RTK Blog: Another Arsenal own goal

The news that the annual shareholder Q&A has been postponed is a disastrous PR move by the club, and just confirms to me that those who are running the club have double standards. Last time I looked, the annual Q&A was a vehicle which prevented the AGM from descending into farce with shareholder’s questions from the floor heaping embarrassment upon the Board members present. If Ivan Gazidis and Arsene Wenger think that they will have found a way to prevent more negative headlines in the media, and enable confidence to begin to grow, then they have seriously miscalculated. But given their performance in the Transfer market this summer why am I surprised. Errors like london buses have a habit of all arriving at the same time. There are ways to breed confidence in an organisation or public company, and this isn’t one of them.

It is arrogant in the extreme to treat shareholders like this, and now the shareholders themselves will understand how the grass root fans feel. I would humbly extend words of warning to Arsenal Football Club. Think very carefully before alienating your own bedrock support. You are currently losing the battle for hearts and minds of longstanding loyal supporters. It is now time to face your critics and agree that you have got it wrong. It is time to compromise and embrace change. Changing one’s stance is a political decision. Do not fall into the trap, because  conviction can sometimes be a weakness rather than a strength, if it leads to stubborness and blinkered awareness in the face of reality. “Victory through Harmony” is our motto, and Harmony at the moment will only arrive through pragmatic changes of policy.

Surely it should be clear by now to the Arsenal Football Club Communications department, that every move that is made to try and manipulate the social media, fanzine bloggers and the mainstream media news will result in the very opposite of what was intended. They need to understand that genuine grievances will turn to a loss of respect and support if they are treated in this manner. Even the reputation of Arsene Wenger, who I have supported through grim times of negative criticism will suffer a mortal blow. I have heard many accuse him of  many things. Sophistry, Hyperbole and even having taken leave of his senses, but I for one would never have considered Arsene Wenger capable of cowardice, so it must have been upon the advice of others. Now is the time to lead by good pragmatic judgement and real effective change. People earn more respect by admitting their mistakes and putting in place remedies to prevent reoccurrence, rather than obstinately retreating into their fortresses and pulling up the drawbridge.

As for suggestion of relegation? Now that is lala land talk, and reading Tony Woodcock’s interview, he never said that Arsenal will be relegated or come close. He merely warned that football is a funny game and the unexpected sometimes happens. Arsenal being being rooted in the lower third of the PL table being one of them if they fail to correct their defensive weaknesses.  Arsene’s buys of Oxo and Gervinho shows that he can provide attacking Wengerball if the players are determined and willing, and with 33 games to go we can easily still turn this around, and as I have said. I believe that Arsene Wenger is the right man to do it, subject to criteria discussed in an earlier blog. So this is another own goal by Arsenal, but this time not on the field of play. Finally, if this is the new “Arsenal Way” in action then expect more attempts to stage manage the media when Stan Kroenke at last breaks his silence, prior to the AGM to a select group of fans. His advisors should note however the lessons of history, which shows us that manipulated sanitised propaganda in a crisis always comes from a totalitarian regime during the final months of it’s rule…

RTK.

rtk@arsenalinsider.com Follow @RTKafc_insider

Rocky_The_King

Ok I wasn't born and bred a Gooner, but after being in the wilderness, I saw the light and beat a track for Highbury. I have been a season ticket holder for over a decade, and now a life member of the Arsenal Supporter's trust. I hate the Scum and Man U with a passion. Formerly FTK I am co-owner of Arsenalinsider and it's chief blog writer, I can be found having a rant about all things Arsenal, and believe me, you had better listen...

More Posts - Website - Twitter