Arsenal’s majority shareholder Stan Kroenke insists that he will not be “throwing money against the wall” and has backed the Gunners' self-sustaining model of business, as well manager
Arsene Wenger.
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The club’s other main shareholders have voiced their concerns over the lack of spending power and the outfit’s struggle to match the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea in the transfer market.
However, American businessman Kroenke believes that frivolous spending does not guarantee silverware and has praised the efforts of manager Arsene Wenger during his 15-year tenure and the way the Frenchman has sustained the club.
Kroenke told reporters: “Would I rather be successful spending less or spending more? What’s the question! Anybody who is a sportsman would rather compete on the basis of intellect and cleverness rather than being able to throw money against the wall.
“Anyone can go and buy a player, but it takes a lot more to identify that player, develop that player and position him.
“You look at Arsene [Wenger] as a good example. He has been here 15 years and you look at what the club had as assets and revenues it’s fantastic the growth that has occurred.
“For the long term stability and an approach to excellence, I think that’s unsurpassed really. That’s my view."
Gunners fans were left upset during the summer with the departures of star players Cesc
Fabregas and Samir Nasri, but Kroenke insists the sale of the duo was not reckless business.
“I think you know that one of the players who departed had nothing to do with money,” said Kroenke. “There was a specific personal circumstance that happened. Maybe I am saying too much. That has nothing to do with money.
“The other player departed for money. Well then, you get into an evaluation. That’s where being smart and not being smart comes in.
“You’ve got one year left on a players’ contract. You’ve got a large sum of money being offered. That’s how I would see the evaluation."
Kroenke also had praise for captain Robin van Persie, following the striker's contributions during a difficult season for the north London outfit.
He enthused: “I think Robin van Persie is a great player, I think he’s doing a great job, he’s captain of the club. Arsene said the other day: ‘can we succeed if we are not together? Absolutely not.’”
“I think that Robin van Persie gets that and I think he has shown real leadership. I have watched him and had a chance to chat with him. I think he has done a great job of that.
“But I think asking me to talk about Robin van Persie at this stage is not fair to Robin van Persie and is not fair to Arsene and Ivan (Gazidis). They are the guys who know the particulars of that situation.”
The American also spoke of his nickname ‘Silent Stan’, insisting he is a busy
man and that he puts his trust in manager Arsene Wenger the club’s chief executive Ivan Gazidis.
Kroenke added: “I was perhaps bemused. We are busy, we do have a lot of obligations.
“Sometimes I think if we engage too much, it’s a matter of who did you engage with, were you fair to people, how much time do you have to give to them. We have very capable people like Ivan and Arsene.
“We have lots of very capable people - they wouldn’t be involved if I didn’t have lots of confidence in them. I think it’s more about that."
Originally Posted by Coney
That was my point.
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