The Perfect Pitch

Over at Bigsoccer, the moderator of their Arsenal forums, Rick B, has posted a very interesting interview with Arsenal MD Keith Edelman and major Arsenal shareholder Danny Fiszman.

A couple of pieces of very interesting info is in the interview (please use the link above and read the whole thing, my summary doesn’t do it justice). A summary:

• A hostile takeover will never succeed
• An explanation of what a blocking stake is and how it’s basically completely useless for Usmanov to have one
• The board is currently writing a new agreement that extends the current “lock-down” agreement by a further 12 months
• The stadium loan situation is discussed, and our low interest rate compared to the Manc’s £80m (!) per year interest payments
• Who decides on player purchases at Arsenal
• Danny reveals two very interesting quotes from Arsene, one involving our plan to buy Eto’o
• And some other interesting tidbits …

A very interesting interview, and a must read. Kudos to Rick B for taking the time to do the interview and asking the questions us fans have all been wanting to ask (as opposed to the crap questions sport journalists tend to ask).

Just saw this post on Arseblog. It seems the 21% owner of Arsenal, Alisher Usmanov, has been using this lawyers Schillings to threaten bloggers and now they have taken it to the next step and have forced a web host to shut down entire websites.

A quick primer on how web hosting works. A web host will “rent” servers to you on their datacenters. You then configure the server and perhaps hosts your own websites on it - a server can hold hundreds of websites. You may also offer to host other people’s website. Typically, if you want to threaten someone to remove certain content, you can approach all three parties (the web host, the person who rents the server from the web host, or the person who operates the website), but the easiest approach and the one most likely to succeed is to threaten the web host, because they won’t care or even know about the issues that are in play. A good web host will usually consult with the website/server owner. A bad one will simply pull the plug.

Tim Ireland apparently helped to host Craig Murray’s website, as well as his own blog. As you know, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, wrote a book, Murder in Samarkand (to be made into a feature film, released next year), which talked about some dealings that Usmanov had in the past. He recently also posted a very critical article regarding Usmanov buying into Arsenal, where several allegations (which Craig say that he can back up with evidence) were made. It is this post that Usmanov and his lawyers have objected to, and after threats were issued, the post was removed. Legal threats were also given to any website which simply linked or quoted the article, including many Arsenal blogs. Apparently Usmanov was not entirely satisfied with this already heavy handed approach, and wanted the entire Craig Murray website removed too.

Tim Ireland also hosts a couple of other websites which are unrelated to this whole saga, which have also been removed, one of them for prospective candidate for London mayor and Conservative MP Boris Johnson.

More information, and the primary point of contact to Tim Ireland, can be found on the Chicken Yogurt Blog. Here is the complete list of blogs that have covered this issue as of currently (6 October):

