Well the Emirates Cup is over and with it, the pseudo-honeymoon that Arsenal and Mr Wenger seemed to temporarily enjoy. The critics and demonizers are back at full throttle. I knew it was simply a temporary hiatus, like the calm before the storm, that invariably rears its ugly head once we have failed to win something, be it a game, a Cup or anything else. This has lead me to try and understand that ubiquitous phenomena a small percentage of hyper-critical fans ceaselessly display. Having given this issue considerable and careful thought, and after significant reflection, it seems to me that there is a fundamental dichotomy between what some fans see as important for the Club. Those who constantly criticize Wenger, the Board and the players, both collectively and individually, as well as the direction AFC appear to be going in, almost always end up loudly proclaiming two things: 1) We won’t win anything with the current squad, and therefore 2) They want us to spend some big money on filling in any number of supposed ¨holes¨ in the squad, in order to win something. What is interesting about all of this is that they confuse THEIR wants with what AFC really needs. This confusion is so common in real life that it has become a truism. If we define wants versus needs in footballing terms, it becomes readily apparent that the two are universes apart: a) Our critics WANT us to sign big name, high cost players so we can compete, according to their expert opinions. The only problem is that such purchases guarantee nothing and Wenger is well aware of that. So when he refuses to play that game, he is branded as an incompetent old fool whose time is up. When he does play that game (Suarez), he is vilified as an immoral scumbag! b) The rational and reflective Gooner realizes that we NEED to improve our squad but does not base that opinion on what happens in pre-season or on what the media excrete. They refuse to link big spending with success on the pitch because they have seen how badly it can go wrong, even if it occasionally does get some fleeting results. I recently read a blogger describing many Arsenal critics as being ¨Red Top graduates¨ and felt this described them perfectly. In his opinion, these knee-jerk specialists have all graduated from the Red Top University where they learnt all there is to know about running and managing a professional Football Club. (If you are not a resident in the UK perhaps I may explain, the Red Top is a British newspaper of limited investigative ability, low intellectual scope, a propensity for law breaking and limited awareness to what is actually happening in the world. It is however high on morale declamations and a certainty of what is right. The American equivalent is the National Enquirer). I have rarely read anything on the numerous sites I visit written that was written by someone who has actual expertise and experience in professional football, whether it be playing,managing or officiating. Usually the bloggers are ordinary chaps with their viewpoints and wish-lists for AFC. That is fine, but anyone claiming to ¨know¨ what AFC needs, based on their superficial ¨knowledge¨ of football, regardless of whether they have been watching the Game since they were in nappies, is patently dubious and disingenuous. Whether you fit into one of the many pigeon-holes/stereotypes some bloggers have invented in order to simplify a very complex set of inter-relationships, the simple truth is that nobody can predict what the future holds, nobody knows what Wenger will end up doing, nobody outside the Club can usually and credibly define AFC’s actual needs with any certainty nor can anyone, even Wenger, accurately predict how a transfer will turn out. Therefore everyone needs to avoid confusing their wants with what AFC need…..it will make life a lot less stressful for most Gooners
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:07:42 +0000
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