I find myself in a state of conflict.
I am ecstatically happy about results and the general development of the team and club, yet angry at the treatment they were receiving until very recently.
People who have spent years running down the board, manager and players, a situation that reached new heights during the summer, are guilty of obscene levels of revisionism.
The manager was said to be unable to “do” defence. This team has conceded 3 goals from open play in the last 18 games. It had the second best defence in the league last year, whilst still playing attacking football. It contains players of the calibre of Sagna ,Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs and Monreal. Not bad picks for a guy that doesn’t know a defender from his elbow. Are these experts on football holding up their collective hands and saying: “Oops, I was talking utter crap.sorry” ?
Where are the agitators who claimed we would never buy a world class player or ever spend over £20 million on one now? What about those who claimed that big names being linked were just a ploy by the money -grabbing board to sell season tickets? Why are they not admitting to being malcontent idiots?
Here are some extract from a post by ZimPaul that puts some great questions:
“One thing is the frustrated fan hurling cheap insults against any target, including Emmanuel, Aaron, Abou, Theo, Denilson, so many others, and always Wenger by default, to vent their infantile anger at not being at the “top table” of trophies for a rather short spell, without thought of incredible ambitions the club had already achieved, was in the process of achieving, and had set its sights on, and the calm, decent manner it was going about all this. Despicable and stupid.
Then what does one call the informed and erudite fan, who knowingly, willfully set out to manipulate malleable, weak minds with outright lies, selective lies, omission of facts, outrageous claims (often dressed up as modest, humble appeals for change and “end of an era”), manipulating and flinging about all manner of base emotions, with the objective to erode team and club morale, it’s achievements, and get Wenger out?
And then what does one call more influential individuals and journalists, pundits, ex-players, football establishment types, who conjured up and fabricated an entire anti-Wengerball culture, week in week out, appealing to Arsenal’s time-honoured (British) traditions and glories, and so set out and all but conspired to use their influence to destroy Arsenal’s achievements during a vulnerable period of building for the long term?”
That’s at least three categories of idiots who should be scoffing humble pie like there is no tomorrow. But are they ?
The relentless moaning and whinging by fans with an over-inflated sense of entitlement has morphed into “We were only asking legitimate questions.”
Where they? Or were they chatting shit?
All last year some of us were suggesting that when the new arrivals settled in and the young players followed their natural progression, that we would see a very good team.
This was deemed delusional. When we said Ramsey, Giroud, Chamberlian, Podolski, Gibbs and others would be much better, we were told that we were mad. Some of these players were classed “not of Arsenal standard” by expert fans and pundits alike.
Were they wrong? Are they sorry?
People claim their moaning was because they were frustrated. Ignoring that it was them and their fellow halfwits that were speculating about nonsense and that was what was fueling their frustrations.
They claim they were right to question. Well it’s the tone and content of the questions that separate a reasonable fan from a spoiled child.
What about those who insisted that Jack would be sold and we were content to be fourth and not challengers?
Are they contrite?
We bought Ozil and still have huge funds for future purchases. Of course the moaners will say we should have spent more and sooner. Because they would make a better fist of running the club? Right?
Anyone with even half a brain could have seen that 2014 was penciled in as the point where we moved through the gears. It was obvious. But despite the evidence some expert fans won’t accept this.
You can question the club and still be behind the team. That’s true. But you must accept that if the questions you are asking are ridiculous and being asked because you have little understanding of almost anything, then its a hindrance rather than a help.
If you are claiming that our injury crisis is a result of poor management and planning consider this. A fit squad would see, by my calculations, ten full and first choice Internationals not in the starting eleven. So swivel.
Things are going rather well at present, but there will come a point when we suffer some reverses. The wheels might not fall off, but one might come loose, or it might just be a flat tyre. At this point all the good that has gone before us up until now, will be forgotten. Blackburn and Bradford will be rolled out and past perceived failings will be regurgitated by those that are temporarily quiet (and asking for amnesty) and used to back up their wild and ridiculous claims of incompetence by some poor sod or other. Be it Aaron, Arsene, Ivan or Stan.
These stupid know-it-all fans haven’t gone away, they are just lurking and waiting for their next chance to express their football know-how.
