Never mind the buglers, where’s the FA Cup/4th place or better?
The fans are split, that’s a given.
But they are not split between AKB’s and WOB’s. Oh no, there are another set that sit between the two extremes. Just like in politics, the battle is won or lost in the middle ground. The vast majority of fans are floating voters. Within this middle ground there will be – and is – a full spectrum of ever changing feelings.
I would guess that up until Xmas the vast majority were happy and very much behind the manager.
Now? Who knows?
But it will be a whole lot less. And the amount they have shifted their positions will also differ greatly. Some will have had enough, while others may just have some nagging doubts.
Here is the crux.
They are all Arsenal fans.
They all want what is best for them. (Oh sorry – I meant “what is best for the club”). They all want us to win every game, they all want to win stuff, and they all want to be happy.
There is however, a basic divide.
Have the last 9 years been a success (as I believe) or have they been a failure? Therefore, has the manager overachieved or underachieved ?
David Dein recently said that the stadium move would have been impossible without the success Arsene had brought. Ray Parlour said that some of the loans to build the stadium were conditional on Arsene signing a 5 year deal. Arsene has told us he agreed to stay knowing that the league title was very unlikely. Ivan has admitted that there were indeed financial restraints that they had previously denied .
So taking those things into consideration, what was in Arsene’s job description? What did the board actually ask of him?
What was best for the club?
Arsene himself had said that his priority was qualifying for the Champions League with the financial rewards that follow it. He did that every year, and given his resources, that was an over-achievement. This isn’t my opinion, it’s a fact backed up by impartial data. The AST had an analysis done (I suspect they were disappointed with the results) which proved beyond doubt that this was the case.
People will point out that it’s not his job to make the club money, his job is to win trophies, but the reality is that his job is to achieve what his employers ask him to achieve. That may be very different to what a fan would want him to do.
If we finish in the top 4 and win the FA cup, I expect the undecided will once again shuffle towards us.
If we don’t?
Well we know all too well what will happen.
Positively Arsenal 
anicoll5,
May I steal your “transfer porn” terminology, please? I think that it perhaps expresses my disgust with the utterly ridiculous endeavour that I call transfer speculation nonsense.
We are soon to enter that most moronic part of the football calendar: pres-season! Hopefully, the world cup would minimise the nonsense but then every player who scores a goal or makes a decent pass at the mundial becomes a character in the transfer porn.
Oh, I so love your terminology!
LikeLike
Passenal
Only every time we had a bad result, crying like a baby over spilt milk.
Oops! Sorry, in my grief (every dropped point is always a tragedy) I must have skimmed past those comments.
LikeLike
Kudos to PA. The debate over the past two days has been good, and healthy.
LikeLike
Georgaki-pyrovolitis : the doctors at le grove, and the mou lovers in other sites, and the little horse hazard…just replying to gains. i then tried to encourage george on the cheerleaders thing and finally a spoof trailer on superman.
passenal… …lets get the three points now… when season is over we can review my tears after EVERY bad result and see how credible your latest snipe was. right now..victoria condcordia crescit. keep calm and happy easter 😉
LikeLike
Seeing Sterling score for Liverpool. Confidence is a hell of a thing, eh.
LikeLike
Hunter
Stop pining for Biter!
–
Good match reviews are up on some other good blogs. Definitely not a dress rehearsal for the final with Hull scrapping at home against relegation.
Hopefully Hull will defend like Norwich are at this very moment.
LikeLike
nah man im using my lego just trying to build bridges … ..ahah
LikeLike
Shotta
Yes it is!
LikeLike
When talking to the City fans I mentioned earlier after the recent game I told them I believed Mourinhio had cost Gazprom the title this season.
Left Courtois on loan. A manager making an error out of loyalty to a player (Czech), hang on I thought only we have been told only AW made such errors?
Got rid Mata: immature (Casillas related?), mean and ultimately very stupid. No need for further comment.
Strikers: got rid of Lukaku and brought in Eto who needed plus six months to shake of the rust from Russia during which time Ba and Torres would’ve been irritated pissed off. All this is obvious.
However if you wrote the above elsewhere you’d have been heckled by fans of Maureen, nothing wrong with that but I just don’t get Arsenal fans admiring a bog standard chequebook manager. Given the austerity period that could be seen as sado-masochism.
I like to come here to read about the football, comments like Passenal’s match reviews. Not peoples frustrated emotions and desires for ‘change they can believe in’.
LikeLike
Here’s to a great game of football for the ARSENAL and three beautiful point to take us to 70. Its kickass time.
UP WITH THE GUNNERS OF ARSENAL !!!!
show me……..
LikeLike
PG has kept banging this on twitter – Pool has benefited from an alignment of stars; cheating by not honoring the Suarez buyout clause, not qualifying for Europe, dropping out early from all distracting competitions. Somebody made the point they have had about 15 games less than Arsenal meaning 6 rest days between games vs 4.5. These things have a funny way of biting teams in the butt sooner or later. Its a law of nature.
