The ESPN FC crew discuss Arsenal's inconsistency.
Arsenal hold their Annual General Meeting on Thursday with no shortage of hot topics to discuss following an unconvincing start to the season.
Owner Stan Kroenke and manager Arsene Wenger are both set to attend alongside other board members, with other shareholders also invited.
With the board set to take questions from smaller shareholders -- but not the media -- here's a look at the main topics that will be discussed:
Ownership battle
The long-running ownership battle between majority owner Kroenke and minority shareholder Alisher Usmanov took another twist recently with reports the American wanted to buy up the Russian billionaire's shares and take total control of the club. Usmanov responded by saying he won't sell his 30 percent stake to Kroenke, but could make a deal with someone else.
The Arsenal Supporters Trust, a prominent fan group who owns three shares, want assurances the board won't allow a single individual to own the entire club and that Kroenke and smaller shareholders won't be forced to sell no matter what deals take place between the two major owners. Kroenke is unlikely to discuss his reported bid for Usmanov's shares, but could say whether he would use the option to force lesser shareholders out if he was to gain more than 90 percent of shares.
Board seat for Usmanov?
Usmanov normally doesn't attend the AGM, having been frozen out by Kroenke and the board. However, the issue of whether the Russian billionaire should have a seat on the board himself will be rekindled at the meeting. A recent survey by the AST showed that 92 percent of its members want Usmanov on the board -- which includes Kroenke and his son, Josh -- and the supporter group wants an answer as to why he hasn't been offered a seat.
While Arsenal's owners have long been involved in battles, some of the club's fans have grown weary of them.
Wenger's future
The board has been heavily criticised for allowing the uncertainty surrounding Wenger's future drag on for all of last season before finally handing him a new two-year contract in May. With Wenger's new deal set to expire in 2019, the club will find themselves in a similar situation next summer when the Frenchman will once again have just one year remaining. Expect the board to face tough questions about why they allowed the contract situation to remain unresolved for so long, and whether they will make a decision sooner next time.
Player contracts
The board will also have to explain why so many players are now either in the final or penultimate year of their current deals. Of course, that includes Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Jack Wilshere, who could all leave the club for free next summer. Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck have contracts that run out in 2019, without any sign of new deals being offered or signed. The AST wants to know "what action is being taken to prevent this happening in the future," and how the club is planning to deal with the departure of chief negotiator Dick Law, who left the club last month.
The issue of whether Arsenal need a director of football to ease the burden on Wenger could well come up in relation to that as well.
Finances, bonuses, empty seats, etc.
A number of financial issues and other topics will be discussed as well. While Arsenal made a healthy profit in the previous fiscal year, the AST will press the board to answer the following:
- Why did Ivan Gazidis get a bonus of nearly £1 million despite the team missing out on the Champions League?
- What is the club doing to combat the high number of empty seats at nearly every home game?
- Will Arsenal consider renegotiating or terminating their sponsorship deal with Puma to increase revenues?
- Will the board publicly support leaving the current equal distribution of overseas TV money unchanged among Premier League clubs?
Mattias is ESPN FC's Arsenal correspondent. Follow him on Twitter: @MattiasKaren.
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Source: espn.co.uk