Written by Rajasimhan V
on
Tuesday, 24 January 2012 08:44
Before I start, I just want to clarify one thing. I am not here to preach what is right and what is wrong. This is my honest opinion on what happened the other night. To introduce myself, I am gooner from India who started following Arsenal during the 2002-03 season. For the past 9 yrs or so, Arsenal has made me smile, cry, shout, and fill me with all kind of emotions. But what I witnessed during the weekend left me in shock. It’s unprecedented, at least in the last 10 yrs or so. I just thought I could pen down what I felt and what we can do to move forward.
To Arsenal Fans who booed:
Why did they boo? The general opinion is that boos were directed towards Arsene Wenger. The fans expressed their dissatisfaction towards their manager. But was it the right place or right thing to do. My answer is a big "NO". You don’t demoralise your team when you play against your rival and when they are fighting with their backs to the wall. The most worrying sight was that it came from inside the stadium. These are people who have been watching and loving Arsenal for so many years (Even before Wenger Era). They are the most passionate fans and love the club as much as anyone else. Those are the ones who should know what Arsene Wenger has done for the club. Finishing in Top 4 for close to 15 years and winning 2 doubles is no easy joke. On top of that, he has managed to play eye catching football and did a small matter of going a entire season undefeated. I am not saying he is beyond criticism. He also makes mistakes but who does not. If Arsene Wenger quits, there are going to be clubs queuing up to take him on board. But do you think we can replace him straight away? I don’t think so. Did not he reject Real Madrid 3 seasons ago to stay with Arsenal and continued working on a shoe string budget? Our behaviour should not make him regret saying no to that offer.
Did the substitution warrant such behaviour? He withdrew a youngster having an exceptional night for a out of form, unwanted but talented International captain. In hindsight, people may say it’s a mistake. But who knows what the physical condition of the player is. Did not the same Arshavin pop up from nowhere and scored that delightful unforgettable winner vs. Barcelona. His form was the same then too. The irony of the whole episode is it is the same fans who criticised Wenger when he bought Chamberlain during the summer transfer. By this act, we have also inadvertently put a lot of pressure on the youngster too.
We have had players booed in the past too. This is nothing new. But just the occasion and the manner in which the whole episode has turned out to be do not augur well for the future of the club. There are numerous other ways and days to protest. But, this is the time to stand behind the team and support them. Let’s show that Arsenal Fans are class.
To other Arsenal Fans:
Let’s not take sides and fight among our self. Things happen in a moment. Let’s forget this episode and move on. It is also high time that we stop categorising supporters. Some of the classifications that I have really got sick of are:
You don’t come to the stadium; you don’t pay for the tickets. So you are not a fan.
You should be positive come what may. Then only you are passionate about the club. Else go and support spurs.
Let’s please understand that everyone loves the club in his own way as much as the other person. If people booed, they expressed their displeasure and I am sure at least some of them will regret that and will not repeat it. There is no point in spreading hatred and starting the blame game. Let’s all stand together and show the support to the team which we all love.
To Arsene Wenger and the Board:
Why did they boo? Have not the same fans stood by the manager and board through all the times. So if they express their displeasure, is not something wrong? Did not the fans appreciate the fact that we build the stadium and we can’t keep buying big superstar players? But why is this season so different. The board and the support staff need to analyse what has gone wrong. A club is as big as its fans.
Just to rewind a bit, couple of seasons ago, we were in the top of the table by mid January. Van Persie had a long term injury and we had Arshavin playing as a lone striker up front. Everyone knew we were in need of a striker. We tried to get Chamakh but could not. Who knows? Chamakh might have made a difference. But it was another case of so close yet so far in that season. Also, it had a big effect on Arshavin's career. Same might be happening with Djourou this time around. But fans did not protest. It was the same case with defenders last season. Vermealen was on long term injury and we needed a defender badly. But we could not get one. The protests were not this louder. We still managed to finish in the top 4 in both the seasons. But this season is entirely different. We are in the race for 4th place and it’s not going to be easy at all. Already, it is quite clear that we lost points this month due to lack of fullbacks. I am not saying that we go out and buy a £10M fullback even if he is available. We all know we have 4 good fullbacks in our team. My point is mistakes are being repeated again and again and it is getting punished. A club of Arsenal's stature cannot allow that to happen. I am confident that there are wise heads out there who surely know all these things. Hopefully, Arsenal Football Club can learn from its mistake and don’t repeat it again.
We all want Arsenal to do well. It is important that all the stake holders understand that and support this wonderful club in the best possible way.
Come On You Gooners!!
