Twitter Meltdown over Arsenal's inactivity: Boring!

Details: Written by Barnaby Merrill; Published: Friday, 31 August 2012 19:50

It looks like Arsenal aren’t going to sign anyone today. If they do, it will have been the stealthiest transfer since transfers began. Even Arsenal wouldn’t be able to keep a transfer this quiet.

Arsene Wenger is clearly happy with the squad he has, which may or may not be the right decision. But I trust him to know what’s right for Arsenal more than, say, most fans.

They owe you nothing

I’m going to be quite blunt here. The club owe you nothing. Genuinely nothing. Fair enough, you want Arsenal to win trophies. OK, fine. I want Arsenal to win trophies too. But I don’t EXPECT them to.

“But Arsenal are a big club, they’re supposed to win trophies, and they should keep their fans happy!”

Hey, buddy, if you only want to be an Arsenal fan when they win things I’d suggest you go and support someone else. Arsenal never used to have it so good. If you asked an early-eighties Arsenal fan if they’d take top four finishes for 16 years, I’m pretty sure they’d eat your entire arm. Ask them if they mind not winning something for a few years, after moving to a new stadium and then having to contend with the entrance of oligarchs into the world of football, I still think they’d be pleased.

Arsenal can’t win trophies all the time. They can try. At no point does Arsene Wenger say “Well, this season finishing fourth would be little bit good season”. It’s not because he’s “lying” to you, it’s because he genuinely thinks Arsenal can win the league, every time. In fact, Arsenal are probably more ambitious than the rest of the teams in the Premier League, as they go toe-to-toe with financial giants for silverware, despite not being able to match them in spending.

Ambition doesn’t mean money, by the way. It means wanting to succeed beyond your means.

Manchester City’s means are that of title-winners. Arsenal’s aren’t. Because they chose to finance a whole new stadium for you.

You owe them

Yes, a 60,000 seater beautiful stadium, so you fans could enjoy watching Arsenal in greater comfort. And you’ve enjoyed it, don’t lie. Arsenal have given you all number of great moments in the past seven years. They haven’t done anything, but they’ve come close. They’ve challenged.

If Arsenal owe you success, then you owe them support. You need to back them the whole way.

And a lot of the time, you don’t.

The players have to contend with half-time booing, banners demanding spending, and are judged on 10 minutes on the pitch. Not cool!

Look at poor Lukas Podolski. You come out onto the pitch, all excited. It’s his Arsenal debut! Finally, the chance at a big club he’s always wanted! But why aren’t they happy? Why are they booing? Oh, I’m not playing next to Yann M’Vila and Huntelaar? How’s that my fault?

Then he has to go onto Arsenal.com and defend himself after his “lacklustre” debut, where he had the audacity to FAIL TO SCORE. That doesn’t make you want to play well for Arsenal. It makes you terrified to put a foot wrong.

If you want Arsenal to change the way things are done, don’t ruin the player’s chances on the pitch by making them feel bad. Join the AST, make your opinions heard. They do listen. They cut ticket prices when the AST asked.

I got a little sidetracked, but my general point is, even if Arsenal don’t sign anyone, moaning and complaining and putting the team down won’t help. Support the team, and trust what Wenger is doing. He wants to win as much as you. He knows more than you about football. That’s why he’s a football manager, and you’re a fan.

Latest:

Comments

#21 TT. 2012-09-06 12:33

Emirates Stadium has Brought so much devastation to Arsenal. A lot of Money has spent to build that stadium and the consequences is, Arsenal should sell all their world class player.

#20 Jeff Madzikwa 2012-09-04 23:13

If Arsene Wenger and the management do not want to buy players they must not sell our players. Its not what the genuine supporters want to loose players every season and there after no replacement done. It has become a trend for the management to look forward to the transfer window as a cash-cow or as a market to sell best players to that act I surely don't subscribe

#19 Yeka 2012-09-02 08:36

I've always trusted Wenger, the club and the players at disposal, the current squad is trying put themselves together and I believe soon goals will begin to flow from all corners with Podolski and Giroud in the frontline. The end will justify its meaning!

+2 #18 SEGun 2012-09-01 12:11

Wenger is fast becoming old and myopic,we need a modern manager who would tackle the board....how about we fans that are not in the UK??? What's our business with the stadium??

+7 #17 CC 2012-09-01 11:18

ERM, the club has to move forward, this is not occuring. You are happy to receive top 4 finishes so actually you are the kind of fan that makes things worse by accepting mediocrity. Think about that before you *** out incoherent crap on this blog.

+4 #16 Me 2012-09-01 10:27

So fans don't have a right to complain when all ur best players leave every year with no adequate replacements? And you think we should trust arsene after we've trusted him for 7yrs without him repaying our trust? U must be sick.

-6 #15 TC 2012-09-01 09:06

I suspect that some people who post on here are closet spurs supporters, we have brought in 3 new players, yes it would have been nice to have more but we haven't so get over it. WE have the makings of a good team, FFS we have only played 2 games and some people are moaning, keep the faith or feck off and support another team.

