Have Arsenal Supporters Lost The Plot?
BySo the run is over. We have finally lost to them lot down the road and I must say, it did hurt quite a bit. Take a step back though, and you realise how frustrating, infuriating and anger inducing it must have been for them to endure 10 years without a league victory.
Let them have their day in the sun; we still have bigger fish to fry. We will always have bigger fish to fry.
However, I am going to say something that may bring me down in the eyes of other Arsenal supporters. Here it goes.
I am jealous of the Spuds. I am jealous of how united their support is behind the team and the manager. We are in a position that they would kill to be in, yet our supporters seem to take defeat as an excuse to turn on the team, to turn on the manager.
Now it would seem the trend is to turn on the medical staff. Suddenly, a team that is in the title hunt and consistently in the Champions League needs a major overhaul. How is this the case?
As I said in my first post on this website, I normally don’t travel into the Arsenal Blogosphere until a couple of days after a defeat. I’d rather not douse the flames of disappointment with the oils of reactionary comment from Football Manager Specialists.
The day supporting your team becomes drawing up shopping lists of players who you believe are better than what your team currently has is the day I want to stop supporting Arsenal Football Club.
Why is there no pride in the project that we are currently undertaking? Our academy is the envy of many, and most if not all Premier League Clubs are playing catch up with us.
Our decision to live within our financial means has resulted in us budgeting towards a future free of debt, whilst nurturing young footballing talents. Why is it so hard for people to believe that once the debt has been serviced, every penny we make can be reinvested back into our playing squad if needed?
I am proud that Arsene won’t be bullied into paying over the odds for players who aren’t worth it. We were after Felipe Melo until Juventus decided to gazump us with an offer of 25million Euros, and Arsene would not go into a western style saloon shoot-out for a player that he did not believe was worth that.
In the January transfer window, the calls for a striker were deafening. I ask these so called supporters who have a shopping list to hand, who could we have bought who would be able to settle in straight away and have a better goal ratio than Nicklas Bendtner has had since returning? That’s 9 goals in 11 games by the way. Not just consolations. Invaluable goals. Match changing goals. Match winning goals.
Wenger refuses to spend unless it is completely necessary and I stand by that. I stand by financial prudence. Manchester United could not afford to keep Carlos Tevez, and bought in Michael Owen on a free. United’s financial instability is starting to impact on their ability to reinvest in the squad, at a time when we are starting to be able to just the opposite.
We were close this season, and next season we will be even closer. We may not even win anything again, but we will be nowhere near closer to bankruptcy. We will not be relying on a trio of bankers to save our club from the clutches of debt with… more debt?
I don’t know too much about the Red Knights, but I don’t know too many people with £1billion to throw at a football club in this financial climate. But that is another blog post altogether.
My point is this. Don’t use the excuse of the manager being tight on the purse strings as a whip to beat him with. Praise him. Calls for Usmanov to hoover up Lady Nina’s shares so that he can be our Eastern European sugar daddy are born out of frustration at our lack of silverware, and not rational thinking as to the future well being of our club.
As fans we should rally behind the team after a defeat, not carry out a post-mortem into the deficiencies of this team and the manager. Defeat should be the cue to come together even tighter, to get behind this team and show them that they have our unwavering support.
It is not a time to jump on your favourite scapegoat. It is not a time to ridicule a manager who has brought so much to our club, and will continue to do so years after he has gone.
Title or not, I am proud of what this team has achieved through the adversity from not only outside but, more cruelly, from within.
Supporters. Let’s Support.
Speaking of supporters, you might have missed us talking about Arsenal ‘customers’ masquerading as supporters. We’ve even broken down the anatomy of your typical Arsenal doom and gloom merchant so that you’re able to pick them a mile off.
And don’t forget that you can find Nyasha at Nashis Arsenal when he’s not writing for Stone Cold Arsenal every Friday.