So don’t ask me to just enjoy the football.
Did they want to allow me to just enjoy the football?
Bollocks to them and any appeaser.
Now I will be accused of not being positive, and for creating more divides with this post. Well I am sorry, but these people make me sick.
Does that make me a flawed individual?
Probably.
Positively Arsenal 
Anicoll, I like that quote from Luke. Comes just before the story of the Prodigal Son, I think? It’s a hard sentiment to swallow, especially when you know you are in the right (i.e. not in need of repentance). But I do try.
LikeLike
Couple of quick points. The ManU debacle, however nasty, was an exceptionally rare occurrence at Arsenal. It is not a basis for evidence of vigour or weakness of the team. The flip-side is this fact: 17 consecutive years through to CL knock-out, including the season of that defeat, a record held jointly (I am guessing) with only Real Madrid. I ask only which of those two facts are the weightier and meatier? Context is everything.
As for Park, you know, you will struggle to find any team in EPL without an invisible player like a Park. Not a panic buy, more accurately a speculative buy. Nor is it surprising for Wenger, invisible players inhabit just about every Wenger vintage too. Any scroll through Arsenal a decade back produces a “who WAS he?” result.
If it is a mistake, far from being unusual, it is ubiquitous in football. I suspect he was never picked because he was never needed. Wenger almost always picks the strongest team for every EPL match.
Yay!!!!!!!!! artful Arteta is back, and that’s very, very, very, very good news.
LikeLike
I respect people who are able to say “I think I may have been wrong, or at least not aware of all the issues and facts”. That’s the only message for the hurtful, nasty and damaging Arsenal blogs who crapped in their own living room.
LikeLike
MA8 is back?! Yes! We’ve missed you Mikel. Managed fine while you were gone, but sure glad to have you back.
LikeLike
i have many disgruntled arsenal fans who are my friends. we all watch matches together in the same place. and they hate it when i continue to support the club even when things are looking really bad. most of them dont know my name, so they all call me arsene wenger. if anything goes wrong they haul abuse at me as if i’m the one who make the decisions. they blame me for every goal scored against us. they ask me why we fail to sign a certain player the madia tell them we are after. but one thing i enjoy most is that they all hug me and rejoice with me whenever anything good happen. they praise me for standing by the team always.
this can not be said of many of the ‘super fans’ i meet on several blogs. they say a lot of bad things against the club and those who stood by the club when things are difficult and they still want to be there to take the accolades when the club manages to prove them wrong. this is what i hate.
if you dont suffer with me dont expect to rule with me. at least not without an appology.
LikeLike
Brilliant article and equally brilliant comments by a whole host of the posters.
And today, what a stirring post by George. George, you say “Does that make me a flawed individual?” – I say, no! That makes you the sort of person I would like beside me in the trenches.
LikeLike
I differ slightly from the prevailing mood on this issue because I just don’t care about the people the post is aimed at. I’m here to get away from them and their views not to go on about them.
I understand the post and it’s motivation but not being the confrontational type I simply walk away from people who are diametrically my opposite. We have nothing to say to each other.
LikeLike
@steww
And I am jealous of you because of that. Maybe its my youth, but I am prone to getting provoked. And even if I try to get away or ignore, there comes a point where those provocations hit a sensitive spot and I follow natural instincts instead of doing the sensible thing.
LikeLike
Its not youth in my case Evil,perhaps I am just a gloating provocative twat.Some seem to think that.
LikeLike
Really glad to hear Mikel Arteta is comming back to fitness.
I would expect him the be on the bench, and used in the WBA match.
Wenger never rotates his team, and we have been told that is A BAD THING.
He might come on as a sub, if there is a probable likelyhood of one or other midfielder being red carded by Dean for minor offences.
LikeLike
The Parable of Prodigal Piers Kellly
I like it
LikeLike
The positive support was going to remain loyal regardless of Özil’s arrival. The doomer twats are backtracking for a reason.
LikeLike
Flamini, Vermaelen, Podolski, Ox, Diaby, Jenkinson, Monreal and Rosicky.
Compare those names with whatever MU, City, Chelsea and the Spuds have on their benches. No depth my ass.
