The wolf dressed up as granny too. The guy's bad news, nothing good long term can come from letting a gangster take control of the club even if he is willing to pour his laundered cash into transfers. There's a limit to what's acceptable surely? Stan might be a useless fuck but at least he's legit.
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I see what you are saying and agree, it's a question of degrees. But if this guy really loved the club and wanted to see it succeed at all costs - wouldn't he just dump the money in anyway, as a gesture of that love? He wants control first, which means he has a commercial interest which is of course fair enough and expected. So I take his expressions of love and shit on them, in much the same way as I shit on every word uttered by our foul board. The trouble I have with Usmanov is in the past he's shown a willingness to stop at nothing, murder, corruption, theft, to achieve his goals. I know most big businessmen are crooked shits in reality, robbing from the poor to feed the rich, but most stick within the (rigged) law and so wouldn't be likely to get the club in too much hot water with their antics, other than maybe a slip down the league. Look at the conman Harry Redknapp, he's small time compared to Usmanov. I dread to think what might come out of the woodwork a couple of years after a Usmanov takeover, stuff that would have the potential to destroy the club entirely. He's too big a risk, I'm surprised he was even allowed to buy his current stake. mind you, it seems the authorities really could give a fuck who gets involved in football provided the money is pouring in. In fact FIFA might even approve and feel more comfortable if we had a gangster running the show - who knows?
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He can't just get up and do that though, could he? He hasn't yet got a controlling share has he? And, we don't know how he is perceived by the rest of the board. We all know the initial reception kroenke got from the board -- until for whatever reason they decided it was okay to go into bed with him.
The club is not a charity -- so even if I was that rich and could pump money into it, I would at least make sure I was in a position to exert some influence on proceedings at said club. Everyone else on the current board would do exactly the same thing.
Last edited by budesonide; 05-07-2011 at 03:05 PM.
‘Arsene was very cautious and David was very ambitious for the club,’ said former director Keith Edelman, managing director at the time. ‘He was very good at getting Arsene into a position where he was comfortable spending money.’
The board have said if wenger identifies a player he really wants and he needs the money it's there. Wenger doesn't think it's worth it!
Its a very different proposition saying you'll do this and that from the outside - particularly when you want to improve your PR - and doing it. For those who need reminding, I give you Messr's Hicks and Gillette; Thaksin Shinawatra and Alexandre Gaydamak.
Putting the laughter back into manslaughter
That's utter politic bullshit IMO, why should we worried about what's so far from us when we cant stop our own government from killing innocent people? For all weknow Usmanov is probably just as innocent as our leaders at Downing Street. I don't understand, what would destroy the club? and why would Usmanov destroy the club?
In my eye, it is clear Kroenke look at Arsenal as an investment to make money, but Usmanov seems to look at the club on personal level (sure he is business man). He has his box years before he bought the shares from DD, the same cant be said about Kroenke.
God forbid but if the club goes bankrupt, there will be dozens of suitor who will offer to buy out the debts but right now we need a very strong (financialy) and committed owner. Club cant afford changing owner every few years ala Liverpool. Kroenke is not rich enough and when the time is right he will sell his share for a good profit (like he did in US). That is why I am so hell bent on having Usmanov (or arab investor), they are so rich, what ever happen, they will pour more money into the club.![]()
somebody put something in my milk