I wondered if maybe the booing was a good thing

Playa Ratings

1 - Almunia1 - Almunia, 7

7

Despite plenty of Fulham attacks and half chances, I don't remember him having much to do other than look sound from crosses, which he largely was.
3 - Sagna3 - Sagna, 6.5

6.5

Getting forward plenty at the moment but could work on his crossing. Seems to either just scoop it in or just put his foot in front of it and hope the pace already on the ball will do the trick.
22 - Clichy22 - Clichy, 6

6

Short of confidence at the moment and as good a reason as there is not to boo: lacks nothing for effort but just doesn't trust himself to do things instinctively. There were some good moments in fairness, but like Sagna, the crossing can improve.
5 - Toure5 - Toure, 7

7

The rear end shows no sign of deflating but the sluggishness does seem to be less than it was. A tough test against Fulham, but he did OK.
10 - Gallas10 - Gallas, 7

7

Ditto really. There was not too much arguing with Fulham's forward play but apart from a spell in the second half where I feared they were turning the screw, we never really looked like conceding. In the air we simply look far better organised. Not sure why, but we do.
2 - Diaby2 - Diaby, 5.5

5.5

Poor frankly. The handbrake was on and what came so simply on Tuesday now took a whole lot of effort. Seems incapable of stringing a decent run of form together.
15 - Denilson15 - Denilson, 6

6

Part of a midfield that just seemed overrun at times, despite Fulham playing 4-4-2 instead of 4-5-1. Did OK and intercepted some things but this was not the stuff of Tuesday night.
12 - Vela12 - Vela, 6.5

6.5

Faded later on and was deservedly subbed. But looked lively on his first Premiership start initially and was stretching Fulham a fair bit. But like the others, shy in front of goal.
8 - Nasri8 - Nasri, 7

7

Quieter in the second half when moved to the wings but did keep things ticking over nicely when behind RVP. One of the few players to harass Fulham, he was nice to watch, if not explosive.
11 - van Persie11 - van Persie, 6

6

Paid to stick away chances and while he was unlucky to hit the post, the first half header and shot should really have ended up bulging the net.
26 - Bendtner26 - Bendtner [Sub], 6.5

6.5

Offered something different, which was welcome, but you do look at the likes of Johnson and wonder why Bendtner can't run like them.
27 - Eboué27 - Eboué [Sub], 7

7

A good cameo, driving forward and taking on players.
23 - Arshavin23 - Arshavin, 7

7

Clearly still not fit and flits in and out of games at the moment. But uses the ball very neatly, set up great RVP chances and looks unafraid to shoot.
ARSENAL 0 FULHAM 0
FROM GOODPLAYA AT THE EMIRATES

I LEFT the Emirates yesterday thinking one of four scenarios must have occurred:

a) We simply don’t try hard enough.
b) Our physical conditioning is abysmal.
c) Fulham are world beaters.
d) A combination of the above.

The latter seemed the most probable.

I readily accept it is only human nature to rouse oneself for our biggest challenges and to sometimes struggle to overcome life’s more mundane hurdles. To perform at 100%, 100% of the time is not human - it’s robotic.

But that said, I still can’t reconcile the yawning chasm between what we saw on Tuesday night and what we witnessed at the Emirates this weekend, last weekend and seemingly every other weekend.

How readily we reverted back to type - jockeying instead of tackling, stopping instead of going and hesitating rather than chancing.

At times late on Fulham, yes Fulham, made us look embarrassingly ordinary. Knackered after Roma? How on earth these precious souls will handle a trip to the Midlands with just a two day break, I don’t know. Had we played above ourselves on Tuesday one could more easily accept this dross.

But Roma was just a reflection of what we are very capable of delivering.

Instead, game after game, we are playing below ourselves.

So as we slip inexorably towards a diet of (if we’re lucky), the Europa League and the knock-on listless Sunday afternoon Premiership duals, for the first time a part of me pondered if the boos that rang out at the final whistle might actually not all be a bad thing.

Could they finally lift the team from this terrible slumber? Could they shake these guys to the core, strip them of some of their ego and cliched as it sounds, take us back to basics?

After all, it’s not as if management or players seem to have any ideas.

And make no mistake, it is now a dreadful run we’re on: points wise our last five games have been WORSE than winning two and losing three, our last 11 games have been WORSE than winning six and losing five. Some undefeated run.

But the answer, as I discovered over the course of one of those rare Saturday nights where Arsenal DID impinge on my overall mood, was no, booing is not the answer. For a start, as this Online Gooner piece suggests, my hunch is that those who boo are of impure hearts themselves.

