Arsenal Transfer Rumours And General Chat

Pepe LeFrits

lol, now Song is injured.

Roddy23

Anyone see Baptista's goal last night for Real:

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_soccerblog/2007/09/arsenal-failure.html

PDN

Usmanov increases stake in Arsenal: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11670_2761362,00.html

handsfree

i cant say i'm happy about that. the fact that he is going for a "blocking share" worries me, in so much as he is prepared to disrupt the club, on what could be a great season, to gain control. arsenal dont need the cash any more and i dont think wenger really wants to buy players he cant mould. i heard he gave back most of his transfer funds at the close of the window.

i say leave the club with its custodians and go away.

cson

handsfree wrote:

i say leave the club with its custodians and go away.

Hillwood is very backward thinking imo. The reason Dein left afaik was because Hillwood didn't want Kroenkes "type" around the club. Arguably the admirable thing to do but he's now after bringing Usmanov upon us by blocking Dein, who is now as determined as ever to get back into Arsenal. Thats imo of course!

Pepe LeFrits

That's an interesting way of spinning it.

Another (more accurate) way would be that it is Dein who has brought Usmanov into the picture because of his own personal thirst for power. Don't forget that it was Dein who opposed the move to Emirates, not the 'backward thinking' Hill-Wood. Dein was sacked for betraying the board and trying to sell the club out from underneath them.

Arsenal are doing fine without Dein and Usmanov; of course Dein doesn't care about this Arsenal, only 'his' Arsenal.

handsfree

hillwood is a 1% shareholder so he can say what he likes but he has no real power. the current board see arsenal as an institution. with that comes certain values and beliefs. dein obviously does not sign up to these beliefs. i'd worry where he would take the club if he took power.

unfortunately i see the take over as inevitable and i was disappointed not to see other share holders like fitzman trying to buy more shares in order to halt and make impossible any takeover bid

Mr Alan

Didn't Wenger and Dein share a lot of common ground in relation to the way they wanted Arsenal to go?

Surely if ye are painting Dein out to be bad for the club, and Wenger and him are friends/Wenger wants him involved with the club . . . . wat does that mean?

PDN

cson wrote:

Hillwood is very backward thinking imo. The reason Dein left afaik was because Hillwood didn't want Kroenkes "type" around the club. Arguably the admirable thing to do but he's now after bringing Usmanov upon us by blocking Dein, who is now as determined as ever to get back into Arsenal. Thats imo of course!

I'd rather have Kroenke's type than Usmanov's type.

Royale with Cheese

It means Wenger's very good friends with him, and even the great one's judgement may be clouded by that.

Also I've only ever heard Wenger talk about how foreign investment is bad for the English game.

Mr Alan

Royale with Cheese wrote:

Also I've only ever heard Wenger talk about how foreign investment is bad for the English game.

ever talk about the influx of foreign players? didn't think so

PHB

millersangel wrote:

ever talk about the influx of foreign players? didn't think so

Arsenal started their league cup game with 2 English players, Liverpool started with two English players.

Mr Alan

It was a joke PHB....seriously....not everything has to be clubs getting one up on eachother.

(plus if it was, i could point out Jermaine Pennant,Peter Crouch,Steven Gerrard,Jamie Carragher,Stevie Finnan who are all irish/english and feature in most Liverpool matches )

PDN

millersangel wrote:

It was a joke PHB....seriously....not everything has to be clubs getting one up on eachother.

(plus if it was, i could point out Jermaine Pennant,Peter Crouch,Steven Gerrard,Jamie Carragher,Stevie Finnan who are all irish/english and feature in most Liverpool matches )

irish/english? If you're going to start including other nationalities why not go French/English?

jank

irish/english

Irish != English

You know 1916 and all that... Read a ****ing book!
Would you call an Irishman a Brit?

PDN says it well

cson

David Dein bought a 16% share in Arsenal for £292,000 in 1983. Somewhat ironically he was brought on board by Hill-Wood who was looking for someone to move the club on.

Personally, I think Dein bought the stake for the love of the club more than anything else but he also realised that there was money to be made. He was a hugely influential figure in both FA circles and Premier League circles and you could often argue about a conflict of interests.

