Do You Really Like Arsenal?

After a stalemate on a cold dreary night up north we ended a losing run of three games in the league and almost immediately the daggers are out again for certain players, and as always, the manager.

It’s very easy to get angry in the aftermath of disappointment and failure, and since last night there’s been a hefty amount of vitriol doing the rounds. After some time to digest the game and it’s implications, I’ve decided to try something different with this post and turn the attention away from the team and put it on the people who really make the club: us.

Generations before Arsene Wenger arrived at Highbury and long after his succeeder departs the Emirates, the one constant throughout will be the fans. Without them, Arsenal–or any club for that matter–wouldn’t exist.

So what’s our role in the perverted story that Arsenal Football Club has become? To support? To buy merchandise? To turn up in our free time and jeer when things don’t go how we want them to?

While free speech is a notion that should always be advocated, especially if you’re paying one of the footballing world’s most expensive season ticket prices, there’s no reason why a bit of common sense and empathy can’t help someone bite their tongue.

Yet there was a twisted orchestra of boos as Arshavin replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain during the Manchester United game.

It’s debatable whether the ire was aimed at him or at Wenger’s decision to remove the impressive Chamberlain. What’s not in doubt is the where the jeers were directed at the Villa game before the match had even started as Arshavin’s name was called on the tannoy.

As Chamberlain left the field in the United match, it was obvious that the crowd were displeased at his removal. Players aren’t thick and of course he would have received their displeasure as a sign that he was having a good game and that probably made him feel pretty good about his own performance.

But it’s likely that anyone booing at his replacement didn’t stop to think what their actions might mean in the long term. Maybe that night when Chamberlain ran the game back through his head, a few thoughts crossed his mind. With the footballing world at his feet, this kid’s going to accumulate a lot of England caps and one day might set a major international tournament alight much like the vodka bottle-sized Russian did during Euro 2008 before we signed him.

Perhaps Chamberlain contemplated what would happen if he hit a bad patch, stopped scoring and started making mistakes. Are the same fans that lamented his removal last week  then going to be volleying insults at him as he leaves the field, only for him to arrive home to find death threats sent via Twitter just like Aaron Ramsey was subject to after the Swansea and Bolton games?

There was a lot of love for Andrey after he single handedly stopped Liverpool with four goals all those years ago. But not any more.

And all of a  sudden Arsenal doesn’t seem like a nice place to be playing the game at these days.

Over Christmas I was back home in London and my Dad gave me his ticket for the Wolves match. A draw and a flat performance was soundtracked by the worst experience I’ve ever had at a home game. Around my seat nobody was happy. Singing was only instigated by a pocket of die hard Gooners who are probably so afflicted with love for the club they go to reserve away games. Around me there  was only slagging off and moaning. It wasn’t fun.

While it’s a basic human right to be in a society where free speech is allowed in any form, whether it be booing, singing songs about an opponent player’s dad washing elephants, or even the freedom to enjoy the game in silence, surely it’s better to use that privilege not to spout hate at something we’re supposed to love.

Dennis liked Arsenal and trophies in equal measure.

In 2004 Dennis Bergkamp gave an interview recounting Arsenal’s title ambitions midway through the season. We had just lost two games in a row–games which saw us exit the Champions League and FA Cup–and suddenly our title bid was looking wobbly. The next game we went in at half time at Highbury losing 2-1 to Liverpool.

We won the game 4-2 and I’ll never forget Henry scoring a goal after a run so mazy Carragher fell over and headbutt Biscan in the balls. Dennis doesn’t mention anything like that in his interview but he does recall, “It was a little difficult at first but the atmosphere and the fans were just fantastic.”

Despite the comeback last week when we were 2-0 down to Villa at half time there was no such sentiment. Nope, just booing.

Bergkamp also once said, “I really like Arsenal. But you, do you really like Arsenal? Or just with trophies?”

Now is a time we should all be asking each other the same thing.

Spread the Arsenal love by leaving a comment.  

**For the record I’m not asking anyone to remain silent and just accept things the way they are. Constructive criticism is a separate notion and something to be used to encourage us to continually want to improve–Arsene might claim to have poor vision whenever something controversial happens on the pitch but there’s been no instances of him being hard of hearing.

And of course it goes without saying, none of this is intended to reflect the actions and views of all Arsenal fans, only those who took part in the mentioned incidences.

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Comments

  1. Not Possible !! I cannot get out of my mind the venom with which the idiots were screaming at AW “you don’t know what you’re doing” at the recent home matches. It is not AW we need to get rid of but those idiots. Fair wether supporters should go to WHL where they belong.

