In recent months there has been a noticeable trend of Arsenal related exclusives from The Times.
For example, a story that Arsenal were going to send Per Merteacker on loan in January, and before that how Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil were demanding £250,000 a week each to sign new contracts with the clubs.
Apropos of nothing, today’s Times (£) has another Arsenal related exclusive, as Matt Hughes reveals that Ivan Gazidis is ‘in demand’ for a number of ‘top jobs’ in the USA.
The story says that he’s seen as a candidate to take over the presidency of the US Soccer Federation, as well as someone to head up the 2026 World Cup committee should the bid from the USA and Mexico be successful.
The Arsenal Chief Executive has plenty of US experience, helping to found Major League Soccer, and becoming its deputy commissioner in 2001.
Since 2009 he has been the Chief Executive of Arsenal, filling the gap left behind by the departure of David Dein.
There have been steady advances in the business side of the club, but in recent times Gazidis has remained more or less silent on the future of Arsene Wenger.
He spoke earlier this month about this season being a catalyst for change, although very little seems to be forthcoming.
In 2011, when asked about who the manager was accountable to, he now infamously said:
“Arsene is ultimately accountable to the fans – they ultimately make judgement. If you are seeing the relationship between the fans and the manager break down over time that is unsustainable. But I don’t think we are anywhere near that.”
It’s clear that this has had an impact with fans as frustration with underperformance and the inability to mount a genuine title challenge has continued.
Arsenal fans needn’t worry too much, the report says that Gazidis will eschew these fantastic opportunities to go to America, and will instead help ‘oversee a smooth transition to the post-Wenger era, with the Frenchman expected to step down as manager in two year’s time after signing a new contract this summer’.
?
Oh phew, where would we be without Ivan the Terrible
Two more years! I can’t bear it!!!???????
Making money off of sentiment is pretty much garden-variety ‘good business’ at this point.
How scummy do you have to be, though, to spin it as “You should feel lucky, you know… there are other suckers I could’ve chosen to rip off”?
Arsene or Ivan?
like we have a choice. all three including kroenke will be there for the next two years atleast
Are we supposed to be fucking grateful? Does Arsenal leaking this stuff really mean they think we give a shit about Stans little rent boy?
Watch yr language
feck ye.
It’s fuck
Unlike most, I’m actually gonna defend Ivan a little here. I know the fans, and arseblog in particular, have gone out of their way to effectively claim all leaks are due to him without any evidence whatsoever, painting him in a particular light to fit a particular narrative without even needing to back it up (the dangers of the internet). The first argument against Ivan is that he’s quiet and hiding behind Arsene. But have you considered the line “if you have nothing good to say, don’t say anything at all?” I mean at the end of the day, he’s… Read more »
Nice comment, but do you have sources for most of that?
I’m actually not unhappy at all that Ivan is staying. At United the combination of a new manager and their new executive Woodward made their first transfer window rather impotent.
Of course he’s going not taking a new job because then he’d actually have to do some work.
Good news!
I’ve heard the Tuscaloosa travelling Freak Show is looking for a new invisible man.
That would be perfect. Please check if they have a vacant spot for a silent man as well because Kroenke would be perfect for that.
If, ok, WHEN arsene signs his new 2 year deal… Can anybody imagine the state we could potentially be in by then? I feel suffocated at the moment supporting this club and I while I remain eternally grateful for the early years he gave us, staying for another 2 years with no cohesion, no ideas, no tactics and no style, at a time when the majority of fans want him gone, could go a long way to tarnishing his legacy.
Suffocated?
The help yourself across the road.
As if the ‘top jobs’ in the US go to the top people.
Given his job scope probably is not to win trophies, it seems churlish to suggest he is not competent enough for the Arsenal.
Probably just me then but I would take a confirmation of 2 years for Arsene and the rest to transition before the new guy comes in as some finality so everyone can move on. At this point, nobody is really expecting any difference surely…..
Missed an opportunity to get rid of useless Ivan.
You know what this means right?
Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis both Like A New Signing
*cries silently*
chin up old boy
Stiff upper lip
Everyone at the club is cool with this seasons situation. All is well. The money keeps flowing into the club, and from the club across the Atlantic. So everything is fine. Change is not necessary. At least 2 more seasons of mediocrity awaits. Hooray!
It’s been getting a lot of negativey but I don’t see what’s wrong with Gazidis saying Arsene is ultimately accountable to the fans? Isn’t that the way it should be? He’s not saying there’s no accountability to the board, just that the fans are the ultimate judge. Maybe I’m missing something.
It’s a fair question.
I think that in ‘business speak’ the difference is that Wenger has Responibility to the fans and club, but is Accountable to the Board.
They can hire and sack him, not us.
We’re not even shareholders in this business equation.
Not to say our opinion doesn’t count, it does, but Gazidis is abdicating some of his responsibilities if he meant what he said
(admittedly I may be being too literal and never was much good at RACI)
🙂
Thing is he’s not accountable to the fans is he? If he was he’d be gone or going. It was just another soundbite from a club run by people who think they can spin a story whoever they like and everyone will forget and move on.
Yes, what fans were actually asking back in 2011 was “Do we actually have any sporting goals and what are the consequences for failing to achieve them?”
No-one at the club wanted to admit that 4th place and some Champions League cash was our only target. Instead we got that stupid soundbite which, combined with Wenger’s frequent dismissal of fan concerns and his own soundbite “judge me in May”, played a huge part in creating the poisonous atmosphere around the club today.