LikeLike
I think George is very insightful when he speaks of the conflict inside all us; whether we should seek accountability or should we move along in the interest of peace and harmony. Call it the “Harry dilemna.”
But the problem, dear friends, is by papering over the lack of remorse and an apology, we are enabling what is inevitable at the 1st setback or, heavens forbid, a series of setbacks. These very same souls will be back even more emboldened. To quote George: “Blackburn and Bradford will be rolled out and past perceived failings will be regurgitated by those that are temporarily quiet (and asking for amnesty) and used to back up their wild and ridiculous claims of incompetence by some poor sod or other. Be it Aaron, Arsene, Ivan or Stan.”
Trust me, ACLF is already looking forward to what they have long described as our annual Fall failings. If Harry chooses not to learn the lessons of history he is bound to repeat them.
LikeLike
the difficulty in just forgetting about these people or wanting them gone forever is they are part of us. They are the noise in the stadium, they are work colleagues, they are ex players and in my case even some of my mates I go to the games with. However wrong they are they are part of the clubs “support” however loose that term may be. If i see anyone in the world wearing an ARSENAL shirt I feel an affiliation even if when they open their mouths they talk bollocks. Now I’m not saying the people that have abused us all over the years should be forgiven but like an ugly wart you just have to accept its part of you and its there.
LikeLike
To all gooners:
LikeLike
Georgaki,we cant all be friend because some of us would never have friends like that.
LikeLike
I am tired. This debate is taking a lot out of me and to make matters worse we are playing on Sunday. I hope there are some of our rivals on air tomorrow so I get the opportunity to gloat. Even though I know, gloating is forbidden.
LikeLike
Hahaha. That two faceed , boot licking jackass joony is a lying piece of crap. I never use the C word, which is a sexists word, and I have never said anything of the kind he attributes to me as it pertains aclf. Backstabbing scum.
The reason for my anger is the constant labeling of the group we have here.
A group of decent folks who have kept faith and have been vindicated. A group who have honor enough not to move the goalposts everytime it suits them. And for the constant insults towards this site by the usual suspects in at least three other blogs. To hell with them. It seems like everything in their Lives is about backtracking and eating crow. Keep on cooking up stories in you heads , lets see where it gets you.
As changed as it is from even a year ago, I still read the comments by some of the people I respect and would not have said anything like what has been attributed to me.
Keep on abusing ARSENAL players while they are moaning in pain on the pitch you lying scumbag. Lowest form of fan I have ever seen. Neenee.
LikeLike
And many posters that post here have not been banned by aclf. We post on both sites regularly. Get your facts straight. The least you can do since your opinions are worthless.
LikeLike
We’ve been called the Westboro Baptist Church by the Grove.
Not by the others. still the insults are flying from other blogs.
Pedro is still vehemently anti AKB, even that moniker galls me – we all know the ‘clever one’ can make a mistake, humans do.
It doesn’t help that both camps seem to be driving out moderates, see the cultured intolerance of any comments that disrupt their own historical revisionism.
LikeLike
DC
Honestly, do you give a sh what Pedro, jj or gerkoff think and write? Why do you aggregate yourself reading that site.?
I’m just happy I’m with folks who never failed in their support even in supposedly the most trying times.
Looks like SANTIAGO will be out for another month yet. Last minute of a friendly game . Wasn’t it??
LikeLike
@ G69
“Let the doomers build the bridges. The supporters who have stayed with the club through thick and thin, are in the same place they’ve always been.”
Ex-actly. I’d add that no-one has the right to tell me who to celebrate with.
***
Please can we clear this up once and for all – Park was not a panic buy, he was an impulse buy. AW was asked about hijacking his transfer in the presser *before* the Manure game. Have we all got that? BEFORE the 8-2 horror show. The deal was almost wrapped up and AW said this: that Bendtner had left (on loan) so there was a space on the wage bill and that he had always liked Park so he took a punt. There is no mystery about why he was signed. He just turned out not to be as good as AW hoped.
@ daveyboy
We did not pay anything like £8 million for Park – that is one of the bits of misinformation which were spread to make AW’s misjudgement seem worse. Similarly, the popular claim that AW inherited the Invincibles back four, a lie peddled to denigrate AW’s finest trophy achievement and to back up another lie, that he “can’t coach defence” as they put it.