If they sung with gusto from 2.55pm to the final whistle and then vented their frustrations, fine. But the suspicion remains that the booing is the loudest they have got all day.

I also realised that equally, as Gunnerblogger alludes to, that something else is at play. We may well be lazy, but it’s got to the stage where we have developed a perfectly understandable nervousness too, particularly in front of goal.

And it is a nervousness that booing will only make ten times worse.

So while I’d love to grab each of them by the neck and shake them some urgency into them, booing is clearly not the way.

Against Fulham, we were frigid in front of goal. Everything felt so forced, so unnatural.

Of course, there were chances. But whereas RVP was previously sticking them away, his radar is now off. Where would we be without his goals, people asked after Everton. Now they know.

The chances came and went, but rarely were they part of a sustained, coherent passage of play. Instead they formed small spells where we spluttered into life.

We were at our best at 4-5-1 with Nasri flitting around, joining things up and oiling what was otherwise a slightly clunky machine. Arshavin was more peripheral, though his contributions were often telling and it was only poor RVP finishing that denied the Russian two assists.

Fulham were enterprising right from the off and had (mostly half) chances which to my mind came about largely through decent attacking play rather than poor defensive organisation. It was in the middle of the park where we struggled. Denilson was OK initially, but you can often tell so much from Diaby’s first contribution. It was poor and things got little better.

Removing Vela for Bendtner felt right, but it did us little favours. Arshavin faded and Nasri, who at least played with some bottle, looked isolated on the right wing. Despite a comedic winning of a free-kick with his first touch, Eboue was very good when sent on as a more attacking version of Sagna.

But ultimately you simply can’t argue we had a never say die spirit.

Rarely, if ever, were we left wondering how a player had managed to win a ball. At the other end Andy Johnson worked tirelessly for the Cottagers - take note Bendtner.

I’m in the States for a wedding for the Burnley and Blackburn games and right now it feels like if I had to miss anything, us trying to score at home in the league for the first time in ages against Allardyce of all people does not feel like a bad moment to be absent.

Before then, it is West Brom, where you sense things will either get very bad or else we will enjoy a bit more freedom away from the Emirates crowd.

And that’s yer lot - thanks for reading, it’s been a long one. It’s moments like this that remind me why I write this blog - a privileged opportunity to have loads of people share my ecstasy and agony.

PS. Hundreds of you have already responded to the Goodplaya survey. It’s good fun, doesn’t take long and you could win a six month subscription to ArsenalTV online. Take the survey here.

931 Responses to “I wondered if maybe the booing was a good thing”

  1. Funny what people can see differently. I greatly respect your opinion GP but when I saw the teamsheet I thought Wenger had cocked up massively by leaving Bendtner on the bench. Make no mistake, he was guilty of some poor play against Roma but I actually agree with Arsene, at least he was in position to cause them headaches and offered a presence in the box.

    So Arsene, why say that then not play the boy? Surely if you fall off the horse you get back on, non?

    My point is Vela was lightweight. He was never going to get behind the defence because of how well organised Fulham were (and credit to them for showing plenty of attacking intent) and what was the point of having his trickery on a flank if there wasn’t going to be a decent header of the ball in the penalty area?

    I know our mood would all be better if RVPs second half header had hit the inside of post and gone in the net instead of the outside of the post. Truth is I believe if Bendtner is heading that ball from Arshavin in the first half and not RVP then we are 1-0 up. Game on. Rembrandt just doesn’t do scoring goals with his head while Nicklas does and we were going to need that yesterday!

    But I’m being a pedant and I know it. It didn’t hide the fact that it probably wouldn’t have changed the result and that Diaby didn’t show up and Arshavin must be wondering what the heck he has gotten himself into - did you see how frustrated he was?

    Ah the Europa league. Didn’t we make the final of that last time and some ex-spurs tossbag score the deciding penalty for some Turkish club? Watching the Arse can be like having teeth extracted sometimes eh? Good thing I don’t mind dentists, roll on West Brom…

    Oh yeah, and I await the backlash from the Bendtner bashers. Comes with the territory.

  2. I am getting a bit fed up people saying people who boo are not real fans, or the players need time. This is clearly rubbish,I pay 2,600 to watch the arsenal every week and to be honest this season that’s hardly been worth it! I am not so deluded to demand we win silverware every year but what I do demand is some effort
    .
    Most fans could live without winning for a year or 2 more if we actually saw some decent football most weeks but we don’t. We have to watch the team struggle against average teams again!!

