Kroenke Watch: Only Another 17 To Go

As I've said before, he's the man with the money and he's entitled to do with it what he wants. But GBP 212,500 works out at about $375,000, enough to buy an out of contract Guillermo Barros Schelotto, or not far off anyway. What Mr. Kroenke flutters nonchalantly almost as an afterthought stock trade on a Monday before Christmas could actually buy the influential playmaker the Rapids so desperately need. But we all know where the priorities are.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8425017.stm

Rapids Players Rest; Coaches Continue Search

The boots are hung up, the exit physicals are done and the Colorado Rapids players get some much needed time off to rest up over the holidays before coming back into the rigors of preseason at the end of January. Some people who may not be resting quite as much include Gary Smith and Steve Guppy.
Smith will be spending the holiday period in England evaluating a number of players while Guppy will spend some time in France to look at a couple of potential Rapids' players over there. Smith said at training before Thanksgiving that there was more flexibility involved with players from outside the MLS but, coupled with that, there are potential problems luring players to the US because of the different type of game, different playing schedules and climate and the increased demands placed on players because of the larger amounts of travel involved. Not to mention money, of course. But, outside the MLS seems to be the main target to strengthen the squad for next year. It is often said that the Championship in England is a similar level to the MLS - a comparison that I find too simplistic - but Smith said to me that they would be primarily looking at League One players and below, even as far down as the Conference, where Smith said there are a number of young players aged 19 or 20 who are very talented but who have just missed out on signing full pro contracts. We'll see what happens over the next few weeks and months.
Smith also did not dismiss the possibility of getting a Designated Player. "It's not outside the realms of possibility but it's in the owners' hands." Quite. Kroenke remains the prime mover financially and he's too busy buying up Arsenal shares and has shown no willingness to invest seriously in this club. So, don't hold your breath. But it will be interesting to see what may transpire if the Columbus Crew fail to re-sign Schelotto. The DP is not necessarily the pot of gold but, signing one, would show the club means business to put mediocrity behind it once and for all. That has to come from the people with the money.

RSL Owner At Least Shows Passion

On this busy day of international soccer, check out this interesting piece from Soccer America magazine on Real Salt Lake owner, Dave Checketts. I don't know anything about the man and maybe he is not Mr. Nice Guy but, according to goalkeeper Nick Rimando, at least he seems to care about his team. Can anyone imagine Mr. Kroenke coming into the Rapids' dressing room to encourage the players? Just pointing out some crucial differences in perceptions and possible coincidences with the fact that RSL are in Sunday's MLS Cup final and the Rapids are not.
http://www.socceramerica.com/blogs/mls_confidential/?p=242

Arsenal Cement Ties With Rapids as CEO Chosen

The Colorado Rapids and Arsenal appear to have taken a further step in deepening their relationship with the appointment this week of MLS deputy commissioner, Ivan Gazidis, as Arsenal's new CEO. Arsenal's long-standing chairman, Peter Hill-Wood, has come a long way from dissing the likes of Stan "We don't want his sort on our board" Kroenke to actively seeking the Rapids' owner's guidance on Gazidis' suitability for the job. Hill-Wood speaks about Kroenke's role in the appointment and Arsenal's ambitions in the US on the Arsenal website but you have to pay GBP 45 a year for the privilege and I am not going to do that.
Who really knows if the relationship between the two clubs will be more than simply a business investment for Mr. Kroenke? If Gary Smith can use his links with Arsenal to bring over some young UK talent to play for the Rapids, that might be of more relevance to DSG Park fans. Nevertheless, it is an interesting appointment. Gazidis was born in South Africa but spent most of his formative years in the UK including studying at Oxford where he managed to pick up a soccer blue. For those who don't know what that is, it means representing the university at the top level against arch rivals Cambridge. No mean feat even if rugby, cricket and the boat race are better known. Here's a good piece from The Times on the appointment.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article5237074.ece