We thought Darius was anal when he worked on Holloway Road right next to the Emirates and had a fantastic view of the stadium from his office window and took lunch time walks to see the construction and enjoy the magnificence of the finished stadium.
Nyasha and his mates used to steal footballs and cones from the training ground at London Colney before Wenger tightened the security. They have to get their footballs from JJB nowadays (or is it the DW).
Also, if you haven’t yet, we’d like you to subscribe to Stone Cold Arsenal to receive automatic updates of our content.
Tue 13th September 2011; 19:45, Dortmund
well said on the whole….all of a sudden lots of spare tickets for the Wigan game….its pathetic.
as you so rightly say …”Supporters. Let’s Support.”
Firstly, I am supportive of Arsenal’s youth project, but not to the extent of extreme stinginess even when spending is desperately needed! Most of us are not calling for wholesale changes to the team. But not having a decent GK and having retired footballers as back-up for Centre forwards borders on insanity.
And your comment: “Why is it so hard for people to believe that once the debt has been serviced, every penny we make can be reinvested back into our playing squad if needed?”
Well, the biggest fear is that the club endures half a decade of trophyless seasons to bring up the young players, pay of its debts, and then a predator lilke Stan Kroenke or Usmanov gets the club in a leveraged buy-out and undoes all the years of sacrifices and hardwork! It is a real possibility!
Correction.
I meant having retired footballers as back-up for Centre “Backs” borders on insanity.
Nyasha ….. GREATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT POST
This is what i like to hear from a football fan. I told my mates at work that on the night they deserved it and their supporters have long been waiting for this. We are not immune from being beaten by the spuds. But we have to take the defeat on the chin and move on. We have to support the team through bad and good times. Wenger is sooooooo close to creating a team that the world will envy if we only we can keep our players fit through the whole season.
UP THE GUNNERS!!!
Well said…
and i agree 100%… thats was the most sane and rational post in the last couple of days..
cheers
[quote]yet our supporters seem to take defeat as an excuse to turn on the team, to turn on the manager. [/quote]
You need to wake up mate. It’s not just this defeat but it’s frustration and anger of having witnessed the flaws in the team since the last 5 years which are yet to be addressed by the manager.
We have been found wanting against all the big teams this season. It’s obvious that wenger’s youth project is good enough only if you are fighting for the fourth spot. Set your objectives a bit higher and it all comes down like a pack of cards.
Yes, Experienced quality players are what we miss but there is one thing which we lack and is far more significant. A collective desire to fight and win. And this is something which we have always lacked under wenger. There is no competition in the team and the players have got complacent.
And the only person responsible for this is Wenger. Yes, he has done a lot of wonderful things for us but it’s high time that he takes moral responsibility and steps down.
If he doesn’t then i hope the club are taken over and the new management get some other manager.
We are finished under wenger..
Mods, kindly edit my previous post so that the Quote at the beginning is highlighted.
Sam.
I think it’s premature to suggest that Arsenal is subject to an inevitable leveraged takeover.
For one, it’ll be suicidal for any prospect to try and do that with Arsenal considering the bullet proof covenants that the club has with financers who funded the mortgage for Emirates stadium. Those hoping to lean on the clubs assets won’t be able to even raise the capital needed for the value of the club because of the existing covenants.
Folks are bound to have some questions about the vision and how it’s going especially when times are hard, but now is not the time to give in.
Regarding personnel, I’m sure none of us foresaw the fact that we could have 4 of our preferred centre halves out with injury at the same time – Gallas, Vermaelen, Djourou and Song.
To expect that a competent and self respecting centre half of the calibre we want would be happy to sit on the bench and play in the reserves all season is unrealistic.
How many backups do we need? And even if we wanted to buy one in January, how many would want to come warm the bench in a world cup year.
I have always been an advocate of adding to the team with signings to compliment the youth system, but I don’t support buying for the sake of buying, and more so to pacify impatient and unreasonable supporters.
I’m sure Wenger will strengthen the squad with one or two signings as he’s always done.