    We all know denilson,song,bendtnr eboue etc aint good enough to be in any of the other big teams,

    Every pundit,fan,neutral can see what’s wrong with us except wenger.

    So please tell me if he won’t accept the facts,lies to us in the interviews saying we are 1 percent away. What what else are the fans to do except say away or boo,how else can the fans let the manager and the players know how thet feel???? Can’t thing of anyway…I thought not so lay of the fans!!

  3. But Roma was just a reflection of what we are very capable of delivering.

    Instead, game after game, we are playing below ourselves.

    Could it not be that in the Roma game we played above ourselves? The ‘real’ Arsenal is the one we’ve seen more often this season, yesterday’s Arsenal.

  4. arsenal has lost it. d boys re too yung 2 show clas

  5. There are no more excuses.
    We’ve heard them all on here over the last 6 months from the ‘Arsene Knows Best’ brigade with the latest being ‘it’s not our fault teams come and play 10 men behind the ball.’ And now Fulham come with 2 up front, play football against us & guess what ? We didn’t destroy them ! And Danny Murphy & Dickson Etuhu get the better of Diaby & ‘the best defensive midfielder in the league’.
    Danny fucking Murphy ??? For the 2nd time this season !

    For those who last week kept insisting we’re still definitely going to get 4th……you’re either insane or frighteningly optimistic. Frankly at this rate Everton catching us is far more likely than us catching Villa.

    unbelievably depressing

  6. U know guys, i know the players are not trying their best, but to say arsene made a mistake by leaving bentiner on bench is unbelievable….most of u guys have been asking for velaon the left against a less aggresive side…he did what u guys have been asking for all season and now u are complaining because we did not score….yesteday, diaby tried his best and he did well considering he has been out injured…..

  7. “Could they finally lift the team from this terrible slumber? Could they shake these guys to the core, strip them of some of their ego and cliched as it sounds, take us back to basics?”

    No, it’s completely counterproductive. That’s it.

    The team isn’t absolved of criticism by any means but every misplaced pass from the first minute to the last at the emirates is met with a chrous of groans or patronising tongue clicking. I mean, what fucking effect could that possibly have on the team other than damaging their confidence and their mental approach to any given match? To know that you’re not liked or supported or encouraged by your own fans. Is anybody the least bit surprised by the last ten minutes against Fulham? Not a lack of effort to me, just completely drained of all enthusiasm and unwilling to fight the disapproval of their own crowd.

    I don’t think the players are lazy, but I think they feel that not only do they have to fight against good premier league sides, they have to contend with the weight of expectation of 60,000 fans who would rather show their disapproval than urge their team on. It’s at least understandable to boo at the end of the game (though not something I would ever do), but to get on the team’s back after… well, at any stage in the first half, or at any stage at all really, is just daft. You might think that the team only gets itself up for big games, but surely it can’t be merely coincidence that this is also the case with the fans.

    I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with this team technically or physically, although I think the size of the squad could definitely be boosted in key areas (and January is not the time to do that), I think their form at the moment is absolutely a psychological issue and a psychological issue alone. It is a consideration so often overlooked in sport when analysed by the press and fans. That is partly the coaching staff’s responsibility to try and overcome of course, but are the fans at the Emirates helping at all? No. You may find it bizarre but I am largely convinced that this form is partially (quite a significant part) of our own making. The players want Champions League football. The fans desperately want it too. But what are the home fans doing to try and help make it happen? Nothing. I see far more effort from our players at home than I do from our fans. I also think any neutral can see that our home crowd comes across as a bunch of prissy, unsupportive bitches. Maybe the economy is to blame for that, at our stadium especially, but really couldn’t people put their tickets to better use than brutal castigation of any slight, normal failure. I expect a fairly comfortable win at West Brom away from the cajoling of our own fans. Isn’t that sad?

    I only wish our home fans were as superb as our away fans, a shining example to the rest of the league, who truly seem to understand what this club is about and how to show their support.

    Incidentally, how crappy have our last few Februaries been eh?