Curious Hamster, Pickled Politics, Harry’s Place, Tim Worstall, Dizzy, Iain Dale, Ten Percent, Blairwatch, Davide Simonetti, Earthquake Cove, Turbulent Cleric (who suggests dropping a line to the FA about Mr Usmanov), Mike Power, Jailhouse Lawyer, Suesam, Devil’s Kitchen, The Cartoonist, Falco, Casualty Monitor, Forever Expat, Arseblog, Drink-soaked Trots (and another), Pitch Invasion, Wonko’s World, Roll A Monkey, Caroline Hunt, Westminster Wisdom, Chris K, Anorak, Mediawatchwatch, Norfolk Blogger, Chris Paul, Indymedia (with a list of Craig Murray’s articles that are currently unavailable), Obsolete, Tom Watson, Cynical Chatter, Reactionary Snob, Mr Eugenides, Matthew Sinclair, The Select Society, Liberal England, Davblog, Peter Gasston Pitch Perfect, Adelaide Green Porridge Cafe, Lunartalks, Tygerland, The Crossed Pond, Our Kingdom, Big Daddy Merk, Daily Mail Watch, Graeme’s, Random Thoughts, Nosemonkey, Matt Wardman, Politics in the Zeros, Love and Garbage, The Huntsman, Conservative Party Reptile, Ellee Seymour, Sabretache, Not A Sheep, Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion, The People’s Republic Of Newport, Life, the Universe & Everything, Arsenal Transfer Rumour Mill, The Green Ribbon, Blood & Treasure, The Last Ditch, Areopagitica, Football in Finland, An Englishman’s Castle, Freeborn John, Eursoc, The Back Four, Rebellion Suck!, Ministry of Truth, ModernityBlog, Beau Bo D’Or, Scots and Independent, The Splund, Bill Cameron, Podnosh, Dodgeblogium, Moving Target, Serious Golmal, Goonerholic, The Spine, Zero Point Nine, Lenin’s Tomb, The Durruti Column, The Bristol Blogger, ArseNews, David Lindsay, Quaequam Blog!, On A Quiet Day…, Kathz’s Blog, England Expects, Theo Spark, Duncan Borrowman, Senn’s Blog, Katykins, Jewcy, Kevin Maguire, Stumbling and Mumbling, Famous for 15 megapixels, Ordovicius, Tom Morris, AOL Fanhouse, Doctor Vee, The Curmudgeonly, The Poor Mouth, 1820, Hangbitch, Crooked Timber, ArseNole, Identity Unknown, Liberty Alone, Amused Cynicism, Clairwil, The Lone Voice, Tampon Teabag, Unoriginalname38, Special/Blown It, The Remittance Man, 18 Doughty Street, Laban Tall, Martin Bright, Spy Blog The Exile, poons, Jangliss, Who Knows Where Thoughts Come From?, Imagined Community, A Pint of Unionist Lite, Poldraw, Disillusioned And Bored, Error Gorilla, Indigo Jo, Swiss Metablog, Kate Garnwen Truemors, Asn14, D-Notice, The Judge, Political Penguin, Miserable Old Fart, Jottings, fridgemagnet, Blah Blah Flowers, J. Arthur MacNumpty, Tony Hatfield, Grendel, Charlie Whitaker, Matt Buck, The Waendel Journal, Marginalized Action Dinosaur, SoccerLens, Toblog, John Brissenden East Lower, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Peter Black AM, Boing Boing, BLTP, Gunnerblog, LFB UK, Liberal Revolution, Wombles, Focus on Sodbury…, Follow The Money, Freedom and Whisky, Melting Man, PoliticalHackUK, Simon Says…, Daily EM, From The Barrel of a Gun, The Fourth Place, The Armchair News Blog, Journalist und Optimist, Bristol Indymedia, Dave Weeden, Up North John, Gizmonaut, Spin and Spinners, Marginalia, Arnique, Heather Yaxley, The Whiskey Priest, On The Beat, Paul Canning, Martin Stabe, Mat Bowles, Pigdogfucker, Rachel North, B3TA board, Naqniq, Yorkshire Ranter, The Home Of Football, UFO Breakfast Recipients, Moninski , Kerching, e-clectig, Mediocracy, Sicily Scene, Samizdata, I blog, they blog, weblog, Colcam, Some Random Thoughts, Bel is thinking, Vino S, Simply Jews, Atlantic Free Press, Registan, Filasteen, Britblog Roundup #136, Scientific Misconduct Blog, Adam Bowie, Duncan at Abcol, Camera Anguish, A Very British Dude, Whatever, Central News, Green Gathering, Leighton Cooke (224), , Skuds’ Sister’s Brother, Contrast News, Poliblog Perspective, Parish Pump, El Gales, Noodle, Curly’s Corner Shop, Freunde der offenen Gesellschaft, otromundoesposible, Richard Stacy, Looking For A Voice, News Dissector, Kateshomeblog, Writes Like She Talks, Extra! Extra!, Committee To Protect Bloggers, Liberty’s Requiem, American Samizdat, The Thunder Dragon, Cybersoc, Achievable Life, Paperholic, Creative-i, Raedwald, Nobody’s Friend, Lobster Blogster, Panchromatica (251), Back off, man…, Dan Hardie, Krusenstern, Brendadada, Freace, Boriswatch, Fork Handles, Chris Applegate, Christopher Glamorgan, West Virginia Rebel’s Blog, Instapundit, Powerpymes, iDiligence Forum, Gizmotastic, Demos, Gary Andrews, Neweurasia , Never Trust a Hippy, sub specie aeternitatis, Bananas in the Falklands, The Sharpener, Virtual Light, Stu News, Scraps of Moscow, Danivon, As A Dodo, La Russophobe, PJC Journal, Mick Fealty’s Brassneck, dead brains don’t dance, A Comfortable Place, Bamblog, Robert Amsterdam, The Customer, No Longer at Ease, Rachel-Catherine, Humaniform, Mike Rouse, Chesus Yuste, anticapitalista, Aderyn Cân, Ulla’s Amazing Wee Blog (294), Ross200, Disruptive, Internazionale.it, The Obscurer, A Lefty Down Under, Things I Learned or Made Up, Pickled Bushman, Persons Unknown (302)