Well said. Every club has two types of following, supporters and fans.
It’s the fans that slag of manager and team when there are problems, with their lists and schoolboy demands; they have found a home at Arsenal Action blog and no doubt their writer , Sinbad is demanding that heads roll.
However the supporters will have taken an look at the circumstances and know that we lacked the fit players which made the game tougher than we expected.
Supporters will be be there regardless of the bad times and stand by the manager and the project. I’ve been doing so for 40 odd years and some sad little blogstar ( and there are plenty) won’t change my allegiance.
@Siddharth, by mentioning the quote you’ve already highlighted it – no need for further editing.
As for your thoughts, I guess the argument as to who needs to wake up can go both ways.
If trophies and winning titles is the only measure of success you have, then of course you will be disappointed.
You’ll even be more disappointed to know that Wenger is not going anywhere soon. Just as an example, there’s absolutely no way 17 members of the current squad would have renewed their contracts if they didn’t know that Wenger was staying.
great reading! let’s support our team and the boss!
Great article – I agree 100%
I find it very difficult to understand people like Siddarth who can even think of removing one of the most successful managers there has been
i’am afan and asupporter of arsenal all my life but to me manager arsene wenger must go and give another chance to somebody else to deliver atlist something like curling cup,fa cup and new face of the players.
@kadenge would you rather a manager that won the Carling Cup but failed to get us into the Champions League?
LIke Darius said, it depends how you measure success. To achieve what Wenger has achieved on his budget is remarkable. We are still mathematically in the title hunt having spent only a fraction on our squad in comparison to the other teams.
Wenger is building something much more tangible than a day out at Chelsea, and the ones calling for his head will be the ones celebrating the hardest when we do win something.
Kadenge kakangu.
Pray tell about this ‘Curling’ cup you’re talking about. Even if it existed, I wouldn’t want Arsenal to decide that they want to chase it alongside the league cup and FA cup, at the cost of the Premiership or the Champions league.
My sense is that most of those who are bitter at the team and want wholesale changes are knee-jerking to that reaction as a remedy to minimize or eliminate the ribbing and grief they’re getting from rival fans. Selfish anyone???
I suppose you would be if the only measure of success you have is a trophy – and in honesty, if that was the issue, we could actually field a stronger side in the Carling cup and even the Curling cup if they decided we weren’t already playing enough football.
Good post mate
I for one would quite happily have a few more seasons without a trophy, if it means I can still watch the Arse in 10 years time, something that a lot of other fans may not be able to do as there managers have bankrupted them by spending big in the transfer market.
“were building something here and all the pieces matter”
I am sick of this attitude that Arsenal fans are NOT allowed to criticise the club or Arsene Wenger.
What does ‘ debt free ‘ really mean anyway ? ……… The club have an easily manageable what is effectively a 25 year mortgage to pay off the stadium which will naturally be shortened by property deal profits that are to come. Even if that day was today that the stadium was payed off, the club could be taken over by a new owner who borrows heavily to fund the deal so we would be in same position as Manchester United & Liverpool with club profits paying off the loan & interest.
Financial prudence is fine & I don’t think there are any Arsenal fans demanding a Real Madrid style buying bonanza BUT at the very very least the club should spend all transfer income received & this season they have not done that & a couple of sensible buys could have made all the difference. There is no excuse for Arsenal being down to relying on the likes of Silvestre who isn’t even good enough for the like of Hull City !
It’s unfair of the club to expect fans to pay on average the highest season ticket prices & then not behave like a Premium Club who at the very least makes the odd stellar signing.
Of course we have loads to be grateful to Mr Wenger for but that does not mean he is above criticism & time marches on without silverware whilst he receives £5 / £ 6 million per season to play the stubborn experimenting professor. It is time for Mr Wenger to show some pragmatism. A quality goalkeeper, centre back & defensive midfielder are the minimum Arsenal need. Alex Song is the only defensive midfielder in our squad & that’s ridiculous therefore to have no one else when he is injured / banned or playing in African Cup of Nations !