  2. i am ashamed sometimes of being an arsenal fan. other clubs supporters laugh at us knowing what i know. we want to keep our best players but we boo and jeer a great manger. if this continues why would van percy for example want to stay in this atmosphere. we are shooting ourselves in the foot. i know things are not great but there are reasons for this. one is lack of confindence and as long as the crowd gets on their backs this will not change. we are playing in fear. plus we are five points off top four which i expected considering we lost our 3 best and world class players over the summer. any team that looses fabs, naris, and wilshire as well as a decent left back like clithy will struggle. 15 years on the trott we have been in the champions league and this is due to our manger over achieving year in year out through a pholophy and great transfer business. but due to the fans we were forced to go into a poor market to sign players and the panic buys were not good enough. i talk to other fans and they said why do we not replace these players. wish it was that easy. granted if m’villa, hazard, gotze etc wanted to join us last summer it would of been great but they did not. and in order to keep funs availble incase we can sign these guys in the future we have had to make do with what we have and some low priced transfers. i know its gutting to see the likes of man city do well but we are not even in their league as far as cash is concerned. wrenger has kept us up there and built a stadium all whilst making a profit. this is amazing and makes him pound for pound the best manger in the league really. but we pay so much and get so little some say. i disagree we usually see a great product on the pitch week in week out. but due to the negative press and support i am not suprized at all we are where we are. injurys have not helped us either. if we keep the faith i am sure it will work out in the seasons to come. but if we loose wrenger who else i ask will come close to winning things with the finansial rules we have at the club. i like moyes and some other mangers that do simular jobs but would van percy want to stay and would a guy like moyes find young tallent like wrenger. would he give us the style and the envie of other clubs around europe.i think we will have massive problems if we force him out and not get near the top for many years. i know its been frustrating in the last few years cause we have only been a few players short of being a great team but we are only a few players short cause of mr wrenger. if he left we would be 10 players short. i hope the fans show more support but i doubt it and i think we will end up ruining our own club like the goordies did. we have no right to win things and on money spent we should not even expect it. we do over achieve most years this time last year we were doing so well, then it all went wrong and players left. none of which was arsens fault. not his fault naris wanted more mony, not his fault barca went on a two year tapping up proccess on our captain and not his fault van percy was always injurd and wiltshire broke his ankle but we do alright and he will turn it around. we are still roughly where we should be and he is one manger who has the abillitys to over achieve and get us backk up there. if the bun bag thing happens then the negative fans can go fuck themselves. your killing our club you wankers.

  3. @Mark,
    In my opinion the tongues were bit for three or four years, then we were told lies when players left about reinvestment and the season where spurs wigan and blackburn all came from behind to beat us in may we were told we had identified our problems, still we didnt buy quality…to expect a different outcome using the same
    Im sure the thought you mentioned has and never will cross Oxlaide Chamberlains mind, he puts his shift in and works hard for the team. That was very good what you wrote about Bergamp..but you cant compare him to many players at the club today, he loved Arsenal. Even the past scenario you brought us back to bears no relevance…that team went out and battled under those circumstances..this team goes out each week with what appears to be a carefree dozed attitude whether off the back of a win a hiding, string of poor results or, crucially, when a near league rival falters! How many times have we played after Chelsea Spurs Utd o
    Liverpool have slipped up and still gone out with this lethargic ‘someone
    rlse will do it attitude’…and I cant blame the players anymore because Wenger has bred this attitude from his constant whinging about refs, opponents tactics, managers, pitches etc etc.
    Your question would be better aimed at sime of the players…like Walcott who hasnt improved a bit but wants an 80k a week contract, or the board who have sold 4 players for nearly 110 million in the last three season and RAISED ticket prices, maybe you should be asking if they like Arsenal.
    I seen an interview with Wenger after the Utd game just before the villa one. He was asked would the fans be happy if he once again didnt recruit in the window, his answer was ‘they have no choice’…but it was nice that us fans actually got a mention from him for once.

  4. @Mark I understand your point of view and I don’t like the fans booing our players. Few complained when it was eboue being booed the last few years. How do you expect the fans to express their frustration?
    I blame Wenger and the board equally for our predicament . I can’t speak for all fans, I know that drive insane is the lack of effort and complacency. It is not Arsenal FC God given right to win trophies every year, but if the manager sells Fabregas ,Nasri … I expect them to bring in players of equal class. That’s what frustrating!

    No one put a gun to Wenger’s to sign Squilacci,Sylvestre , Chamakh !
    Where did Suarez,Hernandez,Smalling come from? I am angry because our woes are less about money more about mismanagement!

    A manager should Never be responsible for balancing the books. His whole purpose should only be to try to win trophies and get the best players to do so, and boards or owners can always tell him sorry manager you are not getting as much funds you asked for…fair enough that’s football. We have the world upside down our manager is delighted to save money and buy mediocre players.

    A young hungry manager will accept players like Djourou soft always injured Diaby. It is time for a change manage! We will survive without Wenger, Arsenal is bigger than one man. I suggest Rudy Garcia or Didier Deschamps would very capable replacements.

  5. @shambogunner you said it all mate right in those words. This has been a long time coming. Wenger has brought this on himself. It is completely disrespectful the way he acts towards the fans and then he puts us in a position whereby we are told to just support the team, however it is also the only place we have to voice our discontent and be heard. That cannot be taken away from us. He can ignore all he wants but the boos won’t go away, they are squarely directed at him.

  6. This post has caused quite a mixed bag of responses so I want to elucidate my point a bit more.

    It’s not an attack on anyone who has a bad thing to say about the club, as expressed in the post I’m an advocate for constructive criticism. So if you’ve got a problem with the board and their actions, show it. Join the Black Scarf Movement or do something else.

    Bergkamp’s words and the reference to the Liverpool comeback of 2004 were an example of how important our behaviour as fans are to the club and players.

    Yes they were great players but I was at that game and we were crap in the first half. Pool were reading all our attacks and countering us really well.

    That was one of the best games to be at in terms of atmosphere, we never stopped singing and we completed an amazing turnaround. Bergkamp’s quote shows that he never forgot that.

    I’m asking why that’s stopped. If we are sick of the board or Wenger why do we take it out on the team with booing and abuse? Even if we despise a certain player, for 90 minutes he is wearing the Arsenal shirt and for that reason alone we should support him.

  7. I love Arsenal and i believe in ONCE A GOONER, ALWAYS A GOONER. I always defend when someone comparing Arsenal to other big clubs. I don’t care what they want to say about us because i will always reply their bullshit to defend Arsenal.

    I just want to blame the board that always expect to earn money not rather than to spend it. They always looking for profit. Football is not a business land, it’s where we share our love, sadness feeling, happiness together. Money couldn’t take it from us. Never!

