By Walter Broeckx
When Tony started this blog he was doing it mostly because he had enough of the stream of negativity that surrounded the blogosphere around Arsenal and Arsène Wenger. He wanted to balance it a bit with this blog that since then has supported Wenger in what he has been doing for this club.
This blog has shown the problems we faced when building the Emirates, when moving to the Emirates, when adapting to the Emirates. And it also has highlighted that we had to do this on our own. No rich American owners who promised a lot but most of all delivered a lot of debt on some of their clubs. Or rich Russians who got the chequebook out and paid lots of money for all the superstars of the moment in order to win the Champions League. In which they have failed thus far. Or Arab millionaires who wave around their money as if it is monopoly money and also buying all the money greedy players on this planet that don’t give a thing about the colour they are playing in as long as they get the most money each week. Oh and even with spending all that money even Manchester Sheiky couldn’t qualify for the Champions League.
On this site most of the writers AND COMMENTERS saw the bigger picture of things. And we should be happy about the fact that many Arsenal fans are also able to see this bigger picture of things. Maybe it is time to say thanks to all of you who comment with such well thought replies to what we are trying to say.
How ever we cannot be blind for the fact that there are other people on the internet. People who want us to win now. For the moment I am not going to call them fans from other teams who just are trying to bring unrest to our fans. I am willing to believe that they are real Arsenal fans but that they are people who are impatient and want us to win a trophy today and so I will call them the impatient fans. They disagree with the youth project which in their eyes has failed for 5 years now. A youth project that is only starting to bear its fruits if you look at the fact that players like Wilshere and Gibbs look to have made the needed step up. Players like JET, Frimpong who are very close to do the same. But for those impatient fans it doesn’t go fast enough.
Those fans want us to buy players without trying to give that fine young prospect the chance of becoming a better player. If we would have let them have it their way we would have sold Song long time ago. Or even have given him away to any team that would take him. Now those people are asking, impatiently: “when will Song be back”. If we would have bought Melo like they had insisted we would have been first in the red cards table maybe last season and we never would have seen how Song developed in to a very important player and possible one of the best defensive midfielders in the coming seasons.
Many of the impatient fans have been asking Wenger to be sacked. They blame him for everything that went wrong. I think we all know what those impatient fans have been saying the last years: “he has lost it, he knows nothing, he is filling his pockets, blah, blah and more blah”. You can even read it here on this blog every now and then. They all hoped that the board would throw him out or that they wouldn’t give him a new contract.
Since Saturday however there is no doubt anymore. Arsène Wenger will be our manager for at least another 4 years. The board has underlined the fact that they are on the same wavelength as our manager and want the approach that we have started many years back when they knew we were facing a difficult time ahead will be continued.
This approach is based upon building our own superstars from kids age up and only adding to the squad when needed and nothing could be found in our own youth to fill up the gap. Wenger’s wet dream some have called it but it turns out to be the wet dream of the board also.
So here we have it in the open and clear for all who want to see it. This is not just a solo project from our manager. No the board is fully supporting it and want it to continue. Whatever the thoughts might have been in the past, this is now the Arsenal way. This is our way. And this will not be liked by the impatient fans.
At times we have been called AKB (Arsène knows best)-people. They have said to us that we only support the manager in person and what would we do if the manager would walk away? What would we do? Still support the club or follow the manager to wherever he goes? They threw it at us and wanted us to look like bad Arsenal supporters. We didn’t support the club, we supported the manager was their opinion. They made it look as if we are not real supporters of the club. They were the only true fans of the club and we were just Arsène Wenger fans.
But now it seems that the manager and the board of our club support each other and have the same goal and the same approach to reach that goal. In fact it is now clear to see that those who have been supportive to Wenger are the one that support the long term vision of the club, not just the vision of the manager. By offering him a new contract and by Wenger signing it they have told the fans: you can say what you want, you can think what you want, but this is the road we have taken en the road we will follow together. In fact it looks like that the way to look at things this site has always taken, is about the same way that the board is looking at things. And as the board (like it or not) is the owner of Arsenal and it is the board that is deciding on the direction of the club, it looks that we on here are the real followers of the club. And it seems that we are not “just Wenger fans” as they have accused us.