  8. i agree with the guy who says if the fans put as much effort into supporting the team as they do throwing there hands up when something goes wrong we would have a fantastic atmosphere in there to lift the side. no need to pay thousends next weekend.
    tickets on general sale for the burnley cup tie from 32.50.
    have the utmost respect for season ticket holders having been one myself thru the whole of the seventies but a bit more noise from everyone would go a long way to helping the team.
    large periods of the game yesterday felt like it was played in a morgue.get behind the team start to finish regardless of oposition

  9. clockendrider

    What has become painfully apparent now is that even dross like Fulham no longer fear coming to Arsenal. They have rumbled, as have the likes of Bolton, Hull and Sunderland that the days of a top quality midfield at Arsenal have gone. They know that by the simple expedient of running and closing down for 90 minutes, they will expose the poor passing technique under pressure of players like Diaby, Denilson, Song and Eboue. Once they would have been faced with Vieira, Edu, Pires and Ljungberg and they could have run around all day and not got near the ball. How are the mighty fallen. The European games are played at a far less frenetic pace with a reduced focus on closing down enabling the current incumbents to look good.
    And the booing is in order when we’re all paying nigh on a grand in the cheap seats and are constantly told how close this team is to dominating. On the evidence of the last month, that really does look to be a porky too far. Our problem is that we now can’t live with Wenger, but we can’t live without him. If he goes, who (of those who would actually merit it) would want the job? No money, the decent players clambering to join Wenger wherever he pitches up next. Doesn’t sound the most appealing position to a Rijkaard, a Capello, a Lippi or a Trappatoni.

  10. After another goalless (soul less?) performance at the Emirates the quesation remains the same; what’s wrong at the Arse?
    The low turn out, particularly for a 3.00 Saturday kick off was perhaps an indicator of where we currently sit, both in terms of aspiration and entertainment. The ability of the Club announcer to say that today’s attendance was over the 60,000 mark without laughing was impressive. But we will get onto bums on seats later.

    since Wenger’s arrival he has had a playing philosophy based on a passing game with dynamism, and certainly with some the players that we have seen at Highbury under Wenger the team have been able to adhere to this philosophy; most notably in our unbeaten Season. However we have seen a squad that, in succession won the league, The FA Cup and reached the Champions League Final, systematically dismantled by Wenger. In such a short space of time we have seen those players replaced by a squad that is over balanced with players that do not have the ability to play the sort of passing game that is Wenger’s mantra.

    Today we saw clearly that Bendtner does not have the touch or pace required. Denilson and Diaby do not have the requisite power to not be dominated by a central midfield pairing of Danny Murphy and Etuhu ( neither of them an Essein, Carrick or Gerard)
    We also saw Eboue actually being played in his correct role, for the first time in i don’t know how long, as Sagna’s back up at right back. Yet Wenger persists in playing him as a wide midfield player. Arshavin, clearly a way off from being match fit was kept on for the full 90 minutes and the other sub we saw lining up was Song. It was clearly a game that we had to, and were expexted to, win, particularly in light of Evertons result earlier yet we did not see any players who looked like they might score, warming up. Where were Wiltshire, Ramsay, Merida? and while we now haven’t scored in 4, Wenger does not make any decisive decisions in a home game against lowly Fulham. It didn’t help that Almunia persisted in taking long goal kicks that went straight back to Fulham as our players failed to win the ball in the air. Yes our back four are not conceding goals at the moment but our full backs are suffering as a result of the lack of ability in midfield to impose themselves. Giving the ball away in midfield is now becomming more than a habit it is becomming standard operating procedure.

    Just as the announcer was lying about the attendance Wenger has been lying to us and to himself about the quality of the starting line ups he routinely puts out. When he says that Almunia is a world class keeper he is wrong. When he says Eboue is a talented player he is wrong. When he says that Bendtner has a great future at the club he is wrong. As wrong as he was when he sold Edu, Diarra, Gilberto and Pires. As wrong as he was when he failed to get Barry or Alonso or Ribery for the matter of a few Euros. As wrong as he is when he tells us to have faith and believe in the quality of the team when he can start with a midfield of Song Eboue Diaby and Denilson. As wrong as he is when he says he would pay £6m for Solomon Kalou yet turn down cash offers for Eboue and Adebayor. As wrong as he is when he sticks with a midfield that neither creates goals or scores goals yet won’t give the younger player, who in his own words are good enough, a chance.

    So is it all doom and gloom? probably not. The role of any supporter is to be there through the different periods a club goes through, however now more than ever is the question of economics going to be a factor? Even though it’s a long way from panic stations, crowds are clearly diminishing at the Emirates. The problem being that the move to the Emirates was based on economics. There was clearly a demand and supply issue. The number of existing season ticket holders and the vast waiting list meant that a larger ground was neccesary to accomodate them and increase revenue (particularly with prices charged on your ‘matchday experience’) What was not taken into consideration was the nature of the product on offer when the new stadium was mooted; attractive, winning football with some of the best players in the world-world cup winners, European champions and genuine stars- battling it out for the title year in year out. That’s what a vast proportion of the ‘new’ fans coming to the emirates where expecting. They haven’t been given what the brochure promised. Like it or not Stadiums nowadays are made up of supporters AND fans. The thing is that fans have better things to do when Arsenal are not playing well, as unpalatable as that is,it is a reality. Are we heading towards a situation where the ground will be half empty thus resulting in lower revenue? If so it will be based on Wenger’s failure to deliver what was promised. It will be a case for many of having taken a beautiful girl home only to find out that she is wearing a padded bra a wig and fake tan.