    My suggestion for Arsenal if it’s read by them are Arsenal should change their transfer policy in order to have balance in the squad so that we have some experienced players that can guide their juniors. If Wenger can’t do it, i think it’s the time to look for someone who have a vision that Arsenal really need. I know trophy isn’t everything but what will be Arsenal if they don’t make HISTORY but just being the same each year ?

  8. not bad points you make, but i have followed Arsenal through the sixties, seventies, eighties nineties and noughties, with godd teams and not so good teams and have loved all those players with great fondness. In fact still have fond memories of all those players that played for us but this current side has got absolutely nothing going for it at the moment, it’s no coincidence that it seems every arsenal supporter is feeling the same way. despondency is probably the problem but the manager and board just will not address the issues that supporters have. we all know that Van persie will go, then supporters will say he’s a money grabbing so and so, while the board lick there lips in another £20million+deal. the problem has been building for a few years now and we are not stupid and can see that theres no guidance or leadership as in the past.I like everyone else hates to berate arsene wenger but can see he has no influence any more, in fact he’s becoming a figure of fun and will be humiliated out of his position eventually. I don’t like saying these things but am certain it’s going to happen. comeback john radford, alan ball, ray parlour and john hartson …… colinc

  9. Boohing your own team is ridiculous. Perhaps it is taking the conspiracy theory too far to suggest that a load of Sp*rs fans are buying tickets to Arsenal games these days so that they can booh.Haha. I don’t know why else we’re doing it. Nobody was boohing when Arshavin got the winner against Barcelona that time.

  10. Let me start by saying great thought provoking piece, but as u will find when things aren’t going well people will want to vent their feeling here.
    Emirates has been a massive let down for atmosphere. The fans are frustrated, but I feel wenger has brought it on himself by continually playing
    half hearted players like arshavin. Yes he can play a killer pass once every few games but he is so out of form and it’s criminal the amount of games he has started.
    Theo is not far behind in my mind either. These 2 don’t work for the team and was of all, just try and hide by holding their boot, or stretching their arse, any excuse rather than first thought being to try and get back and help defend which puts pressure on rest of team.
    Wasn’t at the Manc game but I think i would have booed arshavin coming on.
    Wenger does himself no favours with recent comments about the fans which distances himself from us further. But do I want wenger out I just don’t know

  11. Who gives you guys the right to decide what a good supporter is and how they should support?
    When people have to dig the money out of their wallets and purses for tickets or media packages that feature our team where are you?
    Booing is an age old ritual that ALL teams who are failing have been subjected to. It is by the same right that your boss or employer tells you your work effort is insufficient.
    I’ve seen some of the “Le Grove” stuff. It’s way off the scale for me but to say in the face of the last several years now (featuring this summer’s botched,that’s right botched transfer window) that the fan’s booing is what is wrong with the team or just plain wrong no matter how poorly they are prepared and perform is just as out-of-touch.
    What is our role as supporters to shell out our money on games and merchandise to clap and cheer when the team plays well and laud the management with accolades and when things go repeatedly wrong for the same obvious,bull-headed reasons to murmer quietly and regale the days of old and continue to blithely shell it out. Really.

  12. Wenger has a frifulous selection always,if he want 2 lift a trophy he should stop using ramsey ahead of d little mozart(rosicky).

  13. I agree booing the team is not a right thing to do but we fans are fed up with wats going on not one fan is screamin that we should sign a player for 40mil.All that fans are asking from past 6 trophyless seasons is to sign some experience and quality players who can add depth to our squad and help the youngsters but Wenger and the board are admant and dont understand hence fans are frustuated and have every right to voice their feelings.its really painfull to see our beloved club being pushed into medicority itz freaking hard to take after a long week of frustuations at work and life you switch on the TV to watch your club play a beautifull football game and you get another dissapointment of medicority wer the hell will a comman man go frustuation over the mismanagement of our beloved club has now reached a breakingpoint only solution is for wenger to move as football director and let someone else take his place

  14. No, I won’t be liking Arsenal tomorrow. It’s the cold you see, it starts at the feet. By half time it’s the ankles and by 80nins it’s the knees. I try be vociferous but alas, my affliction is not contagious. I agree, it’s the ticket prices that are the major irritation. Unfortunately there are those out there who’s pockets are not dented by the prices, the silent majority I would venture to say. If you are going tomorrow and disagree with negativity towards the club, let your voice be heard! We love the Arsenal!

  15. if not wrenger, who????? i can not think of anyone who can do what he does on the money we spend.
    people say spend some fucking money. but really on who???? who can we actually get??? loads of names are in the press, hazard, m’villa, gotze, etc etc but really does anyone expect these players to choose our club. wrenger has said time and time again he would spend 30m if the player was right. but i for one understand we can not sign these players cause its the players who ultimatly decide. but fuck it why not do what liverpool did and spend 100m on rubbish like carrol, downing and henderson. we could get guys like that but honestly what a fucking waste of money. better to bank it and wait for a good deal to happen when it happens. in the mean time buy young promising players. its a bloody good stratagie. this is why we are fans and he is a great manger. the negative guys on here must be the sort that goes to the doctor and tells them whats wrong with yourself. i liked the coment earlyer we where only a couple of players short of being a great team. now we are about four great players off being a great team. if wrenger leaves we will be ten players short. come on really its not that bad. to me it would be like velencian fans in spain throughing all there toys out the pram and booing their team cause they want to win things and they are a big club. but they have to deal with goverment backed clubs like real and barca so they wont. they agnolage this and support their bloody team. ” i have a right to boo!!!!!! i pay money!!!!!” well so do i and i want my team to play well, so you boo boys fair weather supporters can fucking do one. keep your money in your pocket and piss off home.

