It is safe to say that Arsenal FC is in a state of some turmoil – not just within, but also outside, with the fans divided into distinct groups. If some fans aren’t yet in a state of panic, they are constantly at odds with others who are. The state of the club, the role of the manager, of the board, of the players themselves, is being questioned. No one truly knows what is going on, and there is confusion all around. The media is blamed for being against the club; the media is blamed for being biased towards the club. We have all possible permutations and combinations about our future being argued for or against.
Nothing escapes the vast reaches of the Internet. Hundreds of thousands of fans indulge in a discussion of one kind or another every day, be it through Facebook, or Twitter, or other great blogs. Needless to say, these discussions often get heated up, as fans of opposing views collide and each gets his support going. It’s straight up war out there!
These fans, it seems, are divided into a few sects. There is one that thinks the club must be defended at all costs, and this means the manager, the board and the players. There is one asking for the removal of the manager, one for the removal of the board. One is begging players like Nasri to stay at the club, another doesn’t want to see him put on the famous red and white again. Opinions on Cesc Fabregas are divided as well: some feel he should never have been sold, others that the timing of the sale wasn’t right, and some just worry that the money will never be reinvested. (Strangely, everyone seems to agree Denilson, Squillaci and Almunia are crap. Hmmmmm.).
Such a divided fan base cannot be a good thing for the club. It proves, as people have noticed, that the club’s PR base is very poor – there is no clear communication with the fans. The club has been accused of lying to the supporters and hiding facts.
Fans, in that situation, are bound to be confused, especially with the influx of information through the Internet. So the question for the exasperated fan is how he deals with this information (or misinformation) from and about the club. What constitutes a “real” fan?
This is a question that keeps popping up everywhere. It has been used as an argument in countless debates – a “real fan” would never say this, or oppose that. So how is one supposed to react when one hears, say, a rumor linking the club to a star player like Karim Benzema, or an unknown one like Joel Campbell (now a player at the club)? The trouble is two fold – one, there is often little truth these days to transfer rumors, or at least the extent to which they are hyped. Two, there is no “correct” way to react. The club’s need on the pitch, one must agree, must be left to the manager and board to analyze – they are infinitely more knowledgeable about the inner workings of the game and the transfer market. All we can argue about is whether they are actually making an effort to improve the squad on the pitch. It is hard to believe that someone as shrewd as Wenger does not know that our defense needs strengthening, and that Cesc and Nasri have to be replaced soon.
In that situation, it is indeed testing for the fans when all summer, the only real activity has been the addition of three kids and a speedy winger, while the club’s most influential, gifted player has left along with a few others, and another few are on their way out. The “We have got no players left, We have got no players left” chant is gaining a creepy, realistic aura.
According to Le Grove, an excellent blog about everything Arsenal, we have been outspent by every club in the Premier League since the league’s inception. The likes of Hull City and QPR have spent more (net) than we have. Looking at it neutrally, this brings our success in the Wenger era into startling perspective. It is nothing short of a miracle to continuously finish in the top four of the most competitive football league in the world with that kind of spending (or non-spending).
On the other hand, it also leaves us sighing “what if?” to ourselves. It leaves us with questions like why the money hasn’t been spent when it could easily have meant a trophy or two. These are questions the club must answer. The manager cannot, in a single breath, say that we do not have to get big money players, and then argue that Chelsea and Manchester City are winning because they spend money. The stark reality is that more money equals better players in most cases. The manager has been exceptional in finding exceptions to that rule, but one has to do what one has to do. Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri cannot be replaced with players who cost less than ten million pounds. Those signings could be great, but not this very season.
Things look bleak when you realize the best player you have in midfield is a 19 year old – a great great player, but one who could become so much better if allowed to mature under a brilliant role model. The cannon is heavy, and young Jack Wilshere will feel the weight on his shoulders. Is that the right way to get the best out of him? I’m not sure.
On the pitch, our two games have shown that we have improved defensively, but have lost a lot of creativity, which is obvious if you look at our midfield. Our over reliance on wing play has been startling. There was a point in the Udinese game where Chamakh was essentially playing on the wings, with Gervinho and Walcott constantly cutting in. That is strange, since Chamakh was brought in primarily because he is a great header of the ball!
One analysis on Twitter showed that along with TPA and other transfers, we have around eighty million pounds to spend, even if Bendtner and Almunia are not sold. That’s a lot. We can easily get 4 top, top quality players. With so many injuries in midfield and defense, our line up against Liverpool is frightening. For us, that is. Predicting it is tough right now, but I expect this:
Chezza;
Sagna, Koscielny, Vermalean, Jenkinson;
Frimpong, Ramsey;
Walcott, Rosicky, Arshavin;
van Persie.
The bench is too painful to get into.
Whether we will win or not, I don’t know, but I certainly will be watching and hoping that we do pull this one off.
As someone who considers himself to be a “real fan”, I am worried. Worried about the coming season and what it will bring. We still have two weeks on the market, and we can make a difference there. Juan Mata has slipped out of our hands, with Chelsea bidding 27 million pounds already. I like to think Wenger has targets lined up, and it is a matter (sadly no longer a Mata) of time before we get someone in.
One thing I do know for sure is that every supporter has a right to criticize the club. As a fan, you love the club. That means that you support it “in sickness and health”. But you cannot let it go downhill and pretend that everything is rosy – that is downright irresponsible. At the same time, booing the players on the pitch is not a great way to go about it. It isn’t the players’ fault the club doesn’t invest. Whoever walks on to that pitch in the red and white will have my support – I may think they are crap, but I will not boo them while they are playing.
I end the blog with what is fast becoming my favorite Arsenal quote: Players may come and go, but the fans are here forever!
