I look at the turning point for Mikel Arteta as the moment fans protested at the Emirates over the owners wanting to join the Super League.
Along with the way the club handled the consequences of COVID, it was the latest example of those in power appearing out of touch with what the fanbase actually wanted.
It is no coincidence that Arsenal had to hit rock bottom, in the sense of back-to-back eighth-place finishes, for the Kroenke family to sit down with Arteta, Edu and Per Mertesacker to review every department of the business.
At the time, it felt as though the Gunners were investing in the squad as a PR strategy.
Yet Josh Kroenke has recently said that as early as the Europa League final in Baku, he had already told his father they might need to be prepared to fall and take a few blows in order to return to the very top.
Gary Neville and Ian Wright were given access to the champions’ training ground, where Josh admitted he understood the perception that the board only cared about Champions League revenue. However, he maintained that much of the delay came down to waiting for his father to become the club’s 100 percent owner.
Arsenal Had To Modernise After Wenger
While he stopped short of clarifying whether Stan Kroenke had effectively handed Arsenal to his son as a personal project, the 46-year-old did explain that once Arsène Wenger left North London, it became clear KSE needed to modernise how the football club operated.
Such was the respect Wenger had built over the years, he had effectively overseen almost every area of the institution. Yet football had grown so vast and demanding that it became impossible for one man to carry that workload alone.
Have Arsenal Truly Turned The Corner?
Time will tell whether Arsenal now stand still after finally getting over the line. The next transfer window could tell us a lot about the ownership’s long-term ambition.
What cannot be denied is what happened on Sunday at Selhurst Park, when both Stan and Josh Kroenke carried the Premier League trophy onto the pitch before handing it over to the captain.
If I questioned them when things were going wrong, then it is only fair I use that same energy now they have overseen Arsenal’s first league title in 22 years.
What do you think Gooners, do the Kroenkes deserve more credit for Arsenal’s revival over the last few years?
Dan Smith
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