usmanov in sunday papers

[olgitgooner]

Anything Usmanov says should be taken in context.

He is a very bitter man. His billions of dollars have, in this case, not allowed him to do what he wants to do.

Tough.

I feel so sorry for him.

[northbankbren]

If the quotes are true, i agree with him on the whole.

But its an old tune...spend the money.

[mikeyb772001]

I thought I should make my views on Alisher Usmanov quite plain to you. You are unlikely to see much plain talking on Usmanov elsewhere in the media becuase he has already used his billions and his lawyers in a pre-emptive strike. They have written to all major UK newspapers, including the latter:

Mr Usmanov was imprisoned for various offences under the old Soviet regime. We wish to make it clear our client did not commit any of the offences with which he was charged. He was fully pardoned after President Mikhail Gorbachev took office. All references to these matters have now been expunged from police records . . . Mr Usmanov does not have any criminal record.

Let me make it quite clear that Alisher Usmanov is a criminal. He was in no sense a political prisoner, but a gangster and racketeer who rightly did six years in jail. The lawyers cunningly evoke “Gorbachevâ€

[rodders999]

Usmanov is a fat walrus faced 17 chinned fucking criminal *word censored* and should be treated as such. Fuck having vermin such as him near our board. The fact tango face David Dein has anything to do with that slug *word censored* sickens me to the core.

[rodders999]

p.s. I'm fucking PISSED

[Deise Gooner]

Anything Usmanov says should be taken in context.

He is a very bitter man. His billions of dollars have, in this case, not allowed him to do what he wants to do.

Tough.

I feel so sorry for him.

Exactly. He has very little chance of ever taking over the club so of course he can come out and echo what many of us fans feel and claim he would change it. Its all just PR to try and get rid of the bad image that he has been given by making empty promises and statements because he will never have to back them up as chairman.

[mikeyb772001]

When can we have nice exciting good positive news?


Damn u arsenal

[FrenchGun]

It may be a good thing in the end... If Usmanov comes out and tries to "buy" the supporters love with sweet talk, then the current board might feel threatened and start worrying a bit more about the fans opinion....

[QuartzGooner]

I have no idea whether or not Usmanov is a criminal.

But MikeyB's posts are just verbatim from the thoughts of controversial ex UK ambassador to Uzbekhistan, Craig Murray, whom seems to have his fingers in interesting pies.

As such they must be read with caution, as must so much of what is on the net, and Wikipedia itself, but of Murray himself Wikipedia's Murray entry says:

"Later during the same holiday he was recalled to London for disciplinary reasons. On 21 August 2003 he was confronted with 18 charges including "hiring dolly birds [pretty young women] for above the usual rate" for the visa department, though he claims that the department had an all-male staff, and granting UK visas in exchange for sex. He was told that discussing the charges would be a violation of the Official Secrets Act 1989. The FCO encouraged him to resign.[11]

After an FCO internal inquiry conducted by Tony Crombie, Head of the FCO's Overseas Territories Department, all but two of the charges (being drunk at work and misusing the embassy's Range Rover) were dropped. The FCO exonerated him of all 18 charges in January 2004 after a four month investigation but reprimanded him for speaking about them.

Murray is Executive Chairman of Atholl Energy Ltd[31] and Chairman of Westminster Development Ltd, a gold mining company, both operating in Accra, Ghana.[32]

Murray separated from his first wife, Fiona, with whom he has two children,[11] after starting a relationship with Nadira Alieva, an Uzbek woman whom he met while she was working as a belly dancer in a Tashkent night club. She followed him when he left Uzbekistan[12] and they were married on 6 May 2009."

[USMartin]

Usmanov says nearly all the right things in the quote from Tim Payton/Dan_85.

He echoes what many on this Forum have said.

I actually think the current debt level is sustainable contrary to what Usmanov says.
But agree that the funds in the bank need to be used for players.
And would not have any problem with a further share issue.

I think what Mr. Usmanov is saying is that the Board's oresent potitionof debt reduction while relying on the self-sustaining model is not going to work and allow to compete at the level we have paticualrly from 1998-2005. I think if this is what he is saying he is absolutely correct. Whehter thios means we can trust him to do differentlty is less ceratin at this point.

If I am correct he is basically saying what I have said about the Highbury re-development, that the additional debt we took on undertaking that project fatally undermined the self-sustaining business model. If in fact the Board is claiming the additional money now is going unspent because oif the remaining debt then again the Board has fatally undermined the club's business model and for what?

is it what Mr. Usmanov says here

"...they have seemed happy to sanction second, third and fourth as being acceptable, whilst at the same time they were planning to sell their shares....it is clear their priority was to take money out through selling their shares, and not to put any in""

The only way we can change this is to force the Board either to admit the truth or to try to buy their way out of admitting they decievied hundreds of thousand evenb millions of good honest football supporters whop trusted them to behave better than that. Trust me they would rathjer eat shit than give up a penny but they would also rather spend money then have everybody look at them thinking they are scumbags and liars every where they go.

We have to challenge the Board to defend their integrity and not back off until they do defend convincingly it or concede the lack of it on their part or ideally try to put this to bed by investing some money in the team.

[olgitgooner]

[skipper]

Well said mr Usmanov, even if it looks like he's been rehearsing his interview with David Dein.

Also, well said Quartz.

[595]

The Uzbek has just done a superb number in getting the support on board , any fucker who has read this or various other forums could have penned that , wont count for fuck all as despite all his billions the crooked , fat *word censored* cuts no sway over the Arsenal , only the support can drive change in the club ethos.

[MK Gould]

I have no idea whether or not Usmanov is a criminal.

But MikeyB's posts are just verbatim from the thoughts of controversial ex UK ambassador to Uzbekhistan, Craig Murray, whom seems to have his fingers in interesting pies.

As such they must be read with caution, as must so much of what is on the net, and Wikipedia itself, but of Murray himself Wikipedia's Murray entry says:

"Later during the same holiday he was recalled to London for disciplinary reasons. On 21 August 2003 he was confronted with 18 charges including "hiring dolly birds [pretty young women] for above the usual rate" for the visa department, though he claims that the department had an all-male staff, and granting UK visas in exchange for sex. He was told that discussing the charges would be a violation of the Official Secrets Act 1989. The FCO encouraged him to resign.[11]

After an FCO internal inquiry conducted by Tony Crombie, Head of the FCO's Overseas Territories Department, all but two of the charges (being drunk at work and misusing the embassy's Range Rover) were dropped. The FCO exonerated him of all 18 charges in January 2004 after a four month investigation but reprimanded him for speaking about them.

Murray is Executive Chairman of Atholl Energy Ltd[31] and Chairman of Westminster Development Ltd, a gold mining company, both operating in Accra, Ghana.[32]

Murray separated from his first wife, Fiona, with whom he has two children,[11] after starting a relationship with Nadira Alieva, an Uzbek woman whom he met while she was working as a belly dancer in a Tashkent night club. She followed him when he left Uzbekistan[12] and they were married on 6 May 2009."

You may be right.....but your "facts" were undermined as soon as you quoted Wikipedia as your source !

Anyway, the things said about Murray pale into insignificance in comparison to Usmanov. And is it not just possible that Usmanov, someone who is reasonably well know not to take opposition kindly, could have "manufactured" some of those allegations against Murray. And to be honest, if that's all he could come up with then I'd say that almost add's weight to Murray's credibility.

[Gunnersaurus]

Very smart statement, he's seen the discontent and acted on it, Gazidis will have his work cut out tomorrow at the big meeting.