Another point I would make is that AW did not set out to have an injury and suspension crisis and lose 8-2 to Manure, but others did deliberately abuse Aaron Ramsey. Mistakes have been made by AW, IG etc, but fans did not kick the club, players or manager by mistake, or due to an unforeseen chain of unfortunate circumstances. Your examples of wrongdoing on each side are not comparable or equivalent.
***
The above is me trying to set the record straight on some facts, support good arguments and point out the flaws in bad arguments. Emotionally, I find myself in company with steww and alabamagooner, but have come to that place by a different route. Someone summed it up the other day – AW and the board won’t be influenced or intimidated by what I will kindly call “fan pressure”. Negative and destructive fans make their respective jobs harder, most of what they say is grossly unfair and hurts me, but I realised that the club and the manager will do the right thing even if it’s not the popular thing and that helped me put their actions and words into perspective. Along with the fact that in the wider world, the club, manager and players get the respect they are due. Not that the negativity was any less cowardly or mean spirited or mendacious, just of less importance. So I shrug, or gasp or laugh wryly, but most of the time I don’t get wound up by it any more. Because we are in good hands and we are going to be OK and if some people want to scream and sack the pilot every time we hit turbulence, good luck to them.
What does continue to rile and frankly amaze me is the inability of most of these people to learn from their mistakes. Ironic, given one of their common complaints about AW.
LikeLike
“no-one has the right to tell me with whom to celebrate.”
Grammatically correct, but the first version seems preferable to me. English is funny like that, isn’t it?
LikeLike
The Westboro Baptist Church branch of Arsenal
That is really very good
Another one I can steal
LikeLike
Nice post FUNGUNNER
its a good place to be where you are. I’m so glad most of the respected posters of yesteryear are with us in the house GEORGE BUILT. thanks again PG.
LikeLike
Careful Anicoll,
The WBC are the most unpleasant bunch of fuckers I have ever seen.
LikeLike
@FG
That’s a fantastic post. In fact, I didn’t even know some of those things, especially the part about Park. Thanks for clarifying that, I am always happy to learn something new. I guess it makes sense, the way we hijacked the deal.
I think the point you make about “trying your best and not succeeding”, especially when it’s influenced by circumstances outside of one’s control (like injuries) versus deliberately doing something is a very good one.
LikeLike
Fungunner,
It was actually my cock up with the price of Park being bandied about at £8m.
My bad. Sorry. I had read it on so many other sites it sneaked into my brain.
Daveyboy is innocent. (Except for that Diaby comment, but in the spirt of goodwill we will let that one go).
LikeLike
What I don’t like is bloggers (not just one other in particular) pretending that they have an openminded and democratic debate policy, whist still being entirely anti Wenger behind it all.
So discussions get binned when it doesn’t suit the agenda. I don’t like the hypocrisy of expecting flawed and illogically held (and now out of date) options to go unchallenged.
At least no one can accuse PG of having a democracy.
Yes, Folks here are enjoying the moment of positive sunshine, but my God wishing the team will fail just to prove us wrong is a low ebb.
LikeLike
Wow! 007 Goonerkam is like boss!
LikeLike
Hahaha
Bond. James bond at your service.
LikeLike
there will come a point in History when kids will say to their parents “which side were you on during in the 2006-2013 civil war” its only at that point when the they look down at their charges will they truly feel the pride or remorse of being faithful or faithless a rock of support or a plastic attachment manipulated by the media, its easy to slag but more difficult to show patience in what you believe in so now and forever COYG
LikeLike
I’m with Harry and Georgaki. If that makes me an appeaser, so be it. Personally I save my contempt for Piers, Le Grove and the Ateebs of goonerdom.
