The last week has been a revelation for Arsenal fans world over. We’ve experienced the ugly side of football characterised by the sheer level of adversity that a single footballing entity can face. Conventional wisdom suggests that you should never under-estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers. The collective agents of media houses, whether it be print, radio or television, and the establishment of footballing bureaucracy (fill in the blank here with any other party you see fit) have not disappointed in justifying this theory of stupidity and relative power.

A lot has been written about the events of the last week as regards to Arsenal, and it’s not my intention to go over that, suffice to say that this article has been inspired by two brilliant and refreshing perspectives that capture the crux of the issues we face as a team. First is To the media and the FA: Have you got your priorities right?, and secondly, Hounding the Arsenal .

Referring to these articles in part doesn’t do them any justice and they’re worth your time in gold if you haven’t read them.

It’s easy to understand how paranoia can quickly set into the Arsenal fan’s psyche. On the one hand, there is a misguided (though sometimes seen as absolute) belief that Arsenal, by virtue of not winning anything since the FA cup in 2005, is a club in turmoil that can’t cut the mustard on the big stage anymore. On the other hand, there is a constant frenzy of sensationalist glory hunting that has fast obtained cult status. This sensationalism has been the detrimental fuel that has constantly demanded that the only measure of success, regardless of external factors affecting your club and the game in general is that without a trophy at the end of the season, there is no success. Even more misguided, is the notion that if you don’t buy this success by bringing in over-priced and over-paid players in an over-inflated market, then you have eternally failed because the big money and the galactic names on the team sheet is the only answer.

The common denominator driving this paranoia is the establishment that is the media. Not that this is a new phenomenon, the media has driven agendas world over from time immemorial, so much so that I take the view that the media is indeed the last bastion of imperialism. What is sad is that sports media houses in particular are irresponsibly peddling the notion that unsustainable spending in transfer fees and astronomical wages is the only viable trend in the game and is almost a rite of passage to the high table where only the big boys and girls sit.

It’s not uncommon to hear hollow statements of punditry like “if they don’t buy, then they won’t challenge”, or “they won’t survive without serious new big name players”, or “if they buy that club, do they have the money to invest in new players” – a sad indicator of how money has infiltrated the game of football to the point of sheer stupidity. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for money in football, but it’s also true that the tail started wagging this dog a long time ago.

The constant mantra by the sports media to push the agenda of spending money and it’s attachment to big money players is more than a fashion statement that has gone unchecked in the current economic environment. Football doesn’t operate in a vacuum, and it’s sad to see the unrelenting emergence of media hacks, pundits and so called “experts” of former players, proclaiming to know what is best for football. The truth is that some of these folks couldn’t even organize an empty drawer or run a bath if their lives depended on it. They however, wield unprecedented power accorded to them by media houses who spin into frenzy every word or thought from these fellows, however misguided.

If only as a simple illustration of the fact that football doesn’t live in a vacuum, fans world over have had to make difficult choices affecting how they spend their hard earned money, and many can no longer afford gate fees or season tickets, pay for subscription to TV to catch up with match days, or even buy replica shirts and other merchandise. But even this simple fact eludes many in the punditry business who are so far removed from the reality of the economics of the world, they continue to peddle an unsustainable model of football that is based on unacceptable debt and irresponsible management that will only end up with household names in the football industry going to the wall.

You only have to look at Liverpool and Manchester United to see clubs who are coming to terms with the reality of the financial demons of the debt that is staring them in the face. Arsenal is a slightly different proposition that takes time to appreciate. The decision to build a new stadium totally changed our options as a club, and needed difficult decisions to be made about how our club is managed in the short to medium term.

Taken time to remove emotion from this Arsenal project will quickly highlight a few facts.

1. Paying for the stadium affects our ability to invest in our squad at the scale and manner in which clubs around us are doing.

2. To take us through the short and medium term as we pay off the stadium, the only option we have is to build a team that does two things. Firstly, one that is affordable, and secondly, one that can be moulded as a unit that will deliver scintillating and breath-taking football with panache that involuntarily makes you shake your head in wonderment and admiration. I call it Wengerball.

