Friday, November 29, 2019

Emery Out

Arsenal lost in London in the Europa League yesterday to Frankfurt and Unai Emery was fired afterward. "Gunners" are eighth in the Premier League.

A friend emailed me yesterday that this was "without a doubt the lowest point: in the 11 years" that he has been a "Gunner" fanatic. For losing in the Europa League? I replied. I don't know if Emery was out when he sent the email. I told my friend that the decline of Arsenal is squarely on owner Stan Kroenke who built Emirates Stadium at the expense of building the squad under former manager Arsene Wenger; that I had just read an ominous article that Concrete Kroenke was at it again in LA. An incredible $5 billion for a stadium for his just re-arrived "Rams" of the National Football League and the just re-arrived "Chargers" (who are paying ONE DOLLAR per year in rent); and that I could not see how the mind-boggling cost of  SoFi Stadium could leave any of Kroenke's money left over for Arsenal. It's grim, it's grim all around for Kroenke's sports properties. And for their fans.