The Emirates Stadium – the ultimate symbol of a stunning club transformation
The club bashers are an odd lot.
This is something that tends to be borne out if you engage in civil conversation and avoid the interaction descending into a steaming pile of swearyness. Their logic tends to be flawed, their arguments unsound and inconsistent. They have backed themselves so far into the corner of discontent they genuinely have no idea how to get out of it.
Bearing in mind we are top of the league and have been for most of the season and are continuing to perform well in two major cup competitions I have, in recent days seen the club heavily and passionately criticized for the following:
* failure to replace RvP with a similar quality striker
* the 3% ticket price increase which would help fund such a replacement and other similar acquisitions
* the supposed poor quality of recent additions to the squad – specifically Giroud and Ozil
* failure to spend up our reserves, said now to stand at a whopping £100,000,000 – a sum that is small change for the Oilys but, misspent by us in a rush of blood to the corporate head – as AW has said – could set us back two or three years
* failure to deal with deadwood quickly enough in the past, continued abuse of Diaby
* signing an injured player despite the negative financial cost to the club for the short duration of the injury
* that old favourite, the medical team.
* Arsene’s new contract and salary
These are the criticisms that spring to mind from just the last few days – they are hardly consistent with a club in the position we currently find ourselves in and one is pretty much forced to conclude that the worst of the abuse is coming from those disenfranchised by the move from Highbury to the Emirates. For them, on pitch success is of little value, it’ll never bring about a return to the old days and the old ways. They are now effectively the enemy within and their spurious and largely unwarranted attacks simply have to be rebutted as and when they appear.
I can not think of any other club that finds themselves in our position in the league, playing the way we are playing, with the financial stability and power that was built from the bottom up, with the brightest of futures before us – ever being subject to this level of criticism.
Neutrals just look on in bemused wonderment.
Sadly for the club, I don’t see them going away anytime soon but I DO see them becoming marginalised by our success and rendered irrelevant by the club’s overall situation in terms of its fiscal prowess and unique levels of managerial talent and stability. Not to mention its truly outstanding squad.
About a year ago I was genuinely concerned that the ‘end of era’ prophecy could effectively see AW driven from the club by a tide of negativity rising on the back of the majority of fans. Thankfully, success on field and good sense off it has prevailed and Wenger’s signature on a new about-to-be-signed contract will underline the sea-change we have just been through.
Whether any other club would attempt what AW and Arsenal pulled off in the first decade or so of the 21st Century seems extremely unlikely given the challenges that have to be confronted. When simply attempting to continue Ferguson’s success is proving to be so much harder than anticipated, who’d fancy being in the shoes of Spurs, Everton, or Liverpool, where real change is required in order for them to truly join the top table of the European elite.
For they, as much as we, have witnessed first hand the birth of a super club.
Positively Arsenal 
Great article Andrew and even better it brought Flint out of the woodwork! I remember him from the early days of ACLF when there were about 5 regulars including YW. How things change! Glad to know you are still around and where is Frank?
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It’s funny but I recognised Flint’s name (not one easily forgotten!) – can’t believe it’s from that long ago. Wonder what it’ll take to smoke Frank out again – hope he’s okay.
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The difference there was Hazard and the fact City didn’t have a proper holding midfielder. Zabaleta had to keep an eye on Hazard and Navas couldn’t exploit the space the Argentine creates for him when he bombs forward. And without a proper sitting midfielder, Yaya had to drop back in order to link the defence to the midfield.
Does this mean Fat Sam is a better tactician than Jose and Pellegrini?
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My word that was a fantastic game of football…..and the Arsenal are still top!
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Was Aguero injured? I know Fernandinho was but city failed to fire on all four cylinders tonight and first time to not score at home since November 2010, apparently. Best I’ve seen Chelsea play in years, well done them.
Yep, after all the handwringing and moaning, AFC still top of the league.
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@Harry 3:45 pm
If I remember correctly back in 2012 one of the ACLF guest editors had a posting up questioning if Arsene is the right person to take us forward because we weren’t making progress, completely ignoring the reality that losing the little Dutch boy sent us back into rebuilding mode. This was mostly the reason for the “end of an era” meme. It was definitely closer to a call for Arsene’s head than an observation of the current mood. And there can be little doubt about the intention of the author because he had previous in that regard in his guest postings and contributions to the comments section.
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Playing Demichelis in midfield was cruel.
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Come out to play occasionally Passenal, still read Yogi’s pieces, Goonerholic & Arseblog. Was a bit poorly a couple of years ago & got out of the habit of having my regular three’peneth worth on ACLF, meanwhile you all buggered off & didn’t tell me where you had gone.
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“For they, as much as we, have witnessed first hand the birth of a super club.”
Woo-hoo! Well said, Andrew.
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Hi, Flint.
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Yeah, Agüero is out injured and so is Javi Martinez.
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Lovely read ANDREW. very enjoyable and good points raised.
As I said yesterday the criticism and moaning will not stop no matter the success on the field nor in the boardroom. They won’t stop until they turn ARSENAL into another sugerdaddy team and start following the oily teams model instead of our own.
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If we turn into a sugar daddy team I’ll start moaning and then fuck off…..
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Injury Blows Leave City Stricken: Pellegrini’s failure to strengthen during January window casts doubt on title chances.
At 60 years of age Manuel Pellegrini may well have years of top club experience, but his unwillingness to boost City’s ailing squad leaves fans fuming in the wake of Etihad embarrassment. As the Sky Blues paper-thin midfield crumbled in the face of Chelsea’s robust tactics, doubts were raised as to whether City could maintain their challenge, especially as an injury to Toure would seriously derail their chances. City, who have managed only three points out of a possible nine against top tier clubs, have a tricky away fixture at Carrow Road on Saturday, before taking on Barcelona and then Chelsea again in a run of fixtures that looks sure to define their season. Can City weather the storm, or will their expensively assembled group of ball players prove to have flattered only to deceive? Sources close to the club say speak of genuine concerns about the tactical choices made in recent weeks and in particular the decision to employ Demichelis in the middle of the park. Arsenal, whose squad was put together at a fraction of City’s, remain two points clear as the League heads into the final third of the season.
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Gainsbourg69,
How about a song that goes something like “you can stick your black scarf up your arse!!” ?? Very imaginative I know.
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