So tomorrow, when the players take their positions, let us get behind them, let us show what a great twelfth man we are, and let us win! One thing about being in the dumps is that there is just one way we can go from here - Forward!
Nothing escapes the vast reaches of the Internet. Hundreds of thousands of fans indulge in a discussion of one kind or another every day, be it through Facebook, or Twitter, or other great blogs. Needless to say, these discussions often get heated up, as fans of opposing views collide and each gets his support going. It’s straight up war out there!
These fans, it seems, are divided into a few sects. There is one that thinks the club must be defended at all costs, and this means the manager, the board and the players. There is one asking for the removal of the manager, one for the removal of the board. One is begging players like Nasri to stay at the club, another doesn’t want to see him put on the famous red and white again. Opinions on Cesc Fabregas are divided as well: some feel he should never have been sold, others that the timing of the sale wasn’t right, and some just worry that the money will never be reinvested. (Strangely, everyone seems to agree Denilson, Squillaci and Almunia are crap. Hmmmmm.).
Such a divided fan base cannot be a good thing for the club. It proves, as people have noticed, that the club’s PR base is very poor – there is no clear communication with the fans. The club has been accused of lying to the supporters and hiding facts.
Fans, in that situation, are bound to be confused, especially with the influx of information through the Internet. So the question for the exasperated fan is how he deals with this information (or misinformation) from and about the club. What constitutes a “real” fan?
This is a question that keeps popping up everywhere. It has been used as an argument in countless debates – a “real fan” would never say this, or oppose that. So how is one supposed to react when one hears, say, a rumor linking the club to a star player like Karim Benzema, or an unknown one like Joel Campbell (now a player at the club)? The trouble is two fold – one, there is often little truth these days to transfer rumors, or at least the extent to which they are hyped. Two, there is no “correct” way to react. The club’s need on the pitch, one must agree, must be left to the manager and board to analyze – they are infinitely more knowledgeable about the inner workings of the game and the transfer market. All we can argue about is whether they are actually making an effort to improve the squad on the pitch. It is hard to believe that someone as shrewd as Wenger does not know that our defense needs strengthening, and that Cesc and Nasri have to be replaced soon.
In that situation, it is indeed testing for the fans when all summer, the only real activity has been the addition of three kids and a speedy winger, while the club’s most influential, gifted player has left along with a few others, and another few are on their way out. The “We have got no players left, We have got no players left” chant is gaining a creepy, realistic aura.
According to Le Grove, an excellent blog about everything Arsenal, we have been outspent by every club in the Premier League since the league’s inception. The likes of Hull City and QPR have spent more (net) than we have. Looking at it neutrally, this brings our success in the Wenger era into startling perspective. It is nothing short of a miracle to continuously finish in the top four of the most competitive football league in the world with that kind of spending (or non-spending).
On the other hand, it also leaves us sighing “what if?” to ourselves. It leaves us with questions like why the money hasn’t been spent when it could easily have meant a trophy or two. These are questions the club must answer. The manager cannot, in a single breath, say that we do not have to get big money players, and then argue that Chelsea and Manchester City are winning because they spend money. The stark reality is that more money equals better players in most cases. The manager has been exceptional in finding exceptions to that rule, but one has to do what one has to do. Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri cannot be replaced with players who cost less than ten million pounds. Those signings could be great, but not this very season.
Things look bleak when you realize the best player you have in midfield is a 19 year old – a great great player, but one who could become so much better if allowed to mature under a brilliant role model. The cannon is heavy, and young Jack Wilshere will feel the weight on his shoulders. Is that the right way to get the best out of him? I’m not sure.
On the pitch, our two games have shown that we have improved defensively, but have lost a lot of creativity, which is obvious if you look at our midfield. Our over reliance on wing play has been startling. There was a point in the Udinese game where Chamakh was essentially playing on the wings, with Gervinho and Walcott constantly cutting in. That is strange, since Chamakh was brought in primarily because he is a great header of the ball!
One analysis on Twitter showed that along with TPA and other transfers, we have around eighty million pounds to spend, even if Bendtner and Almunia are not sold. That’s a lot. We can easily get 4 top, top quality players. With so many injuries in midfield and defense, our line up against Liverpool is frightening. For us, that is. Predicting it is tough right now, but I expect this:
Chezza;
Sagna, Koscielny, Vermalean, Jenkinson;
Frimpong, Ramsey;
Walcott, Rosicky, Arshavin;
van Persie.
The bench is too painful to get into.
Whether we will win or not, I don’t know, but I certainly will be watching and hoping that we do pull this one off.
As someone who considers himself to be a “real fan”, I am worried. Worried about the coming season and what it will bring. We still have two weeks on the market, and we can make a difference there. Juan Mata has slipped out of our hands, with Chelsea bidding 27 million pounds already. I like to think Wenger has targets lined up, and it is a matter (sadly no longer a Mata) of time before we get someone in.
One thing I do know for sure is that every supporter has a right to criticize the club. As a fan, you love the club. That means that you support it “in sickness and health”. But you cannot let it go downhill and pretend that everything is rosy – that is downright irresponsible. At the same time, booing the players on the pitch is not a great way to go about it. It isn’t the players’ fault the club doesn’t invest. Whoever walks on to that pitch in the red and white will have my support – I may think they are crap, but I will not boo them while they are playing.
I end the blog with what is fast becoming my favorite Arsenal quote: Players may come and go, but the fans are here forever!
So tomorrow, when the players take their positions, let us get behind them, let us show what a great twelfth man we are, and let us win! One thing about being in the dumps is that there is just one way we can go from here - Forward!
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