By Tony Attwood
At last, the agent Darren Dein no longer has any influence in the world of Arsenal. It is something that has taken a lot of time to accomplish, and of course we must say from the start that there is no evidence that Arsenal directors have deliberately sought to sell off everyone associated with Dein. We have to say, because of the lack of data, that it could just be a coincidence.
The last two players in Mr Dein’s wardrobe (as it were) were RVP and Alex Song. Both have gone in the matter of a week. Maybe that too is a coincidence.
Now it is not common that I give credit to the right wing xenophobic English paper The Daily Mail, but on 6 March this year they ran the story that Song and RVP would go, and the connection in this departure would be their agent: Mr Dein.
They said in this piece, “Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis and manager Arsene Wenger are convinced the real stumbling block to a deal will be Darren.”
Of course I don’t know if that is true, since I have only met Mr Gazidis once (on the occasion when I suggested putting up the statue of Herbert Chapman – I thought I would drop that one in, in case you missed it last time) and we certainly didn’t talk agents. We talked history.
So, who has been under the Dein umbrella so to speak?
- Thierry Henry, (Dein was best man at his wedding)
- Emmanuel Adebayor, (although I gather this happened after he moved on from Arsenal)
- Gael Clichy
- Cesc Fabregas
Here’s another point, the Mail made at that time… “In the past, when the majority of Arsenal’s players were represented and managed by Jerome Anderson’s SEM Group, the star names traditionally remained loyal. ”
They cite Ian Wright, David Rocastle, Tony Adams and Dennis Bergkamp as players who turned down financial incentive to stay with Arsenal.
Now it appear that Mr Dein was able to get very close to the players at Arsenal, even going so far as to travel with the players on Champions League trips.
But of course it would be ludicrous to say that everyone who has left ARsenal for more money was linked to Darren Dein.
Samir Nasri had as his agent Jean-Pierre Bernes, who according to CNN was the “right-hand man to Marseille president Bernard Tapie during France’s biggest football scandal. The pair were found guilty of attempting to fix a Ligue 1 match against Valenciennes in May 1993, in the week before Marseille beat AC Milan in the Champions League final.”
However it is possible that the removal of the influence of Mr Dein might well be very positive for Arsenal. Indeed it is not impossible to imagine a situation in which the club will say, “If you are represented by Dein, we won’t sign you”. Of course I just made that concept up, but it does seem strange that one agent should be so closely involved with Arsenal.
On the other hand one could see some of the things that happened as positive. Mr Dein, it is said, arranged for Thierry Henry to come back to Arsenal as cover last season, and I think most of us enjoyed that.
But could one actually say to an employee, “you must not change agents and have Mr Dein while you are at Arsenal”? I imagine it is not too much of a restraint of trade to put that in a contract, providing it was made abundantly clear to the player upon signing, and not slipped in through the small print.
Maybe that is happening. Maybe the club has gone about setting up a Dein free zone. We’ll never know of course, but it will be interesting to see who the agent is of each new player coming in.
Ordinary is Pointless
Ref Reviews: something very strange going on with Mr Taylor
The scandal of EPL match scheduling
The day that Arsenal as a north London club, began playing
Sammy
Fair point. But I think in this era of billionaire owners and offshore bank accounts, we need to look beyond just the manager getting a cut. Anne’s money laundering series along with the FATF report make it pretty clear that overvaluing of players and high churn in players (more transfers) makes for happy cash washers. This might also explain why Arsenal have never made a 20m pound signing, and why they are attacked in the media for it.
