Stan Kroenke talks about all things Arsenal

• Arsenal supremo Stan Kroenke has given his full backing to manager Arsene Wenger.

The American tycoon became the club’s majority shareholder this year and insists the Frenchman has earned the right to decide how long he stays in charge, despite his team’s poor start to the Barclays Premier League campaign.

"With Arsene, it’s his decision and only he will know that," said Kroenke. "He is one of my favourite people I have met in the last 20 years. He is a great person and I love the way he handles himself. I love his focus.

"He is a very intelligent guy. You can talk to him about anything and, when he starts talking to people, I really love to listen to him. He should hold seminars.

"I have tremendous confidence in him. He is one of the great managers in the world. Arsene’s our man."

• Arsenal supremo Stan Kroenke admits he has ambitions of matching Manchester United off the pitch.

What Arsenal can most obviously grow is their commercial revenues and, with the main sponsorship deals due to expire in 2014, Manchester United are the target off the pitch as well as on it.

“I've known Ivan [Gazidis] on the business side for a long time," Kroenke said. "We have definite plans for what we want to do on the business side and hopefully we will be able to do as well as Man Utd.

“The ownership there was the most controversial but I don’t know how you can do it much better. They have built the commercial side. What the Glazers have shown is that it was way under-marketed. The revenue of the club now is huge. That gives you lots of options. I think Arsène historically has been able to build players better than almost anybody. If we can do that and can grow the revenue, I don’t see why the club can’t be great. I wouldn’t want to be involved if I thought we would struggle.

"Remember, five months ago, we were in a position to win everything. Everybody doesn’t need to panic. I have a lot of confidence Arsenal can compete, stay very competitive and hopefully win championships.”

• Arsenal supremo Stan Kroenke says the decisions to sell Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and Samir Nasri to Manchester City were left to Arsene Wenger.

Fabregas arrived at Highbury as a teenager in 2003 and Kroenke revealed the decision to not stand in the former captain's way was down to the manager, as was Nasri's departure for Manchester City.

"That was between Arsene and him," the American said. "I like the kid but I'm not going to change his mind.

"Arsene made the decision.

"If we wanted to be really hard about it, we could have done but Arsene believed that it was the right way to do it.

"I also get it on Nasri.

"If we didn't do something on Nasri people would be looking at us next summer and saying, 'Why didn't you do this?'

"We bought in a lot of resources that we can use on other players.

"I honestly didn't make the decision on Nasri.

"Of course the board talks about these things but at the end of the day, that's for Arsene."

• Arsenal supremo Stan Kroenke admits Colorado Rapids led him to get involved with the Gunners.

His involvement with Arsenal began simply with a desire to help the Colorado Rapids, his ‘soccer’ team who are the reigning MLS champions.

“We didn’t invest to come in and control the club,” Kroenke said. “I thought that we needed a strategic alliance with one of the big clubs. We did have lots of different opportunities presented to us to invest in European football. I didn’t have the motivation to do it until Arsenal.

“It is such a great club, such an interesting club. If we are going to invest in a European football club, I wouldn’t really want to invest in any other one. I know I’m supposed to say that, but it’s the truth.

“I like the tradition of Arsenal. I love London. I have a lot of friends in the UK. I like the fact that we have such a following internationally. Arsenal helps me learn over here and I think what we have learned over here helps Arsenal. That’s what motivates me. I like that part, to think we are all growing and learning.”

• Arsenal supremo Stan Kroenke is adamant there is transfer cash available for manager Arsene Wenger to spend.

He also points to the fact that he has been on the Arsenal board now for three years and has supported significant investment in the squad.

Kroenke said, “We are not only developing talent, we are also spending money on players,” he says. “If you look at the total wage spend, we are up there. We have never told anyone not to spend one dime. Not here and not in London. They have been free.

“Denver have been one of the top spending sides on the NBA side and in hockey. Not always, because it isn’t always there that you can get players who will truly make a difference.

“Arsène is big on the chemistry of the club and the best people I have met are really big on that. It’s not just about throwing money at it. You bring these guys in sometimes and the locker-room gets weird.”

• Arsenal supremo Stan Kroenke says he's been following the club closely for over a decade.

Kroenke revealed that he has been admiring Arsenal from afar for more than a decade.

“I have always been aware of Arsenal,” he said. “I would say it was about 10 or 12 years ago that I really started following Arsenal. I followed very closely the season when Arsenal went unbeaten. It was unbelievable. I went over to see several games when ­Thierry Henry was still there.”

Kroenke also discloses a conversation involving Billy Beane, the famous baseball coach whose life story is the subject of bestselling book Moneyball and a new Hollywood film in which Brad Pitt plays the lead role.

“Billy Beane is a very famous guy in America,” Kroenke says. “And do you know who his idol is? Arsène Wenger. No kidding. You know why? His ability to spend money and extract value. That is what it is all about to be successful in pro sports.

“If you can do that better than other people, you are always going to be pretty good. Billy Beane’s idol is Arsène Wenger. Check it out.”