Mean Lean's Response
Thank you for your thoughts and you have made some very good and interesting points.
I like 99% of Arsenal fans around the world was amazed that Chamberlain was being taken off as he was clearly our best attacking player on the day. Before we were given any information about his physical condition at the time, I can understand why Gooners would gasp at the chance, I cannot pretend that I wasn't upset at the decision as I like many would have assumed that it was down to his performance.
I can also understand that fans pay a lot of money for season tickets but I just cannot agree with booing the team or manager, especially in the middle of a big game with the scores levelled.
In my opinion, we support the team because we want to, we choose to buy or not buy season tickets because we want to, not because we are owed anything. Some will agree with me while others will not. Booing at grounds isn't new and it is not only at Arsenal but this does not make it right in my eyes.
Simply put, in a 90 minute game of football, we want to win and want to get the best chance of doing that. Booing at the stadium creates a negative atmosphere for the home side which makes it more difficult for Arsenal FC to win games and that is what we should all be united on.
I read a comment on this subject by a poster called Arsenal Andrew on A Cultured Left Foot and I thought he summed much of it up very nicely.
"Certainly the concepts of loyalty and commitment seem pretty thin on the ground in some places. Personally I think there is a distortion of values, possibly a failure to educate. I don’t mean by teachers per se, but possibly by all of us old enough to do so?
Whereas once upon a time we would have sought the wisdom of old men for guidance, these days anyone with an internet connection can pontificate regardless of the value of their words. To some extent, we are obliged to listen to all kinds of nonsense and the infrastructure of modern communication doesn’t bring any guarantees as to the quality of the information it so effortlessly conveys.
I think the diminuition of the concept of loyalty leaves us all poorer. Sunday’s game gave us a timely lesson on the price we pay, as supporters of this awesome club, of this new found but unwelcome poverty.
For anyone even vaguely paying attention to the EPL, it has been evident that the game we love has become a marginal one.
All today’s matches have the potential to be won or lost by the slimmest of advantages and it explains why, for example, many of us spend a sizeable number of our waking hours discussing not just the play, but the contributions of the players, the referees, the managers and the fans.
And whilst the concept of “home advantage” is not new, the belief that there are, apparently, “no easy games in the premiership, anymore” is a comparatively recent one.
Any fan base that acts to neutralise “home advantage” by failing to get behind their team is, I’d suggest, less deserving of success than they might otherwise be.
Any fan base that turns home advantage into a negative by abusing their own team, frankly, deserve what they get.
And on Sunday, sections of the support failed to do the one thing they could do to contribute – however marginally – towards a positive Arsenal result.
Some started behaving like the away supporters and became, however briefly, the enemy within.
Make no mistake, we were in a battle and at the height of the fighting …
They. Changed. Sides.
They turned on the team. And, in so doing, they abandoned their former club.
A few minutes later, the game was lost.
Some present left their seats early, many minutes ahead of the final whistle. They failed not only to support their side but also, even, to see the game out.
Now those same supporters might feel they are exercising some imagined ‘right’ to pass judgement on whose fault it was that we lost that particular game. Or failed to win others.
I would suggest those same individuals start with a very close look at themselves.
Did they, as supporters, even deserve to have their team win or draw on Sunday?
Because if they did, how come they wouldn’t have been around to witness it?
And had the team turned things around in those last five minutes, how could they, as supporters, whilst retaining even a shred of integrity, have brought themselves to go from booing one minute to applauding the team a few minutes later?
Doesn’t matter that we ended up losing. We MIGHT have made it to 2-2. We COULD even have gone on to win 3-2. There was still time. I may be mistaken but I don’t recall too many of the team wandering off before the final whistle …
Incredibly, some of the boo-boys are still doing it, days later, in radio phone-ins, on blogs and beyond.
Attacking the team, criticising the club, failing to do the one thing they can do as supporters.
To slightly misquote Consolbob: [another poster]
Arsenal play.
WE support.
And if you can’t manage that during the game, or stay with it through the thick and thin of a season filled, for all clubs, with inevitable ups and downs, then think again.
If you hear yourself saying you are a fan of the club but insist on picking and choosing which players will somehow earn your approval, or you choose to join the media and the supporters of other teams in attacking the manager and his staff, then think on.
Yes, think again, my friend.
For, in my eyes – and in the eyes of many – you are no supporter at all."
Arsenal News 24/7
Does it have something to do with our medical staff? Do we rush our players back too soon? I don't hear much about other teams' injured players having setbacks (although I admit I don't pay too much attention to other teams)... 
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