A guest post from Arse or Brain (@arse_or_brain)
The answer to this question can be different not only in people’s opinion but also the context in which you ask it. After a very quiet stadium against Crystal Palace I had a very heated discussion with a friend I have been following Arsenal with around the country and abroad over the last 30 years. You would imagine after such time our views would align, much like women’s periods. However, on the subject of whether the fans should inspire the team – or the team should inspire the fans – we are poles apart.
While this issue will never be black and white, each are incumbent upon each other to inspire in certain situations and to a greater or lesser extent depending on what the occasion demands, I feel the greater responsibility should always be on the supporter to do all they can to lift whatever performance they are watching.
Apart from the embarrassment of the small amount of away fans out-singing the rest of the stadium every home game, I feel players should ride on a wave of noise towards the 100% performance to which we all aspire.
It is why home games used to have such an advantage. It is why away teams are told – regardless of tactics – silencing the home fans is first on the list. It is why teams like to attack their loudest end in the second half and it is why many goals are scored in the final minutes when the crowd are “sucking the ball in to the net.”
Will paying players more money increase their performance?
Will guilting them into a performance by booing them work, or will staying quiet, or grumbling, lift their game?
No, actually roaring them on is the most effective way to make them fly.
I have often heard the argument the players should give the crowd something to cheer and in some circumstances I agree. However when a stadium is still from the start of the game, playing at 100% must be more difficult. I would also ask why, with all the modern media around, someone would want to spend money and time not supporting the team? Do you sit mute and wait for something magical to happen or do you sing your heart out to try and inspire that magic?
The problem has been acknowledged by some fan groups with both RedAction and A.I.S.A talking to the club and making suggestions to improve atmosphere. The teen for a tenner section is normally very vocal and the singing section at least produces songs from one part of the ground. These initiatives on their own are not nearly enough and at the moment we have a top class stadium, a top class team but the *HOME fans are bottom of a very poor league.
*The emphasis is on home because our away fans are second to none.
Positively Arsenal 
looking forward to the game tomorrow.
Feeling quietly confident for the Team.
A win tomorrow will be a massive confidence boost, making the Utd. game a pice of piss to win. which it is of course but our boys have bad mental block about Utd.
And Jeez, is Jose such a sleeze bag or what? but it’s really sickening to hear some of the usual tabloid journos laughing it up at his BS at the Chavski press conference.
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Been smoking for over twenty years, the debt has to be paid. Been a month without the poison sticks now, and already been hit with quitters flu. Yea didn’t even know such thing existed until it hit me, like a Poldi shot right in the face. Took me a week to recover.
As for vidic, the club pays well and when it comes to it they will spend to stay competitive. Because that’s what their business model is based on, football success and sponsorship deals. So if vidic leaving is a sign of a player losing believe, it’s not in the clubs ability to turn it around but rather the manager.
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Really tired of the ever resurfacing Ozil criticism now. It seems the critics, pundits and fans, want Ozil to win games on his own standing apart from the team. When instead he contributes by being a great team player that makes the team better. The reason the ultimate team builder Arsene is willing to fork out 42 mil.
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Got to give rogers this, he has at times made his team look good playing some good football. Face it, it’s quite an achievement with that shitty lot of players. But of course there’s still every chance their season will end up in tears. Let us break the dam.
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‘Morning sports fans.
It looks like a good day to beat the mickey mousers.
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morning all.
drums and musical instruments are cultural thing. supporters and fans all around the world have their peculiar way of getting behind their teams. the one thing i hate is supporters coming into the stadium to boo any of their players or management team.
the actual fact is that those that influence this urgly behavior dont always show up in the stadium. they use their influence in the media to instigate the fans against their clubs just to achieve their wicked agenda.
i like ex players such as henry, keown, ray palour and bergkamp who support the club through thick and thin. you hear them always whether we are doing well or not. but tony adams, ian wright, graham and usmanov have stopped talking about the club since we started doing well. just wait till any slip up, the jounos know their numbers, and they will set up an interview with them to access the performance of the team. how we would have won the league with ten games to spare if we had bought draxler.
lets win today and continue to keep them silent.
