Rockape wrote:I'm sure there are much cleverer people running our Club than me, so why won't they see that and act on it?
Don't be so sure.
Recent studies have proven that most billionaires aren't billionaires because they're smart. It's down to factors like legacy, inheritance, monopoly, or plain 'ol luck. With the resources at their disposal, they then hire highly intelligent people, surround themselves with sophisticated experts, which further amps up their wealth and status.
I read that JK Rowling, Kanye West, and Jay-Z are amongst the few billionaires in the West, who are self-made—as in they didn't come from already affluent families. There might be more. Haven't looked at it. But mostly, you can become self-made multimillionaires but not billionaires.
Take Messi and Ronaldo for example. Two of the biggest sporting superstars of the modern era and even they aren't billionaires.
The problem with the Kroenkes is that they haven't hired such top professionals to run Arsenal. Ever since Wenger left, we've been in a perennial state of transition. Whether it's Gazidis' "revolution," his subsequent departure and the new structure with Sanllehi and Vinai, the arrival and promotions of Edu and Mikel; the firing of the scouting department, and now the recruitment of another set of scouts.
It's a classic case of mismanagement.
Not saying any of us could do the job. Maybe we can't. But we're not owners of Arsenal either. At this stage, we're the worst run club amongst the so called big top-6.
Folks like the Kroenkes view Arsenal as an investment, not a community. Kroenke bought Arsenal for less than a £1b outright, and today, Arsenal is valued at £2b. He's already doubled his investment.
One of the first things City did after the takeover was hire a top-notch business executive in Khaldoon Al Mubarak. He hired Barca's top football chief (Txiki Begiristain). Txiki has been with City for a decade now.
Ditto Chelsea. Apart from being a hands-on owner, Abramovich brought Marina Granovskaia along with him. She's been their DoF for 17-18 years now.
All the while, we've had David Dein and Nina Bracewell-Smith introduce wrong people to the club. Gazidis was hired for marketing reasons. Since Gazidis, we've hired a Nike guy like Sanllehi who was sacked for swindling money out of the club. We hired another fella (Edu) who was involved in a corruption scandal with his buddy Kia Joorabchian in Brazil, whilst recruiting mediocre managers/coaches.
We've spent over £250m since Wenger departed. How many of them are regular starters here? Leno, Gabriel, and Tierney? Mr Solution claimed that we lost against Villarreal because Xhaka couldn't play as a LB due to injury.
It's a mess.
That said, I don't think the Kroenkes care. They signed up for the ESL because we wouldn't be relegated. Who cares about performing or competing? No matter how awful we were, we wouldn't be relegated. Arsenal would earn £300m base through the super league alone. That's excluding PL money, or TV rights of the ESL.
I get the feeling that they're satisfied as long as we're mid-table in the Prem.
Any sensible owner would have sacked Arteta by now, so that the next guy in would get a chance to access the squad, would get a pre-season, a summer. It also wouldn't be a remark on Arteta's managerial prowess. Sometimes it works. Other times, it doesn't. But nope. Arsenal are willing to gamble another season in hopes of Arteta making it here.
Come November, if we're still 8th, would he be sacked? I doubt it. I hope I'm wrong. I don't see him being sacked unless we're 15th by November.
I doubt we'd be that bad, however.
Phil71 wrote:Kroenke is happy with mid table.
Top four costs more money, as does fighting relegation. Sitting there comfortably in 8th or 10th place is just fine.
I believe this is the thing.
While they'd obviously love it if we returned to their version of glory years from 2011-17, they're well aware of the fact that top-4 would require considerable investment or hiring a top-class manager who can punch above his weight.
Top, top players would also not settle for top-4 like this current lot.
A standard mid-table position wouldn't need as much investment nor much involvement from the top brass.