  16. we were wrong to boo. wenger’s philosophy is also wrong….the players lack competitive attitude for first team place because to wenger a first team place is not by how good u play, but by how long you have been in the club.

  17. Really excellent piece, Mark. Especially as it has elicited passionate, interesting and readable commentary.

    I absolutely HATE it when people boo their own club, especially one with so much class, history and glory associated with it as Arsenal.

    Over at 7 am Kickoff after the booing of subbing Arshavin for the Ox, I made an example of Tom Brady of the New England Patriots who played in an NFL semi-fnail that same weekend. Brady said that he was out of form on the day (“I sucked”), and what kept the team in it was the home support, “the 12th Man”. New England did eventually prevail against a fantastic Baltimore Ravens defensive team and are once again in the Superbowl playing for the championship this Sunday. Not much doubt that The 12th Man made a contribution to their success.

    Nice enough story, but just as we supporters are reminded that the expectation of winning silverware isn’t our right, the ones responsible for the product on the pitch need to know that unconditional support isn’t guaranteed either, especially when the price of entry is the highest in the league, higher even than Man U or Liverpool with almost double the titles we have.

    So as much as I hate overt and loud criticism of our club on our home turf, there is a line of tolerance for everyone which I understand and with which I sympathize.

    My choice will always, always be to cheer on the club no matter what. These days it is sometimes a grim exercise to do so. The product on the pitch is simply inferior and far below what we have been led to expect.

    Watching Blackpool last year, despite their lack of quality was great fun. Good on Liverpool for having nicked Charlie Adams. Watching Swansea against us this season was enormously entertaining. These are clubs who haven’t forgotten how to play the game. If we can get back to that it can all change in an instant.

    End of rant. Now – once again – COYG!!!

  18. Man all of your flows bore me: paint drying..Listen up folks I’m sick of you Wenger’s fan boys backing him up on every single time..This old buzzard confused man has brought our beloved club further down tnto abyss and all you gonna do is sit back and watch him do more harm season after season …C’mon guys we gotta be smarter than this it is quite clear that they have no motive to push higher than they are @ the moment..Looking at our current squads it is obvious that they all are not up to the task to be called a real footballer starting walcott who can’t stop skying up the ball and prone to missing 1 one 1 with goalies or is it ramsey who can’t spot a simple pass and lets not forget about other players out there on loan denilson,bentdner or is it Vela.The bottom line is that in this our club Arsenal we have to many mediocre players and short of quality players..Ask yourself why Arshavin,rosicky,Alumnia are still hanging around emirate ground when it is plain clear that Wenger’s policy is to sell any players that is pretty close to 30’s or more than that please ask yourself why they are still right here Oh hey guess what? it is due to one fact they are too crap to be signed out there by another club….i don’t know how too late it is but we definitely have to do something real fast to save ourselves from this unending nightmares..I am an Arsenal lover from Nj and i want wenger and the entire board with the teams also to be completely renovated .Thanks and gunner for life..

  19. Arsenal it’s not just a club it’s more than this. Arsenal it’s a big family. As a football supporter you’ll always go through bad times no matter what team do you support. I love Arsenal, I belive in them and now in the bad times it’s when they need more our support, because if we don’t trust them, then who will?
    People laugh at me because we didn’t won anything in 6 years, but I don’t care, they are my team, I enjoy watching them play, I trust them and I love them.
    ONCE A GOONER ALWAYS A GOONER.