So for those impatient fans it must not have been a pleasant news that Arsène Wenger signed an extension to his contract. And then the questions comes up: What will they do? Will they still support the club now knowing the way it is going? Will they walk away now it is clear that the club is going further in this road? Or will someone of them buy all the shares, impatient as he/she is and do it in another way?
I think this is a time in the history of our club that some fans will have to think about being a supporter or not. Are they supporters of Arsenal with all what it represents and for the moment this is the Wenger + board approach, or are they Arsenal fans who only think about winning things and if possible today. A real supporter would choose for staying a supporter and supporting the club and the players. Someone who only want to win things will have other options if he wants to.
But to answer the question they have been throwing at me in the past: I would have stayed an Arsenal fan if Wenger would leave us. I have been an Arsenal fan since long before Wenger came along. I admit, I became also a Wenger fan for what he has brought us and for the way he has kept us at the top in those difficult years. But no matter what if Wenger leaves I will stay an Arsenal fan. So the question is, will the impatient fans stay Arsenal supporters if Wenger stays? And he does stay.
So time to choose: support the club and support the players and the road we are going, like it or not. Or you could leave and call it a day. But don’t complain if at the end of this decade or so the Arsenal supporters who have supported not only the club but also the board and the manager appear to have chosen the right path. Let’s do it our way, The Arsenal Way! And let us show some pride because we have the courage to choose another way. It takes courage and a brave man to go on new paths.
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andy1886
Actions and results…yup, I agree with that!
In the same week that Nicholas Anelka got a big ban from International football, it’s nice to see the first batch of graduates from the academy he paid for, make their own international debut’s.
I also liked the ‘result’ that is Arsenal’s new CB signing. Maybe they’ll be a few more in the window, lets hope if there are, that they are as good as the others.
BTW, As an initial sceptic (I can’t help it!) it was good to see Kos make a promising debut on Sunday. I admit to being concerned, but it looks like Arsene has unearthed another diamond.
Let’s try not to put too much pressure on the youngsters yet though (some of the hype has been a bit OTT), give them time, forgive a few mistakes, and let them adjust. Yes, they could turn out to be amazing talents, or they could ‘do a Bentley’ (remember the hype a few seasons back?). I’m sure Arsene will be sensible enough to manage their transition, balanced with sensible signings.
The baying for his blood is not about sacking Wenger for the sake of it but for the fact that every year since we moved into the Emirates, the board have repeatedly said that Wenger has x amount of money to spend if he so wishes! Now my gripe with this is that the man has not even spent a fifth of this money which I believe is carried over every year and more added to it! Or am I wrong in this assumption?
No one is denying he is a good manager but lots of opprtunities have been missed on players that we could have got or even kept had he not been miserly in his outlook in all things. Think on these things Tony and be not too myopic when you castigate these fans who rightly or wrongly call for Wenger’s head. I am happy he signed despite being one of those who have lost some patience with his stubborness however he needs to deliver some trophies after 5 years of barrenness and to show for the reasons why we moved to the Emirates in the first instance.
I am a Nigeria, i fell in love with Arsenal while growing up amongs other clubs in england. Nobody can tell me that this is the Arsenal fell in love with. Lot has changed. I do not think if it was like this i would have fell in love with it, but Arsenal is alreadly a club after my heart, i will surport till i die.
It seems to have escaped some peoples notice that there has been a World wide recession,or have the Ostriches decided that Arsenal are immune to such trivialities
Ondgooner – yes, the board have said that there is money to be spent “if the right player is found”. That translates, in accounting speak, to “we dont really have that kind of money laying around, but if absolutely necessary and if the manager is absolutely adamant then we could all send a collection tray around and rustle up 30million if need be. However we dont really want to spend that money”.
Rather than focusing on what was or wasnt said to the media (and of course clubs always lie to the media) you should instead focus on the accounts of the club. There you would clearly see how much money the club have been able to spend each summer. It is there in clear numbers. It doesnt lie.
And once you see the accounts you can see that it is only in the past year or so that the money has truly begun to flow into the club from the move to the new stadium. And yes, Arsene Wenger now has money to spend. But having money to spend and finding the right player to buy are two different things. After all, Barcelona had 30million to spend this summer on an attacking midfielder named Cesc Fabregas.