Arsenal Football Club themselves emit an attitude that fans have no right to criticise which was proved by their removal of the TV channel from air. Liverpool TV was in same position as Arsenal TV after Setanta went under but Liverpool TV continues to broadcast.
Mr Wenger is at Arsenal in a unique position of control that he has earned by his past achievments for the club on the pitch & up to now the financial benefits he has brought the club but not even Alex Ferguson would have been allowed to go so long without silverware without being pensioned off.
As much as Mr Wenger has been the reason for the trophy successes between 1998 to 2005 , it is fair to say his stubborn attitude which is borne out of proving media doubters wrong has cost Arsenal fans silverware as has his disrespect for the domestic cup competitions. 2 seasons ago & this season are missed opportunities in the league. It was there for the taking this season with just a bit of pragmatic squad strengthening as Chelsea who will win it are nonetheless a reaking team needing rebuilding soon, Manchester United were weakened by losses of Ronald & Tevez whilst Rooney has dragged almost on his own to where they are in the league & Liverpool over achieved in the league last season & were weakened by selling their best passer Alonso.
I eternally support the team & have no wish to see Mr Wenger depart but I maintain the right to criticise when I see fit as all fans should have the right to do so.
The misguided individuals are those who believe that neither Arsenal or Mr Wenger deserve any criticism at this moment.
.
Kipmonster.
Glad you got that off your chest. I think it’s important if we differentiate between constructive criticism and outright stone throwing and abuse.
We all love a debate and what happens on the blogosphere is not any different to what debates take place in the pubs and around the water coolers in offices. Whatever way we think about it, stone throwing is just not acceptable.
Regarding Arsenal’s defence, my sense is that a modicom of perspective is needed. Arsenal’s first choice defensive pairing was always going to be Vermaelen and Gallas, with Djourou and Senderos/Campbell as backups and Song as a relief CB if necessary. It’s a role that Sagna can also play and Eboue to cover on the right.
My question is if we take it that having all the first 4 preferences for CB out on injury or suspension at the same time is a freak event, what do you expect the manager to do? Have another competent defender warming the bench just in case???
Also, I come back to the point about what success means to you. Of course if trophies are your only measure, then you will be disapointed more times than not.
You also suggest that the club should spend all net transfer gains on improving the squad. This is OK in principle, but pray tell, where do you think the money came from to renew the contracts of 17 members of this squad?
Do you think that it’s unreasonable to first of all, secure the current gains by keeping this current squad together and then building on it. My humble opinion is that our first and most important priority was to keep the core of the current squad together before building on it with a sprinkle of experience and reinforcements.
The assertion that the net profits from the sale of Adebayor and Toure is sitting in a bank account and doing nothing is a bit misguided. Simply take the transfer fees for both Arshavin and Vermaelen, the cost of their contracts (Yes, we don’t pay players in weekly Waitrose vouchers), and the cost of serviceing the 17 new contracts to keep the squad together then you’ll perhaps understand how the squad is being invested in.
Do you honestly think that Arsenal TV not being revived after Satanta is because the club doesn’t want criticism??? Pray tell how you came up with this conclusion – for the Liverpool comparison you offer doesn’t cut the mustard.
And like I said earlier, there’s a difference between debating and criticising; and throwing stones and insulting.
We’re always happy to talk about team tactics and how they worked or didn’t work for us, to debate how we can improve, and also to celebrate our triumphs.
Djourou has been an injury prone fragile player ever since he’s been at Arsenal so it is flawed planning to consider relying on his availability over a season until he can prove he can stay fit for a lengthy period be that by regular 90 mins of reserve football or by a spell on loan.
Senderos was clearly not in Wenger’s plans this season.
Campbell has performed well on his return to the club but his signing as the penny pinching cheap option was flawed in that whilst fighting on 2 fronts in the League & Champions League, he has been unable to play 2 games a week.