  20. @ everyone & Davegooner,
    If not Wenger then who?
    I dont think anybody Arsenal really wants to be without Arsene Wenger.
    But I dont get your next question; ‘ Who can do what he does on the money we spend?’.
    We spend the way we do because of Wenger, now Im not saying I want a Mourinho (shudder) who needs millions in financial backing, but c’mon, how can you even think Wenger is being hamstrung financially by the board?
    Wenger has hamstrung Wenger. He has become so determined to show the footballing world that he can do it without a sugar daddy that he has allowed the clubs standards to tumble on the pitch season after season.
    And yet, nobodys responsible. Not him. Not the players. Not the board, whos making the errors? All we are getting is silent treatment.
    Normally when we lose or draw tamely we hear about the excuses…refs and opposition etc etc, but todays interview he just said we deserved to have won the game v Bolton, and that theres your justification. Firstly you get what you deserve in every walk of life and secondly its a lie, we didnt have enough collective quality to merit the win. A touch of Van Persie brilliance doesnt earn you a win, no matter how many times he single handedly delivers it. None of the players bear the responsibility for what happens because they hear the manager blaming everything else, thats the only explanation I can give as to why they so often follow up lacklustre lethargic displays with lacklustre lethargic displays. They either come out all guns blazing for 10 mins and then withdraw or at home theyl knock it across the pitch for 85 mins and then panic when the opposition doesnt part like the red sea for them. This is evident in more of the Arsenal games the last 5 years than not.
    You say people want 20+ million spent on Hazards and Goetzes….well if they do I havnt heard it. I havnt heard any Arsenal fan shouting for 30m to be spent on one player. And then your point about these players not wanting to come to us, thats just sad, but your probably right, big names with ambition of silverware will not join Arsenal, but whos responsible? The manager who famously claimed ‘theres nothing wrong with second’, no sooner had he said it and the players performances dropped drastically and we finished fourth and had to qualify! Then theres Ivan Gazidas and the board telling us this week that no CL football wouldnt be a big problem….yeah not for the finances but we ARE or WERE a football team last time I looked and falling out of Europes elite competition cannot be good for a football team such as ourselves, and what response did we get from the payers at Bolton to hearing this???? Too many of them lack the character and bottle for a fight as it is, let alone when excuses are being made for them and costly scenarios are being minimised. Tell them they have to get the fucking lead out and that heads will roll if we dont finish fourth, eg. tell Walcott he wont be kept let alone get the 80,000.00 hes holding out for, off the back of 4 goals a season! Weve tried the softly softly approach and look where we are, last time I looked Ferusons hair dryer was still working very effectively.
    I personally would want money spent on whatever player fits the bill to get us back where we should be and if failing that, then at least showing some ambition, if not for the long suffering fans then the players. And no I dont mean suffering in terms of silverware, or the fact we are the punchline for so many rivals jokes, I mean we want to see endeavor, gusto and honesty of effort.
    You cant tell me Dave that there wasnt a striker out there, value or not, that could take the weight off RvP? 5m, 10m, 20m, 40m I dont care, but at least be seen to be trying to address our weaknesses or potential weaknesses in the race for fourth. Robin Van Persie has 3 times more goals than the combined rest of our team together. Chelsea signed Kevin de Bruyne for 7m, QPR signed Cisse for 2.5 and Zamora for 4m…are you telling me we couldnt have at least tried to give ourselves a fighting chance, if he signs a 15m dud we put him in the Sylvestre, Squillachi, Diaby, Bentdner, Denilson, Almunia, etc etc pile and we can all say together; ‘ AT LEAST THE MAN TRIED’. But he hasnt tried, and were all supposed to put up and shut up???
    If I want bangers and mash il go to Stoke and get it, but dont charge me an arm and a leg for bangers and mash at the Emirates and keep telling me its fucking lobster Arsene.
    FORWARD. Thats what my club says under its crest and what it used to represent not SPEND, all I ask is for us to aim high and I’ll be damned if I cant say how I feel about regression for fear of being labelled a doomer or not a real fan.
    If Wenger actually recognised us fans there wouldnt be so much of a divison right now, It doesnt take but two seconds. ‘ We didnt deserve the win today but the away support, were as ever, great’…makes it less hard to take than feeble excuses. It maddens me so much to hear lame ass excuses. You can say we wernt good enough and we will put it right, or you can say the opponent was just better and be a sport. But we deserved this and we deserved that, ‘we had 30 shots’, yeah but 4 were on target, ‘ this team has the spirit and belief’, well where are they hiding it? Are they keeping it for the last 5 mins of the game again? Arsene says they have the spirit, thats ok. for a moment there I thought Id been watching games through my hands and gritted teeth for the last 4 months but musta been a daydream cos Arsene says they have spirit, never mind what my eyes tell me Arsene has said it.
    Arsene has said and continues to say alot of stuff, but use it as you will Holier-than-thou Arsenal fans, you have been up to now. I dont deal in ‘maybe the board wont give him money’, ‘maybe theres something up his sleeve’ I deal in what I see and have seen for the last 5 years.
    Do you remember the 2-1 loss at Bolton last season when we had been 1 up, we folded, as is the norm and Wenger high tailed it down the tunnel, maybe he shook hands with his oppostie number later I dont know, but I remember the Sky cameras focusing in on the away section, some head in hands, some just shocked others clearly very angry. Jack Wilshere was the only player to go down and acknowledge them, threw his jersey and boots into the crowd…the reaction on the screen and off it, for me, was inexplicable..it made me appreciate Wilshere the person and then the player, I knew he cared and I knew HE knew how much we cared. When you are a fan on any level you want to feel like you know the manager, the players and that your a part of something big and real, a reflection of you maybe, I dunno, but I can honestly say I feel like another number to this current Arsenal regime.
    Just a little ambition and maybe some communication between the hierarchy and us mere fans,I dont think we are asking for much.

  21. “Just a little ambition and maybe some communication between the hierarchy and us mere fans,I dont think we are asking for much.”

    You really the nail on the head. Cheers.

  22. @shambogunner
    great read, i agree BUT you missed 1
    I read on another blog that wenger is closing in on another record and that’s
    being in charge the longest without winning a trophy. What a laugh!!!!!
    The fans who think wenger is taking us down a blind ally can make all the noise BUT as long as that cash greedy board keeps getting money from wenger then he’s going no where
    WE HAVE TO HIT THEM WHERE IT HURTS, IN THE WALLET
    on noother grounds will they listen to us.
    Do you think i like hearing the fans boo?? noway!!
    BUT they have put up with excuses for 6 years this booing started last year if you remember, so whilst i disagree with it i understand their frustration
    DON”T GO TO THE GAMES THEN WE WILL SURELY HAVE A VOICE.

  23. Its funny I knew lefty and one nil would be the first/ only fellas to read through that…..apologies as it was quite long.
    No more moanin out of me now i feel better after gettin that off my chest……and all the weights circuits at training tonight helped. ha

  24. Kel,
    As usual I hear ya dude always read your posts, you have alot of good stuff to say but I actually dont want us to go there…the thing is were being propelled to what we think is some big changing intervention but at what cost…are we actually hurting the club, its image and counterfeiting ourselves as fans…theres a fine line bro…I dont think theres anything we can do bar come on herz and vent….we could try a mass cry-in…..
    Wheres Shard at? cmon dude we need some reasoning