-7 #14 Dr0z3n 2012-09-01 07:32

Fans cheers up, booing during the half time of the game wouldn't help the player to play out of their best at the pitch. It lowers down their confidence and make them feel that they have lack of backing and support in this club. Have faith in Wenger, he has been in the football field more than anyone of u dude, he knows better than u what the club should do. If you think you're better than him, start managing a team, I wouldn't say premier league, but league 1 league 2 ? see whether you could cope with it. We don't have the resources like what Chelsea and ManCity have, so get used to it, where you have to make decision based on the resources you have in your pocket. Strengthening the squad doesn't splashing the cash, but trying to get every potential out from a player that we have now is one of the option as well
We must all have support in the Club. If we supporter don't support them then who will??
In Arsene, I trust

+7 #13 Agim 2012-09-01 01:38

We are challenging and trying, but not for any trophy, but for 4th place..... How patronising is this kind of bluntess. Any club exist from fans. Players and manager come and go. Fans are forever, they have every right to be happy or frustrated! Kroenke and co does not split their arses to fill up the Emirates, fans fill it...with hard earned money paid for it.

#12 mark 2012-09-01 00:13

I would swap 3rd for the FA Cup and Champions league aka Chelsea. Arsenal are in the business of winning things not winnning in business. If we forget that we may as well pack up now...I agree though that after 7 years with Van Persie, Fabregas, Song etc etc we still never won anything

-12 #11 Neil 2012-08-31 21:13

Really you "fans" have no clue the most important person int the dressing room is Wenger he will get the best out of what we have like it or support a different team ffs rant over lol

-12 #10 Neil 2012-08-31 20:56

You all sound like piers Morgan have some faith a support your team an not the queen!!!!

+7 #9 Zane 2012-08-31 20:52

Very silly article whereby I agree with you that perhaps our fans are a little harsh on players like Podolski or Giroud, we certainly haven't written them off. We've lost our strikers in Chamakh, Bentdner and Park, if logic would prevail, it would make perfect sense to replace the strikers that have left with some1. How can you sit there and say that we don't need signings. As much faith as I have in AW, there is no denying to any fan that we needed atleast 2 more signings. Very disappointed right now. Have been looking out for some transfer activity all day but nothing. I hope Wenger has a plan, really do, because this is going to be a long and hard season with other premiership teams strengthening there squads and that's including the likes of QPR.

+13 #8 maria 2012-08-31 20:40

All Id say is arsenal should be progressing.. six years without even looking like winning a trophy for a big club like ours is not acceptable.... Im afraid arsene Wenger has brought arsenal down and we are not an exciting r dangerous prospect anymore..... A very dissappointed,disgru ntled and upset Supporter. have supported Arsenal for the last 35 years........

+13 #7 PremierBJ 2012-08-31 20:33

so now fans should just shut and accept arsene and gazidis led board are always right?d last time we won a trophy we had world class talents and abt 3-4yrs ago when we're challenging(not winning) nobody "moan and groan" as u put it.the aim of football is to score goals,concede less,win matches,be difficult beat and win trophies.d team hasn't done dat in yrs and we shouldn't complain?u need serious check up

+13 #6 Michael 2012-08-31 20:15

Bull***. It's exactly this sort of fan complacency that's allowed Wenger The Clown and the Disney board to con us year after year. Paying top dollar for what exactly? No ambition and no hope, that's all we're being fed. Wake up.

+17 #5 kevin 2012-08-31 20:14

we pay the highest ticket prices in the prem .our best players leave year in year out and were sposed to be grateful.get your head out of your arseand realise we have every right to moan and groan .you may have your blinkers on mate but teh rest of us can see further than the end of our noses!
plank!

+14 #4 Tom 2012-08-31 20:13

Wenger is a great coach but the game has changed. Talented players are worth paying for now day and he just doesn't get it. We sold RVP & Song this year and the fans want two replacements for selling our two best players. The 3 1/2 players we have brought in are going to need time in the EPL to adjust. We need a signing like Dempsey and a great defender this year and I believe we'd be strong. To sit and do nothing other than sell our two best players is horrible coaching.

-12 #3 Neil 2012-08-31 20:08

Totally agree with you there think some of our fans need to lay off playing football manager on easy! Dream world for some but glad arsene is in the real world :)

-9 #2 Jim... Ireland 2012-08-31 20:05

Supporting arsenal since early seventies.... Such early criticism of players rather ridiculous. Fans too demanding nowadays. Club seem to be working within financial boundaries and seem to cope pretty well. The time will come when trophies will return too. Support your club. Be grateful for such a fantastic stadium. Arsene's the manager for a reason .

+21 #1 dyeruz 2012-08-31 19:59

So essentially a fan shouldn't complain after seeing much of the clubs best players leave? We should all get on and support the club because why? you say so? The few who have anointed themselves the clubs unofficial spokesmen? why because you have blogs and a thousand followers on twitter?
What's more hilarious is all these weeks being told by the few that, have faith if Wenger has sold Van Persie and Song it's because he has a plan in place. So Wenger is "happy" with the squad and everybody should shut up and support the club?
Supporter will always support through thick and thin but it is absolutely their right to have a whinge!

Refresh comments list