Alisher Usmanov is not going to go quietly but in following a high risk strategy, he risks becoming a lame duck investor. According to the, ahem, usually reliable News of the World, the Sheriff Fatman is going to call an EGM to put his proposal for a Rights Issue to the vote.

Which is perhaps the ultimate in gesture politics for a shareholder. With the Board at very close to 50% control of the voting rights, he looks very likely to be defeated in his objective. No doubt he will hope for a close run thing but for him, it will mean public scrutiny of his plans and open questioning of his motives, something that he has reluctant to let happen to date.

Overall, it is an unlikely scenario for it puts the Uzbek into a corner but it also explains Stan Kroenke buying shares this week. His tally is closer to the 30% level than Fatman’s and therefore he may have enough to stop an Usmanov takeover bid in its tracks even with a beneficial Rights Issue for the Uzbek. It is interesting that most sniping has taken the form of criticising the current Board for not investing directly into the club as if it is something that Usmanov has been doing all along. No, the Uzbek has not put one penny into the club and indeed is more intent on taking something out, having previously demanded that dividends be paid on his shareholding.

Problematically none of the detractors has come up with the sustained model arising from the Rights Issue. Assuming that it is spent clearing the loans surrounding the properties, the outcome of that is to save the club £5m per season (using rough roundings on the interest payments). That does not buy a player of the calibre that everyone demands: it might pay their wages but not their purchase.

The remainder of the funds once loans are cleared may be enough to buy one world class player this summer but with prices the way that they are, I would not like to bet on it. What happens next summer though? Where is the funding to make a similar purchase? If someone can come up with a strong argument, bring it on.

It wouldn’t be a Sunday if there were not comings and goings happening. Crossing paths at Terminal 5 apparently are Alex Hleb and Eider Gudjohnsen, looking wistfully at the Barcelona suit who is carrying a suitcase full of used Euros that will apparently be enough for Arsenal to let Cesc take the return flight to the Catalan capital.

It is at this point that they will see Mikael Silvestre moving towards the departure gate for Bordeaux, no doubt light of luggage to board his Ryanair flight and considerably lighter in the wallet once all of their add-ons have negated the cheapness of the flight.

Philippe Senderos has to go City Airport for his flight to Sunderland although he is going to meet old chum, Patrick Vieira there to save on the cab fare to the Stadium of Light. All of which is nice but spare a thought for poor old Armand Traore as he leaves the M40 for a cup of tea in a beaten-up Hillman Imp on the way to Birmingham for a year of living dangerously at St Andrews.

A quiet Sunday before the pre-season really kicks in. ’til Tomorrow.