    The people that run the club seem to be out of touch with the supporters and some of the decision making seems strange.The corporates couldn’t be bothered to come out for half time so the Club responded by stopping the free beer. Some problems over a flag the club responds by banning flags. Attendances are falling so today the club responded by having a free matchday programme on arsenal.com. We may not qualify for the Champions League, how is the club going to respond then? If these decisions are anything to go by Wenger will still be secure in his job.

    Ultimately no one said that supporting the Arsenal was going to be easy and i totally accept that, but what i can’t accept is when i see the erosion of the club out there on the pitch. I’m no expert but most people would agree that we see an eleven men in Arsenal shirts picked by Wenger on a regular basis that are a shadow of an eleven that we were seeing at Highbury only a short time ago. And that’s a fact.

  11. so if booing is wrong, how do frustrated fans express their feelings?
    - by writing to Arsene? or by demanding a refund?
    - booing and leaving early, and not buying any food/drink - that’s the way to express it!

  12. The booing shd not startle AW. He is,in my opinion,too obssessed in buying kids. Last autumn he was hailing his world class youngsters and singled out Wilshire for special mention. What has happened to the kids.If you buy kids and don’t play them,when are they going to get the experience.If you are worried about results then he shd have bought less of them and a few finished products.If money was the the problem,then please dont say he ahas a mt of cash.
    In fact the fans are getting frustated with AW for not having replaced Flamin,hleb and afew others.
    In short the buck stops with him. Maybe he wanted to show what his kids can do especially to the red faced. I think the red faced is too wily to bring in kids all at one go.He knows the competition has heated up compared to 2004. He seems to learn the lesson except AW.

  13. Personally, I think reason that fans boo is maybe aimed more at Wenger than the team. If he’d come out and said ‘Look, because of the new stadium we are potless. We will have to go without competing for a few seasons’ then I, for one, wouldn’t have minded. As long as you are told the truth about a situation, then in my opinion that’s the most anybody can do. However, we are subject to the same crap week in week out from him - ‘We lacked a bit of sharpness’ - ‘We are 1% away’ etc Everyone could see this coming. We leaked Gilberto, Hleb, Diarra and the Flamster and only added Nasri.

  14. We started the season knowing that Cesc had a long long season, Rosicky being the rosicknote that he is and Eduardo with a broken leg, not due til february. Out of these so called 4 match winners, we could only rely on one person for match winning performances. That is also, of course, bearing that Walcott is only 19 and he’s no Messi.

    Knowing this and in addition to the massive central midfielders departures, what did Le Gaffer do? He relied on the likes of Denilson, Diaby, Song, Vela, Bendtner, Eboue and perhaps Ramsey to be able to step up to the plate and do a Flamini. All of these players are simply not ready yet, but rushed in into play a tad too quick (with the exception of Eboue, sorry i’m no hater, but he really sucks balls)

    This in my opinion, was a massive gamble. And this gamble, clearly, didn’t pay off. It was a HUGE mistake. The cost of Wenger’s decision to gamble on these players is a CL spot next season.

    Now the question remains. What will he do in the future? I wouldn’t be slightly suprised if he didn’t do anything. He’ll say something like “This team has shown maturity and are showing signs of progression” which are all utter bollocks. I wouldn’t be slightly suprised too if RvP, Cesc and even Theo left.

    And then we’ll be left with more mediocre players, more underage players who are simply not ready yet. And then we’ll have yet another ‘transition’ season. This could go on and on and on until Wenger stops for a bit and perhaps admit his philosophy isn’t working.

    Sorry for the long comment. I am really frustrated and I just thought I should let it out. Cheers guys

  15. Ashburton Perry

    “The cost of Wenger’s decision to gamble on these players is a CL spot next season.”

    rosicknote, I’d love to disagree with you there. Sadly, I fear you could be proved right.

  16. This feels like the same old flavourless bit of chewing gum has been going round the mouth for a month. Deja vu, really.

    Same old, same old. And I don’t mean West Ham and Sunderland etc this year; I mean the ghost of George Graham is haunting the club.

