WHERE to even start this week after the drama of the European Super League?
From Arsenal announcing their intention to join on Sunday to Tuesday’s withdrawal and Wednesday’s weak apology… there’s a lot to get your head around.
So let’s start at the top.
First and foremost, fans must separate Arsenal the club – with its core values and traditions – from the owners.
Attacking Arsenal’s social media, run by honest, hardworking employees, who probably share your sentiments and anger is futile and unfair.
The decision to join the European Super League was undeniably made by KSE (Kroenke Sports & Entertainment) and I would not be surprised if senior board members weren’t even in the loop.
The players and coaches certainly seemed as shocked as us fans following Sunday’s announcement.
KSE have let us down. Not the players, not the coaches, not the staff working tirelessly behind the scenes.
It is the employees in every department, along with the coaching staff and those who pull on the shirt, who represent us and the class we still hope the club has.
KSE, along with other greedy owners who simply do not understand football in this country, have seriously misjudged the situation.
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Yes, money in the game and new ownerships have often given one team an advantage over others in the modern era.
But at its core, football is still 11 vs 11, with skills, tactics and desire the key elements. Not pounds and pence.
In football, there will be winners and losers, champions and nearly-men, promotions and relegations.
That’s what makes sport great. That’s why we love it.
Many feel that Stan Kroenke and KSE’s actions, their lack of effort to connect with the supporters and their greed, mean they have crossed a line.
I agree with the majority of disgruntled fans and hope the backlash will swiftly make him reconsider his position.
Arsenal is an English institution with traditions and values built up over time. It’s a community – local and international.
However big the club has been, is or will be – it is ALWAYS part of something bigger.
It is not a franchise to be bought and sold, an entertainment commodity or just a means of generating income, Stan. And it never will be.
My sincere hope is that via peaceful but vocal campaigning, fans can make him swiftly tack stock and consider his position.
The fans of Arsenal want the team to be able to compete and again strive for the dizzying heights of the 1990s and early 2000s.
But we want to do it in our league and by improving in the traditional away – producing talent, fine coaching, astute signings and clever tactics.
KSE borrowed massively, as I understand it, to buy Alisher Usmanov’s remaining shares.
Pressure and bad sentiment towards Kroenke and his mismanagement of Arsenal might see his creditors consider their loans.
The British Government is likely to call in the monies loaned in 2020 and there are worrying rumours some sponsors are considering their positions.
Whilst the latter is concerning, it is not surprising, as we are not as attractive a proposition to market products as we should be.
The truth is Arsenal need – and the supporters deserve – ownership that comprehends the history and nature of football in England and we need it quickly.
If KSE will not sell, or if they cannot find a buyer then the absolute minimum is that they install management fit to run the club.
But for now, I suggest the Kroenkes must front-up to the fans and not hide behind a cowardly, meaningless club statement regarding their involvement in the European Super League.
It’s the least us fans deserve.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