Or are you advocating that the club spend money simply for the sake of it, even if they are not 100% convinced that the player is right for Arsenal? If that is the case, then I am very glad that people like you are not in charge of things at our club.
Great piece as always.
But question I ask my self, what in fact is “supporting” your team. Even I have my opinion (which is not far from yours if not similar), but lets forget what board & Wenger doing last 13 years, and who ever is “head” in Arsenal.
Point is in support, you love colors of your team, you love million things which stand for that team.
Once you start thinking about, what would be good to change in team, you cant set limits anymore. Why than we cant ask colors to be changed in Pink. Why cant we ask to be called “Ministry of silly walks FC”. Why John Cleese cant be our manager?
No one is blind here, and we all see where holes are, but in Board there are people who represent past of team I fall in love with, people who represent present of team I love, and people who represent future of team my kids will love. So I believe they are much more able and skilled to see what is good and what is bad for team than me, and that their decisions are right.
And they believe in vision of Wenger, why should I question it? What are my credentials to spit on everything ?
I’m from India and a football lover. Unlike most of you, I started following Arsenal closely only after their move to Emirates stadium. At that time, I was a great fan of Henry. But once Henry left, the only reason that kept me an Arsenal fan was Lord Wenger. It is the brand of football that we were playing kept me glued to televisions even at wee hours. So I should say, i became an Arsenal fan because of Arsene Wenger. But after following this club now for 3 to 4 seasons now I feel arsenal flowing in my blood. Arsenal has become an addiction to me.
Will be a gooner for ever. In Wenger I trust.
Personally I have no problem with those who wish to express an alternative view. My problems are as follows:
1. It is rare that there is any reasoned and/or thoughful analysis of what alternative course should be taken (I should say that I think some of the people on Le Grove actullay do put forward some pretty cogent alternative arguments but they are a minority)
2. Much of the so called criticism is little more than abuse. This is what makes me wonder about some of the comments appearing lately suggesting fans from other clubs are adopting this tactic in an attempt to undermine the Arsenal project.
3. If people really are as upset and emotional as some of the comments suggest why don’t they get up off their fat arses and do something about it. Call a meeting, get a petition going or perhaps even threaten go on hunger stike outside the ground until a £80 million signing arrives.
Anyway – just my view.
GTID
l’m sorry but l think u’ve missed d point. IT’s not a question of how good Wenger is cos we know he’s brilliant. No one is asking 4 £20m signing. We are asking him 2 merely show d desire 2 win titles, which l’m sure we all want. I can never 4give him 4 sticking with Silvestre, Almunia & refusing 2get a striker when RVP was out. He built a title winning squad in 2007, destroyed them & began afresh over & over again. He is 2 determined 2 win things his way, which shows he isn’t interested in winning. SACK HIM..
To Paul C: Far from it as I would never advocate spending over the odds for players we could ill afford! My concern in terms of missed opportunities are in the following examples: Diarra was allowed to leave for £5M and how much is he worth now? yaya Toue was with us for trials but wenger wouldn’t sign him and when he tried to a couple of years ago, the player was no longer within our financial reach! Shay Given thought he had joined Arsenal some 2 or 3 years ago only to be disappointed, but can we afford him now? Reina was a snip at £6M and guess how much Arsene was prepared to pay for him some days ago if recent paper talk is to be believed? You cannot on the one hand bemoan our finances and have less than average players when you let quality slip through your graps when they were within your financial means on the other!! He has been an excellent manager for us, no doubting that but now and again his obstinacy has somewhat clouded his judgement on more than a few occasions to the detriment of the team and our chances of celebrating winning silverware at the end of err.. the 5th season! Be accomodating of him but also be intelligibly reflective & realistic of what could have been had he…..
I have never read a blog that articulate the issue of supporting Arsenal as this one. It represents the entirety of my deductions as an Arsenal fan. The board has chosen a direction for the club that in their wisdom, they see as the best way forward. They have a long term vision for the club. They want Arsenal to be here and doing fine 50 years from now. To achieve this, they see that there is a need not to send the club into the kind of debt that is sinking many clubs today. Providence brought a manager that buys the idea and is walking along the same.
Simply put, Arsenal is not, and does not intend to become a splash-the-cash club. They believe in developing young talents into stars rather than going into spending tantrum.
