RvP Gives Us A Sign As The Board Gives Usmanov A Different One

So where to begin, where to begin. First up, I picked up a small brochure…Just joshing…

Robin van Persie has signed a new contract – HUZZAH! Well, OK, so it was leaked over the weekend but we never heard from the man himself so he made up for lost time:

I’m so happy to have signed a new long term contract. I’ve been at the Club for five years now and there really is a great feeling here at Arsenal. We have a top class manager, a squad full of superb young players, a world class stadium and brilliant supporters. Arsenal Football Club has a very bright future and I want to be part of it.

My heart is with Arsenal and I just can’t picture myself in a different shirt. I just can’t see it now because I love this Club so much. If you look at the last five years, look at the steps I have made every season, if you look at the support the Boss and the whole Club gave me, the fans gave me, my team mates gave me – this is the right decision

Awww shucks Robin. Are we really that good as supporters? Are we or were you just being polite. Why don’t you take a quick straw poll around the dressing room? On second thoughts, no, for crissakes, don’t. You might change your mind.

I liked van Persie before, like now and anyone that talented who wants to stay at Arsenal for the rest of his career is alright by me. If he can get a full season on form, the prospect of him combining with a fully settled in Arshavin, a fully fit Eduardo and a goalscoring Adebayor shows the strength of the Arsenal front line. The fit bit has been the problem in the past but ever the optimist, I will hope that it remains firmly rooted there.

Which is where I hoped that Alisher Usmanov would stay. Or go. In fact, he can go anywhere as long as it is far away from this club. Sheriff Fatman is crying over spilt milk since the Board has rejected his proposal for a Rights Issue. Ivan Gazidis spelt out the reasons that the overtures were rejected:

The Board, with its financial advisors Rothschild, considered thoroughly the proposal to use permanent equity capital to either pay down debt or to add to the Club’s spending in the transfer market…Using permanent capital to pay down debt would not, therefore, radically transform the annual cash flow of the Club.  With regard to players, the Board decided not to issue permanent capital in the hopes of signing one or two players in an inflated transfer market. Instead, the focus continues to be on securing the services of talented young players we have on long-term contracts and making very selective acquisitions, only where a new signing will add real value to our already strong squad.

If you look carefully out of your windows, the squadron of flying pigs carrying Melo, Hangeland, Cana, Inler, Ribery and anyone else who is going to cost a fair whack are rapidly disappearing over the horizon. Which to me is not a problem since I have a considerable amount of belief in the current squad and the manager’s ability to improve it where necessary.

Fatboy Slim was not having any of it though:

Based on financial information that only they have, the board have informed us that they are confident they have adequate financial resources to support the manager to strengthen the squad, to weather the property downturn, to renegotiate the Highbury Square loan on good terms and to deal with the continuing difficult economic conditions. However, we will keep the situation under close review.

So let me get this right. Usmanov does not have any information to the contrary yet does not believe the Board whilst expecting us to believe him. Hmmmm, it is a tough one but I know whose word has more credibility with this blogger and it is not someone who does not have all of the information.

Crucially, the Board has found the flaw in Usmanov’s plan to spend big in this transfer market through the Rights Issue. It is not sustainable beyond the summer or January if Arsene decided to parsimonious. The only way in which big signings in 2010 could be funded would be through either increased borrowings or sales of existing personnel.

Exactly how this improves the current position is unclear, quite probably because it is the sort of reactionary, short-termist view that Wenger felt unable to clasp to his metaphorical bosom when Real Madrid came calling. The suspicion remains that Usmanov is a pea from the same pod that spawned Florentino Perez. Look at the state Real Madrid were in when Perez’s first reign at the Bernabeu ended acrimoniously to see the future at Arsenal if Usmanov takes control.

’til Tomorrow.