3. This almost impossible feat (delivering the stadium and a team that is built from scratch that will compete at the highest level) is a task fraught with significant challenges, and the key reason that the club management and fans alike have had confidence is that Arsene Wenger is one of the very few, if not the only manager in the world, who is capable of delivering such a delicate and fragile project.

4. The end result of being a sustainable club with a competitive and powerful team that will dominate world football for years to come far outweighs the need to go out and “buy”success as demanded by the media and misguided fans.

5. Such a project takes time and requires a level of patience that will test the sanity of any warm blooded homo sapien of a football fan.

The factors above, have inevitably served the purpose of providing the media hacks and elements that have an anti-Arsenal agenda, enough ammunition to bash the club with at every available opportunity, yet these factors alone, still don’t explain the true story as to why there is such an anti-Arsenal sentiment. I don’t claim to have the answers, but I can only indulge in speculation as to why this is so. It’s common knowledge for example, that Arsenal, during Wenger’s reign, have been seen as “not English enough” , even though we have more English players in our first team than Liverpool.

What is clear is that the establishment and media have adopted Arsenal as the whipping boys of the game, and this is manifested in different ways, not least the contempt and arrogance shown about all things Arsenal. Some pundits do this with an air of disdain that is so powerful that it’s impossible to hide. All you have to do is watch football punditry programmes on Sky or BBC, listen to Talk Sport radio or Radio 5, or pick up any newspaper and browse the back pages.

Granted, over the last 4 years, there have been moments that the team haven’t exactly shrouded themselves in glory, but that is an inevitable part of growth and development that we have to accept and embrace. We’ve all seen Arsenal games that we would want to forget. Such howlers of games are opportunities to highlight improvement and work on making the team better. Inevitably, the media have used the last 4 years to ruthlessly point out the lack of their definition of success, and hounded all elements of Arsenal with the proverbial dunce hat with clear instructions for the team to go and stand in the corner of the room for the duration of the premiership and champions league as we are not worthy.

The sad and most disappointing aspect of what is happening, is that an element of Arsenal fans have believed the media hyperbole as gospel and have taken up the mantle of whipping their own team without a true understanding and appreciation of the journey we have been undertaking as a club. Commentators who are self proclaimed supporters of other teams and who prosper in suggesting that they regularly review Arsenal news have lost the plot enough to go on self destruct every time they sit in front of a keyboard. Ex Arsenal players like Ian Wright, who I had (note the past tense here) a lot of respect for, has got to the stage where the only time he removes his foot from his mouth is to give him enough space to put the other foot back in.

In the same token, majority of fans world over have kept the faith in Wenger’s vision, and that is commendable, as we have to be strong during times when our team is not doing well.

I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and admit to the frustration, anger and outright sadness I’ve had over recent years when we’ve lost out in games or competitions, primarily because we were just not good enough. I’d be worried though, if I didn’t feel this way because the passion and emotion I have for the team will come to the fore, and I‘m sure when we eventually win something, I’ll still be an emotional wreck, but the happy kind of emotional wreck.

However, I’ve always believed in perspective and in the Arsenal project, though I’ve had my doubts about how much support Wenger has been getting from the board. Wenger is one of the best managers in the world, but the man cannot walk on water, and I’ve felt that in certain situations, the board could have done better in taking the heat off Wenger. Nevertheless, Wenger has done a remarkable job against the incredible sea of adversity that does not subscribe to the vision that you can manage your club within your means in this day and age, and it is absolutely the Wright thing to do.

Last week’s episodes with Eduardo, and the subsequent game at Old Trafford gave the media enough material to continue spinning their anti-Arsenal agenda. It is my belief that we had a watershed moment last week. The team has come leaps and bounds in the last few years, and we’ve also had disappointments on the way. Inevitably some fans have become disillusioned with the Wenger youth project.

The constant mantra in the media for trophies as an absolute measure of success peddled left right and centre has created the illusion of absolute failure within Arsenal, testing the patience of a good section of fans. You won’t struggle to find loads of “Wenger has lost the plot” brigades on the blogosphere and in newspaper, radio and TV punditry, making proclamations that it’s now or never. Aside from creating an unnecessary pressure point, such sweeping proclamations are not grounded in the reality of the bigger picture and context that Arsenal is seeing through.