The question every Arsenal supporter needs to ask him/her self is – how did you become a supporter? Was it after they won a trophy that you joined the band wagon? Did you become a supporter because it is your family tradition? Did you become a supporter because of a conviction? I believe the proper and most enduring way to become a supporter is to do so out of conviction. That conviction should come after you study the philosophy of the club and you assent to it. If after you acquaint yourself with the philosophy of the club you do not agree with it and you just cannot bring yourself to accepting it, then you should better quit.
The truth is that Arsenal is not basically a player buying club but a player developing club. They will only buy what is needed that is not available from the youth set up. As a fan, (or so called) if this is unacceptable to you, then you better jump ship and go join Man City.
I normally laugh at those that are calling for the sack of Wenger. This is far from any possibility. In a recent ranking, he was rated as the second most secure manager in the premiership behind Ferguson. In my opinion, I think Ferguson should come after him. There is perfect agreement between him and the board about the way the club should be run. The chance of him getting the boot is remote. Forget the idea and watch out in a few season when the Wenger philosophy comes to fruition and other clubs that have almost squander their futures begin to sink like the famous titanic.
ondgooner: You shouldn’t dwell over missed opportunities. Sure there are some players we could have signed and would have made a contribution to our club. But it is impossible to get it right with every single player out there. There are probably hundreds of fotballers who have failed trials and play in League 2 and what not. It is easy to slate Wenger afterwards. Arsenal have won a trophy every 13 years during it’s history. If it wasn’t for Wenger we wouldn’t be where we are. I can wait longer for a trophy, can you? He is staying another 4 years and the board wouldn’t sack him in a million years, it is better and easier to learn too live with it. Slating him isn’t helping anyone. Every person makes mistakes
To Fedda: Of course I am willing to support him, which I even alluded to in my write up as him being an excellent manager, but now and again the frustration becomes unbearable having to spend hundreds of pounds each season just to witness also-rans when at the back of ones mind it could be a lot better! Let’s hope we do something special this year and I have the feeling we just might if the right pieces are in place to complete the jigsaw. I.e. one more quality CB, a GK and a striker. Yes another striker as the ones we have are prone to lots of injuries.
Ondgooner – sorry, but the examples of players that you use hardly fill me with any confidence as to your ability to assess talent. Diarra is a decent player, nothing more. We actually ended up getting 11million for him (after his sell-on clause was invoked, AW insists that there is always a sell-on clause on every transfer) which to me is excellent business. He couldnt break through into Chelsea’s team, and he couldnt break into our team. I thought he was one of the weak links to Real Madrid’s side last season every time I saw them play. His passing is AWFUL, and AW places kind of a high premium on passing.
Yaya Toure lost his place in the Barcelona team to Busquets!!!! If City are willing to pay 25million for him then that is their business. I think he is one of most overrated players in world football.
Why oh why does everyone make Given out to be a superman? I think he is an average ‘keeper. He makes a ton of mistakes. His reputation has been helped by the fact he has been on poor teams but the moment a decent young ‘keeper (Joe Hart) comes along he is dropped from the side.
Reina. Hmmm. Reina. Is that the same Reina who threw the ball in his own net on Sunday? And dont believe the press when they say we offered a certain amount of money for him. Reina makes a lot of mistakes as well.
See, you call Given, Toure, Diarra, and Reina “quality” players and intimate that they are better than what we currently have. I dont agree with that at all. I do not think they are any more than decent players. I certainly dont think Given is any better than Almunia at all. Reina, yes maybe he is better than Almunia now, but when Liverpool signed him nobody knew about him. Benitez benefited from his Spanish background to sign him. Toure and Diarra? Nah. I’d always pick Song over those two.
I think AW was absolutely right in those cases, with the only proviso being that nobody predicted Reina would turn out to be a consistently excellent ‘keeper.
Interesting… OK, I sometimes read this blog among others as there are times when you guys write with good rationality and intelligence and indeed passion (Arsenal is a club to be passionate about, but then I’m biased). But there are other times like this, that I think you sort of, well, I guess come over all religious. Been reading Dawkins God Delusion, and some of the things you wrote here seem to be of the same ilk – such as twisting or distorting perspectives to ‘vindicate’ your faith (i point to your comment of the board also believing in Wenger’s policy, thereby proving they as owners of the club are who we should support (of course they would, he is good business) oh and who was that owner of Newcastle? He did’nt seem to get on too well with the fans – should they have left??). Sorry, dont wanna harp on about that kind of stuff, but I hope you get my drift.
