being shared there, and the abuse poured on whoever chooses to debunk the popular line.

        In the final analysis your rant is nothing but a mark of how intolerant you are to opposing views.

    3. @theAnalyzer you clearly do not understand how an AGM of a company works. Perhaps you need to Analyse things a bit more and perhaps go back to Keswick, Kroenke and Gadzidis and ask them for a job as a cheerleader.

      1. I guess when you can deal with issues raised the best you can do is try I abuse. For the record I am a Company Secretary by profession.

        1. Your earlier posts were insulting to the other guy and if you really are a company secretary you should have a better understanding of how an AGM works.

  4. I been saying for ages that although Wenger is not the best manager, it isn’t the managers fault AFC have fallen into such disrepair.

    To moan about Wenger is like running over to a car with smoke pouring out of the engine and say it failed to win a race due to bald tires.

    I have been pointing at Gazidis for a while now as I honestly believe that the CEO is something we have more of a chance of forcing a change than QQing about Silent Stan.

    I honestly believe the CEO is what we need to change to start seeing real change at AFC.

    Look at UTD, how they was bought with a loan against the club and the club paid for that loan from its profits and then the UTD fans uniting against that attitude, now UTD give the owners profit BUT they also give the fans something exciting to support which makes sure they get financial support from their fans.
    UTD will but a star name and they know their fans will go out and buy that top, UTD can go to kit manufacturers and ask for more £££ as they get the big names in… Little things like this add up to make a big difference.

    UTD has a greedy USA owner and if us having a greedy USA owner is the cause then why do UTD not have the same issues?

    CEO.

    Please people, have a look at what the CEO does and then compare our CEO to UTDs and see the difference for yourself, you will not be able to ignore it once you have seen it.

    1. Owner also. Glazer at utd wants trophies like league and CL.
      Kronke only wants money, remember he didn’t get into this to win titles, according to his own words.

      1. Glaziers want profit.
        Glaziers had UTD fans turn on them.
        Malcom Galzier was called a Stealth Owner by Peter King.

        Stealth Owner… Silent Stan. Could be forgiven if some might think it was referring to the same person.

        Ed Wooward is the real power in UTD.

        In 2005, Woodward advised Malcolm Glazer and the Glazer family during its successful takeover of Manchester United. The Glazer family then recruited Woodward to join the club in a “financial planning” role.

        In 2007, Woodward was given charge of the commercial and media operations of Manchester United. It was in this role that Woodward is credited for United’s success in tying up lucrative sponsorship deals with companies around the world. In 2005, the club’s commercial revenue was £48.7 million. In 2012, it stood at £117.6 million.

        Woodward was appointed to the board of directors and named executive vice-chairman of Manchester United in 2012. After the retirement of CEO David Gill the following year, Woodward was promoted to the top operational role at Old Trafford in a restructuring of the club’s boardroom. Woodward was succeeded by Richard Arnold as the club’s commercial management director.

        In August 2016, Woodward secured the transfer of Paul Pogba for a record breaking fee of €105 million, making him the most expensive footballer of all time.”

        Malcom Glazier died in May 2014 and since then it has been his kids. Malcom Glazier doesn’t want trophies, he is dead FFS!

        Look back to 2005 when MG took full control and the transfer fee(millions) spent in that year.
        2005/6: £28.62
        2006/7: £24.48
        2007/8: £93.15
        2008/9: £40.73
        2009/10: £26.22
        20010/11: £26.37
        2011/12: £56.07
        2012/13: £68.81 (Woodward was promoted to the top operational role at Old Trafford in a restructuring of the club’s boardroom.)
        2013/14: £69.42
        2014/15: £175.82 (Malcom Glazier no longer with UTD after passing away)

        Are you going to try arguing that Malcom Glazier wanted trophies?????? PMSL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        1. Utd have spent more under the Glazers than they ever have. Fergie spent money but he never went mad with it. Inflation and all that aside I’d say the Glazers further opened up the purse strings compared with the previous owner. Che and City made that happen, but they obliged, whereas we didn’t want to budge from our finding rough diamonds motto. We are spending more lately but with us I believe inflation has some reasoning behind it, Even the relegation threatened teams can go out and spend 30m on a player, mid table clubs can spend upwards of 50m. We always had capability of spending twice what they could, we should’ve been capable of spending near 150m in one season would be my estimate.

          1. Dude I know UTD are spending NOW but I have listed the years and how much they spent up until Malcom Glazier died, I am not claiming UTD do not spend NOW but my point was Malcom Glazier got UTD to make him money… He was a greedy SOB just like Silent Stan is.

            Another point I was making is that with a decent CEO then a club can make profit AND spend, example being UTD who was bought by a money grabbing yank, they now make a profit and compete for the EPL title (well at least showing real contention this season).

            I am not defending Silent Stan, I have wanted Usmanov to buy AFC ever since Dein sold his shares to him, I despise Silent Stan. End of the day the FACT is we can make a profit and contend if we had a better CEO leading the club and understood the sport better.

            I want change at AFC.
            I do not think Silent Stan will F.Off. No matter how much I pray to imaginary gods… I can hunt down all the lucky charms and they would fail in the face of Silent Stans greed.

            I do think his greed would allow him to sack Gazidis and get a better CEO.