LikeLike
What a good weekend of football – Ozil’s hoome debut and what I trust is not gross overconfidence in expecting three points against Stoke
Manchester decent, tricky game for Spuds against Cardiff and the West London derby looking a lot less straightforward for Jose than I would have guessed a month ago
LikeLike
And fear not DC – I do not imagine anyone on here is sufficiently insane to be a member of the WBC
As an insult though,and a recognition of implacable persistence in an opponent, it is a good line
LikeLike
FunGunner September 20, 2013 at 10:24 pm
bang bang , he shot me down, bang bang
no im with george and g69 .. ridIcule and offend them wherever you find them. For the last 5 to 6 years they have had free licence to offend EVERYTHING this club stands for, what the manager has worked for and what the players have worked for.
since we all agree it was retarded to complain and moan about titles in a period where we were repaying our stadium then it goes without saying that those retards who were making noise about ambition, transfers, titles defence etc should shut the fuck up permanently and perhaps apologise calling people speaking the truth as deluded or halfwits.
you see harry …they wanted free licence to INSULT…..not critisise..they (and we) are all too small in knowledge or experience to exercise valid critique. i guess keeping their mouths shut and sitting tight and supporting was too much for some of those entitled geriatric twats in aclf who i repeat have nothing to do all day so they discover things to debate about ….
goonerandy says how its a game of opinions…NO . …who ever said that..?..what book has he read and what page ? Do we not need to seperate valid opinions from stupid opinions? correct opinions from wrong opinions? Why not? Goonerandy wants the freedom to critisise but law and behold if someone critisises him and his opinions huh?
you see harry when a fan comes out saying for years that ” wenger cant coach defence” and then wenger enjoys a record of one loss ( due to official/ref) in something like the last 25 official games..i expect that fan to apologise and admit he knows fuck all about football and that he will never ever dare critisise wenger again. Do you see any of your mates in aclf doing that? i dont……..
when things others and i have said the past 5-6 years unfold later as being much closer to the reality of our football club than the fearfull “concerns” of our “fans” then yes i expect them twats to say “sorry we got it wrong, you were right all along”
so harry…. is it ego and pride that wont let them come down of their high horse of critique. who is the real extremist then? lol ……. who is putting his ego, opinion and pride above the well-being of the football club? is it the manager? is it the players? or is it the fans and bloggers and their OPINIONS?
hehehe…goonerkam, fungunner, dc, g69, calling all bombers…..tora tora tora!
ahahah… 🙂
our fans are like the chelsea mugs who were hating benitez
LikeLike
for example harry…..all those who ever spoke negatively about aaron ramsey should be fucking hiding right now mate and certainly not taking the boards and saying
“finally wenger listened to us and stopped playing aaron on the right”
do you get it now?
iF i were caught calling giroud a flop and giroud goes on and scores 30 goals and provides 15 assists and becomes one of Arsenal’s greatest strikers then i think id shut up and not talk too much……
Why shouldnt the same thing apply for them mates of yours in that cultureless pit.?
LikeLike
I find it’s a mistake reading the comments in another contemptuous laughing-leery fan.
I made this mistake twice, never learn. The bit at the beginning is not bad, opinion-wise, in a kind of I’m so witty I make myself laugh, chortle-snicker, don’t give a toss if you don’t think so (oh, but I do) way. The rest smacks vindictively of la-di-dah, me-myself oh so self-righteous; yet look again, downcast eyes stare in hoodie heads, affected humour spits, doomsayers chuckle, Luddites hunched at the back of a cave throwing shadows cast by a single flickering candle, exchange snide nothings cast as coded in-jokes, appalled in almost sentence by the spectre of a singular self-discovery (I’m on the wrong road) that turns out to be right. Talk about desecration of your own living room transformed into an art form, every nook and cranny fair hisses with spite. I groped about, gasping, wordless. It’s the kind of “turd installation” I can do without. The whole shebang has taken on a ghoulish looking-down-my-nose-at-you persona of AIC, now cast as a long-lost hero of sorts, with a daring-do dash of Ateebarian ethics-as-money tossed in for good measure, oh and a shrug of the shoulders for added dressage.
Let’s all be friends. Shudders … I need fresh air. I want to continue to like football, not hate myself for it. I should have listened to Steww.
LikeLike
and you know why ygi wont let us in ? CAUSE we were right and he knows it but he considers us below the standards set by the regulars …. muahahah…..
nevermind..he can sit there with them gurus of football knowledge who at the age of 40-45 and 50 are still debating whether a manager like Arsene Wenger delivers the targets and objectives set by the company’s Board. ….
