Priceless.
Printable View
I think Arshavin's point refers mainly to the ambivalent prawn sandwich lot, whereas the gripe Wenger has had before concerns the bellends that actively get on the team's back by booing at HT or FT or calling Theo a cunt and what not. The latter is still raucous, it's just raucously being a rubbish fan.
I don't judge anything on how much noise is made. I think it's common for away fans to dominate at a lot of big club's grounds. It's not just us who attract tourists. And people are paying to be there; if they don't want to chant or whatever, that's their right. I'm referring to getting on the back of players and with social media now it has made it much easier for fans to be heard. That's obviously what Wenger is talking about too. e.g. Ramsey was obviously feeling the effects of the fans getting on his case. At the ground and off it, he was well aware of the stick he was getting and he also had to quit twitter for a year because of the abuse his own fans were giving him. This was a young lad of 21 who had missed a year through a broken leg and at no point was seen to be lazy or unmotivated, despite the poor performances. If he becomes a top player in a season or two and wants to leave, I couldn't really blame him.
More generally, it seems to be a cultural thing. Liverpool are going through a relatively barren spell given their history too. And I think it might've been MS who pointed out how most of their ex-player pundits are at the other extreme of bias and positive support and thinking they're still the bestest team around. With us, it seems most of our ex-players can't wait to stick the knife in. Some genius from a paper thought asking a footballer his political views on who should play for England was a good idea. Jack says, 'English players should play for England' and then it's a media shitstorm and again many Arsenal fans couldn't wait for the opportunity to have a go. Suarez racially abuses a player and tries to engineer a way out of the club, and still his own fans supported him through all that. I'm not saying we should be like Liverpool fans and back players and the team even if they do scummy things, but there's a middle ground that we are nowhere near IMO. I think both sets of supporters are at two extremes. I'm not the moral arbiter and I'm guilty too, but that's my view. Can take or leave it.
I don't think these are problems unique to Arsenal. Spurs have been utter shit for years, a couple of decent seasons and already you can hear the mutters of discontent at half time if they're not winning. Fans are massively fickle and get easily spoilt.
I actually think Arsenal fans at the ground are pretty good. Too quiet, sure, and of course there are vocal frustrations as there always will be. Those are generally followed by encouragements though and generally I think Arsenal fans who go to games have been massively patient with some players who are earning #shitloads (which is part of the problem - a complete disconnect from modern players, long gone are the days when players are local boys made good who are earning good but not silly amounts of money) and delivering very little.
Social media doesn't help of course. Players and fans are on different planets in some ways these days but in others are closer than ever because of things like Twitter which allows them to shout at each other in person, from the safety of a keyboard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlWZdBsUYJA#t=45
Almunium, what an awful goalkeeper. :coffee:
:haha:
Bale had one like that last season, but this is by far alot funnier :lol: