Arsenal: Can Josh Kroenke be trusted?

Josh Kroenke has made major changes at Arsenal since his arrival. Is it the dawn of a new era or just more of the same from Silent Stan?

Josh Kroenke relocated to London to oversee Arsenal operations late in the 2017/18 season. At the time, Arsenal were in the midst of their worst crisis in recent memory. On the pitch, the team was lurching from embarrassing loss to embarrassing loss. Off the pitch, it was even worse. Arsene Wenger was declaring his intention to not only finish the season, but to continue managing the club for the additional year remaining on his contract, fans were literally fighting in the stands about whether Wenger should stay or go, and there were thousands of empty seats ringing the Emirates.

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In fact, the only thing uniting the disparaging factions was a universal disdain for Stan Kroenke. Quite simply, Josh Kroenke’s arrival had the look of a public relations ploy; a pacifier for an angry fan base. Accordingly, no one expected much of anything to change.

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It’s obvious now that Kroenke was making moves behind the scenes even before he got to north London. The signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang represented a significant departure from Wenger’s preferred method of doing transfer business. First of all, it was a January signing. Second of all, it was for a seasoned player in his late 20’s. Simply put, it wasn’t a move Wenger would likely have made. It was the first of many decisions that would be taken out of Wenger’s hands in the coming months. In spite of not having made any official statements to that effect, Kroenke had clearly sent a message to Wenger: his unchecked control over the club’s affairs was at an end.

Not long after Aubameyang arrived, Raul Sanllehi was announced as the new head of relations, a director of football in all but name, something that Wenger infamously asked ‘what does a director of football do?’. He joined Sven Mislintat, the new head of recruitment, and a growing team of directors, coaches and scouts to eat away at Wenger’s previously unheralded influence.

Then, it happened. Wenger announced he would be stepping down at the end of the season. ‘Stepping down’ is, of course, a polite way of saying Kroenke gave the gaffer his walking papers. Transfer negotiator Dick Law and most of Arsene’s hand-picked staff would follow him out the door. In the space of about 90 days, Kroenke took a sledgehammer to Arsenal’s management structure and coaching staff. The early returns have been encouraging.

Better still, Kroenke has actually addressed the concerns of Gunners fans directly. He responded with words and actions after a petition disparaging his father’s absentee leadership was signed off on by a number of prominent fan groups. He declared his passion for the club and said the front office was working on things that fans could be ‘excited about’. And then he delivered on his words. At the time, it sounded like more of the same PR speak that the club is known for. Then Nicolas Pepe, Kieran Tierney and Dani Ceballos (on loan) came on board. Suddenly, Kroenke was acting in the way he was speaking. And now he says he’s not done. The club will be ‘active in the market again this January’. It literally feels like night and day.

And so, amid all of this change, a question is begged: can Arsenal fans trust Josh Kroenke? Is this really the beginning of a reinvigorated Arsenal dedicated to returning to football’s elite? Or is all this investment just the bare minimum needed to right a ship that was obviously sinking? Simply put, can Arsenal fans trust Kroenke?

The answer is two-fold. Yes, be happy with the transformation that appears to be taking place, but not become complacent. It’s imperative for fans to keep holding Kroenke’s feet to the fire. Ownership cannot declare they’ve turned the corner just by buying the car. But the summer business makes a strong a statement: to return the club to elite status. Kroenke and his management changes have started that process, but not before it is finished should this new regime be praised for their work.

The litmus test will be what Kroenke does once initial progress is made, such as securing qualification for the Champions League. Is he going to push for the Alisson Beckers and Virgil van Dijks? Or will Kroenke slink back to his father’s ranch once his team is a good bet to make the knockout stage every year and the revenue is restored? Only time will tell the truth about Kroenke’s intentions. Until then, fans should remain cautiously optimistic.