He seemed to work as a director of football a lá the continent at Arsenal. Wenger would tell him the players and Dein would sort out the finances of the deal. Deins son himself is an agent, to none other than Thierry Henry in fact.

My opinion on the situation (and again it's only my opinion) is that Dein saw Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool being taken over by wealthy billionaires and felt Arsenal were being left behind (Again two 4th places in a row might have been evidence for him, I don't think so myself). Kroenke was in his eyes the right man. Kroenke collects clubs like pogs but he's a solid investor and usually retains them long term. Dein wanted him to come on board and as a result I think he pushed it too far and fell out with the rest of the board.

It seems to be a particularly bitter leaving too. Now the curious thing is that from originally wanting Kroenke to be the investor he's suddenly jumped to ship to Usmanovs "Red & White" company. That's possibly what puzzles me the most.

Dein made a huge profit on his shares selling his 15% for £75 million. A significant improvement from the £292,000 he bought back in 1983. Yet he's chairman of that Red & White investment vehicle. Personally I don't think he's trying to do anything shady or subversive, I think he just genuinely loves the club and is deadset in his vision for it.

Myself, I think the club is doing fine, the new stadium is doing excellently and Wengers building is finally starting to come together. Signing his new contract was a huge boost too. Now I wouldn't be against the likes of Kroenke investing in the club but I do have a problem with the way the Usmanov takeover bid is shaping up. Dein imo has his own ambitions about the club and they're not neccessarily the best ones I think. I don't think the huge upheaval it would generate would do the club any good. I'd be very apprehensive about it.

Apologies for the big spiel but once I get going I find it hard to stop!

cson

Pepe LeFrits wrote:

That's an interesting way of spinning it.

Another (more accurate) way would be that it is Dein who has brought Usmanov into the picture because of his own personal thirst for power. Don't forget that it was Dein who opposed the move to Emirates, not the 'backward thinking' Hill-Wood. Dein was sacked for betraying the board and trying to sell the club out from underneath them.

Arsenal are doing fine without Dein and Usmanov; of course Dein doesn't care about this Arsenal, only 'his' Arsenal.

Just after reading that.

Qft.

(When I say Hill-Wood is backward thinking, I mean he's set in the old tradition, the club has been in his family since the early 1900s and I think he's just opposed to foreigners per se coming in)

PDN

It's the end of September. We're 7 points ahead of Chelsea with a game in hand. Anyone predict that?

arbeitsscheuer

Anyone see that tackle on Hleb by Mark Noble?
Fcuking disgrace, should've been a straight red (twas certainly a hell of a lot more dangerous than Jon Obi Mikel's transgression up at Old Trafford last weekend)


I think today's win was the sweetest of the season so far, IMO. Yes, I know the 3-1 at Sh*te Hart Lane was wicked, but to beat this lot at Upton Park for the first time in 7 years... Lovely.

Especially given their best efforts early on to kick us out of contention...
Let the message go out: We won't be bullied anymore.



Arséne Knows

gosplan

Heh, have been ranting about Noble's tackle to my parents (who are up in the big smoke for the day) and my girlfirend. Nice to have someone who agrees with me.

He deserved a red, there seemed to be another really bad one just when it was up but sopcasst switched to another match so didn't see a replay.

jester77

Awful tackle, just look at how his knee moves here, hope it's not too serious

Galvasean

I have to say I'm delighted with Arsenal at the moment. We're still playing that beautiful game but scoring by the bucket load. The team just seems to have improved so much since the departure of Henry. The likes of Van Persie, Fabregas, Adebayor, Flamini, Hleb and Rosicky are all looking like superstars at the moment. If we can keep it up... who knows.

DSB

Really chuffed for Arsenal. And the fact that I've had money on them since the start of the season certainly helps too haha.

Mossy Monk

arbeitsscheuer wrote:

Anyone see that tackle on Hleb by Mark Noble?
Fcuking disgrace, should've been a straight red

Certainly. Should be banned for a few games.

AnCapaillMor

It was a nasty tackle, love the way the boys fought back today, took no sh1t and if they did there was retribution. same with the blackburn, its something we missed the past few years with vieira gone.