This reaction from the blogging community is not unexpected. It used to be just the Arsenal bloggers that were outraged, now it’s political bloggers too. A word of advice to Schillings: picking a fight with bloggers, especially political ones, is suicide. If you had wanted this thing to go away quietly, well, the train has left the station I’m afraid.

And a note to Arsenal fans, do you really want someone that operates this way to be the owner of Arsenal? What if the next time it’s an Arsenal supporter’s group that gets in his way? Luckily, most Arsenal fans are against Usmanov’s takeover of Arsenal, and I suspect the current Arsenal board will be even more against a takeover than before.

The latest news on the takeover front see Usmanov’s Red and White Holdings increase their shareholdings to 21%, making them the second largest shareholder at Arsenal. As I’ve stated before, I’m totally against a takeover, back then led by Kroenke. My feelings have changed though since. I’m now even more against a takeover, especially one led by Usmanov and also now that Arsenal current board are doing a fantastic job on the financial front without the need for some billionaire owner to start taking money out of the club.

So much at Arsenal is under the direction of Arsene Wenger, that we often overlook the contribution of the board. And the fact that us fans have never really had much trouble with the board means we’ve really taken them for granted. Make no mistake, the current board are probably one of the best in the country. They have very modern ideas and have taken Arsenal in a bright new direction with the new stadium. Arsene Wenger’s new contract reflect this as well, not to mention Arsene actual words of praise for the board. And if you want contrast, all you have to do is to look at the trouble Martin Jol is having with the Sp*urs board, and the Abramovich/Mourinho saga, and realise how important a good board/set of owners is. Do we want to end up like Sp*urs or have Arsene Wenger being forced out due to a difference of opinion with the new owner?

But a series of key questions exist, and the answers of which will determine whether a takeover is going to happen or not.

1. If the current Arsenal board has control of over 50% of shares (as largest shareholder Danny Fiszman has claimed), does this mean that a takeover is practically impossible?
2. If it is impossible, and assuming that Usmanov knows this, why is Usmanov still buying shares?
3. What will Stan Kroenke do with his 14%?
4. Are the Arsenal board really going to hold out against a takeover no matter the cost, or will they fold if the price is right?
5. If the Arsenal board want to keep things as they are, why aren’t they buying up shares to shore up their position?
   

I wish we didn’t have to think about these things, and just concentrate on the football. It’s hard enough to win things these days without having to deal with takeover speculations, and in truth, there is only one man to blame for all of this.

Many people said before the match that Arsenal winning at Sp*rs was going to be too good to be true. Us winning will keep us near the top of the table, we would once and for all end the ludicrous notion of “Top Four Tottenham” (especially when it was supposed to be at the expense of The Arsenal), apply just enough pressure to get Martin Jol on his way and it would be our first away win of the season too.

