Arsenal fans admit: This is the lowest we have felt for 20 years
Supporters’ group calls on ‘silent Stan’ Kroenke to speak up
An Arsenal supporters’ group has said morale amongst Gunners fans is at its lowest for 20 years and has called on majority shareholder ‘silent’ Stan Kroenke to make his voice heard.
The ‘Where has our Arsenal gone?’ group, which also incorporates the ‘Black Scarf’ movement who led a protest against ticket price rises at the Emirates in May, released a strong statement this week in reaction to the sale of Gael Clichy and potential exit of captain Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.
And while the statement also criticised those players for wanting to leave the club, they made the board, transfer policy and Kroenke their principal targets.
“As fans we are having to put up with constant press stories about key players leaving, we’re back in pre-season training and no established quality has been brought in to bolster the squad, and there’s still complete silence from the club’s new majority shareholder with no comment regarding his intentions for the club.
“All these factors are making fans feel very concerned for our prospects in the coming season, and given the large price hikes, morale is (in our opinion) the lowest it’s been for around 20 years.”
The American billionaire Kroenke now owns a 63 per cent stake in the Gunners after his takeover in May, which ultimately failed to give him complete control with Uzbekistan steel magnate Alisher Usmanov now holding a 29.1 per cent stake.
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Kroenke said after his takeover in May that funds were available to spend but the exit of Clichy to Manchester City for �7m on Monday and the imminent sale of Fabregas and rumours over Nasri have worried fans.
The statement continued: “Regarding outgoing players, of course, as supporters of Arsenal we don’t want to see our best players leave.
“However, if they try and hold the club to ransom with extortionate wage demands or if they don’t want to play for the club, we should let them leave – as long as the club is suitably remunerated.
“No player is bigger than the club and as much as they may have kissed the badge in the past, they will never have as much affinity for the Arsenal as we do.
“So thanks for your service but if you don’t want to be here, good luck elsewhere.”