Hi nicky,
Brands are now worth tens if not hundreds of billions. You can find them listed with guesstimates of that value. I mean just brands. Brands attract investors, sponsors, merchandisers, season’s tickets, TV audiences, sponsors of TV shows, players, media audience. The BPL advertises its products very often – more often that any others – with the badge of Manure and faces of Fergie and Rooney as its short-hand symbol of recognition. This is not only in England but even more so globally. The collapse of Manure would tarnish the brand and the brand recognition that have been built up. It is part of the hook that delivers audiences to the telly and customers to the merchandise; and, in turn, boosts advertising revenue. In my view, Manure is not simple an interchangeable part that can be swapped in and out without tarnishing the vital and valuable image of the BPL itself. George Soros, the billionaire who just bought 2 percent of the Manure stock flotation on the NY Stock Exchange has indicated that it was the power and recognition – worldwide – of its brand and its increasing TV exposure (not the League’s per se, but the League tied to its Manure flagship) – that got him to invest. That’s just an indicator of the BPL/MU combination. At one point within the last 20 years, there was an attempt by MU or Sky to buy each other’s shares (I can’t be precise right now on who was bidding for whom). That bid was rejected by other authorities. But I still believe, without having yet analyzed it, that there are still commercial ties or shared interests that they exercise. Manure gets more TV eyeball exposure, for example, than any other side. Manure gets, as was demonstrated yesterday, the best schedule – and part of that is what TV wants, and it does not want a losing side. Anyway, I see this as just the surface of an interwoven set of interests that Manure enjoys to a greater extent than other clubs. So, without being a business analyst or doing my PhD in sports administration, I’m hypothesizing – while holding my nose – that, in this League, for the foreseeable future – ManUre is too big to fail and it would take down the League. I’m happy, by the way, to be shown the error of my ways on this; and have zero ego investment in being right. It’s just how I see their strength and, even if the Glazers are pushed out or sell out, there will be another ownership group because the League requires that they do not go under. I invite you to demonstrate this is wrong. Not from wishful thinking, but from an actual analysis. In fact, I would implore you to do so.
Bob,
I think you might have something there, though I wish you didn’t.
If as you suggest, the EPL is basically the ‘Manchester United’ show for the Asian market (where everyone wants a piece of the action because they’ve fucked up the American & European markets) then lots of parties stand to lose out big time if they fail. The problem with this is that it’s football, it’s not that difficult to see that if you expose the mechanisms that keep the underperforming on top to too much scrutiny they fail.
The more the fans of the other nineteen clamour for the kind of accountability of the referee that other sports fans enjoy on a regular basis, the harder it becomes to hide the fact that the emperor is stark bollock naked.
The only way out is if United suddenly improve over this season and next, how they go about it, I have no idea.
and part of that is what TV wants, and it does not want a losing side.
And thus we have referees boosting them up the table. But what if, as is happening, this becomes noticeable enough so as to render their winning meaningless. DO you think only you or I notice this bob? I’m sure people look at it and cringe and get put off by ManU’s ‘wins’ because of it.
Thus, at some point, the TV and league (whose primary interest is money not ManU) will find and create new behemoths as the ‘face’ of the brand. (City anyone?) and ManU’s special place in the echelons of the league bosses will fade. Will they fail along with it? No way to know, but unsustainable is unsustainable for a reason. The current state at ManU cannot continue. Not in perpetuity. And I think ManU fans, those that have brains, must fear the absolute worst. Something I’d rather not live with at my club, and is why I am opposed to Usmanov and his sort. Not that Kroenke fills me with glee
Woolwich,
Add to add to the joy, I’d piggy back on part of your anlaysis with this further hypothesis:
The PGMOL ultimately is signed on to protect this (above)arrangement.
To do so, it must remain non-transparent.
To remain non-transparent, it must appear to give in to or channel the growing demand for fairness and transparency by fans of the other sides.
And to manage this effectively, there would tactics such as (for one): go-slow testing and finally acceptance of pricey goal line technology; this whilst retaining true control over the pitch by preventing (or terminally delaying( the adoption of full or fuller video replay/review of ref decisions. That is: goal line technology is the best way to block full ref accountability.
Woolwich, I’d value your further thoughts on this.
