Dagens Arsenal - 19 april 2007
Hill-Wood svarar på frågor kring Deins hastiga avgång.
Ve och fasa, Dein försvinner! Eller är det så illa? Jag tycker snarare det visar på att resten av styrelsen verkligen inte vill sälja, och det är positivt. Till skillnad från vissa andra engelska storklubbar (vare sig de helt plötsligt blivit stora eller om de var stora för 30 år sedan) kan man som Gooner stolt säga att man har en styrelse med anor och som verkligen brinner för klubben.
We shall not be sold!
Klubben
Just klubben Arsenal har varit ett hett ämne de senaste 24 timmarna. David Dein, mannen som till stor del ligger bakom vad vi är idag, har valt att lämna klubben och styrelsen med omedelbar verkan. Vad som händer med hans aktier är inte klart än, men en lågoddsare är att Kroenke kommer att försöka köpa dem. Nåja, hur som helst, idag finns en intervju på Arsenal.com där styrelsemedlemmen Peter Hill-Wood (”PHW”) svarar på frågor kring Deins avgång. Copy, paste, här har ni hela faderullan. Jag rekomenderar er verkligen att läsa igenom det här.
Peter Hill-Wood, why has David Dein left Arsenal Football Club?
PHW: Well, over time there have been a number of differences that built up and I think the board have now felt that they have become irreconcilable. David Dein has been with us a long time and although he’s no longer a member of the board I’d like to pay tribute to all the good things he has done during his time with us. The Club has been built on stability and I’m confident that that stability will continue with the traditions the Club has been built on in the past.
Ok, so can I ask was the disagreement over transfer funds available to Arsène Wenger?
PHW: No not at all. We’ve always made funds to Arsène, he attends all the board meetings, he understands the financial position, and I can assure supporters that we will continue to provide funds when Arsène requires them.
Will David Dein’s departure have any affect on Arsène Wenger’s position at the Club?
PHW: Well I think it’s well known that Arsène and David have got on very well over the past 10 years, and I’m certain that Arsène will miss him. However I believe that the relationship that Arsène has with the rest of the board is good and he’s on contact as you know with us until 2008 and we very much hope that he will extend his contract beyond that, but we haven’t got into talking details on that yet.
Does this development in any way relate to Stan Kroenke’s recent acquisition of shares in the company?
PHW: Well I think there are a number of reasons why we’ve come to this decision, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to go into further detail. I would prefer this to all remain confidential and I think it will be in everybody’s interest.
And why have you stated that the remaining shareholders on board will not sell their shares for only a period of 12 months?
PHW: Well I think that personal circumstances can change but I can assure everybody that the principle shareholders who are on the board are committed Arsenal fans and have no intention of selling the shares even after 12 months, but I think a commitment of 12 months should reassure people that we’re not sellers.
And who will take over David Dein’s role, for example player transfers?
PHW: Well we have a number of senior executives at the Club and we haven’t formalised the arrangement yet but I’m certain that one or more of them will handle the matter of transfers in David Dein’s absence.
Will David Dein’s departure have any affect on the amount of money available to the Club to purchase new players in the summer?
PHW: No, absolutely not. We have a budget for transfers and Arsène is well aware of what that budget is. We have a very good squad, young maybe, but developing well and if Arsène wants to strengthen it we have the money to provide him with any reasonable purchases he wants to make.
And finally what are David Dein’s plans for the future and specifically his intentions in relation to his 14.6% share holding in Arsenal Holdings plc?
PHW: Well I don’t know the definite answer to either of those questions. So far as his shareholding is concerned that is a matter for him I can’t comment I don’t know. So far as his future is concerned again I don’t know, I would obviously like to wish him all the best for whatever role he wishes to play in the future.
Spelarna
Gilberto Silva, brasilianaren som ibland tror att han är brasse, talar för Arsenal.com om att det inte finns utrymme för att relaxa en sekund mot Tottenham. Ett derby är ett derby. Nästan i alla fall; i Nodlondonderbyt kan inte vilket lag som helst vinna. “I played there when we won the League in 2004. Although many of the players have now left, the traditions of the match are still the same. We will need to keep our minds strong because this is the kind of game where you do not have time to relax for one minute. We know that in the matches against Tottenham, if we do not play at 100 per cent then it will be difficult. It is important to keep our concentration high over all of the final four games. Against Man City, it looked a bit strange; after our first goal we relaxed a little bit. Sometimes we can play very nice football and draw or lose. Against City, we did not play our best, but got three points.”
Ja, jag är nog allt lite besviken på att vi inte spelade fint nog mot City...
Nåja, vicekapten Silva fortsätter att sprida sin visdom, den här gången om en brasilianare som tror att han är en fotbollsspelare, nämligen Julio Baptista. "After a few games he played he did so well, especially if you look back at Liverpool in the Carling Cup and some other games. He’s been dropped to the bench since then and I think he gets upset about that. But he’s an important player for us. The last few weeks I think have been so hard for all of us because we tried to lift ourselves. I’m really confident he’ll come back to his best because we need everyone at their best at the moment. If we miss one player, if one of them gets down it becomes even harder for us. It’s important we keep together and that’s the main thing, the main key for us."
Och varför de hårda orden mot Bap? Tja, det verkar som om han inte blir kvar speciellt länge till, då han både hatar vädret och spelet i England. “The teams from the north of England are terrible. When we play them I have counted their centre backs booting up to 30 long balls upfield per game. The weather over here is killing me. We’ll get one day of sunshine for every 30 days of rain, and it is driving me to despair. My girlfriend and my mother are frightened about not seeing the sun in England. They miss being in Madrid."
Från att Julio ogillar vädret går han till att ogilla den allmänna fotbollsmentaliteten. "Premiership football is very hard. I am Brazilian and I enjoy playing the ball, making clever touches and taking bicycle kicks. Arsene Wenger does not forbid me from doing them, but the game is so fast I don’t even have time to think about them. The moment you stop to think, someone has taken the ball off you and knocked you to the ground. Over here they value a corner kick more than a fancy flick. I am lucky to be with Arsenal, as they are a team that likes to play proper football.”
Sedan fortsätter Baptista med att prata om framtiden. “I could stay at Arsenal, but right now I can’t see myself anywhere for definite. But it’s clear in my mind that I would tackle my second chance with Real with far more strength and maturity than I did in my first spell.”
Bye, bye, Beast.
Och hej då, läsare. Nu vill jag bara tipsa om att vår alldeles egna Andreas Hjalmarsson kommer att medverka i nystartade ”Head 2 Head” här på SvenskaFans Englandssida, där han och en representant från Tottenhams redaktion grillas inför det heta derbyt på lördag. När artikeln kommer ut låter jag vara hemligt.
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed…