I ALSO like Wenger. Alot. Have done since he ushered in a new era of play as well as integrity and responsibilty, and a few years back, some of our most successful times. But that doesn’t mean I always agree with him. Generally yes I would defer to his better judgement, but to say that anyone who comes close to leveling a criticism of his recent transfer policy as being, ‘an impatient’ Arsenal fan who maybe should pack it in and not support anymore comes across as rather self absorbed and a little closed off from other meaningful perspectives. Arguing about football is a wonderful thing, but annihilation of others views is not. Please, continue to write good informative blogs, but please don’t get too carried away. Truth is most Arsenal fans, AND Wenger fans have recognised gaps in the current vision which has been of a defensive nature. Yes, Song has been great and a good indicator of youth investment, but this does not vindicate that it will come good all over the park. We need defensive cover to match that of the other big 3, (or 4), we need not just a great shot stopper but a commanding figure in the box. Yes yes, I’m sure there are a million reasons why we have still not got that, and I really would love to see the continued development at the club prosper with silverware this year. But I dont see it happening without some serious investment. I like Wenger, but I would love to see this – should I stop supporting because I have an alternative view to yours? Well – whatever you think I will continue to support, but will also listen to other views.
Sorry long email, but its late and I felt bored
Come on the Arsenal!
Rich
based on the most comments above and the article, it seems arsenal now are more on youth development rather than finding finish product-new path..as for financially, it is still limited by the new stadium..sometimes i think all this just an excuse for not winning any trophy but it just my bad thinking..i hope i’m wrong but this season will not be so much different from years before..fabregas has hinted the possibility of departure..but we have wilshere, nasri and rosicky if he go..i make my decision not to hope so much this year..but if i’m wrong it will be an Utopian dream come true..
i also notice some of the fans who are regularly post their opinion(with facts) last season regarding Arsenal policy are not in this blog anymore..so IMHO, this blog is suggesting that the stability is more important than winning trophy which is good and not good for football depend on our own perspectives. till then lets hope arsenal wins against blackpool by a large margin goal scoring..say 5-1 :p
I have formed my opinion of the blog world as “Make your point in a few sentences or write a piece so we can comment on it.” The point is my attention span is very limited so make your point and be done with it! Tony is not adverse to publishing good sound articles relavent to Arsenal…. But, as a constant reader and supporter of this site I would appreciate short, concise, and powerful points in agreement with this blog’s guidelines.
Finsbury- Ivan Gazidis is the Arsenal CEO but he isn’t what Arsenal is. Neither is Arsene Wenger. Though i love and respect Arsene Wenger, he isn’t the what Arsenal is. Gazidis and Wenger are temporary. But Arsenal is forever. Infact, we have been fans of Arsenal for a longer time than both Wenger and Gazidis. Thats why we have to first support the club and then the persons associated. And Gazidis is just an employee. His first task is to make profit for the Board of Directors. And a Fans first wish is that Arsenal should win the title. thats why we have different opinions. You will look at the profits that Gazidis is making for the club. But whats the use of such profits if its not utilised?? And now our Stadium debt is almost gone, so we dont have to be stringent anymore.
this is the best article for all to all yhose who purpote to be arsenal supporters we chose this road and we will follow it till we achieve what we have been yearning 4.to those who cant support the club you can move on to other clubs man city has bought alot of big names what did they get against the spuds?
I reckon if you don’t like the views of other Arsenal fans then you should jump ship and go support another team!
The above ridiculous statement is every bit as valid as the points you make in the article.
The fans are what make Arsenal, not the board and not the manager.
George and Farland Gooner – you make me sick. your support isnt needed or wanted you plastic, prawn sandwich w*kers
Sometimes I get the impression that Arsenal had won the league every season until Wenger arrived. But I guess we didn’t. Chelsea didn’t either. I think some of their fans had been waiting for 50 years. So I could do with 5. Football’s changed and so have Arsenal. I’ll cherrish the feeling of once again being champions, one day.