Shard,
That’s a great point – yes, I agree – the perpetuity factor. As you say, “enter Man City.” This, then, would produce a managed product known as “a competitive league” – That is a perpetual 2-3 team horse-race among the 3 zillionaire clubs – as the new normal.
It will be interesting to see if this becomes the new grand bargain that’s been struck; and to see if it gets reflected in the actual marketing in the media (and perhaps in the sports press)? Or, will MU’s drive to complete the (thwarted) Rednose XX of last season become the overriding theme? We shall see. Cheers
Ferguson will get ManU’s 20th before he retires. Guaranteed.
Oh and btw bob. To go with the idea of there being a “competitive league”. I’d like to give you, as you like to say, exhibit A
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2158825/Premier-League-sell-TV-rights-3-billion-BT-Sky.html
It’s about the new bumper TV deals where one excerpt reads,
Scudamore was surprised by the size of the offers, boosted by the ultimate drama of Manchester City clinching the title in injury time of the last game of the season.
‘We couldn’t have gone to market at a better time,’ he admitted.
Shard, (Woolwich, Walter, Tony, Dogface, all)
Yes, Shard! (predictably) I do think this article is exhibit A. Imo, it would underpin adoption of a new “managed competition model” The last-minute Manchester/Manchester outcome has achieved the results that matter: “The agreements, which start from the 2013-14 campaign, are a remarkable 70 per cent increase on the current contract.” I think we’d all do well to keep this arrangement in mind as everyone assesses the unfolding season.
@Bob,
Thanks for the mindboggling lesson.
I have a dream. Man Utd sliding towards relegation. I watch FIFA, the FA, EPL, the Bank of England and the Chancellor (not forgetting the referees)striving to keep the Club afloat!
It’d make a good film!
Hmmm, I did wonder about this link, but is it the Arsenal board who were driving players out associated to Dein, or Dein working on exits for players? Or, of course, all just coincidence?
We will likely never know, but I do feel a little more at ease knowing that Darren Dein no longer represents any player at our club
Tony – my questions were rhetoric – the point is, the club is rotten systemically from top to bottom – I would even dare to go so far and call out a lot of the supporters of being rotten. There used to be a saying in football, theres the football way and there is the is Arsenal way – which used to mean the club had standards, and principles that elevated itself above all else. They, the board and a proportion of its supporters, have taken this too literally and have elevated themselves to the point where they are untouchable, unanswerable to anyone and also dillusional about the way football is moving. The club and these fans are holding on to FFT ruling to be the clubs saviour. To hell with that, I am not prepared to see the spirit of my club get the sh*t smashed out of it, because some people are holding on to some miracle to save them, while in the process we get mugged off year in year out, having to lose our best players, but at the same time pay the highest season tickets not just in this country, but throughout the footballing world!!!
When you put that in to context – the way the club is run is insulting to its fans!!!
I wouldn’t be unhappy if we could nudge Ashavin and Bendner towards Dein the Lesser and get some ‘crazy money ‘ from some unsuspecting club ! Then we’ll call it even !
Goonerboy
I don’t understand how you can suggest that running the club responsibly is insulting to the fans. The fact the board have chosen to not go down the sugar daddy funding route should be praised as it was an all too easy option to sell out but no, they have held the value of the club in their heart and respected the clubs history and values. You have to remember, there are only two teams in the PL who have this ridiculous funding so it is not the norm.
So what if we have sold RVP, Cesc, Nasri etc… We never won anything with them anyway so what makes you think we would have if we kept them? I believe it was time to try something new if we want to see a different end result and that is exactly what we are doing!
The way Glasgow Rangers was run, that was an insult to their fans
Walter,
We can add Malaga to that list I suppose.
I could even list a few clubs from Belgium that played in the first division a few seasons ago that went bankrupt.
and wasn’t there an Italian club also that was relegated a few divisions for going bankrupt?