            I may be having a pragmatic view on this but as I said, I want change, daydreaming about Silent Stan selling because some people protest against him is as good as me hoping to win the lottery… I think I have more chance of winning the lottery XD

  5. It is Wenger’s fault also.
    Don’t understand all this Blame Kroenke 100% business.
    Yes I hate Kroenke. He is cheap and doesn’t care about the fans
    But Wenger is not good enough. Kroenke hasn’t stopped Wenger from spending the past 5 years
    Wenger was allowed to spend:
    £42 million on Ozil
    £35 million on Alexis
    £35 million on Mustafi
    £35 million on Xhaka
    £18 million on Chambers
    £16 million on Perez
    £16 million on Welbeck
    £55 million on Lacazette
    Also we tried to get Lemar for £90 million but Wenger completely bungled it up

    Wenger spent wisely on some and unwisely on others
    Kroenke didn’t force Wenger to get £35 million flop Xhaka
    Wenger had money to spend and he could have got a top Central midfielder this summer
    Wenger got rid of Gabriel but didn’t get another top CD. Now Mustafi is injured
    Wenger could have got a top striker the last 5 years but didn’t. Imagine if we had got a top striker in 2015-2016, we may have finished 1st instead of 2nd
    Wenger never replaced Viera with a decent Defensive midfielder. Even if Wenger was given £300 million to spend, he still would not get a top defensive midfielder because it’s not his philosophy to get that sort of player
    Wenger has kept faith in some average players while other teams have got Kante, Matic, Gundogan, Pogba, Gueye, Wanyama etc
    Wenger did not sign enough players for us to finish 4th this season
    Even Leicester has won the PL for heavens sake.
    Wenger falls short every summer and we fall short every season

    Do you really think if Abrahamovich was our owner, Wenger would be the greatest manager and win us Champions League as well as PL. He not only doesn’t get the right players, he puts Eleny at CB, Nelson at RWB. This is the same Wenger who gave Walcott £110k per week.

    No No No No. BOTH Kroenke and Wenger must leave. I think most Arsenal fans are Muggs because we keep on having a soft spot for Wenger. Sir Alex said he would have been fired if he went 2 years without a trophy

    Both Wenger and Kroenke out

    1. Wenger only wanted Welbroke on loan, it was Gazidis who bought him.
      Wenger didn’t show any inclination that he wanted Perez and never trusted the guy, Gazidis does the transfers so ask him why AFC didn’t have the funds to buy Lacazette then.

      Wenger may ask for players but he isn’t the one who limits how much he is aloud to spend and he doesn’t have final say on who is bought.

      Wenger IMO is getting worse with tactics. I will not deny that.

      Ignoring the CEO though… Do you think he is just there to write PR speeches?

      1. Perez scoring goals for Deportivo now … think the poor guy (and AFC) suffered through infighting between Gazidis and Wenger

  6. On paper Arsenal are the most desirable EPL club, being the biggest, most central London club, how we have ended up with one of the most undesirable owners in the world is beyond me. It is partly down to this false view, that we must suffer for our morals, and labour under Kroenke, as we cannot possibly have owners like Abramovich, Usmanov, Mansour etc, yet are continually wishing to be like these clubs. Well Kroenke isn’t that moralistic – subscription slaughter channels, causing pensioners to commit suicide as he throws them out of homes they’ve been in for over 50 years etc., is he really better than Usmanov? Everton fans can’t wait for Usmanov to transfer his allegiances,

    1. Add to that we have a Chairman who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth (the usual – Eton, merchant banker, White’s Club and Tory Party donor) who having been gifted everything in his life and never having had to work to achieve anything gets annoyed when people who he coniders below his class ask for tabled questions to be answered.

  7. A lot of misinformed comments here. Whilst we want Kroenke out for both a lack of ambition and backing Wenger when he should have gone, any money he is counting is his own and he has hardly had any out of our club. We also need to understand we on forums like this and others are in the minority. Most fans have no knowledge or inclination to worry about what we think or even know these forums exist. The last time various forums called for a protest, 20 fans turned up and held banners on the roundabout near the Armoury, I know cos I was there. The change from standing to all seater stadia years ago ruined the proper hardcore support. I regularly stood on either the Northbank or Southbank and we spoke and sang as one. Those days have gone, unfortunately for the support element, but it did of course get rid of the mindless violence. Having said that, I miss those days, the passion and the camaraderie!

    1. He had 7 million out the club in two years, which was eventually stopped by Usmanov, the share price has more than doubled since he bought his shares, so he’s made a billion there, and I’m virtually certain that other money goes to him, although maybe a lesser amount, so to suggest he gets nothing out the club, and he is some sort of benevolent owner is nonsense. I bet he never pays for his box ticket either.

      1. How is 7 mil over two years anything compared to Wenger getting more than twice that? Yes he has doubled the value of his shares but that value still exists in the company rather than in his bank account. Your final comment about his box is pathetic.

          1. Kroenke pays Wenger to make money for him, so comparing what Wenger makes to what Kroenke takes out is somewhat irrelevant, considering that if Wenger didn’t make that money for Kroenke, why would he pay him for it, and indeed give him a 25% pay rise in the process? You might find the final comment pathetic, but I’m sure most fans would love to get a box a free, and as he doesn’t completely own the club, he should probably pay 33% of the cost, and I’m sure it’s not as pathetic as your last comment about Usmanov – do you imagine that he’s voted them in because he thinks they’re doing a great job? A shambles suits him.

  8. Someone needs to tell our delusional,philosopher king that a lost decade does not constitute the present even in the Gallic existential tradition!!

  9. Yesterdays meeting showed:
    1) Keswick thinks fans are an annoyance and should know their place
    2) Kroenke is not interested in what fans think
    3) Gadzidis and Wenger are good with PR but experience shows they are inflexible in their approach and are clueless in their approach to money (the explanation about Ozil and Sanchez was laughable)
    4) The club is only looking at success being measured by money made.
    5) The only way of changing matters is to stop giving them money and going to games.

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