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apropos
i have said it before that those who criticize ozil the most are those who celebrated the most when he arrived. those wanted arsenal to just spend the fucking money on supper stars. those who never wanted wenger to be aplauded for winning with the players they have written off in the past. these are those who are also pushing us to buy draxler at whatever cost. the same people who celebrated everytime we break our transfer record and moan everytime we fail to buy the players they read in papers we are interested in. ozil, like any other player, is doing well for his first season. he will be better next season and season after that. as long as wenger is happy about him, i am happy. i dont want a one man team anymore.
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‘Alright Dave?
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Ozil’s assist stats are top, and people say “he hasn’t yet settled” and bla bla. His passing stats are at or close to par … with the best … at Arsenal. He’s marginally less effective tracking back and defensive tackles. Position and movement wise, he’s outstanding. His keep ball (ball retention, pass success) is excellent. The only thing he hasn’t done is score many, plus do circus tricks for the crowd. Some people are crazy!
Smalling has a big future I think, he sure has raw talent; not sure about Jones and I don’t like him either. The problem these guys have is coaching at inferior levels so not being exposed sufficiently to total football and how it’s played, without that that they will be exposed.
As for today, yes, honestly it’s a big game and Pool are not to be under-estimated at home. I seem to recall they’ve dropped 5 points at home all season. They have some injury problems at the back though. Wenger’s emphasis on defense is a pointer to what he thinks is going to be a tight affair. Rodgers has done a fine job.
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RIGHT. its 330 in the morning, gota full tank of gas, fresh pack of cigs, game face on, heading to a pool pub to watch the game amongst fifty Micky mousses and maybe ten fellow GOONERS. give me strength. Oh I forgot. Extra strength dark roster coffee prepped and in travel mug.
COYG. lets go to our usual pissing ground and own these pretenders. THE MIDFIELD IS OURS. go on and take those three points and male a statement of intent. OG to be huge this game. 1-2 to the ARSENAL I say. Bring it on.
BOOM
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Team is up.
Monreal gets the nod over Gibbo.
St. Jack returns & Plodders back on the bench.
Chambo and Carzola in the flanks, don’t think we have seen that combination very often. Liverpool with injuries at the back, players in form up top. It’s going to be exciting.
Come on the Arsenal!
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I cant find TV anywhere what’ s going on. I’m nervous now hope the lads can pull out the performance needed for the three points, stay top of the league and another test ticked and put in the draw. COYG
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There ‘s traffic problems on the M6 on the way to Liverpool, just like that famous night in 89 COYG
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Come on you yellows.
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I’m with you layksite.
Thought Rosicky would start but the Ox did score two last time. That’s a strong bench, good to have Bendtner back.
Thats a very weak Loserpool defense.
COYG
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I believe in miracles.
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We’ve probably lost but I dont care. Just want to see the boys get something back for their pride.
Away support singing loud and clear now!
That’s support! Believe it!
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I believe in miracles too Paul!
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Sav, The boys never recovered from the first goal. Another offside call against us but we ought to have done better regardless.
We have had some decent chances but our ball control has let us down time after time.
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Oi luis… some vaseline please…
Wenger heart attack…..
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Nightmare…
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I don’t know how to react. This could cost us our season.
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Speechless……
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Yeah Paul I see that lack of composure. But its a learning process, eh? 2014/2015 was supposed to be our year, so we’re here a year early. I still believe. I feel that that the players are so used to playing within themselves that they can’t turn it on fully. Eventually, with the skill and powers of this team, they will unleash the dragon, be it this season or the next.
I don’t care about the result I just care about the performance. Fuck trophies. My trophy is the harmony and simplicity of football played at its purest form.
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You know what, in the greatest adversity a man (or woman) finds their true self. Fuck it, lets lose 10 nil whatever. I believe that the Character of this team and the strength of that their individual characters will see us emerge even stronger. You never grow pitting yourself against the weak. You never gain pitting yourself against the easy.
Zen philosophy simplies says something like ‘to gain is to the suffer, loss is Enlightenment’.
I believe. I am sure the players believe. All the true supporters believe! Fuck the rest.
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Season is not over Sav, even if the result stays as is or gets worse. It all depends on the response of the players. It’s still only 3 points. Confidence is what is the worry, which will surely take a knock. I though, trust this team to dig even deeper and bounce back.