PS it hurt tonight to watch titi get a hattrick.

Irish Gunner

Just got this mail I will let you decide..........

As you are probably aware from all the recent publicity, our club is under threat from a hostile takeover bid by Alisher Usmanov.

It is with serious regret that I find myself having to write about this - I have been an Arsenal fan for many years, through thick and thin, and consider this to be the worst threat to our club that we have ever faced.

Being Arsenal isn't just about winning on the pitch, it's the whole ethos that the club has maintained throughout the years - and in the face of potential takeovers and the influx of money that has watered down or eradicated the 'spirit' of other English clubs, our board have shown themselves to be more than worthy to the title 'Custodians of Arsenal', not selling out and still behaving with dignity.

I am proud to be Arsenal for far more than our success on the field - the desire to behave with a degree of honour and dignity, to do the right thing is more important to me than our cabinet being full of trophies tainted with bad money. I'd sooner win nothing than lose our character.

If he takes over - WE WILL CEASE TO BE ARSENAL - It's as simple as that.

I don't believe for a second that Usmanov cares about the ethos of our club, about behaving honourably or with dignity. With him in charge, we can kiss goodbye to the club we know and love and look forward to becoming characterless, empty and nothing more than another asset (like many other clubs have/are becoming) in a hard-nosed businessmans portfolio. He shows complete disregard toward the fans and the club, bullying and steamrollering his way into Arsenal and intending to make things as difficult as possible for our board to operate, and threatening arsenal web and blog sites with legal action for speaking out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7006617.stm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=484380&in_page_id=1779

These are not the actions of a person that has any respect for our club or the game as a whole.

The Arsenal ethos emanates down from the top of the club (the board), through our manager and players, and I think right down to the fans. I think it is about time we, as fans, stood by the Arsenal way and start defending our club from this SERIOUS threat - we need to publicly back the board that have safeguarded Arsenal as best they can before we lose our club altogether. Our recent financial release proves beyond doubt that we don't need ANY billionaire investor interfering with our club - under their prudent guidance and leadership, the board have brought us into the position of being the second richest club in Europe (ahead of the global brand that is Manchester United) on their own merits.

Arsene Wenger echoes fans concerns:

http://www.arsenal.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=501102

'English football is losing his soul,' Wenger told France Football. 'Fans are the keepers of our football. But the first signs of danger are there to see. Stadiums are starting to empty, TV channels and radio stations are overcrowded with football.

'There is a kind of overdose looming.'

'Suddenly the English model has gone from owner-supporters to owner-businessman.

'The danger wasn't there yesterday but it's there today. Of course you can have business integrated into the sport while still respecting the values of football.

'However perhaps it is time for people to worry.'

The Arsenal Independant Supporters Association are holding their AGM this week, when one of the issues raised will be the action they plan in light of recent developments. Fellow gooners have already started a campaign, further details of which can be found at:

Vital Arsenal Fans Forum:
http://www.arsenal.vitalfootba.....mp;start=1

http://www.arsenal.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=501099

The Supporters Trust have asked for as many people as possible to write/email letters to the press opposing David Dein and Alisher Usmanov.

If you should wish to contact The British Press to air your grievances about the whole situation, contact details for some of the papers at the end of this email (please include your name and postal address)



West Brom MP, Tom Watson, has taken up the cause and is asking for comments:
http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1467


please let him know what you think, contact your local MP with your comments.

There is an official Downing Street petition (UK residents only - deadline 26th November)

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Oligarchs/

The signature count was about 200 when I signed - 48 hours later, it now stands at 2,700+

Online Petition (open to all):
http://www.petitiononline.com/.....ition.html

Email as many people and organisations as you can:


Arsenal Independant Supporters Association:
http://www.arsenalindependent.co.uk/
email:
aisa@fsmail.net


Football Supporters Federation:
http://www.fsf.org.uk/

Arsenal Supporters Trust:
http://www.arsenaltrust.org/
email:
info@arsenaltrust.org - or use their contact form:
http://www.arsenaltrust.org/scform.php


The Premier League can be contacted at:

info@premierleague.com

Email them asking them to invoke their 'fit and proper persons' test.