  25. 23 shambogunner

    you seem to talk allot of made up stuff in the press. wrenger definatly ties his own hands., that makes loads of sense. you say with one breath he wants to win with kids and prove it can be done without major backing. then with the next breath say he does not tell fans what he is thinking. you are typical of the nonsense some fans speak. we would be right up there if we did not loose our three best players last summer, jack, cesc and samir. but we did was not his fault. but why did we not replace them. well my theroy is he tried and failed. this does not mean he does not want to sign great players to improve us he just could not. this is more a issue with not having great business men at the club that can get deals done. wrenger and the team are shot of confindence and all mangers go through hard times. so do all fans. but the reality is we are where we should be. we have the 5th or 6th largest wage bill in the prem and we are around that part of the league. the facts are previous seasons even the last 6 years he has over achieved and if (and i know all teams have these problems) but if van percy and vermalen where fit last year on top of having the players we lost in the summer the chances are we might have won the league and this on a low bugget whilst building a awsome stadium that sucures our future for the next 50 years. this year has been hard compared to what we are used to. but all the goordie fans where the same. thought they had a right to be in the champions league, thought cause they payed money they had a right to fill their stadium with hatred and anger and then watched their team go from champions league to the championship. but it was always mike ashleys fault. did he not invest in big players, get them kegan, then shearer pretty much everything the fans wanted and they went down. was not till he ignored them and did it the way it should be done they have had certain success for them. same thing is happening at arsenal and its people like you that are doing it. but fans can do no wrong can they.

  26. Well Dave there were an almighty amount of ifs and buts in that post mate.
    Iv said my piece Im not going to argue or try to dissuade a fellow fan…Id just like to know why your not askin why Fabregas left, why nasri left, adebayour, henry, toure, gallas etc etc….were they last gasp sales? NO, he had time to recruit.
    As far as injuries go…all teams get them. Utd have as many, maybe more injuries than us all year…yet their players go out and play to the standard their manager and fans expect..
    Anything I write here is based on what I see. I dont need any media shite influencing me.
    You think im the problem and I think your silent, led by the hand blind faith/ border line denial is the reason why we are neck deep in the shizzae and will continue to be.
    There are people who will get up and get things done and there are sheep..you’ll be wafmer in yhd winter but I think im happy as is.

  27. 30 shambogunner
    you are definatly arguing hehe. your problem is you compare us to man utd. we have never won a european cup. they are a team that spends 20m on every position. the fact we have been competing with them is a mior mircle. granted fergie is having a few problems now he can not hand pick the best players anymore and he is watching barca get further and further away. but lets face it their last great team was awashed with money. ferdinand 30m, vidic 12m, evra 10m, hargreeves 20m, carrick 20m, nani nearly 20m, anderson nearly 20m rooney 25-30m berbatov 30m etc. we kept pace. and wrenger knew as i do does not matter if naris and fabs go with notice or not it took years to make those players as we have too. he had time to get a replacement like who. could of wasted the money like liverpool do. but better too bank till a decent player comes along. and it is so hard cause the best players do not want to come to us. we are not barca, we are not man utd, we are not ac milan we do not have the money of man city. we have to be clever about running our club. buying young tallent is a good thing and one i support. we have some of the best young british players in our squad plus a converyer belt of players. we loose cole, we had clithy, we loose clichy we have gibbs. granted no one predicts injurys. we lost fabs and naris we have wilshire and the ox now. without wrenger we would not have great team after team whether it wins or not he is doing a good job. we all want to win but so do villa fans etc. we sold henry, cause wrenger thought we had van percy, i know the injurys again. we sold verria cause we had cesc. we sold gallas cause he found vermaelen. granted i would want to keep these players and add to them but our club was trying to build a stadium. and if cash rich oil people did not buy certain clubs we would still be up there. fact. but just saying i want i want is bascically acting like a five year old fan. people say they do not want to be lied too. what do you want him to say our team is shit. he has a job to do whether he believes it or not. and if you just want to support the team when it is all rosey then stay at home untill it is simple.
    and i would just like to add if rednapp had done what wrenger has the press would be so far up his ass. it pains me to see spurs ahead of us, but let them have their day in the sun they have no structure or stadium to sustain it and when rednapp leaves or does not they will loose bale and modric and have no ready made replacements. he runs that club like mourinho runs it. for his own sake. if wrenger leaves this summer he is still buying young players for the future and the next manger.,,,, that is pure class.

  28. Dave,
    Good points my man. Ah I give up I just dont know where we are headed. I dont even have the energy to say that repeated investment in youth is not only a risk but also takes time and its a breeding ground for excuses and conplacency…not to mention the lack of killer instinct in games through inexperience..guess i did have the energy. Goodnight my friends that trainin tonight has me wiped out.

  29. 30 shambogunner
    night dude. end of the day as the cleshae says we are all gooners. i just think investing in youth is our only option for sustained success not a choice. we could blow it all like leeds and have a day in the sun but thats not for me. your right though do not like where this is heading and if we disagree we disagree. its a free country. and i was on my soap box today. never really get involved but the article and comments where provoking so someone is doing their job.

  30. Dead right Dave,
    Yeah you wont beat this site for great discussion..hope to hear from you again…when we beat blackburn tomor!

  31. Thanks all, it’s been exhausting reading. Lots of things to mull over some pro and some con. I still think there is something wrong in the machinery but I don’t quite know where. I may boo from my side of the pond but I won’t boycott. Not unless someone can prove that the club has decided making money is more important than winning. I don’t believe that, not yet at least and to tell you the truth I don’t want to. Sad to say but I guess I’d rather have blind faith than none.
    @The Flyingdutchmen Well Dutch, everybody’s got their two schillings in. What do you think?
    BTW: Leave us beat Blackburn on the morrow and give this debate at least a weeks rest. Come ON you Gunners!!!!!

