Must read: Usmanov letter - full text.

hooray - a small hollow victory.

 

Are you and COYG trying to make up for the Piskie and Jayram show? You guys are trying but it's lacking passion

 

true - COYG likes me really - its just his way of showing foreplay.

 

I thought this also, your lacking passion Bergkamp a Dutch master

 

I have to stop Laz because he clearly has SJW19 protecting him.

Want to discuss footy now or what?

 

If that's how COYG likes you I hate to see what'll transpire when he shows his true colours

 

I'm glad SJW19's bias in the transfer thread has given you all the courage to come on here and try to stir matters up further. Good luck with that arse wipes

 

Hahh I think it's just your way of deflecting our attention from the real issue which is the mismanagement of our club by this board and CEO. You have now been found out!!!

 

Yes RVB, you are 100% correct RVB. You are not a wum RVB.


I hope that keeps SJW19 happy


Carry on.

 

I hope your not including me in this, I don't need courage I'm always on hear fighting my case

 

.

 

Come on don't be so sensitive, I was just having a joke with DBM I wasn't trying to offend you and if I did so then I apologize

 

My apologies. You just tagged onto the end of something with some history without realising and I added you to them. Not fair on my part

 

2 out of 3 ain't bad

 

You can thank Mr Dein for pricing out real fans from going to games for a start.What people perceive to be the rediculous amounts we pay for tickets all started with him.
People like to talk about Kroenke making loads of money out of the club but people forget who was the first pig in the trough

 

Fair enough mate i'll try an be a bit more careful with what I say back on topic I think there is a storm coming between our board members Usmanov clearly seems incensed by what Gazidis has said about him and this letter will most likely get some sort of response from the the other board members. Lets hope any repercussions from his statements don't effect the players, I am sure a lot of them are like us a bit down after hearing the news about RVP

 

Don't forget Usmanov is not on the board

 

The current board are following this practice still though despite the fact that Dein is no longer part of the club. I don't know the guy personally but what I do know is that he complimented Wenger well and supported him leaving him to focus on the football unlike Gazidis

 

I think it will only be a matter of time before he forces his way into the board.

 

I suppose my friend, it may come to a situation of who has the toughest hide. If he had 30% of the shares he could definitely claim a seat on the board but as it is, he has a fraction under the magic number. However one would have to ask why it is that while we could do with a little investment and I am not talking about the mega millions that are floating around Etihad Stadium or the endless chequebook Abramovich used to tout round, we are not utilising the resourced available to us to ensure that we are in a position to compete for trophies? That there is precedence in the case of our majority American shareholder, that his teams do not perform well, yet make money may provide some insight as to our absence of focus on the big prize as a sporting entity. In doing as we do, we have merely become a business entity working towards a financial goal as opposed to a sporting entity looking to win trophies.

This has it's dangers as I'm sure we appreciate. If you consider the William F1 team for instance. Barcelona apart, the last time they won a race was at the close of the 2004 season in Brazil. Prior to that the last championship they won was in 1997 for Jacques Villeneuve. The closest that have come to the title was in 2003 which was quite an open season and that was because Ferrari were not as dominant as they were the year before or indeed the year after that. Williams used to be the team that had the plum drives. They fielded 4 world champions in 6 years, won countless constructor's titles. Even the late Ayrton Senna at one stage offered to drive for them for nothing. Now though, having been away from the winners' circle, Williams can only attract the second tier of drivers, those who have yet to establish themselves. The same goes for their sponsorship. If Arsenal fail to make their mark on the winners' circle in football then there is the inevitable fear that the club, great as it is or may have been, may be on the verge of a slide. For now though, it makes money and that registers big with our majority shareholder and CEO who does all that he can to maintain this ' sustainable model ' of his which as I have said elsewhere, sustains the model of our majority shareholder.

Now if I may expand this discussion. What will happen when Arsene Wenger leaves? Thus far by his own foresight and planning for a great part, he has kept the club there or thereabouts. Not winning but somewhere in the frame. That we fall away come February is another thing but usually and except for the last season, we are in contention until around February. When Arsene goes, who is there who will be able to work within these constraints? The likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Miyaichi, Wilshire and others will have their time but would we be in a position to maintain the stream of talent? That we have not managed to keep the talent has arguably cost us in respect of trophies. What happens when we have to dig deep to find the talent because those who we have, have all left and that includes Arsene? If we do not re-invest we will end up only making millions in the short to medium term for our majority shareholder. When we stop doing that, will he then be around to bail us out?

Worth thinking about I reckon.