: Ex-Arsenal defender makes ‘unfair’ Stan Kroenke claim with £72m transfer example
Former defender David O’Leary praised Stan Kroenke, owner of Arsenal, for his assistance in getting the team back to the top, saying they had been “unfairly” handled. It follows a difficult period when it was owned by Americans, during which there were many ups and downs.
With the end of the Arsene Wenger era and the arrival of his replacement Unai Emery, the Gunners have undergone a lot of change in recent years. The Spanish manager was eventually fired as first-team manager after a respectable first season performance.
Mikel Arteta, a former midfielder who joined from Manchester City, was chosen by the ownership as their choice for a new age and a new initiative. Despite winning the FA Cup, the head coach had a difficult start, facing back-to-back mid-table finishes in the Premier League.
Pressure was mounting on Arteta and the Kroenkes to demonstrate improvement, and the next season, they were successful in doing so as the club put themselves in position to finish in the top four for the first time in a number of seasons. They came in fifth place, just missing out on first place, but another summer of growth followed.
Arsenal returned to their best after a number of additions as an unexpected title assault was mounted, but they eventually lost steam in the final few games. The occurrence of the Gunners gearing up for another year towards the top, repaying the faith shown in the project that has been given.
It has brought about a more positive reflection of the tenure of the Kroenkes, but former player O’Leary believes their time has been thought of quite unfairly. He told the Telegraph: “I’m not on their pay-roll [but]… I think they have been unfairly done. They have trusted people. I think they have put up a lot of money. A lot of money was wasted.
“I think from spending stupid money on certain players, i.e. Pepe £75million [sic, £72million], in general we are buying good players. You will never get 100 per cent [right, but] it is a very well run club.”
It remains to be seen whether their ownership will be crowned with a Premier League title or even a Champions League trophy in their cabinet. However, there has certainly been a change of the feeling surrounding the club, the ownership and the fanbase as a whole.