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There you go Sav!
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That hurt!
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Why is one defence being caught out so high up the field? That is what is confusing.
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Let’s get Wilshere off
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Arsene is incensed.
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That was bullshit.
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The team got it all wrong today. Needed to park the bus until the storm passed over but we kept pushing everyone up.
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terrible first 20 today, hopefully we will never again start so badly. ive always preferred Gibbs to Monreal and also think Ozil and Santi in the same team leaves you exposed especially away from home. However all that is semantics we lost the game as a team, Szczesny apart who I thought had a good game.
All good teams take a stuffing every now and again remember Stoke 71, bounce back and we will be flying again a what better way to start than against manure.
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Very unusual performance. Off-balance, lacking in … that sharp fluidity. It happens. I thought the whole team looked ill at ease. The plot thickens. This team however bounce right back, wondering what just happened.
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Fuck it! We will emerge stronger.
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
Tokien.
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Let’s hope out opponents slip up.
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We take it on the chin and move on. WednsdaY we destroy the cunts.
Fkn skrtel….
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Fuckinhell. That was painful. The death run of games didn’t start off too well. Must get our act together before Wednesday. COYG..
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I still enjoyed my cup of tea and digestive biscuit……believe it or not……
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Arsene said “Only our fans were good for 90 minutes. All the rest, we were poor.”
No point trying to justify such a performance and hitting it head on is the right way to go.
here’s a tip, all the extra doomsayers and knobheads who will now be ranting for Arsene’s head, and saying we are out of it etc etc are THE most fickle of them all. If you can’t support when we get stuffed then sod off when we’re winning I say.
UTA
Look out manure on wednesday
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Georgaki “I still enjoyed my cup of tea and digestive biscuit……believe it or not……”
And so you blooming well should… a cuppa and a digestive is something that nothing should sour
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What the hell happened? All I know right now is the score. I hope that was just a one-off, combination of a bad day for us and a particularly good day for them. There’s still a lot to play for, so no heads must drop either on or off the pitch. Come on you Gunners!
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there is realy nothing to take out of the match. we were poor. but still three points lost.
paul, jack was not the worst player today. why do you want him off?
liverpool were lucky to get two early goals, they then exploited the space behind our defenders. credit to liverpool, they got their game plan spot on.
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if i’m to choose which game to lose, this or against manure on wednesday, i’ll rather lose this one. united is a mist win, for points and for pride.
come on arsenal!!!
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The game developed not necessarily to Arsenal’s advantage.
Beware most strictly of any outbursts of emotion that may engender needless complications, of any fraternal contention and strife that may create confusion, lead you astray and cause you to lose the confidence of the world.
Unite your total strength to be devoted to the construction for the future. Cultivate the ways of rectitude, nobility of spirit, and work with resolution so that you may enhance the innate glory of Arsenal football club and keep pace with the progress of the world.
I thank you for your time
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We just couldn’t deal very well with their pressing and pressure. That first efin goal was offside and next thing you know they got their tails up in the air. They f•••Ing pressed hard for 90 minutes allowing us hardly any time on the ball and the turn overs of possession. Bad day for us . A good day for them.
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we concede five today. many will blame wenger or mertesacker and koscielny. but when we keep a clean sheet its steve bould.
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Laykesite, I didn’t want Wilshere to pick up a second yellow. His frustration got the best of him on a couple of occasions.
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Positives from todays game,
Szczesny’s performance, when players are one on one you don’t automatically think they’ll score.
No injuries, always important when trying to bounce back not to lose more players.
No suspensions, same as above.
Kos and Per, although horribly exposed by the players in front of them they got through shit loads of work and made many vital interceptions/tackles in fact I have to say I love big Per’s tackle.
We have started sluggishly in many games hopefully this will be the lesson to make sure it doesn’t happen again abit like the Blackburn defeat in 2002.
The away fans still singing in the 93rd minute.
It wasn’t against chelski, manure, spuds or in a cup game where there is no comeback.
The early Kickoff means im now sitting in a nice hot bath listening to an old northern soul cd not listening to shit pundits.
I know that last one isn’t strickly football related but you have to look for the positives
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