I jest guys… it was a ploy to lure you into reading my well balanced and reasoned post… you’re here now, please… read on…
The scenario
Arsenal don’t have £100 million to spend.
Arsene Wenger
‘I’m fed up with people who think I have £100 million in the bank yet don’t want to spend it,” Wenger told Arsenal’s official magazine.’
‘How can people think that?’
‘We cannot pump £100 million into it, so we must keep faith in what we are doing as I believe this team does a lot of things right.’
The solution
Russian predator Alisher Usmanov proposes a rights issue to the board to raise much needed £100million.
Oligarch Usmanov, who has a 25 per cent shareholding but no director’s position, offers to fully underwrite the initiative… guaranteeing to buy all shares that are not sold… which will need the full support of the club to work.
Outcome
Gazidis:
‘The board, with its financial advisors Rothschild, considered thoroughly the proposal to use permanent equity capital to either pay down debt or to add to the club’s spending in the transfer market.’
‘With regard to debt, the conclusion reached is that the club has a very efficient capital structure with long-term debt on attractive interest rates. We can comfortably afford to meet the annual costs of this debt while at the same time generating surplus funds to invest in the club. Using permanent capital to pay down debt would not, therefore, radically transform the annual cash flow of the club.’
‘With regard to players, the board decided not to issue permanent capital in the hopes of signing one or two players in an inflated transfer market.’
The Red and white riposte
Red and white holdings
‘Based on financial information that only they have, the board have informed us that they are confident they have adequate financial resources to support the manager to strengthen the squad, to weather the property downturn, to renegotiate the Highbury Square loan on good terms and to deal with the continuing difficult economic conditions.’
‘We do not share their view but are prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt for the moment.’
‘However, we will keep the situation under close review and remain committed on behalf of interested parties in the club to ensure that there are sufficient financial resources for the club to succeed at the highest level and win major honours such as the Premiership or Champions League, while operating within a self-sustaining financial model.’
Conclusion
Well, well, well… it just goes to show. If you whinge hard enough… you never know what might come your way*.
Wenger constantly refers to this £100million he doesn’t have… then last month, claimed if he did have it, he’d spend it… then he gets offered it… then does what we knew he’d do…!
Reporter: What would you do if you were given £100million to spend on players?
Arsene: Give it back
So please… lets not hear any more of the, ‘poor Arsene’ stories. Lets not hear anymore of the, ‘We’re cash strapped for 17 years’… because Alisher Usmanov, for all his evilness and puppy beating (He started the Michael Jackson jokes too) has come out and called Arsenal’s bluff.
We now know that there is cash, we know that the property problems aren’t as bad as feared and we know that within reason, Arsenal can compete.
I’m not fussed that we didn’t accept the £100million, I’m really not. I’m pleased that I was right all along… Arsenal’s lack of spending had nothing to do with the stadium (Last 3 years at least) and all to do with Arsene’s faith in ‘Project Youth’.
The good news is, he seems to be deviating from that project this summer and if he signs Matiudi and maybe one more… I will be chuffed, charged and ready for a decent challenge on all fronts next season!
Today isn’t a day for moaning about the £100million we could have spent, today is a day for rejoicing! We’re well run, we’ve got enough cash to top up players contracts and buy new ones… and we’re well positioned to ride out this bastard recession!
Things are looking up Grovers and tomorrow I’m going to give you more reasons to get excited!
*Megan Fox never comes up to me, if she did, do you think I’d be stupid enough to refuse her? Oh, and no one ever gives me money… (I’ll get back to you tomorrow if this works)
Megan insisted she'd rather go naked than wear a Spurs shirt...
http://www.arsenalinsider.com/?p=5293
As the overtures from Barcelona arrive on an almost daily basis (tabloid pages need to be filled), Keown surveyed the situation and said: “I don’t think Fabregas will leave the club. He is playing in a team that produce superb performances for a world-class manager in Arsene Wenger and is adored by the Arsenal fans, so he has everything going for him at the club.” Of course, that won’t stop the calling from the Catalan capital and it’s hard to imagine that at some stage Fabregas will play for his boyhood idols. But Arsenal will benefit hugely and have high hopes of bringing home some silverware if he hangs around for a couple of years, says Keown.
“He is the type of player you need if you are going to challenge for trophies,” added Keown. “His technical ability is top drawer, he is a winner and has great spirit.” Arsenal fans hope that Fabregas doesn’t make the same mistake Keown did all those years ago and stays at the rip-roaring Reds a little while longer. And I have a sneaking felling that when he does call time on his Gunners career, he will head back to Spain with more than just great memories of his time at the club.