Nobody ever said this project was a walk in the park and that mistakes were not going to be made while Wenger rebuilt this team. In fact, some of these mistakes, especially tactical ones on the pitch, were totally avoidable. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve contemplated throwing my TV out the window, or crashing my way into the Emirates home dressing room to slap someone – because of what I’ve seen on the pitch that could have been avoided. Expressing disappointment is OK. It’s a natural emotion because I love the club and I’m passionate about what we stand for, but it doesn’t stop me from having perspective and being proud of the bigger picture and the journey that we are taking. More importantly, it has never stopped me from whole heartedly supporting the 11 players on the pitch that the manager puts out on match day, regardless of my emotions.

But human nature is such that we are often blinded by our struggles in life, it’s hard for the best of us to even recognize what success looks like any more. A case in point here is the performance of this team so far this season. You have a section of Arsenal supporters who are busy all over the world trying to justify and support the Wenger youth development project and its benefits in sustainability to whoever will listen. There’s also a significant section of fans who are fed up with waiting for trophies and want success now, if it means throwing the baby, the bath water and the entire bathroom down Holloway Road. Some are just hoping in blind faith that things will work out soon because they believe that Arsene knows. The rest are just focussed on self preservation and are frustrated from the embarrassment of having to face their friends and colleagues at work and down the pub each time Arsenal gets a good hiding.

Yet despite all this supporter naval gazing and external anti-Arsenal sentiment from all and sundry, there is a team that is quietly going about its business and maturing, and is playing with a togetherness and determination that you would expect from champions elect. It’s not a surprise that it will take time to notice and acknowledge this fact, and some of us will even go out of our way to find faults with this state of affairs, as if it wasn’t supposed to happen.

The media hacks and pundits for one, are trying to seriously undig their graves to rescue themselves from the default “Arsenal will drop out of the top four positions to be taken by Moneybags City” declarations in pre-season. Getting them to admit that they saw this one wrong is as useless as playing a guitar to a goat. What is not in question, is that there is a significant change of character, determination and team spirit that is driving this current team. The quality and skill of the current crop of players has never been in question, and it was only a matter of time before they would stand up to be counted.

The events over the last week with the UEFA kangaroo court and the raw deal at Old Trafford will have acted as a reminder to the players of what it will take to be recognized as champions. It will have made them realise that there’s more that is required of champions than just hoping for goodwill, or even hoping that their performance will be seen for its merit. They will have appreciated that to become champions, they will have to wrestle and grab that mantle from the current incumbent, because no one is going to give up the title without a fight. The team will have appreciated that the odds are totally stacked against them and to prevail, they will have to do more than what they have so far.

If there’s any group of individuals who have been most affected by what has been said about Arsenal out there and what perception there is about the ability of the team, it is the players themselves. They know that this is their opportunity, and they know that the time has come. The reason I’m confident they know this is simply by watching the sea change in how we play as a team on and off the ball, and the massive impact and confidence it has given this team. There is a grit and determination that has not been there before, and coupled with the scintillating Wengerball that we all know and love, this team is playing like they want to be champions. This team is playing like they have arrived, and the anti-Arsenalism of the last week or so can only give them more fire to keep doing what they do best.

I can only wonder whether many more supporters realise what they are seeing develop in front of their eyes, and realise that success is nigh. This team is on the brink of dominating the footballing stage for years to come, and the least that they’ve earned, is the right to be supported absolutely in finishing the job that they started.

It’s time for supporters world over to fall in line and do their part to make sure this team gets over the line, instead of defaulting to the comfort zone of wondering when this team will ever become the world class team that Wenger says it will be.

A certain former CEO of a now infamous company was once asked by Wall Street analysts to clarify what he meant by proclaiming that his company will be the biggest and the most powerful in the world. His answer was as breathtaking as it was cynical. “It’s like pornography, you’ll know it when you see it.”

I believe we’re seeing the arrival of this Arsenal team.