THE BOARD - Kroenke, Usmanov, Finances, AGM etc.

[officepest]

Bollocks, it's practically unreadable. It's supposed to show how the Arsenal prioritise coin over football, never mind.

[Top Londoner]

[mcdowell42]

[QuartzGooner]

Augie

Please can someone with a better understanding of takeover law explain how Usmanov can make a move now?
OK, he can offer Kroenke a fortune for the shares, but what if Kroenke decides not to sell?

There remain only a few shares not owned by either man, not enough to make a difference.

My understanding is that IF any individual wished to buy up shares they can attempt do so at anytime so not sure what your question is about Yes I want him to make his move now but I never said that he can force a move through - if (that word again) he intends trying to buy kroenke out then why not start the negotiations now ? Would you rather wait until the summer (at earliest) and then have the saga drag out all over the off season ?

Augie

My question was centred around your wish that Usmanov "Makes a Move".

As far as I can see, along with buying up the small amounts of shares not owned by himself or Kroenke, the only significant move he can make is to offer Kroenke big money for shares.
What other move can Usmanov make if Kroenke will not sell?
From what I can see that circumstance would be stalemate.

Augie

Re the above, Usmanov can do nothing if Kroenke refuses to sell, we agree on that.
So I disagree that you would regard Usmanov in bad light if he does not make a move to buy the shares now.
His game is dependent on Kroenke's intentions.
Kroenke holds the upper hand.

[Top Londoner]

Augie

Please can someone with a better understanding of takeover law explain how Usmanov can make a move now?
OK, he can offer Kroenke a fortune for the shares, but what if Kroenke decides not to sell?

There remain only a few shares not owned by either man, not enough to make a difference.

My understanding is that IF any individual wished to buy up shares they can attempt do so at anytime so not sure what your question is about Yes I want him to make his move now but I never said that he can force a move through - if (that word again) he intends trying to buy kroenke out then why not start the negotiations now ? Would you rather wait until the summer (at earliest) and then have the saga drag out all over the off season ?

Augie

My question was centred around your wish that Usmanov "Makes a Move".

As far as I can see, along with buying up the small amounts of shares not owned by himself or Kroenke, the only significant move he can make is to offer Kroenke big money for shares.
What other move can Usmanov make if Kroenke will not sell?
From what I can see that circumstance would be stalemate.

Augie

Re the above, Usmanov can do nothing if Kroenke refuses to sell, we agree on that.
So I disagree that you would regard Usmanov in bad light if he does not make a move to buy the shares now.
His game is dependent on Kroenke's intentions.
Kroenke holds the upper hand.

All the while Usmanov can 'leak' his dissatisfaction at the way our club are heading, and appeal to the current trends, whilst not having to put his money where his mouth is.
For a bloke that reportedly offered a £100m gift to our club to make blockbuster transfers, it stinks that he won't pay the little bit extra to buy out the syrup wearing, silent Yankee wanker.
I really don't want ONE owner, least of all a bleeding foreign one, billionaire or not.
Then again, footy has changed so much that my views are worthless, so who am I to voice one?

[augie]

Augie

Please can someone with a better understanding of takeover law explain how Usmanov can make a move now?
OK, he can offer Kroenke a fortune for the shares, but what if Kroenke decides not to sell?

There remain only a few shares not owned by either man, not enough to make a difference.

My understanding is that IF any individual wished to buy up shares they can attempt do so at anytime so not sure what your question is about Yes I want him to make his move now but I never said that he can force a move through - if (that word again) he intends trying to buy kroenke out then why not start the negotiations now ? Would you rather wait until the summer (at earliest) and then have the saga drag out all over the off season ?

Augie

My question was centred around your wish that Usmanov "Makes a Move".

As far as I can see, along with buying up the small amounts of shares not owned by himself or Kroenke, the only significant move he can make is to offer Kroenke big money for shares.
What other move can Usmanov make if Kroenke will not sell?
From what I can see that circumstance would be stalemate.

Augie

Re the above, Usmanov can do nothing if Kroenke refuses to sell, we agree on that.
So I disagree that you would regard Usmanov in bad light if he does not make a move to buy the shares now.
His game is dependent on Kroenke's intentions.
Kroenke holds the upper hand.

All the while Usmanov can 'leak' his dissatisfaction at the way our club are heading, and appeal to the current trends, whilst not having to put his money where his mouth is.
For a bloke that reportedly offered a £100m gift to our club to make blockbuster transfers, it stinks that he won't pay the little bit extra to buy out the syrup wearing, silent Yankee wanker.
I really don't want ONE owner, least of all a bleeding foreign one, billionaire or not.
Then again, footy has changed so much that my views are worthless, so who am I to voice one?

This is exactly my point - anybody who genuinely claims to love the club or have the clubs interests at heart cannot be happy with where the club are and where they are heading. For me talk is cheap so sitting back moaning a bit but doing fcuk all as your share price continues to rise, is the response of an investor rather than somebody who wants to turn around the fortunes of this once great club. I know that we are not talking small change when we speak about how much it would cost to buy the Yankee wa nker out but what are his alternatives ? Sitting on his 30% whilst having zero input is surely something that he would not see continuing in the long term so for me, he either ponys up and attempts to buy the club or he gets off the swings altogether and sells up - that would be my mindset anyway

[QuartzGooner]

Yes, I agree with that, and he can afford it.

