Arsenal great Alan Smith warns of 'crescendo' of fan fury over Stan Kroenke and Sir Chips Keswick

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Arsenal powerbreakers | Kroenke and Keswick
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
James Benge11 November 2017

Arsenal great Alan Smith claims Stan Kroenke’s lack of passion for the club is "creating instability" around the Emirates.

Majority shareholder Kroenke has consistently insisted that he is a committed long-term investor at Arsenal and turned down a £1billion takeover bid from Alisher Usmanov in May.

However, Arsenal fans have made clear their displeasure at what they perceive to be a distant approach from Kroenke, who has not been seen at a Gunners’ home game since September 2016.

Frustrations with the hierarchy boiled over at last month’s Annual General Meeting, at which Kroenke did not speak and chairman Sir Chips Keswick informed frustrated shareholders they should read an interview in a national newspaper if they wanted to know the thoughts of the man who owns 67 per cent of Arsenal.

Minority shareholders opposed the re-election of both Keswick and Josh Kroenke to the Arsenal board of directors, adding to the sense of "rebellion" in the air around north London.

"There’s a lack of strong leadership at the top of Arsenal," Smith told Standard Sport. "Stan Kroenke isn’t that engaged, not conversant with English football. He’s not passionate about the sport, as much as he might try to make you think he is. That’s creating instability around the club.

"[The AGM] was unfortunate to say the least. I was surprised at the way Sir Chips Keswick behaved. Those fans deserve to be treated with respect and their questions listened to and answered. It didn’t do the club any favours.

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"Arsenal have always had an Old Etonian ethos in the boardroom but during my time at the club there was never that kind of rebellion from the fans. There were times when they were unhappy but this is different. It’s growing and growing to a crescendo."

The board have hardly been the Emirates’ only creators of doubt and disenchantment over recent months, with Wenger’s prevarication over a new contract at the end of last season creating what he himself admitted was an "absolutely horrendous psychological environment".

In a February column for Standard Sport, Smith argued that Wenger should have announced that he would be leaving the club before the second leg of Arsenal’s 10-2 Champions League drubbing at the hands of Bayern Munich.

Despite at times offering hints to the contrary, Wenger would ultimately sign a new two year contract - a decision Smith still believes is the wrong one, particularly as it robbed the Arsenal manager the chance to sign off in style with an FA Cup win over rivals Chelsea.

"It was a huge decision for him, it has been his life for 20-odd years. With an offer of a two-year contract he was thinking shall I or shan’t I?

"Obviously he signed it but as I said at the time, it would have been better if he had walked away to rapturous applause.

"As it is, we’re in a state of limbo where not many supporters expect Arsenal to be pulling up trees in the next two years - hopefully they will - and the atmosphere is funny."