  17. To all those booers and moaners out there, I say if you’re not happy with your club of choice, please change. I always thought that being a football fan meant that you supported your club through thick and thin. That in times of trouble you encouraged and urged the players on. This still happens with the lesser teams who have die-hard fans. Maybe what we need here is a cull – get rid of all the glory seekers and stick with those fans who are willing to sing, cheer and cajole their team to a win every match.
    More singing, less moaning.
    If you don’t think your season ticket is value for money, don’t renew it next year. Hurrah! I’ll be that much further up the waiting list.

  18. Our majority of our support yesterday was disgraceful, we offer the team next to no encouragement when we need it the most and this has clearly added to the general pressure on a squad already stretched paper thin. If Cesc and RvP decide to piss off in the summer we’ll have ourselves to blame, who’d want to play the last ten minutes of our home games in front of an emptying stadium. And to think we question the players commitment !

  19. Jason,
    You spoke my mind buddy!
    Fans deserve some heart for all the money and lyalty thay have invested in the players!
    Diaby, Eoue, Denilson and Frankly speaking Bendtner all cannnot walk into any of the other top four teams and hold down a reserve place!

    And John,
    that was a hell of an epistle! :)

  20. James-100% spot on.But You know what? Wenger won’t be sacked. Our board will offer him another 4 year contract, because they think that he is the only manager who can take us out of this mess.The funny thing is, that we are in thiss pell-mell/disorder “thanks” to him.

  21. You lot have to relax. You can all see that wenger is trying to build a team of strong youthful, technical, intelligent individua……….. fuck that we played shit yesterday yet again. I swear i fucking hate wenger. I wish we had a owner like roman abramovich because wenger would be out in no time if he were owner.

  22. And now Aston villas winning gaaaaaaaaah fucking hell!!!!!!!!!!!

  23. Well gooodplaya you might as well write the same post you wrote last week. Because today and not for the first time we failed to score another goal. I think our goal this season is making it into Europe. With form we are having we cant make the ucl next season.

  24. bradley tyler

    Ok it’s obvious that booing is not a nice thing to hear on match days, so just as a thought i wonder what effect if every fan stayed away for one game would have, silent but deadly…..

  25. Next season: (i) reintroduce white sleeves, (ii) stop the “say the surname” crap, (iii) get rid of the Elvis song, which is like a hex lullaby, (iv) sell beer and burgers for half price until half an hour before kick off to get people in earlier, (v) let the players warm up in a more ad hoc way so a warmth with the fans can develop pre-match (like the old days - individual & original songs, (vi) name sections of the ground to build fans sense of identity, (vii) if you miss 2nd half kick off you wait on concourse for 15mins (ie. you WON’T be back late too often), (viii) text line to report morons who go “boooo” like a child, (ix) anyone exiting before the final whistle has their card swiped so that their personal lack of commitment can be suitably “rewarded” at the end of the season (ie. membership withdrawn), (x) it is clear to all that things are not well on the field. If I could have just 1 transfer in and 1 out it would be Flamini for Eboue. Finally - our board needs to be planning now for a post-Wenger era, as it’s coming sooner than we realise. I support Arsenal FC, not Arsène FC. The man’s a legend but sadly nothing lasts forever.

  26. I think Glenn Whelan of Stoke has just kept our CL hopes alive. I still think we’ll struggle to catch Villa but I think 8 points would have been too much. Hopefully make Villa lose a bit of momentum too as well as the two points.

  27. i feel like shooting someone now!

  28. [...] A Cultured Left Foot, Goodplaya on booing, and an Arseblog who sounds even sadder than [...]

  29. I won’t go into the debate too much about the chicken/egg motivating effects of effort shown by the fans and the team, but to hear fans constantly moaning about every mistake or bad decision doesn’t half spoil my enjoyment of the game. So as well as going through the ringer of watching what’s going on on the pitch you have to listen to whingeing abuse every time something goes wrong or one of our players doesn’t shoot when they’ve got the ball 25 yards out. It just seems like some people arrive with their minds made up and are waiting for a chance to vent. Maybe it’s fair enough - you buy your ticket so you can have your say - but it certainly isn’t constructive and it doesn’t make the game go any better - for you, those around you and the players on the pitch.

  30. DC: totally agree
    Whether one is in the “Arsene knows” or the “Wenger out” brigade, we all want our club to win and even better win in style.

    When player X or Y misses a pass or a shoot and the stadium echoes of abuses and whistles will that incite him to take more risks and try harder?

