Every time this current batch of the Arsenal team goes on to lose or draw a game from a winning position, pundits are quick to jump on the case citing a lack of maturity. How these players are not experienced enough to hold on to the lead. How their tender years have allowed the game to slip their grasp. The Arsenal fans are more than gullible enough to buy the hype up from these pundits whose only job it seems is to wind up the fans.

With the January transfer window approaching, it is no doubt the likes of Alan Hansen, Gary Linekar, Martin Samuel etc will once again be paid overtime to churn out articles on why Arsenal will not win the Premier League due to their lack of depth. That Arsenal needs to buy in order for them to compete and other nonsense that they can come up with. It is high time Arsenal fans stop buying up the inflated hype covered materials from these doom merchants and trust their manager, Arsene Wenger. In short, it is high time Arsenal fans stopped crying and grew up.

For the best part of the twelve years that I have followed Arsenal, I have witnessed incredible highs (The Invincibles, The Third Double) and stupendous lows (Champions League Final, UEFA Cup Final). My earliest and to date most grievous disappointment would be the loss on penalties to Galatasary in the UEFA Cup Final. It was the first time I had truly felt a huge sense of loss due to my chosen football team.

Seeing my disappointment, a much experienced Gooner taught me three golden rules. I do appreciate what he had taught me and every time since I always let the moments I share with Arsenal pass with a cause for optimism. I would always look forward to what the next year will bring instead of reflecting on the year that was. The golden rules were:

1. It is ultimately the manager who will decide what is best for the team, not You.
2. There will be many teams competing for the same trophy, and there are 101 factors that ultimately decide who wins.
3. Come next season, the previous season will be nothing but a statistic.

Those three rules have allowed me to develop an intense passion for Arsenal Football Club but it had also, over the years, given me perspective on all things Arsenal and sometimes let me analyse the situation from an outsider view. When I see some blogs whining about why Arsene Wenger should spent money, why Arsene Wenger should buy this or that player, I privately cannot help but laugh out loud. The reason, see rule 1. 

When I also see the pundits giving their “verdict” on a club’s stature, I cannot help but privately laugh out loud. The reason, see rule 2. I also enjoy a good private laugh when I see fans of clubs dwell on old glories, some fans stuck forever in 1961. The reason, see rule 3.

I, however, am deeply frustrated by the ignorance of some peoplewho refuse to analyse my beloved club from a critical perspective and thinks that their opinions are the ones to end all opinions. Their attitude is questionable. I, as a fan, cannot do more than hope for the best of my chosen club, Arsenal FC. I cannot say Arsene Wenger sign up David Villa or Lionel Messi or Lorik Cana, in some people’s cases. I understand my place, and it is definitely not to tell the club what to do. I know that even if I did, it would certainly fall on deaf ears. That is something, a majority of the Arsenal fans do not understand.

The current batch of the Arsenal squad has been labeled inexperienced and immature, even babies by some. However at such a young age to perform at such a level in front of tens of thousands of people week in week out, you need maturity that belies your tender years. Therefore maturity is something that this squad has shown in abundance. No, it is the fans that are lacking maturity. The fans are the ones that need to back the squad, back the club. Not tell it what to do, how to run itself. It is high time, the fans of this football club let go of the cradle that is the English media and Grow Up!

The author writes for Gunner Nation

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As news filters through that Stan Kroenke has purchased 25 more shares of Arsenal Football Club edging him closer to the 30% threshold for the mandatory takeover bid, it has become apparent to the fans that they might be looking at the future owner of the club.

Having Kroenke as the owner of the club will not be bad. He has an illustrious sporting portfolio from the NBA’s Denver Nuggets to NFL’s St. Louis Rams to NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.

Arsenal though, represents his biggest sporting investment to date in terms of global recognition and that partially is the reason why he has been so cautious. Taking his time to acquire the stake at Arsenal Football Club. Winning over the Arsenal fans was one of the most critical aspect in order to complete a takeover, the other was winning over the board. The board initially was hostile with the American but developments with Alisher Usmanov and Red & White Holdings has allowed the board to warm to the idea of Kroenke.

Now, with the board won over, Arsenal fans warmed to the idea of Stan Kroenke becoming the sole owner of Arsenal Football Club. What kind of owner will Kroenke be? In his native America, he is called ‘Silent Stan’ because he prefers to remain quiet in the background only interfering when necessary. He is no Abramovich, and he is not like the Glazer’s at Manchester United. Kroenke is unique on his approach to sports management and his style will no doubt benefit Arsenal.