But I think he is never going to announce an intention to buy, as it can affect share price.
He will just get on and make the offer.

That said, if he believes Kroenke will never sell to him, he may see ownership of our shares as a decent way to invest during this recession, until such time as he himself is offered cash for his shares by a third party?

[Top Londoner]

Quartz.
Usmanov has $18.1 billion. Russia's richest person and the world's 28 richest person.
I still don't really want him near my club, but it is inevitable. So why the fuck does he not make it happen now instead of baitching over a bit of loose change?

Posturing as usual, of course. No investor has the interest's of ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB at heart. NO ONE

[QuartzGooner]

If Kroenke does not want to sell, and it seems like he does not need to sell either, then there is nothing Usmanov can do.

[augie]

If Kroenke does not want to sell, and it seems like he does not need to sell either, then there is nothing Usmanov can do.

Not disagreeing with what you are saying quartz but I still dont understand it - it seems to be universally accepted that syrup views AFC as an investment so isnt the art of investing all about getting in, making a profit and getting out ? Surely any kind of half decent businessman (I know that he married into wealth rather than earned it ) would recognise that an AFC in decline,not winning trophies and maybe not qualifying for champs league, would be less attractive to sponsors and fans which would reduce the flow of cash into the club and reduce profits ? As owner of the club he has two choices as far as I am concerned - (1) invest big in bringing quality players into the club or (2) sell his shareholding when it is at it's maximum value. History, both since he bought our club and his track record as owner of american sports franchises, suggests that investing big for quality players seems highly unlikely so why would he stick around to see his shareholding depreciate in value with every passing season ?
I know that I am biased in this but I feel that now or in the next 2 or 3 months usmanov has to attempt to force the issue both for the future prospects of our club and for the sake of hos own investment which will also decrease in value

[northbank123]

Kroenke will most likely allow some money to be spent to make us favourites for 4th again - his philosophy (and profitability outlook) is to spend the minimum amount (or siphon off the maximum amount!) possible whilst still making us commercially profitable (i.e. 4th place). He's had a few very good years and I imagine he'd rather accept a modest year/summer in return for the CL cash cow to return in 2013/14 (this is based on us finishing 5th or below) rather than digging his heels in and losing revenue on a long-term basis. Likewise, if we finished 2nd/3rd and just needed one or two quality signings to make us genuine contenders for CL and PL he wouldn't allow the money to be spent because the expenditure required to make that final step far outweights any gain.

I see what you're saying about Usmanov - I think the reason that he hasn't been outspoken (other than the open letter which was very fair and measured all things considered) is that he knows loads of fans are already wary of him and that if he starts publicly criticising the regime and the club then everybody on the board and the manager will close ranks and brainwash more fans against him with PR bullshit.

It's very much a case of put up or shut up and at the moment he's choosing the latter. I understand he's reluctant to hand over obscene amounts of cash to Kroenke but the only way Kroenke will go/Usmanov will gain control is by him paying over the odds for Kroenke's shares at some point, and although I'm sure he didn't acquire his wealth by pissing money away if we finish 5th this year and he sits on his hands it doesn't send out a strong message that it's not an investment for him.

[QuartzGooner]

If Kroenke does not want to sell, and it seems like he does not need to sell either, then there is nothing Usmanov can do.

Not disagreeing with what you are saying quartz but I still dont understand it - it seems to be universally accepted that syrup views AFC as an investment so isnt the art of investing all about getting in, making a profit and getting out ?

QUARTZ: We all think he sees it as an investment, but none of us knows or understands his exact plans, because he is silent!

(I know that he married into wealth rather than earned it )


QUARTZ: Firstly his family made it's own wealth, then married a wealthy woman, and nothing wrong with marrying into wealth either!

QUARTZ: Herd has mentioned Kroenke's possible plans of internet TV, and maybe Kroenke is aware of plans to set up an alternative to the Champions League or other new ventures, and is in it for the longer term?

[flash gunner]

(I know that he married into wealth rather than earned it )


QUARTZ: Firstly his family made it's own wealth, then married a wealthy woman, and nothing wrong with marrying into wealth either!

Wish i had

[Top Londoner]

(I know that he married into wealth rather than earned it )


QUARTZ: Firstly his family made it's own wealth, then married a wealthy woman, and nothing wrong with marrying into wealth either!

Wish i had

I hear the heiress to DFS is on the lookout flash.
Nothing quite like two birds with one stone eh?

[flash gunner]

(I know that he married into wealth rather than earned it )


QUARTZ: Firstly his family made it's own wealth, then married a wealthy woman, and nothing wrong with marrying into wealth either!

Wish i had

I hear the heiress to DFS is on the lookout flash.
Nothing quite like two birds with one stone eh?

Now you're talking