  32. Amazing article! and welcome Mark, I haven’t had the chance to say it.
    What I see on the pitch and off hurts! I don’t get Wenger anymore, I really try to give the guy a chance, but I just wish he could be more sincere and avoid the dumb excuses. @shambogunner I think you hit the point! I think you said what many of us feel! and u said it so well! I wonder how this is going to end this season, I hope for a miracle…

  33. Imagine going in everyone knowing it that its Agame lost …….U still believing in yr club….not because its going to win but because u love it and can’t tell why…….I hope my Arsenal is back from sleeping..I want so much to be feared as then used to the invisibles… ………

  34. One should not blame diehard supporters who week in and week out spend lots of their hard earned money to see the team lose to mediocre sides. how can one expect the fans to keep praising the players and the manager after watching g the club without a trophy for six seasons. The seventh is going to be another barren one. What the fans are getting daily doze is all sorts of excuses from the manager blaming the others for his and the players failure. No one like losers and I am one of them.It is ok for few years but not seven years. all good things come to a pass one day and I think the time for change of guards at arsenal. I will like to the famous quote “the graveyards are full of indispensible people” and that goes for everyone including aw.

  35. I love Arsenal! With trophies, Yes! Without, even more so. I pin articles that describe Arsenal’s resurgent spirit, like the one by Yankee Gooner at the start of the season, like the recent one by Tim @ 7amkickoff asking us to Keep the Faith. I support The Arsenal regardless of how we play. We probably play the best football in the country by a mile. Even if someday we start hoofing the ball and sitting 20th in the league and drop off in the championship the next year, I’ll sign up for a stream and see matches online if not on TV.

    Relationships are for life. Especially one with a Football club like Arsenal. I haven’t seen the Invincibles in their pomp and glory, I haven’t seen Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Viera play on the field. So the stuttering, faltering Arsenal that people are booing on the field is the only one I have seen and yet no other team comes close to thrilling me. It frustrates me to see the team miss chance after chance to go ahead, to switch off in defence but that only fires me up to support them harder when I see them on the pitch again simply so that they remember that they have do not repeat them again. Everytime they slip, I am willing to hold the team’s hand and steady it. Trophies might come, might not, my support is not going anywhere else.

    Forward!

  36. Actually booing is just an insult that shows disrespect of the highest degree. we all get frustrated at some point(i also questioned wenger’s tactics when he accomodated arshavin by taking off oxlade but that was it)because at the end of the day the coach knows their capabilities more than we the fans think we do. i know we mean well because we all want the best for our club and losing isn’t part of the package but i don’t think that insulting the coach or the players makes it any better either. The reason we are there as the fans is to give them the reason to fight on and get things better in bad times but it seems lately our fans are aiming at making matters worse-too bad. we need to check our selves starting with the match against black burn. no ridiculous plans of going against our club,manager or players.

  37. It really isnt good hearing and reading the the flack that Arsenal are getting at
    present. Although i understand how some are getting a bit fed up with seeing the
    likes of Man U. Chelsea ect winning everything over the years Arsenal have had
    there share and those times will come again. So surely now is the time to get behind the team win lose or draw and give the support needed to help bring this about. How would those who are moaning about the lack of a trophy for a few years feel if they supported the teams who havnt won anything for 50 or more years. Come on lets all get behind the best club in the world the good times will soon return.

  38. Good win,infact i might as well say, a ruthless win,cut them to pieces with our passing,rosisky for sure better than Ramsey in the middle,hope you saw that arsene. slowly the inefficient players are finding themselves on the bench,can only translate into points for us,COYG.

  39. fucking freezing today. i think rosicky is playing better than ramsey at present. he has picked up his game and i hear he is a good leader around the place. i am not one who will demand ramsey be dropped because in the long run he will be a big player for us. i see him becoming a great goal scoring midfield player for us. but i think he should be protected more. maybe give him a break he has played allot of mins this season. but i urg gooners to support the lad he has allot of promise. but wrenger think its time to go with the experience of rosisky arteta and song. come on you gooners. get in… chambling is a proper, proper player. lets hope utd do a job on chelsea tomorrow.

  40. Well that was nice. Well done to Theo for his assists and nice to see Thierry prove Mark Lawrenson wrong!

    Great display all round but doesn’t the Ox look the business?

    Only Blackburn but it puts us back in the CL frame. Now, can we put a decent run together?

  41. we have a tough run of fixtures coming up, and this result stands us in good stead for the next month. sunderland away(hard), ac milian (tough one away), spurs (home) fingers crossed, ac milian (home), liverpool (away). at the end of these games if we are in the same position as we are now, i think we will make the champions league. next month is massive. this result and the cofindence it should give us is a massive boast just at the right time. come on lets fucking have it.,

  42. WE are the business.
    Last weekend, not so much. Next weekend at Sunderland, who knows? This team does not inspire to think too far ahead, but to enjoy the here and now.
    And right here, right now, we ARE the business, baby.
    There will be many comments and (deserved) plaudits for the goal scorers of course, but we were brilliant as well box-to-box. Song? He has made some of the most sublime set-ups and passes I’ve seen this season, EVER. And this guy is supposed to be a holding midfielder? Arteta had one of his best outings. Here’s a talking point: are we better without Ramsey running around like a chicken with its’ head cut off? I feel for the guy, he has got a lot of stick this year, much of undeserved. Might you it was “only” Blackburn (like it was “only Bolton last week), but our midfield looked assured and composed.
    Anyay, it’s on my PVR and I’ll be enjoying it for many more days. Finally…

  43. Great result today, what pleased me most was Walcott, he was well up for it today and was a real team player…he seemed just as happy to celebrate the oxs goals as if they were his own!
    Chamberlains just a revelation…tackling, dribbling, tracking back, everything you could ask for and he has the appetite.
    Today we were ruthless it was like the invincibles, if theres 7 goals for the taking then we are taking 7..can only be good for confidence.
    Dont agree with the Ramsey bashing at the mo..official PL stats say only Karl Henry at wolves covers more ground than him..anyone trying that hard doesnt deserve some of the stuff thats goin around

  44. BOOM!! Guess who’s back??!! The Arsenal…along with Shard.. How are you guys..1NTTA, Shambo, leftcoast, kel, Terry?? Since I last commented here, I see we have had a change of captain. Hi Mark. How are you? Good article and I agree with you that criticism should be constructive in nature. To boo your own team is to do the opposition’s job for them. All last season, the only times I really remember the crowd getting behind the team completely.. We won..

