So Arsenal have started performing badly on the pitch and it then comes out that there is boardroom activity going on in the background.

We aren't the first club where the cynics will make a connection and we certainly wont be the last. Its interesting though isnt it?

Has the news that American Stan Kroenke invested in the club by buying the 9.9% of shares that ITV possessed been imminent and been playing on the playing staffs minds? It could be so.

A lot of people saw this coming a month or so back when the link up with Korenke and the Colorado Rapids was announced. I must admit I didn't. The sort of rhetoric coming out of the Emirates was guided towards Arsenal staying British owned and keeping that Etonian graduate sort of aura about it. We have already sold out to Nike, Emirates and the Israeli tourist board, so you never know.

I think that one thing that will be without question is that the team needs a bit of surgery and some sort of financial investment. We need to stop clubs from trying to pick off our best players every summer and becoming a feeder club for Europe's true elite. I am afraid the only way I see this happening is by us becoming a buying club and going to Barca for something other than a 15 year old who may or not make it (I accept we have been successful in obtaining Fabregas, but we have been fortunate in that).

We have no money though, that is a known fact and we always knew that the Emirates would be a gift and lack of transfer money the price.

We didn't mind so much when we believed in the youngsters. That belief has been shaken considerably recently. They have proved successful in the one off cup ties, but have shown an inability to show true championship winning consistency in the bread and butter of the league.

So some investment and a transfer kitty, albeit from a foreign source would be more than welcome in my eyes. We could of course now have the debate on whether Arsene Wenger is a manager capable of spending millions when he has forged a career spending minimally... We can have that another day though!

These are odd times to be an Arsenal fan. Still getting used to a new home and tolerating poor performances from a team with, unusually, nothing to play for at this stage of the season. Throw in an American multi squillionaire trying to convince a prudent French manager to spend big and you could have a soap opera...

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Arsenal have a tricky old Easter period lined up. Their goal shy side take on West Ham at Emirates tomorrow and Newcastle away on Monday.

The usually hyper-optimistic Mystic Begg seems to only see one point in that.

I am going to be confident and say we will get 6 points, beating West Ham 2-0 and the barcodes 0-1...

We shall see eh?
Jimmy

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