So I have to pay for the most expensive seaons tickets in the world, in order to bankroll the club experimenting with success on the pitch? An experiment that has bourne no fruition, and seen our best players leave the club to gain success elsewhere. What has happened to the milllions of pounds these players sold for? I havent seen a single penny reinvested in the club or in the fans – my season ticket keeps rising year on year – but the quality of the football hasnt. Your point about the clubs history and values, is moot, the club, before it started to dish out shares to its old school chums, had 1 owner, and he would invest his money in the club – i would suggest you check your records on the history of the club, you know the one you profess to love. It didnt have all these leeches and shaddy characters sucking the life out of the club for their own financial gain – Kronke from what I understand, while he hasnt invested a single penny in the club, gets £1m a month from the club based on his dividends!!
THE CLUB IS ROTTEN – SO ARE ITS SUPPORTERS, WHO DO NOT CONDONE THESE ACTIONS OF THE BOARD AND OF THE MANAGER WHO ENCOURAGES IT
No, Goonerboy you don’t have to pay it. It is a free choice.
And I don’t think you understand as the club pays no dividends at all…
Don’t believe anything you read on some sites…
AND IT IS NOT BECAUSE YOU SHOUT THAT IT IS THE TRUTH
I dont have a choice, I have supported my club, man and boy for over 40 years, been a season ticket holder for since I was 14, so why should I have to forfeit my ticket in order to express my opinion and disgust – i want my club to success, and not just in winning trophies, but also the hearts and minds of others – but alas this isnt the case – we have gone from a club with history, standards and values, to a feeder club for others and in the process the fans, get the short end of the stick.
To compound my view, read this article. As much as I dislike the sun they highlight my point
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4498786/Stars-quit-Arsenal-and-win-44-medals.html
£163m earnt in 7 years!!!!!
How much debt does the club actually have – as it seems to be never ending!!
As for dividends, yes it does – Kronke gets paid £1m a month from the club – FACT
Kroenke earns 25000 pounds per year from Arsenal in the form of salaries. Arsenal pay no dividends.
http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_files/documents/oct_11/gun__1318409853_Arsenal_Holdings_plc_-_Annual_.pdf
Kroenke, or more accurately KSE, would also be earning from their 50% ownership of Arsenal media. But 1m pounds a year in dividends.. Sorry.. NOT fact.
oh sorry.. you said 1m pounds a MONTH… even more a NOT fact.
wait and see shard, we will have this conversation again in due course and you will see I am right
Goonerboy
Really?? How so? Will you pull out another figure with no evidence to support it?
Come on Goonerboy, are you just repeating what you’ve been told by some clueless moron or do you have a reliable source? Basically you are alleging that the club is committing massive tax fraud by not properly declaring dividends in the accounts. Your implication is that Kroenke is cheating the taxman of £3 million per year, right now you’re on seriously thin ice in a legal sense.
My apologies, £4.8 million, assuming that the majority of Kroenke’s income in the UK is in the form of ‘dividends’ as you put and therefore would be taxed at 40% as I recall.
I have a source and that source is reliable. As for the density of the ice i am on, its as thick as you, for making such a silly statement
Thickness has nothing to do with density.. Pick your metaphors and your sources better.
Goonerboy,
Please keep digging your own grave, it’s keeping me entertained during a boring day at work. Your allegations are more serious than you might think so by all means keep repeating them. You are in the process of libelling a very wealthy man and the company of which he is the majority owner, for the purpose of winning an argument on the comments section of a blog.
Goonerboy
You’re not really suggesting anything are you? You’re just having a moan which is fair enough, we all do that but even if what you say about Kroenke were to be true, not really much that any of us can do is there. I mean who ever owns the club will be doing so for investment reasons, unless of course you want to get your money out
i already do, as do 10′s of 1000′s of others – to the princely sum of £1500 for a season ticket. I tell you what you give me £1500 and let me disappoint you year in year out, while at the same time, you can watch my mouth move and all it will spew out is lies.