    I was at the match today.. sitting in the north bank… When Blackburn scored from their first shot (as is norm), the whole North bank responded with cries of ‘come on Arsenal’, and I’d like to think that to SOME extent that reaction from the crowd helped us get a 2 goal halftime lead.

    Great game..Really fun to watch..oh and Thierry..228 and counting..

  45. Mark my words all, we WILL NEVER win anything with Ramsey in the side. I just had to calm down on it a bit, but this is the solid truth. He cannot shoot or pass like Rosicky or Benayoun, what has this guy learnt? When he and Fabs were competing back in the day, same way we have Coquelin and Frimpong, I used to prefer him.
    NOW, HE IS A BIG BUNCH OF SHIT. Extremely wasteful and just covering grass with no direct play whatsoever.

    The annoying thing is….when he plays with Rosicky or Benayoun, he refuses to allow them move more forward. If he thinks he deserves to play further up than these experienced guys, then he is simply an animal. How dare you allow a more technical player play behind you, when such a player should be delivering killer passes and taking game winning shots ala Lampard.

    See, this is where Arshavin should be playing, he does not have the energy to be running up and down the flanks as desired of a wing player(which he is not), but our manager is so adamant that he refuses to allow the Russian blossom and this is partly why we cannot compete. If he thinks Ramsey will be like Fabs and fetch us millions in sales, then he is trying to be completely insane.

    We have the players to win this league comfortably, but when you have a manager that takes off your most combative attacker to placate a club Legend who has no business whatsoever playing EPL games, then ………of course you fail to score and you loose or draw.

    He took him off for Arshavin initially and the ‘kill Arshavin ‘ brigade started, then he said i’ll take him off even if the business is not finished and i’ll replace him with Henry(the fans all love Henry, so they shouldn’t complain). We almost lost that match because we lost all the momentum with the Ox out. It is okay taking out your best players after the job(leading 3-0, etc) is done, not before and especially not now that we need to WIN GAMES.

    Anyone see the difference the EXPERIENCED Arteta makes? He absolutely controls the midfield with Song, allowing Rosicky to SUPPORT the strikers, the RESULT?

    Wilshere has to bench him and allow Arteta to support the strikers, Ramsey is definitely out of this equation.

    Part of the reasons we have failed to attack properly down the flanks has been because we used our only left back in a meaningless Champions league game. How many games and injuries to both Vermaelen and Coquelin has it taken before we can say they finally understand what it means to operate on the flanks? Now, these are talented players, these are the kind of players you allocate playing time to……..Fortunately, Vermaelen is already our best defender(guaranteed playing time), this means Coquelin has to be sorted out immediately.

  46. kinda like taking off kos,for a lil rest,and giving the verminator a run at center back,i can only assume that will mean him and kos will pair against sunderland provided gibbsy recovers in time for the next game(fingers crossed). My concern is,should they deploy sessegnon in a 4-4-2 formation,per will definitely struggle against his pace,but the verminator can cope with it, for sure. Or frank the coq,(Coquellin of course,but love to call him the coq,sound like the plug,been plugging a lot of holes for, us in different positions,i might add,by the way had a great game today) could play at left back? Think he´s played there a couple of times,anyway,just my take on it,.

  47. Great performance today i tip my hat, 7 goals, that’s top stuff no matter the opposition.
    I hope the team and the manager keep their feet on the ground and let the football do the talking……………

  48. I cant be carried away by that performance. It was against a relegation bound team and at Emirates moreover. We just need consistency and evn if it mean’t a one goal to zero its enough until we see Totenham behind us in the league.

  49. 49 shambogunner
    glad to agree with you for once, not keen on the ramsey bashing either. think he is a great player in the making. would like him protected more, bring him on slowly. big ask to run the midfield after a year out in a so called struggling team. but rosisiky deserves his his place for now now. nice to see a player redecover some form after an unhappy time, and the experience he has is a blessing at the moment i think. even if he does tackle like paul scoles hehe.

  50. 52 gunna shah

    i really can not see mertasacker playing now we have sagna back against sunderland. i agree pace pace pace at the back against a martin o neil team that will base their tacktics on holding a deep defensive line against wallcott and the ox, and hitting us on the break. i just hope we can break the door down cause i see us holding up against them with snezney in goal verminator and kozzer as the back line. i think coquelin should fill in at left back or continue at right back and let sagna do a job on the left. lets hope the conditions are decent for passing football. but to say i am not concerned about the form of sunderland but i feel we can and will put an end to it. ps glad to see no black bin bags at the game. the fans did us proud.

  51. Well put. This is a time at any club that would be rough, especially a high tier club like Arsenal. Our failures in the tournaments to this point have given munitions to critics to question whether we belong at the level we set for ourselves. However, what we attempt and achieve or fail to achieve is our prerogative in the first. Let’s not be hampered by the negativity raining in. Things are not sound at the emirates- reinforcement of personnel may be needed. However, what concerns me far more than our failures is the discord and division breeding in our stands.

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