    When an opposing team is having a good spell, are boos and moans going to motivate the team to fight harder and regain the offensive more than chants and songs?

    When a player at the Grove has to endure a moaning, whistling and booing crowd week in week out, do you think he will be less or more likely to listen to other clubs offers during the summer?

    Like it or not, we’re all in the same boat. If we want silverware at the end of the season it’s much more likely with a supporting crowd than with a booing one.
    We’re all frustrated, we all want much better for Arsenal and yes some of us have paid a lot of money and feel they should get better return. Supporting the team during the games is the best way to break the cycle and not the other way round.

    GO GUNNERS!

  31. Whatever matt you agree with everybody if they say that aw is not to blame for our misfortunes. Well i cant stand wasting money watching shit day in day out and no goals. Well i for one think it is about time we get a new manger ever since the time we sold Viera everything has gone downhill.

  32. whelan definitely saved us thats for sure. But what makes you think arsenal wont have another draw next time they play. Besides theres no one i see that looks like providing the goals for us.

  33. How ever are we going to get players ito Garth Crooks’ team of the week with lame performances like that?

  34. Ill bet if the Arsenal played in front of the 10.000 fans that actually go to the Emirates to CHEER AND SUPPORT the team on they would have taken at least 6 points instead of 3 points from the 3 last home games.

  35. Great points by stevus.
    Our home shirt looks like a Man u shirt.
    The Elvis songs sucks.
    The way the team is annouced over the tannoy makes me cringe every time.
    The identity of our club has slowly been eroded.
    20 years ago being a performance like yesterdays would not have drawn boo’s
    There would have been a few groans around the ground for every mis-placed pass and the old Highbury crowd did have their quiet moments but would normally rouse.
    Right now we just aint good enough. It aint the end of the world
    We do not have the god given right to finish in the top 4
    If you have a problem with that fuck off and support another team
    I love my team and will support them always.
    Arsenal are a progressive club. So if we fail to qualify for the CL and win fuck all I expect the club to address what went wrong and deal with it.

  36. Well said 80 Gooner!

  37. Old Git: Kalou just stated he would love to play for Wenger. We just got Arshavin.

    Now which players are looking forward to be booed after every miss?

  38. @Ashburton Perry

    I’d love to be wrong. I’ll have no problems whatsoever eating a slice of humble pie. But evidently we are heading into that direction…

  39. goonalegend87

    Some good points and some i dont agree with but hey everyone has an opinion. A comment earlier made me think of the film groundhog day in which bill murray lives the same day over and over again, tries different things gets arrested, kills himself, and finally ends up changing the day for the better and himself.

    My point in mentioning this is because the recent arsenal games are like grounshog day same shit over and over again. Bill murray perservered and eventually corrected the day. Can arsenal do it? Well seeing as watching the same thing over and over again in 90 mins is entertaining, thats a film its less entertaining when that 90 mins is repeated over and over again. I think i’d much rather watch the film over and over again than the arsenal failing to take their chances in a game

    Though if someone offfered me arsenal keeping 9 cleans sheets and 6 consectively since the turn of the year i would have bitten thee hand off only for them to reveal that it was at the cost of scoring goals! I am always positive and although not against west brom away i am still lokking orward to the match. I never lose faith i just live in the continued hope arsenal will come good this season. So shoot me. Come on u gunners!

    P.s. Stoke have saved us from bein 8 points clear only time will tell if we can take these oppurtunities. After yesterdays game that is lucky but luck won’t be with us for long in terms of aston villa’s form, luck certainly aint with us in the goals scoring department.

  40. I was pretty happy with the lineup. I really really wanted to see Vela, Arshavin, RVP, and Nasri operating together. For some reason it just didn’t come off. I am disappointed but it’s not all that bad. Villa gave us a break. Eduardo and Walcott alone will transform the way we play. Think of the mix of RVP, Eduardo, Nasri, Walcott and Arshavin. That’s clinical finishing from Eduardo and pace pace pace from Walcott. Radical difference between that team and yesterday’s. We’re not even talking about Cesc or Rosicky at this point.

    Keep faith. We can pip Villa to the 4th spot and next year we’re going to have a scoring version of a three ring circus.

  41. Aston Villa did an Arsenal. They conceded 2 late goals to Stoke. Now the gap still remains 6 points.

    I think Villa are suffering a dip in form, and I think this is the PERFECT time for us fans to get behind our team.