It is ridiculous that Song can be considered as a back up Centre Back when there is NO back up player in his own position.
Another competent Centre Back should be there NOT to warm up the bench but would have allowed the manager to rest Vermaelen & Gallas at times. This could possibly have avoided Vermaelen’s injury now & Gallas recurring injury which leaves us without both of them. If said competent Centre Back shines when he plays then that’s all the good for the competition for places that there should be.
The money for improving player contracts should come from the operating profits made which are after including the manageable loan repayments.
Arsenal should not be relying on transfer fee profits to fund improved player contracts.
‘ (Yes, we don’t pay players in weekly Waitrose vouchers) ‘ ……… PATHETIC PATRONISING COMMENT !!
There is no other valid reason for Arsenal TV which was the only avenue of substance where fans could air frustrations and criticisms to now be off air.
Arsenal Football Club & Mr Wenger are too sensitive to criticism & believe they are above it.
Ultimately trophies are the measure of a Club’s success. I would love Arsenal to have a winning team of individuals all born in the vicinity of Highbury but that’s a pipe dream. I am not against nurturing a young team but this can be done whilst pragmatically supplementing the strength of the squad & buying player/s in positions where the current player is clearly not good enough eg. Goalkeeper
I already clearly said I’m not after a ‘Real Madrid’ style spending spree.
PRAGMATISM over DOWNRIGHT STUBBORNESS.
Kipmonster.
I could also suggest that you are being naive by suggesting that net transfer revenue shouldn’t be spend on squad development whether it’s staff retention or acquisition.
On the Arsenal TV issue, there’s nothing stopping you from calling the fans forum on Arsenal TV Online and venting your anger or debating your ideas. I don’t see those who call every Friday from 8.00pm being denied the opportunity to freely air their views.
Also, I would suggest that ATVO as an online service that can be played on demand has more substance than a subscription channel locked onto Satanta and only available to UK subscribers as opposed to a worldwide audience.
Your assertion that there’s a hidden agenda to yanking the tV station off air really doesn’t hold water.
I’m sorry you feel patronized, but surely, if you want and expect the right to air your opinion, you’d have the respect to acknowledge mine even if you think it’s coming to you with an edge.
Clearly, we have a difference of opinion about how many backups we should have just in case they all go missing at the same time.
A club of Arsenal’s revenue streams should not require Transfer Fee income to go towards salary payments.
The TV channel was either NOT seen by UK subscribers only OR was available to watch simulataneously online as callers to the show were from as far as USA & Nigeria. The TV channel is far more viewer friendly than the Web forum.
You don’t offer an alternative reason for the TV channel going off air.
The club didn’t even have the decency to offer an explanation at the time however it may have been.
‘ (Yes, we don’t pay players in weekly Waitrose vouchers) ‘ ……… The only disrespect was shown by you by that comment. That’s not an edge, just your arrogance.
@ Darius: Your reply is based on an assumption you made up from my post.
I never said that we need to be winning titles and trophies every year. I Said that we need to at least be competitive against the other top teams. But again this season we have seen that this is not the case.
If you could only analyze over problems in depth, you would realize that a majority of them do NOT concern money but are in fact a result of wenger’s management. The reason why i advocate replacing wenger is that i know the improvements which we have been crying for the past 5 years are not going to come under wenger.
Until we sort our defence we are not going to compete with other top teams.Wenger’s narrow minded outlook towards the defence will always cost us. Wenger has been given far too much freedom at Arsenal. Why is there no one to question him ?
I know what we are going to get next season so i’m not going to raise my hopes. The signings which we need will never come, the defence will have it’s frailties and it will be the same story again.
Oh my giddy aunt.
The only reason to sack Wenger is that too many of our so-called fans don’t deserve him. We can then return to mid-table obscurity, the tedium broken only by big-name signings that turn out to be misfits.
Then we will have a team that promises nothing, and will deliver exactly what it promises.