Send letters of support to our board:

Arsenal Football Club:
Keith Edelman
Highbury House
75 Drayton Park
London N5 1BU

We are planning a campaign on BBC Radio FiveLive 606 this Saturday and Sunday and are asking as many gooners as possible to phone, text and email with their opinions.

Contact details are:

Live line: 0500 909 693

Rant line: 08700 100 500

SMS Text: 85058

email:
606@bbc.co.uk

Please let as many people as you can know about our efforts, and join our campaign if you can. This is OUR club - and if WE don't fight for it, WHO WILL?

Many thanks for your support.

BB

...................................................................................................................................

Newspaper contact details:

Guardian, the Observer

City desk and financial staff -
city@guardian.co.uk

Political staff - politics@guardian.co.uk

Sports desk - sport@guardian.co.uk

Business - business@observer.co.uk

Sport - sport@observer.co.uk

Football - football.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk

Politics - politics.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk

.................................................................

The Times or The Sunday Times

Letters to the Editor* - letters@sunday-times.co.uk

Letters* - letters@thetimes.co.uk

* for publication only; please include postal address and contact telephone numbers

Sport - sportcomment@thetimes.co.uk

Business - business@thetimes.co.uk

Sunday Times Sport - sportletters@sunday-times.co.uk

Sunday Times Business - foreignletters@sunday-times.co.uk

................................................................

The Independent

The general switchboard number is (+44) (0)20 7005 2000

Letters for publication in the print edition. Note: If you wish to submit a letter for publication in the newspaper, it must include the sender's name, postal address and daytime telephone number -

letters@independent.co.uk

Sport - sport@independent.co.uk

Business & City - businessdesk@independent.co.uk

................................................................

The Daily Telegraph or The Sunday Telegraph,

Tel: +44 (0)20 7931 2000

Letters for publication in The Daily Telegraph can be sent to:

dtletters@telegraph.co.uk

Letters for publication in The Sunday Telegraph can be sent to:

stletters@telegraph.co.uk

................................................................

The Sun

news@the-sun.co.uk

sunsport@the-sun.co.uk

020 7782 4000

................................................................

Daily Mirror

mailbox@mirror.co.uk

020 7293 3000

................................................................

Daily Express,

Parliament: Political Editor: Macer Hall

email: macer.hall@express.co.uk

Sport: Sports Editor: Bill Bradshaw

email: bill.bradshaw@express.co.uk

City: City Editor: Stephen Kahn

email: stephen.kahn@express.co.uk

.................................................................

Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

letters@dailymail.co.uk

letters@mailonsunday.co.uk.

................................................................

Links to other British newspapers can be found at:

http://www.wrx.zen.co.uk/britnews.htm

cson

Apparently Steau's temporary coach is getting the sack unless they win tonight. Madness, having said that it is the type of game that Arsenal would draw... Added to the almost fact that teams that sack their manager nearly always win their next game....

Nevertheless, the game is on Setanta afaik. Why does no-one show Arsenal games anymore? Bastarding RTE and Sky.

gosplan

cson wrote:

Why does no-one show Arsenal games anymore? Bastarding RTE and Sky.

RTE = MUTV

when ManU aren't playing RTE = Celtic TV

Serious bu****** over the last while though.

I have all the sports channels and still find myself regularly tuning in to Sopcast to watch Arsenal matches.

Off the top of my head I can only remember them not showing Arsenal vrs Spurs and Arsenal vrs West Ham but there's been way more.

AnCapaillMor

Still peeved they did'nt show Us vs Spuds, no offense to either team but they show Liverpool\pompey instead, wtf!!!. I think everyone had us written off this season, so noone tried to book our matches, the 2nd half of the season should show more. Don't even get me started on RTE, altho admittedly, United\Roma does deserve top billing.

PHB

RTE only show MUTV to bash them. It's really a funny tactic. However, while oftentimes they get it totally wrong, Utd Roma is the tie of the round tonight

cson

Not denying that at all. But one would have said that Arsenal - Sevilla was the tie of the last round of matches but where was it? On fecking Sky Sports extra if even that.

arbeitsscheuer

To be fair, the Steaua - Arse game is on Setanta Ireland tonight, so can't complain too much.