    COME ON GUNNERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  42. I waited 10 years for a season ticket, that chance to watch Arsenal every week!! Perfect stadium, perfect pitch….just wish I could say the same about the team. Quite clearly there is potential there BUT I think the players are far too comfortable. They just turn up…and thats it. Theres no competition for places and the players know that…hence the lack of effort and determination. I wish to point out that Gallas, Kolo and Nasri have been superb and never lacked determination. Adebayor in my mind has been absolutely useless this season and it pains me to see that Wenger just doesnt drop him…i feel we look better without him. Hopefully we get a bid for him in the summer and cash in on him…very much a one season wonder. Im sure theres a certain spanish guy that scored against England the other week, who happens to be friends with our captain who would jump at the chance to come and play for Arsenal. Bendtner is definately not the answer…I expect him to leave in the summer…the boy just doesnt cut it in my mind. Looking forward to seeing Eddie back again…that might give adebayor a kick up the back side. Still we’re not out of the race for fourth place but we might want to look behind us with Everton going well!!
    Bring on the baggies…we gotta score sometime!!
    Up the arse

  43. I feel that BOOING is fine. It is regardless of whether the fans are paying 1 or 1000 pounds for the seat. They should be able to feed back to the management and players how they feel and what they expect from the club. When we played well, cheers are to be expected; so when they continuingly played below their shift, they should be told. I am sure if we perform badly in our respective jobs, our bosses and clients will react accordingly.
    Eboue was booed. He has changed, a little, putting in more effort than most players, other than his attitude.
    I think that positive booing helps. To me what happened over the weekend is positive. I hope the management and players know that they needed to play better, or at least try their very best, in their next outings.

  44. Tosin you are a wanker, tosser and cretin all rolled into one disgusting package.

  45. Stevus (1 March 2009 at 5:48 pm) - excellent post.

    Dress it up to be a bit more diplomatic and send it to the Club.

  46. Well said Stevus. I agree with virtually all your points, but doubt if any of them will be implemented. It’s all part of the blindness to the things going wrong that is inflicting our poor club these days.
    Although I do not agree with booing, it was almost understandable on Saturday and I had to choke back the inclination to join in. If our lads had given 100% for 90 minutes, you can say ‘Ah well, we did try’. The underlying cause for so much unrest among the fans is that there is just not enough effort to compliment the undoubted skill in the squad. This season we are missing the ‘Flamini’ effect when his energy & determination rubbed off on the rest of the team.
    I must take issue with Goodplaya who in his Playa Ratings says of Clichy ‘lacks nothing for effort’. However he was one I was particularly unhappy with on Saturday and watched his actions off the ball. He once lost the ball upfield and Fulham broke away. Did he race back to help his under pressure defence; no he turned and strolled back at walking pace. This indicated to me a lack of spirit withing the team and that can only be laid at the manager’s door.
    Wenger’s biggest mistake this season was not to sign an adequate replacement for the Flamster. I object to the crowd in a way being blamed for the poor performances; which came first rubbish football or boos

  47. What a load of tripe and snot dragon. This bloody lot of loafers should be shit on. They should be booed shouted at and, frankly, dropped off the bridge into the Thames.

  48. Chicago Gooner

    Another game where we were killed in central midfield, which has been a problem all season. I don’t care how good our wingers are, if we are getting killed in the middle, there is no flow to the game. During the summer when the rumors started about a Torsten Frings transfer to Arsenal, I thought he would have been able to take us back into contention, but alas we relied on Denilson and Song, they are just pups that can’t control the defensive midfield. I would like to see Wegner take a risk and put Toure there, what do we have to lose now?

  49. Chicago Gooner, there’s a very simple reason we were never, ever, ever going to buy Frings. He’s 31. And unfortunately to Wenger that would mean blocking a youngster’s development. To everyone else though it meant we’d written off our title chances before the season started.
    I guess the big question now is simple : is Wenger more concerned about being viewed by the football world as the world’s greatest developer of young talent than he is about Arsenal winning trophies ?
    If next summer he refuses - again - to spend big on a quality central midfield hardman to partner Cesc then we have our answer & another season of scrapping for 4th/5th/6th awaits. If that happens I think it’ll be time for him to go. And it really pains me to say that.
    It really is such a shame because there is an unbelievable level of talent in this squad; in most positions the equal of any other club - including Man Utd. But if your central midfield is as poor as ours the rest is sadly irrelevant.

  50. I never have and never will boo an Arsenal team but I guess fans can boo at the end if they got behind the boys during the game. Sadly they dont ..if we had 60,000 screaming like you get at anfield or everton or Newcastle.. or even down the road.. we would be much better off. Blame the team but the fans CAN be the 12th man.. ours dont turn up!

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