LikeLike
Transfer porn ?
I stole that off Foreverheady
Right term for the months of gibbering insanity about to break out
LikeLike
I am always nervous before a game. Enthusiastic start by Hull but that adrenalin will soon dissipate.
LikeLike
A clear pen denied.
A yellow card for high kick mot given.
A bullshevick offside call.
This bas•••• is making my blood boil early in the f•••Ing am.
Got put this game away early an fast. Take the pri•• referee out of the equation.
COMEON ARSENAL!!!!
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT….
send these bit••• packin
LikeLike
RAMBOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
LikeLike
Yes!!!
LikeLike
Phew!
LikeLike
The Prince of Wales returns.
LikeLike
Slice & dice EM ARSENAL!!!
my man AARON !!!!!
LikeLike
I was so hoping Norwich would pull it out of the bag v Liverpool….sigh.
Regarding the earlier debate, I realise it is now over, but I’m sure no-one will be surprised if I nevertheless throw in my tuppence.
Brilliantly put, shotta.
Also well said Apropos – and please don’t be intimidated into not picking people up on anything. Everybody has the right to form an opinion, no-one has the right not to be challenged on their opinion. Saying or implying that to challenge is an act of aggression is a form of passive aggression, intended to shut you up.
I have no time at all for those who bemoan schisms in the fan base while taking snide digs at people whose views they dislike, or who insist on their right to challenge the manager while taking offence if they themselves are challenged.
For what it’s worth, I don’t care about whether the fans are united as fans – I’m not even sure it’s possible for millions of people to all feel the same. The only thing that matters to me is that the fans are united with the players, club and manager.
LikeLike
Blimey, we’re under the cosh here, aren’t we?
LikeLike
Goldi Poldi! This is what we like!
LikeLike
And great stuff earlier, Kam. Also well found with those stats about the number of games we have played compared to Pool.
LikeLike
And Passenal. And a_or_b.
People, just take this as a general round of applause.
LikeLike
PA – I never had such attention on Twitter. Took on the Giroud haters prior to the game and proven 100% correct he is such a great threat with midfielders buzzing around and Ramsey breaking forward.
This is what we missed because of injuries.
LikeLike
Anicoll5 I have to go out straight after the game, can you do the write up? Or anyone?
LikeLike
Shotta you have Le Grove to thank for his RT of my RT of you.
LikeLike
Hunter
Shouldn’t you be gorging yourself go roast lamb……..whilst watching the Arsenal?
LikeLike
Oh Aaron why why why.
Gotcha FG.
LikeLike
Look how we’re playing now that Aaron is back in the team. I shudder to think what could have been. Instead we’ll have to watch that cheater Suarez lift the league trophy.
LikeLike
And welcome proud kev 7:09pm. Most of us are actually of softer nature than we look like.
LikeLike
I can write it
LikeLike
Steve Bruce looking tired and worn out …
LikeLike
v depressing, G69.
LikeLike
And look what I found on BBC Sport, G69:
“Just putting it out there…but is there anything in the fact that Arsenal suffer injury to their top players each and every season while Liverpool, if we take this season, have managed to get through the campaign relatively unscathed. Luck or better methods? Discuss.”
LikeLike
Lol AA, this is going to be a standing joke isn’t it.
Gains, the grief is the negativistas will never acknowledge how close we were this season. And everything still to fight for. That said next season we need to fix our away games against top teams.
LikeLike
yes!!!!!
I love it when we’re ruthless.
LikeLike
One more and we are even on goal difference with Everton.
LikeLike
we’d be ahead, wouldn’t we?
LikeLike
Always a pleasure watching the games with you FUNGUNNER. always. And the rest of the crew at the diehard depot.
LikeLike
The negativistas are pushing an agenda, Apropos. If they were fair minded, they’d also talk about the way injuries have been responsible for Chelsea and City throwing away the title. But they won’t. Because the oily clubs represent the nouveau riche mentality some of the peasants who support Arsenal admire.
LikeLike
Nearly…
LikeLike
nearly a goal, I mean.
LikeLike
Good to take mesut off. Arsene been very careful with players coming back from injury this season. But of course it won’t be recognized.
LikeLike
The bastards went as far as to accuse Arsene of hating Podolski. They never mention how Poldi was injured most of last season and the beginning of this one. Also, right around the time he was coming back to fitness, he needed to accommodate for injuries.
LikeLike
Thanks anicoll
LikeLike
Let’s keep that clean sheet, boys
LikeLike
Now somebody please put a world of hurt on that spudnik reject puddlestone. Shut his mouth up . Wired shut.
LikeLike
My cat is listening to the ArsenalPlayer commentary. She always perks up her ears when Santi is mentioned.
Just thought I’d share that.
LikeLike
Absolutely nailed on penalty for that foul on the Ox. Seems there has to be a decapitation in the box if we are to get them.
LikeLike