I think it’s more down to the fact that, despite this statement, clearly that’s not the position the Club is taking because if it were following through on this there’d be no new contract given the state of affairs right now. Might be wrong though.
It’s always difficult looking from the outside. Young Arsenal fans are a bit like a kid wanting a new dad because, his not as cool as the popular kids dads! Your dad is your dad! Don’t be a little bastard about it.
This crap is so transparent. If this is the best Ivan and his ‘team’ could come up its no wonder we’ve had the amateur hour transfer sagas since he arrived – Suarez, Cavani, RVP etc.
It hardly takes a fuckin genius to make money in PL bubble over last few years, especially with Wenger getting top 4 every year.
Seriously though this man does not seem to be up to the job.
Ivan, dont let the door hit you in the arse on the way out. You won’t be missed.
Do us all a favour Ivan, just go… and whilst your at it, can you take the Walmart’s with you too!?
Years ago these fans were deaf to the obvious truth that Arsenal won’t win a real thing again with this board or manager. Came back to find myself laughing at how delusional still many of them are. Its not about results kids its about the leadership and direction its about the will to win that we never had after the business minded. move to Emirates- a shit name for a shit era. I chose to be a fan of the lovely bunch of winners who fought even when they lost. And a club which spent all its income plus loans… Read more »
Fatgooner is that you?
So you saying you chose another club to be a fan?! Man I wished I had that option, Arsenal is like s&m stuff
What’s with all the hate? He’s doing a great job isn’t he? As our chief all he can do is on business side and every year we are named as one of the very richest sporting club. If you are not satisfied with our form its clearly player’s fault. We’ve bought bests in the world and thats on our board. If those bests dont perform dont ask your board or boss out. Bernabeu boos its players not their bosses and is always successful because of that.
Agree…
You dont get the big picture do you. Those big players won stuff before us and will win after us. And there is a big difference between having biggest cash reserves and spending biggest. Wenger been here a million years without a league and this team is totally crafted by him in and out. Surely booing our best players would be an ungrateful goodbye before they both leave our clubs and win majors again. Sad thing is we will see your wish realized as Wenger would extend Ivan stay and true warriors like Sanchez leave.
Why did you use the Bernabeu as an example? This is the problem we have at Arsenal. The teams we’re competing with have been operating in a hyper-competitive environment for decades now. Real Madrid’s members and fans have elections to decide on a new President every few years. That’s how the bloody Galacticos started – as a presidential campaign promise to the fans. For 20 years we’ve competed in the same competition as the most successful club in European football and some of us are still clueless about how they do it. Do you realise how many different managers and… Read more »
These are the type of fans I don’t like. Constantly demeaning the team when compared to other teams. Making Arsenal look like fucking Middlesbrough or something. Yes, we should compare Arsenal with Bayern, Real, and Barca. Why not? We have been in the top 10 richest clubs for years now. We have been in the Champs league for more than 17 consecutive years. If we have any hope of winning shit we should be fighting with these teams. I am sad to see Chelsea win the champs league and now may win it’s 5th premier league because they do not… Read more »
There indeed have been “steady advances in the business side of the club”, but this isn’t that attributable to Gazidis. It was Tom Fox who was Chief Commercial Officer when the new sponsorship deals were signed, and the majority of the praise for these deals should go to him. Also these deals weren’t actually that impressive, they looked it at the time since many other top clubs were coming to the end of their old commercial deals, however, the new deals signed by the likes of Man Utd make our commercial deals look ridiculously small. Finally, our commercial strategy was… Read more »
Wanker
“Since 2009 he has been the Chief Executive of Arsenal, filling the gap left behind by the departure of David Dein.”
It once was a gap but he’s successfully turned it into a bottomless chasm of doom.
His wallet is as fat as his 2 chins why leave and work for it should be called silent Ivan son of kronke
Boy am I so fucking pumped to hear this
Please fuck off to the US and fuck up over there S well…..hopefully that will stop any of the Trumps supporting us……things are bad enough as it is!!!!
Hi, is that Camden KFC?,
hi it’s Ivan, I won’t be taking that job on the fry station, I have decided to stick with being paid to argue with a brick wall, for a little longer
Reminds me of the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark:
Who’s working on this?
Top men.
Who?
Top men.
Yeah. Top men working on our football club.
Go to America Ivan – and take Wenger with you too!
So Our Ivan has turned down top jobs in the U.S. Was one of them replacing Sean Spicer as Press secretary to President Trump? Play to your strengths Mr. Gazidis……
Two more years of this bullshit.
Gazidis is doing a decent job. His job is to manage the club financially. He also has more levity than most of these “passionate” fans. Waiting to see how we land at end of this season is the correct thing to do. What benefit us there for Wenger or the club o annouce whether Wenger is staying or leaving at this point??? 1) Should he say he is leaving, the vultures will circle and many players will be unsettled with (their agents) watching the summer already. 2) Should he say he is staying, the same noisy fans will ratchet up… Read more »
Ivan just want to make profit for Stan and big bonus for himself. He will only act if those two are in jeopardy, like a sharp drop of 2017-18 season ticket sales…maybe.
oh someone get in touch with ivan and tell him to take the jobs and leave, please ! if arsene is going to stay, we at least need someone who can support him better/implement AW’s ideas more effectively.