Adebayor’s Special against Sp*urs

The reality was actually better. 2 wonder goals (one a contender for goal of the season). Hilarious Sp*urs misses (would the game have been as good if they didn’t have and miss all those chances?). Liverpool and Chelsea both slipping up for Arsenal to go clear at the top. If only Man Utd had not scored their last minute winner, then it would have been the perfect weekend.

I quietly said to myself before the game that, if we were to win, then and only then would we be considered title challengers. It’s still far too early to say whether we will have a good chance to win the title or not, and we’ve had the fortune of a fairly good starting fixture list, but if we continue getting the results, in addition to the good things we did last season (for example, beating the top teams), then we’ll be in with a chance. And that, at this stage, is all we can ask for.

From today onwards, The Perfect Pitch will only be about Arsenal (and football) related stuff. I’ve decided to separate the non football stuff into another blog, on my main website Digital Digest. I will have to remove some posts here, and change the categories around a bit, but all of the non football posts are already duplicated on the new blog.

More later…

So Henry has left. I think there are plenty of places that have already commented on it, so I won’t go into it too much, suffice to say I think the way Henry is leaving has not done him any credit and the fact that a lot of people are angry at him, even when he has done so much for Arsenal, backs up this point. The letter to The Sun, in particularly, was not a great piece of PR.

I’ve previously commented on Dein before, and from what I’ve heard, Dein had a hand in the Henry transfer as well, and if you ever wonder why the transfer fee was so low, well … Even Stan Kroenke may no longer interested in working with Dein having seen what he is capable of, and looks to be forging a working relationship with the existing board instead of trying to go behind their backs. Don’t know if the takeover is still on, but I doubt the board would budge (and rightly so), so perhaps Stan will have to rethink his plans.

So what to do now? If we didn’t need to buy before, we definitely need to now. We’ve since been linked with pretty much every strikers out there: Tevez, Martins, Owen, Anelka, Huntelaar (first every scorer at our new stadium!), Babel and still Eto’o (although seems unlikely to me). Anelka is the one that is most likely (too much smoke for there not to be a fire), but I feel we still need one more from that list, or elsewhere. I don’t like Owen and his injury record, and Babel seems more potential than finished product for now (maybe one to buy for the future, the potential link-up with Van Persie is tasty). Tevez and Eto’o may be out of our price range, one linked with a 30m move to Real Madrid, the other 25m (if Eto’o were to come, surely it would have been discussed during the Henry transfer). Martins has a buy out clause, and financially, that’s the most likely.

But we would have too many forwards in the team if we were to buy two more strikers - don’t forget about Van Persie, Bendtner and Walcott, all of whom will be eager to prove themselves now that Henry is gone. Adebayor gives us something different, and we would always need a player like that. Eto’o makes the most sense, if we only buy him, I think we will be okay up front (especially if we buy Babel too, for the future).

And we still need wingers.

So The Times has an article about Wenger saying he will stay for another season. Anybody who knows a bit about Wenger should have already known this - he has never broken a contract in his life, even when the other party allows him to (like in the case just before Wenger was to come to Arsenal, when he was still in Japan and was allowed to leave by the Japanese club to start his new season with Arsenal, only for Wenger to stay until the end of his contract like he promised and missing the start of the Arsenal season as a result).

If you understand Wenger the man, you should also know about his integrity, in that he would never leave Arsenal without ensuring the club is in good hands. So it is highly unlikely that Wenger will leave after next season, since he is not irresponsible enough to leave at the end of the next season and leave Arsenal in a spot of bother. Besides, his youth project is still uncompletely, and he won’t leave until it is. If Wenger is to leave, then it will have to be the club sacking him, and there is no chance of this happening.