You pay 1500 pounds for getting to see Arsenal play football matches. 26 of them I believe. In a fantastic stadium. Nothing more is promised to you for your money. You get what you pay for. Any ‘disappointment’ you may have has nothing to do with what you pay, and if you feel it does, stop paying. The choice is yours.
Shard – whats the view like up Wengers arse? So you dont expect any value for money when you pay for something – either you are mega or a deluded non season ticket holder armchair keyboard warrior.
To say that the Emirates is a fantastic, seriously, really? I would think 99.9% of real Arsenal fans preferred Highbury over a soulless, passsionless, full of prawn sandwich eating, mega rich, easily pleased supporters. oh lets me guess you still believe the club moving to this stadium will allow us to compete financially with the best in the world, rather than sell our best players?
Seriously get your head out of Wengers arse and smell the roses – rather than his sh*t, which you seem happy to eat
Temper temper
Troll manual 101
Section 12: Pretend to be disappointed and angry about the ‘direction of the club’ because you’ve been a fan for (a large number) of years. Be sure to bring up how much money you spend in order to be so disappointed and blame the club for robbing you blind.
Just to make others feel angry about it, bring up absurd lies which cannot be substantiated, but hopefully will bring others to doubt the truth. Kroenke personally secretly siphoning off funds up to tens of millions per year ought to get the target audience riled up.
You will of course face resistance from some people who take the time to think. At first be sympathetic towards their simplicity and act like you are ITK. Arguing from a position of unarguable superiority should cow down these folks.
When all else fails accuse them of being delusional, Wenger loving, armchair supporters. Be sure to include crass words like shit and arse. Cunt, cock, bell end are recommended use too. This should get them to either submit to your obviously superior knowledge, or get them angry, and you can fade away, safe in the knowledge that you have ruined at least one Arsenal supporter’s day.
Mission Accomplished.
Afterword:
Added benefits include huge boost to your shriveled ego, and making you more respected, knowledgeable, and downright awesome in the eyes of people you have never met, and never will. But this is obviously their misfortune, since they would be blessed to actually meet someone with your wit and intellect. Remember. Mommy always said you were the best at everything, and that everyone who doesn’t love you is a fool.
Damn I am that 0.01% of Gooners…
With Goonerboy we maybe would still play at the Manor ground because maybe 99.9% of the Gooners from those days didn’t approve the move to Highbury. Lucky Norris moved us to Highbury. And without the move away from Woolwich Arsenal probably would stopped existing or be a lower league club by now.
And in a few years time people will say : moving Arsenal to the new stadium was a great move. For some it takes a bit longer.
And Goonerboy how do you describe:
passion: booing your own players and manager during games?
ah you are not that easily pleased I think. Can you ever be pleased?
rhetoric question, no need to answer
And maybe instead of moaning about all, everyone and everything you could start spreading the support yourself. Show some passion from the first minute for each and every player. And not start shouting or booing from the first wrong pass in the game.
Don’t worry – he won’t answer.
Goonerboy
You know I meant get your money out and buy the club, then you can do things your way.
I don’t understand where people like you get the nerve to think you are entitled to tell someone what to do with something that belongs to them. Be realistic now, the owners of AFC are multi billionaires and didn’t get there by the likes of you telling them what to do.
Stuart,
While not on with Goonerboy’s vitriol, etc., I think that your “who do you think you are” position vis a vis ownership of their property (a team) leaves little room for protest (except, perhaps, for the polite letter writing that, to your credit, you have done to various authorities). I’ve two points to raise with you: (1) Stature-wise, fans are a special consumer of a product. They are not the same – as in no rights, legacy, emotional investment, humanity – as say, consumers of toothpaste from Tesco. (2) By the same token, consumers of toothpaste at Tesco might actually have more legal recourse to quality control – on appeal to press health claims – than do football fans who are paying consumers, and pay at a far greater per unit (match) rate than Tesco toothpaste buyers. So I find your apparent defense of ownership rights as you seem to to making it re Goonerboy as problematic in its way as I find his vitriol in asserting his consumer rights.