Arsenal is a club under the microscope. The media loves to paint us as a club in crisis, and while that might be a bit strong, there is no question we have experienced serious difficulties and doubt.
The board, manager and players have all contributed to that, but the fans are by no means without blame. So there’s something that all connected with the club can do to help make 2013 and beyond a much happier year to be a Gooner.
The Board: change priorities
The contentious Arsenal AGM was yet another indication that the board has very little time for the opinion and wishes of fans, even those who own a stake in the business.
‘Man of the people’ Peter Hill-Wood again proved the problem is not (just) with American newcomers but those for whom love for the club is supposed to be as ingrained as DNA.
But having a pally relationship with the board would be immaterial if we could be sure they realised a football club exists to compete, not make profits and issue dividends.
Right now, the single biggest problem at the club is the ambition of the board beyond making money. Maybe, hopefully, the new commercial deals being brought in by Ivan Gazidis and the continued down-payment of the stadium debt will see them dream bigger this year.
The Manager: be less stubborn
He’s got this far by being headstrong so I doubt he will suddenly shake it, but while Arsene Wenger might believe he shows courage in his convictions, others see a pattern of doing something over and over and expecting different result.
“When he returns from injury, X will be like a new signing,” “I believe this squad has super quality,” “If we find an exceptional player, we will sign him,” and “I believe he will stay at the club” have become cringe-inducing soundbites that carry less meaning every time they are uttered and undermined. But the value of a change of approach extends way beyond press conferences.
Altering methods on the training ground should lead to increased defensive solidity (it couldn’t make it worse), greater tactical flexibility would make us less easy to negate, abandoning the policy of paying young players so handsomely should make them hungrier (and easier to move on), allowing other authority figures a voice could instil greater leadership and grit.
The Players: show pride and loyalty
Arsenal is not just any other club. The ethos of good football is matched by world-class facilities, a perfect pitch and an incredible stadium. Pulling on the red and white shirt makes a player part of one of the truly historic clubs. And that should mean something.
It has been truly depressing seeing players lead a great manager and a greater club on a merry dance over contract deals in recent years, and both Theo Walcott and Bacary Sagna should show consideration for the faith put in them by the club and fans.
Do the players realise how lucky they are? The passion for the shirt that Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry embodied seems to live on only in Jack Wilshere. The best sides Wenger ever put out were as angry as they were able; no team could outwill them. Let’s have that back.
The fans: be supporters inside the ground
The range of opinions, and the passion with which they are held, shows just how much Arsenal fans care about their club. Different opinions are good, but in the stadium, once the game has begun, everyone has to act as one.
As a fan, if you are in the stadium, the only thing you can do to help your club to victory is create an atmosphere that intimidates your rivals and gives your players confidence. And too often the Emirates lacks that; if anything it’s home players who worry about incurring the fans’ wrath.
A fan who berates or boos a player is doing their job worse than the target of their ire, while fans that sit there refusing to join in the singing are adding nothing. The tickets cost a fortune, so make them worth it by bringing out the best in the team.
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