Yogi’s place is so intellectual where they even need to debate if Wenger delivers what is asked from owners………………No, hunter has no place there…hunter will go nuts with the stupidity exhibited and start being brutally honest and CRITISISE ……..
🙂
and as for manners go check two nights ago what happened…lol… layksite pulled their pants down and spanked them hard!!! they thought it was me and spent a whole page calling me names……….i didnt see yogi telling any of them to shut it and that they were wrong….he called me a halfwit cause i was filling his cpam bin with complaints….haha..i guess its a hard pill to swallow for an intellectual when an inbred halfwit gets it right 🙂
LikeLike
Ok,
Yesterday was a bit of unpleasantness , necessary but still making a few folk uneasy.
Truths had to be spoken, especially against outright lies.
Gonnerkam – I read 2 months of PA blogs last night and I didn’t see anything you were accused of. I think I have called the AST and the grocers a cancer, I can’t find where I’ve gone that far with the Jellystone Park gang. However after yesterday, my opinion has hardened, if anything.
It’s football today folks, lets see which shower of wankers can catch up with the Arsenal?
LikeLike
HUNTER 13
harry will find out in a few months what a bunch of snake in the grass types he has been associating with. We have seen their lot eat crow for the past five years. Hay!!!! how many times does AW have to teach you a lesson?? Its getting old folks. Get a new fr•••Ing gig. He has proven you wrong time and again.
LikeLike
Yeah I agree with Steww too. Turd installation! Heh. The comparison with Chelsea fans and Benitiez is also true, theres no denying it. He’s a top top manager and the Napoli games are going to be epic.
–
Haven’t watched the full game yet but I liked the way the Flamster kept the momentum in the move building up for Ramsey’s goal. Very nice.
Hopefully he’ll resist the urge to get sent off against Stoke.
LikeLike
@ daveyboy
“double canister September 20, 2013 at 11:04 pm
Fungunner,
It was actually my cock up with the price of Park being bandied about at £8m”
My apologies, daveyboy. I should have checked before I posted.
Thanks for putting me right, dc.
LikeLike
gkam i have been reading and laughing at aclf
apparently …the chief’s opinion and one followed closely by that entourage of retards is that …Wenger, the Despot, was convinced and wanted to win in his ways , with project youth and doing it on the cheap and after 8 years of failure he realised he was wrong and now he is spending to win/compete, just like the fans asked. 🙂
isnt that a nice way for them to keep their narratives of
a) wenger a stubborn dictator
b) wenger outdated and past it and cant follow modern football
c) we always had money he just chose not to spend it.
so much for perspective then huh harry…..? …. I guess the past 8 years were seen by yogi and the rest of clowns as THE years to win trophies…..i guess it never crossed their minds that after building a stadium the club would spend NOTHING trying to recover their investment…it was all the making of a stubborn dictator….
LikeLike
Those gloating about early season form are in for a crash landing. Naaah mate, I just enjoy watching Arsenal playing such sure-footed fine football, 18 games one defeat is not too shoddy; and you, you like Arsenal? No? Football? No? Life? Thought not.
LikeLike
the Jellystone Park gang.
ahhahaha this jj is incredible……. i can not believe such people exist in real life….i guess thats why you can only find them in the internet…
LikeLike
Hey.
Who said yw was fair mate. All the way back to when banned GAINSBURG 69 a few years ago , due to that two faced boot licking back stabber.
Yw is like most refs. He seems always to see the second act, the retaliation, never the original infringement. How the wants to cohort with those disloyal pricks.
you didn’t fire me , you bigoted jerk, . I quit a month ago. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
LikeLike
@ ZimPaul September 21, 2013 at 9:29 am
Huh?
***
@ Hunter13
It may not be my place to say this, this not being my blog and all, but I don’t think you should be having phantom arguments with specific individuals from another blog on *this* blog. Argue with the people where they are posting. If you’re banned, argue with other people saying similar things on different blogs, god knows there are enough of them.
LikeLike
TORA TORA TORA
for AARON
for EDVARDO
for ABU
and FREDDIE
and SAGNA
TORA TORA TORA
LikeLike