Ja_Gunner
………………..Al……………….
Sagna……..Kolo/JD……Gallas/Verm……Clichy
………………………Matuidi……………
……………Fabregas……………………..
………………..Rosicky/Nasri……..Arshavin..
………..RVP/Theo………………………..
……………………Ade/Bend/Eddy………….
——————————————
only problem with that line up is the 1st line and the last one !
oh and the fact that your speculating on line 3
A,
Again, your assertion that Usmanov owns Gazprom is completely wide of the mark – he’s chairman of Gazprominvestholding indeed, but it’s a wholly owned subsidiary of Gazprom, and is involved in the steel industry, where Usmanov’s other businesses, such as Interfin and Metlloinvest operate.
So I suggest you go back and re-check your facts on this one, because you’re way off.
Second, and as for Craig Murray, his story is a sad one, but the guy couldn’t deal with the reality of the task he was given. I feel a bit sorry for him, given his history (no need to dig it out, I’m well aware), but asking him about anything in Uzbeki politics is kind of like asking a Florida immigrant about Fidel Castro – you’ll get an incredibly biased view, that simply cannot be taken as gospel. Any first year media studies student could tell you this.
And Murray’s stories on Usmanov’s rape? The guy was sent to Uzbekistan in 2002, almost 20 years after Usmanov was accused of ‘rape’ – but even Murray knows sod all about it, as he begs for more information on his website! It’s like someone going to America and telling everyone that Arsene Wenger is dogged by a belief that he’s a paedophile!
Goonermichael, Usmanov had those websites closed down because they essentially called him a rapist – something that has absolutely not a shred of evidence to support it. Any one of us would do the same.
Morning all.
So if we did let Cesc leave for Barca I would expect an absolute minimum of £45m. That money would then have to be entirely put straight back into the team and be made availbale for transfers. Not one penny should go to any training facility or be used as a way to pay off any debt.
Considering all of this, who would you buy to fill the gap? I’d perhaps try to get Alonso but would not have my pants pulled down on the price and would only pay £25m. I think thats fair. What other options are out there?
I am tired of the incessant lies, schemes and false promises by Wenger and the board. This debacle would make a monkey with hernia feel sick.
We have the quality and financial means to compete at the top level. Why then do we settle for second best? I’m sorry, I stand corrected. FOURTH best it is now, and it is supposed to be an achievement. Even that is not guaranteed now. I would be the last one to be surprised if we were relageted to the Euro-League after the next season.
Geoff, Pedro. Your unceasing endorsements of the club in the forms of season tickets, jerseys, etc are admirable. But do bear in mind that you are also inadvertently supporting the scumbags in the driving seat, for all your berating of them on this blog. Money talks. And as long as you, and all the loyal fans continue to buy Arsenal products, it paints a very rosy picture for these money laundering villains.
A strike doesn’t neccesarily mean that you don’t care about the issue at hand. Workers don’t go on strike because they hate getting the bread and butter. They strike because they want a change for the better. Likewise, a shortage of revenue from the fans for a season will force the management to review their ways and cease their outrageous lies. Arsenal deserves better and this avenue is something all True Fans should consider.
So what do I do? I’m happily supporting Andy Roddick! It gives me great pleasure even though he may not be in the Top 2. But at least he exudes the tenacity and class to work on his flaws and it shows with every tournament he participates in. The future is bright for him. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Arsenal in its current state.
It’ll be Roddick for me until Usmanov gets his way.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2009/07/10/work-harder-boss-115875-21508547/
Firstly, well done Almunia for being another player to cry out that we need experience in our team. That now makes the list Fabregas, van Persie, Arshavin and Almunia to the best of my knowledge. Coult those player be any more high profile within Arsenal? These comments say a lot more than the fcat that they think we need players! I know players dont moan when they are winning but I could never imagine anyone sticking the boot into Wenger like this a few years ago! They must be coming truly disallusioned at the way Wenger goes about managing this team!
Secondly, you’ve gotta love Jens!
Er, where is everybody? I could be in with gettting a 1st, 2nd & 3rd hat trick on the new post today!
Is everyone else on a secret post that I dont know about?
like my new avatar?
why is there a picture of megan fox in the post???
Cartman – does there need to be a reason? There is though…..
NEW POST!