Besides, Sky is obliged to show all the premiership's teams equally, or as equally as is possible. As such, they reserve showing the bigger teams (i.e. us) til the business end of the season. I think. I could be wrong, but it's the only explanation I can think of as to why we're rarely televised at the start of the season.

RTÉ tho? They just hate us.:D

cson

Hate us, yet that ape Dunphy holds us up as a standard when we win well and Utd struggle on the same night. Madness.

AnCapaillMor

Anyway word on the street is Bert is out the door in january, he was none too pleased about gallas getting the captaincy, he's been out of the squad as of late and there's reports of a huge bustup with Wenger. hope he does'nt go, but it makes sense with Wengers purchase of Diarra and the flamsters palying out of his skin at the moment.


Dunphy, ppfffftt!!!, if Henry was with still with us or chipper was doing analysis, i gurantee you'd he'd be stuck on us like a fly to crap. anytime we won well for the past years, it was always how Arsenal do well against weaker teams, give them a stronger team and see what happens, etc.... i nearly had a heart failure when i heard him go on about us after the Seville game.

cson

For a lad that was supposed to be leaving, Flamini is playing some stuff. Still think he's too small though, not really a presence tbh, more of a poor mans Gattuso imo.

It'd be a pity if Gilberto left, afaik Juve are after him. Been an Arsenal stalwart, been fantastic for the club and no messing with him be it contract, on the field etc. Great player.

DSB

I think Gilberto is right to be a little peeved at Gallas getting the captaincy ahead of him. I mean he isn't at the club too long, and if what Chelsea accused him of when he left is accurate then he is hardly the best man for the job.

eirebhoy

gosplan wrote:

RTE = MUTV

when ManU aren't playing RTE = Celtic TV

The only Celtic games they showed last season was Man Utd v Celtic and Celtic v Benfica. Apparantly they got a terrible audience for the Benfica game.

AnCapaillMor

i hope they don't do the usual and let Flamini go on a free if he does leave.

As for Gallas as much as i disliked the decision, i think he's the right man, he's vocal enough and will fight for what he thinks right. Henry lacked that, Veiria had it and we missed it. Bert does'nt seem to most vocal guy there, i've great time for him, but Gallas was the correct choice. as for the Chelsea story, would'nt believe a word of it and was surprised Gallas did'nt take it any futher.

keano_afc

We never got top billing though. In the past we've had to put up with watching dead rubbers featuring Man Ure while we've still been involved in the business end of it.

Pepe LeFrits

Line-up:

Almunia
Clichy
Senderos
Toure
Sagna
Hleb
Flamini
Fabregas
Eboue
van Persie
Adebayor

Fuzzy_Dunlop

OMG i actually get to watch a match in the comfort of my own home and on a television!:eek:

cson

Not been much comfort thus far. Two shocking misses by Fabregas and Ade, echoes of last season tbh, Steau have 10 behind the ball all the time now too, though they've looked dangerous enough when going forward, probably down to our clowning around at the back more than anything though.

PDN

What's Hleb doing in the side? According to Arsene he wasn't able to walk due to Saturday's tackle. Is he playing in a wheelchair?

keano_afc

Recovered quicker than expected, according to arsenal.com. RVP has us one up. We've made hard work of it in the 2nd half.

AnCapaillMor

Alrite dunphys beginning to scare me.

cson

Banging on about how good we are again?

AnCapaillMor

cson wrote:

Banging on about how good we are again?

I think he's going to make a religion out of us.

leninbenjamin

God the feed from Bucharest was awful tonight, i couldn't watch it.

anyone notice this today? he will certainly not be a sugar daddy. he's a scary git, this just reconfirms everyone's fears from all the speculation really... hopefully the board will be able to prevent him from buying them out long enough for him to get bored with the whole idea.

AnCapaillMor

I'm afraid he'll try and eat the Emirates.

Galvasean

Predictions for tomorrows game? Ill go for 2 -0 to Arsenal.