There is a lot of negative energy surrounding the club right now, from takeover talks, to everyone leaving. I for one would still happily go into the season supporting Arsenal even if we don’t buy a single player between now and then (maybe a little bit of doubt, perhaps we would only win the league by 5 points, instead of 15), but I do understand that there are those who think the club is in the biggest crisis it has ever been in, well, at least since the last one (which, coincidentally, was this time last year).

I think the best way for the club/Wenger to deal with all this negative energy is to go out and spend big on a player. A winger, perhaps. Spending big will appease those fans that want a takeover because they think the new owner will provide funds (which he won’t, not after spending all his money trying to buy Arsenal shares and putting the club in huge debt). It will also reassure some of our players and other supporters, who are getting a little bit worried about our short term ambitions. And lastly, it will actually allow us to get a good player that the team needs, and perhaps give us a psychological boost for the next season.

Let’s buy all the players that Wenger wants (most likely cheap unknown ones, based on Wenger’s purchase history), and then buy that big player or players that maybe Wenger wouldn’t have considered, but would still be glad to have in the team. I know the board prides itself on not interfering with Wenger on footballing issues, but I think in this case, the board needs to force the issue a bit. It’s all about making a statement of intent. Sure, we would end up with a few players too many, but with our injury record, there is no such thing as having too many players.

Original Henry quote:

The Sun Henry quote:

On means “I like being wanted by Milan, but I’ve told you so many times recently that I’m an Arsenal player and I’m going nowhere, so stop with the same fucking question all the fucking time!”. The other means “I like being wanted by Milan, and as I’ve told you many times recently, that for the moment, I’m still an Arsenal player, but who knows what will happen tomorrow *wink* *wink*”.

As usual, believe what you want to believe.

We still haven’t signed anyone yet. The Malouda speculation is the closest thing we have to a transfer at the moment, although Liverpool could still get the player. I would prefer we sign a right sided winger to replace/compete with Hleb, especially if Ljungberg is leaving for Newcastle/Celtic, but there aren’t really that many obvious choices around (Quaresma?). I like what Rosicky brings to our left hand side, it’s just a shame that he’s injured most of the time.

Edit: And the bit about Henry and Dein, well I think everybody associated with Arsenal was shocked and disappointed that Dein left. Shocked at the extent of Dein’s treachery, and disappointed that the board chickened out of a public hanging or something. I’m sure Henry is just getting over this …

A predictable end to a very annoying season. Once again, we didn’t take our chances and we paid for it - had we won, we would have been third - not a huge difference, but a different nonetheless. One of these days, I’m going to go through all our games, one by one, and see which one we should have won and didn’t simply because we couldn’t finish the (relatively easy) chances we were given.

The transfer season is nearly upon us. I will have to write a list about who we should be buying and another list of who we will end up buying (two very different lists, I fear), and another list of players who should be going.

The last game of the season is finally here. Not much left to play for, still hoping for 3rd place, but don’t bet on it. Looks like my earlier prediction was a bit off - with AC Milan looking likely to win the Champions League, and us finishing fourth (and Chelsea possibly picking up the FA Cup), and Tottenham finishing higher than 7th. So basically I was completely wrong! (but if we do the impossible and manage to get 3rd tomorrow, then maybe it’s worth putting some money on my predictions after all)

No Adebayor, no Rosicky, and so unfortunately it looks like no goals either. Now that Bendtner is back with us, perhaps it’s worth giving him a game. We might still manage to win it, but unless Liverpool drop points (again Charlton? no chance), 4th is where we might stay.

We’ve also signed a new goalkeeper, Łukasz (pronounced Woo-kash) Fabiański. The 22 year old Pole, currently second choice for Poland, looks like a good buy - good height, attitude, and a perfect understudy for Lehmann, all the while giving the German some competition to worry about. Hopefully it won’t be our only signing of the summer - we need at least 2 wingers and another striker after we part ways with Baptista, Ljungberg and Aliadiere.