Following reports that Stan Kroenke had purchased 25 more shares taking him closer to the 30% threshold, Red & White Holdings released the following statement,

“It is important for the stability of the club for him to clarify his position.”

Red & White Holdings, the subsidiary owned by Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov, will be closely monitoring the situation since they also own a substantial part (25%) of Arsenal Football Club.

However, it is highly unlikely to receive a response from Kroenke Sports Enterprises as the Takeover panel rules state that any public statements regarding future bid intentions must be unambiguous, otherwise the individual concerned would be prevented from making a formal takeover move for six months.

Mr. Usmanov must be quietly hoping to stall the prospected takeover since he has made a significant investment in Arsenal Football Club. However, the majority of the fans are opposed to this idea, while the Board of Directors has clearly shown their cards and are standing by Stan Kroenke.

The author writes for Gunner Nation.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In every transfer window, Continental Clubs launch a blitz of media attacks to unsettle the Premiership’s best players hoping to take them away. At some time or another they have the English Clubs bullied into submission in letting go off their start performers.

We, the fans, are sick and tired of this but we know we are helpless. But have we and the clubs been turning a blind eye to the answer that has been in front of us?

When Thierry Henry joined Barcelona, the Catalan giants proudly made it known that there was a €125 Million release clause in Henry’s contract.

Release Clause is a clause in a player’s contract which sets a minimum fee that a club must bid in able to buy that player. If a club bid’s the minimum fee set in a player’s contract in an initial payment, his club cannot block the bid and must allow the bidder to talk to the player. Players with a minimum fee release clause can still be sold for less that the set fee, at the club’s discretion.

The Spanish League has been using release clauses for some time now. The Portuguese, French and some other European leagues also use it to some extent. However, it is not widely practiced in the Premiership. If clubs in the EPL introduced this measure they may find it easier to cope with the threats of their star players leaving.

So how exactly will the release clause help? Well, the clubs benefit because they will put a large fee in a player’s contract that they don’t want to let go of. Therefore, they will receive a inflated amount for the player with which they maybe able to replace him. Also, the player would not be able to complain because the club can tell the player that he should have considered this before signing the contract.

Of course, there are the obvious problems as well. Notably, the biggest problem would be an inflated player price because every club will have their own valuations of their star players. It won’t be limited to star players only, sometimes one-season wonders maybe find themselves with new deals that incorporate release clauses. However,

the beauty of release clauses is that whenever Continental clubs raid the English shores, we can welcome them with open arms and tell them: “Pay up or Bug off!”

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Whilst Barcelona continues its shameless pursuit of Adebayor & Alexander Hleb, one can’t help but wonder whether the Blaugrana should look into its past dealings with the North London club before venturing any further. They have brought the likes of Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit & Thierry Henry to bolster their ranks for a combined fee of around ₤53 million. So far it has not worked out for either the Catalan club or the players involved.

Marc Overmars moving in the summer of 2000, did deliver solid performances but simply could not conjure up the magic that he had with Dutch mate Dennis Bergkamp, for which Barcelona paid the Gunners an astounding ₤25 million, making him the most expensive Dutch player at that time. Emmanuel Petit, the other Arsenal man moving in the same summer, was a total flop appearing only 23 times scoring a solitary goal for the Blaugrana.

After chasing arguably the world’s best striker using the Spanish press as their mouthpiece, they finally managed to land Thierry Henry in the summer of 2007 for a reported fee of ₤16.1 million. In his first season, the striker managed to hit 19 goals playing out of position, which can be considered a good return, but there was discontent amongst the fans, some even booed him during the past season, as he looked only a shadow of his former self and that didn’t help with the fact that Barcelona had failed to win a single trophy since their Champions League triumph in 2006 not to mention, Real Madrid doing the double over them.

Now, after finishing another trophyless season, the Directors from the Camp Nou have gone fishing at the Emirates once again hoping to lure away two of Arsenal’s core members in the form of Emmanuel Adebayor and Alexander Hleb forgetting that each time these two clubs had transfer dealings, the North Londoners have always seemingly come out on top.

The irony is that Arsenal managed to get two of the most exciting players the Barcelona Academy has ever seen, Francesc Fabregas and Fran Merida, at prices that will make discount stores look expensive.

So, it comes down to this, when will the Directors and the embattled President at a club whose motto is “History & Glamour” ever learn that they are just not cunning as they like to show they are when it comes to doing business with the conservative North Londoners?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News