Thank U Steve…. Many of us, including me on occasions, have been quick to comment on how those that have followed the team in recent times have been extremely spoilt by what they have witnessed and as a result have become almost arrogant when we are not at our all dominating best.
I believe the vast majority of us true Gooners feel exactly like Steve. Football is about opinions yes but just occasionally we all should think long and hard before expressing them.
This is Steve’s message:
It’s very, very hard — especially since I’m stuck in California until the fall of ‘08 — not to try keeping up with Arsenal by reading whatever’s available on the Internet.
I’ve learned two things:
1. Almost all the dozens of blogs supposedly “tuned in” to all the doings at Arsenal provide information that is useless at best and idiotic at worst.
Arsène is going to walk out on the Club because David Dein was forced to leave. Henry therefore is headed to Barca or Inter or some other place.
William Gallas has “ripped” the young players at the Club. Or to quote a headline in the Mirror: There’s “Mayhem at Arsenal.”
It’s rubbish.
As for summer activity, I’ve begun counting and there are reports - supposedly verified by “solid” sources - that Arsenal will dump at least 11 players from the current squad. And Wenger, assuming he doesn’t quit, either has no transfer budget - or he has 40 million quid, depending on which of these hacks you read.
It’s not even June, when players can be signed, and we’ve been “linked” with at least 23 players — and those are just the ones I’ve counted.
Ha.
Sheer nonsense, and all fed happily to the public because the Gunners had a “disastrous” season, because Wenger has “lost the plot” and needs to go or because Arsenal are clearly about to become a “mid-table club that is sinking fast.”
I can’t read this junk anymore, and so I won’t.
2. It’s been easy to identify real supporters as opposed to the fair-weather ones who apparently think that because AW has produced so many great teams playing spectacular football for a decade, the man ought to be shot for finishing fourth in the Premiership.
I can’t tell you how many bloggers — claiming to be loyal Gooners — are demanding a change in managers, or the folly of moving to a new stadium, or the immediate sale of Henry for a large bag of scones or whatever we can get.
Besides the obvious stupidity of most of their suggestions, these “supporters” prove every day that they are not fans worthy of the name.
They’re disgusted with the antics of Eboue, they’re positive Lehmann is mad and has lost his game, Hleb is a dithering fool, Cesc is just a cute little passer who can’t help on defence, Adebayor couldn’t hit the net if were standing alone three feet away, Rosicky is so lightweight that he can’t handle the rough stuff of English football, Gallas doesn’t even give an effort, Hoyte lacks the talent to play in the Premiership, Theo is too young and/or overrated, Diaby makes loose passes and has no clue about proper offensive play, we can’t defend, we can’t score — and of course Wenger is so far past it that he doesn’t even notice.
You think I’m joking, believe me, this is what I have read!
It’s amazing, reading this rubbish, that we finished fourth in the world’s toughest league, that we nearly won the Carling Cup with a bunch of kids, that when things looked bleakest we got the big wins we needed — including a comeback victory over our supposed bogey team, Bolton.
What are these people seeing? Are they truly supporters?
This kind of stuff makes me sick.
I fell in love with Arsenal Football Club a little over 10 years ago, and they are my Club — win or lose.
In fact, when I first fell head over heels with the Gunners, I didn’t even KNOW how good they were. I was smitten with Highbury, with the style of play, with the class of Arsenal.
And so I enjoyed the great ride, the Premership titles, the FA Cups, the “double” seasons — and of course the remarkable ride all the way to Paris for the Champions League Final.
Now, after all that time, we have ONE season in which the Club is wracked by injury — most notably to Henry and van Persie, leading to several MONTHS without our two first-choice strikers — and the fake supporters are jumping off the ship.
One of the few good things about being so far away from Britain is that ALL the Arsenal games are televised in America if you get a special TV set-up, which I did. And I watched every game, even though all the day games started at 7 or 8 a.m. here in California.
I work nights since I run the sports department of a morning paper, so setting the alarm for 6:30 a.m. when you’ve worked into the wee hours is no easy thing.
But I was there, diving at every tackle, leaping for every save, flinging pillows when a good chance hits the post and all the rest of it.
Some of the results were disappointing, but only in context of what Arsenal has done over the past decade.
Our fair-weather fans babble on about how we’ve fallen so far behind Man United — a team which went THREE seasons with no silverware (and which we defeated twice this year.) They grouse about Chelsea’s wonder team — built on the back of unlimited amounts of money and stuffed into a club that hadn’t won a thing in 50 years.
Some have the gall to say we’ve obviously fallen behind Spurs — the new “hot young team” in the Premership — despite the fact that they haven’t beaten us in the past 18 attempts, even our youngsters took them apart in the League Cup or they haven’t won the league for 46 years!
Total and ridiculous rubbish!
What I hope more than anything is that us true supporters don’t buy into this idiotic tripe.
No, we are NOT ordained by God to storm back and win three trophies next year. I firmly believe we’ll be an excellent side which plays exciting football and terrifies opponents, but nothing is guaranteed and that’s OK.
Arsenal are my Club and all I suggest as we wait impatiently for August and a new season — is that everyone ignores what’s written in the rags and spouted by the anti-Arsenal crowd on TV. Alan Hansen, a well respected pundit, can keep his suggestions you can beat the Gunners by “giving them a good kicking.”
I feel honoured to have seen our wonderful Club at Highbury — and now at the fabulous new Emirates Stadium, which will guarantee a massive flow of income forever.
I’ve sung and cheered and screamed and I will be absolutely, steadfastly loyal to Arsenal — win or lose.
Ignore the naysayers. We are SO lucky to support this amazing Club.
Up the Arsenal!”
